or disparage the inward light;
not that it made clearer the truth that benevolence is right, any more
than it could make clearer the proposition that two and two make four;
not that it lent a sanction to any intuitive truth, but that it was the
seal of a mission, this was what I insisted on. And certainly a being
who appeared before me, living a divine life, and assuring me of God's
paternal care for me and of my own immortality, would impress me far
more, if there were "works done by him" which no other man could do,
which bore witness of him. And although it should appear, as in a late
work on "The Progress of Religious Ideas" it has been made to appear,
that in the old systems there were foreshadowings of that which I
receive as the most true and divine; that the light had been shining on
brighter and brighter through all ages, that would not make it any
the less credible or interesting to me, that Jesus should be the
consummation of all, the "true Light" that lighteth the steps of men;
and that this Light should have come from God's especial illumination,
and should be far above the common and natural light of this world's
day. Nay, it would be more grateful to me to believe that all religions
have had in them something supernaturally and directly from above, than
that none have.

[63] But time went on, and work went on, reason as I might; though time
would have lost its light and life, and work all cheer and comfort, if I
had not believed. But work grew harder. I was obliged to take longer and
longer vacations, one of them five months long at the home in Sheffield.
After this I went back to my work, preaching almost exclusively in
my own pulpit, seldom going away, unless it was now and then for an
occasional sermon.

I went over to Providence in 1832, to preach the sermon at Dr. Hall's
installation as pastor of the First Church. Arrived on the evening
before, some of us of the council went to a caucus, preparatory to
a Presidential election, General Jackson being candidate for the
Presidency and Martin Van Buren for Vice-President. Finding the
speaking rather dull, after an hour or more we rose to leave, when a
gentleman touched my arm and said, "Now, if you will stay, you will hear
something worth waiting for." We took our seats, and saw John Whipple
rising to speak. I was exceedingly grateful for the interruption of our
purpose, for I never heard an address to a popular assembly so powerful;
close, compact, co