on Eternal Life And Blessed and Heavenly Father for all thy abounding Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to us and all thy People and for the refreshing we have had from thy Presence in our present Meeting we desire to render Praise Honour Renown and Thanksgiving to thy Great and Excellent Name for thou alone art worthy who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. CHARLES MARSHAL At the Close of a Meeting in Grace-Church-street March 11. 1693. With his Prayer after Sermon My Friends THE Testimony which lives in my Soul at this time is unto the excellency of the Love of God in Christ Jesus which Love is indeed â—ncomprehensible and unspeakable the Love of the Everlasting God through his Beloved Son Christ Jesus which because of the hardness of the Hearts of Men and for want of understanding and of a feeling Heart and of a perceiving mind many of the Children of Men have not the Knowledge of Herein was the greatness and extensiveness of the Love of God unto mankind in sending his Son into the World who came from the Bosom of the Father that he that knew no Sin might be made Sin foâ—us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him O the Wonderful Mystery of the Incarnation of Christ Jesus Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh The Professors of this Age have been strangely â—gnorant of it and have been ready to reflect on those that Admire it and have an high esteem of it But blessed be the Lord our God that we can say in Truth that we have an esteem of that one offering of the Eternal Son of God that we can say as the Apostle did in his Day By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified This is that which hath opened upon my Soul this Morning The Lord God of Glory in this Age and Generation hath laid a necessity upon us to Preach Christ under the Denomination of a glorious Light for he is the Light of the World and the only Saviour and so we are to have Faith in him The Apostles made it their Work to persuade the People from Morning to Evening that Jesus was the Christ the true Mesiah that made a good Confession before Pontius Pilate and that he was Crucified Died and Rose again and ascended up into Heaven and sitteth at the Right hand of God and lives for ever to make Intercession for us This was the Labour Travel and Exercise of the Apostles to Preach Christ Crucified and Risen from the Dead But the Jews Assembled with the Chief Priests and Elders to take Counsel together and gave large Money to the Souldiers saying say ye his Disciples came by Night and stole him away while we slept This was the Labour of the Apostles and Servants of the Lord to persuade the People in their Day that Jesus was the Christ and that after he was Crucified and Died he was risen from the Dead but the Jews the Scribes and Pharises they did oppose this and said he was not the Promised Messiah But in process of time through the powerful Preaching of the Gospel the Children of Men did Receive and believe this Testimony that Jesus was the Christ the Eternal Son of God and only Saviour and when the Enemy could no longer withstand that Belief when it came over the Nations then the People were turned about and then there was an Admission of that Belief that Jesus was the Christ and many contented themselves with the bare Name of Christ and with a Profession of the Word without the Power But the Lord of Glory hath raised a People in this Age and Generation as Instruments that might shew forth the Power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Spiritually not thereby denying or not in the least opposing his manifestation bodily which died without the Gates of Jerusalem for this was the end of his manifestation For this purpose saith the Apostle was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil So that now Friends That which opens and lives in my Soul and that which I have to say and demonstrate to you at this time is this That the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath raised up a People in our Day to Preach Christ under that Denomination that the Servants of the Lord Preached Christ in former Days Ages and Generations They gave testimony on this wise In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was Life and that Life was the Light of Men and the Light shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not There was a man sent from God whose Name was John the same came for a Witness to bear Witness of that Light that all men through him might believe He was not that Light but was sent to bear Witness of that Light that was the true light that Lighteth every man that cometh into the World he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not He came to his own and his own received him not But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God to them that believe on his Name Did the Apostle John that gave Testimony of Christ as the Light of the World oppose his Appearance in that Body that was prepared for him of the Father to do his Will in No no more then the Apostle Paul who Preached his Spiritual Appearance and manifestation opposed his bodily Appearance and being manifest in Flesh when he saith The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that Denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World No more do we deny or oppose Christ's bodily appearance who Died without the Gates of Jerusalem Though we are misunderstood and misrepresented by many in this Generation The Lord in mercy by his Heavenly power remove this misunderstanding and take away this Vail from the Hearts of the Children of Men and so bring them to a sense and knowledge of the Spiritual Appearance of Christ Jesus and the blessed end of his coming in that blessed body wherein he suffered and tasted Death for every man not that any man might live in Sin because he dyed a Sacrifice for Sin He did not dye for Sin that men should live in Sin but that they might dye to Sin and live to God so likewise we do not Preach any thing opposite to Christs appearance in that blessed Body who was God manifest in the Flesh for therein he wrought Salvation for us He is the Captain of our Salvation and was made Perfect through sufferings He is the First begotten of the Dead the Prince of the Kings
he hath given us a Measure of his Spirit to profit withal The Son of God is come to wash and purge Men from their Sins and to destroy the Works of the Devil and to waste and consume that Nature that hath separated Man from God and the Root and Ground of it that hath hindered our approaching near to God Christ is come to finish transgression and to make an end of sin to take it away and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness I would intreat you all in the Love and Tender Compassions of God to open to this coming of the Lord Jesus Christ He is come near to you he knocks at the Door of your Hearts by his secret Reproofs and Heavenly smilings in the Soul and shews People their evil Ways and Courses Now if you in Faith open to Christ when he knocks at the Door of your Hearts He will Work the Work of God in you He will work that in you and for you that no man can work for himself nor for another now the Lord Jesus Christ he is come to Work that Work which his Father hath given him to do which is to take away that which hath separated thee from God and made thee a Child of Wrath and an Object of Gods displeasure he will remove it and wash it away in his Blood it is the Blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all Sin O the wonderful Love of the Son of God that he manifested to us in that Body which was prepared for him to do the Will of God in submitting to the Death and being a Sacrifice once for all If thou wilt hearken to his Reproofs and Instructions he will Work the Work of God in thee and he will wash thee and cleanse thee from Sin in his own Blood and thou must be acquainted with this washing cleansing Work or thou hast no part in Jesus the Mediatour for he said to Peter If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me He doth purge and wash and purifie all that have a part in him who is the Fountain that God hath set open for the House of Judah and Jerusalem for Sin and for Uncleanness that you may wash in it and be clean Seeing the Fountain of Gods Love is opened to thee in the Lord Jesus Christ turn to him and feel the operation of his Blood it will take away thy Sin and Uncleanness yea the very Root of Evil. And every Plant as Christ said that the Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Mat. 15. 13. When thou comest to know the plucking up of these Plants and art willing to be purged by Christ and washed in his Blood in that Fountain that is opened for Sin and Uncleanness and comest to be made a Vessel meet for thy Masters Use and comest to be a Vessel in Gods House and fit toper form the Worship of God that stands in the Spirit thou wilt then find acceptance with God through Jesus Christ But this Reformation must not be outward only but a Reformation of the Mind and Soul and the Inward Man and a being truly rectified there and this is to make clean the Inside as Christ said Then thou wilt come to have a Discovery of and to be acquainted with the Mind and Will of God and thou wilt then feel a cry in thy Soul on this wise O Lord enable me to perform my Duty to thee and thou wilt find the Promise made good to thee and here thy waiting will be upon God They that wait upon the Lord shal renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Thus when thou art waiting upon God and doing his Will thou wilt perform thy Duty without weariness or fainting and Serve God and Gloriâ—â— him in Thoughts Words and Actions and thâ—â— thou wilt answer the end for which thou wast made and wilt Worship and Serve God in that ability of Grace which he hath given thee and thou wilt experience what it is to be under the conduct and guidance of the Spirit of God and wilt Worship God in Spirit and in Truth The Father seeketh such to Worship him for the Worship of God doth not stand in outward Observation nor in any thing barely that a Man can do outwardly but in Spirit and Truth They that are thus exercised they Live to God and in daily feeling of his Redeeming Arm and the Ransoming power of the Lord which hath broken the Chains of Darkness in which they were held and how the Lord hath brought them near to himself and filled them with a living sense of that Power that hath redeemed them and they cannot but fall into an holy admiration of God and admire his Love and bounty and Wisdom Power and Goodness Here is a Man that Worships God aright that truly performs the Worship and Service of God when the mind is truly humble and dwells in lowlyness such find life to spring from God the fountain of it and thereby their Souls are kept in a lively frame before him for it is the living that worship God it is the Living that praise him the Dead cannot praise his Name The Grave saith Hezekiah cannot praise thee O God Death cannot Celebrate thee The Living the living he shall praise thee as I do this Day Those that truly Worship God in Spirit they have Holiness to the Lord written upon them stampt on their outside And as they have born the Image of the Earthly so now they bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam These perform Duty to God aright and they are made meet to serve him and Worship him and they have a deep sense of the Love and mercy of God to them and in that Sense give Glory to God to whom it does belong for ever more Secondly As there is a duty we owe unto God so there is a Duty which we owe to our Neighbour and this Duty cannot be performed but as we are preserved in a sense of that power which hath quickned us to God Therein we are made Instruments in his hands to call upon others to turn to God and do good to them by our Exemplary Lives and that as we make a Profession of Godliness so we ought to walk in Love and have bowells of Compassion and Love to our Neighbours that they may be saved and brought near to God And therefore let us shew forth all Meekness Goodness Lowlyness Justice Truth Equity and all manner of Holy Conversation and Godliness and Love God with all our Heart with all our Mind and with all our Soul and our Neighbour as our selves These are the two great Lessons which we ought to learn and I am sensible many are short in not loving their Neighbours as themselves but are seeking rather to Circumvent and to defraud one another letting up bitterness and malice one against another Too many Instances may be given of these things but
that which will destroy my own Soul The Lord Christ he is come to turn me from Sin and save my Soul Why should I not close with him He hath stood knocking at the Door of my Heart till his Head is filled with Dew and his Locks with the Drops of the Night Many Souls have known these Wooings and Intreaties of Christ knocking at the Door of their Hearts and have let him In and closed with his appearance by his Light grace and good Spirit and found the benefit and comfort of it Why should not I do so Why should not I esteem him as the chief of Ten Thousand as the Beloved of my Soul He will be the chiefest of all to that Soul that hath chosen him for the chiefest Good Though there may be some comfort in the enjoyment of the things of this World yet though they be useful and necessary for my present supply If I lose them all and find Christ and be found in him and hold him fast I shall count them as nothing but despise them in comparison of him who is the Beloved of my Soul You that are come to the Knowledge of Christ and have embraced the Light of Truth in your own Hearts do know the benefit you have by it in walking in the Light as the Children of Light and of the Day and in Obedience to Christ who is the Light and shines in your Hearts Friends I would not be mistaken I do not Preach Christ as the Light of the World in opposition to his outward appearance and being manifested in the Flesh in that preapared Body wherein he did his Fathers will when he was on Earth All true Christians do esteem and reverence Christs appearance in the Body wherein he suffered death and became a Sacrifice for our Sins as the Apostle saith Eph. 5. 2. Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour If I esteem the Appearance of Christ in my own Heart I shall be so far from having a light esteem of his Bodily Appearance and his being manifest in the Flesh that I shall admire and reverence that Great Mystery of Godliness and bless God for the record given thereof in the Holy Scriptures which the light of Christ is a Key to open Even the Great Mysteries of the Kingdom which men by their parts and acquirements cannot attain to For God hath not made known these great things to the Wise and Prudent as we may gather from Christs own Prayer Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight My Friends walk in the Light more and more that by the Spirit of the Lord you may be acquainted with the divine operation of the Power of Christ which will bring you from under the bondage of Sin and Corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God wait to know this Power in your own Hearts that you may be sanctified throughout in Spirit Soul and Body and Justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 24. Walk in the Light and in Meekness and Humility and in the Truth 1 John 6. 7. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we Lie and do not the Truth But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Many of you have known the beginning go forward and continue to walk in the Truth that you may know the Blood of Cleansing that as the Apostle saith Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye may have your Fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life His Prayer after Sermon Most Powerful Everlasting God of Life who art Almighty in thy Power and canst do whatsoever pleaseth thee we have cause to bless thy Great Name for thy Goodness and Mercy which thou hast extended to thy People in this Day of thy Power Thou hast extended a Blessed Day of Visitation to many that were strangers unto thee and unacquainted with the way of Life and Salvation Powerful God we have great cause to bless thy Name for thy Goodness and that great Love which in and through thy Dear Son Jesus Christ thou hast extended to us Thou first lovedst us before we loved thee Thou it was that through the Visitation of thy Love didst beget and raise desires and breathings in the Souls of many after thee and the knowledge of thy living way And blessed Father of Life not only so but thou hast answered the desires and breathings that thou hast raised in the Souls of many and brought them to the knowledge of the way of Life and Salvation And Powerful God thou hast been near to all thine unto this day that have been truly given up in faithfulness to thy Will and to answer thy Holy and blessed Requirings Living God they that have waited and depended upon thee to be made partakers of that help and strength that comes from thee have been thereby enabled to do thy Will and this is that we wait for and from time to time draw nigh to thee for we wait upon thee that we may come not only to know but to do thy Will and Answer thy requirings Blessed God of Life we have great encouragement from time to time to draw nigh to thee for that comfortable presence of thine which we have enjoyed in the midst of our Assemblies many a time the Hungry have been satisfied with Bread And the Fountain of living water hath been opened and the Thirsty have been Drinking of it Praised by thy Name for ever that thou hast appeared with us and hast given us some sensible injoyment of thy living Presence O Lord go a long with thy People let thy blessing be with us that we may hold on through the whole course of our lives in this World and live to the praise of thy blessed Name thou hast given us to see our own weakness and inability and that we had need depend on thee every day for fresh supplies of strength that we may able to hold on in thy holy way and lay hold on the hope that thou hast set before us There are many Tryals Tribulations and Afflictions that thy Children and People meet with and the grand Adversary the Devil like a Roaring Lyon is going about continually seeking whom he may devour Thy People have nothing but thy self to depend upon and there is a secret help and power that thou givest thine whereby they are enabled to withstand the Enemy in all his Wiles and in all his Temptations Living God What we are it is by thee it is by the Assistance of thy Grace and good Spirit that
reached to us Thy Divine Comforts O Lord have been our portion from one day to another and we have tasted thy goodness and our hearts have been deeply affected with it blessed God and Fathe when we consider how thou hast nourished us thy Children and brought us up in troublous times and made a way for us in the Wilderness and a path in the Desart and brought us through the deep waters When we were ready to be overwhelmed when our Souls cried to thee Lord to be present with us then thou hast been near unto us when we have been seeking thy face and thy glory thou hast refreshed us with the light of thy Countenance when we have been walking in thy way thy Banner over us hath been love and Lord out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast brought forth praise and glory to thy self O that all that partake of thy Divine goodness may magnifie and praise thee This hath been our Supplication O Lord from year to year Lord reach to the Nations gather a People under the shadow of thy wings secure them from all dangers and let them have great delight in thy ways and let thy word be sweet to their tast Most tender and everlasting Father of life and God of all grace we humbly intreat thee to gather the Inhabitants of this Island and bring down all haughtiness and pride to the dust and bring all thy people to humility and self abasement before thee the God of glory that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea that thy great Name may be exalted Lord we entreat thee gather together those that are broken and contrite and are as dead and dry bones can these dry bones live Thou knowest O Lord. Shall I ever be capable of praising the Lord saith one by a sense of thy favour to my Soul Lord thou caâ—st reach these and gather to thy self a numberless number that no man can number that everlasting God of Power shall stand before thee without spot and blemish in whose mouths there is no guile Lord encrease the number of those that seek after thee the living Fountain of all goodness with tears flowing from their eyes and sorrow in their hearts Everlasting God of life let the day of our Tranquility be lengthned out and preserve the Land of our Nativity and let no desolation be among us Father of Mercies many have been visited with dreadful Judgments from thy hand in other Nations O preserve this sinful Land and let thy continued mercies and blessings and thy long suffering prevail upon us that we may be turned to thee with all our hearts and cry mightily to thee from one day to another that we may be as so many Jacobs wrestling with thee to the break of the day that thou wouldest bless us and that thy blessing may never depart from this Island O Lord hear the cries of thy People that are seeking thy glory and the good of their own Souls let thy mercy prevail for us and let thy blessing be with all thy Servants that cry to thee we beseech thee for the sake of Jesus Christ let not thine anger be kindled against us least we perish and O Lord let thy judgments which are impendent be diverted and stir up thy People to wrestle with thee with all their Souls that thou wouldest save this Nation that England may live in thy sight cover us under the shadow of thy wings and let the hearts of all thy People be turned to thee and turned from Sin to Righteousness that they may be preserved in thy fear and love and partake of ihe Fountain of life and may be delivered from the snares of death Father of life preserve all thine that have waited on thee thou art a God that changest not therefore we are not consumed Glory Honour and Praise be rendred to thee for all thy love and favour blessings and benefits vouchsafed to us and for all the opportunities which we have had for our Souls break and soften the hearts of all thy Children and kindle in their Souls a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving that we may say it is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes that we may rejoyce and Triumph in thy great Salvation through Jesus Christ who alone is worthy and God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JOHN BOWATER At St. John's-Street March 18. 1693. To as many as have received Christ Jesus the Lord to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Now my Friends they that have believed are to wait to receive his power according to the Exhortation of our Lord Jesus Christ to his Disciples wait until you be endued with a Power from on high Luke 24. 49. Many People make a profession of belief in the Lord Jesus Christ but do not come to know this mighty power to work Sanctification Redemption and Salvation Let all and every one of you be concerned in waiting upon God and attending upon him that you may receive strength and power and ability from him whereby you may be enabled to perform your bounden duty which God requireth of you he hath shewn unto Man what is good and what the Lord requires of him which is to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with God Every one of us that have believed let us wait for power to perform that which may answer the requirings of God that we may receive ability from him to enable us to perform our duty that we may not only be Professors of the blessed truth of God but possessors of it that we may not only be Professors but Possessors of life whereby we may live to God through Jesus Christ and perform our duty acceptably to God It is a blessed to be found in that which gives acacceptance with God now there is no acceptance with God but as we are found in Christ Jesus in him that was the promised Seed whom God promised should break the Serpents head the Serpent beguiled Eve through subtilty Now God promised that the Seed of the Woman that is Christ Jesus should break the Serpents head It is through him that Redemption and Salvation is known It is through Christ Jesus the Mediator between God and Man that Man becomes reconciled to God and no otherwise He tasted Death for every man and he died that he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil It is through Christ the Mediator that we are reconciled to God and for this saith the Apostle was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Sin in all Ages hath been the work of the Devil and the Devil is the Author of Sin but the Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator he is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him So that whatsoever your Profession may be
you I will make known my Words unto you I have called and ye Refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought my Counsel and would none of my Reproof 1. Prov. 23 24. Though God poureth out his Spirit abundantly and maketh known his mind and will yet many hearken not to the Reproof of the Spirit of the Lord but they harden their Hearts and Rebel against the Light against Gods Spirit that striveth with them As Gods Spirit did strive with the Old World so God will now be striving with the Children of Men by his good Spirit If they will hearken to his Reproofs and turn at his Reproofs he will manifest himself more abundantly to them if People will harken to his Counsel and obey his Voice and turn at his Reproofs he will make known his will to them Wo to the Râ—bellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of â—e saith the Lord and that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit Those that walk in the Spirit shall be covered with it as with a Garment and be led into all truth As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Try your selves what Spirit you are of there is a Spirit in Man but it is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding God hath opened the understanding of many by his grace and given them understanding to know him that is true they that are led by the Spirit of God shall not only know his way but have their Hearts enlarged in his way Here is our happiness to travel on in the ways of Gods Commandments with enlarged Hearts God hath sent forth his Light and his truth and hath prepared a certain guide for Man that he might not mistake his way as he gave to Israel a Pillar of a Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night to guide and direct them in their Travelling and Journeys in the Wilderness Take heed least the mystery of Inquity work in your minds and Spirits work to a fleshly liberty to liberty to Sin The Spirit of God works liberty and freedom from Sin and from the bondage of Corruption not to give way to it If Christ hath made you free then ye shall be free indeed where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty a freedom from Sin The Lust of the flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life they are not of the Father but of the World many People Indulge the Lusts of their own mind and embrace Pride Vanity and Arrogance those things that are Evil and so corrupt themselves and go out of the way of God reaching after the pleasures of the World and the Lusts of it Here People go astray but by keeping to the Spirit when a Temptation com es to us to gratifie our flesh the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a Standard against it we have tryed our selves and our own Spirits and in our own strength we could never get forward in the ways of God we have been convinced of it that tho' our understandings have been clear to know the way of Truth Yet by our own striving we can never get forward by striving in our own Wills Take heed that in your striving you do not set up self but humble your selves to the Dust and sit at the Feet of Jesus learn of him to be meek and lowly He that is the chief among you let him be the Servant of all do not strive for high places and for Honor and Dignity and to be accounted of among Men If we may have the favour of God we should be content to dwell in a low place to be a Door keeper in the House of God we shall think it sufficient I doubt not will a Gracious Soul say but God hath a sufficiency in store for me when so ever he calls me out of the World Christ Jesus my Lord is gone before to prepare a place for me and he hath also promised I will come again and receive you to my self and where I am there shall my Servants be If Christ be gone to prepare a place for us we need not question our Reward if the Spirit of God beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ Seek Peace with the Lord seek Reconciliation with God in the right way there are two ways the way that leads to Life and the way that leads to Destruction the Narrow Way and the Broad Way be you in that way which God hath cast up if you are in Christ he is the way the Truth and the Life if you are in Christ you are New Creatures consider what you know of a Change of Dying unto Sin and living unto Righteousness Put off the Old man with his Deeds and put on the New man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Consider how it is with you whether you live in Sin or in Holiness and Righteousness All Sin is of the Devil He is the Author of Sin What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death ye were the Servants of Sin but being made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness and now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life Here is a good change from being Servants of Sin to be made free from Sin through the Mediatour Christ Jesus Consider of it I do not design to enlarge you have had Testimonies upon Testimonies you have been put in mind of these things you that make a profession of the truth there is a necessity and a constraint upon me to Remind you of former things of things that you have been told of and been stirred up by the Servants of the Lord to remember I see a necessity of reminding you of them there are many that are in a Profession of the truth that do not dwell in the life of it they are sunk down into the form of Godliness but they do not mind the power of it they do part of the Work they do not go through with it they are for sparing some Sins that they will not mortifie them they are like Saul they make profession of doing the Will of God Saul said to Samuel blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the Commandment of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 14. And Samuel said what meaneth then this bleating of the Sheep in mine Ears and the Lowing of the Oxen which I hear And Saul said they have brought them from the Amalekites for the People spared the best of the Sheep and of the Oxen to Sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and the rest we have destroyed Now my Friends there are many People which are willing to give themselves up to an outward Profession of
all Sin from all unrighteousness and from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit That so the end of the Labour Travel and Testimonies of all the Faithful Messengers and Servants whom the Lord hath raised up in this our Day and sent to turn Men from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan to the power of God that their Labour and Travel I say may not be in Vain that we may all come to believe in the Light that we may be Children of the Light and of the Day that so we may come to walk in the Light And then my Friends we shall all come to be brought into an Heavenly Fellowship If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ the Dear Son of God cleanseth us from all Sins And this is a Work that will be profitable for all to know seeing no unclean thing shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God Friends Our Justification that is indeed in and through and by the Lord Jesus Christ for his sake not our own Any thing that we have done or can do will not have a tendency to make our Peace with God seeing that we can do nothing our selves that is aceeptable and well pleasing to God Therefore we cannot in the least as hath been unjustly charged upon us diseteem or put a light esteem on what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us in his own Person without us nor upon what by his own Power and Spirit he hath wrought in our Hearts But we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ both as to his outward Appearance as he was God manifest in the Flesh and also in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance in our Souls We believe in him that hath appeared by his Light and Grace and Truth in our Hearts and we know the Effectual Working and Operation of his Divine Power to Sanctifie and Cleanse and Purifie our Souls And thereby we come to have a real sense of the benefit and Advantage that the Souls of the Children of Men have in and by Death and Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Till People come to believe in his Spiritual Appearance by his Light and Grace and truth in their Hearts and to receive him and entertain him and let him have a place in their Souls that he by his Power may purge away Sin and Transgression While Men remain Rebellious and stubborn and will not let him in when he stands and knocks at the Door of their Hearts that he may come in and sup with them and they with him When Men Rebel against his Heavenly light within them and turn away from his Divine Grace and Holy Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantoness Lasciviousness and run into Uncleaness Drunkenness Pride Envy Malice and bitterness and into those things that are abominable and Evil in the sight of the Lord These men have no real Advantage or beneby the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Satisfaction and Attonement he hath made for our Sins by that one Offering and Sacrifice of himself and they do not truly know the blessed end and design of his Appearance and coming into the World For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that be might destroy the Works of the Devil that he might finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in Everlasting Righteousness My Friends the end of the Working of the Invisible Power and Spirit of Christ is that he may have a place in all your Hearts and that you may entertain him For the Lord will draw a Line of Judgment upon all that go under a Profession of Christianity and own what the Lord Jesus Christ did without them but will not receive him entertain him and believe in him as he doth spiritually Appear and shine in into their Hearts by hiâ— Divine Light Grace and Spirit My Friends Remember the sore Judgments Miseries Calamities and distress that came upon the Jews because of their rejecting Christ in his outward Appearance in that prepared Body in which he came to do his Fathers will They would not own him in his Bodily Appearance but rejected him and set him at nought they Crowned him with Thorns and Crucified the Lord of Life and Glory He said unto them except ye believe that I am he â—â— shall dye in your Sins And if ye dye in your Sins whether I go you cannot come And thus he spake to Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem Thou that killest the Prophets and Stonest them which are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Behold your House is left unto yoâ— Desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. He tells them of the Calamity and distress that should come upon them and overtake them and so it came pass because they rejected the Love of God which in Christ Jesus was extended to them when he would have gathered them and brought them into a state of Reconciliation and peace with the Living God but they would not So now my Friends In this day of Christs Inward and Spiritual Appearance you have had the Testimonies of those that have been sent to you in the Name and Power and Spirit of the Living God and yet many will not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ nor receive him Inwardly and Spiritually appearing in their Hearts nor give way to him nor wait and attend upon him to do that work in them and for them which they cannot do for themselves What work is that The Work of Sanctification For none come to be Justified freely by the Grace of God through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Rom. 3. 24. but they are also Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and made partakers of the Divine Nature So that is absolutely necessary for us to know Christs Power and Spirit to renew and sanctifie our Souls and purifie and cleanse us When we come to believe in the Inward and Spiritual Appearance of Christ and to know the Work of Sanctification we cannot have a slight esteem of nor dis-believe or undervalue what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done with us in his Person For we shall come to find the Benefit Gain Advantage and profit of it redounding to our Souls through that one offering when he offered himself through the Eternal Spirit as a Lamb without spot He offered himfelf once for all and we have the benefit of it when we come to receive him live in Obedience to him and Answer his requirings and walk in the Spirit And then as the Apostle saith If we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh for all that is in the World the Lust