American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-12-27

head he SOM discovered that his mind was prepared
for the storm as well as the calm. His venerable
appearance his burden Of years. his whitened locks,
his simplicity Of manner, together with the paternai
tenderness with which he addressed his audience
all conspred to give him indeed the appearance and
character of a Shepherd OF Israel. l suppose ne
must have attained at least to the years oil three
score and ten. His manner Of speaking is peculiar
to himself; | have frequently heard Quaker prea-
chers, but never listened to minister OF any de-
nomination from whose lips received SO much 10 4
slruction his arguments were so simple, SO iorcl-
ble and so clear Whatever view he took oil his
subject, it seemed like the morning sun dspelng
the glooms of darkness, and bringing with 1t the
clear radiance Of MONDAY. His whole soul seemed
to be wrapped up in his subject, and he poured forth
his doctrines in accents sweet" for about the space
of an hour and half the force OF his feelings ire
quently obstructing his utterance. His text was
very simple one, but it the harbnger oil the
most wonderful display of metaphysical reasoning,
and pure religious instruction, that have ever wit
messed: these are the words "A work well be
gun is half done;'' and to begin it well, we must
begin it right and in the right time, says he lie
then took view of the advantages resulting from
la right beginning in temporal matters. lie said
that people deprived their children Of much Of the
enjoyment of this life by accommodating for them
abundance of riches, and providing them with the
means OF supporting ideness. For, says he, 1t was
wisely ordained that man should earn his bread by
the sweat OF his brow and idleness leads into IL
centiousness, extravaganza, and riot. When man
finds that he stands in need of something which is
not in his possession, this want calls into action both
the bodily and the mental powers, which are exer
ted in order to procure the necessares OF lie, and
every man is consoled and happy when his want is
supplied: thus continually providing for his own
wants is continual source of happiness. He said,
he only mentioned these things as prelude to
something greater. Children, says he, have all the
same religion and 1t they were suffered TO grow
up together without having any of the doctrines oil
men instilled into their minds, there would be but
one religion on Garth Religion, says he, is righte
business, justice and mercy; and sense OF Iigh.e
business, justice, and mercy is born with them, and
# properly attended TO, il would regulate their whole
lives, and preserve them in harmony one great
family. "Suffer little children to come unto me,
said Christ, "for OF such is the kingdom oil heaven
Man, said our preacher, is the author OF evil, and
he early sows he seeds of Partially in the minds of
his children 10 favor of his own doctrines and no
tons, which beget jealousy and envy and conten-
ton and divisions among them.
He appears TO be man of strong mind and com
prehensive views, and all his arguments were So
well illustrated with apt SMILES and comparisons
as to bring conviction invariably along with them
appeal to your understanding, says he, and wish
not that any should believe auy thing becauscI
assert it, if it agree not fully with his own con
Yictions and ideas. You have good a right toI
your opinions as | have to mine. and recommendI
you TO follow no man bndly for that is great
enemy to true religion, and has occasioned many
contentious and divisions. In the language of scrip
ture he exclalms-"Thc kingdom Of heaven is with
in you" and if you find it not there before death,
you will hereafter look Tor ii in vain. Heaven, says
he is the and natural result Of acting up to the
dictates Of that Cod in man And He'll is the tor
ment and misery and pain experienced in our ownl
souls, consequent upon the transgression OF thoset
dictates. That there is no local situation where ma
teria fire and rhinestone burn forever this IS al
simile to represent the pain and piercing anguish
which is felt by disembodied soul when naked andl
exposed in the presence OF pure and holy spirits,
and conscious OF all the crimes committed in thel
body-ths tormen. is the worm that never dies. A
drunkard, says he, when first exposed before sober
and righteous men, feels disgrace and shame and
torment but finding company and countenance a.
mong his fellows, he finally becomes hardened inl
his crimes, and flies TO the baeIul cup upon feeling
the least conjunction. lie told that he preached
no mysteries and indeed his doctrines were sol
simplGed that they Ineligible to the weakest
capacity. lie warned his hearers against those doc
trlnes that were so wrapped up in mysteries that
they could not understand them for what adVantagel
can 1t be to any one to believe in what he cannot
understands if you suffer yourselves to subscribe
10 one unintegble mystery, you will probably toI
another, and SO on, until you become completely
hoodwinked, and subject to be led about entirely at
the will of man. The Almighty Author of all good.
says he, never designed that the Christian religion
should involve any mysteries or dffculties-it was
SO plain that the wayfaring man could not miss it,
and its dictates correspond with the experience of
holy men of old, Prophets and Apostles, az recor
ded in the Holy Scriptures.
The Christian Religion, according to his idea oil
it, is ineligible to children, to the uneducated to
he savage, and to every human creature on the
earth and needs not the aid Of man to explain ii.