in time There is nothing that is but it hath been Grace coming forth is nothing but the Childrens coming out of their minority from under tutors and governors The Saints coming from under the Law and out of the flesh There is a time appointed of the Father for this this is the time of grace grace hath appeared and we receive the adoption of sons God tels us we are his begotten his inheritance and he is ours Grace comes forth and appears by degrees and there was never but some appearances of grace But a low appearance of grace is counted as no appearance in respect of a higher That appearance before Christ in the flesh is counted no appearance in respect of that which came forth with Christ in flesh That appearance with Christ in flesh is not appearance in respect of that which comes forth with Christ in the Spirit When he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation to them that wait for him He appears now to salvation but now he appears in sin and weakness and this is not appearing in respect of that which shall be the glory is no glory in respect of that which is coming that is at the dore God brings forth himself out of the dark he hath put himself into the dark and he comes up by degrees he lyeth under vails and coverings and hides his face There is everlasting mercies but they are hidden Your life is hid with Christ in God and God reveals this by degrees There is grace not appearing and salvation not appearing where it is And there is wrath and destruction not appearing also where it is they will both come forth And till these do come forth it is very irrational for any to judge that that which now doth not appear is not there and will never appear It is the comfort of them that wait for grace and cannot see it I know thy poverty saith Christ to one of the Churches in the Revelations but thou art rich Rev. 2. 9. There is nothing to be done for our salvation and glory but the bringing it forth the making it to appear We have a life but 't is hid and vail'd and so we are said to be dead as 't is in Col. 3. 1. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Grace hath appeared teaching us 'T is a blessed thing to know the teaching of grace There is the Laws teaching and Graces teaching there is a Letter teaching and the Spirits teaching In the first teaching we are ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the truth but are still led about with lusts Here is onely a profession and nothing but a form but there is the teaching of grace which is the writing the Law in our minds and putting them in our hearts Here is the Covenant of grace the Law of grace when we are delivered up into the Doctrine as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 17. the form of Doctrine into which you were delivered as 't is in the Margent We are delivered up into the Doctrine we are formed and fashioned and moulded into it There is an appearance of God in Majestie in Mount Sinai that makes servants and slaves and bondmen that saith Do or you dye Do or you are cursed And there is an appearance of God from Mount Sion in love and grace The God of grace or the grace of God hath appeared and he teacheth us his ways and he makes us sons and he brings forth his own nature in us 'T is our life our meat and drink to do his will and finish his work The everlasting Covenant in blood comes forth and makes us perfect to do his will Here is the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus that frees us from the Law of sin and death 'T is a sad thing to be only under a Letter and under a Voice to have nothing but a Letter and a Hearsay Nothing but a voice and direction without here is nothing but enmity within But the word is nigh thee in thy heart when we come to this teaching this inward teaching this Law of the Spirit All other teaching without this inward teaching doth but put us into a Dream into Fancies and we think and seem that we eat and drink but when we awake we shall find our souls hungry and thirsty But this grace of God that teaches effectually delivers us up into the Doctrine moulds us into the form of that which is taught The God of grace appearing to us we are turned into his Image from glory to glory by his Spirit 2 Cor. 3. latter end Let 's all look after this teaching this inward teaching They shall be all taught of God Let us look after the teaching of Christ who spake with authority and not as the Scribes Let us look for power and life and light from God And let 's deal with man for nothing else but that we may hear God by him and see God in him and be able to say God is in you of a truth The grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared teaching us grace and favor it is exceeding winning God doth overcome all our evil by good Love is mightily constraining She had much forgiven her she loved much Let favour be shewed to the wicked he will not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly as 't is in Isa 26. 10. Thou after thy impenitent heart treasurest up wrath and dispisest the goodness of God that leads thee to repentance Bounty is leading to repentance but the God of grace and the grace of God it sets up repentance in us Let us go forth then in grace and in love And so let us be winning and working upon others Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly c. Many men will say if I deny my lusts all the lusts of the world here 's an end of my life What shall I do How shall I live Thou shalt live the life of God It brings death upon this life this Worldly life and brings us to live in hope Looking for that blessed hope It is a foolish thing to a carnal heart to think of suffering it self to betaken off from the present enjoyment of the world the satisfying his lusts to live upon hope But the hope that is in God is firm and sure and surerer then the World The World passeth away and the lusts thereof and they that have their life in these things find nothing but shame and Death but this hope never makes men ashamed Which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail And here le ts take notice of this That the grace of God that brings Salvation is made out in teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Every one
be under the power of none but God I want none but God I 'le seek to none but God Consider that of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. Let them that are married be as if they were not married and they that use the world as if they used it not All going forth to the creature to the world to any piece of it t is ungodliness t is going from God If you cannot be content with God alone t is ungodliness You deny his alsufficiency 't is little Faith this is want of godliness Your Father knows what you have need of you have nothing to do but to please your Father he will supply these things Seek his kingdom these things shall be sent into you So All going forth unto any part of this Creation is ungodliness it is going from God Here is the root of all ungodliness discovered going from God to the creature You will be rich and you must have this and you must have that there is but one thing necessary and if you think any thing else necessary t is denyal of God t is ungodliness You will say this is a hard saying and who can bear it When Christ had told his disciples that it was easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven who then can be saved say they Surely not one that trusts in riches for that is a denying of God Who shall be saved then who is there shall take off his desire from every creature that shall take off his heart and make it over wholly unto the Lord that shall desire nothing but the Lord and say I have none in Heaven but thee nor in earth but thee mark what Christ answers there to men this is impossible but with God all things are possible That which is called for of us is impossible to man but to God all things are possible even this is possible The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will free us from the Law of sin and death God calls us to that which is above mans strength to yield to His belly cleaves to the ground and dust is his meat being beguiled by the Serpent and his looking towards God is meerly Hypocritical But God brings forth Christ in him raises up that substance that holy seed and that seeks him alone Vnless you be born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God So that it is impossible to please God except you know a better Righteousness then mans Righteousness Vnless your righteousness exceeed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Man will not see the extent of sin because he will not see his own condemnation in it but that man that is of God he sees that the power of God is his and the holiness of God is his And he hath a nature that shall rise up out of the creature and throw off all its dust and earth that is upon it and cleave perfectly to God And he delights in the greatness of the commands that God gives Look how great the command is so great is his inheritance there is nothing God commands but what he hath promised His Law he writes in the heart Whatever God commands he gives the higher God commands the Spiritual Man likes them the better God will work all this in me to this shall I rise in and through God Christ in me is able to do this It is God worketh in me to will and to do of his own good pleasure I 'le work out my Salvation Man dealing with the Scripture is lessening sin as much as may be by saying this is not sin and that is not sin May not I do this and may I not do that may I not take care how I shall live And then he comes to his distinctions of a tormenting care and a necessary care there must be a providence This is true providence to seek God You are to know your Father to please him and to deal in outward things as he leads you and no farther If you want it shall be good for you he will teach you to want and to abound to be hungry and to be full Godliness is beyond mans reach and he cannot comprehend it t is beyond what he can attain unto by nature and if you will have a right scantling of sin look upon it as the Apostle sets it out All have sinned and come short of the glory of God All falling short of the glory of God is sin We shall be brought in Christ into the glory of God and then we shall be brought quite out of sin Vse For the Applying of this Let this direct us in our account of sin and of ungodliness Let us reckon according unto this rule all worldly lusts all going forth from God to the world is ungodliness Where is the godly man There is no flesh can stand before God There is the man that is born of God though he lieth in flesh he will come forth and will be able to stand before God when fearfulness surpriseth the Hypocrite There is the new man that is created in true holiness shall stand There is an Hypocritical holiness an Hypocritical godliness that runs to the world and runs to the flesh making their belly their God they mind earthly things and yet they hold forth themselves high in godliness But the Scripture holds forth all going forth to the creature but in the Lord to be ungodliness It must needs be ungodliness to go out from God and it must needs be a denying God and his all-sufficiency to go out to anything but him Therefore let this teach us to mend our account and to correct our reckoning in matter of sin and matter of ungodliness If we be free from Cheats and Robberies and gross defraudings we lick our selves whole we wipe our mouth we are of the godly party so long as thou dost well for thy self men will speak well of thee when as there is raking after the world scraping riches and wealth together and we are ready to die for this thing and the other thing adding house to house and land to land I know not how to live without this Thus hell and the grave in us will never be satisfied alway craving And this is wisdom Prudence Providence This is to be a wise man in the account of men Men cry up this But dost thou acknowledge the Scripture then consider how that censures it Why do you take care Why do you look after any thing but God is not he alsufficient doth he not know what you need have you any thing to do but to look after his Kingdom Cannot you trust him O ye of little Faith is unbelieving godliness with you is not denying God ungodliness Therefore Le ts look into our own hearts and learn what to count ungodliness Sin lurks and is loth to be discovered the discovery of it is
but he will swallow up their weakness in his glory and here he will exercise his Omnisciency here he will exercise his Omnipotency Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 2. Reject this and reject Scripture as I said before By this union between God and the Saints and Gods manifesting himself in his Saints exercising his kingdom exercising his universal Judicature in them the Saints shall judge the world Do ye not know that ye shall judge the world and judge Angels There is no right judge but the Lord and there is no man that is fit to judge till the Lord be risen in him The spiritual man judgeth all things so far forth as he is spiritual he judgeeth all things so far forth as he is carnal he is not fit to judge any thing The carnal judgement condemns the Spirit passes judgement upon God rejects God The Saints are growing up into the Omnisciency and Omnipotency of God God is now despised in them but God shall be glorified in them God bears their weakness but they shall be cloathed upon with his power Christ is in every Saint and the Father hath committed all judgement unto him who doth not judge by the sight of the eye or the hearing of the ear Isa 11. 4. So Paul did not judge now by the sight of the eye or hearing of the ear that is bodily he neither went by common fame neither did his bodily presence help him to discern the business but he was present in spirit and in the light of God in the wisdom of God in the power of God he did see and did judge I already have judged though absent in body yet present in spirit There is no true judgement that passes upon mens Consciences but by the spirit Men that can only judge by the outward appearance can never judge righteous judgement you cannot judge righteous judgement till you are led within the vail till you see principles till you not onely see what is done but see upon what grounds it is done till you see the root of the matter The Apostle cares not for mans judgement He that judgeth me saith he is the Lord. All the people of God they are Princes they are Kings God hath called us to his own kingdom and to his own glory as the Apostle hath it And therefore Rev. 3. 12. it is said I will write upon them the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God and I will write upon them my new name so God will bring forth his glory in his people Paul expressing what he hath done he calls unto the whole Church to joyn with him and assures them they shal have his assistance his assistance and the power of the Lord Jesus When you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Do you judge as I have done The power of the Lord Jesus will lead you to it and you shall come forth in that power actually to deliver him to Satan You see by the effects this was not bare words this was not a bug-bear But that is it we see in Churches and Congregations among us that take upon them this it hath no effect no power And therefore if they have to deal with a Saint he pities them is sorry for them wishes they had more light if with one that is not a Saint he jeers them he scorns them But here is reality this Incestuous person felt hell in his Conscience saw he was in the power of the devil he was even swallowed up with sorrow Therefore the Apostle calls upon them to relieve him and this is to save him q d. look now if the flesh be destroyed then bring out the spirit and comfort him you ought to relieve him Here you see the power of the Lord Jesus he commands hell and death he commands Satan Take that that is thine and then give up that thou hast nothing to do withal Destroy the flesh deliver up the spirit This makes sport for wicked men to come out with thundring and lightning in the absence of power This should set us to mourn for the spirit How little is the manifestation of the spirit in our own Consciences How much less can we manifest it to others It is then time for us to mourn after the Lord. And if we were come to mourn after him we should soon come to rejoyce with him and make our boast of him SERMON III. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. IN the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus In the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of our Lord Iesus This is no vain or idle repetition all business of this nature is done only by the name and the power of Jesus Christ But if you please to make some difference take it thus In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that is owning the Lord Christ professing him calling upon him Wih the pwer of the Lord Iesus Christ that is let not there be a bare mention of him but let there be the power In the power of our Lord Iesus There is much mention of the name of Christ among us taking upon us great things by that name when it is but taking it in vain where no power appears In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit What 's this same spirit of Paul That by which he was present as he said before I am present with you in spirit This I look upon as the Divine nature which Paul did partake of the spiritual man born of God in which God doth act God guides and acts his people in this spiritual man flesh is acted by Satan there is the power of Satan and Hell but here is the power of the Lord Jesus in Spirit My spirit that 's the seat of God in a Saint And my spirit with the power of the Lord Iesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan there is the Sentence and Judgement But before we come to that I shall observe two or three things In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ c. First There is no dealing in the Consciences of men neither our own nor others against sin and Satan when they shew their power there in the power and wisdom of man unless we go forth in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ it is to no purpose T is only the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that delivers the Consciences and Hearts of men fron sin and Satan therefore the Apostle saith Iudge nothing before the time till the Lord come Saul was not to fight with the Philistims till Samuel came To go forth against
light and in this state and condition what wonder is it if the Devil work at his pleasure In such Mists and Foggs as these the Devil brings into our hearts and Congregations all manner of filth and baseness that can be exprest or thought of Fornication not once named among the Gentiles brought into a Christian congregation Vse This calls upon us not to trust to our own hearts He that doth so is a fool saith Solomon And if we walk in Churches and Congregations le ts not rest there as many do who look upon themselves and think now they are safe now they are secure they are in a Church they have many eyes to watch over them they have Shepherds and Overseers We may be all Overseers and all overseen al asleep The wise virgins slept Take heed of carnal security When we see no sin and feel no evil 't is carnal security 't is the Devils peace When we see no sin and are not either complaining of sin opposing sin fighting with sin or else chasing it driving it before us 't is carnal security 't is the Devils Cradle 't is the Devils Bed Be not high-minded saith the Apostle Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall There be many say we are Kings and we raign O how excellent is our estate This is the voice that is heard in many Churches in many Congregations when Paul stands by that hath the Spirit of God and saith I would to God it were so I would to God you did raign indeed then we should raign with you There is a worldly and fleshly walking in Church-fellowship The Devil gets into that form as he hath got into all others We will be wise to the world and yet we will be in a Church as the Apostle hath it in ver 10. of the foregoing Chapter You are wise in Christ strong in Christ you are honorable This is that that is too too much seen in Churches and Congregations But we saith the Apostle are fools for Christs sake we are weak we are despised and are content to be so 'T is Christs cross that we bear and we can rejoyce in nothing but in this that we are fools that we are weak that we are despised But we shall appear honorable When Christ shall appear we shall appear with him in glory Saints may fall asleep fall into carnal security be puft up with pride and so be under a great power of the Devil a great Snare It may be any Saints case it was a whole Churches case here and a Church that was gathered by the Apostle Is there not need that we should watch Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation Is there not need that we should watch one over another Therefore it is that Churches and Congregations are gathered that there may be watching that some may be awake while others sleep But see here what watchmen are if the Lord do not keep the City The Congregation of Saints are the City of God Here are men watchmen and all the City asleep all intoxicated all drunken and lying in carnal security the Devil and sin and death are walking among them and they are not sensible of it 'T is a sad thing to think of that there may be and are Churches that are gathered together that they may laze and drowse together that they may nourish one another in carnal security strengthen one another in the world and in the flesh that thinks t is enough there is a form of Godliness that we are in Church-fellowship and so lie down together and sleep and t is a sad thing I have no quarrel with Churches or any form but such as have not the Spirit in them Here all are asleep asleep in death You are puft up when you should mourn and here is Paul he mournes so that he wakens them all he obtaines the Spirit of God comes forth to them in the Spirit wakens them and raiseth them up in the Spirit to take vengeance upon Sathan upon this sin upon the flesh in this incestuous person Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh Ye are puft up and have not rather mourned Mark here how the Apostle charges the whole Church and judges them and they being judged he brings them to judge this incestuous person And indeed there is no man fit to judge till he hath been under judgement himself Ye are puft up First he arraigns them in the Spirit judges them brings them all to mourning and then he takes them up with him into the Judgement Seat and so they deal with this incestuous person they deliver him from Sathan by delivering him unto Sathan They deliver him to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh Another thing worthy our thoughts is this That there may be a partnership in sin We may be defiled by other mens sins by partnership by a partaking Partake not of other mens sins saith the Apostle to Timothy There is a partaking of other mens sins while we see them and are senseless of them We partake in them by any complyance or suting with them You are puft up saith he and have not rather mourned q. d. There is such a person among you thus defiled and you are not ashamed Here is the Corinthians sin and whole Churches sin as 't is laid to the charge of the Princes of Judah Jer. 36. 24. that when the King did cut the Roul that Baruch had written from the mouth of Jeremie which was the Prophet of the Lord the Princes they looked on and none of them rent their garments None of them were sensible of that contempt and rebellion against God The Apostle to the Ephesians chap. 5. calls upon us not to have fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them Mat. 18. 15. This is that which our Savour expresses when he speaks of a brother offending Quest If thy brother offend thee saith he what 's the meaning of a brothers offending What is it If he hath done thee any hurt or wronged thee Answ Nay but this same offence by a brother is a brothers sin And this doth appear plainly by that that Christ commands If thou hast told thy brother and reproved him and so hast wrought upon thy brothers conscience that he is convinced thou hast gained thy brother So that the sin of a brother is an offence and a wounding unto all the brethren if they be awakned if they live at that time if they be not asleep as these Corinthians were If they be not in carnal security and intoxicated with pride they shall feel a wound in his wound they shall find a loss in his loss therefore he saith if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother He doth not speak of any outward wrong for which men go to Law to recover them Right but when there is a sense of the wound and suffering of him that sins in thee there is a sword that pierces thy soul
and here he is in drudgery hunger and thirst have I not a father saith he I 'le go home to my Father He came to himself This is the quickning and awaking of the Spiritual Seed the new man the new creature in us that is born of God knows God and can never be at quiet as long as flesh and sin do raign It lusts against the flesh This mourning brings in power from God whereby to discharge it self from the evil that oppresses it Godly sorrow saith the Apostle works repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of In spiritual mourning there is a kind of dying of flesh and denying of flesh an owning and honouring of God The man goes out of himself I am undone He goes out to God Crying My destruction is from my self but in thee is my help I am not able to deal with these enemies with Sin Hell and Death Now help me Lord. This is the travail of the Soul with Christ until he be formed in us Spititual mourning Godly mourning it is the mourning of the Spirit in us with sighs and groans not to be expressed There is worldly mourning and there is Godly mourning There is fleshes mourning and Spirits mourning Fleshes mourning is for Affliction for trouble Take away this plague saith Pharoah The Spirits mourning is for sin I have done foolishly take away my sin saith David Fleshes mourning is sins mourning it would be delivered it would not be plagued The Spirits mourning is against sin take away the plague of the heart Spiritual mourning is to lament after the Lord. 'T is said of the children of Israel They mourned after the Lord 1 Sam. 7. towards the end of the chap. This is what the new man doth the Spiritual man the heavenly man in us the new creature when he is awakened when he is quickned which indeed is the conversion of a sinner the awakning the new man in him and this new man being the seed of God cannot endure to abide in filth in the dark but is making out making from whence it came making to his Father making unto God in mourning in a deep sense of its wretched condition in darkness in weakness in the power of lusts O miserable man who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ Here was a mighty proof of the Corinthians delivering their own hearts and delivering this person that the Devil had much power over I had an intent to have enlarged this further but I will rather break off and may goe on at another time SERMON II. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. HEre is a great and foul sin that doth veil a dear Saint a sin not named amongst the Gentiles such a sin as the Gentiles are ashamed of is found in a Congregation of Saints It is there and they do not see it nor take notice of it they are all asleep the whore hath put her cup to their mouths and they are all drunken with the world and pride Ye are puft up and have not rather mourned That is it we were upon in the morning That security and spiritual drunkenness may befall Saints The devil may get in among them in the basest practises and they not take notice of it but dream of righteousness and glory This Church were all asleep Saint Paul he awakens them he mourns and awakens them he comes to them in the spirit and sets them a mourning and so they go forth together in the power of the Lord Jesus and quit themselves and this poor deluded soul among them from the snare of the devil The Apostle before he brings them to judge this incestuous person he judges the whole Church and brings them to judge themselves and that is it that must be first we must be judged before we can sit in judgement Before we come forth in the judgement of the Lord against others we must be brought before the Tribunal of the Lord. The Apostle charges the whole Church with sin and delivers them first to Satan and then with them delivers this person from Satan He shews them that they are in the snare of the devil This is to be delivered unto Satan and this was the delivery of this incestuous person unto Satan A spiritual discovery that he was in Satans hands He was in Satans hands before but now the spirit of God came forth unto him by Paul and the Church to discover it to him and so he was delivered unto Satan and after he delivers the whole Church to Satan and after delivers them from Satan and then goes to work with them to deliver up this person to save him They were all partakers of his sin in that they were not sensible of it but were puft up He tells them what did rather become them what concerned them and that was to mourn ye have not mourned rather this is that you should be found in spiritual mourning Through spiritual mourning the power of God comes upon the Saints to discharge their own hearts and their Congregations from sin and wickedness This kinde saith Christ goes not forth but by fasting and prayer He speaks of a child possessed of the devil The Disciples could not cast him out and they ask Christ the Reason This kinde saith he goes not forth but by fasting and prayer By spiritual mourning by earnest contending with God by the power of the spirit in mourning and wrastling with God as Jacob did who had power with God we shall obtain power against sin Hos 12. He wept and he made supplication c. You will never have power against sin unless you have power over God You will never overcome the wicked one unless you first overcome God and God is overcome no way but by his own power in mourning and supplication 't is his power made out when flesh is denyed and he is owned 'T is by his own power his hands are bound Let me go saith God I will not let thee go saith Jacob until thou bless me He wept and he made supplication as you may see in that fourth of Hosea This same mourning out of which God comes forth in power against sin it is the spirits mourning the spirit in the Saints in Sighs and Groans It is the reviving and quickning of the new man that lay dead in the flesh who seeing himself thus besmeared thus imprisoned thus captivated with sin and Satan he is breaking out of it he cannot have rest in that state he sees he is not at home Whither am I carryed from my Fathers house saith the Prodigal when he came to himself It is the travel of the spiritual man as Christ expresses it Joh. 16. 20. in which the man-childe is brought forth the spirit as it was here in Paul and in the Saints which being brought forth was able to deal with Satan and with hell to send Satan to Satan and hell to hell What doth hell
flesh Here is a piece of Discipline that is the priviledge of a Saint it looks terribly but it is for salvation that the spirit may be saved Here is destruction in it but destruction is for salvation There are that are Satans let them be delivered to him there they abide they return no more there is that that returns again that the spirit may be saved The devil takes his own meddles with nothing else the flesh destroyed the spirit saved Deliver him to Satan how is that that is let him see that he is in Satans hands that he is drudging in his work that he is a vassal of his in this incest that he hath committed let him see this Qu. Why but he was in Satans hands under Satans power in the commission of this evil what then is this Delivering to Satan Answ Let him see it and let him feel it let him feel hell and feel wrath let him finde the flames about him And so I look upon that Scripture in Joh. 16. 8. to be the interpretation of this Scripture The Spirit shall convince of sin and of righteousness and of judgement Here is the power of the Lord Jesus the spirit of the Lord Jesus v. 4. by this there is a Delivery unto Satan a conviction of sin that the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit may be saved that righteousness and judgement may come forth This is convincing of sin of righteousness and of judgement Deliver him to Satan tie him fast by a spirit of bondage fill his soul with fear and trembling Deliver him for the destruction of the flesh The destruction of the flesh that 's the destruction of Satan Satans kingdom is in the flesh Gods rule is in the spirit deliver him to Satan that Satan may be destroyed Let him see that he is in the hands of Satan that the Spirit may make out of his hands the flesh is nothing but enmity to God The devil is the enemy of God so is flesh and if enemy be too little 't is said to be enmity Rom. 8. 7. the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God The wisdom of the flesh the most glorious piece of flesh is enmity to God the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh deliver him to Satan that Satan may be destroyed they that are in the flesh cannot please God That the spirit may be saved There is in a Saint two natures flesh and spirit the law of the members and the law of the minde there is I and sin I and Christ as the Apostle expresses it There is flesh in which Satan rules and acts there is spirit that is the Divine nature that Saints do partake of and this same divine seed lieth buried in flesh in weakness in darkness under a law of sin and death till it be quickned and when quickned it stands up for its liberty and after quickned it may fall into a swound and be as it were dead again as this Corinthian Obs That the Spirit may be saved The destruction of flesh is the saving of Spirit and 't is the day of the Lord that saves the spirit and burns up flesh The Lords appearance is like fire that goes through the Bryars and Thorns and burns them together the manifestation of the Lord against whatsoever is against him consumes it destroys it If any will set the bryars and thorns against me in battail I will go through them and burn them together The day of flesh is night and darkness unto the spirit to that that is born of God The day of the Lord is the night of the flesh and the night of Satan 't is darkness and not light and here the spirit comes forth that that is of God comes forth and the flesh is destroyed Thus you have a short view of the meaning of the words and do you judge what I say That which is to be observed here may be branched out into divers particulars 1. First this That there is mercy kindness pity life salvation conveyed unto Saints by such ways and means where there is nothing visible but evil and death hell and destruction Deliver him to Satan c. send him to hell that he may be delivered from hell by terrible things dost thou answer us O God of our salvation 2. Another thing to be observed here is this That Satan and hell and death in all the powers thereof is under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Saints When ye are gathered together with the power of the Lord Jesus deliver such a one unto Satan Deliver him for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved Satan is under the power of the Lord Jesus in his Saints in his people and he is disposed by them to take such a one to destroy his own power in him and to send him forth pure to send back that that is of God Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved The power of the Lord Jesus shall be manifested in the Saints to command and dispose of Satan and the power of hell This incestuous person was delivered unto Satan for what end That Satan should destroy himself in him now by the spirit of the Lord Jesus in the Church he is restored and received again In the second Epistle the second Chapter Now saith he ye ought to comfort him ye ought to relieve him sufficient to such a man is that punishment take heed he be not swallowed up of too much sorrow let him not lie too long in hell for we are not ignorant of Satans devices So he is put into Satans hands and taken out by the power of the Lord Jesus in his people This is that power that Paul did act in when he speaks of some that he had delivered unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. Whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme Strange that Satan should teach men not to blaspheme this is the power of the Lord Jesus in the Saints We know little of it or scarce any thing at all in this time of the Apostasie and of revealing of the man of sin but we look for the coming forth of this power in a more glorious manner then ever it was abroad yet when shall that be when by the brightness of his coming he shall consume that man of sin The power of the Lord Jesus in his people doth command devils and hell Do you not know saith the Apostle that the Saints shall judge the world Do you not know that we shall judge Angels So it follows in the next chapter to the Text 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Whose is the power of judgeing the world and Angels is it not the Sons That which is the Sons is the Saints â—he same glory thou hast given me I have given them All power saith
Christ is given me both in heaven and in earth The Father comes forth in Christ and Christ comes forth in the Saints Christ comes forth in the flesh lower then the Angels He makes him lower then the Angels he comes forth as a servant while the son is under age he is kept as a servant he is made of a woman made under the Law at last the Father comes to own him as his son and Christ owns him as his Father When the time appointed of the Father comes he sends his spirit into our hearts saying 'T is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom Christ hath the keys of hell and death and he exercises these keys in his Saints We at present do not know how he exercises these but we shall know how when we feel the want of them when we see our weakness and darkness and mourn after the Lord. God hath suffered the devil hell and sin to be a kinde of Cloak and covering upon himself but when he pleaseth he will come forth and command them The Saints need not the worlds power and force to go to the world for power is to go to the devil for power The Saints have power with God and therefore must needs have power over Satan And this power the Saints obtain by mourning as the Apostle hath it in the second verse Ye ought rather to have mourned Iacob wept and made supplication wrastled with God and so prevailed The Saints indeed they are great persons but few there are that know themselves We are the sons of God but the world doth not know us God hath brought forth himself and brought forth Christ in his Saints and people but that was but a first fruits to shew what he will do fully He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in them that believe The spirit of God was withdrawn that the man of sin might appear This is that believers should do they should be looking after this power the power of the Lord Jesus What a poor thing it is to spend our time in an outward powerless profession onely If we are Christians and of Iesus Christ we cannot do so The kingdom of God is not in word but in power Do we profess Christ Where is the power of the Lord Iesus Why do lusts and corruptions reign in our hearts Why have Satan and the world such power over us Where is the power of the Lord Jesus Where is the spirit of Eliah as Elisha said when he had seen his master taken up into heaven and had received his mantle and had a promise of a doubling of that spirit Christ is taken up into Heaven He hath told us greater works then he did in that flesh should we do in his Spirit Where is that spirit Where is that power by which devils were made to tremble and submit to him 'T is time we should begin to know our selves that we are of God that we are the Temple of God the body of the Lord that we are the fulness of Christ and that in us he will manifest himself and 't is that we should look for We should be weary of a formal outward languishing profession and so bringing forth the Lord Jesus we shall make his name known O that thou wouldst bow the Heavens that thou would'st come down and make thy name known that Hell and Death and Satan and all the powers of darkness might melt before thee Resist the devil saith James and he will flie from you What is that power by which the devil is resisted 'T is the power of Christ the power of the Lord Jesus is with his people though not yet manifested we should wait for it and not rest contented with the name but look after power to command hell and death those that have commanded us We are comforting our selves that Christ hath done this for us 'T is true he hath done this for us he will do it in us The Apostle bids us stand to it in Eph. 6. You wrastle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers therefore put on the whole armour of God If you be true Israel you are able to deal with God and then the devil and the world are not able to stand against you Do you believe this Then wait for it The next thing I shall commend unto you is this That we must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. And if this stick in your stomacks and will not go down let me offer it to you in an old expression of Divinity as they call it that is That God leads his people to Heaven by Hell We must be delivered to Satan if ever we will be delivered from Satan Satan hath carryed all the seed of God captive in the flesh 'T is under the law of sin sin and death hath captivated the whole seed of God here this seed lieth as it were dead in a swound and in this state we dream of nothing but life and happiness great enjoyments when we are captives to Satan at his pleasure God he quickens this same seed this divine nature and then they see where they are see how they were deceived what a fools Paradise they were in then they have no rest till they be delivered This is to be delivered from Satan to see that we are in Satans power So it comes to this That there must be a discovery of our state under the power of darkness before we be delivered from it Deliver him unto Satan destroy him that he may be delivered destroy him that he may be saved kill him that he may be made alive convince him of sin then of righteousness Deliver him unto Satan is quicken him and enlighten him that he may see where he is in Satans power And whereas before there was peace when the strong man kept the house it was because he did not see Satan but now he sees him there is nothing but trouble there is no rest till he be delivered This is nothing but what the Apostle saith you hath he quickened that were dead in trespasses and sins Dead in trespasses and sins here is the seed of God under the power of Satan The spirit quickned sees whereabouts it is sees that it is in hell among devils lusts death and flames and it cannot abide here The Prodigal came to himself that was the quickning of this divine seed he was well enough before at the swine-trough till he comes to himself O then he cannot endure it he cannot live here any longer We must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan And the ground and reason of this lieth thus God hath let all his seed fall under the hands and power of death and Satan and he would never suffer this state unless he meant they should be sensible of it unless he did
intend it should be discovered unto them God he is pleased that the devil and death should possess our life and carry it away and there is no recovering of it but by going into death and into Hell God he goes in there bindes the strong man in his house and recovers his goods There is no delivery from Satan but by being delivered to Satan and this delivery to Satan is conviction of the Spirit a cleer sensible discovery that we have been in Satans power 1. Therefore the use of it is this to call upon us to entertain convictions of the spirit that discover sin and hell and death within us It concerns us to entertain these for here is our life our salvation We must be delivered to these before we can be delivered from them Be not afraid to go into Egypt saith God by Jeremy and serve the King of Babylon for God hath delivered all-into his hands God hath delivered all flesh into Satans hand 't is in vain standing out in thy knowledge in thy righteousness thou must let all go thou must be content seeing 't is the will of God to be Satans and Hells vassal to bear thy burthen to endure thy captivity and hence the Lord will bring thee forth I do not speak that any soul should entertain Sin and Satan and Hel as the world doth with delight and pleasure for 't is death to him so to do Hell is Hell to him the devil is the devil to him but yet he sees there is no withstanding of it He must come under his power and feel he is under his power and then he shall have deliverance Therefore agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way If God hath delivered thee unto Satan into his power 't is but while thou art in the way Tell the devil and sin 't is your hour I am your captive but I shall have deliverance and this discovery that I am your captive is the way of my deliverance This is the way for me to be delivered out of your hands Do not stand against conviction of the spirit do not stand against God when he convinces you that you are sinful for you will never make your selves righteous This it teacheth us first 2. In the next place This is that should quiet and still the soul in such discoveries God discovers Hell and death and sin and the power thereof to our soul Qu. Alas What shall I do I shall be damned the pit will shut her mouth upon me Answ No God is now saving when thou thinkest he is destroying Psal 18. 16. David there tells his experience and how God had delivered him out of hell He sent from above he took me and drew me out of many waters he delivered me from my strong enemy and from them which hated me for they were too strong for me But see through what a condition David was brought unto this salvation ver 4. The sorrows of death compassed me and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid the sorrows of hell compassed me about the snares of death prevented me c. to the 16 ver 'T is a description of those terrible workings in the spirits and souls of Gods people which do usher in salvation and life He discovers the foundations of the earth discovers hell there There is the Revelation of Jesus Christ that last book of the new Testament and that Revelation of Iesus Christ makes all those terrible discoveries there we read of The rising up of Iesus Christ in the soul this discovers flesh and hell and sin and so destroys them This should lift up our heads when darkness comes when we think that God is destroying his Saints he is saving them 3. And thirdly it should put us upon this to consider whether we have ever been delivered to Satan or no what discoveries have we had of Satans power of sins power hells power it concerns us to look to this For the way to be delivered from him is to be delivered to him We know the old way of Ministers that this discovery must be to such a measure and for such a time we have done with that God he works how he pleases he makes deep humiliation to be the foundation of glorious salvation From the greatest discoveries of hell and death he brings forth the most abundant glory The most dangerous estate of the soul is to be in a dead Palsie The physitian coming to one that 's taken with a dead Palsie he puts him into a Feaver to cure him This way the spirit of God takes with him that lieth dead God puts him into a feaver sends fire into his bones to secure his life his soul for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved That 's another thing to be taken notice of that sin hell and death are destroyed by a discovery He was delivered unto Satan was in his power when he committed that sin now let him see where he is for the destruction of the flesh for the destruction of Satan whose kingdom is in the flesh Satan Hell and Death are destroyed in the Saints by a discovery And the reason why the discovery destroys them is because it is such a discovery as 't is 't is a discovery by quickning You hath he quickned that were dead in trespasses and sins This holy seed which is of God cannot endure sin which is death to it A discovery by the spirit is not a notional discovery as when a man or a letter shall come and tell us but such a discovery of sin and hell as makes us feel it The spirit once awakened in a Saint sin can have no entertainment there The power of the Lord Iesus delivering us to Satan that discovery destroys Satan Hell and sin cannot be entertained but in his own place and the spirit once awakened in the Saints cannot agree with hell light and darkness Christ and Belial cannot agree And that is it that concerns every one of us that minde life and peace and salvation in good earnest to make after light after knowledge not head-knowledge but heart-knowledge the light of the spirit stand up from the dead and Christ shall give you light Wait to be renewed in the spirit of your minds to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Let us not stint our selves to any measure or degree of knowledge Take heed of refusing knowledge because 't is new and strange but examine it Entertain strangers kindly for by it some have entertained Angels unawares Wait for the Revelation of the Spirit the teaching of the Spirit And take another thing here That there is no discovery that destroys flesh and saves spirit but that which is made by the power of the Lord Iesus 'T is not mans discovery nor the discovery that our own Reason makes 't is not a letter discovery but a a discovery of light and power by the Lord Iesus that makes an
praise here is thanksgiving indeed praise indeed which is that that is held forth in Psal 116. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I le walk before the Lord in the land of the living Here is the sacrifice of praise I le walk before the Lord I le walk in the Spirit and no more in the flesh In the 12 Verse it follows What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Here is the sacrifice of praise here is dying dying to the world dying to the flesh Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints O Lord truly I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving What shall I render unto God T is said of Hezekiah that he rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefits he received from him This is that God enables his people to do to render to him according to what they have received God enables his people even to recompence him to requite him Do you thus requite the Lord The Lord enables his people to requite him and to requite him fully for as he is our fulness so we are his fulness as he gives himself to us so he enables us to give our selves to him and so we return himself unto himself Of thy own we have given thee Thus only a Saint can praise that hath the Spirit that hath received God for nothing is acceptable to God but himself Nothing comes to God but what comes from God There is no sacrifice indeed but Jesus Christ By him let us offer up the sacrifice of praise unto God The people of God do make a Covenant with God by sacrifice Psal 50. There is a sacrifice of praise praise is a sacrifice and a sacrifice of our selves t is Christ that is the sacrifice and t is by Christ that we become a sacrifice acceptable a sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God For I do not live saith the Apostle but Christ lives in me And as by him we are a sacrifice so by him we are Priests a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God as t is in 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is the fire of this sacrifice the Eternal Spirit Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot and that that is our praise is the meat and drink upon this Altar the refreshing and the wine In keeping of them of thy Commandments saith David there is great reward There is somewhat to be carried forth in this sacrifice and that is iniquity and sin that cleaves unto our holy things Praise and thanksgiving is the sum of the Worship of God and Jesus Christ and this praise and thanksgiving is a sacrifice and such a sacrifice as you have heard Vse This may make a discovery unto us that praise and thanksgiving is little known among us we are very little acquainted with it we have heard of the name but know not the thing The common praise and thanksgiving stands in some expression of words sometimes there is a day set apart sometimes good words spoken of God at such a time there are some Ceremonies used and it may be a great deal of sacrifice done to the flesh there is a seeming offering somewhat to God but none of the best And cursed is the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offers to God a corrupt thing The true praising and acceptable thanksgiving is offering up of our selves our selves sanctified that the offering up of the Gentiles might be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and our selves a living sacrifice There is no man can glorifie God but he that is glorified of God according to that prayer of Christ in Joh. 17. Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee If this that hath been said in this point cause us to look into our hearts and consider what we have done and how we have been in this service of praise it is that I intended in it When we shall look into the nature of Praise and Thanksgiving and shall look with a right eye we shall see that there hath been nothing or little else besides the name of Praise amongst us it hath been but a form of Godliness having in it scarce any thing of the power By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually By him let us do it That is the next thing to be considered here That by Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ in the power in the light in the love in the spirit of Jesus Christ must our praise go up to God and all that is acceptable doth go up so By him let us offer c. All that comes to God that is acceptable sacrifice it comes by him it comes in his name it goes up in his grace it goes up in his love in his light in his power this is by Jesus Christ There is no Sacrifice acceptable but that which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost as in Rom. 15. 16. That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable to God sanctified by the Holy-Ghost There is nothing that comes acceptable unto God that God owns that he receives or where he smells a savour of rest but that which comes up in the spirit of Christ by Christ by him in his name There is nothing holy but what is by the Holy-Ghost It is he that sanctifies the people by his blood as it is said here before Let us go forth to him and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise He is the Mediator between God and man he is our peace our wisdom our righteousness our sanctification If he be our sanctification God will own us there is nothing that God can own but what comes by him We are all an unclean thing there is nothing comes from us but pollution but onely as we come forth by Christ and in Christ Else all our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are nothing but a form a shew of holiness It is a fair shew toward God but tends only to the flesh and to the world Our minde and Conscience is defiled till it be taken into the Holy-Ghost till Christ be brought forth in us In Christ we come forth a new creation All this same old creation is lost and fallen into Satan in the new Creation Satan hath nothing to do the prince of this world comes and hath nothing in me By him All acceptable service goes to God by Christ In him are all the promises yea and Amen The promises saith the Apostle they are to the seed he doth not say to Seeds as to many but as to one and that is Christ Gal. 3. 12. Coming and not coming by Christ we have no promise of acceptance Christ is the heir of all God
to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God to an innumerable company of Angels c. Here is the Gospel-state here is the glory of Jesus Christ the glory of God that the Gospel brings us to brings forth in us Are we come hither or no There are some come to it that do not know it There are many of us heirs but we live in bondage we live like servants we know no better portion then Mount-Sinai though of right our portion be Mount-Sion Let us wait till the spirit of God shew unto us the things that are freely given to us of God This glorious state is nothing else but the state of the spirit which we are waiting for We are come unto Mount-Sion the City of the living God Christs work is to bring us to God and so we are no more strangers but fellow-Citizens with the Saints we are set down with Christ in heavenly places we are set down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God We are set down in the same glory that the Apostles and Prophets are set down in we are fellow-Citizens with the Saints and with the General Assembly and Church of the first-born See your glory Christians if you be Christians indeed If you be in the spirit and not in the letter onely If you be free-born if you be born after the spirit and not after the flesh see your glory In the words read you may see a Doctrine and a Use 1 A Doctrine propounded which holds forth the glorious state of Believers It is that which eye hath not seen ear hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what it is but God hath revealed the same to us by his spirit It is in the letter and now our business is that it may be revealed to us by the spirit It may be the fathers good pleasure and his time now to bring forth the inheritance to some that hear me this day that hitherto have been kept under Tutors and Governours little better then servants This we are to try now how God will be with us to take away the vail and reveal our inheritance to us The Doctrine begins at the 18 ver and reacheth to the 25 ver At the 25 ver there begins the Use the Application which is an exhortation 2. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. Do not turn away from him that speaketh life and glory Turn not away from him that calleth you to sit down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Apostle useth divers Arguments to enforce the exhortation First He that speaks doth not speak from earth but from heaven Secondly from the danger of refusing to hear If they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Thirdly the Apostle shews the effect of this voice ver 26. Whose voice then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not onely the earth but also heaven And the evidence the Apostle brings for this is from a Scripture taken out of the prophesie of Haggai Hag. 1. 6 7. The word that was spoken on earth shook the earth The word that is spoken from heaven shakes earth and heaven also Then the Apostle interprets this word yet once more ver 27. It signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain In ver 28. he further enforceth his exhortation from the advantage that the Saints have by this change Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear In the former administration there was not grace to serve God acceptably in this there is that was leading to bondage this to a kingdom The Apostle concludes with this Argument For our God is a consuming fire of which more hereafter I shall speak of these particulars as time shall give leave Here you see a Gospel state what it is it is a strong state a glorious state a state that cannot be moved a kingdom that cannot be shaken it is strong and it is sweet There was a weak state and that was full of terrour The Law was weak through the flesh It was a weak state a shaking Mountain a Mountain not to be touched If so much as a beast touch the Mountain it was to be stoned or thrust through with a dart That was weak and terrible but ye are come to that which is strong and gracious Ye are come to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God The glorious state of believers is held forth here from the 18 verse to the 25. Our business will be to run over the particulars with some short explication and to set before you one or two parallel Scriptures that hold forth the same things though not so fully and particularly The first Scripture is Eph. 2. 5 6. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And ver 17 and 18. of that chapter And came and preached peace to you which were afar of and to them that were nigh ver 19 20 21 22. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles c. Ye that are Believers are come to Mount-Sion and ye are built up a spiritual house fitly framed together an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit The other Scripture is 2 Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind We are not come to the Mount that might not be touched and to blackness and darkness No God hath poured out another spirit upon us of power of love and a sound mind Ye are come to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to God the judge of all Now let us briefly run over the words as they lie before us Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched It might be touched and it might not be touched It might be touched but not without danger of death It might not be touched There was such a terrible manifestation that there was no coming to it It was an administration of distance from God It had a spirit of fear that gendred unto bondage There was a terrible manifestation There was blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a word Nothing but an outward command a word that could not be obeyed and
when the people undertook to obey it the Lord pittied them O that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey me It was a manifestation to discover sinfulness and weakness death and the curse and so to usher in a manifestation of life and power But now ye are come to the Gospel state ye are come to Mount-Sion ye are come where God dwells ye are come into a comforting and chearing presence ye are come to the Mount that may be touched without fear or terror It may be touched There are spiritual senses as 1 Joh. 1. 1. That which we have heard which we hame seen which our hands have handled of the word of life that declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and so it s the Mount that may be touched We are come to the City of the living God We are come where God dwells we are come to communion with God and one with another in the spirit we are come where God is in the midst of his people He hath quickned us who were dead in sins and set us down in heavenly places in the heavenly Jerusalem If we are come to the heavenly Jerusalem we are past the wilderness we are come to our rest There remaineth a rest to the people of God and that 's the heavenly Jerusalem of which the earthly Jerusalem and Canaan were but a Type This heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all And to an innumerable company of Angels Not onely to be administred unto by Angels as under the legal dispensation but to administer unto Angels for to them is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God And to the general Assembly and the Church of the first-born We are come to the General Assembly we are above particular Churches though we walk in them yet we are not bound to them nor bound in them We are come to the Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven We are come to those that are in Christ that partake of the divine nature in which God lives and acts and whom God fills who are born of the spirit who are sons and heirs together with Christ Who are written in Heaven There was a first-born written in earth in the letter in flesh Let Israel my son go for he is my first-born said God to Pharoah but this was after the flesh We are come to God the Judge of all We have boldness towards God We are above the judgement of men yea above the judgement of our own Consciences It is a very small thing to me saith the Apostle to the Corinthians to be judged by you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine own self 1 Cor. 4. 3. We are passed from death to life and we are come to God the Judge of all we can stand before God the Iudge of all We are come to the spirits of just men made perfect We are come to see and to acknowledge the spiritual and divine nature whereof through exceeding great and precious promises we are made partakers we are come to see and to be the spiritual man the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness we are come to the holy one born of the Holy Ghost to Christ formed in us who is not tainted with any pollution who sinneth not nor can he commit sin Though he dwell among devils and death yet he partakes not of their filth and guilt but shall overcome and destroy them all And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to Iesus to the truth as it is in Iesus to the power and wisdom of God which is Iesus we have the Law written in our hearts We are come to Iesus instead of Moses who is the Mediator of a better Covenant If we be Christians indeed we are not come to a Law that hath onely a sound of words written on stone but we are come to a Law written in our hearts we are come to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to the efficacy of his mediation And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel The blood of sprinkling It is an allusion taken from those sprinklings under the Law all which pointed to this We are not come â—â— corruptible blood we are come to the blood of sprinkling that is incorruptible That speaks better things c. It speaks and what doth it say It makes intercession for us it makes intercession in us and the Lord he is with us by a word of power speaking and commanding sin and death Satan and Hell out of our souls This is the Doctrine The glorious state which is the true Gospel state it is the state of every true Believer though it may be many do not know it it is a state in the spirit and it is revealed by the spirit This is the Gospel state and therefore if you profess the Gospel do not sit down below it Let us all be making to it let us not stay at Mount-Sinai but let us pass on to Mount Sion Let every one of us look whereabouts we are whether we be under a spirit of fear if we be this is Mount-Sinai or whether we be under a spirit of love of power and of a sound minde if we be this is Mount-Sion Are we in earthly or in heavenly places Take notice that there are three states 1. One is in Egypt under the bondage of sin Satan death and hell 2. Another is leading out of Egypt in the wilderness at Mount-Sinai leading up to Adams perfection to a perfection in nature but there is no resting here This is but a shadow Christ in the flesh came in this natural perfection but he dyed to it and in it and rose again to the life of God 3. A third state is the spirits of just men made perfect Here is rest and stability Here is the kingdom of God do not sit down below this for if you do you sit down at best in natural Reason in a shadow in a lye Some sit down in the filth of nature but do not ye sit down no not in the excellency and perfection of nature Look to the high calling of God in Christ Iesus unto which ye are called But I pass over from the Doctrine and come to the Vse which the Apostle makes in ver 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven God speaks once and twice and we hear him not God is continually speaking He speaks in every creature he speaks in every providence he speaks in every administration do you know his voice He speaks on earth and he speaks from heaven See that ye refuse not him that speaketh God speaks from
upon him as intending this natural body so they betake themselves to fasting whipping themselves such bitter doings but it s the body of sin and the body of death where lust doth war War against whom Against the soul saith Peter I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul war against the Spirit the flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5. as the spirit lusts against the flesh They war against God and the Spirit and God against them there is Satan death and sin in these lusts the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God the friendship of the world is enmity to God it wars against God This is that James saith in Verse 4. from this Text Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God c. These lusts do war against God they are the bryars and thorns that are set in battel against God as it is in Isa 27. 4. Who will set the bryars and thorns against me in battel I le go through them and burn them together Lusts they war against God God comes forth in his appearances these oppose him God appears in a Law why Lust stands up in a Law I must have this I must have that says Lust God he calls he would have the heart and he would have love and he would have righteousness Lust says I must have it It wars against God and think you what Lust shall get by this warfare against the great God That you shall see here in the second ver Ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not And so Lust is miserably disappointed Lust wars and fights and kills and it does not onely war and fight and kill but it preys too Lust will be Religious Lust will murther and devour and commit all outrages and it will be as civil and as Religious as any in the outward shew Ye ask too and yet ye have not and so here 's nothing but disappointment in Lust in going out to the world ye fight and war and ye have not Ye have not what ye would have ye have not enough Disappointment in respect of Satisfaction and Rest that is the lot of Lust of all desires going out from God going out to the creature go out to any thing but God ye shall never have it Ye shall have this thing ye shall have the other thing but ye shall never be happy and the thing ye seek is happiness Every man seeks it Lust calls for this thing and the other thing ye may have the thing but ye shall never be happy He sends leanness into your souls he gave them their desires and sent leanness withal into their souls There are two things that cause the disappointment of worldly and fleshly Lust The one is that it wars with God which is Omnipotent Lust crucifies him The other is because it seeks satisfaction and rest in those things that cannot afford it and so t is like the grave and hell still it cries give give It desires shadows it clasps about them it cannot desire God It desires nothing but to kill him It would kill him that is onely desirable that is onely life and onely happiness How happy are they in whom God is killing Lust How miserable are they that are serving their Lusts when will be an end of this drudgery While ye are walking on in your Lusts you 'l set upon any thing If you can't move heaven you 'l see if you can move hell You 'l try if you can get it by Prayer if you cannot you 'l get it by fighting but you shall have it neither way You do but kill your selves all the while You war against the soul you war against God and man and must needs war against your soul While that Lust lives it brings nothing but torment It s a very hell unto a man It s the very devil therefore when James prescribes the remedy he says Resist the devil and he will flie from you Serving lust is serving the devil Its drudging in hell You 'l ever be poor you 'l never be rich you 'l be drudges while you live or else be thieves and murtherers you 'l fight and war ye kill and yet ye have not God says that hee 'l famish all the Gods of the Heathen this Lust is the great God famish this and they are all famish'd and God will famish this and what will you be famish'd with it O awake rather that it may be slain you will suffer continually while you live in it whiles you are led by it it will be with you as with a man that hath a dogs stomack it will never be satisfied like one who hath a wolf in his body it will eat him and devour him there is no satisfying him Who is it that would live in peace and not in torment if you will live in peace give up your lusts submit your selves to God let him dispose of you as James expresses in that which follows Turn to God and desire nothing but him all desires and prayings which are not after God they are only stretchings out and inlargings of heart and there is nothing but filling with wind nothing but emptying it self O that God would come in and destroy all these hungry dogs and all these greedy hell-hounds these same lusts and devils You lust and have not you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye war and fight and have not Here 's the progress of your lust it comes to fighting The devil is a murtherer lust is angry even unto death if it cannot have what it would have it throws firebrands and arrows t is hungry and it breaks stone walls much more through flesh walls Ye lust and ye kill whom doth it kill why it kills man 't will make you kill your neighbors Ahab for the liking he took to Naboths vineyard must have the vineyard he is sick he could not live without it here was the lust of Covetousness David must not live because he was better then Saul here 's the lust of envy Saul he 'l kill him Vriah must not live because he had an handsome wife here 's lust in David Mordecai must not live because he will not stand up to Haman a pair of gallows is built for him here 's the lust of pride it hunts for the precious life of his neighbor ye kill one another and ye kill your selves O I pitty you Lust wars against the soul it sucks the very blood of body and soul it blinds mens eyes that they do not see it and these Lusts they kill one another squable one with another there is contention among Lusts which should have the mastery and as fishes in the Sea the greater devour the smaller so it is here and many a man blesses himself in a fools Paradise is overcome while he thinks he is Conquerour Ye kill But whom do these Lusts kill They kill
world and flesh have all their rest and contentment here in the creature they have left the Creator and are turned to the creature They have forsaken the fountain of living water c. The Lord comes out of his place to punish them The Lords coming out of his place his appearance is destruction to all them that run a whoring from him After indignation hath been upon the Saints then it comes upon the world Iudgement begins at the house of God Wel what shal the end of thē be that obey not the Gospel The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked comes in his place saith Solomon Behold the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Assyria and Aegypt and Babylon are the scourge of God upon his people When his people are chastised then he throws his rods into the fire I will punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria Isa 10. And it is a righteous thing with God saith the Apostle 2 Thes 1. to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us It is the glory of God after he hath lent his power to his enemies to take it into his own hands and to plague them to bring them under his feet While the world is rejoycing indignation shall pass from the people of God upon the world The world I count all earthly minded people that have their joy in the creatures The friendship of the world is enmity to God If their eyes were open they would little rejoyce considering what would be the end of this the end of this mirth would be heaviness God comes forth and all their Candles go out no more the voyce of the Bridegroom in thee every one that hath his life in the earth and in the creature is treasuring up wrath to himself against the day of wrath and so much Joy and Glory as they have had so much sorrow and torment shall seise upon them The Lord is come out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity The Lord shall turn his hand upon the world after he hath purged his people And this is also to be taken notice of here That there is hope unto the people of God that the bitter cup is passed from them and the indignation is going off them when God begins to take the world in hand when indignation begins to seise upon them Hide thy self for a moment till the indignation be overpast for behold the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth It will not last long when God hath the world in hand he is come out of his place to punish them therefore lift up your heads You that wait for God and have your hope in him lift up your weak hands and your feeble knees when God begins to afflict the world he is drawing it off from his people their yoke is breaking when the worlds neck is going into it when God begins with Aegypt then Israels warfare is accomplished when the rods are throwing into the fire then the childrens chastisement is at an end And according unto this truth the Saints have a pleasant prospect upon the world in all the trouble and distress of it In Famines Earthquakes Pestilences Wars in all the confusions and distresses thereof then they that wait for God that love him and his appearance are called upon to lift up their heads for their redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. And here is the ground of it in the Text God is come forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity The indignation will soon be over Hide thy self for a moment A moment and all thy trouble will be at an end all thy deaths will be dead the worlds death is coming now and deaths death is coming now The Lord is come out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth Out of his place That expression cals for our observation and it hath a word before it Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth And this is that is held forth to us here That while the inhabitants of the earth do live in jollity and prosperity God is as it were withdrawn out of the earth gone into his place God is everywhere and what is Gods place He is every-where but now he is pleased not to manifest himself here in the earth in the world It is a kind of withdrawing into a place going into a hole hiding himself and as it were leaving things in mens hands to rule by Satan leaving the earth and men to do their will and their pleasure There is the same expression in other Scriptures beside this Micah 1. 3. Behold the Lord comes out of his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth The Lord is in a retiring place as it were it is a Metaphorical speech he is everywhere he doth not appear that that we see is man and here is the Devil in them and lust in them and violence in them a time of great jollity great rejoycing great prosperity to the inhabitants of the earth What is this time God is gone into his place he hides himself he is retired He saith I will go down and see if it be so in Sodom according to the cry of it He went down and by his appearance set Sodom on fire he retires is not seen and the fool saith there is no God The heart of worldly men saith God sees not neither doth he regard God is gone into his place le ts the Devil and sin range everywhere and do what they will There is that expression in the Gospel The Kingdom of heaven is like a certain Nobleman who went into a far Country to receive a Kingdom and return So God is as it were gone into a far Country to receive a Kingdom and who hath the Kingdom now Satan hath the Kingdom man hath the Kingdom and death hath the Kingdom sin hath the Kingdom there is little to be seen in the world but these The Spirit of God was abroad mightily in the Apostles time after Christs Ascention and then he was pleased to draw in again that the man of sin might come forth and shew himself as the Apostle hath it 2 Thes 2. He that lets will let till it be taken out of the way That was that glorious manifestation of light and power in some of the people of God in those times and that did let and the man of sin could not come forth but that shall be taken out of the way and then he should come forth and this same taking out of the way was as much as Gods going into his place And so much doth that expression hold forth of Gods being in heaven according to that of the Apostle The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the unrighteousness
of us talk of grace and Salvation If we be partakers of grace and Salvation indeed then we are delivered from worldly Lusts in some degree We are taught by it to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts We are taught by it likeness to God and not to be fashioned to this world To deny ungodliness is to deny every thing that is not like God Not to walk like men the Apostle condemns the Corinthians that they walked like men It may be 't is a strange thing to hear we should not walke like men Like whom should we walk Like the Devil Like beasts So some do No you should walk like God The grace that brings Salvation It doth not bring you to satisfie sensuality to satisfie Lusts nor to follow the creature but it brings in power it brings in and raiseth up the life of God whereby we deny these Lusts whereby we famish these Gods of the Earth God saith he will famish all the Idols And this God doth when he riseth up in us he famisheth in us the Love of the World the love of flesh This grave and hell he starves them both This grace of God that brings Salvation leads up into Heaven into God into the Spirit and satisfies and fills us in the other World And we deny our Lusts after this They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts They have done it and they are doing it 't is as good as already done for there is that power in them which will do it a greater power then is in the World 'T is the Circumcision in heart by the Circumcision of Christ 'T is dying with Christ and being buried with Christ 'T is dying to this fleshly State to this glory and these contentments It is the consecrating us to God so that he becomes our delight he is our Joy he is our riches We sought them in the flesh we sought them in the World Then we sought Corn and Wine and Oyle now nothing but the light of Gods countenance this is grace and this is Salvation And the world and the flesh which is generally sought after by us it is a vail of death It is a vail upon Christ a covering upon the life of God It is the grave and the prison of the Saints it is Babylon and the Northcountry into which we are carried The North-country far from the Sun far from light far from life When we come into flesh we are buried here we are estranged from our own life which is the life of God And the grace of God appearing that is as it were the Sun drawing nigh When the Sun comes in the Spring and Summer the face of the Earth is renewed We come into the nature of wrath but as grace returnes again so this life appears and comes forth this Sepulcher is opened and this vail is rent and the Earth gives up her dead and no longer covers her slain The flesh and World and glory thereof riches and contentment are a vail and covering upon the life of the Saints For God is life and Salvation union with him that is life indeed and the appearing of this union is life manifested That which the World and natural men do call death is indeed the swallowing up of death as 't is called Isa 25. He shall take away the vail and the covering that is upon the face of all People He shall wipe off all tears and shall swallow up death in Victory The World and flesh is a Vail and is a Vail of tears when this Vail is rent by the comming of that which is called death then life-comes indeed and death is swallowed up in it God who is our life appears Grace and Salvation is not leading us into contentments of the flesh into the abundance of the riches of the Earth 'T is not satisfying of lusts but the killing of lusts 't is bringing forth the Spirit bringing forth the life of God Godly in this present World By this will appear how far Salvation is from most men Salvation is far from the wicked as David hath it because they keep not thy Statutes Little do wicked men think there is no Salvation but in keeping Gods Statutes but that is the truth of it Salvation is conformity to God to be made like to God to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and the love of the World is enmity to God This is Salvation and the same is destruction to wicked men Worldly men they have their life in the Vail their life is in the World and in the flesh When God appears and throws off the Vail there is nothing to be seen by them but death and destruction And what is the second death that the Scripture speaks of but the appearance of God The manifestation of God 't is the second death 't is everlasting destruction to them that know him not that have no life but in the flesh and in the world When God appears here ends their life and here begins destruction they are destroyed from his presence That which is life and Salvation indeed is death hell and destruction to a worldly man and if he speak his heart he will say if this be salvation let me have none of it I know not what it means I know no other life but this in the flesh What saith the Apostle The life I live I live by the faith of the Son of God t is not I live but Christ that lives in me though I live in the flesh yet I do not War after the flesh though I live in the World I am not conformed to the World but transformed On the other hand the life of the World is give me Corn Wine and Oyl ease in the flesh honour in the World the life of the Saints is lift up the light of thy countenance make me after thine own heart form me according to thine own Image fashion me to thy Will teach me to deny my self It is feeding hell and destruction to satisfie worldly lusts it is life and salvation to deny these to crucifie these therefore le ts be acquainted with grace and salvation what it is Le ts not deceive our selves with names of things le ts not call evil good and good evil put light for darkness and darkness for light Le ts not call wrath and destruction grace and salvation Whoever thou art that only looks to the world and flesh and outward things thou dwellest in wrath and destruction Thou hast vexation here and the Gospel makes thee mad for it puls thee from these things and with the more power it comes forth the more hell works within thee Now begin to learn what is salvation it is to have power to deny these lusts to crucifie the flesh to be taken out of sensuality to be redeemed from among men Is this a strange thing to you then salvation is strange and grace is strange 'T is to be conformed to God to know what his good and acceptable
in the fire of affliction Observ 4. Fourthly observe that the Lords sweetness and life lies now under a vail and covering that is the reason it is so little owned in the world A feast but not seen he that will see the Lord he that will feed at this feast must not look at the things that are seen but at things not seen which lie within the vail Obser 5. Again Fifthly take notice that there is no destroying the vail but by the Lords coming forth until the substance come forth the shadows are substances No perfect destroying the vail untill the Lord be fully come forth All the Ministers in the world cannot do it Observ 6. Sixthly Observe this That all people have a vail or a covering cast over them not one excepted He will destroy the vail of the Covering cast upon All people spred upon All Nations Though the Lord be not far from every one of us yet the Vail keeps us from seeing him and whilst we lie under the vail we grope and feel after him Till God destroy this vail we have foolish fancies and false apprehensions of God What wonder seeing All nations are under the vail All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. God suffered all nations to walk in their own ways They that remain under the vail judge their brethren that see further then themselves of Error and Heresie but they that have the vail destroyed by the Lord will not be harsh to their brethren that lie under the vail although whilst the vail and the face of the Covering was spred upon them they were so grosly ignorant as to cry out against others Error Heresie Blaspemy Observ 7. Seventhly Observe the twofold expression in the Text The vail and the face of the covering And it is not only Cast but Spred also There is exactness in it Quest If you demand what this vail is that the Lord will destroy I Answer This Creation in its purity and perfection You will say The Creation declares the glory of God Psal 19. The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shews forth his handy work Sol. True but in a vail Christs flesh was a vail Heb. 10. 20. This Creation in its purity and perfection is a vail but when Satan the world sin and death have gotten root in it then its a thick a dark vail or a shadow of death To those that sate in darkness and the shadow of death is this light come All Gods manifestations in it are vails till he get above it and cover it which he will do He is sunk into it as a seed as he riseth up in it it is in a vail Quest But how comes this vail Who casts this vail Answ 1. The Lord He makes darkness and light he makes vails and open Manifestations 2. Satan hath cast and spred this vail 3. We have every one of us cast it and spread it and we are shrowding our selves under it as God appears and God is righteous and holy in it and we and Satan are in the same sin We are all running into the vail as much as we can But God will destroy the vail and then every eye shall see him Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him He is not seen now but he shall be seen his manifestation is life and death Life to those that are of him who feel themselves under the vail death to those that rest and have their life in the vail There 's everlasting destruction from his presence and from the glory of his power We are a sweet Savour of Christ to God in those that perish To some we are a savour of life to others a savour of death That is the Ministry of the Spirit It follows in Verse 8. He will swallow up death in victory Observ 1. Destroy the vail and destroy death The taking away of the vail is the taking away of Death Death is dead Death upon a true account is nothing but a vail upon God who is our true life We live because he lives You heard before what this is even all this Creation in its purity and perfection but much more a vail a thicker and darker vail when sin and death and devil are gotten into it The Scripture expression is elsewhere The vail of the shadow of death Darkness and Death Light and Life are the same even Christs flesh was a vail Ordinances are vails No disparagement to Ordinances If God appear in them t is well Mans ministry is a vail if we see God in it it is but darkly If we be refreshed it is but in part This life and body is a vail while we are at home in it till it be changed and made spiritual till we be cloathed upon with our true life which is from heaven The Apostle saith While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord While we are absent from the Lord we are absent from our life for our life is to be with him We are not perfectly quickned perfectly alive till we be cloathed upon with our life which is from Heaven Therefore take notice that the pulling down of this body is not properly death to the Saints but the destroying of death He will destroy the vail and swallow up death in victory So then that which we call life is not so indeed but death This body this present appearance is but the face of the covering and the rending of it is the swallowing up of death Let us mend our account if we can We have judged things by the outward appearance by the face of the covering by the vail now let us judge righteous judgement The flesh judgeth that to be life which the Spirit knows to be death Our friend is not dead but gone out of death into life Those that know not God but have all their life in the flesh in present appearances they live not indeed They that live in pleasure are dead whilst they live If God be our life then the less we are in these things the more we are in life If our life be in the vail when this vail is destroyed our life is swallowed up of deaths victory and the second death seizeth on us Refer this to the feast that the Lord makes it is himself that is the feast it is himself that makes the feast he dyes into our weakness and when through his death his life is manifested in us in a spirit of Love of power and of a sound minde then death is swallowed up in victory It goes into the draught we hear of it no more The Lords life manifested swallows up death in victory Death is sorrow and tears See if you can imbrace this account of death He that hath ears to hear let him hear He that hath not it may be will cry whimsey fancy and turning the Scripture into an Allegory Further it s said And the Rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth All the Saints Rebuke is whilst they are under the vail They are judged by the vail the world knows them not We live in the vail whilst we are in sorrow and tears whilst God who is our life is hid we are under the worlds Rebuke In the mean time we wait till God appear and whilst God appears not the world jears us saying Flee to your mountain Psal 11. 1. All the worlds joy is in the vail when the vail is rent then comes the second death then that is made good Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus his evil but now thou art tormented and he is comforted And now have I walked in a vail and in a cloud unto you Do you not understand The time was when my self did not and it may be my weakness in expressing as well as yours in hearing It is my weakness that cannot put the vail from off your eyes Consider what hath been spoken that you may understand it rightly If it please God to bring it home as a seed sown to any of you I shall rejoyce I leave it to the blessing of God FINIS Isa 50. 1. Isa 2. 2.