of the Apostle Peter Pet. 1.1 8. Whom having not seen ye Love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Joy unspeakaâ—le and full of Glory These words Import â—hat though now ye see not the Man Christ â—esus yet the time will come when you shall see him that is when he shall appear in his Glory at the great Day of Judgment when â—he Nations shall stand before him then they shall certainly see him though now they see him not and then Believers shall rejoyce with â—oy unspeakable and full of Glory I say Faith is a very great mystery in that it joyns the Souls of them that truly believe in him to Christ now in heaven Believers do not rejoyce Imaginarily but really True Faith is incomparably a more excellent thing than Imagination is Faith joyneth us to Christ it knitteth us to him and giveth us access unto God by him Remember what our Lord said to Thomas after he arose from the Dead when he appeared to his Disciples the Doors being shut the eleven had seen Christ before when Thomas was not present he would not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to them John 20. When the other Disciples told him we have seen the Lord. He said unto them except I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe And after eight Days again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you then saith he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be Faithless but believing And Thomas answeâ—ed and said unto him my Lord and my Gâ—â— Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hâ— seen me thou hast believed Blessed are they thâ— have not seen and yet have believed O my Friends these VVords are preciouâ— my Heart is touched and tendered with theâ— Blessed are they that have not seen yet haâ— believed we have not seen him risen from thâ— Dead he appeared not to us as to them and 〈◊〉 he appeared to Paul outwardly this is oâ— case you are blessed if ye believe in him whoâ— ye have not seen in the Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 the Man Christ Jesus and if they are Blesseâ— that have not seen yet have believed then follows by the Rule of contraries that theâ— were not blessed who did not believe in hiâ— though they saw him and heard him Preach I cannot say it is a Sin in them not to bâ—lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ who have nâ— heard him Preached to them outwardly nor Inwardly who have not heard of his Death Burial Resurrection and Ascension and sittinâ— at the Right-Hand of God I cannot say 〈◊〉 is a Sin in them not to believe who nevâ—â— heard of those things but those that have haâ— this Doctrine preached and also read in thâ— Holy Scriptures and yet do not believe Chrisâ— risen from the Dead that do not believe Chrisâ— died for their Sins nor believe that he is gonâ— to Heaven and liveth for ever to make intercession for us It is so great a Sin not to believe Christs Incarnation Death and Resurrection when it is preached that they bring a Curse upon themselves that believe not this Doctrin after it is plainly preached to them I do say it and am ready to prove what I say They that have an opportunity to hear this Doctrin preached and read it they have an obligation lying upon them to believe it not because of the outward Testimony barely for where-ever the Scriptures come and are read and preached there is an inward Witness and Testimony goes along with the outward Testimony and it cannot be supposed that the inward Testimony of God's holy Spirit will be wanting to them that enjoy the preaching of the Gospel of Christ to enable them to believe It is Unbelief that brings Men under the Curse and makes them guilty before God Our Saviour told the Jews Except you believe that I am he ye shall die in your Sins O this is most dreadful and whither I go ye cannot come It is not a bare literal traditional or historical Faith or Belief in Christ that I preach to the People which is a Faith of no Value or Worth for Hypocrites have this Faith but that Faith which I preach it is a living Faith wrought by the mighty Power of the Spirit of Christ accompanying the outward Teaching It is a living Faith a fruitful Faith and where-ever this Faith is Love is it is never without Love for Faith Hope and Love always go together and all the Fruits of the Spirit all evangelical Vertues Humility Meekness Temperance and Patience so that they that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ they have a Faith that worketh by Love Love to God and Man That Faith that they have in them is a pious devout religious consciencious Faith and this Faith is accompanied with a Desire that every one might partake of the like precious Faith Every one thaâ— hath it they feel an earnest Travel and concern upon their Spirits that all might be partakers of it they are zealous for the Faith of Christ's Doctrine for by the Faith of Christ's Doctrine we have the Faith of Christ himself So that I do not understand for my part how people can have the Faith of Christ that have not the Faith of his Doctrine A Man or Woman may have a measure of the true Faith of Christ and be short in some matter of Doctrine that is not fundamental they may be wanting in some measure but it were better that there was nothing wanting if possible I long to see you saith the Apostle Rom. 1.11 compared with 1 Thess 3.10 that I may perfect what is lacking in your Faith He did suppose those that were partakers of the Faith of Christ might have something lacking in their Faith that might be supplied to them Christ's Doctrine as it is powerfully preached hath this Service in it to help a Man to lay hold on Christ by Faith as you know we can more easily lay hold upon a Man that is cloathed than upon one that is naked we can more easily lay hold upon Christ by laying hold upon his Doctrine and upon his precious Promises the Promise of Remission of Sin and of his Holy Spirit John 7.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water These are exceeding great and precious Promises by which we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature I can tell you something of mine own Experience I was enabled to lay hold on Christ by laying hold on the Promise of Christ Christ comes cloathed with the precious Promises to believe the Promise of Salvation through Christ Jesus the Promise of Remission of
from a State of Purity and Holiness which once they were possessors of and are come to be like the Prodigal Son who received his Portion from his Father and took his Journy into a far Country and there wasted his substance with riotous living O how glad should my Soul be that some of these Prodigals might be awakened that they might remember from whence they are fallen and call to mind how it was with them when they were in their Father's House when they were fed at their Fathers Table O my Soul is grieved with a Sense of their woful condition in a sense of that Famin of the Word of the Lord that is come over them in a Sense of that darkness and deadness and barrenness that is come over their immortal Souls O! that they might be awakened by the Power and Spirit of the Lord that they might come to themselves as the prodigal Son did when he had spent all and when there arose a mighty Famine in that Land and he began to be in want and went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Country who sent him into the Fields to feed Swine and he would fain have filled his Belly with the Husks that the Swine did Eat and no man gave unto him It is not Husks that will satisfy thy hungry Soul when once thou art convinced and awakened to consider thy miserable condition it is not an empty talk of Religion which is but as Husks and cannot satisfy thy Hungry Soul If thou art awakened and come to thy self thou wilt repent and mourn for thy Sin and lament and grieve and mourn over him whom thou hast pierced by thy transgressions then thou wilt take up a Resolution with the Prodigal who when he came to himself he said How many hired Servants of my Fathers have Bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise saith he and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants Say to thy heavenly Father in thy humble Confession of Sin Lord I have been a Prodigal I have wasted thy heavenly Treasure I have spent and trifled away my precious Time in a strange land and have fed among Swinish Sinners I cannot fill my belly with these Husks Now I remember the plenty of my Fathers House where I had Bread enough and to spare I will return and humble my self before my Father I will confess my sin and Folly unto my compassionate Father it may be he will be kind and merciful and gracious to me When good Desires were raised in the Heart of the returning Prodigal when he arose and came to his Father when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his Neck and kissed him then he humbled himself before his Father and said Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I have spent that portion thou gavest me among Harlots in riotous living If thou returnest as the Prodigal did and if thou addressest thy self to thy heavenly Father as a true Mourner with a sincere repentance never to be repented of if thou settest thy self in good earnest to seek the Lord early and late thou shalt find him to thy Souls satisfaction For so the Prodigal returning to his Father and making these acknowledgments to his Father it moved his compassion and fatherly Bowels His father did not chide him and upbraid him but fell on his neck and kissed him And he said unto his Servants Bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his Hand and Shooes on his Feet and bring hither the fatted Calf and Kill it and let us eat and be merry for this my Son was dead and is alive again and he was lost and is found This was the joyful Entertainment that the returning Prodigal found with his indulgent Father so when we return to God our Heavenly Father by true repentance he will receive us into favour for the sake of his well-beloved Son in whom he is well pleased We shall be stript of our filthy Garments and be cloathed with the Garment of Salvation rhe Robe of Christs Righteousness and be found in him not having our own Righteousness and we shall be feasted with the fatted Calf we shall by faith feed upon the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that was slain and Sacrificed for us His Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood is Drink indeed Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood saith our Lord Jesus Christ hath Eternal Life John 6.51 There is a feast of Fat things and of Wine upon the Lees well refined Thus true Penitent and returning Prodigals shall be entertained and welcomed to their Father's House he will take them into his Banqueting-House and his Banner on them shall be Love and he will speak kindly and comfortably to them Eat O Friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved thus he will speak to us that our Joy may remain in us and that our Joy may be full that we may rejoyce in Christ Jesus and be eternally satisfied in the love of God in whose presence is fulness of Joy Joy unspeakable and full of glory A SERMON Preached by Thomas Budd At Harp-Lane November 4. 1694. John 14.1.2 Let not your Heart be oroubled ye believo in God believe also in me THe Disciples were greatly afflicted when our Saviour told them He must go away and that he must suffer at Jerusalem They being cast down and very sad and sorrowful at the thoughts of his Departure he speaks comfortably to them and bids them Believe in him ye believe in God believe also in me They had a Faith in God they believed in God they believed in the Light which came from God with which they were enlightened yet nevertheless the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ his Resurrection from the Dead and his Ascension into Heaven was not then so clearly and fully discovered unto them as afterward it was made known And it appears That it was not enough for them only to believe in God but he bids them believe in him also And he told them that he did go to prepare a place for them And if I go saith he to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also In my Fathers House are many Mansions where I am there ye shall be also O glorious promise indeed who can declare the large extent of it and the greatness of his Love That he should love them so intirely as to die for the Love of them as to die for their sakes and lay down his Life for them and as their High-Priest become a Sacrifice The High-Priests under the Law offered the Bodies of
remembrance of thy Name I am travelling through the Wilderness of this World this is the place of my Pilgrimage I am here in a strange Land I am passing through this Wilderness this Country that is earthly but I desire a better Country that is an heavenly Lord I am coming to thee and to be with thee and to enjoy fulness of Felicity with thee That which I have now is but an earnest and fore-taste of Heaven that divine Refreshment which I have now from thy Presence O Lord it is very sweet unto my Soul that followeth hard after thee and even faints and longs for thy Salvation Lord my Soul is satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness when thou drawest nigh to me and liftest up the Light of thy Countenance upon me this puts Gladness into my Heart more than in the time that worldly Men have their Corn and Wine encreased But what is all this in comparison of Heaven and the full Fruition of thee and that fulness of Joy and Rivers of Pleasures at thy right Hand for evermore I would not diminish those divine and spiritual Enjoyments and sweet refreshing Consolations which the Lord is pleased many times to vouchsafe to his People here they have large Enjoyments of the Lord's Presence and sweet Communion with him but all this is but a fore-taste and earnest of what is to come Therefore setting our Affections on things above is to be exercising our Faith our Hope and Meditations upon that Felicity which we shall enjoy after this Life I would not have any set their Imaginations on work so as to form Ideas in their Minds what sort of place Heaven is for those thoughts and conceptions that will profit you the Spirit of the Lord must give them to you and so help you to contemplate and meditate upon the joy and Glory of Heaven If ever you have any real benefit and advantage by the Exercise of your Thoughts it must be through the help and assistance of the Holy Spirit you can have no profitable Meditation concerning God and Christ and Heaven and Judgment to come except the Spirit of the Lord doth work in your Hearts and form your Thoughts and excite your desires and raise your affections to a spiritual and lively Exercise Friends you must labour to come to a Holy silence and stilness in your waiting upon the Lord and to deny your selves and take up the Cross of Christ and give up your selves intirely to the leadings of his Spirit and suppress the natural workings and actings of your own Spirits and let every Thought and Imagination be brought into subjection and into a Holy Captivity to the Lord Jesus Christ in your Meditations on God and Heaven and Glory in the VVorld to come these Thoughts must be given you by the Spirit of God you must form and frame and work them together with the Spirit The Life of a true Christian is to live above to have his conversation in Heaven and to look beyond all present Enjoyments unto that which is to come unto fruitions that are future and Everlasting The Apostle according to the VVisdom given him of God hath given us an excellent definition of Faith Hebr. 11.1 Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Hope looks to that which is future which is not presently enjoyed Rom. 8.24 saith thâ— Apostle We are saved by Hope but Hope thâ— is seen is not Hope for what a Man seeth wâ— doth he yet hope for it But if we hope for thâ— we see not then do we with patience wait fâ— it If any one say that this Doctrine drawes 〈◊〉 from the present enjoyment from the gift oâ— God in our selves to look to that which is beyond the grave I say it doth not Truâ— hope centers you in that which is the preseâ—â— measure and confirms and establishes you iâ— it it is the present measure that worketh truâ— hope in us a present measure of the gift oâ— God of the Grace and Spirit of God the effecâ— of Grace cannot lead us from Grace thereforâ— it is great weakness for any thus to argue 〈◊〉 am afraid my meditation will carry me from mâ— present measure I tell thee the Thoughts anâ— meditations that work in the Heart of a truâ— Christian that carry him beyond present enjoyments to those that are future will noâ— hinder the present measure of Grace received Let me add this one word further the mistery that hath been told us the Mystery that hath been hid from Ages and Generations which is Christ in us who is the hope of glory may we not say Christ in us is our glory and Christ in us is our Enjoyment VVe may say if we are true Believers Christ in me is Joy and Sweetness to my Soul and delight and satisfaction to my Soul beyond all the transient Joys and pleasures of this VVorld If I had the possession of them and were Master of them Christ within affords me that â—atisfaction and content that peace and joy that surpasseth all worldly Pleasures Christ within us is our hope of Glory but the present measure of Christ within is not our full possession of Glory I own it that Christ and his Grace is in every Saint and Grace is Glory begun it is the earnest and first Fruits of Glory The Apostle calls Christ within the Hope of Glory not the full possession of it Christ within leads us to that which is beyond the Grave and beyond Time which is to be enjoyed in a glorious Eternity The Apostle Paul tells us Tit. 2.11 12 13. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works When is the time of the appearance of this blessed Hope At the glorious appearing of the great God who is both God and Man and our Saviour When is that At the Resurrection of the Dead when all Nations shall stand before the Son of Man the Good and Bad the Just and the Unjust together What this glorious Appearing will be iâ— beyond the power and ability of any Man tâ— demonstrate but there is one thing I shalâ— mention which will make it a most glorious Appearing that all the unjust Judgments that have been passed against just Men against the Saints and People of God shall be reversed this will be very glorious and God will then before Men and Angels justify his righteous and faithful Servants that have been unjustly condemned by Popes Bishops and general Councils and Synods Thus our blessed Lord himself was unjustly condemned and charged with Blasphemy as you may read in the Evangelist Mark 14.62 The High-priest
the Son the Father gives Life to the Son and the Son giveth Life unto Believers the Son is continually receiving from the Father and we are continually receiving from the Son through the Exercise of our Faith Would you know and feel an heavenly Vertue and Sap and vital Influence flowing â—â—om Christ into your Souls And would you now nothing of dryness barrenness nor unâ—â—uitfulness then live by the Faith of the Son â—f God and exercise your Faith upon Christ â—ontinually It is not enough to have Faith â—e by you as a Man hath an Instrument lying â—y and he doth not use it But know the Use and Exercise of Faith you must know â—he daily Operation of Faith elsâ— you cannot â—eceive continual Sap flowing 〈◊〉 you from Christ the heavenly Vine Gâ—â— 2.20 I am â—rucified with Christ saith the Apostle neverâ—heless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me â—nd the Life which I now live in the Flesh I â—ive by the Faith of the Son of God who loved â—ne and gave himself for me There is no â—iving but by the Faith of the Son of God Rom. 1.16.17 I am not ashamed of the Gospel â—f Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written Hab. 2.4 the Just shall live by his Faith Every Man and Woman are to live by their own Faith It is not the Faith and Holiness of another will serve our turn every one must have Faith of his own which is the Gift of God I once more warn you against that Faith that is only literal traditional and historical for that is not the Faith that will justifie and save you that is not the Faith which I preach I am much abused wronged and traduced by some that say I preach an unprofitable Faith and that the Faiâ—â— which I preach all England hath it and aâ— Christendom hath it If they had it wâ— should see the Fruits of it Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness and Temperance these are the Fruit of the Spirit and Concomitants of true Faith The Faith which I preach is indispensibly necessary to every one that expects Salvation and to live with God and Christ in Heaveâ— for ever It is a Faith that is wrought by thâ— mighty Power of God the powerful word oâ— God in the Heart Heb. 4.12 The Word oâ— God is quick and powerful sharper than anâ— two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joyntâ— and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughtâ— and Intents of the Heart This Faith comeâ— from an inward Root this Root is the Lighâ— within the Power of God the Spirit of God within O how many thousands in Christendom have risen up against this Testimony Blessed be God that gave me a share in this Testimony there is a living Testimony that remains in my Mouth and Heart to this Day that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us performed the Office of an High Priest for us and upon the account of his precious Blood we receive Remission of Sins All this is by Faith in Christ we witness to his prophetical Office he is the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church and People and we witness to his Kingly Office he rules and governs in our Hearts by his Holy Spirit This Faith is not universally preached and known in all Christendom in the Root of it which is Christ within the Light within that Christ in his prepared Body did the Will of God and suffered Death for us This Faith whereby I believe Christ died for me and makes Intercession for me the Root of it is the Light within and Christ within Is this the Doctrine that is believed and professed all over Christendom No by no means This Faith I can prove out of our Friends Writings in Print that it respects Christ whole and entire Every true Exercise of Faith doth respect Christ as he is both God and Man It respects him as he came in the Flesh died and suffered for us in the Flesh and as he rose again from the Dead and ascended into Heaven and now appears in the Presence of God for us and as he will come again to judge the world as he is â—he Son of Man God hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World by the Man Christ Jesus whereof he hath given Assurance â—o all Men in that he hath raised him from â—he Dead Some will be ready to say Shall not the Light within judge all Men Shall not the words which Christ hath spoken judge us at â—he last Day Yes Christ shall judge all Men at the last Day both by his Light in their Hearts and â—s he is the Man Christ now if any think â—â—at the Light within is the Man Christ Jesus and nothing else and exclude the Person oâ— Christ the same Person that was crucified anâ— died for us and was buried This would bâ— a great Error and a contradiction to thâ— fundamental Principles of the Christian Faith I say that blessed Body which God prepareâ— for his dear Son to tabernacle in to be hâ—â— Temple that Body remains in Being and wiâ—â— remain a glorious Body to all Eternity Thâ— Apostle tells us Phil. 3.20 That our meaâ— and vile Bodies shall be made like unto Christâ— glorious Body For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change ouâ— vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto hâ— glorious Body according to the working whereâ—â— he is able to subdue all things unto himself It will be the Happiness of the Saints thâ— they shall be made like unto Christ both iâ— Soul and Body We shall be made more likâ— to Christ in our Souls and Spirits then anâ— we must be cleansed from Sin and made liâ—â— him now for we expect no Purgatory aftâ—â— this Life therefore defer it not He that haâ— this Hope saith the Apostle purifyeth himseâ—â— even as he is pure My Friends I expect no cleansing after thâ— Life I expect all my cleansing here to 〈◊〉 cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh aâ— Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of Gâ—â— that so when I come to die I may be receivâ— into the Bosom of Christ that I may have measure of that holy Confidence to pray 〈◊〉 Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit This â—lessed Martyr Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and â—aw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the â—ight Hand of God and when they were stonâ—ng him to Death he kneeled down and cried with a loud Voice Lord lay not this Sin to â—heir Charge and when he had said this he â—ell asleep Friends you that have a Life of Faith and â—eel Christ dwelling in your Hearts by Faith
revealed by the Spirit of God and the first Fruits and Earnest are given to the People of God here in this World the full enjoyment whereof is reserved for the next Life Now the first Fruits and Earnest are of the same nature and kind with the full Harvest in Glory If thou be a true Believer thou enjoyest a measure of the same Delight and Pleasure in Communion with God on Earth that the glorified Saints do enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity O the inward sweetness delight and satisfaction that the Soul of every true Believer enjoys in God in this Life it is of the same nature and kind that the Saints shall enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity this first Fruits and Earnest is but little in comparison of the full Harvest that is to come Those that are the People of God that have experienced God's Teaching know that which is beyond all the Teachings of the best of Men as the taste of Hony is beyond all Reports of it the Joys and Comforts of God's holy Spirit are beyond all that can be declared and expressed by Man concerning these things Whatsoever God's Servants have declared and reported concerning the great things that God hath promised to them that love him the Knowledge and Taste and Experience of God's People goes beyond it Yet this makes not void the outward Testimony and Teaching of holy Men for so far as any holy Man has greater Experience than I and a greater experimental Knowledge of God he is sit to teach me further than I at present know for the Children of God are gradually taught under the new Covenant None have Forgiveness of Sin vouchsafed to them but those that come under God's Teaching they believe not because of Man's Testimony only because Paul taught so and Peter taught so and James and John taught so but as they said to the Samaritan-woman John 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy Saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World Those that are thus taught of God know the Truth and love the Truth as it is in Jesus they have heard himself preach he is not bodily present but he is present by his Spirit the Voice of the Spirit of Christ is the Voice of Christ and the Voice of God the Father you that hear the Voice of the Spirit in your Hearts you hear the Voice of the Father and the Son they that are taught of God they hear the Voice of God the Father Son and holy Ghost There is one thing further upon my Heart which I shall deliver as the Lord shall be pleased to enable me in a few Words concerning the new Covenant I hope you all know thus much that the nature of a Covenant is mutual it binds and obligeth both Parties so doth God's Covenant who ever comes under God's Covenant As God obligeth himself to be their Father and their God anâ— their Husband thy Maker is thy Husband So God's People that come under this Covenant are engaged unto God and God expects and requires that they should be faithful unto him And certainly God expectâ— and requires of every one in order to their coming into Covenant that they give up their Hearts and Souls to him and to take the Lord for their God We must dedicate our selves to his glory and service and say Lord thou shalt be my God I will have no other God but thee no other Lord or Master but thee Other Lords have had dominion over us but now we will make mention of thy Name only Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel Is this only an outward Book an outward Writing and Subscription No that is but little to be accounted of thou must write with thy Soul thou must write with thy Heart There is a Bond between the Lord and thee and thou bindest thy self to him and it is written in thy Heart The Lord shall be my God Thus David engaged himself to the Lord Psal 119.94 Lord I am thine save me and he takes the Lord for his Portion Thou art my Portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy Word How can you say That the Lord is your God unless you are his by Covenant God's Covenant hath a mutual stipulation or obligation there is a mutual engaging and promising The Lord promiseth to be our God and Father and Husband and our Preserver to be all in all to us and we promise to be his People to love him and serve him and obey him So my Friends I now commend you to the Lord and commend those things to you that I have declared at this present time I commit them to the Witness of God in all your Consciences I commit you to God and the Word of his Grace to open your Understandings that you may be inlightned to know him who is the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent which is Life eternal and that you may feel his mighty power to make impression upon your Hearts by those things that I have been testifying and declaring among you the Lord alone can teach you to Profit and make those great and precious Promises that have now sounded in your Ears to have a due impression upon your Hearts and to become effectual through the mighty Power of his blessed Spirit for the Salvation of your immortal Souls A SERMON Preached by George Keith At Harp-Lane London Septemb. 30th 1694. Cor xiii 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Or as it may be better translated Vnless ye be unapproved disapproved or without a proof THis is a seasonable Exhortation of the Apostle Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith c. know ye not your own selves c. how that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates saith our Translation ' It were sad indeed if all they were Reprobates that know not Christ within them God forbid for there are thousands that know not that Christ is in them they have not that Knowledge Understanding Proof and Experience yet they are not Reprobate But who then are Reprobates may some say They are Reprobates of whom we may truly say God hath wholly left them utterly left them and ceaseth to be a Reprover to them and their Day of Mercy is expired the Day of God's Visitation and the striving of his Spirit is at an End towards them These are properly said to be Reprobates yet those that are not yet in Christ and know not that Chtist is in them so long as they are capable of Repentance and Conversion and of being turned to God and the Day of his Visitation being not yet expired it cannot
the Lord I have found such strength and power given in that the Enemy hath given back When I awake in the morning and come to a Meeting I am in distress till I receive Bread from Heaven and Hony out of the Rock and Consolation from those precious Promises I will cause them to lie down and none shalt make them afraid and they shall have Bread in their own Houses and Water in their own Cisterns The more you wait upon the Lord the more you will find of supply from his heavenly helping-hand certainly God is carrying on the Work of your Redemption till you appear before him in Zion tho' at present it causeth trouble and exercise as it was with the Spouse when she was seeking after her Beloved with desires and breathings Cant. 6.8 I charge you Daughters of Jerusalem if you find my Beloved that ye tell him That I am sick of love To be sick of Love is a groaning mournful Exercise but when thy Saviour â—â—mes and opens his Mouth in blessing thou â—ilt be abundantly satisfied as with Marrow â—nd Fatness and sit under his shadow with â—â—â—t Delight and his Fruit will be sweet unâ—â— thy taste Thus it was with David When thou hidest thy face O God I am troubled and I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living One that is earnestly seeking after Christ will speak of his Excellencies as the Spouse did and thereby excite and stir up others to seek him also my Beloved is white and rudy the chiefest of ten thousand his Mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether Lovely This is my Beloved and this is my Friend O Daughters of Jerusalem whither is thy beloved gone they said whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee When thou art seeking after Christ he is not far from thee Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come unto him and will sup with him and he with me Some honest Country men will say one to another where is the Door Christ comes to It is the Door of the Heart What is this knocking of the beloved at the Door How shall I know when he knocks at the Door when the Spouse comes to have acquaintance with her beloved I sleep but my Heart waketh it is the Voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my Sister my love my dove my undefiled for my Head is filled with dew and mâ— locks with the drops of the Night My belovâ—â— saith she put in his hand by the hole of 〈◊〉 Door and my Bowels were moved for him I 〈◊〉 up to open to my Beloved and my hands droppeâ— with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my Soul failed when he spake When the Lord is pleased to give a tast of his love then after a dark Night of sorrow and affliction the Day will break and the shadows flee away then at the dawning of this blessed Morning Christ will come to the disconsolate enquiring Soul and his reward is with him and his work before him then there shall be joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall fly away Then saith the humble Soul I am sensible of the goodness of the Lord sensible of mercy and supporting and preserving power but I am still under trouble and disquietness of mind and I am as David when he cryed out Lord make hast to help me for the Waters are come unto my Soul great distress and trouble are come into my Soul now though I have believed in Christ and obtained mercy and assistance from divine power against my Spiritual Enimies yet I have not kept my watch and my adversary the Devil by his subtilty and wiles hath ensnared me and given me a snap at the Heel and I have relapsed â—nto sin sinned presumptuously nay I am afraid I have sinned the unpardonable sin the 〈◊〉 against the Holy Ghost for I have been enlightened and tasted of the Heavenly gift 〈◊〉 have been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come The Apostle saith It is impossible for such if they fall away to be renewed again by Repentance I am affraid to die for I cannot triumph over Death as the Apostle did and say 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the sting of Death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ I Answer Notwithstanding all thy doubts and fears thou art still to hope in God who is merciful and gracious forgiving transgression and sin and who hath promised that if we confess and forsake sin we shall find mercy and if we forsake sin and turn from our evil ways he will abundantly pardon Remember for thy encouragment the words of the Apostle 1 John 2.12 My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World If thou dost believe in Christ thou wilt be in a capacity to resist the Devil thy grand Enemy and to repel his temptations when he comes as an accuser to make shipwrack of thy Faith consider the tenderness and compassion of Christ toward broken and contrite sinners in 11 Mat. 28. in that sweet invitation Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And also in that charge he giveth to Peter John 21 15. Simon Son of Jonaâ— lovest thou me He answered Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee then saith he feed my Lambs feed my Sheep c. Stephen when they were stoning him to Death did look unto Christ and had strong consolation triumphing over Death and the rage and fury of his Murderers Acts 17.55 He being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right hand of God and they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit And he kneeled down and cryed with a loud Voice Lord lay not this sin unto their Charge Thus look up unto Jesus when thy Adversary the Devil doth accuse thee and by believing thou wilt overcome him and go on conquering and to conquer till all thy enemies be utterly subdued Believe in the Lord Jesus who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him and those that come unto him he will in no wise cast out
clean Beasts and entered into the Holy place made with Hands It was not without Blood that the High-Priest offered Sacrifice for the Sins of the People and for his own Sins for almost all things wete purged with the blood of the Sacrifices which were offered and then he entred into the most Holy place made with Hands But Christ being come an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with Hands neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entred in once into the Holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us Ye believe in God believe also in me He bids them believe in him as the Light of the World and follow the Dictates and Motions of the Spirit You do well to believe in this divine Appearance if so be you live in it and follow the divine Motions of it O then it will be a Sanctuary to you as the City of refuge was to the Manslayer under the Law There were six Cities of Refuge appointed in the most convenient places of the Land for the Man-slayer to fly to if any one had killed a Man at unawars against his Will there was a City of Refuge to have access to If he could get into that City of Refuge he was in safety from the Avenger of Blood from the Pursuer if he was over-taken by the Avenger of Blood then he might be slain then he might be destroyed but if he got into the City of Refuge there he was to remain in safety in safe custody under the safeguard and Protection of the Law But if he went out of the City of Refuge then the Man-slayer might take hold of him These things are written for our Learning the Lord hath provided a City of Refuge for his Children and for his Servants to fly unto And what is this City of Refuge It is the Light of Christ Jesus the Light of the World in its first Ministration of Gods Holy Spirit If so be you fly to it and come under the Protection of it it will preserve you in safety But if we depart from our Obedience to this Heavenly Light then the Man-slayer the Justice of God will take hold of us then we shall feel the Wrath of God to be kindled against us and smite us and cut us down And this we have known by living Experience while we have remained under the Protection of God and under the safe-guard of the Law and of God's Light in our Hearts we have been in safety from the Avenger from Gods severe Wrath and Justice God's wrath hath not been kindled against us to burn us up and consume us but if we have been rebellious and disobedient then the wrath of the Lord hath been kindled against us and his Judgments executed upon us But when we have run to the City of Refuge under the divine Protection we have strengthened our Hearts and Hands in the sight of God But if we have sinned at any time then our own Hearts have accused us and condemned us We are to remain under the safeguard of the Law until such time as the death of our great High-Priest Christ Jesus be revealed in our Hearts when we have heard the joyful sound when the tidings of the Death of the High-Priest comes to be sounded in our Ears when the Mystery of Christ crucified comes to be revealed unto us then we have a glorious inheritance to go unto a most desirable possession beyond all the Enjoyment of this World The state in Paradice wherein Man was at the beginning is not to bâ— compared to it it is in the Country we are travelling to the Spiritual and heavenly Canaan a Land flowing with heavenly Milk and Hony Joy unspeakable and full of Glory This is the Country which we are travelling to if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow the great Captain of our Salvation Who was made perfect through sufferings we shall be made Heirs of Eternal life Let us believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who is gone to prepare a place for us In the time appointed of the Father he will come again and receive us to himself that where he is there we may be also O blessed are you that have a living Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and do follow him and the Conduct and leadings of his divine Spirit and he will lead you to this heavenly Country he will go before you and he hath made this Promise to all his faithful followers Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father on his Throne He is the Bridegroom and you shall be the Bride the Lambs Wife And you shall be joyned to him in the heavenly Marriage Union and you shall be with him in Glory to all Eternity We Read Gen. 82.24 that Jacob being left alone there wrestled a Man with him all Night until the breaking of the Day and when he saw that he prevailed not against him c. He said let me go for the Day breaketh And Jacob said unto the Angel I will not let thee go except thou bless me And he said unto him what is thy Name And he said Jacob And the Angel said to him Thy Name shall no more be called Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou Power with God and with Men and hast prevailed And he blessed him there So my Friends if you would have the Blessings of Jacob the Blessings of Abraham O then wrestle with the Man Christ Jesus and wrestle in Faith wrestle with this Angel of the Covenant all Night until the dawning of the Day until the Day-Star shall arise in your Hearts and not only so but persevere in the Faith until the Son of Righteousness arise As Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Covenant Christ Jesus who is both God and Man he wrestled with him all Night until the dawning of the Day Then he blessed him And Jacob called the Name of lhat place Peniel For I have seen God Face to Face and my Life is preserved He said a Man appeared to him and he called him God How is this to he understood The Man Christ Jesus he is both God and Man None but he that is both God and Man can bless us with eternal Blessings therefore let us believe in him that can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him for he hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us FINIS ERRATA PAge 16. line 26. after do read to trust in p. 21 l. 11. after again r. to the bodies of the saints and l. ult dele to the bodies of the saints p. 23. l. 25. r. Deut. 30.11 12. p. 30. l. 12. r. after Moses and from Moses to Christs coming in the Flesh p. 192. l. 14. dele like and r. it is a measure of the divine nature p. 47. l. 32. for held r. help Books lately Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultery near Cheap-side I. THE Doctrin of Christ crucified asserted in Three Declarations or Sermons by George Keith Exactly token in Shorthand as they were delivered by him at the Meetings of the Christian people called Quakers in London Price 6 d. II. The Concurrence and Unanimity of the People called Quakers in Owning and Asserting the principal Doctrines of the Christian Religion Demonstrated in the Sermons or Declarations of several of their Publick Preachers Namely Mr. Robert Barclay Mr. George Whitehead Mr. John Bowater Mr. Chacles Marshall Mr. William Bingley Mr. John Butcher Mr. James Park Mr. William Dewsberry Mr. Francis Camfield Mr. William Penn Mr. Richard Ashby Mr. Samuel Waldenfield Mr. John Vaughton and Mr. Francis Stamper Exactly taken in Short hand as they were delivered by them at their Meeting-houses in Grace-Church-street Devonshire-House St. Martins le-grand S. John's-street Wheeler-street and Ratcliff in and about London And now faithfully Transcribed and publâ—shed with the Prayer at the end of each Sermon Price one Shilling six pence