God, what could I do, shut up with them?
Without the finished work of my Saviour, I could have no hope; without
his law-fulfilling righteousness, I must stand a law-condemned sinner.

"The preacher yesterday took no text; in the course of his sermon
he said the Scriptures were only secondary guides. He began with the
importance of thinking of death, and said it could not be possible for
a rational being to live carelessly, with thoughts of death and
eternity in view. Is it so? No; we see sinners die, under the full
conviction that they are dying, as thoughtless as they have lived.

"He said, that by constantly attending to the motions of the
Spirit and complying with them, Christians arrived at a state of
perfection even here; and brought in that text, 'He that is born of
God cannot sin,' etc. Spoke highly of watchfulness, and avoiding
connection with the world; said a real Christian could not hold any
office of power among men. Paul held one, but he gave it up when he
became an apostle. Christ's kingdom was not of this world. Laws and
officers were necessary among the men of the world, but not among
Christians. Spoke of the cross of Christ as consisting in suffering
and self-denial. His blood was the Spirit which cleansed from all sin,
by delivering all who obeyed him from its power. He named not my
blessed Saviour, except when he had occasion to mention some of his
moral sayings. He said, indeed, that he was the Light that lightened
every man that came into the world, and the condemnation was that men
would not receive it; but one word of his blessed priesthood he spoke
not, but said we were in a state of probation, and every one would be
judged according to his works, taking into view the advantages he had
enjoyed; recommended the reading of the Scriptures, especially the
inspired books, the New Testament and the prophets; for it needed no
inspiration to write the national history of the Jews more than that
of any other nation. Said the Scriptures were good secondary guides,
and contained excellent lessons and truths.

"When I was coming away he offered me his hand, saying that I was
not a resident there. I answered no, I was separated from my own
people, but wished to unite with any class of Christians who met
professedly to worship God; but confessed I could not live upon what
he had this day delivered. He asked what was wrong. I answered, he had
given some good exhortations; I agreed with him in m