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grace, which is able to save your souls, and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified. And you may individually attain to that state, in which you will see a mighty angel stand with one foot upon the earth, and the other upon the sea: and when every earthly propensity, and every speculative operation shall be brought under his influence, he shall lift up his right hand to heaven and swear by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth and the things that therein are, and the sea and the things which are therein, that time shall be no longer.

SERMON IX.

BY THOMAS WETHERALD.

DELIVERED AT HESTER STREET MEETING, NEWYORK, SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 4TH, 1826.

"THE idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands." They were formed of materials which were the most valuable and delightful in their view. And in all ages it has been proved, that men worship that in which they most delight. There are thousands in the present day, who have said unto gold, by the language of their conduct, thou art my god, and unto fine gold, thou art my confidence. And placing their dependence on these external things -their hopes of happiness on things that perish, they have become entangled in the heathenish nature, and have become worshippers of idols.

And what are the characteristics of these idols? "They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears,

but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths." They have the appearance of something which is alive, but they have not the attributes of which life is composed. They have the polish of gold and the beauty of silver, but, after all, they are nothing but dumb idols. “Eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not; neither have they any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." For these see not with their own eyes, hear not with their own ears, and understand not with their own hearts; but are dependent on the opinions of others. For no idol, whether silver or gold, can promulgate laws for the government of a single individual, splendid as it may appear, or superb as its workmanship may be. It is a dead idol, an inanimate god, and of a corruptible nature; and they that make them are like unto them; having neither eyes to see, ears to hear, nor hearts to understand. They are dependent on those who made the idols for laws to govern them: they are dependent on systems, opinions, prejudices of education, and tradition, for their views. And thus all are blind together, and fulfil the declaration, "when the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch," and become besmeared and entangled by their own corrup

tions. But they cannot rise into the beauty of that holiness, which can only be attained by an individual and perspective view of Him, who first created the world and continues to sustain it.

"The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. Eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths; and they that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." Here are workmen and works all of one nature. And as this is true of idolatry, so, on the contrary, if we are governed by the immediate operation of the spirit of God, the workmen and their works must partake of the same nature, and be governed by the same power, and animated by the same. life. The same streams of vitality are united among them, and consequently they are partakers of the same divine nature. Thus they have eyes and they see, ears and they hear, hearts and they understand; and, therefore, they can speak and testify, not what books have told them, or what they may have received from books or men, but they can testify of what their own eyes have seen, their ears heard, and their hands handled of the good word of life and power of the world to come.

Now, my friends, see the mighty distinction

and difference between these. Though their idols may be formed of the most valuable materials, and may be embellished with all the splendour of human art, the workmanship complete, the finishing superb, yet they cannot see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears; neither can they animate us, or direct us to peace and virtue, or to an experience of religion or spiritual truth. But, on the contrary, those who are begotten of God, and who have known Christ brought forth in themselves-these can learn to see with their own eyes, hear with their own ears, understand with their own hearts, and be converted by their own experience. And here is all the difference that I know of, among the professors of religion. The distinctions are not between Papists and Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, or Quakers. No; if there is any distinction, it is between the living and the dead. "For to him that is joined to all the living, there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion." And wherefore? Because a living dog can perform all the functions of which his nature is capable, but the lion, when he is dead, though he may make a formidable appearance, is still fast hastening to corruption. Though he may have the appearance of strength and vigour, still he is dead and inanimate. There is no circulating medium

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