A SERMON, PREACHED AT FRIENDS' MEETING-HOUSE, BURLINGTON, NEW-JERSEY, On the 10th of the Fifth Month 1822, BY GEORGE WITHY. Taken down in Short-Hand by J. A. DOWLING, Stenographer. PHILADELPHIA : PUBLISHED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE SPEAKER, 1822. SERMON. MY mind is frequently brought into a very low and trying situation, on occasions like the present, when I so far yield to impressions of duty, as thus to request the company of my friends, and those who may be inclined to sit with us, who are not of our religious community. And the awfulness of the undertaking I believe would sometimes overwhelm me, was it not for the strong consolation, that I can appeal to the Searcher of hearts, that however I may be mistaken, I have no motive in such a movement but the discharge of what feels to me to be a duty. I can truly say, I covet no man's silver or gold; I covet no man's applause; and I am brought into a state of mind very far from that of having any high notions of my own attainments. I am sensible that I have nothing at my command, and am so far from having any thing to spare unto others, that I am often led to beg for a bit of spiritual bread for my own support. And when brought under exercise and travail of soul in my silent sitting, I have been many times constrained to stand up in meeting, without any prospect of what I might be led to express therein. I know not for what cause or on whose account I am thus constrained in this meeting to unfold my exercise and feelings, which I would rather have concealed, had it been consistent with my peace. I am desirous that we may all experience some benefit by thus meeting together, under the solemn pretence of worshipping God. However we may differ, my dear friends, one from another, in many points of Christian doctrine however we may differ in our apprehensions of what is required at our hands-there are points in which we must all agree. We all believe, I trust, that there is One only true God, the holy object of the adoration of angels and arch-angels. We doubtless believe this, or we should never thus meet under the solemn pretence of worshipping HIM who made Heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of waters. And I wish that it may be our concern this evening, to gather home unto our own proper business; that we may be enabled to bow in reverence at the footstool of majesty, mercy and grace, and through divine assistance, to offer unto the Lord our God an acceptable evening sacrifice, the sacrifice of a broken heart. A broken heart and a contrite spirit, the Almighty never did and never will reject: and let our pretensions to religion be what they may, however rectified our notions may be-whatever may be our learning or attainments, we can never acceptably draw near to, and worship the Father of spirits, in spirit and in truth, but as our hearts are brought into this humble situation. We may sit down in a state of silence, divested of all the forms and ceremonies of religion, or we may be in the exercise of the forms and ceremonies that abound among many; yet my dear friends, the doctrine of our blessed Lord and Saviour unto the woman of Samaria, at Jacob's well, remains to be the unchangeable doctrine concerning true worship: "Our fathers," said she, "worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." "Woman," said he, "believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father :" (by which I understand, neither" exclusively "at this moun tain, nor yet at Jerusalem.") "Ye worship," said he, "ye know not what :" "God is a spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." And without we are brought under the influence, the heart-melting power of Christ Jesus our Lord inwardly revealed, whether we are in the practice of a round of religious ceremonies, or whether we sit down in silence, after the manner of the society of which I am a member, all will avail us nothing, without we are thus brought into a qualified state, to draw near and "worship in spirit and in truth." And it would be a very profitable engagement for you and for me, when we are thus met for the solemn purpose of worshipping the Almighty, to be frequently engaged in the examination of the state and condition of our minds, and see by the light afforded us, how far we are brought into a capacity to discharge the solemn duty. It will be utter A 2 |