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A35003 The third and last volume of the sermons of Mr. Stephen Crisp late of Colchester Essex, deceased containing XII declarations upon several divine subjects : exactly taken in short-hand as they were deliver'd by him at the publick meeting-houses of the people called Quakers ... and now faithfully transcribed and published : with some of his prayers after sermon. Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692. 1694 (1694) Wing C6943; ESTC R26073 139,372 264

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to do Many have cried secretly what shall we do to be saved For all what we can do cannot save us We have retained this and the other Doctrin follow'd this and the other Way and made many Observations but all this doth not cleanse our Soul nor purge our Consciences from dead Works this will not bring us to the Inheritance of that Immortal Life that will give us satisfaction We hear many speak of Satisfaction and of Joy unspeakable and full of Glory but here is a weight and burthen still lying upon our Souls Therefore my Friends that all such who are brought so far as to be under such a Burden and Oppression that they might be informed and come to understand where the true Rest is and where that Power can be found that is able to answer those tender Desires that are begotten in them for this cause hath the Lord our God communicated and given the Dispensation of the Gospel of his Son unto a Remnant whom he hath sanctified that they might Speak a word in Season to the weary Soul This is not a day to make a mock of Sin this is not a day to make a Covena●● with ●●ath and Hell and to resolve to go on in a wicked Life and continue in it all their Days But yet there are a sort of People that desire to have a Word spoken in Season to them when they are weary How many are there in our Age and Generation that one may reckon of this number that are Sinners and overcome by their Lusts and Corruptions and by the Temptations of Satan and his Instruments But they are weary of it it is a burden to their Souls it costs them many a b●●ter Tear many a Sigh and many a sad and sorrowful Thought in secret that they shou●● have a sight of a more excellent Glory and of a better Life than that of their own and yet know not how to get into it My Friends that same Divine Word of Life by which any of the People of the Lord in any Age were ever restored redeemed and purchased again to the Lord That Word of Life must have been at work in their Hearts and hath been at work in them or else ●hou hadst never been so far opened there hath been something that hath unstopped thine Ears that thou might'st hear and the reason of thy Continuance in thy Bonds after thy knowing something that might have freed thee is because thou hast not heartily closed with that which hath begun the Work God b● his redeeming Power in the Hearts of them that believe in Christ to raise an inclination in People to seek after the Lord. You know what the Apostle sai●● It is not of us so much as to think a good Thought But this all People will grant is a good Thought when a Sinner thinks of turning to God and leaving his evil Ways if he had Power and Ability and cries out If I knew how to stand against Tempation I would never sin against the Lord more this must be a good Thought in thy Mind How came it there Who is the Author of this Thought you will say This ought to be attribured to the Love of God in Christ that he hath convinced and persuaded us and that tho' there is Sin and Pollution yet he hath not so forsaken us utterly to cast us off he hath sent forth his quickening Spirit that is the Lord from Heaven that he might stir up and quicken People to consider their condition and bring them to a sense of their present State that they may come into a better State than they are in at present If this may be granted that the Spirit of God and the Grace of God is the Author of all these Desires then it will be granted at the same time that every one of you ought to be sensible that such spiritual Desires stirring in you are from the motion and operation of the Spirit of God that hath raised them in your Souls and then I hope you will grant that if you had but joined with that Spirit and with the assistance of that Spirit all things would have been possible thereunto So that here is the first thing that I would have every one satisfied about in their Understandings whether they ar● totally exempted from any such Touches and Operations of God or no for it is said by some ignorantly That a great part of Mankind have never had any such Divine Workings of the Spirit of God upon them in order to their Conversion therefore it is not in vain for you to consider your state and condition for if you or I or any here be under such Circumstances that they never had nor are ever like to have any such Divine Operations or Touches of the Spirit of Life in order to Conversion then I am sure you and I had better never have been born If you will consider with your selves and lay aside the Disputes of Doctors and Learn'd men you may know the things pertaining to your selves Things relating to others I may let Disputes alone about them but as for things relating to my Salvation I must have a certain Knowledge of them It concerns you my Friends to know within your selves by an infallible Evidence of the Spirit of God whether you have had such Divine Touches Workings and Operations upon your Hearts as have inclin'd you to seek the Lord. I hope I may believ there are none here but have in their Heatrs an Answer I have had such Touches and Operations in me This is great Love from God more than my Tongue can set forth You will be ready to say I have not deserv'd this I have not so behaved my self toward● my Maker as to deserve that he should wait upon me and call upon me When wilt tho● turn and amend thy Life and hearken to him that made thee When wilt thou leave serving God's Enemy and serve him that is thy rightful Lord So that now this is a greater Aggravation of our Sin to continue in it and yet to have a Belief that God is still waiting upon us and that he hath such a kindness for us as now and then to touch our Hearts by the inward Operation of his Spirit and Grace in order to Conversion Now when this is agreed and Men settle themselves in the belief of this you know what the consequence will be When I consider with my self I that have been under these Workings have been rebellious wicked and disobedient to God yet the Lord is not so angry as utterly to cast me off but is still waiting to be gracious by the Operation of his Spirit to gather me to himself in order to sanctifie me and heal my my Backsliding to cure my Weakness and Infirmities and at the last to save me and make me an Heir of his Eternal Kingdom What is the consequence of this Love Why the next Resolve must be this I will rebel against his Grace and resist