us exceeding great and precâ—ous Promises that by these we might be Partakers of the divine Nature according to his divine Power whereby he hath given unto us all things partaining to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue You see the Promises are of great use to us in order to our being made Partakers of the divine Nature and to witness Regeneration and the new Birth It is not enough to read them outwardly unless a divine Work be upon us to enable us to see the Promises and our Right and Interest in them otherwise they will not be effectual upon us The next thing that I would speak to is the Subject of Faith that is the Seat of it as it is placed in a Man or Woman whether it is only in the Understanding as an assent to the Truth or placed in the Will and Affections so as to have an influence on all the Powers and Faculties of the Soul I answer True and saving Faith is seated in the Understanding and in the Will and so hath an influence upon the Affections and so the Affections come to be renewed and sanctiâ—ied through the Power of Faith As Faith is â—n the Understanding it respects Christ as he â—s faithful and true but as Faith is placed in â—he Will of Man he iâ— the Beloved of the Soul â—nd the great desire of the Soul and Faith reâ—pects Christ and God in Christ as he is good â—nd gracious not only as he is holy and â—â—ist faithful and true but as good merciful and gracious tender and compassionate 〈◊〉 Faith in God and in Christ Jesus as it is seated in the Understanding and Will it esteem him as the supream Truth and chief Good submits to his Scepter and depends upon hiâ— Sacrifice and Satisfaction resigns and surrenders up to his Government to commanâ— the whole Man the Affections Memory anâ— bodily Members that Christ may be All in All. And now to come to a Conclusion and to end as I begun it is the Duty of every one that professeth himself to be a true Christian to examine himself whether he hath the true Faith of Christ or be in the true Faith Now I have opened the nature of true Faith it is the more easy for you to come unto an Examination of your selves examine your selveâ— by all the Marks and Tokens that can 〈◊〉 given you whether you are in the Faith anâ— the true Faith be in you if you have thâ— Spirit of God ye may know the things freelâ— given you of God It is by the Spirit of Goâ— that we may know whether we have Faith and Love and Meekness and Humility anâ— other Evangelical Graces There are divers Helps and such things as may be called Marks and Evidences whereby we may be helped to know whether we have true Faith oâ— no. But some may say if we may know whether we have true Faith by Marks and Signs what need we the Spirit And if we maâ— know it by the Spirit then what need wâ— Marks and Signs and other Evidences It is the work of the Spirit to intimate to us whether we have these Marks God hath given us the Book of the holy Scriptures that tells us If we have Faith it works by Love it is such a Faith as hath Works accompanying of it such as love to God and love to one another If thou lovest not thy Brother whom thou hast seen how canst thou be said to love God whom thou hast not seen If we love God above all and love our Brother and love our Enemies these are good Marks and Evidences that we are in the Faith The holy Scripture giveth Marks and Signs of a Man's being a true Believer but the Scripture doth not tell us that we have those Marks But you will say If a Man do examine himself he may be mistaken though he attend â—o what Conscience shall speak You are not to rely upon the Testimony of Conscience alone a Man 's own Conscience may err and his Heart deceive him when it tells him That he hath Faith and Love and other Evangelical Graces But if the Spirit of God witnesseth with our Spirits that we have these Marks and that we are indeed the Children of God then be sure we cannot be deceived when the Spirit of Truth doth give us this infallible Testimony A SERMON Preached by John Raunce AT Harp-Lane near Towerstreet August 19th 1694. 1 Thess v. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good IT is a Saying of the Apostle Paul to the Church of the Thessalonians Prove all things hold fast that which is good The Thessalonians were a People too like to many in ouâ— Days they wanted to be truly settled in thaâ— which is good and that made the Apostle speak in Commendation of the Men of Bereaâ— Acts 17.11 These were more noble than thosâ— in Thessalonica in that they received the Worâ— with all readiness of Mind and searched thâ— Scriptures daily whether those things were so that were preached among them And truly Friends I have this to say among you That every one who is come through the Exercises they have met with to a tryal of things that offer themselves to their Consideration they may be said to be a happy People if they have so proved all things as to hold fast that which is good This is the Day wherein we live wherein things offer themselves to a seeking Peoplâ— after such a various manner that truly all who desire Salvation to their immortal Souls ought to be very mindful of the Exhortation I now mentioned Prove all things and hold fast that which is good Some may ask me What is here meant by All Things that the Apostle bids them Prove I answer They were such things as are of a Religious Concern He did not bid them prove all things of one kind or another that offered themselves to them but these all Things relate only to religious Matters We are among a People that are religiously concerned about many things that offer themselves unto them There are many Ways many Perswasions and Professions and many things that offer themselves to our Consideration It ought to be our Care and Concern like the noble Bereans to try all things and prove all things It greatly commends those Men and Women that will try and examine Matters and not receive things upon Trust as too many do in our Days There are a great many as the common Proverb is that are ready to pin their Faith upon another Man's Sleeve to be of his Opinion and Perswasion without any good Ground or serious Consideration That which I have to mention among you at this Time is the Apostle's Exhortation Prove all things hold fast that which is good In Matters of a Religious Concern Matters of Faith wherein your Eternal Salvation is concerned go not by hear-say because other Men say so but let us all come to practise
c. Look therefore unto Jesus how shall I look unto him Look unto him by Faith believe that he is an Advocate an Intercessor and Mediator and a Propitiation for thy sins This will give thee an entrance and admission into his Presence again and thou wilt have the Springs of Life that were stopped opened again the Wells of Salvation opened and thou wilt come to know Joy and Consolation again and then thou wilt declare what God by this living Faith hath wrought for thee when thou comest to know the overcoming of Unbelief If thou hast this living Faith thou canst say to this corrupt Tree of Unbelief that is grounded and rooted in thee be thou plucked up and it shall be so If thou hast Faith as a Grain of Mustard-seed a very small seed thou shalt say to this Mountain Be thou removed and it shall be so and to thiâ— Sicamore-tree Be thou plucked up and planted in the midst of the Sea and it shall be done O this living Faith this Faith unfeigned it works by Love and Charity which the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.5 Is the end of the Commandment out of a pure Heart and good Conscience This pure divine Faith doth witness the overcoming of Unbelief and it is more precious than Gold that perishes and will be found to Praise Glory and Honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ. This Faith will endure all Temptations Tryals Afflictions Buffetings O this pure living Faith that is wrought by God's powerful Word and declared by the Light within by the Arm of God's Salvation it doth do the Work that is appointed for it to do The Hand cannot do any thing without the Body or the Head no more will this Arm of God's Salvation within work without the power of the Man Christ Jesus that is the Giver of it nor without his Death and Sufferings but it is all-sufficient to save us with them with his Death and Sufferings Resurrection Ascention Mediation and Intercession Look not only to the Light within but look unto Jesus the Dispenser of it It pleased the Father that in his blessed Son Jesus Christ should all fulness dwell The fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in him of his fulness we all received and Grace for Grace A Brief DECLARATION OF Thomas Budd AT The Close of a Meeting in Harp-lane October 14th 1694. Rom. 10.6 7 8 9 10 Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart That is the word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart Man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation IT is not a bare litteral traditional or historical Faith or Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that he was raised from the Dead will save us but we must know a living Faith wrought in our Hearts by the living Word 〈◊〉 God that Word that is nigh that is in oâ— Hearts and in our Mouth we must know thâ— operation of the living Word of God to worâ— Faith in our Hearts in the Man Christ Jesuâ— This Faith must be wrought in our Hearts bâ— the living Word and by the Spirit of Chrisâ— by the same Power that raised up Christ froâ— the dead It is not a bare historical Faith or Knowledge that will save us but we must have living Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we muâ— believe in him that he died for our Sins anâ— rose again for our Justification and that he ascended into Heaven and sate down at the righâ— Hand of the Majesty on high and that thâ— Heavens received him and will retain him until the time of the restitution of all things according to the Testimony of the Angels aâ— his Ascension into Heaven Act. 1.9 10. It iâ— said That while the Disciples beheld he was takeâ— up and a Cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards Heaveâ— as he went up behold two Men stood by them iâ— white Apparel which also said Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven The Apostle saith The Heavens have received him till the time of the Restitution of all things he will come again and restore all things and raise the dead to life He will open the Graves and cause the Dead to come forth then he will come to be glorified 〈◊〉 his Saints and to be admired in all â—em that believe in all them that â—elieve the divine Promises and that put â—heir Trust in him He will be glorified in all â—hat believe in him and expect Salvation by â—im Then Believers shall be restored to their â—rimitive State and to a greater dignity and â—lory than Adam enjoyed in Paradice when â—e was created in the Image of God That â—ost Image shall be restored again when the Lord Jesus himself shall descend from Heaven with a Shout and with the Voice of the Archâ—ngel and with the Trump of God and the Dead in Christ shall rise first they shall have â—he preference For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive but every Man in his own order Christ the first Fruits afterward â—hey that are Christ's at his coming then he will change our vile Body that it may be fashiâ—ned like unto his glorious Body according to the Workings whereby he is able even to subdue all â—hings unto himself to the Bodies of the Saints A SERMON Preached by George Keith At Devonshire-house June 17. 1694. Rom. 10.6 7 8 But the Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above Or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart That is the Word of Faith which we Preach THE Apostle Paul by the Wisdom given him of God preached Salvation by Christ Jesus both within us and without us This is the true Gospel of Salvation the true Gospel-Doctrin which Christ Jesus himself preached and all the holy Prophets Evangelists and Apostles they preached Salvation by Jesus Christ by the Knowledge of him without dividing him It is not our Principle to divide these Christ within us and Christ without us but to join them I have fully preached â—saith the Apostle the Gospel of Christ Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above But we may know
for Life and Salvation I would never speak a Word to diminish â—r lessen the great Work of Faith but we may easily see the Vanity and falsness and unprofitableness of that Faith that abounds in the World The vain Person 's Faith the worldly and covetous Man's Faith and the proud Man's Faith which greatly abounds in Christendom 3 Men say they believe in Christ and yet Covetousness earthly-mindedness Pride of Spirit and Envy and Malice and Strife and Contention abound among us I say If Faith had but room and Place in the Hearts of People here in Christendom the Lord grant that Time may come it would then remove these Mountains and had it taken Place it would have removed them long ago If any shall ask me What Time I will prefix or allow that this little Grain of Faith will remove all those Mountains of Sin and Unbelief and Unrighteousness and the Powers of Darkness that are in Peoples Hearts I answer No time is to be prefixed for the effecting of this wait the Lord's time for his time is the best time If thou desirest to make this time short then improve that little measure of Grace bestowed upon thee that little Grain of Mustard-seed pray with it and give Thanks to God for it pray with all the strength and ability that the Lord hath already given thee There is none of us to whom some measure of Grace and Held is not given there is no ground to complain that â—nough is not given but our Complaint should be That we have not made use of that Hâ— that is given us Do not despise the Dayâ— small things Who art thou that despisest 〈◊〉 day of small things Do not despise a litâ—â—â— Grace a little Help that God hath given 〈◊〉 thee let us make use of that little Strengâ—â— we have and God will give us more and 〈◊〉 will do it in due time in his own time whâ—â—â— is the best time I may be bold to say The time shall nâ—â— be long if thou wilt do thy utmost Endeavouâ—â— the time will not be long before the Lord râ—move these Mountains of Sin and Unbelieâ— and of the Powers of Darkness and give thâ— the sense of his Love and Mercy and refresâ—ment from his Presence then all those Cloud shall be scattered and vanish away whiâ—â— formerly interposed between the Presence 〈◊〉 God and thy 〈◊〉 I shall next â—â—me to shew how Paul preached Christ 1 C 1.23 24. We preach Chriâ—â— crucified saith he unto the Jews a Stumbling block and unto the Greeks Foolishness but untâ— them which are called both Jews and Greekâ— Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom oâ— God This Power and Wisdom of God diâ— dwell in Christ in all Fulness and out of thaâ— Fulness he distributes to every one a suitable measure Eph. 4.7 saith the Apostle Paul But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended on high he leâ—â— Captivity Captive he received Gifts for Meâ— yea for the Rebellious also that the Lord Goâ— might dwell among them or inhabit them â—s the Word signifies I come not here to shew my self skilful in Hebrew Greek and Latin I hope it is no Ofâ—ence to tell you of a better Translation of a â—lace of Scripture as in the Margent of your â—ibles I come not hither to speak Hebrew â—reek and Latin and to shew my Skill in seâ—eral parts of Learning and Philosophy after â—he Rudiments of the World as one vainly â—uft up by a fleshly Mind I relinquished it â—â—ove thirty Years ago I never reckoned â—mane Learning a necessary Qualification to â—ake a Man meet to be a Preacher of the Gospel of Christ There is needful another Quaâ—ification for the preaching of Christ and him â—ucified preaching his Cross which is a Stumbling-block to some and Foolishness to others but unto them that are sâ—â—â—d it is Christ â—he Power of God and the Wâ—â—dom of God â—orasmuch as the Fulness dwellâ— in him and â—orasmuch as we receive our several Measures one after another and we receive them by him and through him and from him Christ is the Author or Beginner of our Faith and the Finisher of it he is the Light of every Man â—hat comes into the World a common Illumiâ—ation is given to all There are some that say That Lam gone from â—ny ancient Testimony to the Light within they have not said it to my Face though they insinuate and whisper against me I am bold not in mine own Ability and Strength but in â—he Lord to say None can justly charge me that I am gone from my ancient Testimony tâ— the Sufficiency of the Light within that therâ— is a Sufficiency in the least measure of it to profit withal tho' it be never so little if Meâ— labour to improve it God will not be wanting to give more I am yet to learn that there ever were any among our Friends in former Days or of thosâ— that are newly risen up among us will sayâ— Any have received so much that they need noâ— depend upon the Lord for more as if thaâ— was sufficient for all time to come we havâ— already received We are to pray for ouâ— daily Bread we are to pray for daily Supplies of the Spirit Lord give us more of thy Spirit and multiply thy Mercies and Blessings upon us saith the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace and Peace be multiplied to you through the Knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. But to proceed and speak a little further concerning that Doctrin which Paul and Silas preached to the Jailor and his Houshold Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House I did not study a Text before I came hither I did not know what I should speak but waiting for the pure Motion of the Lord that Scripture was brought before me and a sweet Motion was upon my Spirit and yet continues with me Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Observe here that Paul nor Silas doth not say That he must witness Regeneration or Sanctification before he doth believe in the â—ord Jesus Christ He doth not say Thou â—ust have a pure Conscience before thou dost â—eceive the Mystery of Faith which is a Doâ—trin that some hold that a pure Conscience â—ust be witnessed before Faith Tho' the â—ords are true Faith is held in a pure Consciâ—ce But we must not say That the Conscience â—â—st be first pure and then Faith will be giâ—n to a pure Conscience Faith and a pure â—onscience go together I have experience of 〈…〉 â—lessed be God â— have known a defiled Coâ—â—â—â—ence and now â—o God's Praise I spea◠〈◊〉 I know in some â—easure a purified Conscience My Consciâ—nce was not purified before I did receive the Faith of Christ the very same moment that â— received a measure of this pure Faith this â—ure Faith purified my Conscience