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to them the beauty and excellence of that narrow way, and inspires them with an ardent desire to walk in it; and, at the same time, he invites them to rely with confidence upon the power of his grace, that, by this sacred influence, they may be strengthened in all their weakness, and actually enabled to take up their daily cross, and to follow their Lord and Saviour. Such is a faint and general outline of the teaching of the Son of God; and, where is the experienced Christian who will venture to deny that he thus instructs his people, not only by means of the ministry of his servants, but by the secret and immediate operations of his Holy Spirit?

If this point be allowed, and if it be further granted, as I think it must be by the spiritually-minded reader, that the periods appointed for the congregational worship of God are times when the immediate teaching of Christ may reasonably be expected; the propriety of silence, on such occasions, is at once established. When any persons are receiving the instructions of a human teacher, they find that a state of silence on their own parts is both beneficial and indispensable. Not only is such a state the proper and natural token of submission to their instructor, and of their willingness to receive his lessons; but it is literally impossible for them to listen to his words, or to derive any benefit from those lessons, unless they keep silence. Every one, who is accustomed to publick worship, must know with what peculiar force these observations apply to the experience of Christians, in reference to the ministry of the Gospel. The preacher proclaims the word of truth; he declares the messages of God to the people; and he instructs them in a knowledge of the divine law. But, all his efforts will be mere vanity, unless he receive from his hearers that respectful and submissive attention, to which their entire silence is

absolutely and undeniably essential. And so it is, also, during those times, in the hours appointed for worship, (and that there are such times we are well aware from our own experience) when the "Master of assemblies" calls forth no human instrument for the performance of his work; when he is pleased to take the office of teacher into his own hands; and when he condescends to visit his unworthy children with the immediate illuminations of his Holy Spirit. They cannot avail themselves of this divine teaching; they cannot hear it; they cannot profit by it-unless they are silent-unless they maintain that stillness of soul which is naturally, and, under such circumstances, necessarily, accompanied with an outward silence. "Be still, and know that I am God;" is the command which, in his character of universal sovereign, Jehovah still addresses to his reasonable creatures: nor can there be any occasions on which an obedience to this command is more seasonable, or more plainly desirable, than those which are appointed for publick and congregational worship. While this true silence is preserved by Christian worshippers, they will often be permitted to hear the gentle and alluring accents of Israel's Shepherd, their Guide, Instructor, and Comforter; and, in listening to those accents with reverent submission, they will, in an eminent degree, experience that renewal of strength without which they can make no advances in the "way everlasting."

On recurring to the leading particulars of the present chapter, the reader will observe that much of silence in the time appointed for publick worship is the necessary consequence of our principle-that no verbal administrations, except those which arise directly out of divine impulse, are, on such occasions, to be admitted that, so far from deprecating such a consequence, we consider that the maintenance of

silence in our religious assemblies eminently accords with that divine law, that God, who is a spirit, must be worshipped spiritually-that, in this sentiment, we are confirmed by a consideration of some of the principal constituents of true and spiritual worship, viz. humiliation before the divine Majesty, waiting upon God, and submissive attention to the immediate teaching of the Lord Jesus-that to these several duties the silent subjection of the soul is peculiarly suited, and even absolutely indispensable-and that this frame of mind is, in our judgment, most easily obtained, and most effectually preserved, through the medium of an outward silence.

Such are the reasons for the value which Friends are accustomed to attach to silence in worship; and which will, I trust, be found more and more to recommend so salutary a practice to Christians of every name and profession. In conclusion, however, it ought to be remarked, that, although silence is a natural attendant of this inward state of prostration, waiting, and attention to the divine teaching, the former may often be maintained when the latter has no existence. It is easy for any man to be outwardly silent, while he allows his mind to be occupied with a thousand passing reflections which have no proper connexion with his religious duty; and, when this is unhappily the case with persons who are met together for the professed purpose of rendering a public homage to the Almighty, it must be confessed that their worship is as inefficacious, and nearly as much of a mockery, as it would be, did it consist in the use of words at total variance with the feelings of the heart. How clearly, then, is it the duty of Friends, of every age and station, to maintain a true watchfulness and diligence of soul, that their silent worship may not be marred by the influence of worldly thoughts, and

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thus degenerate into a barren and lifeless form! It may, indeed, be freely allowed, that a condition of true internal silence is one of no easy attainment. Great is our infirmity in this respect, and difficult do we, sometimes, find it to stay the rapid course of our own cogitations, and to present ourselves, in real quietness, a living sacrifice to our God. But we do not expect to accomplish this object in our own strength. In our endeavours to worship God in spirit and in truth, we are taught to rely on him alone; and, while such continues to be our reliance, experience will still enable us to testify that he is often pleased to arise for our help-that he has the will, as well as the power, to bring our vain thoughts into silence-to raise our souls into holy communion with himself— and to say to the multitudinous imaginations of the natural man, Peace, be still.

CHAPTER X.

ON OATHS.

IN the preceding chapters I have endeavoured to give a clear account of those religious peculiarities of the Society of Friends, which appertain, particularly, to the subject of worship, and which, therefore, involve duties (whether positive or negative) especially affecting our relation with the Supreme Being himself. The points still remaining for discussion have reference to our conduct in common life, and, more especially, towards our fellow-creatures: for, there are several matters of this description also, respecting which Friends entertain sentiments, and adopt practices, different from those of the bulk of their fellow-Christians. Of these practical peculiarities, the first which presents itself for our consideration is, the disuse of oaths. Profane and irreverent appeals to the Almighty, and those conversational blasphemies which, even in Christian countries, continue to disgrace the various classes of worldly society, are indeed unanimously condemned by all true Christians: but Friends (in accordance, as I understand, with the Moravians) advance a step farther, and consider it their bounden duty to avoid swearing of every description, and on every occasion. Such a line of conduct they deem to be both justified and required, first, by certain plain moral principles, and,

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