" I was forcibly struck with Peter's sermon.

He said : * There was a rich man who had one son. This son had been trying for a long time to build himself a house. He was homeless and exposed to many dangers and trouble for the want of a house, until he was almost exhausted and was ready to perish. And his father had compassion on his son and built him a house, with everything needful for the necessities and comforts of his child. And when it was finished he went and brought his son to see it. And his son was delighted, and said it was much better than he could have built himself And his father said, "Son, I love you. I give you this house. Will you accept it ?" " With all my heart, dear father, with grateful acknowledgments." Now,' Peter said, * here is the picture of the world which has been working, struggling, and striving for ages to build them a home for the soul of man. They have worked by the laws of men, by building fine temples, by offering sacrifices, by paying tithes to the* Lord, by walking hundreds of miles to the temple barefooted and bareheaded, by keeping holy days and festivals,, and all to no purpose. The soul has become wearied out of patience, and still no rest, until man has become dissatisfied not only with himself, but with his God and His service. And while in this despairing condition God our Father comes in the person of Jesus, whom the Jews crucified and in his death he prepared a house of rest, and now proposes to his children to accept what he has done for them, and stop working and worrying to try to fit themselves for a higher station and a happier life.' And Peter asked, * Who will accept?" Again Peter said : ' This house was beautiful to

look at, and was in every way suited to the son, yet he could not enjoy it from the fact that it had no furniture. So the son went to work and toiled and labored trying to make furniture to suit himself. But notwithstanding he could not get a piece that would last. And it soon became useless because it did not suit him. Then the father went to work and made all manner of ware, and presented it to his son. Every piece fitted the place and suited the purpose for which it was made, so that the son was well pleased. And the father said : "All this will I give you, my son, because I love you. Will you accept ?"" The son said, " With all my heart, dear father ; this pleases me better than if I had had the power to make it myself." Now,' said Peter, * this is what God has done for the world. Instead of purifying ourselves by washing, by fasting, by prayers, by penitence, and by all the works of the law, God has given us a purity that will last forever, that will suit us and will please Him. " Again said Peter : ' This son was all ragged. His clothes were worn threadbare in trying to build and fit him a house, and he was ashamed. So he went to work to try to clothe himself ; and the harder he worked the less success rewarded him. And after he had worked hard, his father went to work and wove him a seamless robe, and presented it to his son, and said, " My son, I love you, and I have prepared a white robe ; will you accept it ?" " With many thanks, dear father," said the son. " Oh, how

beautiful it is ! How snowy white ! How well it fits me ! Oh ! father, I never can feel grateful enough, I thought thou wast angry and hated me, because I was poor and homeless and miserable and ragged ; but if thou didst love me in my misery, I know thou canst love me now, and will delight to make thy abode with me forevermore. Oh ! father, I don't know how to show my gratitude to thee." The son was delighted with the change, while the father was equally delighted with the son, and they both rejoiced. And the father said to the son : " I delight to dwell with my children when they live in a manner that is suited to my taste ; and, of course, this suits me, from the fact it is all my own work. Only be content, and do not soil thy robe, for it is so white and clean, a very little mixing with dirt and filth will so contaminate it, it will not be fit to be seen. And as long as you keep it unspotted from the world it will distinguish, you from the world and make you a welcome visitor into the company of all that are dressed in the same robe ; for this is merely the outward showing of the principles that, live within ; which principles are only developed by the outward appearance. And even it will be admired by those who may reject it ; yet inwardly they must respect it. Though they may covet it, and raise the spirit of persecution against you, it is not because they dislike you, but because they are not like you ; and this is the cause of envy everywhere. "This, said Peter, is the way God our Father has treated us spiritually. He has prepared us a holy habitation, where our immortal souls can live and be happy through all eternity, and then has given us the Holy Spirit, the same that Jesus promised and the same that fell on the people the other day. This spirit renews and begets within us holy desires to

love God and to serve Him by obeying all His commands and doing honor to His name. And this same spirit begets within us a holy desire to see all men embrace the offering of this good and noble Father, that they may be happy now and happy forever, more so after death than before ; for it is the dread of meeting an interminable doom for our sins that makes our lives intolerable. "Oh, said Peter, ' behold the riches offered on terms so easy by our Father. All we need is to accept. Who will accept ?' And there were two or three hundred who cried out, ' We will ;' and then followed a mighty rising up and rejoicing, all of which made ,a very strong impression on my mind.