AN ANTIDOTE FOR THE SERPENT'S MEAT, THE Ground Work of the Critical Philosopher, JOHN JACKSON, LATE OF DARBY, PENN'A. EXAMINED BY THE LIGHT OF TRUTH THROUGH ABRAHAM LAWTON, OF ATHENS, GREENE CO., NEW YORK. SEVENTH MONTH, 1859. 1 AN ANTIDOTE FOR THE SERPENT'S MEAT. This is a day of darkness and of gloominess among the professing Society of Friends, and a dispensation they cannot redeem themselves from. Therefore, also, now saith the Lord, turn ye, even to me, with all your heart, with fasting and mourning; and rend your heart and turn unto the Lord, your God; for He is gracious and merciful. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, and those that suck the breast. Let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet; let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach; that the heathen should rule over them." Wherefore should they say among the people, "Where is their God?" Then will the Lord be jealous of his land, and pity his people, and they that have sold, themselves for naught, shall be redeemed without money, by the righteousness of God, in his own perfect way, the truth and the life; which man hath not power to add any thing thereto. Those that are established in the peace and righteousness that the Lord teaches his children, have the Truth for a shield and buckler; as it is written, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." This righteousness is the way of God, or the experimental hope of the glory of God, or the gospel image, or the Son of Man that knoweth and declareth Him in his Father's bosom, (being his own wisdom and power,) for no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; and it is in vain for any one to ask for the wisdom of God, or his power of any one that has it not, and to whom that kingdom and power does not belong, neither the glory thereof. Perfect wisdom cometh from above; the perfect way also, and the life of God, which enlighteneth the understanding, is that Son of Man which descends, and is born of God in the mind of all that do the will of Truth's Father; for such are his mother and brethren, and are the seed of Abraham, by the work of that faith which the believer receives, and have that anchor of hope, by the love of God 5 being shed abroad in the heart; which love the brethren. Such having within them this true witness, they know they have passed from death unto life, because they are made heirs of that faith which is the substance of the invisible power of an endless life which Jesus Christ is the minister of. He brings the life of immortality to light, or gives the soul an understanding by his inspiration that reveals the Son of Man, and builds his Church on that spiritual rock, the Word, which is life, as Jesus said, "He that eateth me, shall live by me, even as I live by the Father." He said He had meat to eat that the world knew not of, which was to do the will of Him that sent him, and to finish his work, which work only is righteousness, that He, the Spirit of Truth, leadeth into, and is the ground and pillar that cannot be moved. It is the Shepherd and Stone of Israel, that breaks to pieces every foundation that is of the world, and the worldly profession of God and the Truth; holding it in unrighteousness and hypocrisy in the vain worship; teaching for doctrines the traditions of men, who honor God only with the lips, while their heart is far from Him. There are some who have had a manifestation of the Spirit, showing unto them what is good or of God, but have not honored Him as God, neither were thankful, but have become vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart thereby darkened; professing themselves to be wise they became fools, and |