SER M   ONS
BY
JOHN JACKSON.
PHONOGRAPHICALLY REPORTED.
PHILADELPHIA:
T. ELLWOOD CHAPMAN.
No. 1 SOUTH FIFTH STREET.
1851.








SERMONS.
SERMON I.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING, LOMBARD STREET, BALTIMORE, ON FOURTH DAY, TENTH MONTH 27TH, 1847, DURING THE
WEEK OF THE YEARLY MEETING.
"MY doctrine is not. mine, but His that sent me.
If any man will do His will, he shall know of the
doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of
myself."
The doctrine of Jesus Christ has ever been distinguished from the various counterfeit productions that
have assumed the name of religion, by its great simplicity, by the universality of its nature, by its complete adaptation to the spiritual wants of man, and
by the influence it exerts upon human conduct and
character. We have cause to admire, with feelings
of gratitude, the wisdom of our heavenly Father, in
that he has not made his doctrine and religion depend
on the fluctuations of human opinion, but has established them on the firm foundation of eternal and
unchanging truth; Neither has he made us dependent
one upon another for a knowledge thereof, but has
condescended to be the teacher of his people himself.
When the blessed Jesus entered on his gospel mission, he had no new doctrine to preach, no speculative opinions of his own to promulgate, but simply to




4                  SERMONS BY
" bear witness to the truth."-Truth as it originated
with its author, and which is the same in all ages.
Hence he called others to do the will of God, declaring that if any man will do his will, "he shall know
of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I
speak of myself." The religion of Jesus Christ is,
therefore, the same in all ages. It is not one thing in
the days of Moses, and another in the days of Jesus of
Nazareth.
Although Paul or Peter, Wickliffe, Luther, Calvin,
or Fox, and numerous others who have sustained the
character of reformers, may all have labored in their
proper sphere, and fulfilled the work, that the times
in which they lived demanded, yet Christianity has
never changed its character. Its doctrines and obligations have not altered, but they have been, and still
continue to be, revealed to all the nations and families
of the earth. We are forced to this conclusion unless
we admit that God is partial and unequal in his ways,
and that he has favoured a portion of mankind with
a knowledge of his will, and excluded all the rest of
his rational family from the enjoyment of his presence, his goodness and his regard. We must believe
it if'we admit the doctrine that Christ is manifested
in the flesh —for wherever Christ is, there the obligations of the Divine will are made known.
We do not limit the coming of Christ in the flesh,
to its appearance in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Christ, that divine and spiritual illumination described
by the evangelist, as the "Word that was in the beginning," and by which the worlds were made, did not
for the first time make its appearance when the spirit
descended upon Jesus. The same word had spokeat




JOHN JACKSON.              5
to Adam in the garden, it had reproved the first
transgressor-it enabled Enoch to "walk with God"
-it pointed out to Abraham the glory of the gospel
day; it instructed the understanding of the prophets;
spoke to Samuel in Shiloh; it was the "Rock that
followed Israel."  The evangelist- speaks of it as the
" true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into
the world;" and the apostle calls it "the power of
God and the wisdom of God."
It is also revealed to us; and it is just in proportion
as we become the subjects of its government and influence that We become " heirs of God, and joint heirs
with Christ." It is this union'that makes us Christians and partakers of the Divine nature, one with
Christ and God; and it is vain for us to call ourselves.Christians or followers of Christ, if we have not been
made possessors of his spirit; for, says the apostle,
If any man have not the spirit of Christ; he is none
of his."
The teaching and guidance of this Divine power,
and wisdom Christ, is what we call inward, immediate, and Divine revelation-a revelation that is not
limited to time or confined within the narrow bounds
of sects, but has 6"appeared unto all men teaching
them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and
to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present
world."
We have abundant evidence that such a revelation
is universal, and adapted to the wants of man in his
pursuit of heaven and happiness. In the Scriptures
we find a great amount of testimony showing that
the men of former generations acknowledged an im1*




6                  SERMONS' BY
mediate revelation of the Divine will to man, and we
profess to believe that holy men of old wrote as they
were inspired by the Holy Ghost. The writings of
the Scriptures are, however, chiefly confined to the
history of a single nation of people; but there are,
nevertheless, to be found among the records and traditions of almost every nation, traces of a belief in the
existence of a Supreme Being, and of an immediate
revelation of his will to mankind. Those records or
traditions were ever found, so far as they go to illustrate the universality of the goodness of God, and of his
dealings with man, are of equal weight and authority
with the Jewish Scriptures and ought to be so regarded.
Inspiration was not confined to the authors of the
Bible, neither does it follow as a matter of course,
that every thing which is found in the Bible was
written by Divine inspiration. We find in the writings of many of the ancients, whose history is not
contained in that book, declarations of a belief in
Divine revelation, showing that it was not limited to
any single class or nation, and the universal testimony of human experience in all times, proves, that
God has not left himself without a witness in the
souls of his accountable children.
Well, my friends, we have access to the same inspiration which has always influenced the minds of
the righteous, and that too, without any human aid
or instrumentality. We are not dependent upon men
or books for it. We have as much evidence that the
unlettered North American Indian, who has never
seen the Scriptures, nor heard the gospel outwardly
preached, believes in and understands Divine revelation, as certainly as did the prophets of old, or any of




JOHN JACKSON.                7
the Scripture writers. He speaks of the voice of
the " Great Spirit" taking cognizance of his thoughts
and actions, and leading him to a life of purity and
holiness. It matters not whether we have ever heard
the name of Jesus outwardly named, or have ever
seen the Scriptures, for such is the goodness of our
heavenly Father, that he has adapted his dispensations of grace to meet our spiritual wants, under all
the various circumstances in which man may be
placed.
In all spiritual matters, in things pertaining to salvation, this Divine illumination is our surest guide; a
teacher that can never deceive us, but will, as we
obey it, lead us out of all error into the knowledge
of- the truth. It is this that opens to man the path of
duty and convicts him for transgression; while it
reproves him for doing evil it blesses him for doing
good.
The duties it enjoins are the same in all ages. It
leads but to one point, and that is the practice of the
religion of Jesus Christ. Christianity being a Divine
revelation does not change; its doctrines are the
same in all ages; we are as much bound to regulate
our conduct by it as the men of past generations, for
it remains to be its peculiar nature, to exert a blessed
influence upon human conduct and practice.
Christianity owns no mysteries, it is plain and simple, easy to be understood. We must learn to distinguish between genuine Christianity and every thing
of an opposite character that bears its name; we must
judge it, and know it by itsfruits. We shall find it
does not consist so much in opinion and profession




8                 SERNIONS BY
as in faith and practice. It does not stand in the observance of external forms, but in daily practical
righteousness. Neither does it depend so much on
unity of opinion as in doing the will of our Creator.
It embraces every good work of benevolence, leads
its possessors to " visit the fatherless and the widow
in their afflictions, and keep themselves unspotted
from the world."
Such was the religion taught by Jesus of Nazareth;
not as something that was new, and unknown before
his time, for he came not to teach any new doctrine,
as is evident from his own declaration:  My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me."  When the
blessed Jesus was queried of after this manner:
" Master, which is the greatest commandment in the
law?" he said to the inquirer, " Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." This doctrine, therefore, was not new, it
was equally as true in the days of Moses as of Jesus.
These ever have been, and ever will be the unchangeable requisitions of the Divine law, and every rational
being who has ever been on the stage of action, or
that ever will be on the stage of action, has been
under and will be under the obligation to regulate his
conduct by them.
It would be utterly at variance with what we
know of the character of Deity, to suppose that he
would proclaim to one class of mankind such laws




JOHN JACKSON.               9
as, " Thou shalt love thy Creator, thou shalt love thy
neighbour;" and to another class, thou shalt hate thy
Creator, thou shalt hate thy fellow-creature.
To love God, and to love man, embraces the whole
of the Christian religion. These are among the unalterable commands of Jehovah; obedience to which
uniformly produces order, harmony and happiness.
While on the other hand disobedience to them is followed by contention, by anarchy and confusion, and
by all the evils which render existence a curse instead of a blessing. We shall find, if we investigate
the subject, that happiness can only be secured by
fulfilling these laws of our being, and that our failure
to enjoy it is the consequence of our own rebellion.
Now we find that Jesus, our blessed example, fulfilled this law of love; both by precept and example
he endeavoured to enforce it. He reproved the Jews
for their conduct; he held up to their view the perfect
rule of morality, the law of God, from which they
could easily see that every opposite rule of conduct
which they had learned from tradition was imperfect
and of human origin.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you
that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee
on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt
love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy; but I say
unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them  that persecute you and despitefully use you;
that ye may be the children of your Father which is




10                SERMONS BY
in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
the unjust."
Here then are the essential duties of religion. It
matters not what we profess, or however diversified
may be our speculative theology, or however various
the forms under which we may apprehend it right to
worship our Maker, still we must all fulfil these commands if we answer the end of our being. But unhappily for the professing Christian church, opinions
and external observances are considered of more importance to the popular theology than loving God
and loving man. A religion is propagated which
does not consist in the fulfilment of these higher
duties, and hence it does not exert that influence on
the conduct of men which Christianity is intended to
produce.
And yet we see how much contention and strife
there are in the world on this subject; how the visible
church has become divided into sects and parties, and
what a spirit of bitterness is engendered between man
and his fellow. The law of love leads us to regard
all men as our brethren, no matter how widely they
may differ in opinion from us, or from each other, or
however various the forms under which they attempt
to worship the same God. It does not lead any into
contention and strife, but requires us to do those duties
of loving God and loving. man, which puts an end to
all sectarian bitterness. It 1" lays the axe at the root
of the corrupt tree."
If love were the ruling principle of human conduct, all strife and controversy about religious opi



JOHN JACKSON.              1 
nions would cease; society would unite in every work
of human improvement; superstition and error would
vanish; truth would reign triumphantly; falsehood,violence and oppression of every kind would be unknown.
These are the views I entertain of the nature of the
Christian religion, and this the influence which I believe it exerts upon human conduct and character.
This is the only religion which I would recommend
to us all. It is calculated to better the condition of
man. It is as wisely adapted to- his spiritual wants
as to the regulation of his conduct. It is a religion
that purifies the soul and makes it a temple for the
Holy One to dwell in. It disarms death of its sting,
and the grave of its victory; and while it contributes
to the enjoyment of this present life, it furnishes us
with a well-grounded hope, that when done with time,
we shall have I" a building in God, a house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens." This must be
so, if the Scripture declaration is true, which says,
"God is love, and they that dwell in love dwell in
God, and God dwelleth in them."
This then is the path in which Christ leads his followers. Man is created in a state of perfect innocence; by making Christ his guide, he is enabled,
while passing through a slate of probation, to rise
from this condition of negative innocence to a state
of active and positive virtue-for virtue is the resistance of temptation. As Jesus resisted temptation
and thereby overcame the world, so may we also
overcome the world in the same manner, for we must
walk by the same rule and mind the same thing.
Besides this, there is no other means of salvation.




12                 SERMONS BY
Whatever speculations may be entertained on this
subject, or whatever schemes of salvation man may
embrace, his deliverance from the bondage of sin can
only be affected by his being made a partaker of the
Christ-like nature, and that must be like the spirit of
Christ ruling in him and regulating his every-day actions, filling his soul with love to God and love to his
fellow-creatures.
I am aware that these views of the doctrine and
religion of Christ form but little part of popular theology. They are not considered of as much importance as a belief in particular creeds and doctrines of
men. The doctrine of Divine revelation is partially,
if not wholly denied by those who through the prejudices of education, are looking to men and books
for the knowledge of Divine things, and who presumptuously assert, that immediate revelation was
confined to holy men of old, and that it ceased when
the last Scripture writer laid down his pen.
Good works are lightly esteemed or viewed as of
secondary importance to man's present and eternal
welfare, while the religious world seem almost entirely occupied in doubtful disputations, and endless
controversies about speculative opinions.
The popular religion lays but little restraint on the
every day conduct of men, in fact, it tolerates many
iniquitous practices. By its fruits, it is easily disAinguished from "pure and undefiled religion." When,
therefore, we see that the popular profession of religion does not redeem men from the indulgence of
hurtful passions, does not make them Christ-like, does
not lead them to love God and one another, but lends




JOHN JACKSON.              13
its sanction and influence to the grossest irregularities
of human conduct, and even to the commission of
crime, it is well for us to examine, whether if such a
religion be ours we are not deceiving ourselves, and
making our hope the hope of the hypocrite, which it
is said shall perish. Look over professing Christendom, and let us see what kind of fruits are produced.
Let us not be deceived, s" God is not mocked, such as
we sow, such shall we reap." Look over our own
land, and let us see whether the great profession of
religion which is made among us, manifesting itself
by revivals, by church-going, by Sabbath-keeping, by
a concern for the salvation of the heathen, and the
ceremonious observance of religious forms, is likely
to better our condition, and make us what we should
be, considering how much we have been blessed
among the families of the earth, "a people fearing
God and hating covetousness."
We see that war, with all the evils and miseries
that follow in its train, is encouraged in our midst;
the spirit of war, which is directly the opposite of the
non-resistant and peaceable spirit of Jesus, is applauded on every side. " By their fruits ye shall know them.'
Christianity requires us to love our enemies-to resist not evil. But according to the popular notions
of religion, the warrior may return from the field of
carnage, with the sword just drawn from the bosom
of his brother, with his garments dyed in blood, and
his hands polluted by the commission of crime, and
still he is called a follower of Him, who said, " My
kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants
fight."
2




14                SERMONS BY
War is a violation of the divine law, its continuance is the effect of gross moral delusion, and yet we
see how it is encouraged by the professors of religion. It would seem that they do not more firmly
believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, than
that they believe He leads conquering armies to
victory.
The name of the Sovereign of the Universe is connected with the scenes of human carnage, and his
attributes of love and mercy, are supposed to sanction
" Every battle of the warrior, which is with confused
noise and garments rolled in blood."
Men calling themselves ministers of Christ are enlisted on either side imploring the aid of one common
Father, to inspire them with strength and courage to
slaughter each other. In almost every pulpit, prayers
are offered up on the occasion of victories obtained
in the field of carnage and blood.
Can we believe for a moment that the infinite and
unchangeable God,whose holiest attributes are goodness, mercy and love, would suspend his eternal laws,
and abandon his moral government, for the purpose
of allowing his accountable children to kill and destroy each other? Certainly not.
I feel myself called upon to hold up to view in this
plain manner, the inconsistency of our practice with
our profession, when we tolerate and justify war on
the one hand, and call ourselves the followers of Jesus
Christ on the other. There is no truth more easy of
demonstration, than that the warrior is the servant of
antichrist; for it must be admitted, that the practice




JOHN JACKSON,              15
of war is utterly incompatible with the practice of
Christianity, and whatever is incompatible with the
practice of Christianity is contrary to the will of God.
There may be advocates of war in this assembly,
who are almost offended at the preaching of doctrine
like this. I would have them to examine the ground
on which they stand, and remember that they have
as good reason to be offended at the precepts and example of Jesus. We find that he reproved the Jews
for their evil conduct, when he told them, " Ye have
heard it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt
love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy; but I say
unto you love your enemies, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you
and persecute you, that you may be the children of
your Father who is in heaven, for he maketh his sun
to shine on the good and evil, and sendeth his rain on
the just and the unjust." This remains to be the doctrine of Christ;'" love your enemies" is a positive
Christian precept. Does the warrior regulate his
conduct by this rule? If he did, the " sword would
be beaten unto a ploughshare, and the spear into a
pruning hook, nation would no longer lift up sword
against nation, neither would men learn war any
more."  If he does not practice by this rule, he is
the servant of antichrist.
I have no hope that wars and fightings will cease,
until the benign influence of this doctrine shall dispel
the delusions which envelope the minds of men, and
in the same proportion that this doctrine is embraced
we come to see that "God is love," and that it is




16                SERMONS BY
only those whose conduct is regulated by the law of
love, that can have fellowship with him.
It is indeed a sorrowful reflection, that war is now
sustained and encouraged by many of the highest
professors of the Christian religion in our land!
While many of these are looking with indifference on
its dreadful ravages, hastening thousands of our
fellow men unprepared into eternity, the cries of the
pitiless orphan, the widow and the fatherless, are
protesting against these outrages on humanity, and
uttering this solemn appeal, " Shall the sword devour
forever?"
The doctrine of Christ leads us to visit the fatherless and the widow in their afflictions, but it never
sanctioned a practice which fills the earth with
mourning, lamentation and woe; and let us not forget
that every one who gives encouragement to war, is
implicated in the continuance of a custom which does
violence continually to the laws of God, and the doctrine and practice of Jesus Christ.
So long as the sword continues to devour, the
views I entertain of the doctrine of Christ, and the
conviction of duty which I feel, will lead me to bear
a testimony against wars and fightings, until this frail
tabernacle shall go to its last resting place, and this
voice be forever silenced in the stillness of death.
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be
called the children of God." May this number be
multiplied-let them be faithful to truth and duty, and
they may yet be instrumental under the divine blessing, in advancing the peaceable kingdom of Christ,
and in hastening the coming of that day, when every




JOHN JACKSON.              17
practice of violence and wrong shall be banished
from the earth forever. My faith is in the principles
of Christianity. These never have sanctioned and
never can saction the practice of war, or any of its
kindred evils: when these principles shall govern the
conduct of mankind, war and all its evils must come
to an end. It is folly for any to say that Christianity
sanctions war, because by the triumph of Christianity,
it will be abolished and cease forever.
My young friends, I would call your attention to
these doctrines of Christ. I wish to encourage you
to embrace them. This is a holy cause for you to
embark in, attend strictly to the convictions of truth
in your own minds, this will open the path of duty,
and show you a field of labour in which there is
ample room for the exercise and improvement of the
talents and gifts which God has committed to your
care.
Let the wise counsel of one formerly have its due
weight:,, Remember now thy Creator in the days of
thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the
years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no
pleasure in them."
Our happiness is intimately connected with the
remembrance of our Creator. He has brought us
into being for a good and noble purpose, and we
should endeavour to associate the idea of his existence and presence, with all the duties and concerns
of this life. I know of no reason why we should live
in forgetfulness of God, but on the other hand I see
much to make us better and happier by the remembrance of our Creator.
c).*




18                SERMONS BY
The religion of Christ is not intended to throw a
gloomy aspect over the scenes and prospects of life —
it inflicts no heavy burdens, but continually holds out
the cheering language, 1" Come unto me, all ye that
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest;
take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am
meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest to
your souls; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light."
* Think not that this religion to which I now invite
you, stands in the opinions or speculative theories of
men. It is not the observance of outward forms and
ceremonies, but it consists in having your conduct
regulated by the great principles of love to God and
love to man. It is not confined in its exercise to
days and times, it is not limited in the performance
of our devotions in churches or in meeting houses,
but it is an every day work, producing the fruits of
benevolence, justice, mercy and love.
Such a religion must, from the influence it has upon
human conduct, and from its own nature, bless you
and make you happier in time, as well as prepare you
to enjoy a blessed immortality. We feel a reward
in being good, and doing good, which is a foretaste
of heaven on this side of the grave. Our own experience tells us, that while " the way of the' transgressor
is hard," the path of the just " shineth brighter and
brighter unto the perfect day."
We have no need to regard the cry of " lo, here is
Christ, or lo, he is there;" we have access to the
same fountain of truth and inspiration, which has led
the righteous of all ages, among all people. Here is




JOHIN JACKSON.             19
a teacher always at hand, and one that can never deceive us. Its gentle- whisperings are heard within,
and it only requires watchfulness on our part to understand its admonitions.
With these views and convictions, I should no
more think of looking to men or to books for a knowledge of the doctrines of Christ, than I should think
of committing to another the keeping of my own
soul. I fully believe in the testimony of the apostle
James: " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him."
This, my friends, is our great privilege, we may
ask of God for wisdom to direct us in all the duties
that belong to this present state, and it will be given
us. Let us therefore improve it, until we all " come
into the possession of that kingdom, which consists
not in meats or drinks, divers washings and carnal
ordinances, but in righteousness and peace, and joy in
the Holy Spirit."
SERMON II.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETINQ&IIOUSE, SOLEBURY, BUCKS
COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, ON FIRST-DAY MORNING, SEVENTH
MONTH 8TH, 1849.
THERE is a sentiment contained in a short Scripture
expression, which I have felt right to bring into view
on the present occasion, not because it may contain




20               SERMONS BY
anything that is new, but because it is a truth that I
apprehend all of us will be willing to subscribe to:
"Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." And it is because I have
felt a desire that we may come to enjoy the blessings
of righteousness, and escape the reproach consequent
upon every thing that is iniquitous, that I am led to
address you.
It may be well for us individually to make an examination, that we may understand for ourselves, in
what righteousness consists, that we may not be
following any cunningly devised fable, or depending
on our speculations and theories of religion; but having an eye to the truth as it is in Jesus, pursue it, and
come to the enjoyment of the blessings it ever brings
with it. In my view righteousness consists in, and
is the effect of, our obedience to the Divine law: it is
a practical and every-day work, and as we engage
in it we shall know a progression from one state of
experience to another, "till we all come in the unity
of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in weight to
deceive; but speakingthe truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ."
We should not be deceived by considering that
righteousness consists in a profession of religion, in a
conformity to ceremonial observances, or in a belief




JOHN JACKSON.             21
in any opinions and doctrines, which men have framed and embodied in what are called systems of faith
and worship. For if we are only depending on our
belief in these things, or in the ceremonial observances which they enjoin, we may be in the same condition that the Jews were, when the blessed Jesus
came among them with the message of the gospel of
light and salvation, teaching them that it was not in
tithing mint, anise, and cummin, and overlooking
the weightier matters of the law, that they were to
be accepted, but in their obedience to the laws of
their Creator, in the fulfilment of the duties that were
impressed upon them by the Author of their being.
He told the people of that day, when he was declaring to them the truth of his Heavenly Father,
" Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness
of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter
into the kingdom of heaven." The Scribes and
Pharisees were unwilling to receive the doctrine he
taught, for their ideas of religion seem not to have
extended beyond the observance of their outward
rituals. They presumed that the law, with its sacrifices and offerings, its priests and temple, would make
the comers thereunto perfect, and they persisted in
observing those things which Moses had allowed
their fathers to do " because of the hardness of their
hearts," and instead of obeying the truth that Jesus
had declared unto them, they conspired together to
persecute him, and finally to put him to death.
We may hold up the life and example of Jesus as
being worthy of imitation-his precepts, as inculcating the "righteousness which exalteth a nation,"




22                SERMONS BY
and the doctrines which he taught for their simple
and practical character, their adaptation to the wants
and condition of man under all the circumstances in
which he may be placed-whatever may be his situation in life-to whatever nation, kindred, tongue, or
people he may belong.
The religion which Jesus came to promulgate
among men, and which is purely a work of practical
benevolence, and not a system of opinions or set of
forms, has been applicable to man from the beginning
of the world down to the present hour, and is the religion that is taught by the Creator himself to all the
children of men. Christianity is nothing new. The
gospel was preached to man in the beginning, when
the Creator breathed into him the breath of life, and
constituted him a living soul. It has been taught to
Jew and Greek, Barbarian and Scythian, bond and
free, all who have feared God and worked righteousness, by whatever name they may be called, have
known Christ and the gospel which is the " power of
God unto salvation to all them that believe."
Professing'Christians have unquestionably committed an error in making Christianity consist in a
belief in a certain system of opinions and doctrine,
the tendency of which has been to make religion
more a matter of theory than practice, of word than
of deed.
It was not so with the blessed Jesus. He never
made out for his disciples any written system of belief
or doctrine. He insisted wholly upon practical righteousness-love and good works. When he was queried of, which was the greatest commandment, he




JOHN JACKSON.              23
replied to the inquirer; "The first of all the commandments is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first
commandment. And the second is like, namely that,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is
none other commandment greater than these." He
summed up the whole duty of man in these few
words; he showed that religion was the same thing
in the days of Moses, (for he quoted the words of
Moses,) as it was then; and it is the same thing now
that- it was in the days of Jesus of Nazareth. The
principles of righteousness which are implanted in
our nature by the Author of our being, are as unchangeable as God is unchangeable. These are attributes of the Infinite Mind, and are made manifest in
man for the government of his conduct, and his
growth in the knowledge of his Maker, the world
over. Shall I say the world over? Yes; not only
upon this little ball of earth that we occupy, but
throughout the boundless infinite expanse of creation,
wherever there is rational intelligence, the same law
prevails, the same laws govern, for the same God
reigns everywhere, and is present in every part of
his material and spiritual universe.
How beautifully did Jesus, on many occasions, turn
the attention of the people to these principles of righteousness. Love was one of them: it was the distinguishing attribute of his Father and our Father, of
his God and our God.
The apostle also had so high an estimate of it, that




24                SERMONS BY
he declared "God is love, and they that dwell in love
dwell in God, and God dwelleth in them."
Jesus, therefore, made righteousness in this particular consist in man's obedience to the Divine attribute of love. It was intended to bless him, and it
invariably does bless him whenever he comes to be
governed by it. It is the influence of this principle
that sanctifies the social compact-renders harmonious the relations of husband and wife, parents and
children, and would bind the whole family of man in
one common bond of affection. Social, conjugal,
paternal, and filial love, are all branches of one great
stream, all are proofs of the Divinity in man, strengthening our faith in the soul's immortality.
When Jesus pointed out these great duties of man,
well might he say, " There is none other commandment greater than these." He spoke of them as the
commandments, divinely given to the children of
Israel. The Jews were not willing to obey this Divine law written in the heart, which would have led
them into the peaceful kingdom of Christ, and made
them worshippers in that temple and true sanctuary
which God hath pitched and not man. Thus we hear
them using this language to Moses, "Speak thou to
us and we will hear; but let not God speak to us lest
we die." They wanted an outward law, and an outward Canaan. Forsaking the immediate teachings
of the Holy One, they soon began 1" to hew out unto
themselves cisterns that could hold no water." They
made their religion consist in the observance of external rituals, and relied upon their sacrifices and
their offerings to take away their sins. The prophet




JOHN JACKSON.              25
Isaiah reminded them of the insufficiency of these
and of the great duties inseparably connected with a
life of righteousness. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord: I
am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of
fed beasts; I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of
-lambs or of goats. When ye come to appear before
me, who hath required this at your hands to tread my
courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an
abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths,
the calling of assemblies I cannot away with. When
ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes
from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will
not hear; your hands are full of blood. Wash you,
make you clean; put au;ay the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes!  Cease to do evil. Learn to do
-well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed,judge the:fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us
reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Here the requirements of the Divine law were plainly
set forth-the practical duties of life were opened to
their view, and if they failed to fulfil these, in vain
were all their ceremonial observances, for to use the
language of the apostle, " It was not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
The truth is, they never were commanded to offer
sacrifices. These were inventions of their own. The
prophet Jeremiah is very clear upon the subject when
speaking to this very people. " Thus saith the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel: Put your burnt-offerings
*..




2f6               BERMONS BY
unto your sacrifices and eat flesh. For I spake not
unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day
that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-ofterings and sacrifices: But this thing
commanded I them, saying, obey my voice, and I
will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and
walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you
that it may be well with you. But they hearkened
not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels
and in the imaginations of their evil heart, and went
backward and not forward."
The prophet reproached them for their idolatry
and superstition; he charged them with having done
evil in the sight of the Lord in setting their at)ominations in the house which was called by his name, to
pollute it.
Now wse see when the blessed Jesus came to this
people and endeavoured to show to them that religion consisted in carwrying out, in the practice (of life,
the principles of righteousness, he was despised and
rejected by them; but, nevertheless, he continued
bearing his testimony to the truth until his life was
sacrificed in the cause in which he was engaged. He
illustrated by his example the doctrine he taughthe proved his love to God by love to man, and the
only evidence we can produce of our love to God, is
the extent of our love to our fellow men.
I have said this was no new doctrine. The Jews
were unwilling to receive it in the days of Moses.
They rejected it in the days of Jesus Christ. And
now, after eighteen hundred years have rolled away,
since Jesus preached it in Judea, professing Christians




JOHl JACKSON.               27
are but little less prepared to receive it as the rule of
human conduct. This goes to stJow how little has
been gained by subscribing to the popular creeds. It
goes to show that unless religion is made an everyday work, it can be of no possible value.
If Christianity is to consist only in a belief in certain opinions, or in the observance of certain forms,
it is of no more value than Mahometanism, Paganism,
or any other form of worship whatever.  But, my
friends, it is otherwise.  Christianity is intended to
be a rule of life; it is designed to elevate man from
the image of the earthly to the image of the heavenly
nature; to bring him into that state of oneness with
God, which Jesus spoke of in his beautiful prayer:
"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art
in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us." The apostle also exhorted the Philippians, " Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."
Are we prepared to believe the doctrine of Jesus?
Are we willing to follow in his footsteps until.7we
also come to be " heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Ch rist."
I look upon the Christian religion as not only having been illustrated in the life of Jesus of Nazareth,
and a few of the righteous who have gone before us,
but I consider it is illustrated in the lives of all those
who 4" fear God and work righteousness." These become sons of God and daughters of God, in the sarnme
sense that Jesus was the Son of God. He has been
called the Beloved Son. Why was this great distinc



28                SERMONS BY
tion conferred. upon him?  The answer is plain:
"Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity:
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with
the oil of gladness above thy fellows." He has set
us an example of obedience, of faithfulness, and of
good works, that we might follow in. his steps; and
we may overcome the world as he overcame the
world, by resisting temptation, and obedience to his
Father's will.
I know that many professors of religion lool upon
it as a great heresy to hold out the idea that Jesus of
Nazareth was a man; but I agree with the Scripture
testimony concerning him, in which he is spoken of
as "man approved of God by signs and wonders
which God did' by him."  I am not denying the divirnity of Christ, when I say that the body of Jesus was
no more divine than our bodies are divine. It confessedly had all the attributes of humanity; it was made
"in the likeness of men." The same power which
sanctified that person and made him pure, will also
sanctify us and make us pure. The same A" spirit"
that descended upon Jesus, will descend upon lus; the
same word that was there manifested in the flesh,
hath also appeared unto us, and all who receive it,
according to Scripture testimony, have "power to
become the sons of God."
I am not for bringing down this bright example to
a level with the irregularities of human conduct. Oh,
no! But I am for exalting man above the imperfections and frailties of humanity, to a level with Jesus
of Nazareth, for I consider it is the glorious aim of
the gospel to bring us up to the same platform of




JOHN JACKSON.               29
righteousness that we may partake at the same fountain of the Spiritual bread, which cometh down from
God out of heaven, and giveth life to the soul. Is not
this the doctrine of Jesus? 1" He that doeth the wiN
of my Father in heaven, the same is my brother, my
sister, and my mother."
How beautifully did Jesus call the attention of the
people to this power within themselves, wshen he told
them, {" The kingdom of God cometh not with obser.
vation: neither shall they say, Lo, here! or Lo, there!
for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."  He
spoke of the seed that the sower went forth to sowof the leaven that was placed in three measures of
meal, and by many other parables and figures directed them to the cultivation of the principles of
righteousness.
Now, my friends, are we not all satisfied that if the
precepts of Jesus were carried out in our daily life;
if human conduct was wholly regulated by the principles of love, of mercy, of justice, of truth, that the
condition of man would be improved-that there
would be far more enjoyment and less misery in the
world than there now is in consequence of neglect in
cultivating these heaven-born virtues?  Is it possible
for us to carry out in our lives and conduct these simple elements of the Christian religion? Can we conform to the example arid precepts of Jesus?  If this
be impossible or impracticable, then Christianity is a
cunningly devised fable. But we believe it is possible: we believe that the religion of Jesus may be carried out in practice: we believe that we can do to
others as we would have others do to us: we believe




30                 SERMONS BY
that we can love our enemies, do good to them that
hate us, and pray for them that despitefully use us
and persecute us. It has been shown unto us what
is good, and we know that we are required to fulfil
the law of love. Why, then, is not the attention of
professing Christians turned more to the practice of
these things than to the ceremonial part of religion,
and a belief in their written systems of faith? For
what has all this done?  It has made sectarians and
bigots; it has spread discord, contention and hatried,
where all should have been harmony, and peace, and
love. See how the peace and harmony of human
society has been broken by contending. for orthodoxy
of opinion. This could never occur if the principles
inculcated in the precepts of Jesus were made the
standard of righteousness and the rule of life.
I am no sectarian. I cannot believe that God is
partial, or that he has neglected any portion of the
human family, but that his grace has been extended
to all the children of men; in other words, I believe
that these principles of righteousness to which I feel
concerned to call your attention, have been revealed
to all. The Gospel, which Paul declared was preached to every creature, is preached to us, 1s teaching us
that denying ungodliness, and the world's lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this
present world."
We should not, like the Pharisee of old, surround
ourselves with the mantle of self-righteousness, and
be ready to say, "I thank God that I am not like
other men;" for although we may be permitted to
enjoy many privileges that other portions of the hu



JOHN JACKSON.              31
man family are not blest with, yet we are accountable for all that we have received. If we have
received five talents, we have five more to answer
for; and he who had received but one, would have
been accepted if that one had been improved. The
many favours and blessings we enjoy should fill our
hearts with thankfulness tc God, and increase our
love to our fellow-creatures.' With the desire that
others may enjoy the blessings of righteousness, there
could be no room in our hearts for sectarian bitterness; we would look upon all our fellow-men as chilren of one common  Father, created for the same great
purpose, and destined to the same eternity. Oh! when
I consider the blessings that iwould result to mankind
if the principles of righteousness were made the rule
of life, I feel concerned for my fellow-creatures, and
if I have any mission of the gospel of Christ, it is to
call their attention to the cultivation of these, rather
than to speculative opinions and written systems of
faith. Let godliness be the test of a holy life; let
religion be stripped of every-thing but practical
righteousness. Then charity would take the place of
bigotry, and spiritual devotion the place of lifeless
forms. Let the sublime precepts of Jesus be obeyed,
and the " sword would be beaten into a ploughshare,
and the spear into a pruning-hook; nation would no
longer lift up sword against nation, neither would
men learn war any more." Let us mark the example
of him who was accused -by the Scribes and Pharisees of being the friend of the publicans and sinners.
He went about doing good; he bound up the brokenhearted, proclaimed liberty to the captive; and preach



32                 SERMONS BY
ed the gospel to the poor. Even the outcasts from
society were the objects of his solicitude; he did good
to his enemies, and prayed for them even when they
were inflicting on him the cruelties of death.
"Righteousness exalteth a nation."  But alas! this
doctrine is too much overlooked, not only by nations,
but by individuals, and it is too little regarded by the
popular theology of the present day. Hence with
the increase of what is called religion, there is not a
corresponding advancement of the peaceable kingdom
of Jesus Christ among men. The great profession of
religion which is manifesting itself in Sabbath-keeping, in church-going, and a variety of other external
observances, would seem to indicate that vital Christianity is spreading in the earth, but when we consider that this prqfession of religion tolerates many
irregularities of human conduct, and lends its sanction
to some of the greatest evils that ever afflicted the
family of man, we are led to fear that it does not embrace the cultivation of the fundamental principles of
righteousness.
We hear a great deal said about the conversion of
the heathen; we see vast efforts made in circulating
the Bible in the earth; we hear of proselytes being
multiplied like the drops of the morning. Proselytes
to what? To the practice of Christianity? No: but
to absurd theories and speculative opinions of religion
in no way connected with it. The great work of
evangelizing the heathen, (as it is called,) seems to
be but little more than bringing them to subscribe to
certain opinions and doctrines as being fundamental




JOHN JACKSON.               33
in religion, and when they have endorsed these, they
are said to be converted, and are called Christians.
Jesus declared, i" By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another."
And again:  If any man will be my disciple he must
deny self, and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Now, it does not appear that there is much concern
to spread these great fundamental doctrines of Christianity, from the fact, that while we are going with
the Bible in one hand, to convert the heathen, we are
holding the sword in the other.
Many of those who are very earnest in their professions to.-religion, and zealous in their endeavours.. convert the heathen, have such a perverted view
ot the Christian religion themselves as to believe that
it sanctions war, and are by precept and example
lending their influence to support this barbarous custom, which had its origin in the depravity of human
passions, and is continued from generation to generation, although manifestly at variance with the law of
God, written in the hearts of the children of men.
Oh! it is sorrowful when we see the professors of
Christianity, and even the professed ministers of
Christ, upholding by their testimony and their influence this barbarous practice, either in our own time
or in days that are past.  I-ow can these be instrumental in spreading the gospel-or in holding up to
others a religion that " breathes glory to God in the
highest, on earth peace and good will to men?"
Would it not be better for them to observe the injunction.of Jesus, when he says, 1"Seest thou the
mote in thy brother's eye and beholdest not the beam




34                 SERMO0NS BY
in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the
beam out of thine own eye, then shalt thou see more
clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye."
If we observed this rule, we should see the professors
of religion bearing a faithful testimony against the
whole custom of war. Then might they with consistency hold out this language to others, " Follow us
as we follow Christ." If, instead of loving our enemies, we hate them-instead of blessing, curse them
— if, instead of doing good for evil, we hold to the
doctrine of repelling evil by evil, our fruits are as unlike the productions of a gospel spirit, as the fruit of
the thorn is unlike the grape-or the fruit of the
thistle that of the fig tree. I am opposed to war-I
wish not to disguise my convictions that it is a gross
and palpable violation of the plainest doctrines of
Christ. I look upon the custom as being so utterly
at variance with the obligations of the gospel, that I
shall bear my testimony against it, until this frail
tabernacle shall slumber in the stillness of death.
Whatever men may profess, however good or true
may be the opinions they have embraced, there is
something besides a belief in their systems of religion
necessary to their salvation. The apostle James, in
his day, saw that there was a disposition to depend
on faith and belief alone-and to rest satisfied with
merely a name to religion. " Show me thy faith,"
says he, "without thy works, and I will show thee
my faith by my works. Thou believest there is one
God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and
tremble. But wilt thou know, 0 vain man, that faith
without works is dead?" So will our faith be dead,




JOHN JACKSON.              35
unless it produces the fruits of the spirit, which are
love, joy, peace, gentleness, meekness, temperance,
brotherly kindness and charity.
I have a testimony to bear to the simplicity of the
Christian religion.  I do not believe that it is so inv(lved in obscurity that we cannot comprehend it.
It is plain and simple, and perfectly consistent with
the reason of man; for our reason is a gift of the
Creator, and divine revelation does not contradict it.
1 know there are many opinions, promulgated for
religious truths, that require a sacrifice of the human
understanding-we are asked to believe them, and
denounced as infidels if we refuse to subscribe to
them, when at the same time these are admitted to
be mysteries that the human mind never can understand or comprehend. Take for example the doctrine of the " Trinity." We are told that the Divine
B-ing, who is, "a spirit," is composed of three separate and distinct "persons."  That these three " persons" have equal attributes and equal powers, and
that although they are separate and distinct, they are
nevertheless one and indivisible!
The doctrine admits of no explanation. It renders
the Divine nature wholly incomprehensible, and however much the knowledge of God may be necessary
to our pesent and future well-being, we can never
reach it through this dark and gloomy channel.
Has religion any thing to do with such absurdities
as this? No: all that we are required to believe and
to know, is opened to our understanding by the light
of truth; that which religion requires is plain and




36                SERMONS BY
practical, while dogmas so irrational and obscure, are
to be ranked with human traditions.
I cannot subscribe to the doctrine, that we are all
sinners in consequence of the transgression of our
first parents; much less to a scheme of redemption,
which has for its object the removal of this supposed
innate and original guilt. There is no truth in this
idea of a vicarious atonement-the innocent suffering
for the guilty-and I have no hesitation in calling it
a popular superstition. It is not supported by any
direct testimony of Jesus Christ, who would not have
omitted it had this been the object of his coming, nor
would he have told the people of that day, " For this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the
world, that I might bear witness to the truth."  The
idea is inconsistent with reason, and contrary to that
great law of cause and effect, which operates with as
much certainty in the spiritual as in the physical
world. In obedience to this law, if thou doest well,
thou shalt be accepted, and if thou doest not well, sin
lieth at thy door; and no sacrifice or offering that
was ever made without thee, can cleanse thee from
this sin, and restore thee into the Divine favour. We
can only be saved by resisting temptation, and by our
obedience to the manifestations of the Divine will.
We escape the pain of spiritual death-not by any
thing that is done without us, but by ceasing to do
evil and learning to do well. The terms of our acceptance with God were expressed long ago in this
Scripture declaration, 1" Let the wicked forsake his
ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let
him turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on




JOHN JACKSON.              37
him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,"
-and they have never changed.
Now I invite you, my brethren and sisters, to examine these subjects for yourselves. The truth can
loose nothing by the most rigid investigation, while
error may be detected, and the works of darkness
brought to light; and above all things, examine yourselves, whether ye be in the truth, yea or nay. If
you feel conscious that you have been forsaking the
path of duty, or that you are not faithful stewards
over the good gifts bestowed upon you; stop-like
prodigal of old-stop, in your wrong career. There
is a hand stretched forth for your deliverance, that
will lead you back to the path of peace. The divine
call is extended to us, "Come unto me all ye that are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Let us obey that call, we shall thereby promote our
present and future well-being; whereas, by persisting
in a course of conduct that is evil, the sin, which is a
reproach to any people, will rest upon us. Let us
" add unto our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."
" For," says the apostle, " if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall." But we shall be introduced into
the kingdom of Christ, and when called upon to
render an account of our stewardship, be able to
adopt the language of the beloved Son, "I have
finished the work thou hast given me to do;" and
also have the experience of the apostle, that there is
laid up for us a " crown of righteousness." Let our
4




38                 SERMONS BY
religion be an every day religion. Let it consist
wholly in the practice of righteousness, and then we
will neither be deceived ourselves, nor be able to deceive others. If religion consisted wholly in practical righteousness, no false doctrines could be imposed,
no impostor could make any headway among men.
There could be no deception, if we adopted the criterion of Jesus-" By their fruits ye shall know them."
If we love God, we shall show it by our love one for
another. If we are the disciples of Christ, we shall
let our light so shine before men, that others seeing
our good works, will glorify our Father in heaven.
Oh! for more such Christianity as this, in which
the precepts of the gospel are fulfilled. Then would
cease the conflict of opinions and the strife of tongues,
that has arrayed brother against brother, and sect
against sect, and Divine love would exert its holiest
influence among the children of men. Let it begin
with us. Let our hearts become filled with these
divine principles-and let them be expanded in love
to our fellow creatures and our God.
Thus shall we be instrumental in hastening the day
when the " Mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established on the top of the mountains, and all nations shall flow unto it," and this universal voice be
heard, " Come brother, come.sister, let us go up together to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob; for He will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths."




JOHN JACKSON.              39
SERMON III.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING AT CHERRY STREET, PHILADELPHIA, ELEVENTH MONTH 6TH, 1849.
I HAVE remembered, since we have been together,
I believe with deeper instruction than I have ever
before known, the account furnished in the Scriptures
of a meeting of the disciples on a certain occasion,
when it is said, that Jesus came and stood in the
midst and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you."  I
was led to query whether that account referred to
one meeting of this character only, and whether it
were possible for us to witness, as these disciples did,
the presence of Jesus Christ. It seems to me, the
same power which overshadowed that meeting, and
made it a season of consolation to these disciples,
that converted them and blessed them, continues still
to be revealed to man, in agreement with the promise
"where two or three are met together in my name,
there will I be in the midst of them." Without this
sensible evidence of the Divine presence in our midst,
our assembling in this manner will be profitless and
comfortless-it will be but an empty form that cannot
satisfy those desires of the immortal spirit, which are
constantly prompting the soul onward in its progress
towards heaven. It was on the occasion to which I
have referred, that these disciples received the commission "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the




40                SERMONS BY
Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you:
and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world." The commission and promise here
given, can scarcely be understood or appreciated
amidst the traditional views and opinions which have
so generally obtained, concerning the coming of Christ.
If we look beyond the figurative mode of expression
to the reality, which I have no doubt the writer of
this history meant to convey, if we mistake not the
shadow for the substance, nor substitute the type for
its antitype, the account of the circumstances immediately preceding and attending this meeting of the
disciples, may become very instructive to us. Jesus,
while he was engaged among them in the work of
his mission, told them, "6 It is expedient for you that I
go away; for if I go not away, the comforter will
not come unto you."  He saw the necessity of turning their minds from an outward person to a Divine
Power, from that which consisted in flesh and blood,
to that which was spirit, for according to his own
testimony, " the flesh profiteth nothing, it is the spirit
that quickeneth." Hence, also he said unto them, "I
will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even
the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but
ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be
in you. I will not leave you comfortless; I will
come to you." When he gave this promise, he
certainly had no- allusion to his outward person, he
could not have meant that this was the comforter




JOHN JACKSON.              41
that would appear and abide with them forever. Far
otherwise; the figurative style which so much abounds
in these writings is calculated to mislead, unless we
are careful to give the words and expressions that
are used an appropriate spiritual meaning.
It is clear that the disciples, like the great mass of
the professors of Christianity in the present day, were
so outward in their views and expectations, that they
did not perceive the meaning of Jesus, for one of them
put the query to him in this wise, " Lord how is it that
thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the
world?" Seeing that they did not understand the
spiritual import of his words, Jesus endeavoured to
lead them to a more spiritual view of the manifestation of Christ in the flesh; in which they could comprehend it as the A" wisdom of God, and the power of
God," the word by which the worlds were made.
Thus he led them to look for Christ within them, and
in reply to the inquiry of Judas, he answered, " If
any man love me he will keep my words; and my
Father will love him, and we will come and make
our abode with him." Here he directed them to a
spiritual manifestation, in which he should appear as
the quickening spirit, and word of life to the soul.
For this same word that dwelt in the flesh in the
person of Jesus of Nazareth, as certainly is manifested
in us, and to every rational creature under heaven for
the same blessed purpose that it dwelt in him, to raise
us to an equality with the angels of God.
To this word of life, the gospel invites us in the
affectionate language, "Come unto me all ye that are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
4*




4'2               SERMONS BY
What are the views of the great mass of Christian
professors concerning Christ? Are they not very
outward and traditional? Is not the attention of the
people directed back to Jesus of Nazareth, rather
than to his inward and spiritual appearing-from the
operation of the spirit, to a dependence upon the outward person? While such views of Christ are entertained, as are incompatible with the spiritual nature
of the gospel, how can we hope for the increase of
that kingdom, which brings 1" Glory to God in the
highest, peace on earth, and good will to men?"
This can never be realized, until Christ is witnessed
as a ruling power and principle in man, governing
all his a-ctions by its benign influence, opening the
path of duty before him, and showing him what he
shall do, and what he shall leave undone. When,
therefore, the disciples had their understandings opened on the occasion to which I have alluded, by the
manifestation of Christ, they received the command,
"Go ye forth teaching all nations," accompanied
with the promise, " Lo, I am with you alway unto
the end of the world."  What now was it that was
to be with them always? The power that opened
their understandings and comforted them with the
language, " Peace be unto you." Then, and not till
then, they realized the truth of the promise, " I will
pray the Father, and he will send you another comforter." But see how it was when Jesus was taken
from them: mark what occurred when those faithful
women went to the place where he lay, whom their
souls had loved, with the anxious inquiry, " Who shall
roll us away the stone from the door of the sepul



JOIN JACKSON.              43
chre?"' Behold there was a great earthquake; for
the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and
came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat
upon it, his countenance was as lightning, and his
raiment white as snow.." Then was the doctrine of
Christs' spiritual appearing opened unto them, and
they were prepared to go to the disciples with the
joyful tidings, " He is risen from the dead."
Are not the professors of Christianity now, like
those faithful women, seeking the living -among the
dead? No doubt in the sincerity and fullness of
their hearts, many are looking to the outward person
that was crucified and laid in the sepulchre, and it
will require the same earthquake to shake their dependence upon an outward Redeemer; the same
angel of the Lord must desend from heaven, and roll
back this stone of. tradition from the door, and sit
upon it, that it may no longer prevent them from beholding Christ in his inward and spiritual appearing,
as the eternal word and ever present Saviour.
This society has been distinguished from other religious sects, by holding up these views of the spiritual coming of Christ. Have we known him to be in
our midst as the crowning power of our assemblieshas this power subdued and sanctified our heartshas it united us together in the fellowship of the gospel,
and commissioned us to go forth "teaching all nations," that others may be baptised into this power,
which shall abide with them  always?  Oh, if this
were the case, what meetings we should witness; our
religious assemblies would be blessed with the Divine
presence, and we should be clothed with authority to




44                 SERMONS BY
be witnesses of Christ in "Jerusalem, in Judea, and
the uttermost parts of the earth." It is not enough,
that we observe the form of meeting together, we
must witness Divine Goodness to overshadow us, we
must know our hearts made pure, and must feel the
peaceable spirit of Jesus, we must bear one another's
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
A state like this is always profitable, but when it
fails to be attained, the great end of religious association can never be answered. We must so witness
the spirit of Jesus Christ, and be baptised unto the
power of the gospel, that we can enter into sympathy
one with another; then if a brother be overtaken with
a fault, (and we are all thus liable,) those who are
spiritually minded, would seek to restore such a one
in the spirit of love and of good will, remembering
themselves lest they also be tempted.
Oh! my friends, have we reflected on the duties
which the gospel imposes upon us? By our profession we are holding up to the world these cardinal
doctrines of Christ, and we should so live up to them,
that others seeing our good works would be led to
glorify our Father which is in heaven. There is
something in the view that Christ is with us always,
that is full of instruction and encouragement. He is
continually leading us to faithfulness in little things.
He qualifies us to fulfil the duties connected with
every day and every hour-these duties will be presented to us, when we lie down, when we rise up, and
when we walk by the way.
We may sometimes overlook the requirements of
truth and duty while we are waiting for what we




JOHN JACKSON.               45
may be pleased to call some greater demonstration,
that we are invited to this work-the silent operation
and promptings of the principle within ourselves,
which is man's only true enlightener, may be neglected, and we throw off the responsibility which
attaches to faithfulness in little things, while we are
waiting for some great light to accomplish some supposed great end.
The religion of Jesus, my friends, is to be advanced
by our faithfulness in little things, in the performance
of every-day duties; some of these lead us to examine
the state of our own minds, others to fulfil the obligations we are under to our Father in heaven, and to
our fellow-creatures upon earth. This is what makes
the Christian; to fill up faithfully all the relations of
life; to make our religion of that practical character,
that in all our conduct amongst men we shall exhibit
the spirit of the gospel, and imitate the beloved of God
in justice, mercy, truth, humility, brotherly kindness
and charity.
Oh! here is the commission that Christ ever gives
-this is the call we have recei'ved-the work whereunto we are sent-and the prayer of my spirit is, that
we may none of us be found standing idle in the
market places, with the paltry plea, "No man hath
hired us." Such excuses do not correspond with the
promises of the gospel, but are at variance with the
great doctrine that was taught to the disciples; " Lo,
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world."
"If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is
none of. his;" but this spirit is not withheld from any




46                SERMONS BY
of us. Let us seek to be more and more imbued with
it, till our minds are clothed with love to God and
love to each other.
We may ask ourselves the question, whether love
abounds as it ought to do, among a people professing
the religion of Christ? Whether we have faithfully
discharged the duties it enjoins, and whether we
have laboured one with another in the peaceable spirit and wisdom of Jesus, for each other's good?
The answer will be found within ourselves. Such
inquiries will stimulate us to action, and may, as we
are faithful to our convictions of duty, often lead us,
as Ananias was led of old, when he was sent on this
high mission to one who was praying in Tarsus, with
this encouraging language; ";Brother Saul, receive
thy sight." But I fear the spirit of the gospel is
wanted more among us than it exists. Let us search
our own hearts. I am willing to be one with you in
the labour, that every root of bitterness may be destroyed, and the devil of hatred be overcome by the
angel of love.
Let every thing that worketh an abomination or
maketh a lie be removed, and then, as it was said,
Jesus appeared first unto her, out of whom he had
cast seven devils, so, when we meet together in the
name of Christ, we shall hear his voice in the midst
of us, speaking the language, "' Peace be unto you."




JOHN JACKSON.               47
SERMON IV.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING, WOODBURY, N. J., ELEVENTH
MONTH 15TH, 1849,
ONE of the strongest proofs to my mind of the Divine authority of the gospel of Christ, is disclosed by
the fact, that it is constantly urging upon us to leave
the things that are behind, and press forward towards
a higher state of experience and enjoyment of the
things that pertain to the kingdom of heaven: and,
also, from the fact, that it assigns no limit to the progression of the Immortal Spirit short of its complete
union with the Divine fountain from which it sprang.
It holds out to us that we are progressive beings,
that we may advance step by step in the knowledge
of God, and of the unspeakable riches and treasures
of his kingdom, of the increase of which there shall
never be an end.
What we see continually illustrated in the natural,
is shown by the gospel to be the beautiful order of
the spiritual world; and this progression that is promoted by it, proves it to be of Divine origin. It addresses itself to us as it did to one formerly, who,
when describing his state of mind, says, " I was in
the spirit on the Lord's day," and there came an
angel unto him, saying, "Come hither, I will show
thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me
away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven."




48               SERMONS BY
It is the same gospel that was preached to man in
the beginning, and is still preached to every rational
creature under heaven. For, as in the outward firmament, God hath appointed no new light to illuminate the outward world, so in the spiritual kingdom,
Christ hath been the enlightener of man, from the very
period of time when his Creator breathed into hinm
that " breath of life" which made him s" a living soul."
This Word, manifested in the flesh, is not to be limited or confined to its appearance in the person of
Jesus of Nazareth, for there is abundant Scripture
testimony going to show, that the same Power and
Word that was manifested in Him also spoke to our
first parents, instructed Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles, and is revealed to us for the same blessed purpose, to raise us above the earthly into the heavenly
nature, to an equality with the angels of God.
"Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's
wife." These are figurative expressions, abounding
throughout the Scriptures, but they point to a reality,
to a power and principle within that will teach us as
man never taught; and to a state of heavenly-mindedness that may be attained by our obedience to
Christ.
This gospel also addresses itself to our rational
understanding; its convictions are rendered so intelligible, that all may comprehend it with sufficient
clearness to perceive their duty, and to know that
their work consists in walking in the light that is thus
made manifest, that they may become children of the
light and of the day. Now, my friends; have we considered that we are favoured with the light of Christ,




JOHN JACKSON.              49
precisely as the righteous in past ages have been before us!
The same angel that John saw, is also addressing
itself to us, and inviting us to come up in our heavenly
journey; that we also may be shown that great city,
the holy Jerusalem, "descending out of heaven from
God," which consists in a state of righteousness and
purity.
-Have we considered that we are placed in a position so favourable to our advancement to a state of
perfection? It is well for us to examine our high
privileges, and properly appreciate them. For if we
lightly value them, we shall not be likely to improve
the opportunities we have, or rightly occupy the gifts
which have been bestowed upon us. Thus we may
pass on through life, and finally reach the end of our
stewardship, without being able to render any better
account of our progress, than the unprofitable servant
who put his master's talent in a napkin, and buried it
in the earth.
I am not about to hold up religion as a terror. I
have no idea of serving God through fear of judgments to come. This is not the character of the
gospel! Its language is, " Come unto me all ye that
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light." I would hold
it up as something that is so lovely in itself, as to
make it attractive and inviting, as something that enables us to overcome every sin that doth so easily
beset us, and elevate our condition step by step in the
scale of improvement, till we become united with the
5




50                 SERMONS BY
inhabitants of that city, "'which needs not the light of
the sun, nor of the moon to shine in it, for the glory
of God doth enlighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof."
What then is the Christian progress, and how shall
it be made to put us in possession of the treasures of
a heavenly kingdom? We must give all diligence to
make our calling and election sure, by adding to our
"faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge
patience, to patience temperance, to temperance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity."
It is by continuing to do these things, that the
apostle says we shall never fall, but shall be made
fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is the
only saving knowledge of Christ. It is known by
these fruits. This is the religion that I would hold
up to our view, because it is constantly inviting us to
go on unto perfection. It is not a religion of opinion,
or outward ceremony, it is not confined to any particular form of devotion,. it cannot be reached by
subscribing to any particular written creed. The
only religion that is profitable to man, is that which
is embraced with sincerity from a conviction of the
understanding, and put in practice in the every day
relations of life. We may have our be'attiful theories of faith, and persuade ourselves as some did formerly, that this will save us; but, says the apostle
James, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a
man say he hath faith, and have not works?  Can
faith save him? Faith without works is dead."  We
may be very zealous in defending the orthodoxy of




JOHN JACKSON.               51
our opinions, and in building up our systems of religion on the traditions of men, but if we are not carrying out in the practice of life the vital principles of
righteousness, all our theorizing and creed-making will
only be like the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, of whom Jesus spoke, when he said to the people
of his time, " Except your righteousness exceed the
righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall
in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Religion, to be useful, must be practical. Our
Father in Heaven, regarding with indifference what
men so often consider essential to a holy life, an adherence to certain opinions, and the observance of
outward ceremonies, looks at the heart, and condescends to dwell in the mind that is humble and contrited before him. The soul that feels there is none
in heaven but him, or in all the earth that is like unto
him, witnesses the truth of the declaration, "Behold the
tabernacle of God is with man, and God shall dwell
in them, and he will be their God, and they shall
serve him."
Now if religion embraces the practical fulfilment
of all the duties of life, we shall see that it increases
the amount of human happiness, binds man to his
fellow, and extends the great law of love " from sea
to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth."
Its influence over human conduct should soften the
heart, regulate the affections, subdue the " lusts of the
flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life," and
give us a victory over the world. Oh! it will enable
us to overcome the sins that doth most easily beset
us, and there is no victory greater than this. To




52               SERMONS BY
overcome one of the enemies of our household, which
are the sins and follies that beset our path, is a victory
of infinitely more value than the mightiest triumph
that ever was achieved amidst the " confused noise
of the warrior and garments rolled in blood." 1"He
that is slow to anger is greater than the mighty, and
he that ruleth his own spirit, than he that taketh a
city."
How many such victories might we obtain by
watchfulness, obedience, and prayer, by regulating
our thoughts, and bringing every desire and temperament of mind into the harmony of the Divine will.
This is the Christian's work, and in the accomplishment of it, we progress onward in our heavenly journey, till we reach this holy Jerusalem, the city of our
God.
Oh! my young friends, this is a subject that interests you in a very especial manner. I would affectionately ask you to give it due consideration.
Religion is not to be your dread, but your delight; it
is not to deprive you of any permanent good, or
lessen any enjoyment that God in his infinite wisdom
designed you to realize. He who has made the
world on which we dwell, subservient to one prevailing principle of beauty and order, has invited us to
behold in his workmanship examples worthy of imitation. We discover in every thing around us, traces
of the order, benevolence, and omnipotence of God.
" The invisible things of him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood [by the
things that are made." Shall we see these examples
of order, benevolence and goodness, these traces.,of




JOHN JACKSON.              53
an Infinite Mind written in the outward creation, and
overlook that still more glorious revelation of himself, in which lie has appeared in our hearts, for the
blessed purpose of elevating us to a condition to enjoy his glory? I would encourage you, my brethren
and sisters, to appreciate and cultivate this noble endowment of the Creator. It is of more value than
any thing this world can give you, and is capable of
vast improvement.  It is my conviction, that infinite
progression is an attribute of immortality, and while
I entertain this belief, I must regard these revelations
of God in the present life, as the commencement of a
higher order of being, which shall continue to enlarge
and expand, when we shall lay aside these frail tenements of dust. With this hope before us, death is
disarmed of its sting, and the grave of its victory.
I invite you, therefore, my young friends, calmly
and seriously to examine the subject for yourselves.
Look upon religion as something that is inviting you
above the lower enjoyments of this world, and cultivate the talents that God has given you. You are
reminded that the harvest is plenteous, and invited to
labour, that you may reap a rich reward. The angels
of God bring to you glad tidings of great joy, and fill
your spirits with a desire to know more of his infinite
attributes and perfections. Live up to your convictions of duty; lay the foundation of your spiritual
building upon these revelations of truth to your own
souls, and the superstructure that will be raised upon
it, will be like the city which John saw, " having on
the north three gates, on the east three gates, on the
south three gates, and on the west three gates"-a
5*




54                SERMONS BY
beautiful figure, showing that the avenues through
which truth, and light, and knowledge shall enter, are
abundant on every side.
Let Christ within be your hope of glory. Follow
not after the traditions and opinions of men, which
are often embraced without examination, without regard to their applicability, as a rule of human conduct, and often at variance with reason, one of the
noblest gifts of God. Regard the Divine voice to
your own minds as the highest oracle of truth, and if
you would go on unto perfection, above all things fail
not to give heed to this " angel of light," that is inviting you onward and upward in your heavenly
journey, in the beautiful language " Come up hither,
and I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife."
SERMON V.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING, DARBY, ELEVENTH MONTH
25THI, 1849.
"WHAT will it profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, aid lose his own soul?" These words
of Jesus have been presented to the view of my mind
as being full of instruction, and worthy of our individual consideration.  When we consider that every
accountable and immortal being that is brought into
existence, is the immediate offspring of its Divine
author, we shall not. wonder that Jesus should have
placed the value of the soul higher than even the pos



JOHN JACKSON.               55
session of the whole world. To be, and to know that
we are in possession of an immortal spirit, is to have
an evidence of that link in the great chain that connects the present with the future, and unites man
to his Maker. We have received our spiritual nature immediately from God. It constitutes the germ
of immortality and eternal life, which under the
blessed influence of the gospel of Christ, is capable
of unlimited growth and enlargement. Taking this
view, we shall see the force of the expression of
Jesus, 1" What will it profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul?" It is a question of vital importance to our present and future
well-being, to know that we are in possession of a
nature that does not die, when the tabernacle in
which it is contained shall return to the dust from
which it was taken; and it is equally important that
we should improve a gift, bearing upon it the proof
of divine origin. If we read attentively and understandingly the beautiful parables of Jesus, we shall
find that many of them have a direct reference to
this subject; that.through these he endeavoured to
instruct his disciples in the nature of the growth of
the immortal spirit, from the state of a germ in which
it was bestowed, to that state in which it becomes
perfected in the knowledge of its Author.
When Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to
"a grain of mustard seed," or to the "seed that a
sower went forth to sow," or a " little leaven hid in
three measures of meal," he represents it as something small in its first appearance, but which is capable of being cultivated and improved, by the continual




56                 SERMONS BY
addition of the experience of the things belonging to
that kingdom. The grain of mustard seed, unless
it were placed in a position favourable to its growth,
would be of no further value than a single grain, but
we see it contains within itself the elements of its
own reproduction. When the soil upon which it falls
is prepared to receive and nourish it, it is then that it
brings forth the stem, the branches, the blossom, and
finally the fruit fully ripe, and this process is continually repeated. Thus the outward world furnishes
an illustration of the growth to be experienced by our
spiritual nature, until that germ of the Divine "life,
which is immediately bestowed by the Author of our
being, and which constitutes us beings, " made in the
image of God," has expanded and brought forth those
fruits of s" righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit," in which the apostle declares the kingdom of
heaven consists.
We shall lose our own souls, so far as the enjoyment of those things is to be realized, if we neglect
this kind of culture, for our spiritual nature can only
expand and yield these fruits as it is cultivated and
improved.
These parables of Jesus are akin to the figure of the
Garden of Eden, in which man is placed, with authority to dress and keep the trees of the garden, and
partake of the fruit of all except the "tree of the
knowledge of evil." Thus we have parables and
figures throughout the Scriptures, all pointing us to
the improvement of a treasure that we have in
"earthen vessels," and as this is improved, we advance from one mansion of the Heavenly Father's




JOHN JACKSON.               57
house to another, for according to the testimony of
Jeslls, it is declared, c" In my Father's house are many
mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you, I
go to prepare a place for you, that where I am there
ye may be also."
The professed belief among Christians is, that the
soul cannot be saved without Christ, and if this doctrine were carried out in practice, we should see
wonderful illustrations of this growth to which I have
alluded, in the knowledge of the Lord spreading from
sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the
earth. If men really believed that their salvation depended on their likeness to Christ, all the wrongs and
evils of unrighteousness would cease, and the kingdom of God would come on earth as it is in heaven.
But unhappily men do not in reality believe that
they are to be saved by their likeness to Christ, so
much as by their opinions concerning him. Hence
the great doctrine of salvation by Christ, and the
souls advancement from stature to stature, till it
attains to the state of a 1" man in Christ Jesus" is not
fully understood; and in consequence, the fruits of the
spirit, which are love, peace, joy, charity, and all the
heavenly virtues, do not correspond with the great
profession of religion that is made among men.
We know these fruits will appear wherever men
witness salvation by Christ; but while they are depending on their opinions concerning a Saviour, they
will never be brought out of darkness into the light
of the gospel day; neither will the church ever be
brought out of the wilderness of lifeless forms and
ceremonies, to behold the beauty of that temple where




58                SERMONS BY
God is worshipped in spirit. Upon this subject, men
are losing their own souls, or at least giving them up
to the keeping of others. Look over the religious
world, and see how many thousands and tens of
thousands of our fellow beings are taught to look for
their spiritual bread, their knowledge of God, of
Christ, of the kingdom of heaven, to the teachings of
men. Resting satisfied with a name to live, and persuading themselves that their opinions concerning religion, Christ and God are true, and therefore they
have accomplished all they have to do, in the work
of the souls advancement, and relying upon the testimony of others for authority, are willing to leave unread the great volume of truth which Christ opens to
his followers. Happily would it be for the professors
of Christianity, if they would seek for higher evidence
of the presence of Christ, than the declarations of
men, and they would find the promise, " Lo, I am
with you always," verified in their own experience.
There is an incident related in the Scriptures of one
of the disciples of Jesus, that I have viewed with instruction and encouragement. It is the account of
Thomas, who is commonly considered an unbeliever,
because he was not willing to rest his hope of salvation upon what other men said or saw. He was not
willing to be satisfied with the testimony of his
brethren, when they said unto him, "We have seen
the Lord," but wanted a higher demonstration of the
Divine presence, than could be drawn from any
human authority. This is apparent from the language
he used, which, though highly figurative and metaphorical, clearly conveys the honest intention and




JOHN JACKSON.              59
earnest desire of his mind, to receive an evidence
equal to that which the disciples themselves had;
"Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails, and
thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Mark now, the wonderful condescension and goodness of God towards this honest inquirer; all the evidence he asked for was granted him; for Christ
appears, and addresses himself to his state in language that he could understand; "Reach hither thy
finger and behold my hands, and reach hither thy
hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless,
but believing."
Thus was he enlightened by the same power that
opened the understanding of his brethren on another
occasion, to comprehend and behold the Divine presence, and while enjoying this clear and heavenly
illumination, he could worship in the language, "My
Lord and my God."
Now if there were more unbelievers of this description, I doubt not there would be more devout worshippers in the Christian church, for I believe the same
undeniable evidence, as clear and precisely of the
same character, would be furnished to us, as was
furnished to Thomas and the rest of these disciples,
if rightly sought after. I am aware that many overlook the encouragement and instruction which the
record of this event is designed to afford, by supposing that it was the outward body of Jesus, that
Thomas and the other disciples saw. I do not so
understand it, and it is only leading us from the inward and saving, to outward and carnal views of




60                 SERMONS BY
Christ to hold such doctrine. It was a spiritual
manifestation to the disciples, precisely as he is manifested to us, While we are in possession of an immortal soul, he dwells near us, and the language that
was uttered formerly remains to be as true now as it
was then; " Behold I stand at the door and knock, if
any man will hear my voice and open unto me, I will
come in and sup with him, and he shall sup with me."
If we rest satisfied with other men's opinions, we
cease to be thinking beings, we cease to ask, that we
may receive; to knock, that it may be opened unto
us; and failing to inquire for ourselves, our understandings are not opened to comprehend the sublime
realities of the kingdom of heaven. WVe should not
separate the word Christ from the word power; they
are and ever have been the same thing. He is spoken
of as the 1" light that lighteth every man that cometh
into the world," opening the path of duty before him,
warning him against evil, and justifying him for doing
good. He is the power that enables man to resist
temptation, to overcome evil, to go on his way from
glory to glory. We should confine our views of him
entirely to the operation of this power within ourselves, that we may have such an evidence of his
presence, as will enable us to say from living experience, " I know that my Redeemer lives, and because
he lives, we shall live also."
In the parable of the sower, Jesus illustrated the
goodness of the great Husbandman, in the universal
distribution of the good seed, the seed of a spiritual
nature; and it is for us to say, whether that seed shall
fall upon stony ground, by the way-side, among thorns,




JOHN JACKSON.              61
or upon soil prepared for its reception and growth.
Let all the energies of our minds, instead of being
coverted into swords and spears, be converted into
ploughshares and pruning-hooks, to cultivate the
ground for the reception and growth of this seed, in
a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. Then we shall see that the value of
the soul increases as it expands in the knowledge of
its Author.
Our views of the Divine mind should not be such
as to shut him out from the present life, leading us
only to anticipate a knowledge of Him when we
shall have passed beyond the limits of time. Oh, no;
he is not far from every one of us, seeing that " in
Him we live and move, and have our being."
That same benevolent Being who has spread out
before us the visible world as a monument of his
wisdom, power and goodness, has also furnished to
his rational, intelligent creation, a witness of himself.
We are, therefore, called to a knowledge of God and
Christ now; such a knowledge that will regulate our
thoughts and conduct, purify the heart, sanctify the
affections, and elevate the soul into the enjoyment of
the Divine harmony here, and lay the foundation of a
well-grounded hope of its continuance in the world
to come.
But, my friends, this can only be realized as we
continue to possess and occupy our own souls, by
improving the gifts and talents committed to our
care.       o
Now, if there is nothing of sufficient value to be received in exchange for our spiritual nature, and if this
6




62                 SERMONS BY
constitutes the connecting link that unites us to the
Infinite Mind, does it not follow, even though we look
no further than the present life, that if we lose our
own souls we cannot realize the enjoyment arising
from union with God.
We should embrace the religion of Jesus, because
it puts us in possession of the joys of heaven in the
present as well as the future world. But I have no
idea of people being driven to embrace religion, or
any system of belief or opinion (as is often the case)
through fear of judgments to come, for this only tends
to drive men into darkness and error.
Religion should be held up, and especially to the
young mind, as something that is cheerful and joyous
in its character; something that shall make it happier
every day and every hour; something that shall preserve it from all evil and secure to it all that is good.
I have no faith in that dark and gloomy theology
which terrifies the mind of the child, by insisting
upon its total depravity, and the absence of a pure
and undefiled spirit; that holds up to it a fear of death
and of imaginary torments beyond the grave, to
frighten it into religion. Religion should be held up
to the view of the child in the language of Jesus:
"Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid
them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  It
should be represented as a path shining brighter and
brighter unto the perfect day; such a view will correspond with the soul's advancement from one mansion of the heavenly Father's house to another; and
our minds should ever be impressed with the convic



JOHN JACKSON.              63
tion, that the moment we turn aside from this path,
we are on the downward course-a course strewed
with briars and thorns, and which, as it is pursued,
leads through all the wanderings of folly, misery, and
wretchedness, and finally to ruin. In presenting these
views of religion, I shall not be understood, that it
ever leads to the indulgence of any hurtful thing. It
will control every passion, and set bounds to the indulgence of every propensity belonging to the animal
nature of man, and a moment's reflection will satisfy
us of the hurtful tendency of improper indulgence in
these. The view I wish to convey is, that religion,
in regulating our lives, and bringing the animal propensities under the control and dominion of the spiritual man, will deprive us of no real good; but that
Af will render life a scene of enjoyment; it opens to us
the creation of God, as springing from its author, and
invites us to look upon his works as the monuments
of his infinite wisdom and power: it invites us to look
within ourselves for the traces of his omnipotence
and omnipresence; that in the spirit's sanctuary we
may hold communion with a Being whom the heaven
of heavens cannot contain, but who condescends to
dwell with the pure in heart, the humble and contrite
spirit. Oh! my friends, could we keep such views of
religion before us, and contemplate the nature and
value of the immortal soul, we should be encouraged
to press forward till we experience those joys and
blessed realities which the righteous of all past time
have witnessed, by walking by the same rule, and
minding the same thing. Like the beloved Son, we
shall also, as we are led by the spirit of God, become




64                SERMONS BY
"heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." We
should then experience a likeness to Christ, in the
state of meekness, humility, love, universal charity for
all mankind, and an enlarged philanthropy to which
we shall have attained. Love to God, and to our
fellow-creatures would be the secret spring of all our
actions, and all our works would correspond.
When mankind come to embrace these views, there
will be fruits of righteousness, peace on earth, and
good-will to men, such as the world never yet has
witnessed, for this doctrine has for its object the
growth of man's spiritual nature, from the germ-like
state in which it was bestowed, until it prepares him
to enjoy the society of saints and angels in the kingdom of heaven.
- -'
SERMON VI.
DELIVERED AT BRISTOL MEETING, ON FIRST.DAY, TWELFTH
MONTH 16TH, ]849.
IF I have a clear understanding of what the Christian religion is, I discover nothing in it but what is
plain and easily understood; nothing that is inconsistent with right reason; nothing that involves an absurdity or contradiction; but, on the other hand, it is
a religion that is adapted to the wants of man under
all circumstances in which he may be placed, to
whatever nation, kindred, tongue, or people he may
belong.




JOHN JACKSON.              65
It is a religion that is based upon the universal
benevolence of our Father in heaven, who is no respector of persons, but who reveals his law to all the
children of men, and all who live in obedience to it,
as manifested to them, are accepted of him.
Such was the religion that the blessed Jesus promulgated amongst men, and we cannot be conversant with his declarations, his precepts and his parables, without perceiving that the great object of his
mission was not to fill the ears of the people with
abstract notions and speculative opinions, nor to institute external forms and ceremonies, but to direct
them within themselves, to what he properly calls the
Kingdom of Heaven, that they might be instructed in
the way of their duty; and by obedience to these instructions, thus inwardly received, they should walk
as he walked, in a state of acceptance with their
heavenly Father, and thus overcome the world, and
be prepared to sit down with him upon his throne,
even as he overcame and sat down with his Father
upon his throne. In the instructive exhortation which
he gave them, " What I say unto one I'ay unto all,
watch and pray, and that continually, lest ye enter
into temptation," he pointed out the origin of evil, and
incited them to cultivate that good seed of the kingdom of heaven, which would bring forth fruit in due
season, and declared, that by these fruits they should
be known as his disciples.
It seems to me, the great object of preaching and
of religion, is to direct us individually within ourselves; that we also may understand the great truth
to which Jesus alludes, when he spoke of the kingdom
6*




66                 SERMONS BY
of heaven, as the good seed which a heavenly husbandman had sown in his spiritual kingdom, and of
which an apostle also testified, when he declared, "' Ye
are the temples of the living God, and the spirit of
God dwelleth in you." When we come to know ourselves, we shall discover that all the evil which afflicts
the family of man, owes its origin to his disobedience
and transgression of the Divine laws; and the first
step towards our salvation from sin, is rightly to
understand where evil has its origin. The apostle,
no doubt, saw the necessity of this in his time, and
hence he makes use of this language; " Let no man
say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for
God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth
he any man: but every man is tempted when he is
drawn away of his own lust and enticed: then when
lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin,
when it is finished, bringeth forth death." In the
view here given by the apostle, the divine character
is not only cleared from any participation in the evil
that is in the world, but its origin is traced to man's
yielding to temptation, or to his disobedience to that
law that would have kept him from falling, and preserved him faultless in the sight of his Maker. Hence
we see the fitness of the command of Jesus, to watch
and pray, and that continually, lest ye enter into
temptation. This, my friends, is a great duty, the
first step towards our preservation from evil; and
Jesus knowing that the soul of man (that nature
which alone can rise or fall, as it regards spiritual
things,) was pure as it came from its Divine author,
therefore warned them to watch lest they entered




JOHN JACKSON.              67
into temptation. The gospel teaches us that we are
not only to guard the avenues of the heart against
the admission of evil, but to labour in the attainment
of good, as Jesus illustrated in this beautiful parable
of the sower sowing good seed, wherein he pointed
out, not innate depravity, but original virtue, and
angelic purity. It seems to me, that if the preaching of the present age had this end in view, that
there would soon be a manifest advancement in the
religious world, towards a more exalted state of
righteousness than now exists. I know that many
will shrink back and hide themselves behind the curtain of a dark and mysterious theology, at the very
thought of there being any thing in man that is of a
divine character, that is pure and undefiled, for the
opposite doctrine is taught, that we are by nature
the children of wrath; that we are aliens to God, to
truth, to holiness, and to every thing that is pure. A
doctrine the very opposite of that which the apostle
taught, who declared, that sin originated in every
man as he was drawn away of his own lust and enticed, and not in consequence of the sins or transgressions of another, as imposed upon mankind by
the popular creeds; and the religious world is filled
with theological fictions concerning the origin of
evil, in which man is represented to be a sinner by
nature, coming into the world in a state of separation from God; and sin is attributed, not so much to
our own transgressions as to some supposed guilt
entailed upon us by the transgressions of others.
And what does all this appear to be for? Why so
much exertion to prove the total depravity of man?




t68                SERMONS BY
It is for no other purpose than to magnify the necessity of a scheme of redemption as full of absurdity as
it is possible for error to make it-the doctrine of
the vicarious atonement. Instead of religion being
held up as something that is plain and easily understood, it is made to consist of erroneous opinions
concerning the origin of evil, and of man's redemption from it by the outward sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
I would not be considered as casting uncharitable
reflections upon any of my fellow professors, who
may entertain opinions like these; all I ask is that I
may not be required to subscribe to doctrines which,
in my view, are utterly repugnant to every principle
of justice, mercy, truth and love. Far be it from me
to condemn my brother or my sister who may entertain different views on these subjects. While I
honestly dissent from opinions that I cannot adopt,
without a sacrifice of reason and a disregard of the
convictions of truth on my own mind, I wish not to
condemn any, but I must bear my testimony to what
I consider the erroneous opinions that are promulgated as a part of the religion of Jesus. My object
is mainly to enforce the observance of those principles of righteousness and of truth, without which no
man, whatever his name to religion may be, can
ever stand accepted in the Divine sight. Religion,
in my view, does not consist in our systems of faith,
in subscribing to any particular creed, or in the observance of any external rituals. It requires something more than all this. "Pure religion, undefiled
before God is this, to visit the fatherless and the
widow in their afflictions, and keep ourselves un



JOHN JACKSON.              69
spotted from the world." This was the religion of our
great example, and it should become ours. He was
no respecter of persons. His mission of gospel love
was not to a few, but to all. He embraced within
his holy mission the very ends of the earth. "Come
unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and
I will give you rest; and take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me, and ye shall find rest to your souls."
What is comprehended in the command, A" Take my
yoke upon you?" Is it not our daily obedience to
that " law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus," which
Paul declared ", made him free from the law of sin
and death?"
If we are to be preserved from falling into temptation and a snare, we must watch unto prayer; if we
are to be set free from sin and death, it must be by
our obedience to this "law of the spirit of life in
Christ Jesus." Now there is no mystery in this doctrine, for there is as certainly a manifestation of the
Divine will to mankind now as there ever was since
the first period of human existence. And this will is
manifested to us in the same manner that it has ever
been revealed to man, through a spiritual medium.
The same voice who addressed to Adam the language, " Where art thou," discovered to him the
state and condition of his soul; pointed out the cause
and consequences of his alienation from God, and
that the only hope of his return consisted in obedience to the quickening operation of the Spirit,
which is represented under the figure of a "flaming
sword turning every way to guard the way of the
tree of life." This voice speaks to us in precisely




370                SERMONS BY
the same manner. We are not to be so outward as
to suppose that the Almighty Jehovah was ever seen
with mortal eye, or his voice heard with mortal ear.
Jesus declared, " No man hath seen God at any time,
the only begotten of the Father he hath revealed
him." When we read of the voice of the Lord being
heard in the cool of the day, or accompanied by the
thunderings and lightnings of Sinai-speaking to patriarchs, prophets and apostles; when we read of
Moses speaking with the Almighty, face to face, and
other similar expressions, we must look beyond the
figurative style of the record, to the operation of
Divine power upon the minds of men. Divine revelation is a plain and simple thing. It is not, as some
suppose, limited in its operation, or confined to any
single portion of mankind. It did not cease, as some
assert, when the last Scripture-writer laid down his
pen, but it continues to be manifested to us. We are
the objects of our heavenly Father's regard. He has
not only given us the light of the sun to illuminate
the outward world, but he makes it to shine upon the
evil and the good, the just and the unjust. And in
the spiritual world there is the same universal diffusion of light that constitutes in the outward a monument of the benevolence of its Author. This light
makes manifest to man the duties that are required
of him, thus making the declaration of Paul true:
"The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." If we are
prepared to subscribe to the doctrine that Divine




JOHN JACKSON.              71
grace hath appeared unto all men, and that it teaches
them to deny all ungodliness, and live righteously in
this present world, then we can understand, to what
Jesus directed the attention of the people, and to
what the ministry of the gospel should still direct
them-obedience to this light.  For just in proportion as we are obedient to it, we increase in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, " and go on adding to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge patience, to patience temperance, to temperance
godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness charity." When we have gained all
these then are we Christ-like; and the apostle says,
if we continue to do these things we shall never fall,
our knowledge of Christ will be saving, and an entrance gained into his "everlasting kingdom." Now,
if the attention of the people was turned to the operation of Divine grace, implanted in their hearts, it
would lead them step by step unto a knowledge of
those things which pertain to the kingdom of heaven.
It was because the Jews were not willing to rely upon
the teaching of Divine grace, that Christ was rejected by them. Hence they persecuted and crucified
Him who had been sent amongst them with the message of salvation. They were more attached to the
traditions of men than the commandment of God.
The simple truths of the gospel could meet with no
favour while their reliance was upon a ceremonial
and outward religion. The precepts of their law
allowed "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"
— permitted them to "hate their enemies," and to
return "Ievil for evil." They could practice their




72                 SERMONS BY
religion and still indulge the spirit of revenge and
retaliation. But the precepts of the gospel inculcated
directly to the opposite doctrine-the axe was to be
laid at the root of the tree of evil; and a religious life
was to consist in obedience to the Divine spirit and
in love to man.
Now, my great concern is —and I desire to impress it upon our minds, that we may observe the
injunction to watch and pray, lest we enter into
temptation-that we may overcome the A" lusts of the
flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life"-and
be able to say with the apostle, "There is now therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
What is this walking after the Spirit? We have an
animal and a spiritual life, and as 1" one star differeth
from another star in glory," so doth the greatness of
the spiritual exceed the glory of the natural. The spiritual nature is that life which is " breathed into man
and makes him a living soul. These tabernacles that
compose the " terrestrial body" shall return again to
dust. The spiritual nature constituting the " celestial
body," is designed to live for ever. The great end of
life can only be answered as this spiritual nature is
prepared to enjoy the fountain from which it sprang.
The beautiful design of the gospel is to elevate us
above the earthly unto the heavenly nature-to give
us the victory over the world, and prepare us for
the society of sanctified spirits, not only now, but
when time to us shall be no more. The gospel brings
immortality to light, by putting us in possession of




JOHN JACKSON.              73
those treasures which "moth and rust cannot corrupt, or thieves break through and steal."
Let us then walk after the Spirit, in the light of
this gospel, that when we are required to render an
account of our stewardship we may be prepared to
do it with the assurance of eternal union and communion with our Father in heaven. Let us examine
the ground upon which we stand, and in what our
religion consists. Let us examine our own minds,
and see how far we have witnessed the Christ-like
nature to govern us-to regulate our conduct-to
preserve and save us from evil. Have we guarded
"the avenues of the heart against the admission of
evil?" Has the sin that doth so easily beset us been
overcome and subdued? Are we conforming our
lives to the example of Jesus? These are subjects
that have an important bearing upon our presernt and
future well-being. Let us seriously consider them.
If we imitate the example of Jesus, our religion will
be practical. Let us remember, that 1"if any man
have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his;" and
if we possess the 1" spirit of Christ," our minds will
be clothed with love to God and our fell',)w-creatures;
we shall fulfil the duties we owe to our Creator and
one to another, and day by day we shall be engaged
to "add to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to
knowledge patience, to patience temperance, to temperance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness charity." And when we
have made these heavenly attainments we shall be
prepared to adopt as our own the language of Jesus:
7




74                 SERMONS BY
"Father I have glorified thee on the earth, I have
finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
[Here the speaker sat down, and in a short time
rose and added:]                 t
The language of the poet, "Know then thyself,
enough for man to know," has been presented with
instruction to my view. It is well for us to know
ourselves; we may often derive encouragement and
strength, by looking at the sources of good within
our own minds. It is there the silent voice of truth
is heard, and known and felt. And often this voice
will be as a ministering spirit-an angel of light that
will instruct and comfort us when all other sources
of encouragement and comfort have failed. We need
spiritual as well as physical strength, and as the latter is promoted by exercise, so will the former be increased by the proper employment of the gifts and
talents we possess. It is thus that we shall become
qualified to perform our mission of the gospel of
Christ. What is this mission? If a brother or sister
be overtaken with a fault, we should endeavour to
restore such a one in the spirit of meekness and love,
remembering ourselves lest we also be tempted. Our
Christian diuties often consist in little things, and it is
a wise declaration, that " he that is faithful in a little shall be made ruler over more." By our obedience in little things we shall find that the field of duty
and usefulness will enlarge, and we shall discover
that there is no time for us to stand idle in the market-place, saying, 1" no man hath hired me." When
we look around us we see the harvest is plenteous,
while the labourers are few. In every work of reli



JOHN JACKSON.              75
gion, benevolence, and humanity, the call has gone
forth, "enter into my vineyard and labouri, and whatsoever is right ye shall receive." Time is swiftly
drawing to a close, and it will soon be lost forever
in the darkness of that night in which no man can
work, and we are as fully convinced of this truth,
that life must be followed by death, as we are of the
change from day to night in the outward world.
Some of us have reached the sixth, some the ninth,
and some the eleventh hour; and it becomes a question of the greatest importance to us to know that we
are so labouring in the Lord's vineyard as to realize
our penny.
I feel the magnitude of the subject when I consider
my own latter end. I am conscious that the present
probation has its limits and they will soon be reached.
I feel the necessity of faithfulness to truth and duty,
and I desire above all things for myself and fellowcreatures, that we may make our "calling and election sure." I am satisfied, my friends, that if we live
up to the knowledge that is received, the end of our
being will be answered; we shall glorify God upon
earth, enjoy his presence here and for ever. Oh, my
friends, let us not be idle, but enter into the garden
of our own minds and labour. There is a work there
that is needful for us to perform —" man know thyself, enough for man to know." If we turn within
ourselves we shall discover that the fountain of truth
-of love-of light-is not far from any one of us.
God is that fountain, and in him 1" we live and move,
and have our being." Oh! blessed privilege, that we
should have access to the source of all good, and




76                 SERMONS BY
have no more need that any man should instruct us
in Divine things, than we have of trusting to others
the salvation of our souls. The work of salvation belongs to us as individual heirs of immortality and
eternal life, and it must be begun, carried on, and
completed by our faithfulness and obedience to God.
No man or woman ever performed an act of duty in
accordance with the convictions of truth, who did
not feel the reward of " well done, good and faithful servant." Well, my friends, if we have been
rewarded for faithfulness in little things it should
stimulate us to press forward towards the "mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus," and lead us to extend the invitation to others,
to come and see how good the Lord is. Then should
we be blessed by religious association, our spiritual
strength would be renewed; the strong would encourage the weak, and when permitted to mingle
with minds engaged in spiritual devotion, we should
feel that we were in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
enjoying that unity of spirit on earth which shall
bind the just of all generations together in the kingdom of heaven.




JOfIN JACKSON.              77
SERMON VII.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING, CHERRY STREET, PHILADELPHIA, IN THE EVENING OF FIRST MONTH 20TH, 1850.
"I AM not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth."
I am a believer in the doctrine, that the gospel of
Christ is "the power of God unto salvation," preached to every rational soul, in a manner so plain and
intelligible, that all can understand it, and that the
effects of obedience to its teachings, are the same in
all ages of the world, and among all people, for it
leads invariably to a life of devotion to God, and of
usefulness to man. The great change that was effected in the conduct and experience of the apostle who
made use of the expressions I have quoted, was produced according to his own testimony, when consulting not with flesh and blood, he gave up to the heavenly illuminations of truth upon his own mind, and
was thus brought out of darkness into light, and from
under the power and dominion of hatred and error,
into the blessed liberty of the children of God. He
could then say, "there is now, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit, for the law of
the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from
the law of sin and death." The evident design of the
gospel is to bring us into a state of blessedness, to
7*




78                 SERMONS BY
lead us out of all error, into truth and righteousness.
Since we have been together on the present occasion, this state, described by the apostle, as being
without condemnation, has been presented to the view
of my mind in such a light, that I have desired all in
this assembly might see the beauty, simplicity and
purity of the Christian's life, and desire to make it
our's for its own eternal excellence, that we might
realize the blessed enjoyment inseparable from continual obedience to the will of our Father who is in
heaven. We bear the name of Christians among
men, but the Christian religion does not consist in a
name or profession of religion-not in word, but in
deed-not in any cunningly devised fable, nor in
every " wind of doctrine, and cunning craftiness of
men, wherein they lie in wait to deceive," but in
obedience to Christ. The Christian character so remarkable for its simplicity and purity, is easily distinguished from every thing of an opposite nature
that has assumed its name. We have an infallible
criterion by which it is to be known.  When the
blessed Jesus was engaged in the work of his mission, he told his disciples, that they should be judged
by their fruits, and the rule is as applicable to us as
to them. How simple is the test. "By their fruits
ye shall know them; men do not gather grapes of
thorns, {or figs of thistles." The Christian is known
by his fruits. "Not every one that saith unto me
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom, but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,"
was another declaration of Jesus, pointing to the
same thing, and showing that a profession to religion




JOHN JACKSON.              79
does not always imply that we have come to the
kingdom of God.
Now, my friends, if I have any work to do in the
gospel, it is not to be engaged in the defence of any
of the speculative opinions, theories of religion, or
systems of faith which have so unhappily led to strife
and contention amongst men, but rather to bring before our view the practical and vital part of Christianity, to show us the necessity of daily obedience
to Christ, that we may exhibit those fruits of righteousness by which the followers of Jesus will ever be
known, and by which alone we can prove to others
that we are "not ashamed of that gospel which is
the power of God unto salvation, to every one that
believeth." I consider it of no importance to make
declarations of a belief in Christ, or in any thing else
that pertains to religion, if our conduct does not correspond with our belief and profession; and yet we
see how much dependence is placed upon a name
to religion; how strenuously men are defending their
opinions of Christ; their conflicting creeds and systems of faith; their forms and ceremonies, as though
these constituted vital religion. Christ is not divided.
It is in vain for us to say, "I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of -Christ." We
have need to observe the command of Jesus -"If
any man shall say unto you, lo, here is Christ, or
there, believe it not, the kingdom of God is within
you." The visible church has become scattered and
divided amidst the conflict of opinions, and the strife
of tongues which so unhappily prevail at the expense
of practical and vital religion. Whatever we may pro



80                SERMONS BY
fess, however beautiful may be our theory of religion, or however strictly we may observe external
forms, if we neglect to fulfil the every-day duties of
life, our cry of " Lord, Lord, open unto us," will be
as ineffectual and unavailing as the cry of the foolish
virgins in the parable, who had no oil in their vessels,
and whose lamps had gone out. Now, my friends,
I consider there is no subject of so much importance
to us as that of religion, rightly understood and carried out in practice. Our present and eternal wellbeing is involved in it. But it consists not in a name
-not in a belief in any system of faith —not in the
observance of any form; it is beautifully described
by the Apostle James in these words: " Pure religion,
and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, to
visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction,
and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
Religion becomes practical and useful, or theoretical and speculative, according to the standard we
adopt, by which the truth of all doctrines and principles regulating human conduct is to be tested; and
whatever difference of opinion may exist on this subject, one thing is certain, that if we take the example
of Jesus as the standard, for the " perfect and upright
man," there can be no misunderstanding as to what
the primary obligations of religion are, for none will
deny that he was' continually engaged in doing the
will of his heavenly Father; in proving his love to
God, by doing good to man. The work of his mission was clearly defined when he entered the synagogue and read these words from the book of the
prophet Esaias: " The spirit of the Lord is upon me,




JOHN JACKSON.               81
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to
the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering
of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are
bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
Is the life and example of Jesus made the standard of
the popular religion of our day?  I believe not. The
standard is in opinion rather than practice. In professions of faith rather than works. There are great
efforts made to set up written tests of sound doctrine,
to call the people more to an opinionative and speculative religion than to practical righteousness, and
hence a great deal of the profession of religion is but
"as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal." What
has been gained by calling men to creeds and theories
of religion, or even to those writings to which we give
the appellation of Scripturesof Truth?  If we are to
judge the state of the Christian church by the fruits
that have been exhibited, this practice has not promoted that harmony and charity which are indispensable to the Christian character. Almost every sect
in Christendom call the Scriptures their rule of faith
and practice, they look to them as the highest oracle
of truth, and many go so far as to style them the
infallible word of God; and yet it is an undeniable
truth, that there is as wide a difference among them
as there is between Jew and Christian, Pagan and
Mahometan. Let us look for the proof of this to the
scenes of strife and contention, the bigotry and intolerance that have been manifested by sect towards
sect, and we shall see with all this professed reverence for the Scriptures, there is a great want of that




82                 SERMONS BY
fundamental principle of which the blessed Jesus
spoke when he said, "By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to
another.". How sad is the retrospect of the past, and
how much to be regretted the present divided state
of Christians. The warrior does not display more
bitterness of spirit in the field of carnage than is often
manifested by these towards each other, and yet the
persecuted and the persecutors alike go to the Scriptures to establish their respective creeds and systems of faith. Influenced by~ blind and superstitious
veneration for the letter, men have conceived that
others must necessarily understand it as themselves,
and from this cause thousands of martyrs, whose
lives have been spotless in the sight of heaven, have
been required to seal their testimony with their blood.
A slight difference of opinion in the interpretations of
Scripture has given rise to angry controversy and
sectarian prejudice, that have not unfrequently led
the disputants into the field of slaughter, where they
have committed the deplorable folly of testing the
orthodoxy of their creeds by the victories of battle.
Now we see that harmony and love, becoming the
followers of Christ, does not abound among those
who say that the Scriptures are their rule of faith
and practice, neither has the church been " brought
out of the wilderness of lifeless forms and ceremonies
to lean on the bosom of its beloved." It is not only
in reference to abstract doctrines and opinions that
this diversity of view exists, but also upon some of
the plainest questions of righteousness and morality,
there is a wide difference of opinion or understand



JOHN JACKSON.               83
ing of Scripture. Thus we find that monstrous violation of human rights which dooms to hopeless servitude millions of our fellow-men. and places them on
a level with the beasts of the field, is attempted to be
defended as a Divine institution by the authority of
Scripture. By many the Bible is appealed to in order
to prove that wars and fightings, and even the indiscriminate massacre of an entire nation of people, has
been carried on by positive Divine command, and
that the barbarous custom of inflicting the punishment of death is an institution of Jehovah, binding
upon the present, as well as upon past generations of
men. Now, while the Scriptures admit of such various and contradictory interpretations-while there
continues to be so much controversy with regard to
their meaning-while no two sects can comprehend
them alike, it proves, with the clearness of a moral
demonstration, that they do not come up to the standard of a rule so plain, that the "way-faring man,
though a fool, cannot misunderstand it;" and, therefore they are not an adequate rule, nor the primary
standard of faith and practice, which would be plain
and self-evident. There is a higher standard of faith
and practice than the Scriptures. It is comprehended in the words of Jesus, to which I have already
alluded —" By their fruits ye shall know them." The
most certain test of sound doctrine, is a sound lifea holy life-a life in which all the Christian virtues
are daily exhibited. How true is the expression of
the poet:"For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight,
His can't be wrong whose life is in the right."




84                  SERMONS BY
It is a doctrine universally true and self-evident,
that if the fruit be good, the tree that produces it
must be good also; and no sophistry of man, no fine
spun theory of religion, can alter or amend an infallible criterion like this. It was in agreement with
this great natural and universal truth that Jesus gave
his precept; and until the religious world adopt this
as the standard by which the value of all doctrines of
religion or morality shall be estimated-until they
come to judge of men's fitness for heaven, by the
fruits of their lives and not by their creeds, there
will continue to be the same confusion of language
and strife of tongues-the same sectarian animosity
that has, in times past, and still continues to "divide
in Jacob and scatter Israel."
Perhaps some will say, that in making these remarks, I am undervaluing the Scriptures and making
them of no account-I think otherwise. Upon this
subject it seems right that I should further enlarge.
I desire not to be misunderstood. I have loved to
read the Scriptures from my childhood up to the present hour; some of the earliest religious impressions
that memory can recall, accompanied the perusal of
the experience of the righteous that is there recorded.
I recur now to an incident connected with my earliest
religious convictions, so memorable to me, that it will
be lasting as life itself, in which my mind in the infancy of experience was led to feel and admire the
truth of some of these Scripture declarations. I had
learned to repeat that beautiful prayer which Jesus
taught his disciples, and often to open my lips with
the language, "Our Father, who art in heaven."  In




JOHN JACKSON.              85
the spirit of inquiry natural to childhood, I was led
on one of those occasions of retirement, that I had
been taught was necessary to effectual prayer, to-put
this question to myself, what good can it do me to
repeat these words, or how shall I be benefited by
the use of this prayer? I was seeking after truth,
and in the silence that followed the inquiry, my understanding was addressed by a language like thisThe value of thy prayer depends upon the spirit in
which it is made. Oh, the impressions of that hour
have followed me through life, and I shall carry the
remembrance thereof with me to the grave; and I
wish I could convey to others the convictions I have
received myself, that however much we may read
the Scriptures, or repeat the declarations of good
men that we find there recorded, they can be of no
value to us, only as we are brought into a state of
mind in which we can make those declarations our's.
Then only can we say with truth, " Our Father, who
art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom
come, thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven."  I say then, I have loved the Scriptures from
my childhood. The truths contained in them I have
ever held in high esteem. For fifteen years I have
laboured in this vineyard, and I know not that I have
ever been called to speak in the assemblies of the
people but it has been my lot to refer to the testimonies of Scripture, while engaged in the work of
the ministry; and whenever I have quoted them, it
has been from a conviction of their truth. If this is
not evidence of my regard for the Scriptures I need
offer no other.
8




86                SERMONS BY
But while I have read with instruction and encouragement the many declarations of truth which they
contain, I cannot call the Bible the word of God;
I cannot look to it as the highest oracle of truth, for
I believe the immediate and inward teaching of the
Holy Spirit is as much above any of the writings of
men as the heavens are higher than the earth.
The Bible was written by men, and like every
other human work, it is liable to imperfection and
error, and I believe that those who are undertaking
to prove that every thing which is contained within
its lids is a Divine revelation, are doing the Scriptures and the cause of truth more harm than all the
open infidelity with which they have ever been assailed. We are commanded to "try the spirits;" we
must try the " letter" also, by the light of truth in our
own minds, which is "Christ in you the hope of
glory." When we come to be taught by him we
shall have our spiritual vision opened, and be able to
discriminate between that which is written by inspiration of God, and that which has proceeded from
the commandments and traditions of men. The
Scriptures do not point to themselves as a sufficient
rule of life, but they tell us to "mark the perfect man,
and behold the upright, for the end of that man is
peace." How true is this declaration-the end of
the perfect and the upright man is peace —peace
with God, and,peace with all men, it is the highest
state of excellence to which in the present life we
can attain.
Oh, my brethren, let me ask you to consider the
importance of this distinguishing virtue and upright



JOHN JACKSON.              87
ness. It is this that gives true dignity and honour to
human conduct, it lies at the very foundation of a
moral and religious reputation, and if we fail to carry
it out in our intercourse with each other, we can
never maintain an unblemished life among men. Uprightness leads to strict integrity, justice, and the love
of truth, in all the common affairs of life. The religion of the "perfect and the upright man" is for
every day. It is not to be put off and on like a garment. It is blended with all our intercourse with the
world, and will so regulate our conduct, that we shall
never sacrifice our integrity for the love of gain. I
fear we are not sufficiently guarded on this subject.
I wish we may keep the eye single to the truth, and
carry out to thavery letter that admirable precept of
Jesus, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do
unto you, do ye even so to them." If the principle
of uprightness were carried out in all the concerns of
life, what examples of honesty would be seen on
every hand; we could do no wrong to our fellow-men,
for we should see that the deceiver was in the spirit
of anti-Christ, and that to practice deception, is to
" crucify afresh the Son of God, and put him to open
shame."  Now when I consider the character of the
"perfect and the upright man," when I reflect that
honesty, justice and uprightness, constitute the certain
path to happiness and peace, it appears to me to be a
mark of short-sightedness-a want of true wisdom on
our part to neglect those duties, and by so doing,
barter away an inheritance infinitely more valuable
than all the treasures and honours this world can
afford.




88                SERMONS BY
Time, my friends, is swiftly passing away, and to
us it will soon be no more; we are rapidly following
those who have gone before us to the house appointed
for the living, and thus we have the timely admonition that here we have M"no continuing city;" that
the present is not our final home; that death is inevitable, and the eternal future near at hand. Should
not these reflections stir up the pure mind in us, to
contemplate with seriousness the great design of life,
the obligations we are under to the Author of our
Being, and the duties we owe to each other as children of one common Father. We should not be discouraged thereby, but stimulated to improve our time,
to apply our hearts to wisdom, to remember our latter
end. What value do we set on time?  It is an inestimable treasure, a sacred trust committed to our
care. Shall we squander it away, and torture our
existence by abuse and by folly? No. Let us improve it to the glory of God, and our own good.
Cultivate the garden of our own minds. We have
many gifts and talents bestowed upon us by a benevolent Creator, and they are intended to be improved,
that the soul may be expanded and prepared to enjoy the infinite Fountain from which it sprang.
Among these endowments of the Creator, is included
our intellectual nature, which is as much a gift of
God, as the gift of grace, and we are as responsible
for the culture and improvement of the one, as of the
other. I have no idea that such a noble- talent is to
be buried in the earth, that it is to be employed
merely in procuring food and raiment for these frail
temples which are soon to moulder in the dust. Far




JOHN JACKSON.              89
otherwise. There is a beautiful relation between
mind and matter, between the works of God, and our
capacity to contemplate them. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his
handy work." We need not go after fiction, for
every page of the great volume of nature is full of
living and instructive truth. Placed in the midst of
a beautiful creation, we are invited to meditate on
the workmanship of its Author, and such an exercise
of the intellect is profitable to us, for it leads to
humility, and while it makes manifest the feebleness
of man, exalts our views of the wisdom, goodness,
and power of the Creator, and shows us that order is
" heaven's first law." The study of nature is not incompatible with true devotion to God. The right
improvement of the spiritual and intellectual gifts bestowed upon us by the Giver of all good, will lead
into the same train of reflections that called forth this
acknowledgment from a Christian philosopher: "0 
thou, who by the light of nature, dost kindle in us a
desire after the light of grace, that by it we may
reach the light of thy glory; I give thee thanks, 0
Lord and Creator, that thou hast gladdened me by
thy Creation, when I was enraptured by the work of
thy hands." It will enable us to adopt the sentiment
of the Psalmist: " When I consider thy heavens, the
work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which
thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son-of-man that thou visitest him?"
And when we are thus humbled by the contemplation
of our comparative nothingness, amidst the immensity of creation, we shall learn what constitutes the
8*




90                   SERMONS BY
true greatness of man. "s Thou hast made him a little
lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with
glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all
things under his feet. 0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"
Here is portrayed the final destiny of man. "Thou
hast crowned him with glory and honour." Thus
opening to his view the sublime doctrine of the soul's
immortality, and the joys and prospects that stand
connected with an eternal world.
Oh, my friends, we are invited to lay hold of this
crown of life, which is the reward of the perfect and
the upright man. Let us keep this great object of
our being in view, follow the example of Jesus, seek
after inward and spiritual communion with the Infinite Mind, that we may be rightly instructed in the
duties of life; and as we are obedient to all the revealings of Divine truth, we shall be governed by the
same rule, and mind the same thing that has enabled
the righteous of past ages to walk with God; and we
also shall be numbered at last with the just of all
generations, made perfect in the kingdom of heaven.
" God, thus to thee our lowly thoughts shall soar,
Thus seek thy presence, Being, wise and good'Midst thy vast works; admire, obey, adore,
And when the tongue is eloquent no more,
The soul shall speak in tears of gratitude."




JOHN JACKSON.
SERMON VIII.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING, GREEN STREET, PHILADELPHIA, THIRD MONTH 10TH, 1850.
IF the records of the past may be taken in evidence, I think we have a right to infer that mankind
have always been disposed to the reverence of a
superior power; for it does not appear on the pages
of history that there ever was a time, since the creation of man, when the acknowledgment of a belief in
the existence of a Supreme Governor of the universe,
and of man's accountability to him for his course of
conduct, was not made: and so far as our knowledge
of the present inhabitants of the globe has extended,
this view is confirmed; for we have an evidence,
even among those nations who are sunk to the greatest degree in ignorance and idolatry, that all traces
of this belief have not waned into total extinction.
It is no argument against the universality of such a
conviction, that this simple belief has been embarrassed and encumbered by false notions and opinions
concerning the Divine character-the relation that
exists between man and his Maker-and the duties
and obligations that the creature owes to the Creator.
For, although in the darkness of the human understanding, it has been burdened with false notions of
the adoration which is his due-with senseless forms
and ceremonies which have been founded in superstition, and have led to all manner of idolatry and
error, still there are evidences that from the human




92                SERMONS BY
mind this conviction of the existence of a Supreme
Being has not been wholly eradicated.
It would seem to be impossible to account for the
universality of this belief, unless we adopt a view
which is abundantly illustrated in the Scriptures, confirmed and enforced by the testimony of human experience in all ages, that it is the " same God that
worketh all in all," who giveth' a manifestation of
the spirit to every man to profit withal." The same
view is represented as a law written upon the heart,
so effectual and sufficient of itself, to give man a
knowledge of his Creator, that it is positively declared, " they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, nor every man his brother, saying, know the
Lord; for all shall know me from the least of them
unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord."
There is abundant testimony of this kind, left upon
record in the Scriptures and other writings, from
which we draw the conclusion that Divine goodness
has not left himself without a witness, but that he has
communicated a knowledge of his own being and
nature to all men of every kindred, nation, tongue
and people, so effectually, as to make the declaration
of the apostle true, where he says, " Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things;"
" the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you;
but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things,
and is truth and is no lie." This 1" manifestation of
the spirit"-this " law written on the heart"-this
" unction" and "anointing" which ye have received,
is, to use another Scripture expression, the "true




JOHN JACKSON.              93
light that lighteth every man that cometh into the
world," and is what we understand to be, immediate,
Divine revelation. It is the Deity revealing himself
to man, and it ever has been, and still continues to be,
a universal illumination that embraces the whole of
his rational, intelligent creation. I am aware there
are many who call this in question, and who presume
to deny the immediate intercourse between the soul
and its author; there are those who assert that immediate, Divine revelation does not now exist-that
the period has passed by when it was consistent with
the Infinite Jehovah to unfold immediately to his
accountable children the knowledge of himself, and
his will concerning them, by opening before them the
way in which they should go. Let us examine and
consider in what this revelation consists. Let us
open the great volume of our own experience, and
read attentively the record made upon our own
minds, and we shall find that so far as it relates to
ourselves individually, there has been a Divine revelation to us, and that this has been repeated, day by
day, and hour by hour.
It was the declaration of the apostle James, that
"every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is neither variableness, neither
shadow of turning." Every impression of Divine
truth that man receives, proceeds from our Father in
heaven, and it is as certainly a Divine revelation to
him as any opening or manifestation of truth that was
ever made to any Patriarch, Prophet, or Apostle that
has gone before him; and he knows perfectly well, as




94               SERMONS BY
he reads this law written on the heart, that his happiness-his hope of heaven depends upon his obedience to the light of truth in his own mind. So far
from this Divine revelation having ceased, it continues to impress upon the human soul the image of
its author; to give man a knowledge of God; to open
to all the way in which they should go; and all who
obey its teachings-who carry out in the practice of
life the duties it requires of them, are found fearing
God and working righteousness; and whatever their
name to religion may be, whether Jew or Greek,
Pagan or Christian, they belong to the church of
Christ on earth, and will be numbered at last with the
" general assembly and church of the first born which
are written in heaven."
Now, it is because men have forsaken this fountain
of living instruction, through which a true knowledge
of the Divine nature is communicated, that their systems of religion have become obscured with absurd
opinions and speculations, and their minds become
darkened by perverted views of the Deity and of the
nature of the homage which is his due. Thus darkness has spread in the earth-the church has gone
into the wilderness-where, instead of that order,
harmony and peace, which is typical of the kingdom
of heaven and the Church of Christ, mystery, confusion and discord are seen on every side; and so long
as religion is made to consist in embracing the views
and opinions of others-more than in obedience to
those convictions of truth in our minds, this confusion
and strife will always continue. We do not sufficiently consider the relation in which we stand to the




JOHN JACKSON.              95
author of our being; for, if the Scripture declaration
is true, (and I cannot doubt it) " they shall teach no
more every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, know the Lord: for they shall all
know me, from the least of them to the greatest of
them," why is it not relied on in practice? why
shall man lean upon his fellow; or be looking to the
opinions of others for a knowledge of God and his
truth?
Having access to the fountain itself, why shall we
give up to the keeping and control of others that immortal spirit which the Creator has bestowed upon
us? We should consider ourselves responsible for
the proper use and exercise of all the gifts and blessings which we have received. Man inherits from his
Maker the gift of conscience; its exercise embraces
the right of private judgment in all matters pertaining
to his spiritual well being. In the exercise of this
right, we may try by the light of truth upon our own
understanding, all doctrines, opinions, and theories of
religion that are offered to our acceptance; and if
they do not accord with the convictions of truth upon
our own minds, we are at liberty to reject them-yes,
we are bound to reject them, or else we are making
a false and dangerous use of the gifts that have been
bestowed upon us. When the human mind forsakes
the only infallible teacher, and submits to be enslaved
by the opinions of men, it is constantly in danger of
surrendering the inestimable rights of conscience and
of judgment, and becoming darkened by strange and
benighted views of the Divine character, is led into
a multitude of useless forms and observances, and




96                SERMONS BY
even into the grossest idolatry. These causes have
operated unfavourably to human progress, and have
greatly contributed to the spread of an erroneous
theology, which has kept man groping his way in
darkness, a stranger to the road on which he is traveling; and ignorant of the destiny that awaits him at
the end of his journey; but, by obedience to these
simple revelations; man is led out of darkness and
error into light and truth, and from under the dominion and power of evil into the liberty of the children
of God.
Many are taught by their teachers of religion, that
they are to receive the knowledge of the truth from
men, or from the Scriptures,-the "letter" that 1" killeth," is placed above the "spirit that giveth life;"
and thus the mind is drawn away from its own convictions of truth to a dependence upon the opinions
and teachings of men. " Ye need not that any man
teach you;" we are not dependent on man or upon
books, however good they may be, for Divine truth
is communicated without their instrumentality.
I am reminded of the testimony given by an Indian,
which I heard in this house some years ago, when
relating the experience of his early life; he declared,
that before he came within the pale of human civilization, before he had ever heard the name of Jesus,
or known the Scriptures, he felt and knew the operation of the Holy Spirit; he was conversant with the
voice of truth in his own breast, and to his great
astonishment when he came to read the experience
of others as recorded in the Scriptures, he found it
ran parallel with his own, and that other minds had




JOHN JACKSON.              97
also felt the same impressions of goodness and truth,
leading them to love God, and to do good to man.
Were not these Divine revelations? I have heard
the Mahometan, devotedly attached to the religion of
his fathers, declare it as his firm and unshaken faith
that all men of every nation upon the earth received
immediately from the author of their being, impressions of divine good. These impressions are Divine
revelations. The popular opinion maintains that all
those who have not the Bible are in a state of alienation from God, and doomed to eternal perdition.
This view is held up by some of the high professors
of Christianity, who seem to think that if they can
only send the Bible to the heathen, and get them to
subscribe to their creeds and opinions, that their
salvation will be secured. Thus the cry of" I am of
Paul, I of Apollos, I of Cephas, or I am of Christ,"
has gone forth into all lands, professedly for the recovery of our benighted fellow-creatures from idolatry to the true worship of God. Let us look at the
inconsistency, if not the insincerity, of these professions for a moment. Do we suppose that even these
are so totally depraved and wrapped in moral darkness, as to have the light of heaven entirely shut out
from them? Do we judge them on account of their
idolatry, and say that every good and virtuous emotion has been obliterated?  When we contemplate
them standing around their sacrifices and witnessing
with delight the dying agonies of their human victims,
or offering their children to idols, shall we say that
not a single ray of Divine truth has ever penetrated
their dark and benighted state?  Let us look upon
9




98                SERMONS BY
the other side of the picture; and our views perhaps
will be modified by what we find countenanced and
encouraged by that portion of mankind who enjoy
the blessings of civilization, who are conversant with
the writings of the Scriptures, and are acquainted
with the example and precepts of Jesus as there recorded. We find those who are professing the
Christian name, and claiming to be the " lights of the
world," guilty of crimes as enormous in the sight of
heaven as those of the poor ignorant heathen, when
he offers his children to idols. Look at the many
thousands of human sacrifices that the professors of
the religion of Jesus are offering to the god of war,
in the unbounded indulgence of passion —at the
promptings of worldly ambition and revenge. Might
not the heathen with equal propriety retort upon us
and say, these Christians are without a single ray of
Divine truth, or they never would be guilty of so
much cruelty. While professing Christians are offering their thousands and tens of thousands of human
sacrifices to the god of war, they have little room to
accuse the heathen of idolatry and wickedness. For
the day will come when their conduct will be viewed
by a more enlightened and righteous posterity, with
the same feelings of abhorrence that we now look
upon that portion of mankind whom we are seeking
to reclaim from the moral darkness, ignorance and
superstition by which they are surrounded. I know
that this declaration cannot be verified till after the
lapse of ages, and the testimony of generations that
are yet unborn; but I am unshaken in the belief, that
when clear and enlightened views of the Divine




JOHN JACKSON.              99
character prevail,-when man comes to see the true
relation in which he stands to his Creator and to his
fellow, —when the mists of darkness and error that
now envelop the minds of men shall be dispelled by
the light of the sun of righteousness, then war and all
its kindred evils of violence, oppression and wrong
will be banished from the earth forever.
Herein is an inconsistency apparent-that we
should manifest so much zeal for the conversion of
others to Christianity-and yet leave untouched and
unrebuked the vices of Christians themselves.
What should Christians be? "4 Ye are the light of
the world," said the blessed Jesus: "A city that is
set on a hill cannot be hid." " Let your light so
shine before men that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." We
claim  to have Christ for our teacher and our example; but this profession is of itself of no value,
when we consider that it is said, "Not every one
that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into.the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven."
The credit and honour of a profession to serve
Christ, is to carry out in the daily practice of life the
precepts and doctrines of the gospel. Religion does
not consist in a name, nor are its duties fulfilled by
subscribing to systems of faith, and to opinions of
men; neither does it consist in the observance of
forms and ceremonies, but in doing the will of our
Father who is in heaven. I have said this will is
manifested within us-it is revealed by the voice of
truth to the soul. And to what does it lead? It




100               SERMONS BY
never led any man to hate his brother. It teaches
us to love, not to hate: always to do good, never to
do evil. Jesus defined the nature of its instructions
and promptings in the command, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use
you and persecute you; that ye may be the children
of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust."
This, my friends, is practical Christianity. If we
would reform mankind-if we would become instruments in gathering others into the fold of Christ-it
cannot be done by preaching or by circulating the
Scriptures. We must become by our example, "the
light of the world," we must so live in the practice of
righteousness, that s"others seeing our good works,
may glorify our Father in heaven."
I desire therefore that our minds may be fuilly impressed with the conviction, that pure religion consists in fulfilling all the duties and obligations of life
that devolve upon us, as believers in the existence of
a Supreme Being to whom we are accountable, and
as followers of Jesus Christ.
-Are there any who can doubt the existence of an
All-wise Creator?  "The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God."  I know there are those who
attempt by the light of reason to shut out the Creator
from the universe, and to disclaim his superintendence in the government of the world. Let us examine this for a moment, and we shall perceive that
it is the i" fool" only 1" who hath said in his heart
there is no God."




JOHN JACKSON.             101
All the deductions of reason are susceptible of proof.
Every conclusion that the human mind arrives at
by a process of reasoning, must be sustained by adequate evidence. If we would prove, by the light of
reason, that there is no God, we must first show that
there is no evidence of design-no indications of skill
-contrivance, or adaption of means to ends, in the
visible universe: for the moment we admit the evidence of these, or fail to show that they do not exist,
we admit at once the certainty of an Intelligent Mind,
for we cannot conceive of the existence of the one
without the other. Well, now, if thou would show
by reason that there is not an Intelligent Creator, let
me ask thee, to prove that the eye was not made for
seeing, or the ear for hearing. By what process of
reason canst thou reach the conclusion that the organ
of vision was not adapted to the nature of light, or
that the ear was not constructed in agreement with
the laws of sound? Follow up the order of nature
from the meanest reptile, to that being who is created
but " little lower than the angels, and crowned with
glory and honour," and thou will find innumerable
traces of an Infinite, Intelligent Mind, manifested by
proofs of design, contrivance, adaptation and skill,
which thy reason will not permit thee to evade or
deny. Again, follow up the chain of the material
creation, from the grain of sand on the sea shore, to
the contemplation of countless worlds, that are distributed over the regions of space, and thou wilt see
that order prevails throughout every department of
nature; that everything is governed by its appropriate
9:It




102               SERMONS BY
law. Can law exist without a Lawgiver? Can order,
harmony and skill result from any other than an Intelligent source? No, never. Use thy reason rightly,
and it will convince thee, that without a Creator,
creation, with its proofs of design, could not have existed, and that without the continual exercise of creative power, the present order of nature could not for
a moment continue. Here then we shall find that
the attempt to reason the Deity out of the universe, is
to abuse this noble gift; while its proper exercise and
deductions lead us to the same conclusion that the
Apostle arrived at, when he said, o "The invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse." Leaving then those proofs
of the existence of a Creator, inscribed upon all his
works, and which the light of reason unfolds, let us
turn the attention of him that doubts, to that which is
passing within his own breast. Whence is that moral
responsibility, that attaches itself to every part of
human conduct? Why do we know and feel the distinction between right and wrong, truth and error?
It is because we are accountable beings, and have a
measure of this light " that lighteth every man that
cometh into the world." This that I first alluded to,
as being sufficient to give us a true knowledge of the
Creator, and of the duties and obligations that we
owe to him, and to our fellow-creatures. This light
is not of man, but of God.
Here our mission must end. We can commend
one another to "God and the word of his grace,




JOHN JACKSON.              103
which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." We
can direct one another to those convictions of truth,
by which the understanding may be opened to comprehend the purity and eternal excellence of the
Divine nature, and the soul led step by step to realize
the joys of heaven. We are progressive beings.
Progression and development are laws of our being.
It is true in the natural, and it is no less true
in the spiritual world. The Apostle defined this
when he says, "We know in part, we prophesy in
part; but when that which is perfect is come, that
which is in part shall be done away. When I was a
child, I thought as a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a man I put
away childish things." Now this is true in a spiritual
sense. It is little by little that our minds become enlarged to see the beauty and truth of the religion of
Jesus, and to experience the blessings that are inseparably connected with the practice thereof. What
was the language of Jesus? " Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children
of God."  Do we not see that we can never enjoy
these blessings, till we come into the possession of
these heavenly virtues? Are not meekness, purity,
niercy, peace, angels of light sent forth to minister to
all them who are heirs of salvation; and does not the
presence of these, and similar powers, destroy their
opposites in the soul? The angel of love overcomes




104'SERMONS BY
the devil of hatred, the light of justice warns us
against all injustice, mercy preserves us from cruelty,
humility subdues pride, and the angel of hope overcomes the demon of despair. As these gain the ascendency in the soul, we become Christ-like, and are
made partakers of a heavenly kingdom.
This is the religion of Jesus. These are the states
of which he spoke when he said, h"In my father's
house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you; I go to prepare a place for you, that
where I am, there ye may be also." Jesus is our example. Let us follow him through all these mansions
of meekness, humility, love, kindness, charity —these
are the works which he did, and which we also are
called to do.
Let us not presume that we have reached a point,
beyond which there is no further progress in the
knowledge of the truth or divine things. Jesus declared to the people of his time: "I have many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." It
is an error into which many of the professors of religion have fallen, that after they have subscribed to
certain opinions, and adopted the doctrines and speculations of their creeds, to think they have arrived at
a full knowledge of the truth; and claiming that they
only are right, are often ready to condemn, and would
persecute even unto death, those who may differ from
them in opinion.
The Bible in the hands of these, instead of being
an instrument to gather to the Church of Christ, or
used to promote a religion that consists in "visiting
the widow and the fatherless in their afflictions, and




JOHN JACKSON.              105
keeping ourselves unspotted from the world," is employed to divide Christendom into sects and parties,
and to make matters of religion a bone of contention.
If religion was made to consist in the practice of
righteousness, and not in speculations and opinions;
in being good and doing good, and not in subscribing
to any written creed, there could be none of those
controversies about it, that separate man from his
brother. It is to be hoped that the day will come,
when the simple and beautiful religion of Jesus, will
be carried more into practice, and be a restraint upon
the conduct and actions of men, in the various callings of every day life. I have no faith whatever in
confining the duties of religion to the observance of
days and times. This is not sufficient to answer the
purpose for which we profess to worship the Creator.
We must carry out its principles in every day life,
and prove that we are Christians, by fulfilling all life's
duties. We must treat our fellow-beings as brethren
-the children of a common father, created for the
same great purpose, and bound to the same eternity.
We should not consider that when these bodies shall
return to the dust, that it is the end of our being, but
we should contemplate life with those enlarged views,
that embrace the future as well as the present state;
and recognizing in each other the birth of an immortal mind, endeavour to cultivate and secure a unity
of spirit, that shall render us happier here, and continue to be a blessing when time shall be no more.
I would ask thee, my brother or my sister, to examine these things for thyself. Go not after the cry
of " I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas,




106             SERMONS BY
or I am of Christ;" which is drawing thy attention
to men and to books, rather than to the law of God
written in thy heart. Read the volume of thy own
experience. What is the sin that doth easily beset
thee? In what respect art thou most in danger of
falling?  What is thy greatest temptation?  I ask
thee, to watch at that point with increasing vigilance.
The sin that doth easily beset thee may be removed,
and watchfulness will be thy preservation in the hour
of temptation and trial. The language of the beloved
of God, is addressed to thee: " What I say unto one
I say unto all, watch! watch and pray, and that continually, lest ye enter into temptation."
It is by watchfulness and prayer that we are able
to resist and overcome one temptation after another;
strength will be given us to regulate and subdue every
propensity and passion, that may have controlled our
better nature; thus, day by day, we may gain the
victory over the world, and be prepared to enjoy the
true communion of Christ: 1" To him that overcometh
will I give to sit with me on my throne, even as I
have overcome and am set down with my father on
his throne."
This is the reward of our faithfulness to truth and
duty; as we are obedient to all the revealings of light
and knowledge, we shall feel the reward of our stewardship to be peace, when in the solemn hour that is
not far distant, this language shall be addressed to us,
" Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die and not
live." What is death to him that has overcome the
world? Such a mind need not contemplate eternity
with fear or gloom; for if we can taste and handle of




JOHN JACKSON.            107
the " good word of life and the powers of the powers of the world
to come," death will be disarmed of its sting-the
grave will have no victory, and we shall look forward
to the future world, with the blessed assurance of an
inheritance in that city, whose inhabitants cannot
say, "I am sick."
Let me impress upon your minds the necessity of
giving s" all diligence to make our calling and election
sure," by fulfilling the design of our being, in accomplishing the work that has been given us to do. 0, dear
young people, there is nothing of so much importance
to your present and future peace, and the highest interests that can concern you are involved in the
labour, that you should shape your course of life, in
agreement with the beautiful religion of Jesus. There
is nothing that can bless you, or make life to you so
much a scene of enjoyment, as to follow the example
of him who said, " Suffer little children to come unto
me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven." Turn your thoughts to God; cultivate the love
of virtue, purity and truth. Avoid the evils-the snares,
and the vices that are around you: for this purpose,
there is strength given to you, and if you make not use
of the power that is thus bestowed upon you, the day
may come when the dangers to which you are exposed will overcome you, and you may have to adopt
the language that one did of old: "' Oh that I were as
in months past, as in the day when God preserved
me; when his candle shined upon my head, and when
by his light I walked through darkness."
I believe there are those present, whose minds
have been visited with powerfill convictions of truth;




108               SERMONS BY
and if these are obedient to these heavenly visions,
they will become as lights to the world, and as instruments in the Divine hand, in calling others to behold the beauty of the truth as it is in Jesus. I would
say to these, leave the things that are behind; " go
on unto perfection;" keep the eye single to the light
of truth, and He who has called you by his power
will not only be to you as the light of the morning,
but he will be your meridian and your evening sun.
It is not my mission to turn your attention to men, or
to the opinions and speculations of men: " For ye
are not come unto the mount that might be touched,
and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and
darkness and tempest, and to the sound of the trumpet, and the voicepf words! But ye are called unto
Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company
of angels, to the general assembly and church of the
first-born which are written in heaven, and to God
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made
perfect."
It is my concern to invite all, and especially my
young friends, to a just and serious contemplation of
the duties of life. Our happiness depends upon the
fulfilment of these duties. Let us keep in view that
pure and heavenly state, represented under the figure
of the " holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband." The more we contemplate this state,
and seek to make it ours, the more we shall be led to
see and admire the wisdom, love, mercy and goodness of our father in heaven; and as we rightly con



JOh1N JACKSON.              109
sider the relation in which we stand to him as the
author of our being, and our dependence upon his
guidance to lead us safely amidst all the temptations
and trials incident to our present course of probation,
the reflection and acknowledgement of the poet will
be ours:
" Thou art the source and centre of all minds,
Their only point of rest, eternal Word!
From thee departing, they are lost, and rove
At random, without honour, hope, or peace."
SERMON IX.
DELIVERED AT FRIENDS' MEETING, DARBY, NINTH MONTH
22D, 1850.
IT appears from the testimony left upon record,
that the great example and teacher we profess to follow, in the course of his ministry, called the attention
of the people to the observance of a higher and purer
morality than was recognized by the religion of that
day. He proclaimed the truth of God, in opposition to the prejudices and traditions in which they
were educated, and called them away from the inferior morality of the law to the benign and heavenly
influences of the gospel. This, I think, is evident, if
we believe his precepts. "Ye have been told," he
says, " by them of old time, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy." This was the rule by
10




110               SERMONS BY
which the conduct of man towards his fellow-man
was regulated. A morality that encouraged hatred,
or any other disposition so entirely foreign to the
loveliness of God, could not be passed unnoticed by
the blessed Jesus; and hence, at the commencement
of his mission of love and mercy, he called their
attention to it, and added, " I say unto you, love your
enemies; do good to them that hate you; bless them
that curse you, and pray for them that persecute you
and despitefully use you." He also gave them many
other precepts in relation to human duty and conduct
which might be referred to in illustration of the fact,
that he preached a higher and purer doctrine than
was practised by the Jews. These principles of
action, laid down by Jesus, form the basis of true
morality, and obedience to them the starting point in
religion.
The object of Christianity is unquestionably to eradicate all evil from the society of men; to bring down
heaven upon earth; to lay the axe at the root of the
tree of error, that it may destroy its fruits; to change
the condition of man from the image of the earthly
to the heavenly nature, and elevate him in the scale
of spiritual progression in the knowledge of the attributes of God.
In advancing this great doctrine of loving our enemies and doing good to them that hate us, Jesus gave
a very clear and powerful argument in its favour; he
had a reason for the hope that was in him, and it is
Worthy of our notice, that all doctrine pertaining to
the welfare of the soul must be addressed to our
rational perception, and contain in itself some recomn



JOHN JACKSON.             111
mendation of its usefulness to man. When, therefore, he urged them to love their enemies, and return
good instead of evil for evil, he gave them this reason:
" That you may be the children of your Father which
is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you,
what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans
the same? And if ye salute your brethren only,
what do ye more than others?  Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect."
And here again we see how the teaching of Jesus
pointed them to another sublime and wonderful truth,
what their theology did not seem to have embraced,
the great doctrine of the universal benevolence of
God; harmonizing with his works, in the outward
creation, where he hath opened his hand and supplieth the wants of every living creature, " and maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and
causeth his rain to descend on the just and on the
unjust."
It is the crowning glory of the Christian religion,
that it brings, into view the infinite benevolence of
the Deity; disarms him of those frailties and passions
that belong only to man, and presents him to us, not
in the light of a God of hatred and wrath and war,
but a being of infinite perfection, purity and love.
It was, therefore, a beautiful illustration of his attributes, which Jesus gave when he was enforcing the
practice of those doctrines which would bring man
into communion with his Maker.




112                SERMONS BY
Now, I cannot believe that Christianity requires
less of us in the present day than it did when the
blessed Jesus uttered these precepts. It is not a
changeable and fluctuating religion-the kingdom of
heaven is inaccessible now, as ever it has been, except by the door of obedience to Christ. "If any
man will be my disciple, he must deny self, and take
up his daily cross and follow me."
How appropriate was this language of Jesus to the
Jews. They were so full of their traditions, so devoted to their religious notions and opinions, and so
attached to their outward rituals. their sacrifices and
offerings, that he said to them, ye must " leave all and
follow me;" that their religion might not stand in
their ceremonial worship, but in obedience to these
great principles of truth, which would lead into works
of righteousness.
This language is also applicable to us. Our profession of religion will be in vain if we do not become acquainted with these first principles of the
gospel of Christ, and regulate our lives and conduct
by them; and, we all do know what is required of us
-we all may become followers of Christ, and the
cildren of our Father in heaven.
Let us, then, take such a view of the religion of
Jesus Christ, as will prompt us to the fulfilment of
duty, and urge us onward in the pursuit of those
riches "which moth and rust shall not corrupt, nor
thieves break through and steal." Keep continually
in view, that the great aim of the gospel, is to pronounce upon us the blessings of heaven —" Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth; blessed




JOHN JACKSON.              113
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy; blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; blessed
are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted;
blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called
the children of God."
As we are engaged in carrying out, in the daily
practice of life, this high profession of Christianity,
we shall find the truth of these sayings of Jesus confirmed by our own experience; by being faithful in
the little, we shall be made rulers of more; we shall
find that the " path of the just shineth brighter and
brighter unto the perfect day," so that the nearer
we approach the solemn termination of the present
life, the clearer will be our views of the immortality
of the soul, and the high enjoyment that is connected
with the society of angelic spirits in the world to
come. And while we are passing along through this
present state of probation, let not our minds be so
absorbed and occupied with the things that pertain
only to this life, as to leave unexamined those great
truths that bear such an important relation to our
present and future well-being. There are riches that
"moth and rust doth not corrupt, nor thieves break
through and steal." These should be made the chief
object of our pursuits. It is not enough that our
admiration is excited in the contemplation of the
goodness of God, as manifested in his outward creation. If he maketh his sun to shine on the good and
evil, and causeth his rain to descend on the just and
unjust, it is to teach us that benevolence is displayed
in his works, and if we would be like him it must
also be manifest in ours. The outward creation with
lo0




114               SERMONS BY
all its beauties not only convinces us that it is the
production of infinite power and skill, but that ample
provision has been made for the happiness of man
while passing through this present probationary
scene. All the intellectual gifts which our Creator
has bestowed, find room for employment in a plan of
creation so wisely arranged, and so wonderfully
diversified. In the rational exercise of these gifts we
may trace out and admire the operations of Deity
in the natural world, and by continued obedience to
the "manifestation of the Spirit, given to every man
to profit withal," enjoy union and communion with
him here and for ever. It is through the exercise of
spiritual gifts already bestowed upon us, that we
shall become "heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ." And it seems to me that the culture and
right application of these, must ever be attended with
the highest degree of enjoyment for an intelligent being, and crowned with the greatest good of which
we can ever partake. If these are rightly improved,
we become worshippers of God in spirit and in truth.
I am aware, however, that the views of worship
which many entertain lead them to ceremonial acts
of devotion-outward forms, divers washings, and a
variety of external observances are combined to form
what men have called systems of worship, in which
it is presumed that assemblies of people can join and
thereby bring glory to God. But it should be remembered, that as the attributes of Deity are infinite and
perfect, there can be nothing added to their glory by
any external act of ours. True worship is obedience
to his will. And there is no value in any form or in




JOHN JACKSON.              115
any ceremony unless the heart is made better-God's
blessing rests on the "pure in heart, the meek, the
merciful, the peace-makes." It is with these that He
owns an eternal fellowship.
If the outward law given to the Jews, with all its
external ceremonies-its temples, its priests, its altars and sacrifices, could not, as Paul declares —
"make those who did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience," or was not adequate " to
take away sin," how can we expect that any outward observances, or profession of religion, can
make us perfect, or so far redeem us from sin as to
bring us into union with God? But if we know an
inward purification of heart-a sin subdued-any
turbulent passion conquered, or a victory obtained
over the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and
the pride of life," then indeed have we approached
nearer to the Father of spirits, and our worship becomes useful to us and acceptable to him. Let us,
then, seek first the "kingdom  of heaven," and fulfil
the " righteousness thereof," and all things pertaining
to our present and future well-being will be added
unto us. We shall find that in the kingdom of heaven there is perfect discipline and order; the whole
mind becomes subject to the law and cross of Christ.
The discipline and exercise of the mind which is
then established, leads us to cease to do evil, and try
to do well; to cultivate the fruits of the spirit; love
peace, meekness, gentleness, mercy, charity-these
are among the trees of the garden of Eden, so beautifully mentioned in the figurative language of the
Scriptures, which man was commanded to dress and




116               SERMONS BY
to keep, and of the fruit of which he might freely
partake and live. My brother or my sister, consult
thy own experience, and know that the spirit of truth,
which is calling thee into this kingdom, where the truth
only reigns, is nothing short of a ray of Divine light,
emanating from the Infinite Mind-the sun of righteousness-for the blessed purpose of enlightening thy
pathway and instructing thy understanding in the
way in which thou should go. Obey its voice and
thy soul shall live. It shows to thee with as much
clearness as ever the light of the sun in the outward
firmament has enabled thee to behold visible things,
that the reward of obedience is peace and joy, and
the consequence of transgression, remorse and anguish of spirit.
While Christianity unfolds to our view the universal benevolence of our Father in heaven, and pronounces the blessing upon the meek, the merciful, the
pure in heart, the peace-makers; it also banishes from
the minds of men those views of the origin of evil
which have so much annoyed the happiness of the
human family, and which are still embodied in many
of the systems of religious belief to which the people
are called.
I know that it is asserted by many, that in consequence of the transgression of our first parents, we
are all sinners in the Divine sight; and they cling to
the doctrine of human depravity with as much tenacity as they entertain a hope for the salvation of the
soul. These baneful influences are ascribed to the
temptation of some great evil spirit, separate and distinct from man, whose business, according to their




JOHN JACKSON.             117
creed, seems to be, to overthrow the kingdom of
heaven, and defeat the benevolent purposes of God.
If such a being exist, whence had he an origin? and
by whom was he endowed with such great power?
He could not have been created, for all that God
made was good; or, if originally created good, he
fell by transgression, and became the enemy of the
Creator, it is a terrible delusion to suppose that he
would be clothed with the powers that are ascribed
to him as a reward for his wickedness. If self-existent, then there is more than one eternal Being.
But, whence cometh evil, and where hath sin its
origin? The Apostle James hath illustrated this subject in a very plain manner —" Let no man say when
he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot
be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.
But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of
his own lust and enticed; for lust, when it is conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished,
bringeth forth death." Here we see that the origin
of evil in us, is not the result of any human depravity
over which we have no control, but begins when we
yield to any temptation, or indulgence, which we
know to be inconsistent with the Divine will.
Jesus never taught the doctrine of original depravity. His language, " Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven," is too plain to admit of hut the one
meaning. It confirms the testimony of Scripture,
which says, "The son shall not bear the iniquity of
the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of
the son." And again;   Thou hast been in Eden, the




118               SERMONS BY
garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, thou was perfect in all thy ways, from the day
in which thou wast created, till iniquity was found in
thee."
The pure and heavenly doctrines of Jesus, show us
that the author of our being is a God of love; that justice and mercy and truth are his attributes, and that he
is continually disposed to bless his dependent children. He has planned the universe for the enjoyment of his creatures, and created intelligent man,
with a view to his happiness here and for ever. This
notion of original sin is inconsistent with the attributes of justice and mercy which belong to the
Deity; and a more irrational and absurd opinion
cannot be promulgated, than that which ascribes our
temptations and sins to the influence of such a being
possessing the power to oppose the will of God, and
perpetually to torment his rational creation. This
great imaginary devil, which a gloomy theology has
employed to frighten people into religion, through
fear of the terrible torments he has power to inflict
in the world to come, is cast out by the gospel, and
we are taught, that our greatest enemies are those of
our own house. Instead of looking without us for
an imaginary tempter or evil spirit, we should watch
over our own thoughts, actions, tempers and dispositions, lest they gain the ascendency over our better
feelings, and make us the servants of sin. Instead of
being driven into religion through fear, we should
seek righteousness for righteousness' sake; we should
love God because he is lovely; we should imitate and




JOHN JACKSON.             119
practice the virtues of Christ, because they lead to
permanent and eternal peace.
These views have been presented to my mind, and
I have offered them for our examination. Let us not
be so attached to preconceived opinions, to theories
or systems of faith, to creeds or speculations of men,
as to be unwilling to examine them and judge for
ourselves. Remember that the truth cannot be injured by the most rigid investigation, and whatever
fails to stand this test is unworthy of our regard.
My young friends, these are subjects that concern
you, and I ask you to enter the field of inquiry in
search of truth; the temptations of the future will test
the strength of your allegiance to virtue; you will
need a guide to direct your steps; examine into the
nature of the gospel as it is revealed to your own
minds, and it will direct you in the way in which
you should go. If that gospel requires you to forsake the sin that doth so easily beset you, to make a
sacrifice of any selfish spirit, disposition, or temper,
it is because the indulgence of these things will be
your ruin, and whatever delight you may take in
them now, the end will prove to be "vanity and
vexation of spirit." If it requires you to love your
enemies; to do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them that despitefully use you; bear in mind that
it designs thereby to make you the children of our
Father in heaven; if it asks you to be meek, to be
merciful, to be pure in heart, to be peace-makers, it
is, that you may enjoy all the blessings that emanate
from God, the infinite fountain of all good, and extend
throughout his spiritual creation, uniting his children




120         GSERMONS BY JOHN JACKSON.
together here by ties that death cannot sever, and
preparing them for the society of the just made perfect, when these outward temples shall moulder in
the dust, and the spirit return to the bosom of its
Author.
THE END.