Sin of Justification of Peace with God and of eternal Life and Happiness as Christ was held forth in the Promise we lay hold on Christ as his Doctrine is preached As we lay hold on a Man by taking hold of his Cloaths or a Lap or Skirt of his Garment so we lay hold on Christ by the precious things testified of him So that there is a great difference between common Illumination given to all Mankind and that special Illumination which is proper to Believers and whatsoever other Differences there are may be reduced to these three But though the common and special Illumination be differing yet they both come from one Fountain and Root God Christ and the Spirit according to 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. And the common Illumination is of a saving tendency by way of introduction and preparation to the other But some may put the Question and say Of what Use is this common Illumination if it belong not to the new Covenant then of what use is it to us I answer it is of great use it is of the same use with the Law it is as a School-master to bring us unto Christ to point us unto Christ This common Illumination is like John the Baptist his Ministry and Baptism he was sent before to prepare the Way of the Lord. This common Illumination prepares Men and Women for Christ it will make them sensible that they are miserable Sinners miserable Offenders and Transgressors and that God is angry with them and that they deserve to die and that the Wages of Sin is Death they having sinned Death is their Wages I say this is of great Service to People to be thus far convinced that they are Sinners and that they need an Advocate and Mediator to come between God and them because they have offended him If we had offended a great Man we would be glad for some who had Interest in him and great favour and friendship to speak for us If we had offended the King and committed Treason would not we be glad of some Person that hath a great Interest in the King's favour to intercede for us If the King had a Son would not we be glad that he should mediate for us and interpose between us and the Wrath of the King and turn away his Indignation and make Reconciliation for us Would not we be glad that the King's Son should obtain a Pardon for us and restor◠us to the King's favour We have offended the King of Kings and the supream Lord of Heaven and Earth so that we need a great Mediator we need one to make our Peace and purchase Pardon and Salvation for us God hath laid help upon one that is mighty he hath given his dear Son Christ Jesus to be the great Mediator between God and Man to be the great Peace-maker and Reconciler and the Saviour of Sinners But it should not be thought that Christ hath greater tenderness and love for us than God the Father Who so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life And now in the next place there is another thing that is weighty upon my Spirit and it is of great concernment and that is to answer this Question Question How doth God do this great Work of putting his Law in our inward Parts and writing his Law in our Hearts Doth he do it without all outward Means Helps and Instruments I answer In God's ordinary way he doth this great VVork by outward Means Helps and Instruments tho' he can do it without them It may suffice us that God hath vouchsafed to us these outward Means and Helps of Instruction in the Preaching of the Gospel and in our Reading of the holy Scriptures It pleaseth the Lord by the mighty working of his 〈…〉 it to go along with the outward Ministry of the VVord and to make impression upon us and to write his Law in our Hearts this Law of the New Covenant This I testify from mine own Experience and I doubt not but divers here can witness the like to have been their Experience that God hath by the mighty power and operation of his holy Spirit accompanying the outward means and helps of Instruction made impression upon them and written his Law upon their Hearts This Law of the New Covenant here expressed in the singular Number is sometimes stiled Laws in the plural Number When it is stiled Law in the singular Number it signifies a Body of divine Laws consisting of many parts I will put my Law in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Now the Laws and Precepts of God which he gave to his People the twelve Tribes of Israel some have computed their number to be above six hundred Laws many of which were typical and ceremonial How do these typical and ceremonial Laws which were given to them bind us that live under the Gospel Do they oblige us now I answer they do not bind us as to the typical and ceremonial part but they bind us as to the spiritual part as they have a spiritual and moral signification as the Law of the Sabbaths and Sacrifices and New Moons c. they bind us not as to the ceremonial part but as they have a spiritual and moral signification in them I shall now proceed to some few things that remain In the new Covenant God hath promised to his People To blot out their Iniquities and to remember their Sins no more The Law of the first Covenant doth not admit of Pardon of Sin The Soul that sinneth shall die but the new Covenant hath Pardon of Sin through the Mediator Christ Jesus upon the account of shedding his Blood for us This is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of Sins Mat. 26.28 Why doth not he say for Remission of the sins of all He died for all and shed his Blood for all but it is only effectual to those that believe in him Pray observe with me this weighty Matter of Doctrin which is this None hath his Sins blotted out but as he comes to God's Teachings the Father's Teachings but as he comes to be taught of God over and above all Mens Teaching whatsoever every one that is taught of God doth know more of God more of his Love more of his divine Grace more of his Power more of divine Enjoyment those that are taught of God know more of a divine Sweetness and Enjoyment and of Comfort than can be had by the Teachings of Man or in the Bible it self according to that Expression of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The full fruition of these things is reserved to the World to come but the deep things of God are
his coming down spiritually that we may witness and enjoy a further measure of him and of his spiritual and heavenly Presence and wait for his coming to us O saith David when shall thy Word come unto me How sweet are thy Words unto my taste yea sweeter than Hony to my Mouth He waited that the Word of God might come unto him Send forth thy Light and thy Truth send it forth from thy Zion from above from thy holy Hill from thy Dwelling-place above in Heaven Send forth thy Light and thy Truth that it may guide me to thy holy Habitation thy holy Hill of Zion He waited more and more for it These Words were first of all spoken by Moses Deut. 11.12 For this Commandment which I command thee this Day it is not hidden from thee neither is it afar of It is not in Heaven that thou should say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us That we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou maist do it This is the Word of Faith the Word of Life and Reconciliation the powerful Word of God that is within as a Hammer and a Sword and as Fire it breaks and melts the Heart and is helpful to every good Thing The Tribes of Israel had it This Word which I command thee this Day This Word of Righteousness and Salvation every Man and Woman hath it in all Ages and Generations blessed be the Lord it is more abundantly revealed now than in former Ages and Generations yet Moses saith This Commandment which I command you it is not hid from you But this Mystery of Christ was hid from Ages and Generations It is said to be hid because it was not so plentifully revealed as in latter Ages yet it was not so hid always but something of it was known in darkest Times Moses might well say to the Children of Israel It is not hidden from thee neither is it far off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to Heaven that is to say to bring down Christ from above to bring him down to appear in a Body of Flesh he was not then come in the Flesh yet was expected in many Ages Moses and all the Holy Prophets and Holy Men of God they were contented with a Spiritual Sight of him they waited and prayed for his Coming yet he was not manifested in the Flesh in their Days and Generation they died in the Faith that Christ should come into the World in the fulness of Time and they obtained Remission of Sins for hiâ— sake Who hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us and died the accursed Death of the Cross that our Sins might be forgiven and that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith Before the coming of Christ God's Israel of old offered Sacrifices of Rams Bullocks and Goats not that they believed there was any Vertue in the Blood of those Sacrifices to take away Sin but this was a Testimony of their Thankfulness to God And so likewise it helped their Faith as a Symbol to preach Christ to them and their Posterity That in the fulness of Time Christ should descend from Heaven and take a Body of Flesh Gal. 4.4 The Apostle tells us But when the fulness of Time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Rom. 8.3 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus â—â—th made us free from the Law of Sin and Dâ—â—th for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likâ—nesâ— of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh tâ—â—t thâ—â—ighteousness of the Law might be fulâ—â—â—â— in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Christ was a Sacrifice for Sin he came to finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in everlasting Righteousness Now it was in the fulness of Time thaâ— Christ should descend from Heaven and comâ— in the Form of a Servant and die for ouâ— Sins and rise again for our Justification Before Christ died and rose again from the Dead this Prophecy of Moses was not fulfilled Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring down Christ to us or who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it to us before Christ died and rose again from the Dead He wenâ— over Lakes and Seas Here is a Prophecy given forth by the Spirit of God in Moses hiâ— Time and now fulfilled Christ went abouâ— doing good He went about by Land anâ— by Sea to do good unto People Sometimes he preached aboard a little Ship and sometimes on the Land He travelled both by Sea and Land and went about doing good and healeâ— all manner of Diseases for God was with him And that was the Time and Age of which Moses gave forth this Prophecy That Christ should die and rise again from the Dead and go over the Seas And the Apostle Paul was guided by the same Spirit when he wrote these Words Rom. 10.6 7. Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shaâ— descend into the Deep that is to bring up Chrisâ— again from the Dead the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thine Heart thaâ— is the Word of Faith which we preach This was declared and fulfilled in the Apostles Days Christ had descended into the lower parts of the Earth died and rose again and was ascended into Heaven This is the Word of Faith that we Preach I shall insist further upon this God willing if I have an Opportunity renewed to me If you have a right Faith and Belief that Christ died for you you will believe it was for us and not for himself he suffered the Death of the Cross he was cut off for our Sins not for his own he shed his precious Blood for our Sins not for his own he offered not a Sacrifice as other Priests did first for his own Sins and then for the Sins of the People for he had no sins of his own If you have fixed your Faith upon this and if you have a living Faith in your Heart iâ— will open to you and give you the Comfort of it I say It is a Lamentation and may be for a Lamentation that the true Faith of it is so little preached in Christendom Therefore Christendom is as a Wilderness which might have been as the Garden of the Lord.
of the Apostle Peter Pet. 1.1 8. Whom having not seen ye Love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Joy unspeakaâ—le and full of Glory These words Import â—hat though now ye see not the Man Christ â—esus yet the time will come when you shall see him that is when he shall appear in his Glory at the great Day of Judgment when â—he Nations shall stand before him then they shall certainly see him though now they see him not and then Believers shall rejoyce with â—oy unspeakable and full of Glory I say Faith is a very great mystery in that it joyns the Souls of them that truly believe in him to Christ now in heaven Believers do not rejoyce Imaginarily but really True Faith is incomparably a more excellent thing than Imagination is Faith joyneth us to Christ it knitteth us to him and giveth us access unto God by him Remember what our Lord said to Thomas after he arose from the Dead when he appeared to his Disciples the Doors being shut the eleven had seen Christ before when Thomas was not present he would not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to them John 20. When the other Disciples told him we have seen the Lord. He said unto them except I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe And after eight Days again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you then saith he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be Faithless but believing And Thomas answeâ—ed and said unto him my Lord and my Gâ—â— Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hâ— seen me thou hast believed Blessed are they thâ— have not seen and yet have believed O my Friends these VVords are preciouâ— my Heart is touched and tendered with theâ— Blessed are they that have not seen yet haâ— believed we have not seen him risen from thâ— Dead he appeared not to us as to them and 〈◊〉 he appeared to Paul outwardly this is oâ— case you are blessed if ye believe in him whoâ— ye have not seen in the Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 the Man Christ Jesus and if they are Blesseâ— that have not seen yet have believed then follows by the Rule of contraries that theâ— were not blessed who did not believe in hiâ— though they saw him and heard him Preach I cannot say it is a Sin in them not to bâ—lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ who have nâ— heard him Preached to them outwardly nor Inwardly who have not heard of his Death Burial Resurrection and Ascension and sittinâ— at the Right-Hand of God I cannot say 〈◊〉 is a Sin in them not to believe who nevâ—â— heard of those things but those that have haâ— this Doctrine preached and also read in thâ— Holy Scriptures and yet do not believe Chrisâ— risen from the Dead that do not believe Chrisâ— died for their Sins nor believe that he is gonâ— to Heaven and liveth for ever to make intercession for us It is so great a Sin not to believe Christs Incarnation Death and Resurrection when it is preached that they bring a Curse upon themselves that believe not this Doctrin after it is plainly preached to them I do say it and am ready to prove what I say They that have an opportunity to hear this Doctrin preached and read it they have an obligation lying upon them to believe it not because of the outward Testimony barely for where-ever the Scriptures come and are read and preached there is an inward Witness and Testimony goes along with the outward Testimony and it cannot be supposed that the inward Testimony of God's holy Spirit will be wanting to them that enjoy the preaching of the Gospel of Christ to enable them to believe It is Unbelief that brings Men under the Curse and makes them guilty before God Our Saviour told the Jews Except you believe that I am he ye shall die in your Sins O this is most dreadful and whither I go ye cannot come It is not a bare literal traditional or historical Faith or Belief in Christ that I preach to the People which is a Faith of no Value or Worth for Hypocrites have this Faith but that Faith which I preach it is a living Faith wrought by the mighty Power of the Spirit of Christ accompanying the outward Teaching It is a living Faith a fruitful Faith and where-ever this Faith is Love is it is never without Love for Faith Hope and Love always go together and all the Fruits of the Spirit all evangelical Vertues Humility Meekness Temperance and Patience so that they that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ they have a Faith that worketh by Love Love to God and Man That Faith that they have in them is a pious devout religious consciencious Faith and this Faith is accompanied with a Desire that every one might partake of the like precious Faith Every one thaâ— hath it they feel an earnest Travel and concern upon their Spirits that all might be partakers of it they are zealous for the Faith of Christ's Doctrine for by the Faith of Christ's Doctrine we have the Faith of Christ himself So that I do not understand for my part how people can have the Faith of Christ that have not the Faith of his Doctrine A Man or Woman may have a measure of the true Faith of Christ and be short in some matter of Doctrine that is not fundamental they may be wanting in some measure but it were better that there was nothing wanting if possible I long to see you saith the Apostle Rom. 1.11 compared with 1 Thess 3.10 that I may perfect what is lacking in your Faith He did suppose those that were partakers of the Faith of Christ might have something lacking in their Faith that might be supplied to them Christ's Doctrine as it is powerfully preached hath this Service in it to help a Man to lay hold on Christ by Faith as you know we can more easily lay hold upon a Man that is cloathed than upon one that is naked we can more easily lay hold upon Christ by laying hold upon his Doctrine and upon his precious Promises the Promise of Remission of Sin and of his Holy Spirit John 7.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water These are exceeding great and precious Promises by which we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature I can tell you something of mine own Experience I was enabled to lay hold on Christ by laying hold on the Promise of Christ Christ comes cloathed with the precious Promises to believe the Promise of Salvation through Christ Jesus the Promise of Remission of
That Jesus Christ in the fulness of Time died for our Sins and became an Offering and a Sacrifice to reconcile us to God by dying and shedding his precious Blood for us So this Word within us is put into us he hath put into us the Word of Reconciliation Christ is the great Sacrifice of Attonement the great Reconciling Sacrifice and by his Spirit he applies the Vertue and efficacy of his Death and Sufferings to us Christ being risen from the Dead we are not ashamed to own it we are not ashamed to confess it with our Mouths For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation for the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed 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 The Brain and Head Belief will not do it is the Word of Faith in the Heart that begets this Belief in us If the Lord shall hereafter be pleased to give me further Opportunity I shall shew you what Salvation is in the full extent of it It is not only from Sin and Wrath and the Anger and Displeasure of God but it is a Salvation from all the Consequences and effects of it It is a Salvation from Ignorance and Error and from Darkness of Understanding It is a Recovering of us from a State of Sin and Misery and a Restoring of us to a higher Dignity and Felicity than that Primitive State which Adam was created in to whom God gave Dominion over all the Works of his Hands We are saved gradually we obtain Victory by degrees and Dominion over Sin and Power over all our Spiritual Enemies This is a great Salvation indeed we are saved by Faith and saved by Hope There is a Time coming when there shall be no more Sorrow Sickness Pains Aches Miseries Afflictions Agonies or Death but Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life The great Necessity of Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as he is both God and Man in order to Salvation Held forth in a Declaration or Sermon Delivered by GEORGE KEITH At Grace-church-street August 22. 1694. Acts 16.30 31. Sirs what must I do to be saved Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shat be saved and thy House I Shall not spend much time about the word Sirs which in the Greek signifies Lords which is the Title that the Jailer here gives to Paul and Silas He was struck with fear and terror in his Conscience and was under much horror and consternation when by the mighty Power of God he was convinced of his Sin and danger of falling short of Salvation We read That at Midnight after Paul and Silas had many Stripes laid upon them and were cast into the inner Prison and their Feet made fast in the Stocks they prayed and sung Praises to God and the Prisoners heard them And it is said That suddenly there was a great Earthquake so that the Foundations of the Prison were shaken and immediately all the Doors were opened and every ones Bands were loosed Being in such fear and consternation no wonder that the Keeper of the Prison gives to Paul and Silas those high Titles of Sirs or Lords What shall I do to be saved Not that they desired those Titles or accepted those Titles which the Jailer gave to them For Paul saith There is but one Lord not Lord Paul and Lord Silas not Lord Timothy and Lord Titus To shew his Honour and Esteem of their Persons and of their Advice and Counsel in his distressed condition he cries out Sirs or Lords What must I do to be saved Which will not justify such Titles But notwithstanding the Query was seasonable and proper and is so to every awakened Conscience that is struck with a deep sense of the need of a Saviour and want of Salvation What must I do to be saved Now the Answer is very short but full and comprehensive Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House It must not be supposed or thought that this was all they spake or the whole they preached to him and to those that were in his House but this was the matter and the sum of their Exhortation and Counsel tho' they might enlarge in many Words We do not read that they went to Bed all that Night they had a sweet time together until the next Morning when they parted being discharged from their Imprisonment For the Magistrates that sent them to Prison came and besought them and brought them out and desired them to depart out of the City Without question there was much Discourse and Conference passed between them but the chief material thing which Paul and Silas preached to the Jailer and his Family was Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House It is not to be understood that his House and Family Wife Children and Servants should be saved by his Faith alone no every Man and Woman are to be saved by their own Faith The Just shall live by his Faith not by another Mans Faith but by his own Faith The Words imply so much Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House If they believe also you shall all be saved if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Now some say Was there not need of some Preparation before the Preaching of Faith Here was an excellent Preparation the Mans Conscience was mightily awakened with the sense of his lost and undone state and condition What needed he to ask for Salvation if not sensible of his lost and undone condition So indeed here was a good Preparation and such a Preparation is necessary to have the Conscience awakened through a deep and inward sense of sin and of the wrath of God that was due because of sin this Preparation is necessary to Faith The Whole saith our blessed Lord need not a Physician but they that are sick And I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Who are these Righteous that Christ did not come to call to Repentance Did Christ find any Righteous Are there any found Righteous before they be called No there is none Righteous till God first visits them by his mighty Power What is the sense of these Words I came not to call the Righteous It is those that are Righteous in their own Sight in their own Eyes those that have their own Righteousness a humane Righteousness a legal Righteousness such are not Righteous in the sight of God they have need of Christ as much as others They that rely upon their own Righteousness a humane or legal Righteousness they see not the want they have of Christ Jesus the great Physician of Souls It is certainly so before ever Christ Jesus can be welcomed as the Souls Physician and Saviour before he can be welcomed embraced and received
as a High Priest and Propitiation for Sin as an Advocate as an Intercessor and as the Attonement we must see our absolute need of him in order to our obtaining Eternal Salvation Christ is both the Priest and the Sacrifice the Priest that offers and the Attonement that is offered O glorious Mystery that he who is our great high Priest should offer himself The Priests under the Law offered other things â—s the Body and Blood of a Beast but Christ offered himself he gave himself a Ransom for us he offered his own Blood his own Life he made his Soul an Offering for Sin he offered himself Soul and Body a compleat Offering not his Body only but his Soul and Body also he offered himself through the eternal Spirit Before Christ can be thus embraced and sought after as a Hiding-place there must be a Preparation going before And it is prophesied of him A Man shall be a Hiding-place the Man Christ Jesus No Man but he can be a Hiding-place from the Storm and Tempest And as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land And it is prophesied of him again He shall be our Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land What Man is this And who is this Assyrian It is an Allegory or Metaphor The King of Assyria you know invaded the Land and carried away the ten Tribes The King of Assyria by way of Metaphor or Allegory is he that seeks to destroy our Souls and make havock of them Christ shall be our Peace When the Assyrian comes into our Land to spoil us and destroy us the Man Christ Jesus shall be our Defence How through Faith in him he shall be our Hiding-place and our Defence and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land We must fly unto him by Faith and our Faith must not stand in the wisdom of the words of Men but in the power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Foundation he is the true Ground and sure Footing for every one of our Faith The mighty Power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ opening and revealing to our Souls the great Mysteries of our Salvation Christ is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God The Jews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Doth Paul preach two Christs No by no means neither Prophet Apostle or Evangelist preach two Christs as if Christ within were one Christ and Christ without another Christ The Man Christ Jesus that died a painful and shameful Death upon the Cross in whom all Fulness dwells the Fulness of the Godhead bodily he is the living powerful eternal Word that had the Spirit without measure which is in measure in us he is but one Christ one compleat and intire Christ But some may say Why doth the Apostle Paul call Christ the Power of God and the wisdom of God I answer plainly because the fulness of the divine power and wisdom dwelt in Christ and dwells in him so that through our Faith in him we receive such a measure of the divine wisdom and power as we need in order to have the work of our Salvation wrough out to have it begun carried on and finish'd There are two things that we greatly need that we absolutely and indispensibly need Wisdom and Power We need a measure of God's Wisdom of heavenly and divine Wisdom to make known to us the whole Will Counsel and Mind of God for our Salvation for all that we can read in the holy Scriptures and other good Books and all that we have preached to us from time to time can never suffice to give us the true Knowledge of the will and mind of God in order to our Salvation unless we be supplied with divine Wisdom from above unless we be inwardly inspired endued and inlightned with the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge from God and Christ Jesus We need a measure of the divine Spirit and of the divine Wisdom to teach and instruct us concerning the Mind and Will and Counsel of God concerning our Salvation not by Piece-meal and in Parts but we must know the whole Mind and Counsel of God as much as is needful to our Salvation to have it wrought in us David was sensible of this when he thus prayed Teach me to do thy Will O God teach me thy Judgments Psal 119.108 And teach me thy Statutes vers 64. teach me by thy good Spirit But some there are that are ignorant and self-conceited which are ready to say What need we pray after this manner Did not David know God's Precepts and Statutes He had them upon his Memory and upon his Heart But for all the knowledge that he had of God's Precepts yet he needed further to be taught and instructed in the depth of the Mystery of divine Wisdom and Knowledge therefore in respect of the Commandments and Statutes of God he prays Lord teach me thy Precepts teach me thy Statutes and Testimonies and Judgments We need the Teachings of the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation The Apostle prays thus for the Ephesians 1 chapter 17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him The eyes of our understandings being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right Hand in the Heavenly places We need a measure of the Divine Wisdom that dwels in all fullness in Christ He that was Crucified and buryed rose again and Ascended into Heaven and is now there in that prepared Body wonderfully Glorified but not another Body it â— the same Body but now impassible not subject to suffering or Bodily weaknesses aâ— Hunger Thirst Sleep or Wearyness hiâ— Body is not now passible or obnoxious to any kind of Suffering Secondly Another thing we greatly need is Power these two Wisdom and Power do in a manner comprehend and contain all our needs We want the Instruction of Divine Wisdom to give us understanding and knowledge to know the Mind of God to know the whole Will and Counsel of God to know our Duty to God and what the Lord requires of us and what the Lord Christ requires of us in order to our Eternal Happyness And then we want Power as well as Wisdom if God should give us Wisdom and Understanding and Councel to know what we ought to do and withhold Power from
Way After you have proved all things and come to know that which is good that wherein your Peace with God and Comfort doth consist hold it fast let none beguile you the Enemy of your Souls will labour to lay something in your Way If the Lord had not been very merciful to us we might many of us long since have turned aside we might have fainted in our Minds and been weary of well-doing I do not question but many of you in your Pilgrimage-State do meet with many things in your way to everlasting Life Some put one thing into your Minds and some another let it be your Care that as you have received the Gift from above and by the Holy Scriptures are come to know what is good hold it fast How hold it fast By patient Watchfulness and Diligence taking heed to the Grace of God that hath appeared and brought Salvation to our Souls I pity those Souls that are in an unsettled State which are tossed to and fro that are sometimes for one thing and sometimes for another a double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways You are happy if you are come to that Settlement in your Minds as to be stable and fixed that when you have proved all things you hold fast that which is good As you have received an Understanding from the Lord let it be your Care in the Exercise of your Minds to live in obedience to the Lord in what you know to be the holy good and acceptable Will of God and not hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 The Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousnesâ— What hath your Care been to hold fast thaâ— which is good You must hold it fast by living according to what you know all profession of Godliness will stand Men in no stead if they do not live according to their Light and Knowledge Therefore I greatly pity many in our Days to whom the Lord hath been pleased to give a large measure of his Grace that they certainly know their Duty towards God and how to live and carry themselves among Men but they are like those mentioned by the Apostle In Words they profess Christ but in Works they deny him There are many in our Days that have more Words to speak than a great many that can speak a great deal but live not answerably I speak not this to upbraid any but in pity to their Souls and that every one of us may be excited and stirred up to live according to what we have received What will it profit a Man if he know never so much and run to and fro till Knowledge be increased The Lord is about to seek out a People in all Places that may try all things and hold fast that which is good This I shall leave to your Consideration and I would ask every one of you that are before me What do you know of that which is good I hope none of you will say That you do not know that which is good for that person speaks contrary to what the Holy Ghost hath declared Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God since the Lord hath been so merciful as to shew us what is good and what he doth require at our Hands it concerneth every one of us to know whether we live and act according to what God requires and do not sin against our own Light Knowledge and Conscience The Lord may bear with us a great while and his Patience and Long-suffering may be lengthned out a great while the Time will come when God will bear no longer it will be as it was with the old World and with Sodom and Gomorrah when Noah went into the Ark a Deluge of Wrath came upon them When Lot went out of Sodom it was destroyed by Fire The Lord sent a Flood to drown and destroy the old World And he sent Fire from Heaven to burn the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because they sinned against him And saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the Terror of the Lord we persuade Men. When I consider these awakening Words and Sayings I think with my self How can sinful Men and Women go on in such a course when they must certainly appear at Christ's Tribunal and give an Account of their Deeds of whatever they have done in the Body whether good or bad If Men would take this into their Thoughts they would consider We must die and as Death leaveth us Judgment will find us and take hold of us Consider your Ways repent and turn to the Lord that you may appear before him with Joy at the great day of his Appearing Let your Religion be what it will I mind not for any Man 's private Persuasion or Opinion Prove all things prove Men's Words prove Men's Sayings and that which is of greatest concernment of all let us prove our own Ways and examine our own Actions how we have lived and what we have done if we have lived according to what we have received and done according to what we have known to be our Duty we are in a good condition but if we have lived contrary our own Consciences will condemn us if we be like those mentioned by the Apostle to Titus Chap. 1.10 That profess that they know God but in Works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good Work reprobate I do greatly pity every Soul that is found in such a state and condition because he is in the broad Way that leads to Destruction Our Lord Christ's Saying was after this manner Matth. 7.13 14. Enter ye in at the strait Gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to Destruction and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it The Lord is pleased to afford a Day of Visitation to all sinful Men and Women a day of grace and mercy a day wherein he is seeking of them â—y his dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord to â—ring them out of their sinful state that they may be saved from the Wrath to come So often as thou findest any thing in thee â—eproving and condemning thee for any evil thing that is the gift of God the spirit of Truth the holy Spirit the spiritual Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ who is come to seek and save that which is lost Let me entreat you all that desire the salvation of your Souls that you will be careful to enter into the Examination of your Selves after this
the Lord I have found such strength and power given in that the Enemy hath given back When I awake in the morning and come to a Meeting I am in distress till I receive Bread from Heaven and Hony out of the Rock and Consolation from those precious Promises I will cause them to lie down and none shalt make them afraid and they shall have Bread in their own Houses and Water in their own Cisterns The more you wait upon the Lord the more you will find of supply from his heavenly helping-hand certainly God is carrying on the Work of your Redemption till you appear before him in Zion tho' at present it causeth trouble and exercise as it was with the Spouse when she was seeking after her Beloved with desires and breathings Cant. 6.8 I charge you Daughters of Jerusalem if you find my Beloved that ye tell him That I am sick of love To be sick of Love is a groaning mournful Exercise but when thy Saviour â—â—mes and opens his Mouth in blessing thou â—ilt be abundantly satisfied as with Marrow â—nd Fatness and sit under his shadow with â—â—â—t Delight and his Fruit will be sweet unâ—â— thy taste Thus it was with David When thou hidest thy face O God I am troubled and I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living One that is earnestly seeking after Christ will speak of his Excellencies as the Spouse did and thereby excite and stir up others to seek him also my Beloved is white and rudy the chiefest of ten thousand his Mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether Lovely This is my Beloved and this is my Friend O Daughters of Jerusalem whither is thy beloved gone they said whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee When thou art seeking after Christ he is not far from thee Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come unto him and will sup with him and he with me Some honest Country men will say one to another where is the Door Christ comes to It is the Door of the Heart What is this knocking of the beloved at the Door How shall I know when he knocks at the Door when the Spouse comes to have acquaintance with her beloved I sleep but my Heart waketh it is the Voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my Sister my love my dove my undefiled for my Head is filled with dew and mâ— locks with the drops of the Night My belovâ—â— saith she put in his hand by the hole of 〈◊〉 Door and my Bowels were moved for him I 〈◊〉 up to open to my Beloved and my hands droppeâ— with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my Soul failed when he spake When the Lord is pleased to give a tast of his love then after a dark Night of sorrow and affliction the Day will break and the shadows flee away then at the dawning of this blessed Morning Christ will come to the disconsolate enquiring Soul and his reward is with him and his work before him then there shall be joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall fly away Then saith the humble Soul I am sensible of the goodness of the Lord sensible of mercy and supporting and preserving power but I am still under trouble and disquietness of mind and I am as David when he cryed out Lord make hast to help me for the Waters are come unto my Soul great distress and trouble are come into my Soul now though I have believed in Christ and obtained mercy and assistance from divine power against my Spiritual Enimies yet I have not kept my watch and my adversary the Devil by his subtilty and wiles hath ensnared me and given me a snap at the Heel and I have relapsed â—nto sin sinned presumptuously nay I am afraid I have sinned the unpardonable sin the 〈◊〉 against the Holy Ghost for I have been enlightened and tasted of the Heavenly gift 〈◊〉 have been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come The Apostle saith It is impossible for such if they fall away to be renewed again by Repentance I am affraid to die for I cannot triumph over Death as the Apostle did and say 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the sting of Death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ I Answer Notwithstanding all thy doubts and fears thou art still to hope in God who is merciful and gracious forgiving transgression and sin and who hath promised that if we confess and forsake sin we shall find mercy and if we forsake sin and turn from our evil ways he will abundantly pardon Remember for thy encouragment the words of the Apostle 1 John 2.12 My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World If thou dost believe in Christ thou wilt be in a capacity to resist the Devil thy grand Enemy and to repel his temptations when he comes as an accuser to make shipwrack of thy Faith consider the tenderness and compassion of Christ toward broken and contrite sinners in 11 Mat. 28. in that sweet invitation Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And also in that charge he giveth to Peter John 21 15. Simon Son of Jonaâ— lovest thou me He answered Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee then saith he feed my Lambs feed my Sheep c. Stephen when they were stoning him to Death did look unto Christ and had strong consolation triumphing over Death and the rage and fury of his Murderers Acts 17.55 He being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right hand of God and they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit And he kneeled down and cryed with a loud Voice Lord lay not this sin unto their Charge Thus look up unto Jesus when thy Adversary the Devil doth accuse thee and by believing thou wilt overcome him and go on conquering and to conquer till all thy enemies be utterly subdued Believe in the Lord Jesus who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him and those that come unto him he will in no wise cast out
under a Divine preparation as many are 〈◊〉 our Days who are ready to say Lord havâ— mercy upon us among so many Religions 〈◊〉 would to God we knew how to chuse thaâ— which is right these are under a Heavenly preparation that earnestly enquire after the truâ— way and worship of the Lord wherein they may seek and serve him and find acceptance It is left upon record concerning Christ He gave his life a Ransom for many to be testified in due time If you speak of a Ransom to one that is a liberty he will not regard it being unconcerned but come and tell a poor captive in Algiers that he shall shortly be discharged from his slavery and sore bondage and set at liberty and that a noble Friend in England will pay his Ransom for him â—and his Heart will melt and leap for joy and he will be transported and greatly affected to hear such glad tidings As the Captives in Babilon when they sat down by the Rivers there and hanged their Harps upon the Willows and wept when they remembred Zion when they that carryed them away Captive required of them mirth saying sing us one of the songs of Sion They said How shall we sing the Lords Song in a strange land So it hath pleased the Lord in our Days to make Thousands sensible of their woful Captivity by reason of sin and to say after this manner alas I am where I would not be I am under bondage to sin and Satan I would be at liberty I am confined and shut up in a dark Dungeon I would be Discharged I am in Darkness and would have the light of Gods Countenance lifted up upon me and he refreshed with the Rays of the Sun of Righteousness I am labouring under weakness and I would receive strength and strugling under my many Infirmities I would receive Power from on high to do the will of God and never be a weary of well doing I am now at a distance from my Fathers House and as a stranger on this Earth I would have my conversation in Heaven and live unto Christ here that I may live with him hereafter and sit with him at Gods Right Hand in Heavenly places Now those that are made sensible of their state of Captivity and darkness and how they have been under the very region and shadow of Death to such as sit in darkness and as it were under the shadow of Death God hath caused light to spring up whereby the Soul comes to perceive that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses to them Christ gave his life a Ransom for many to be testified in due time The Soul hath its lodgment under fears and doubts questioning whether ever it shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God and we are all Children of wrath by nature as well as others the first step of quietness and comfort is like that of the Fathers running to meet his Prodigal Son when he saw him afar off It is when the Soul seâ— and apprehends that God is in Christ reconciling the World unto himself the Lord saith I have found a Ransom I have laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost Now after we perceive there is a Ransom that there is mercy with the Lord that he may be feared then the light of that prophecy opens to us Isa 55.6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Then the Soul begins to perceive this Morning of the Day of God and will say with the Psalmist return to thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Until the Soul comes to behold and tast of this Passover and to believe the record that God hath given of his Son it cannot be unlocked and unchained from its bondage and Captivity He that believeth not is condemned already and the wrath of God abideth on him because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son The believing this record and embracing the promise of God is that whereby we feel a spark of Divine hope kindled in us So that I say the greatest comfort that can be enjoyed in this life is to be assured by the spirit of God that we are saved from the wrath to come we must begin and go on gradually â—â—d work out our own Salvation with fear and â—embling till it appear to thee and thou art â—â—tisfyed that thy Faith stands not in the Wisâ—om of men but in the power of God and â—hat thy sins are remitted Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and â—hose Sin is covered Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guil When you come â—o perceive the Benefit which you have received by Christ Jesus and that by a true belief in his name you receive Remission of Sins this kindles in your Souls a love to God and you will be ready to say What hath he paid my debt that I might be discharged from Prison Paid that debt which I could not pay I was in Captivity from which I could not Ransom my self and hath God given his Son and hath his Son Jesus Christ given himself to be a Ransom for me I was under a strange King as the Israelites of old under great slavery in the land of Egypt and house of Bondage hath the Lord brought me out from thence by a mighty Hand and out-stretched Arm and brought me as it were through the Red-Sea as on dry land hath he destroyed those Enemies that designed my Destruction and wrought a great deliverance and Salvation for me What shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who healeth all thy Diseases who Redeemeth thy life from Destruction and crowneth thee wiâ—â— lovingkindness and tender mercies When we apprehend that our sins are remâ—ted and that God is in Christ reconciling tâ— World to himself not imputing their trespassâ— to them then we have quietness and peace Rejoyce and beglad O Daughter of Zion thâ— Lord that is Righteous will bring Salvation and he will send forth thy Prisoners out of thâ— Pit where there was no Water Methinks I hear a sound in a Disconsolatâ— Soul saying I believe that God is mercifuâ— the Night is far spent and the Day is at hand yet notwithstanding this is my trouble that â— do not yet feel any Power to live to Christ thaâ— died for me and to walk worthy of my vocation the Soul may therefore cry out
O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death I have formerly been greatly troubled and distressed because I wanted a certainty of the Remission of my sins that are past now I am as much troubled and disquieted and my Soul is cast down within me because I have not Power over my present sins alas I have not power to fight the Lambs Battles and to overcome my Spiritual Enemies when I am engaged in the Holy warfare under the Captain of my Salvation who was made perfect through sufferings and he hath only made a promise to him that overcometh I have not yet obtained the Victory He that overcometh saith Christ the same shall be clothed in white rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Holy Angels Rev. 3.5 12. Him â—hat overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of God and he shall go no more out and I â—ill write upon him the Name of my God and â—he Name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven â—rom my God and I will write upon him my â—ew Name Thou complainest of want of power to overcome thy Spiritual Enimies â—rt thou one that longest to overcome then I â—ope the controversy is at an end do not say â— shall carry this Body of sin and Death to the Grave with me but wait to be made a parâ—aker of Christs Prayer John 17.15 17. I pray â—ot that thou shouldst take them out of the World â—ut keep them from the evil Sanctify them brough thy Truth thy word is Truth Wait for Sanctification and to receive power according to that antient lesson John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them â—hat believe on his Name Dost thou believe â—hat Christ is endued with all power in Heaven and Earth that he may give power to his People and save them from their sins and to be a defender of their Faith now he is in Heaven as certainly as on the Eearth he offerâ—d himself a sacrifice upon the Cross and beâ—ame a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World then doubt not but thou shall have â—ower over thy sins and be more than Conqueâ—our through him that hath loved thee I will tell thee that Lesson which I haâ— learned in the School of Christ that is to wâ—â— to be endued with Power from on high anâ— the desire of thy Soul shall be satisfied and thâ— waiting will not be in vain when thou waiâ—est upon God that waiteth to be gracious But thou further complainest I want strengtâ— where my weakness is and my weakness 〈◊〉 inward I want assistance where my enemâ— comes to assault me and that is within me Every one that belongs to Christ Jesus is 〈◊〉 some measure made sensible of sin and is waiting to be delivered from it Therefore as said Christ gave his life a Ransom for many to be testified in due time Let me be waiting for Power to become a child of God Thou hast Power thou sayest to stand and to keep thy self from falling thou hast power to keep thy self from Drunkenness anâ— Uncleanness and other gross sins but dosâ— thou wait upon the Lord for power over thy Thoughts and dost thou say as it is in the Prophet How long shall these vain Thoughts lodge within me We have a good Lesson from the Apostle in this case Ephes 6.10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might puâ— on the whole Armour of God that ye may bâ— able to stand against the wiles of the Devil foâ— we wrestle not against flesh and blood but againsâ— Principalities and Powers against the Rulers oâ— the darkness of this World against spirituaâ— Wickedness in high Places O that all the precious Truths that are delivered to you may be mixed with Faith in them that preach it and hear it Wherefore â—e unto you the whole armour of God that ye â—y be able to withstand in the evil day and â—oing done all to stand Stand therefore havâ—â—g your loins girt about with truth and havâ—â—g on the breast-plate of righteousness â—d your feet shod with the preparation 〈◊〉 the gospel of peace above all â—nâ—â—â—g the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be â—â—le to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked â—â—d take the helmet of salvation and the sword 〈◊〉 the spirit which is the word of God prayâ—â—g always with all prayer and supplication in 〈◊〉 spirit Take unto you the sword of the â—â—irit that you may put to flight the armies 〈◊〉 the aliens Those strange and troublesome â—â—ings those vain thoughts that would alieâ—ate my heart and my affections from God â—hat sort of weapons must we use Our â—eapons are not carnal but spiritual and mighty â—hrough God for the pulling down of strong â—olds of the man of sin and the bringing into â—aptivity every thought to the obedience of Christ O mind these things in good earnest and â—hey will turn to your spiritual advantage â—f it please the Holy Ghost to touch the Preachâ—r's Tongue with a coal from the Altar he may â—op a word of exhortation which will be â—â—arper than a sword and may pierce thy â—â—art Heb. 4.12 The word of God is quick â—nd powerful and sharper than any two-edged â—word piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentiâ—â— the hearts All Scripture saith the Aposâ—â—â— is given by inspiration of God and is profitâ— for doctrine for reproof for correction for â—â—struction in righteousness that the Man of 〈◊〉 may be perfect throughly furnished unto 〈◊〉 good works Some have unadvisedly said That we dâ— the divine authority of the Holy Scripturâ— which we so highly esteem and can say wâ— the Apostle We are not ashamed of the Gosâ—â—â— of Christ for it is the power of God to salâ—â—tion If any among us shall deny the Hâ— Scriptures to be of Divine Inspiration 〈◊〉 them bear the just reproach of it It is commendation given to the Church in Pâ—â—ladelphia Thou hast a little strength and hâ— kept my word and hast not denied my namâ— But now concerning the sword of the spiriâ— which is the word of God I need not sâ— much about it unto you you know the woâ—â— is nigh you in your mouth and in your Heart Many among us have known the word 〈◊〉 God powerful upon our Hearts awakeninâ— us to consider our eternal State Many yeaâ— years ago People marvelled at us saying What ails this People that they are so nice anâ— scrupulous and will not do what others do They will not be chearful and merry and gâ— to Masks and Plays they are cast down anâ— afflicted and weep and lament and moutâ— for their sin before the Lord and are greatlâ—