Lord, shall cover the earth, even as the waters cover the sea.

O righteous Father, thou canst turn the hearts of men, and we do humbly crave thy blessing on us. We pray unto thee, to be near us in the way that we go; that those who are sensible of thy righteous judgments, may keep the word of thy patience; that they may be refined, but not with silver, and chosen in the furnace of affliction; that they may come to be of the number of those, who are under thy holy discipline, whereby thou art blinding the eyes that would see, and stopping the ears that would hear. 0 Lord, that thou mightest anoint with thy spirit their eyes to see, and their ears to hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.

O Father, we pray thee to increase the faith of these. Increase our faith we beseech thee. And under a reverend sense of thy continued mercy, and our unworthiness of the least of thy mercies, we do with contrite hearts, bow this day before thee. Thou knowest that we have met with one accord in this place, and do thou be pleased to enable us with one heart and mind, to ascribe unto thee, the Lord God, and unto the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne, glory, and honour, and dominion, and power, under a sense, that thou art worthy, everlastingly worthy. Amen.

SERMON VII.

BY THOMAS WETHERALD.

DELIVERED AT ROSE STREET MEETING, NEW-YORK, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1ST, 1826.*

I APPREHEND it is considered that the service of the meeting is over, and perhaps we may as

*As the circumstances of this meeting were peculiar, and have been variously represented, it becomes the duty of the stenographer to give a statement of facts as they appeared to him at the time.

At an early period of the meeting Mrs. Robson rose, and continued to speak for more than an hour. She was very soon succeeded by Mrs. Braithwaite in the foregoing prayer; immediately after which, Richard Jordan and Elisha Bates, who sat at the head of the meeting, shook hands as the customary signal for a separation: but, contrary to any thing ever before witnessed by the stenographer, or by any other person with whom he has conversed, not a solitary individual, among more than two thousand, was seen to move!

In the course of about a minute, there was another and a similar attempt made to close the meeting, by R. Jordan, E. Robson, A. Braithwaite, and some persons occupying the second galleries, but it was with the same effect! A profound silence now pervaded the whole of this large assembly, and, in breathless expectation, every eye seemed riveted with intense interest upon the galleries. The whole meeting, simultaneously breaking through the rules of the society, remained fixed and immoveable, as if controled by some invisible power. Such was the effect, that the beholder might have easily conceived himself surrounded by a congregation of statues, instead of animate beings. During this interval, Mr. Wetherald rose and delivered the following discourse, which being succeeded by a few remarks from Elias Hicks, a short pause ensued-when Mr. Hicks and Mr. Wetherald shook hands, and the meeting quietly dispersed.

A a

well quietly retire. But I have felt a concern on my mind for the young friends. And whatever truths have been delivered, my dear young friends, if they can be applied to our minds, let us take them, and be willing to make the application; and if we cannot apply them, let them pass for what they are worth.

I apprehend that the gospel of Christ is simple, and that we need not be alarmed at any extraneous or outward circumstances. It stands not in words, but in that power which is communicated immediately from God, the Father of lights and of spirits, into each of our spirits. And I have been looking a little at a record left in the scriptures of truth respecting John. He bore a high and noble testimony respecting the Messiah, that Lamb of God who was to take away the sin of the world, for he had a view of his outward coming, and of his mission. But remember there was a time after this, when he was imprisoned, in affliction, and distress; and this wrought so much upon his mind, that, though he had been able to bear this testimony, he had now to query doubtfully, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?"

And now, my young friends, there is an evidence sealed upon each one of your minds, in a greater or less degree, of those things which are

essential in the constitution of a Christian. And what are these truths? There is something in your minds which reproves for every thing that is unrighteous, and all unrighteousness is sin. Sin, by indulgence, becomes a positive principle: it is not a speculative idea-it does not derive its nature from being written, but because it is reprovable in the sight of God, and is reproved by him. And, therefore, I want us to attend to a Saviour which is near, "Christ in you the hope of glory," which preacheth the gospel baptizingly in every creature. For the gospel of Christ stands not in words, but in power. Though we may be like John, and be thrown into prison, and our minds become confused, at times, from various objects and circumstances; yet there is no alteration in the divine principle which has heretofore reproved us. And I want us on these occasions to be still; and if we find the messengers of Christ, so called, are endeavouring to hatch up something-some declarations, whether from the scriptures or from tradition or former experience, believe them not, for we shall receive no benefit from the works of man.

When the messengers of John went unto Christ, saying, "Art thou he that should come? Or look we for another?" He did not say, I am he.

"But in that same hour he cured many, of

their infirmities, and plagues, and evil spirits, and unto many that were blind he gave sight." He healed all the maladies of those who came unto him. Here was an evidence indubitable; and if we attend unto the operations of Christ, we shall receive this indubitable evidence, when our minds are prepared for it. "Go," said he, "and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

Now, my friends, and you, my young friends especially, I want you to come unto this gospel. It stands not in words-I have a higher opinion of the coming of Christ, than any external appearing unto mankind.

It was on account of the ignorance of the Jews, that laws were given them which were not good, and statutes under which they could not live. So carnally minded were they, that it became necessary that there should be a mediator, in the outward body, who should speak things which never had been spoken, and perform miracles which never had been performed, in order to draw them to something of a higher grade, and of a more spiritual nature. And that his mission in that prepared body was confined to