a Saviour and that thy Life is hid with Christ in God It is Gods infinite goodness to Men that he will hide pride from them and humble them under his mighty hand This is the Condition of poor Creatures that are slain by the hands of the most High How may I know when I am slain and baptized and come to have sincerity They that have this Baptism enter into the Heavenly Life if you love the light of Christ Jesus it will be thus with you God will make short work in the Earth He will set thy Sins in order before thee and make thee watchful unto Prayer and lead thee to holiness of Life and Conversation and make thee abhor thy self and despise all the Pomps and Pleasures and Vanities of the World when he hath adorned thee with his Graces then watch for the Light and in the Light of Christ thou shalt see Light and that all thou hast done and canst do is but thy Duty All this thou oughtest to do thou art Gods Creature and all this will not justifie thee in order to thy Eternal Salvation for these services thou owest unto God If thou diligently wait thou shalt see more light then the Sword that proceeds out of the mouth of Christ who is called the word of God will cut thee off from all thy hopes of Salvation from any thing thou hast done from any of thy qualifications from any thing that thou canst do so that thou wilt be a hopeless Soul nothing in thy own sense and apprehension the power of the first Adam must die before him and thou wilt cry out I am a dead lost and undone Creature but there is a Life hid with Christ in God for me but I can never have it 'till I be slain into the will of God and become as a little Child and be stript of all my own Excellency that I have attained I must come to a sense of my own misery and fall down at the foot of God when I am become as a little Child humbled and slain as to my own will and confidence in my own righteousness I will not then question but I shall live a Holy Life but I will give all that Life I had for that Life which is hid with Christ in God O! there is none come so far that ever miss of Eternal Life All Shuffling People that would have Salvation by Christ and will not let him exercise his Heavenly Power his Princely Glorious Power to Baptize them into his Death it is they that come short of Salvation but all those that yield themselves up to Christ to be Redeemed through Judgment and are become as little Children these are sn a happy state You know that our Lord Jesus Christ took a little Child in his Arms and said whosoever becomes not as a little Child cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven you must all of you become as little Children and depend upon the Mercy and Free Grace of God you must all come to a Holy resignation of your selves to Gods disposal If you come to Christ as little Children and depend upon him you cannot miss of Salvation it is entailed upon such Souls as hear the Voice of Christ they that hear the Voice of the Son of the God shall live I Stand here as a Witness for the God of Heaven I never heard the Voice of Christ as his follower till I was slain and Baptized and lay as a little Child under his Heavenly Chastisements as soon as ever my Soul was brought to this in my Humiliation O then the dreadful Judgment was taken aaway and the Book of Life was opened unto me and the Lord spake comfortably to me I have lovâ—d thee with an Everlasting Live and I was made a Christian through a Day of Vengeance and of burning as an Oven and the haughtiness and Pride of Man in me was brought low Now in this conformity to Christ's Death People may die into Life and Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Away with all your own Wills and your Pride and Haughtiness and your Hypocrisie and Deceit and all depend ancy upon any qualification of your own you must come to have your Life seperated from you else you will all perish Those that will die with Christ and be willing to die for him he is revealed as a Saviour to them He was before us in the Days of his flesh and complyed with his Father's Will he was Nailed to the Cross The Son of God when he was come to the depth of his sufferings what was his cry My God My God Why hast thou forsaken me This was for thy sake and my sake and every Man and Woman's sake that do believe in him he drank the Cup which his Father gave him to drink If it was done thus to the Green Tree What shall be done unto the Dry He went before us and when he cometh again he will take us to himself and take us from the filth of Sin that we may be made New Creatures Now except we be born again we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God and there is no becoming new Creatures tell we be slain to the Old man Thou must be slain to thy Pride and Haughtiness and the corruption of thine own Will and all selfishness thou must have God to burn it np in thee The Holy Ghost will destroy and burn up nothing in thee but that which will bring an Eternal fire upon thy Soul shew me thou whom my Soul Loveth where is the Path of Life the footsteps of the Flock of thy Companions Why should I be as one that goes aside Now every one that lives at home in the bosom of self take this with you though you profess the truth and live in an outward conformity thereunto yet if you secretly indulge your corrupt wills and live a Flesh-pleasing Life and consult with Flesh and Blood and are not rent off from your Lusts you cannot enjoy the Lord of Life While I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord. The body of Sin is as a Loadstone to draw you from the Life of God and from Glorying in the Cross of Christ This is flesh and blood and flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God For the Lord's sake for your Soul's sake and for the sake of your Eternal Happiness put not off this work but persue it and it will be perfected See how Christ is revealed in you by the Holy Ghost and with fire God will Redeem you by the Spirit of Judgment and burning It is not ranging abroad with your minds but you must know Christ is in you except you be Reprobates If he hath set your Eyes and Hearts upon himself and made you to Water your Couch with your Tears If he hath broken your sleep so as you have cry'd out I shall be damned and never come to Salvation This
on Eternal Life And Blessed and Heavenly Father for all thy abounding Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to us and all thy People and for the refreshing we have had from thy Presence in our present Meeting we desire to render Praise Honour Renown and Thanksgiving to thy Great and Excellent Name for thou alone art worthy who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. CHARLES MARSHAL At the Close of a Meeting in Grace-Church-street March 11. 1693. With his Prayer after Sermon My Friends THE Testimony which lives in my Soul at this time is unto the excellency of the Love of God in Christ Jesus which Love is indeed â—ncomprehensible and unspeakable the Love of the Everlasting God through his Beloved Son Christ Jesus which because of the hardness of the Hearts of Men and for want of understanding and of a feeling Heart and of a perceiving mind many of the Children of Men have not the Knowledge of Herein was the greatness and extensiveness of the Love of God unto mankind in sending his Son into the World who came from the Bosom of the Father that he that knew no Sin might be made Sin foâ—us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him O the Wonderful Mystery of the Incarnation of Christ Jesus Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh The Professors of this Age have been strangely â—gnorant of it and have been ready to reflect on those that Admire it and have an high esteem of it But blessed be the Lord our God that we can say in Truth that we have an esteem of that one offering of the Eternal Son of God that we can say as the Apostle did in his Day By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified This is that which hath opened upon my Soul this Morning The Lord God of Glory in this Age and Generation hath laid a necessity upon us to Preach Christ under the Denomination of a glorious Light for he is the Light of the World and the only Saviour and so we are to have Faith in him The Apostles made it their Work to persuade the People from Morning to Evening that Jesus was the Christ the true Mesiah that made a good Confession before Pontius Pilate and that he was Crucified Died and Rose again and ascended up into Heaven and sitteth at the Right hand of God and lives for ever to make Intercession for us This was the Labour Travel and Exercise of the Apostles to Preach Christ Crucified and Risen from the Dead But the Jews Assembled with the Chief Priests and Elders to take Counsel together and gave large Money to the Souldiers saying say ye his Disciples came by Night and stole him away while we slept This was the Labour of the Apostles and Servants of the Lord to persuade the People in their Day that Jesus was the Christ and that after he was Crucified and Died he was risen from the Dead but the Jews the Scribes and Pharises they did oppose this and said he was not the Promised Messiah But in process of time through the powerful Preaching of the Gospel the Children of Men did Receive and believe this Testimony that Jesus was the Christ the Eternal Son of God and only Saviour and when the Enemy could no longer withstand that Belief when it came over the Nations then the People were turned about and then there was an Admission of that Belief that Jesus was the Christ and many contented themselves with the bare Name of Christ and with a Profession of the Word without the Power But the Lord of Glory hath raised a People in this Age and Generation as Instruments that might shew forth the Power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Spiritually not thereby denying or not in the least opposing his manifestation bodily which died without the Gates of Jerusalem for this was the end of his manifestation For this purpose saith the Apostle was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil So that now Friends That which opens and lives in my Soul and that which I have to say and demonstrate to you at this time is this That the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath raised up a People in our Day to Preach Christ under that Denomination that the Servants of the Lord Preached Christ in former Days Ages and Generations They gave testimony on this wise In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was Life and that Life was the Light of Men and the Light shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not There was a man sent from God whose Name was John the same came for a Witness to bear Witness of that Light that all men through him might believe He was not that Light but was sent to bear Witness of that Light that was the true light that Lighteth every man that cometh into the World he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not He came to his own and his own received him not But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God to them that believe on his Name Did the Apostle John that gave Testimony of Christ as the Light of the World oppose his Appearance in that Body that was prepared for him of the Father to do his Will in No no more then the Apostle Paul who Preached his Spiritual Appearance and manifestation opposed his bodily Appearance and being manifest in Flesh when he saith The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that Denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World No more do we deny or oppose Christ's bodily appearance who Died without the Gates of Jerusalem Though we are misunderstood and misrepresented by many in this Generation The Lord in mercy by his Heavenly power remove this misunderstanding and take away this Vail from the Hearts of the Children of Men and so bring them to a sense and knowledge of the Spiritual Appearance of Christ Jesus and the blessed end of his coming in that blessed body wherein he suffered and tasted Death for every man not that any man might live in Sin because he dyed a Sacrifice for Sin He did not dye for Sin that men should live in Sin but that they might dye to Sin and live to God so likewise we do not Preach any thing opposite to Christs appearance in that blessed Body who was God manifest in the Flesh for therein he wrought Salvation for us He is the Captain of our Salvation and was made Perfect through sufferings He is the First begotten of the Dead the Prince of the Kings
of the Earth that hath loved us and cleanseth us from our Sins â—n his own blood The Lord open the understandings of the Children of men that they may come to know the Excellency of his Life and love When the Lord comes to open and manifest to the Children of Men his great Love in sending his Son out of his Bosom in the fulness of time to dye for us for Christ had a being before the World began when Mens Eyes and Hearts I say are wonderfully opened to see this Love of God then their Hearts will be melted and broken and their prejudices removed and they will be brought to the Obedience and Service of God We own the Doctrine of the Life and Death Resurrection and Ascension and Intercession of Christ Jesus And for any to say we denâ— this how inconsistent is it with what we have Preached and declared and how shameless is it for any to misrepresent or falsely Charge us with the contrary since we have gâ—â—e through many Exercises and suffered many Persecutions Buffetings and Imprisonments for Declaring the Truth as it is in Jesus so that if in this Life only we had hope we were of all men most miserable And if Christ be not risen from the Dead our Preaching is vain and your Faith is also vain We have spoken the Truth according to the Scriptures of Truth yet how have the Children of Men been prejudiced against us How many have been bewildred and led into Errour and into misapprehension concerning what we have plainly declared among you And now to give a little ease to my Spirit I would speak something briefly to you let the Love of God in Christ Jesus extended to you affect your Hearts if you are in the living sense of this love it will engage you to live in Obedience and subjection to this Heavenly Light by which you were brought out of Darkness and Redeemed from Iniquity to be a peculiar People Zealous of good Works It will engage you to live to Christ that died for you and as you know a Translation from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of God's dear Son you will Reap the Fruits and benefits of his Death Resurrection and Ascension and Intercession at God's Right hand The Lord God of Heaven and Earth open all your Hearts that while you have a little time and are on this side the Grave and on this side Eternity you may serve the Lord in your Generation and fulfil his blessed Will and finish the Work which he hath given you to do that you may Glorifie the Name of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is worthy of all Praise Glory and Renown Worshipâ— Love Service and Obedience who is God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon MOst Glorious Heavenly and Divine Fountain of Love and Life who hast let us see the beginings of thy Excellent Day and participiate of thy Love in making bare thine Arm of Salvation which thou hast Revealed and made bare in our Age. O God of Glory and Soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth it is in the Power of thy hand to open the Hearts of thy People as thou didst open the Heart of Lydia that the things that belong to the Peace of every Soul may be seen known and experienced Lord God of Glory our Eyes are unto thee and our Souls are bowed before thee for the shewing of mercy and the handing forth of the blessings which thou promised'st to the Children of Israel by the mouth of thy Holy Prophets That thou living Father of Life wilt bless them in turning every one from their Iniquities and the Evil of thtir ways for Lord God of Life this is greatly wanting both in this City and throughout the whole Nation Thy mercies and Favours have been received by many and thy loving kindness hath extended it self wonderfully O Glorious Fountain of Heavenly Love and Life be pleased to remove that Insensibility that is ready to come over the minds of men that the nearer thy Wrath and Judgments do approach to us by reason of that Inundation of Sin and Wickedness that overflows the Land the less Sense and Apprehension there is of it Lord open the Peoples Eyes and Hearts that they may see and consider the danger of their State and Condition and be humbled for their Sin and seek thy Face and turn to thee with all their Hearts that Glorious God of Life the Souls of thy Children may be affected with thy Goodness Patience and Long-suffering that this may be the blessed effect of thy Goodness that it may lead all to Repentance never to Repented of that we may mourn before thee for the manifold Sins and Transgressions of the Land against thy Divine Majesty That Glorious God of Love and Life we may not again provoke thee to anger O Rend the Vail of Darkness that is spread over this Land that it may not hinder the bright beams of Gospel Light from shining nor the Children of Men from seeing their Spiritual State and Condition Lord God of Life let trembling and astonishment take hold of the wicked that they may have a deep sense of the Sins and Provocations this ungrateful Land is guilty of that they may lament and mourn before thee O Lord O Tender God of Love and Life thy mercy and loving kindness was extended to the Inhabitants of Niniveh that great City wherein were more then Six score thousand persons that could not discern between their Right-hand and their Left Didst thou not enlighten their minds and melt their Hearts when thou hadst a Controversie with them and denounced'st Judgment by thy Prophet against them Did not the Mighty come down from their Seats and the King from his Throne and lay his Robe from him and the Nobles and all the People of the Land did they not all put on Sackcloth and sit in Ashes and mourn before thee and Cry mightily to thee and turned from their evil ways and thou didst turn away thy Wrath and Repent of the Evil which thou saidst thou wouldst do unto them and didst it not but extended'st thy mercy and favour to them and saved'st them with a great Salvation Blessed Lord thou art our God O save us for we have none in Heaven but thee and none upon Earth that we can desire in Comparison of thee we have none to make our moan to but thy self our Eyes and Hearts are towards thee Let us hearken to thy Counsel and turn at thy Reproof and let sorrow take hold of their Hearts thaâ— have rejected thy Favours and Mercies O give Repentance unto Life that thy wrath may not wax hoâ— against the Nation and the Inhabitants thereof and that thy Fury and Jealousie may not Consume and burn them up O make them sensible of the Sins that have been committed and of the misery they have deserved that they may come to thee for Pardon and Reconciliation with thee through the Lord Jesus Christ
into a weighty consideration the end for which the Everlasting God hath given us a Being and a day of Visitation and doth vouchsafe to us the continuance of our Lives without all controversie the Great God hath a great end in it I would to God the consideration of this end did take impression upon your minds Certainly it is for this in the first place that Man should Serve and Glorify the Great God that gave Life and Breath and Being to him for this is an indispensible duty and in the next place there is a Duty towards man so that there is our Duty to God and our Duty towards our Neighbour Now that we may be capable of Answering these things that we may be rightly fitted and qualified that this great end of God may be answered that is our Duty to God which every one ought to perform and I doubt not is acknowledged generally by all to be due to him It is therefore to be considered under what Qualifications those must be that can perform it acceptably Now God who hath required the strict performance of this Duty is a Holy Eternal Being Pure and Righteous whatsoever then is offered to him must be a pure Offering and the Heart and Mind of the Offerer must be pure and Holy if it find acceptance with him Now if it be so as without all controversie it is In the first place you know as God created Man for this end and purpose to glorifie him so he created him in a meet state and capacity to perform it for he made Man Upright Holy and Righteous and whilst he stood thus he had both free access and acceptance with God his Maker But alass Mankind through the Workings of Satan and through the craftiness and subtilty of the Enemy of all Righteousness lost this Innocent state of Holiness fell from it and became a Plant of a degenerate Vine yet many are not so far fallen but that they have a sense sometimes and believe there is a Duty and Service owing to God and have gone about to perform it though they have not been rightly qualified for we find that Israel they went about to perform this great duty in their unregenerate state what acceptance did they find none at all why there Hearts were corrupt we have divers Instances thereof in Scripture concerning Israel the Lord complains of them by his Prophets He doth not complain that they were short in not going about to do something that had the shew of Region or in appearing in an outward shew of Offering something to God No but it was not pleasing for the Lord saith Bring no more vain Oblations Isa 1. 13. Incense is an Abomination to me tâ—â— New Moons and Sabbaths and calling of Assembliâ— I cannot away with It is iniquity even the solem meeting what was the reason they were not acceptable was it that the Lord had not required those things No What was the reason then Their Hearts were full of Corruption their Hearts were defiled they were not right in the sight of God it sprung from a wrong Heart it was not a Vessel made meet It was not prepared and fit for such holy Service and Oblation And again in the same place there they seemed to draw nigh to God and would presume to tread his Courts but what was the return When you come to appear before me who hath required this thing at your hands to tread my Courts seeing you hate to be Reformed these People drew near to God with their Lips but their Hearts were far from him And it is evident the Lord did not accept of them in those performances because they were in a corrupt unclean state but the Lord by his Prophet corrected them on this wise Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes cease to do Evil learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the oppressed Judge the Fatherless plead for the Widdow Come now and let us Reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be Red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Nothing but this change could give them acceptance with God Now my Friends this is a great Work the Work of the Day that every Man and Woman is concerned in and ought to be concerned about to be made meet to approach before the Lord to come before him and perform their duty that is due from them to God acceptably but if any should enquire of me by what means may we be made meet for this Service and great Undertaking I will tell you It must be by Experience and sensible feeling of that which was the cause and real ground of mans losing his access to and acceptance with God at the beginning that which shut the Door and became a Bar and Partition Wall between God and Man and that was the Sin and Transgression that he fell into this must be removed and taken away the root of it must be done away by Faith in him whom God has sent to Restore lost man Jesus Christ and by a sensible feeling the effectual working of his Power in the Soul to cleanse from Sin or else there can be no acceptance with God How and by what means must it be done away God Everlasting in his Infinite Love hath ordained a way because he would not have man to perish and remain in a state uncapable of answering the end which God ordained him to and what is that Way The Lord Jesus Christ God hath sent him into the World in a twofold manner First He sent him into the World in a Holy Body which he had prepared for him as it is written Lo it is written in the Volume of the Book I come what for To do thy Will O God What is Gods Will And what is the reason of Christs coming into the World That he might Die for every man and be a Sacrifice for Sin and Redeem Man to God this was the Work that God gave him to do in that appearance Secondly There is another coming of Christ a coming in the Spirit for the first opened a Door for lost Man that shut himself out and by his Sin put a Bar to his drawing near to God the first coming of Christ I say opened a Door for he became a Sacrifice and an Offering and Attonement for Mankind and thereby opened a new and living Way for Mans coming to God And â—â— second coming is without Sin to Salvation and to bring all Mankind that believe and obey him into this Way or Door and to have an entrance into this New and Living Way which he has opened and thereby to have the benefit of that one Offering and Sacrifice which he hath made for sinners and God hath revealed and made this known to the Sons and Daughters of Men Blessed be the Name of God that Christ is come in the Spirit that he hath sent his Spirit into our Hearts that
we know a perserving and holding on in thy way Living Father we pray thee let us feel every day the Conduct of thy Grace and good Spirit that we may admire thy love and praise and glorifie thy great and excellent Name O Powerful God thou blessest the Assemblies of thy People that meet together in the Name of thy Dear Son Jesus Christ for the enjoyment of thy Comfortable Presence Lord blessand Prosper all the Meetings of thy People every where and the labours of those whose mouths thou hast opened to refresh the sorrowful and to bring glad tidings to the poor distressed Needy and weary Souls that would be glad of Rest and deliverance and those in whom thou raisest desires and breathings after the knowledge of thee and thy blessed ways Lord bear up the Hearts of those and strengthen all those good desires and breathings which thou hast begotten in any that they may come to the know ledge of that blessed Rest where thou makest thy Flock to lie down at Noon and feedest them with living Bread and openest a living Fountain to refesh and satisfie their thirsty Souls that they may praise thy great an excellent Name which is pure and precious above every Name Thou hast brought many to the knowledge of it Let thy Truth be exalted and thy Everlasting Gospel be still Preached in the Land of our Nativity and in other Nations for the Day of Grace the time of love is now come and the Day of thy Power is broken out in the midst of us Arise O Lord in thy Power more and more and send forth thy Light and thy Truth that many may be Called and Converted and brought from far from the utmost ends of the Earth to the knowledge of thy self and thy Son Jesus Christ whom to know is Life Eternal and let many arise and praise thy excellent and Glorious Name from the Rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Blessed Father of Life make thy Dear Son Christ more and more known to the World that they may be no longer Enemies but be reconciled to thee by Jesus the Great Mediatour of the New Covenant Lord the way is thine and the work is thine Let truth and Righteousness be brought in more and more and bring down the Kingdom and Man of Sin and the Power of Darkness and make thy Jerusalem the Praise of the Earth We have seen the beginnings of thy glorious Work and the light of thy glorious Heavenly Day thou hast raised and brought in many to walk in the Light and to love thy Holy ways blessed Father of Life our Eyes are unto thee and our dependance is upon thee Whom have we in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that we can desire in comparison of thee Therefore our cry is What shall we do in this World without the enjoyment of thy self In thy presence is fulness of Joy and at thy right Hand are pleasures for evermore Lord thou hast afforded us thy refreshing presence in this our Solemn Meeting Glory and Honor and Living Praises ascend to thy Name which is as a precious Ointment poured forth therefore our Souls do love thee O thou that didst open the Heart of Lydea open the Hearts of all thy People before thee that they may go away with a sense of thy love and kindness towards them Blessed Father of Mercies bless this opportunity to us all that are here before thee and extend thy blessing to the Meetings and Assemblies of all thy People where ever they are one may Plant and another Water but the increase is from thee Our Eyes are towards thee we wait upon thee whether can we go but unto thee who hast the Words of Eternal Life Lord God of Life go a long with us when we are separated one from another and let the sense of thy mercy remain upon our Spirits and be an obligation upon us to walk in Faithfulness Meekness and Humility before thee that being led by by Spirit we may when we have finished our Pilgrimage lay down our Heads in Peace and know an abundant entrance into that Everlasting Kingdom which thou hast prepared for them that love and fear thee And for thy Mercies and Favours Benefits and Blessings which thou hast made us partakers of in and through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Dear Son and our alone Mediatour all living Praises and Glory be rendered to thee for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JOHN VAUGHTON At Grace-Church street April 1st 1694. IT is a great mercy and kindness that God hath been pleased to open the way of Life and Salvation unto the Souls of many People that in this our Day and generation were in great distress for want of the knowledge of it and this knowledge is given unto us through the blessed appearance and Revelation of the Power and Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to which my Friends Blessed be the Name of the Lord we have been turned in our Day and Generation For the Message and Testimony that God raised up his Servants to bear among us in our Day and time who came in the Spirit and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ having been made the Monuments of Gods mercy through Faith in him that died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification That Blessed message and Testimony which they bare among us was in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus For they came indeed to Preach the Gospel of Life and Salvation and the way they took to Preach the Gospel to us in our Day was the same way that the Holy Apostle Paul in his Day was sent to Preach the Gospel who said we are sent of God To turn People from Darkness unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God The Holy Apostle he proposed the end for which they were sent to turn the Sons and Daughters of Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God that they might receive remission of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are Sanctified through Faith which is in Christ Jesus O Friends This Faith in Christ it is a living Faith it is a Faith of the operation of God God worketh it in us by his own Spirit and Power there are many that pretend to have Faith in Christ that are strangers to the operation of the Power and Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and so do not know nor are made partakers of that Faith which worketh by Love that giveth them Victory over the World and preserveth them and keepeth them out of the Evil of the World Now Friends it is my desire that you may turn from Darkness unto Lighâ— That you may all believe in Christ and walk in him that you may be sensible that the Blood of Jesus Christ the Dear and Blessed Son of God cleanseth from
all Sin from all unrighteousness and from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit That so the end of the Labour Travel and Testimonies of all the Faithful Messengers and Servants whom the Lord hath raised up in this our Day and sent to turn Men from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan to the power of God that their Labour and Travel I say may not be in Vain that we may all come to believe in the Light that we may be Children of the Light and of the Day that so we may come to walk in the Light And then my Friends we shall all come to be brought into an Heavenly Fellowship If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ the Dear Son of God cleanseth us from all Sins And this is a Work that will be profitable for all to know seeing no unclean thing shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God Friends Our Justification that is indeed in and through and by the Lord Jesus Christ for his sake not our own Any thing that we have done or can do will not have a tendency to make our Peace with God seeing that we can do nothing our selves that is aceeptable and well pleasing to God Therefore we cannot in the least as hath been unjustly charged upon us diseteem or put a light esteem on what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us in his own Person without us nor upon what by his own Power and Spirit he hath wrought in our Hearts But we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ both as to his outward Appearance as he was God manifest in the Flesh and also in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance in our Souls We believe in him that hath appeared by his Light and Grace and Truth in our Hearts and we know the Effectual Working and Operation of his Divine Power to Sanctifie and Cleanse and Purifie our Souls And thereby we come to have a real sense of the benefit and Advantage that the Souls of the Children of Men have in and by Death and Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Till People come to believe in his Spiritual Appearance by his Light and Grace and truth in their Hearts and to receive him and entertain him and let him have a place in their Souls that he by his Power may purge away Sin and Transgression While Men remain Rebellious and stubborn and will not let him in when he stands and knocks at the Door of their Hearts that he may come in and sup with them and they with him When Men Rebel against his Heavenly light within them and turn away from his Divine Grace and Holy Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantoness Lasciviousness and run into Uncleaness Drunkenness Pride Envy Malice and bitterness and into those things that are abominable and Evil in the sight of the Lord These men have no real Advantage or beneby the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Satisfaction and Attonement he hath made for our Sins by that one Offering and Sacrifice of himself and they do not truly know the blessed end and design of his Appearance and coming into the World For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that be might destroy the Works of the Devil that he might finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in Everlasting Righteousness My Friends the end of the Working of the Invisible Power and Spirit of Christ is that he may have a place in all your Hearts and that you may entertain him For the Lord will draw a Line of Judgment upon all that go under a Profession of Christianity and own what the Lord Jesus Christ did without them but will not receive him entertain him and believe in him as he doth spiritually Appear and shine in into their Hearts by hiâ— Divine Light Grace and Spirit My Friends Remember the sore Judgments Miseries Calamities and distress that came upon the Jews because of their rejecting Christ in his outward Appearance in that prepared Body in which he came to do his Fathers will They would not own him in his Bodily Appearance but rejected him and set him at nought they Crowned him with Thorns and Crucified the Lord of Life and Glory He said unto them except ye believe that I am he â—â— shall dye in your Sins And if ye dye in your Sins whether I go you cannot come And thus he spake to Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem Thou that killest the Prophets and Stonest them which are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Behold your House is left unto yoâ— Desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. He tells them of the Calamity and distress that should come upon them and overtake them and so it came pass because they rejected the Love of God which in Christ Jesus was extended to them when he would have gathered them and brought them into a state of Reconciliation and peace with the Living God but they would not So now my Friends In this day of Christs Inward and Spiritual Appearance you have had the Testimonies of those that have been sent to you in the Name and Power and Spirit of the Living God and yet many will not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ nor receive him Inwardly and Spiritually appearing in their Hearts nor give way to him nor wait and attend upon him to do that work in them and for them which they cannot do for themselves What work is that The Work of Sanctification For none come to be Justified freely by the Grace of God through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Rom. 3. 24. but they are also Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and made partakers of the Divine Nature So that is absolutely necessary for us to know Christs Power and Spirit to renew and sanctifie our Souls and purifie and cleanse us When we come to believe in the Inward and Spiritual Appearance of Christ and to know the Work of Sanctification we cannot have a slight esteem of nor dis-believe or undervalue what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done with us in his Person For we shall come to find the Benefit Gain Advantage and profit of it redounding to our Souls through that one offering when he offered himself through the Eternal Spirit as a Lamb without spot He offered himfelf once for all and we have the benefit of it when we come to receive him live in Obedience to him and Answer his requirings and walk in the Spirit And then as the Apostle saith If we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh for all that is in the World the Lust
King and Peaceable Saviour let us come unto him and learn of him that is meek and lowly and we shall find rest to our Souls Come unto him that hath a good Will to all desiring that all may be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth and this is Life Eternal to know him that is the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent The Children of God desire the saving knowledge of the true God above all the Idols of the World and to be made partakers of that Life which is Eternal which never shall have an end They will always fear the Lord and think upon his Name I beseech you in the tender love of God consider this It is our great Duty to fear the Lord and think upon his Name wherever we are that is good they that fear God always they are blessed of God they receive Divine Wisdom from God how to order their Conversation aright and so more and more daily partake of Gods Salvation For the Arm of the Lord is stretched forth and made bare to save those that trust in him and neglect not that great Salvation which the Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God hath purchased and procured for us not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with his own Precious Blood as a Lamb without blemish and without spot for he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief his Visage was marr'd more than any man whom the Jews slew and banged on a Tree had they known it they would not Crucified the Lord of Glory he was the Lords Anointed whom they slew the Lord of Heaven and Earth who had all Power committed to him and he gave Commission to his Apostles and Ministers to go and teach all Nations and observe all things whatsoever he commanded saying to them Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of World And saith our Lord Jesus Christ to them Behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry you in the City of Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on high and they had Power given them to work Miracles and to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and nothing should be able to hurt them a mighty blessed and glorious Power did pâ—eserve them and fit and prepare them to Preach the Everlasting Gospel So now my Friends my Counsel from the Lord to you is that you will be faithful to what the Lord our God in his Dear Son Jesus Christ hath manifested and made known to you be it more or less you that have received much of you will more be required and they that are faithful in a little shall be made Rulers over much they shall enter into their Masters Joy that Joy that the Stranger doth not intermeddle with this Spiritual Joy this Heavenly Joy of the Lord it hath been our strength it hath been comfortable to the Children of God from time to time and from Day to Day How joyful will it be to hear that sentence from Christ hereafter Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruâ—er over much Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord then shall the Redeemed of Lord sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy Works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy Ways thou King of Saints Now my Friends hearken and incline your Ears from time to time unto what the Lord shall say He will speake peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not return again to folly Who ever you are that are true real Chriâ—â—ians you have Peace with God through Christ Jesus the peaceable Saviour We are accepted of God in the Beloved and have Peace with God in and through Christ Jesus who is the great Peace-maker and Prince of Peace It is by his meritorious Death and Sufferings and Satisfaction made to Divine Justice that we are reconciled unto God I never did desire to hear any thing or speak any thing that had the least tendency to undervalue the Death Sufferings Satisfaction Mediation and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ but have always owned believed and preached these great Truths So my Friends I beseech you all to have an Eye to the Lord if you draw nigh to him he will draw nigh to you If we keep to the Lord and Joy in the Lord we shall find the Lord near to us answering our desires he will keep us in the hollow of his hand and in the secret Pavillion then will your Bread Your Heavenly Living Bread be sure and you will know the breaking of it and the eating of it that Bread which Christ gives is that whereby we are comforted and refreshed So my Friends the Lord God Almighty be with you it is not in my mind to say much at this time though many things were upon me to speak to you in the Light of the Lord and the Love of the Lord I shall at present commit you to the Lord Jesus Christ to cast your care upon him at all times in all your Afflictions distresses Trials and Troubles whatsoever keep your Eye stedfast and your Hearts fixed upon the Lord and you need not then be afraid of evil tidings Trust in the Lord at all times not for a Day or a Week or a Year but for ever Cast your care upon the Lord for he careth for you If thy Faith be tryed murmur not but Rejoice for the trial of your Faith is much more precious than of Gold that perisheth though it be tryed with Fire that it may be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory If trials and sufferings and tribulations come do not boggle at them Think it not strange concerning the Fiery Trial which is to try you as though some strang happened to you but rejoice in as much as ye are made Partakers of Christs Sufferings that when his Glory shall be Revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding Joy Friends Happy are you if the Lord shall be pleased to try your Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to try your Love and your Patience Verily I say unto you in the name of the Lord we have all need of it in our Spiritual Travel and Progress and Heavenly Journey Ye have need of Patience that after ye have done the Will of God ye may receive the Promise The Patient and the Meek shall Inherit the Earth and have an Inheritance reserved in Heaven Seek the Lord my Friends that you may be hid in the Day of his Wrath that you may be among his hidden ones when his Indignation shall break out against Sin and Wickedness would not you be hidden then and preserved then would not you have the Lord to spare you then â—us a
THE Concurrence Unanimity Of the People Called QUAKERS In Owning and Asserting the Principal Doctrines of the Christian Religion Demonstâ—ated in the Sermons or Declarations of several of their Publick Preachers Namely Mr. Robert Barclay Mr. George Whitehead Mr. John Bowater Mr. Charles 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. Jobn 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 St. John's-street wbeelerstreet and Ratcliff in and about London And now Faithfully Transcribed and Published With the Prayer at the end of each Sermon London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry near Cheapside 1694. ADVERTISEMENT There are lately Published several Sermons or Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp of Colchester in Essex Deceased In two small Volumes THE First Volume contains Eight Sermons upon the following Subjects 1. The Great Mediatour of the Everlasting Covenant 2. Heart Preparation for receiving the Gospel 3. The First and Great Commandment 4. The Standard of Truth 5. The necessary duty of remembring our Creator 6. The Divine Monitor or Light from Heaven 7. The Inward Preacher or the Office of Conscience 8. Saving Faith the Gift of God alone The Second Volume contains Ten Sermons upon the following Subjects 1. Truths Testimony against the Power of Sin and Satan 2. Bearing the Cross the right mark of a Christian 3. The Spirit of Christ the only true Guide 4. Pure and Spiritual Worship 5. The Divine Life of Christ Jesus 6. The Kingdom of God within 7. The undefiled way to Eternal Rest 8. The dawning of the Day of Grace and Salvation 9. The Excellency of Peace with God 10. True Christianity With his Prayer at the end of divers Sermons All exactly taken in Shorthand as they were delivered by him at the Publick Meeting Houses of the People called Quakers in Grace-Church-street Devonshire-House and St. Martins-le-Grand London And are to be sold either single or bound together by Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry near Cheapside HAving lately published several of the Sermons or Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp Decased which have obtained general acceptation with Persons of different Persuasions I often heard it objected that though this Person clearly owns and earnestly recommends the practice of the Principal Points of the Christian Faith Yet others of the cheif Leaders and Teachers of the People called Quakers were not of the same opinion in these Matters Now the Writer of Mr. Crisps Sermons having taken the Declarations of several of their publick Preachers at their usual Meetings I think my self obliged in Truth and Justice to make some of them publick in this small Volume to demonstrate their Concurrence and Unanimity in asserting and pressing the most necessary and Practical Doctrines and Duties of Religion both in their Sermons and Prayers that most Christians profess to acknowledge and believe Thereby to obviate misâ—representations and to rectifie the thoughts of those who are prepossest with contrary sentiments To which end they are novv faithfully Printed and refer'd to the Judgment of all impartial Readers N. C. A SERMON Preached by Mr. ROBERT BARCLAY At Grace-Chruch-street May the 16. 1688. MY Friends This is the Testimony that was born of Old and it is also born this Day that there may be an Agreement betwen the Members and the Head the Word and the Power the Notion and the Substance He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life So that in this the Substance is known whereby Men are Redeemed to Live unto God and to Live for God and to Glorifie him This is the end of the Testimony of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus that we may all come to partake of his Life and that by partaking of it we may live upon it and being made alive to him we shall then be made able to serve him then shall we be enabled to Worship him to Glorifie him and to Declare of his Glory and of his Power and of his Wisdom and of his Goodness to those that are Strangers to him and to Invite all to be Partakers thereof Let all your Eyes this Day be towards him and to the Injoyment of his Life that you may be Sensible and that you may be Witnesses of his Life And this Life is not to be obtained but by Death There is a Dying before there is a Living Every Plant Seed or Grain that is placed in the Earth it dies before it grows up there is a Dying before there is a Living Those that come to the Life of the Son of God they come to it through Death For it was through Dying that he obtained this Life it was necessary that the Son of God the Prince of Life should die that he should be Crucified else he could not finish the Work of our Salvation and make way for the Revelation and the Sowing of that Seed and the Dispensation of that Grace whereby we might come to have a Share with him in that Eternal Life he obtained for us They that come to the Life of the Son of God they must obey him for they must receive the Sentence of Death to that Life which they derive from Adam that Cursed that corrupt Life of Unrighteousness that Life of Ungodlyness that Life wherein Self and the Will of Man delights wherein the Natural Man the Animal Man hath a Life We must die and by Dying come to be Partakers of the Life of Jesus He Communicates himself to us and by our Receiving him we Receive Life He that hath the Son hath Life and be that hath not the Son hath not Life and the Consequence is He that hath not this Life hath not the Son of God This is the true way for every One to Try and Examine themselves by and to make a true Judgment of themselves that they may know whether they have the Son of God or not whether they have Christ or not if they have Christ they have the Benefits of his Death and of his Blood and sufferings they that have this Life in them they are in the Faith they are Partakers of Justification and Sanctification and Adoption And all those that are under the Dispensation of the Gospel that have the Benefits of Christs Death to those he giveth himself and those to whom he giveth himself he giveth this Life This is not the Life of Adam a Life of Unrighteousness but a Life that Springs from the Heavenly Incorruptible Seed such as Partake of it are born again of the Word of the Lord that remains for ever This is a Life that comes from the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit and this Life tends Heaven-ward it looks Heaven-ward it carries the Affections towards the things that are above it dwells not in them
that have their Pleasures in this World it looks not to the things of this World it comes from Heaven and tends to Heaven again it raiseth the Soul that is Quickned by it They that are born of it are made Heavenly by it it makes all Heavenly that are Quickned by it By this we may know that we have the Son of God by this we have an Understanding of him and are brought into him that is true And this is the Living Manifestation of Christ whereby he cometh into thy Soul and into my Soul This is the Gift of God We Receive Gods Gift that we may receive Life from and by him that we may Live this Life This is that which makes the Yoke of Christ easie and his Burden Light and his Commandments not Grievous to us The Life of Christ doth the work of Christ naturally Those that are in the Flesh-mind the things of the Flesh those that live a Carnal Life they mind the Works of the Flesh it is their Joy their Delight and their Pleasure that which their Hearts are carried after They Rise early and Lye down late and all for this end it is that which their Hearts Run after all the Day long What is the Reason of it They are in the Flesh in the Life of Lust That Life moves them and Acts them and Governs them That Life useth and Imployeth all their Faculties their Understandings Wills Affections and Imaginations and it useth all the Members of their Bodies to please the Flesh and fulfil the Lusts thereof these are the Consequences of a Life of Unrighteousness in those things that are Unrighteous But those that have Received the Spirit of God they have Received Jesus Christ the Son of God and this is the Consequence they are become Dead to the Life of Unrighteousness All that are Dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath Quickned Now when you have received the Son of God you have received a New Life another Life then your Affections are set upon things that are above and you are come to sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus you sit no more in the Earthly place nor Live an earthy Life but in the Heavenly place where the Heavenly Life abounds For this end the Eternal Son of God came into the World that we might have Life and that we might have it more abundantly that we might abound in the Life of Jesus and in the abundance of it This is that which is recommended to us that we might receive the Son of God into our Souls and by receiving him partake of his Life and then let this Life produce its Actions Let the Word of God dwell Richly in you in all those things that are Divine in all those things consequences that it brings forth amongst the Children of God For it is not the things of the Earth that we are to remember and to have dwelling in us but the Word of God and that which proceeds from the Life of the Son of God All Words and Testimonies Preachings Prayer Exhortation and Spiritual Counsel if it be not from the Life of the Son of God it edifies not the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ in Love Let us receive that which comes from the life of the Son of God which is manifest amongst us and shed abroad in our Hearts let us Watch and take care that whatsoever is not of this Life may not appear may not be manifest and made known among us And this Life that we receive from the Son of God is that which will stand us in stead in the Day of Tryal and as many as live unto God in this Divine life he is well pleased with them and the Tempter the Wicked one cannot touch them at all nor reach them nor hurt them This is my Testimony unto you from the Life of God which to the Glory and Praise of his Name hath risen in my Soul in some measure It is the desire and Labour and Travel of my Soul that you may be inwardly gathered into this Heavenly Life that all my Dear Brethren and Sisters who are of the Household of Faith may be inward in this Life that the Fruit thereof may be manifest that the Notice thereof the Sound thereof the Language thereof may be heard in this Assembly at all times that the Lord our God may be made known to us through this Word of Life in our Hearts to the Praise Honour and Renown of his Name who alone is worthy To whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen The Prayer after Sermon O. Most Powerful Lord God of Life and of Glory and Blessedness pretious in thy sight are thy People whom with thy Power thou hast Visited with the Day Spiring from on high and upon whom thou hast breathed with a Divine Inspiration and made them alive to thy self through thy tender Mercy and Goodness which in the Son of thy Love thou hast freely extended to us whereby we are made capable of drawing nigh to thee and of having access into thy Blessed Presence to enjoy Communion with thee through the Lord Jesus Christ We desire to wait upon thee and seek fervently after thee All our expectation is from thee from Day to Day and from time to time that we may receive Relief that we may receive strength from thee who art the God of all our Mercies Thou hast not been wanting to us in the needful time thou hast had regard to the sighing of the Poor to the breathing and Supplieation of the Needy whose desires have been truly after thee and the sweet enjoyment of thy Presence the feeling of thy blessed Power and the beholding of the light of thy Countenance wherein there is Life and Salvation Blessed be thy Name for ever all living praises and Holy Thanks givings be in truth and Humility offered up to thee through the Dear Son of thy Love by all thy Children and People whom thou hast sought out by thy blessed Spirit and whom thou hast gathered by the Arm of thy blessed and mighty Power that they might be a People to thy praise serving thee in newness of Spirit Worshipping thee in the beauties of Holiness and in Spirit and truth and not according to the oldness of the Letter not according to an empty and outward formality but in the sense of the Springings up of that pure Life of that fresh Spring of Life that thou hast placed in the Heart of a Remnant by thy blessed Power O Righteous and Holy God the Sense and feeling thereof is beyond Words beyond Expression and beyond utterance Therefore we humbly entreat thee by the blessed Arm of thy Power gather thy People more and more into an Inward Sense of the Springings of Life that they may attend upon thee and feel Life in their Souls and breathings after thee in their Hearts that in their Daily attendance on thee they may receive day by day of those living suitable supplies of Life Vertue Wisdom and Power
whereby they may be supported through all Tryals and Adversities and through all Oppositions and Temptations that they may meet withal for the tryal of their Faith and for the exercise of their Patience that all their Afflictions and Exercises may be sanctified to them for the bringing them nearer and nearer to thy self and into a more lively inward and single Dependance on thee and thy Divine Grace and Truth which thou hast made known by Christ Jesus our only Mediatour by whom alone we have access to thee and whereby we are made capable of beholding the light of thy Countenance and partake of thy Divine goodness and blessing and of those pretious promises which thou hast left upon Record and Impressed upon our Minds and Hearts Thou hast poured into us a living and inward sense of that pure Life of thy Dear Son whereby we may be enabled to live to thy Praise and O Blessed Powerful Lord God those that are not convinced and persuaded of thy Way and blessed Truth that are not come into it and to partake of the Life of it that are not yet come to live to thee and to live in Obedience to thy Blessed Son the Lord Jesus Christ who are not come under the Power of his Cross that they may be Crucified to the World and have the World Crucified to them Lord awaken them utter thy Voice that shakes the Mountains rend the Vail and draw in their Hearts and Minds and Affections from earthly and fading Objects that they may come to breathe after thee and feel that Spirit in them wherewith thou dost Inspire thy People whereby they may supplicate thee for relief for strength and Victory over the Spirit of the World and over the Temptations of the Devil and the Flesh which do easily beset Men and whereby many are led Captive who cannot yet make mention of thy Name and walk in thy Truth Lord awaken them by thy Powerful Voice and incline their Hearts to seek thee while thou art to be found and call upon thee while thou art near that thou mayst be known in thy glorious Visitation The Cords of thy Love thou hast extended that they may lay hold thereon that they may be drawn out of the Pollutions of the World and of Sin and Sathan that have brought Death over them let the fear of God take place that they may be affraid to offend thee as knowing that thou art a Jealous God and thine Eyes are upon all the ways of the Sons of Men thou art the Heart searching God there is no secret can be hid from thine All seeing Eyes Vnder that Consideration O Lord let many come unto thee and reverence thy Great Name and not provoke thee to Displeasure against them And O blessed God thou hast been graciously pleased to begin a good Word a glorious Work of Righteousness in our days and timâ—s Blessed God and Father we humbly pray thee carry it on and make it prosper Prosper the Souls of thy People in it that they may be a growing thriving and increasing People in thy Holy ways and in thy blessed Work and as thou hast sown a precious seed and Planted a Noble Vine by thine own Almighty hand and given us a Root of Life the Foundation of our Faith Love and Obedience which Foundation thou hast laid in Zion Lord keep thy People sensible of it that they may mind it and wait upon thee and be preserved in that Root of Life wberein thy Blessing is that thy People may partake of thy Blessing and grâ—w up into the Nature of that Life to bring forth Fruit to â—hee to encrease in Faith and Love in Obedience and Humility and Meekness that the Life of true Christianity may be Promoâ—ed and Incâ—eased among thine Heritage that they may live in it and shine forth in it as thy Workmanship which thou hast Created in Christ Jesus unto fruitfulness unto all good Works that they may walk in them That so Powerful God and living Creator they may live unto thee and Act intirely to thy Praise Hâ—nâ—ur and Glory in their Day Age and Generation and that their bright shining forth in the Light if Truth and Righteou'ness may appear more and more as an Invitation to thâ—se that are afar off That in this thy Day wherein thou art setting up â—be Tabernacle of David the Kingdom of thy Belâ—ved Son and Repairing the Ruins and wast Places thereof Lord God Eternal grant that the Residue of Men may seek after thee and be sensible that thou art at Work and raising an Hâ—use for thine Honour and promoting the Kingdom of thy Son which is a Kingdom of Righteousness that of his Government there may be no end that all those that desire after Peace and after Happiness in the Kingdom of thy Dear Son may wait to see him Rule and Govern to see him Reign whose Right it is That Sin may not Reign in their Mortal Bodies that Sinful Lusts and Vile Affectiâ—ns and an Earthly mind may not have Power over them and prevail against them that so their Souls may be lifted up to thee That Blessed Eternal God they may wait upon thee and Renew their Strength and Renew their Thankfulness for the Renewing of thy Mercies and the Incomes of thy Love which are fresh and New every Morning That they may fear thee and wait upon thee and Diligently seek after thee and have sweet Communion with thee in the Enjoyment of thy Presence And Blessed be thou O Lord God Eternal for all thy Mercies Preservations and Encouragements so frequently Afforded to thy People whose Eyes and Hearts are towards thee Our Souls are deeply engaged to thee and we have cause to Bless and Praise and Honor thy Great and Excellent Name and through tâ—y Dear Son to offer up praise and Thanks giving to thy Great and Excellent Majesty for thou alone O God art worthy to Receive the Honour and Praise of all thy Mercies Benefits and Blessings by all the â—iving here and elsewhere who art God only over all Heaven and the whole Earth Blessed and Praised for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. WILLIAM DEWSBERY At Grace-Church-Street May 6. 1688. My Friends Except you be Regenerated and Born again ye cannot inherit the Kingdom of God THis is the Word of the Lord God to all People this day this lies not in airy Profession and in vain Imagination and whatsoever else it is that you deck your selves with all you must every particular Man and Woman be born again else you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was the Doctrine of Christ in that prepared body wherein he appeared in the World and Preached to Nicodemus That standing Doctrine to this moment of time and will be so while any man breaths upon the Earth there is no other way no other gate to enter into Life by but this great work of Regeneration Now to enforce People to come to this great Work and to set forward
from Earth to Heaven all being driven out of Paradice by the Cherubim set with a Flaming Sword there is no returning to that Blessed Life but by the loss of that Life that did grieve the Spirit of God and which did cause Man to be driven out there is no other way of return again but by this New Birth As you are all driven and forced out of Paradise and the Flaming Sword and the Cherubims are set to keep the way of the Tree of Life so you must return into the favour of God again by the Light of Christ and you have Line upon Line Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little to direct your minds to the Light of Christ Jesus As the first Adam was made a living Soul so the second Adam is a quickning Spirit This know for certain no Man or Woman can be quickned and raised up into the life of the second Adam till the life of the first Adam be taken away from them So now let every one of you deal plainly with your own hearts how you came to be a slain People to the life of the first Adam in which life there was a working of the Mystery of Iniquity in every part of Man One cries lo here is Christ another lo there is Christ and every one is following his own imagination about the Letter of the Scripture this is still but the vain Spirit of Man running and striving to recover himself and this is the cause there is so much profession of God and so little of his Nature appearing among the Sons and Daughters of Men. Now all of you that come to be regenerated you must come to the light of Christ there is no other way to it He will search your hearts and try your reins and set your sins in order before you and trace out the iniquities that compass you about therefore you must see your selves a lost People a sinful People and so come to feel the weight of your Sins upon your Consciences there is no other way to come to life you will never complain of Sin till you be burthened with it 'till you have a Trumpet sounding in your ears to awaken you that you may arise from the Dead that Christ may give you light there is no other way Dear People you must bring your deeds to the light of Christ and abide the sentence of Condemnation if you save your lives you lose them if you will lose your lives for Christs sake there is no danger of your Eternal Life John the Baptist Christ's fore-runner declared I indeed Baptize you with water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I the Latchet of whose Shooes I am not worthy to unlose he shall Baptize you with the Holy-Ghost and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and will gather his Wheat into his Garner but the Chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire What is it the better for you to read the Scripture if you know not this fiery Baptism which all must know that are regenerated deceive not your selves Christ will appear in flaming fire and take vengeance on all them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ I stand here as a Witness of the Lord of Life this day there is no way for people to come to Salvation but they must know Christ revealed in all their hearts What is he doing but rendring Vengeance upon the carnal mind self-pleasing and all inordinate Affections he comes with Vengeance to take away thy Life he will Baptize thee with the Holy Ghost and with Fire If thou knowest not this thou art not a true Christian Thou wilt never look Death in the face with joy nor go down to the Grave with Triumph If thou livest at home in the body and flyest for thy life and wilt not be willing to lose thy life for Christ if thou art called to it and if thou wilt not have Christ to wash thee some for shiness and some for self-love will refuse this if Christ doth not wash thee thou hast no part in him you must come to Christ to purifie you in the fiery furnace the Day of the Lord shall burn as an Oven as the Prophet speaks this is a dreadful day a day of Vengeance the day of the Lord Jesus Christ who Redeemeth his People from their Sins Zion is Redeemed with Judgment and Established with Righteousness Do not make the way to Heaven easier in your minds and imaginations than indeed it is and think it not sufficient to live in an outward observance of the ways of God If your own wills be alive and your corruptions remain unmortified the Judgment of God will be your Portion therefore in the Lord's name come along with me I am come to declare what I have heard and seen of the Father Come and examine thy Conscience hast thou brought thy deeds to the light then thou hast received Condemnation upon thy self and thy haughtiness is bowed down and laid low and thou seest thy self a poor miserable wretch before the Eternal God Whatsoever thou knowest of the mind of God hast thou reformed thy ways come along with me and tell me what is the ground of thy Faith and thy considence is it thy obedience and qualifications because thy obedience is right and thy qualifications right what use dost thou make of tnem read the Book of Conscience hast thou no ground for thy Faith thou hast put on the Reformed Faith and livest an unreformed Life search and try thy self Man or Woman Dost thou watch over thy self and keep in a sense of thy dissolution notwithstanding all thy qualifications and partial Reformation Dost thou strive to enter in at the strait Gate and the narrow way here is the lost Sheep thou seekest the life of thy will the life of the first Adam the justice of God will not suffer thee to make a Saviour of thy Duties and Qualifications and to take God's Jewels and to deck thy self with them thou canst not be saved without the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus What saith thy Conscience art thou brought to this change of thy Mind and of thy Conversation Are you all willing to part with your Sins with your Pride and Haughtiness Are you willing to part with your vile Affections this is the work of Gods grace upon you dost thou place thy confidence in thy Duties and Qualifications and takest God's Jewels and Oraments and deckest thy self with them Thou tookest my Jewels saith the Lord and didst play the Harlot if thou return to the Lord and humble thy self and get through this difficulty thou wilt be happy for ever This Judgment of God this Flaming-Sword that turns every way will keep thee from returning to Sin and bring thee to Christ and cut thee off from all hope of Salvation but by him and make thee to see the absolute need of
will be your cry it was once my cry O let not your Eyes slumber nor your Eye-lids take any rest till you be sure the Lord is your God If you find these Qualifications you are on your way otherwise you will be like a deceitful Bow and never abide in Judgment If you reject the Counsel of God against your selves and refuse to be Crucified with Christ and to be Baptized with his Baptism you will never have Life But by his Baptism and through the Heavenly operation of his Spirit if thou hast Faith in Christ's name thou shalt be Married to him in Everlasting Righteousness Salvation shall be brought to us and Eternal Life be bestowed upon us even that Life that is hid with Christ in God he will give to every poor mournful Soul that submits to his blessed will and believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ This is not a faith of our own making nor a Garment of our own Embroydery but that which the Lord hath given to us O happy Man or Woman that obtainest this gift of God! O! Who will not lose their lives for this Everlasting Life Who will not die for this Eternal Life Now the matter lyes in the Death of your own Wills when you have done the will of God then watch that your own wills be slain and that your cursed self take not the Jewels of God and his Bracelets and Ornaments and bestow them upon self and Paint and Deck cursed self and take not the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot If you be dead to your own wills you are risen with Christ and shall receive a Resurrection to Eternal Life Crucifie self and set the World at naught and trample upon it and all things of it and count them as dross and dung in comparison of Christ that the Father hath revealed to be our Life in the days of our Sorrow and Mourning in the day of our calamity in the day when we cryed our hope is lost Thus it hath been with the Holiest People on Earth it is not by works of righteousness of thy own that thou canst be saved Christ comes to cut all these down that thou mayst be Ingrafted into him and justified by his Grace Do not make this matter of Talk and say I have heard this and that but look into you own hearts and see what Heavenly workings are there What there is of the Power of the Lord Jesus that hath made you to loath this World and the inordinate Love of the Creature that you may enjoy all these things as if you enjoyed them not We cannot when we are slain and Crucified to this World but say my life is in Christ when we come to ascribe nothing to our selves and all to Christ here is a blessed Harmony broken Hearts melted Spirits and yet joyful Souls poor Creatures that were mourning and sighing and crying before the Lord in retired places and yet rejoycing in Christ Jesus I am risen with Christ I said my hope is cut off I will lye down in thy will O God do what thou wilt with me it is in thy Soveraign pleasure and free gift whether thou give me life or deny it to me There must be a resignation of our selves to the will of God it was so with the Lord Jesus and it is so with every true Saint of God you must be humbled as little Children before judgment be taken away and the loving kindness of God sealed up to your Souls if you seek this work of God you will find it if you seek it upon your Beds in all your Labours and concernments in all your Stations and Relations if you press after the new Birth you must use this World as if you used it not and live a Married life as if you were Un-married for the fashion of this of World passeth away This is not Rantism But let me tell you a New World comes by Regeneration a Man is not lifted up in his own mind but laid low in his own Eyes he waits for the Wisdom of God to govern him and he is as a Steward of the Grace of God to give to them that stand in need when a Man is regenerated and born again he is as contented with Bread and Water as with all the enjoyments of this World what is the matter His own will is gone and put down under his feet and whatsoever it is that gives life to all his vain desires and Affections there is a Harmony of all within a Man praising of God and blessing his Holy Name there are no Intanglements shall draw away the Heart from serving of God and seeking his Glory and if God shall call the Husband from the Wife or the Wife from the Husband for the Glory of his Name there is no whining and complaining and crying out but giving them up and a praising and blessing God when they are called to such an exercise and if they are not called to that then they set their Hearts to glorifie God in their several places and stations then they have a full content in a blessed resignation Here their Wills are slain but they praise God they have no desire but Lord thy will be done always praising God always having the fear and the glory of God before their Eyes All the mischief is hatched in pleasing mens own Wills That is the Counsel of every Heart that Christ doth not govern Will you live as the Quakers then you must live contemptibly the Mistriss and Maid are Hail-fellow well met No every one must walk in humility and live in acquaintance with the God of Heaven sâ—e that is wrought upon by the same Spirit must with all diligence behave her self as becomes a Servant of the Lord. Here is now a New World and the fashions of the Old World are gone all Pride Haughtiness Crosness and Trampling upon one another are all gone all slain through the operation of Christ What remains now Christ is in me and we are all one in him Christ laid down his Life for thee and me Now he reigns in me and he hath prepared my body to die for the truth as his prepared body was laid down for my Sin It is a kind of Foolish Profession to make Profession of Christ and live in Covetousness Profaneness Sensuality and the like they that are come to this Heavenly Birth seek the things that are above thou canst do no other Make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good You must be Ingrafted into the Vine of Gods righteousness O! slight not the Day of your Visitation What was it to me to read of any being born again till I was slain and knew the Heavenly Baptism of Christ Jesus Till I saw the Flaming Sword ready to slay me in every way in every turning The Light of Christ convinced me of Sin and his Righteousness justified me and those Works were abominable to me that hindred my Souls passage to Christ Christ Jesus in
Marrying my Soul to himself seized upon me and did work effectually in me There is the Testimony of Christ in me he hath Sealed up my Soul to the Day of my Redemption here is a certain passage and a certain way which never any miss of that lose their Lives for Christ If you be not ready and willing to lose your Lives for Christ you shall never come here The Gate is strait and the way is narrow none come hither but those that die into an Heavenly Oneness with Christ O Friends let us empty our selves that Christ may fill us let us be nothing in our own Eyes that we may be all in him and receive of his fulness Now I commend you to God's Witness that you may remember what hath been spoken among you but consider if you do not harken to it it will follow you and be a plague to you to all Eternity if you will not yield up your selves to Christ this day that burns like an Oven this Fire you must dwell with when out of the Body there will be no quenching of this Fire for ever but if you be so wise for your Souls as to resign your selves up to Christ and come to him as little Children this will not hinder your Earthly concerns though the World may account thee a Fool yet thou hast that part of Heavenly Wisdom to do what thou dost as unto God thou carriest to thy Wife as in the sight of God that she may be Sanctified to thee and thou to her and thou carriest becomingly to thy children and Servants and thou wilt abound in Grace and in every good work which will be for thine Eternal wellfare O I beseech you People for the Lord's sake wait for the light of Christ to guide you learn of him to be meek and lowly then happy are you for he dwelleth with the humble but he beholdeth the Proud afar off This New Birth which is a true work a sincere and heavenly work it will make you for ever O make room for Christ in your Hearts or else he is never like to dwell with you he loveth to dwell with the poor and humble and contrite Spirit he abhors the Proud he will empty your Souls that he may fill them And so I commend you to God I have been long held in durance under great weakness and I was restless till I could come up to this Great City of London to Preach the Everlasting Gospel among you and you see I am among you here pray every one of you turn Inward let not these Words passing through a mean Vessel be as a bare empty Discourse of Truth to you which you only hear and take no further care of your Salvation Take heed of despising the light that shines in the midst of you and be pressing forward to the Heavenly work that is laid in the Power of Christ Jesus even through Judgment into Death and then he will give Eternal Life the Lord confirm this that it may rest upon your Hearts that you may be dead to the things of World We are not come to Mount Sinai that genâ—ers to bondage but we are come to Mount Sion the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumeâ—able company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are wrâ—tten in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just Men made Perfect and to Jesus â—be Mediatour of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel This is the Inheritance of the Redeemed of the most High blessed be the name of the Lord let us rest in hope till he bring us to Humility and Lowlyness of mind that he may cloth us with Heavenly Glory according to his Promise I will Beautifie my House with Glory saith the Lord. This is the Portion of a Poor People that cast down themselves before the Lord that he may lift them up and be all in all to them In whose blessed Presence they shall have of Joy and Rivers of Pleasures at his right hand for ever more The Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Glorious God thy presence and power is with thy People every where and thou art stretching forth thy Almighty Arm for the Salvation of thy chosen ones and thou art Influencing their Souls with thy Grace and Spirit in all their solemn meetings and Assemblies we desire to extoll and magnifie thy great and excellent Nause for all thy Mâ—rcies and blessings we pray thee bow down thy Heavenly Ear and 〈◊〉 ken to the Cries and supplications of thy People that are breathing forth the desire of their Sâ—uls to thee that art a God hearing Prayers supply their wants and establish their Spirits and uphold them with thy free Spirit Crown all thy chosen ones with thy loving-kindness and tender mercy rend the Cloud of darkness that hangs over us and take away the Vail and bow the Heavens amongst us and visit us with thy Salvation and reveal the mysteries of thy Truth unto us and in all our ways let us acknowledge thee and do thou lead us in the way everlasting Righteous God of Love while we live on Earth let our Conversaâ—ion be in Heaven where Christ our Mediatour sits aâ— thy Right-hand let us follow his Example who was Holy Harmless and undefiled that we may sit in Heavenly places with him Be thou a Sun and Shield to us in our earthly Pilgrimage whom have we in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that we desire besides thee let us walk before thee in sincerity and truth and do thou conduct us in the way of truth and righteousness by thy blessed Spirit Blessed be thy Name for the light of thy saving truth that hath shined in our minds and the light of thy Countenance that hath been lifted up upon us in our meetings thou hast furnished a Table for thy People as in the days of old we cannot but Admire thy great love and condescention towards us and extol and bless thy Holy name for thy abounding mercies and the Riches of thy Goodness to us we desire to give thee honour and renown and praise and Thanks giving for thy renewed mercies and Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus for whom we bless thee and in whom we desire to be found not having our own Righteousness to him with thy self and thy Holy Eternal Spirit be Glory for Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. GEORGE WHITEHEAD At Grace-Church-Street Octob. 4. 1693. THE Great God who made Heaven and Earth the God of our Salvation he hath prepared a Sacrifice for himself in the hearts of a Remuant whom he hath gathered by the Arm of his Mighty Power and he hath kindled that Sacrifice that is of his own preparing and this to a Remnant is a manifest Token of the Love of God and of his Divine and special Providence for their safety and preservation that trust
of thy power and presence that we may not be shaken in our minds nor weakned in Faith and Confidence in thee by any Temptation what soever That Lord God Eternal the Hearts of thy People may be fixed trusting in thee and in thy blessed Name and Power and find safety and preservation That all thy people every where may be sensible that thou art their dwelling place as thou hast been in all Generations And so Lord God Eternal let them dwell in thee and do thou dwell in them and say this is my habitation for I have desired it That Blessed Father of Life they may be sensible of thy Love in it that no Calamities or disiresses nor Sword nor Famine nor Necessities nor Afflictions nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come may be able to seperate them from thy love in Christ Jesus O Lord thy People may say to thee as Israel said of old if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up Quick when their wrath was kindled against us then the Waters had overwhelmed us and the siream had gone over our Soul Our help is in the Name of thee O Lord that made Heaven and Earth Thy Name and thy Power and thy mighty Arm hath appeared for us and compassed us about Thou hast surrounded thy people with thy favour as with a shield and hast preserved them for the praise and the honour of thy Name and the exaltation of thy Holy Truth And the Confidence and trust of a little Remnant is that thou wilt still be with them for their Confidence is in thy Name which is a strong Tower and their dependance upon thee Thou wilt not cut off a people which thon hast Appointed for thy praise thou wilt not not destroy them but surround them with thy Mercy and Salvation as with Walls and Bullwarks about them This is the Belief and Confidence that thou hast raised in the Hearts of a Remnant Therefore O Lord we have cause to wait upon thee and continually to trust in thee and breath and cry unto thee for thy whole Heritage for all them whom thou hast gathered by the Arm of thy Power that they may may be preserved faithful to the end of their Days that they may be saved from the Evils and Pollutions and Corruptions of the World that they may be Obedient to thy Call and to thy Heavenly Counsel that they may come to wait upon thee and harken to thy Voice as those that are willing to obey and not to touch any Unclean thing but being sensible of thy goodness thou wilt turn away thy wrath from them that turn from their Provocations For this end thou hast raised desires and breathings and begotten a Travel in the Souls of a Remnant of the Sons and Daughters of Men particularly for the Land of our Nativity We pray both for High and Low Rich and Poor Rulers and People that by thy Powerful Visitation they may be excited to seek the Lord and to wait upon thee and walk in thy humility in thy sight and presence that they may desire none in Heaven but thee and none upon Earth in Comparison of thee Work an effectual deliverance and Salvation for us both inward and ontward that our Confidence may not be in â—ny thing below thy self Let every one of us have an Understanding and an Eye opened for the light of truth that we may look unto thee and expect Salvation from thee by Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer Remember all thy People here and elsewhere that are recommended to thee keep them in a sense of thy ower and in humility before thee that they may receive Comfort and Wisdom and Instruction from thee and do thou graciously establish their goings and keep them in the way wherein they are to walk the way of Truth and Righteousness Life and Peace Be thou known in the Assemblies of all thy People and revive and strengthen them And be with all thy People in their respective Families that they may be engaged to serve thee and fear thee in sincerity and humility and call upon thy Name that thou Lord God Everlasting mayst take care of them and thy special Providence may watch over them and let the Angels of thy presence pitch their Tents about all them that fear thy Name Blessed and Everlasting Father of Mercies dwell among us hide and secure us under the shaddow of thy Wings that we may enjoy Communion with thee through Jesus Christ thy Dearly Beloved Son and our alone Saviour and offer up living Sacrifices of praise and Thanks giving unto thee the God of all our Mercies Blessings and Deliverances for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. FRANCIS CAMFIELD At Grace-Church street May the 14. 1693. MY Friends You have often heard by the Servants of the Lord that have given Testimony to Jesus the only and alone Saviour you have often heard the Report and the Report is true That there is no Name under Heaven by which any man can be saved but the Name of Jesus And you have oftentimes read also in the Holy Scripture of this Jesus the only and alone Saviour all the Holy Prophets gave Testimony that he should come and when he was come all the Holy Apostles and Ministers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they gave Testimony that he was come and they were made able Ministers of the New Testament and their great business was as Instruments in the hands of the Great God to turn men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified you know the Scripture speaks plentifully after this manner I hope there are none here but have believed the Testimonies that have been given but the great thing is for every one to come to a Consideration of this Since you have believed the Report that which is every ones concern now is to examine themselves whether or no they are really turned from Darkness to the Heavenly Light None come to be turned from Darkness to Light but they come to know Repentance from Dead Works and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ And as every one comes to know this they come to know what it is to lay a good Foundation This was the Foundation the Primitive Christians laid as you may Remember the Exhortation of the Apostle in the Sixth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on unto Perfection not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from dead Works and of Faith towards God Thus you see he presseth them to go on to Perfection that is the business of every one of you that believe in the Name of Jesus that you keep walking
on in the Holy way We that are come to know this Holy way through the Riches of the Love and Grace of the Great God to us it is our main business to walk in this Holy way they that know any thing of true Christianity know this to be their great concern to walk in this Holy way that leads to Everlasting Life Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life and every one that comes into this way and walketh in it they are going on towards Perfection And they are putting off the Old Man They feel in themselves a Power at work that Crucifies the Old man with his Deeds then they go on in the Name of the Lord. This Power doth work till every one in their own particular comes to be Crucified with Christ It was the Primitive Christians experience what the Apostle saith of himself 2 Gal. 20. I am Crucified with Christ neverthless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Great is the Mystery of Godliness You that are engaged in the Christian Warfare and that live the Christian Life and are making War in righteousness against the Devil the Enemy of your Souls you know that Great is this Mystery of Godliness this Mystery is opened among the Disciples of Jesus among the Holy Off-spring of God who are begotten again through the Word of Eternal Life who as the Holy Apostle saith are begotten of his own Will through the Word of Truth that they should be a kind of First fruits of his Creatures We to whom God hath Graciously manifested himself in the Blessed Son of his Love our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus how ought we to walk as becomes the Gospel O that the serious and weighty Consideration of this might rest upon every one of us that we ought to have our Conversation as becomes the Gospel of Christ and be going on to Perfection you know what the Apostle speaks 3. Phil. 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprechend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ This I am sure every true Christian Man and Woman will do as the same Apostle did who saith I press towards the mark for the Price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And as every one comes to grow up in the Life of Righteousness they will come to know an increase of Faith they will grow up in Faith and in that Hope which hath been as an Anchor to their Souls in the day of their deep Exercise and they will remain steadfast and unmoveable as they walk in the holy way And so every one as they keep humble and bowed before the God Heaven they will know his Teachings more and more and have a sensible feeling of it in themselves every one in their own particular And certainly it is all our business to be waiting for the fulfilling of those many great and precious promises which are recorded in the Holy Scripture which were enjoyed by the Primitive Christians in the Ages that are past and gone and in succeeding times shall be likewise enjoyed by all true Christian People as they come to be Followers of Jesus as we have begun well let us go on towards Perfection nâ—t laying again as I said before the Foundation of Repentame from dead Works and Faith towards God and the Lord Jesus Christ for who ever expects Salvation by Christ the only Saviour must be going on to Perfection they must begin at the work of Regeneration and Experience in themselves a New Birth for if we be not born again we shall die in our Sins you know our Saviour hath left this upon Record and it remains the same truth to this day And therefore how ought every one that makes mention of the name of Great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ How ought every such a one to be weighty and considerate and Examine themselves whether they are come to know Repentance from Dead Works Whether they have turned from the evil of their doings Some are ready to say I would gladly turn from the evil of my doings but I find I am beset with the Devil the Enemy of my Soul Well if thou believest in the Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened thee then Cry to him and he will give thee Power to withstand the Enemy of thy Soul Praised and Blessed be the Name of our God that a Remnant can say as soon as we did really Believe in the Name of Jesus we received power in some measure as the Primitive Believers did that received Christ we received Power to become the Sons of God you that have received this Power let your Eye be to the Lord and cry to him for Divine Assistance for of our selves we are not sufficient we have not power of our selves to think a good thought or do a good Action but we depend upon the Power of God to enable us to Work out our own Salvation For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Therefore Repentance and Remission of Sins are Preached in Christs Name and without the Knowledge and Christian experience of this and believing in the Name of Jesus we cannot be saved from the wrath to come Let us wait upon God who by our Lord Jesus Christ saveth all his People from their Sins Not by Works of Righteousness that we have done but as the Apostle saith According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Those that have experience of the work of Regeneration and of being renewed in their Inward parts where Christ bears Rule when they meet together in the Solemn Assemblies of the Lords People he will be in the midst of them and they that come to hear the word of the Lord and wait upon him know it to be so you that are real Christian People you know this by your own experience therefore wait upon the Lord your God that the work of Regeneration may go on and you will find strength more and more ministred to you and you will feel the pouring forth of the Spirit abundantly upon you the same Spirit that raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead and quickned him shall quicken you that you may live to him here and with him for ever hereafter The Prayer after Sermon Most Glorious Powerful and Infinite Lord God of Life thou hast sought out a People to serve thee and thou hast made choice of many from among the Sons and Daughters of Men to honour thy Name in the Land of the Living that we might be capable so to do thou hast opened an everlasting Fountain and the streams of Life have
reached to us Thy Divine Comforts O Lord have been our portion from one day to another and we have tasted thy goodness and our hearts have been deeply affected with it blessed God and Fathe when we consider how thou hast nourished us thy Children and brought us up in troublous times and made a way for us in the Wilderness and a path in the Desart and brought us through the deep waters When we were ready to be overwhelmed when our Souls cried to thee Lord to be present with us then thou hast been near unto us when we have been seeking thy face and thy glory thou hast refreshed us with the light of thy Countenance when we have been walking in thy way thy Banner over us hath been love and Lord out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast brought forth praise and glory to thy self O that all that partake of thy Divine goodness may magnifie and praise thee This hath been our Supplication O Lord from year to year Lord reach to the Nations gather a People under the shadow of thy wings secure them from all dangers and let them have great delight in thy ways and let thy word be sweet to their tast Most tender and everlasting Father of life and God of all grace we humbly intreat thee to gather the Inhabitants of this Island and bring down all haughtiness and pride to the dust and bring all thy people to humility and self abasement before thee the God of glory that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea that thy great Name may be exalted Lord we entreat thee gather together those that are broken and contrite and are as dead and dry bones can these dry bones live Thou knowest O Lord. Shall I ever be capable of praising the Lord saith one by a sense of thy favour to my Soul Lord thou caâ—st reach these and gather to thy self a numberless number that no man can number that everlasting God of Power shall stand before thee without spot and blemish in whose mouths there is no guile Lord encrease the number of those that seek after thee the living Fountain of all goodness with tears flowing from their eyes and sorrow in their hearts Everlasting God of life let the day of our Tranquility be lengthned out and preserve the Land of our Nativity and let no desolation be among us Father of Mercies many have been visited with dreadful Judgments from thy hand in other Nations O preserve this sinful Land and let thy continued mercies and blessings and thy long suffering prevail upon us that we may be turned to thee with all our hearts and cry mightily to thee from one day to another that we may be as so many Jacobs wrestling with thee to the break of the day that thou wouldest bless us and that thy blessing may never depart from this Island O Lord hear the cries of thy People that are seeking thy glory and the good of their own Souls let thy mercy prevail for us and let thy blessing be with all thy Servants that cry to thee we beseech thee for the sake of Jesus Christ let not thine anger be kindled against us least we perish and O Lord let thy judgments which are impendent be diverted and stir up thy People to wrestle with thee with all their Souls that thou wouldest save this Nation that England may live in thy sight cover us under the shadow of thy wings and let the hearts of all thy People be turned to thee and turned from Sin to Righteousness that they may be preserved in thy fear and love and partake of ihe Fountain of life and may be delivered from the snares of death Father of life preserve all thine that have waited on thee thou art a God that changest not therefore we are not consumed Glory Honour and Praise be rendred to thee for all thy love and favour blessings and benefits vouchsafed to us and for all the opportunities which we have had for our Souls break and soften the hearts of all thy Children and kindle in their Souls a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving that we may say it is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes that we may rejoyce and Triumph in thy great Salvation through Jesus Christ who alone is worthy and God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JOHN BOWATER At St. John's-Street March 18. 1693. To as many as have received Christ Jesus the Lord to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Now my Friends they that have believed are to wait to receive his power according to the Exhortation of our Lord Jesus Christ to his Disciples wait until you be endued with a Power from on high Luke 24. 49. Many People make a profession of belief in the Lord Jesus Christ but do not come to know this mighty power to work Sanctification Redemption and Salvation Let all and every one of you be concerned in waiting upon God and attending upon him that you may receive strength and power and ability from him whereby you may be enabled to perform your bounden duty which God requireth of you he hath shewn unto Man what is good and what the Lord requires of him which is to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with God Every one of us that have believed let us wait for power to perform that which may answer the requirings of God that we may receive ability from him to enable us to perform our duty that we may not only be Professors of the blessed truth of God but possessors of it that we may not only be Professors but Possessors of life whereby we may live to God through Jesus Christ and perform our duty acceptably to God It is a blessed to be found in that which gives acacceptance with God now there is no acceptance with God but as we are found in Christ Jesus in him that was the promised Seed whom God promised should break the Serpents head the Serpent beguiled Eve through subtilty Now God promised that the Seed of the Woman that is Christ Jesus should break the Serpents head It is through him that Redemption and Salvation is known It is through Christ Jesus the Mediator between God and Man that Man becomes reconciled to God and no otherwise He tasted Death for every man and he died that he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil It is through Christ the Mediator that we are reconciled to God and for this saith the Apostle was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Sin in all Ages hath been the work of the Devil and the Devil is the Author of Sin but the Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator he is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him So that whatsoever your Profession may be
of God or of Christ his Servants ye are to whom you obey Now consider whose Servants you are whether you are Servants of sin or bought by Christ Jesus and Redeemed from an ungodly life and from a vain Conversation We cannot serve two Masters where there is such a contrariety as Light is to Darkness you cannot serve them at one and the same time there must be a cleaving to the one see that you cleave and joyn your selves to that which is good to that Principle that God hath placed in your hearts and this will season your Souls this will leaven you to God Luke 13. 21. The Kingdom of God is like leaven which a Woman took and hid in three Measures of Meal ' till the whole was leavned God doth give to every Man a measure of Grace that brings Salvation This Grace hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World yet too many People have not had regard to the grace of God given to them but rather trample upon it and do despite to the Spirit of Grace the Grace of God in Christ Jesus is extended to all the Children of Men without respect of Persons God is no respecter of â—ersons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteoasness is accepted with him Acts 10. 35. Now my Friends we cannot work Righteousness but by the ability and assistance of the grace of God now this grace is from Christ Jesus I John 17. For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ that grace came by Christ that worketh sanctification Now the Law did not make the comers thereunto perfect nor purge the Conscience but the bringing in of a better hope did by which we draw nigh to God There is no drawing nigh to God but through Christ Jesus no Redemption but through him he is a compleat Saviour he doth not only redeem in part but he saveth to the uttermost all that come unto God by him he is a compleat Saviour he that hath begotten good desires in our Souls whereby we breath after him and are raised to pant and desire after that which is good and as there is a giving up to him that hath begotten these good desires in the Soul the Lord in his good time will answer these desires see that ye be of humble and meek minds and lie low before him and wait on him and he will in due time perfect the work which he hath begun Friends I testifie among you at this time there is not a living desire in the Soul to that which is good but Christ is the Author of it he is the Author of Eternal Salvation to as many as obey him It is he that begun the work he met with us by his Power and Spirit when we were strangers to God For we as well as others were in the broad way going hand in hand with a multitude to do evil and we did not seek God till he did first seek us we did not desire the knowledge of his ways till he raised desires in our Souls he met with us in the way of his Judgments causing terrour to take hold of Transgressors so that we could not take delight in vanities and pleasures as we had done because his terrours took hold of us blessed be the name of the Lord. It was good for us that we were afflicted before we were afflicted we went a stray but now we have learned his Rightâ—â—â—s Judgments Judgments upon the unjust we have found to be Mercy to the just Blessed be the name of the Lord that did seek us out that met with us that put a stop to us in our way that we could not delight in vanity as we had done The Lord brought us to a consideration of our ways and doings He manifested to us if I live and die in this way I am in I am undone for ever I am miserable for ever if I do not know Redemption and Salvation by Jesus Christ The Lord manifested to us by the shining of his Divine Light in our hearts that we were in the Broad way that leads to destruction we read of the Narrow way that leads to Life and of the Broad way that leads to destruction We read of the narrow way but we did not know our selves to be in that way when we saw the Broad way that leads to Destruction this begat a breathing in our Souls and an earnest desire that we might know the way that is pleasing to him And there being many Opinions in the World many of us were hurried in our Minds and where we saw any thing of sobriety and weightness of Spirit we were willing to try them all that we might know the mind of God Friends God raised a travel in our Souls and appeared farther to us God that Commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness shined into our hearts whereby a discovery was made of that which is good and of that which is evil This the Lord discovered to us by the shining of his Divine light and grace in our inward parts so that we need not look abroad we retired inward we saw that we had business enough at home we saw that when we had grieved the good Spirit of God we had trouble for it and when we answered the breathings of the Spirit we had peace within us so that we must distinguish between that which gave acceptance with God and that whereby the Spirit of God was grieved from day to day Now my Friends we came under a travel God by his light and grace discovered to us his way so that now we are come to a certainty of the way Christ is the way to God and if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature he is born again born of the Spirit you should all of you be concerned and consider what you know of a change wrought in you by the power of God whether you have received vertue from Jesus to stop the bloody issue of Sin It is an easie thing to make a profession and to call your selves Christians but it is a weighty thing to be a Christian to be so in reallity united unto God through Jesus Christ to be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ in the way of Regeneration and self-denial except a Man be Regenerate and born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God There are many People would go to God's Kingdom when they die but do not mind being prepared for it many have been pleading for Sin in their life but would go to God's Kingdom when they die where must People be cleansed from sin but on this side the grave there is no Repentance in the Grave nor no Redemption out of Hell This is the day of your Visitation God hath prepared means whereby we may be accepted of him consider of it the gate stands open that leads
to the Holy City there is none can enter into God's Kingdom in their desilements their hearts must be purged their minds purified they must know the work of Sanctification if they will enter into God's Kingdom Now the preparation of the heart and the answer of the Tongue is from Lord. I do not question but here are many tender hearted ones that have tender desires and breathings of Soul after God that desire to know peace with God and reconciliation with their Maker Now my Friends there is not another Mediator besides Jesus Christ he is the alone Mediator and Redeemer it is he gave himself a Ransom for us it is he that reconciles Man to God and we must be found in him if we will come to have acceptance with God So let every one of you consider with your selves how far you are broken off from your evil ways we are all by Nature Children of wrath consider how far you are broken off from the Wild Olive-Tree from that which is corrupt by Nature and whether you be grafted into Christ If thou beest grasted into him thou receivest strength and nourishment and ability from him and for this end we have waited after we have believed we have waited for power many a time we have travelled many Miles to a silent Meeting People have wondred what encouragement we could have to travel to a silent Meeting indeed we have had great encouragement to meet together and we have travelled in great hazard and jeopardy yet we have met together and the Lord hath made us living Witnesses of the fulfilling of that promise that where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them this was that which beautified our Meetings and we were willing to wait there was a disposition of Soul in us that if the Lord did hide his face from us we were troubled if we did not enjoy the Lord and find him in the midst of us it brought a great concernment upon our Minds and Spirits and we were willing to reflect upon our selves and examine within our selves what was the matter that the Fountain did not send forth its living streams as at other times and what the reason was it was with-held from us Friends this was a great exercise upon our Minds but the Lord graciously manifesting himself appeared to us causing the Cloud many times to vanish away and the light of his Countenance shined on us and our Spirits were revived and we were comforted and this was a great encourrgement to us to wait upon God seeing our own weakness to perform that which is our bounden duty which God required of us of necessity this brought a constraint upon us to wait upon the Lord that we might renew our strength seeing our own weakness insufficiency and infirmity there was a necessity that constrained us to wait for a Saviour for a Redeemer Isa 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint My Friends we have need of Supplies from God every day we have need of our daily bread and God gives bread to the hungry Soul he filleth the hungry with good things this is that we labour and travel for now it is those that are hungry that God takes notice of and gives bread to he hath promised that those that hunger and thirst after righteouâ—ness shall be filled See what you are hunting after this day what is it that your Souls do desire you have presented your bodies here at this time what is it for is it to hear what a Man can say to hear Eloquence of Speech to hear some novelties or is it your end to wait upon God I would have every one of you to wait for your selves you that have been acquainted with the manifestation of the Spirit wait in it feel your minds exercised towards God wait at his Footstool this was Maries choice when Martha was cumbred about many things Mary attended at the Foot-stool of Jesus her attendance was upon him So Friends let us all look unto the Lord and wait upon him wait for his appearance and for his Salvation to be manifested to us Wait that you may know that arm of Power that wrought tenderness in you and did beget desires in your Souls after that which is good wait that you may be strengthned in that power that you may be a growing People that you may grow in Grace and Vertue that you may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ there are degrees of grace and there are several statures and degrees of growth you may read of several statures 1 John 2. 13. Children young Men and Fathers I have written unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father Now you that make a profession of the truth see how far you are grown into the Life of it see how far it hath prevailed so as to season your Souls and to make you savoury to God that you may not only stand in a profession and be Professors of Life but Possessors of Life of the Life of Jesus that you may receive life and ability from him every day so as to be enabled by his power to perform what he requires of you Now there is no more required of us but faithfulness according to the ability of grace given the Lord God hath been free in his Love and hath communicated to us a Tallent or Tallents Now it is those that are faithful in a little that he will commit more unto but do not expect a greater Tallent or more to be communicated till you have been faithful in a little which hath already been faithful in a little which hath already been made manifest to you see that you be every one concerned for your selves mind your Travel Lay aside every weight and burthen and the Sin which doth so easily beset you and run with patience the Race that is set before you looking unto Jesus who is the Author and will be the Finisher of your Faith If thou dost give up thy self to him he that is the Author will be the finisher of thy Faith to the Joy and Comfort of thy Soul he will Perfect the Work he hath begun in thee I would have neither Old nor Young to satisfie your selves with an outside Profession of the truth of God but see that you be Converted that you be broken off from the Wild Olive and Ingrafted into Christ see that there be a through Reformation wrought in your Souls and that you be separated from that which is Evil what doth an outward Separation signifie if there be not an
the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh Friends you see the Foolish Virgins came when it was too late therefore prize your Day and keep your Watch I cannot but Admire the Mercy of God that hath extended a Day of Grace and favour to us God hath not only striven for a little time but hath continued striving Take heed that you harden nor your Hearts in this Day of your Visitation least it be said to to thee The Harvest is past and the Summer is ended and thou not saved Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure While it is the good pleasure of God to work upon thy Heart give up thy self in Holy Obedience to him even while the good Spirit of God moveth upon the face of the Waters The Day of your Visitation is not yet over yield up your selves to the striving of Gods Spirit that you may be found a willing People in the Day of his Power There is Balm in Gilead there is a Physician of Value there Prize the Love and Mercy and forbearance and long suffering of God and bless God that hath not cut thee off in thy Sin and in the midst of thy Iniquites and that thou hast not thy Portion with Hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth His Prayer after Sermon Most Blessed and Holy Lord God thou art full of Grace thou art the same yesterday thou art the same to day and thou remainest the same unchangeable God for ever unchangeable in thy Nature and unchangeable in thy Love Thou hast not said to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my Face in vain Where thy People have been gathered there thy Presence hath been Where two or three have met together in thy Name thou hast been in the midst of them thou hast not been wanting to us when we have called upon thee but hast been a present help unto us in the needful time when we have been under Tryals and Exercises and when Troubles and Temptations have come upon us like a Flood thou hast been with us in all our Conflicts and covered our Heads in the Day of Battle and stood by us and preserved us by thy Almighty Arm. Thou art a Gracious and Merciful God and hast regard to the Work of thy hands We commit our Souls to thee as into the hands of a Faithful Creatour We pray thee watch over us and go a long with us and when we are â— parated from one another Let us not be separed from thee Everlasting God of Glory let thy presence be with us and accompany us and lead us into the way wherein thou wouldest have us to walk and enlarge every one of our â—eaâ—â—s â—o follow hard after thee O Infinite Everlasting God of Glory Prosper thy Servants in tâ—â—r Labours and Travel to whom thou hast given any abilities to speak in thy Name that they may declare thy truth as it is in Jesus and deliver the whole Counsel of God to thy People O Sanctifie those Mercies thou hast vouchsafed to us at this time and the blessed priviledge we have had in meeting together to be partakers of thy Grace and Favour We thank thee for thy unspeakable Love in giving thy Beloved Son to die for us and to Redeem us from all Iniquity We desire to Magnifie and bless thy Name that thou hast drawn near to us when we have drawn near to thee and that thou hast beautified our Assemblies with thy Living Presence We desire in all Humility to Walk before thee with a single Heart and an upright Mind and that we may give thee for all thy Mercies and Blessings through the Son of thy Love the Lord Jesus Christ Praise Honour and Glory and Thanks giving not only at this time but so Ever and Ever for thou alone O Lord art Worthy who art God over all Blessed for ever more Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. WILLIAM PENN Upon occasion of the Death of Mrs. Rebecca Travers an Aged Servant of God June 19 1688. TIMES and Seasons pass away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever And it is that which hath been the Root of Life to the Heritage of God in all Ages and Generations that from whence their Joy and Hope always sprung that in which their Faith was finished It was their Alpha and it was their Omega In this the Righteous begun and set forth and by this they were preserved in their Heavenly Race till they came to their great end the prize of their High Calling the Heaven of Everlasting Rest after all the Storms and Tempests of time It was this they had their Eye to in the beginning and it was their Joy that opened in the Eternal Word by which they were Quickned and Revived and that caused them to endure to the end without fainting and you shall likewise by patient continuance in well doing in due time Reap if you faint not It was the Word of God to the Children of God of Old and it is his Word in this Day to us you shall Reap if you faint not Blessed are you that are called into the Vineyard you shall have an Everlasting Harvest If you faint not now you shall Reap then What shall you Reap Vanity and Vexation of Spirit and disappointment No you shall Reap Glory Honor Immortality and Eternal Life So Friends though every Day we have Renewed occasions of remembring our latter end yet there is that which never shall have end hath dawned unto us which hath been presented to our View in this glorious day of our Visitation if we lift up our Eyes to it and have regard to it in our rising up and lying down in our going out and coming in and in all we put our hands unto and if we place our Interests and Portion therein then our minds will be established and we shall not be ashamed now nor blush before the Lord hereafter If our Hearts condemn us not we shall have boldness before God So shall all Travellers that have regard to the Word of Truth while they are in their Heavenly Pilgrimage They set their Faces Sion ward and go on not Fainting not Doubting not desponding they have an Eye to the Lord Jesus Christ and have their Hearts kept by that Word that abides for ever Their Belief and Hope is beyond Time fixed upon that which God hath owned to be his Word before the World was and shall be when Time and this World shall be no more The outward Garment which shall be worn while it last shall then be put off Blessed are they that know the White Linnen that which is whole and all of a piece that God giveth to his Children that Love the Lord Jesus in Sincerity who is the Resurrection and the Life He that comes to know and experience this The Second Dâ—ath shall have no Power over him Now this change is not only in
the Outward Man but in the Inner Man there is a putting off that which is Fading Mortal and perishing and a being Clothed upon with Immortality and Glory Blessed are they which come to receive that Word of God which hath been the Life of God in our Souls This is a Day of Life to us Blessed are they that shall be placed in that Eternal Kingdom and Region where all Time shall be swallowed up and all Tears wiped from their Eyes and sighing and sorrow shall be no more O Friends lift up your Heads for the Day of your Redemption draws nigh That you may not be shaken with every Wind of Doctrine know that the Foundation of God standeth sure that is his Word that was in the beginning with God that Word that was God in this Eternal Word which is God know you dwelling and Habitation and wait upon God in it it was Davids Buckler his Shield and strong Tower it was his Rock God set his Feet uyon a Rock that is higher than Man's Power and all Mans Wisdom and Strength In this the Righteous begin in this they Travel on Blessed are they that walk by Faith that Live to the Lord and Dye in the Lord and shall be for ever with the Lord. They are blessed that wait upon the Lord for a sense of this They are above all the Changes of time and Mortality It is this that was a Reviving Cordial to our Deceased Friend who received the Truth in early Days the Days of the Dawning of Gods Power in this Land and in this City the Remembrance of it was sweet to her Soul let us Remember the Love of God and the Power and Glory of the Name of the Everlasting God that shined then that we may be encouraged to keep together as a peculiar People to the praise of him that hath called us out of Darkness into his Marvellous Light That God over all may be Glorified for ever that we may live to the Honour of his blessed Name That Christs Kingdom may be set up among us and that Gods great Name and Power and Majesty may be exalted and all flesh abased before him We are Travellers here in this Vale of Tears in this Earthly Pilgrimage into the Land of Rest the Heavenly Canaan Let us follow our Blessed Joshua that is leading us into that Land of Promise and he will give to every one his Lot and they shall stand in that Lot at the last day O Blessed are they that are waiting for their Lot and Portion in that Heavenly Countrey to which Abraham had his Eye that City the New Jerusalem the Mother of us all and that House not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens whose Builder and Maker is God This Word which I have been speaking of is that by which we are humbled and bowed before the Lord and Instructed in Judgment and Righteousness To this Word which is God I Commit and Commend you and all the Flock of God that you may be preserved to the end of your Days that you may then lay down your Heads in Peace that your Testimony may not end before your Lives end that the Lord may be with us to shelter and overshaddow us in the midst of all our Tryals and Exercises while we are following Christ in Patience Humility and self denyal and bearing his Cross for no Cross no Crown That which is pleasing to God is walking by Faith What is this Faith A pure resolution of Living to God in a Holy dependance on him and a committing our selves intirely to him that so we may know and enjoy the purifying Vertue of his Word that we may not offend God for without Faith faith the Apostle it is impossible to please him By what means saith the Royal Psalmist shall a young man cleanse his Way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word This is the Blessed Word that hath been a Root of Life in all Ages let us abide in this Word to the end of our days and we shall then be blessed with that Life which shall never end but shall remain when time shall be no more The Lord preserve you by his Mighty power in his Favour and Divine Presence that you may live to his Glory and Praise and Die in Peace and be gathered into that blessed and Heavenly Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judg of all and the Spirits of Just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel That you may Eternally Magnifie and Celebrate the praises of the Eternal God to whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. WILLIAM PENN At Wheeler-Street April 13. 1694. IT is the Great Cause and Work of God in which you are all concerned this day Now that all of you may see how you quit your selves before the Living Eternal God your Maker and Answer the Visitations of his Love in the discharge of your Duty that you may feel an Answer of Peace in your own Bosoms and find your selves nigh who were afar off that you may all know your selves nerer then when ye first believed nearer to the Lord nearer to his Love and more in his Favour that you may perceive your Interest to grow and increase your Divine your Eternal Interest that which will out-last the World for it Centers in that which shall never have an end O Friends see to it this Day it is the Redemption of your Immortal Souls that the Lord God hath visited you for it is in order to this And all the Religions in the World Articles Creeds Confessions and Professions that leave out this they are all Imperfect and insignificant and will not avail Men in the Great Day of Account Therefore see to it how the Work goes on the Work of your Redemption and Salvation Do you feel your selves near to the Lord Do you find your selves to have more Power over your Souls Do you know your selves advanced in the Work of God Are ye come to dye daily to that which is contrary to the Lord For as you dye daily you live that Life you Live in the Flesh by the Faith of the Eternal Son of God Christ Jesus who hath Redeemed you from all Iniquity and called you to Glory and Vertue Now that you may all be Faithful Stewards of the Grace and Mercy and Heavenly Talents which God hath bestowed upon you and be all found working not Idle in the Market Place Christ Jesus the Lord hath not been wanting to you He hath Piped to you have you Danced He hath mourned have you wept He hath called have you Answered his Call See to it this Day for the glorious Power and Presence of that God that visited you in the beginning is here this Day It is his Heart-reaching Power his Heart-melting Power his Divine sweet Presence which brought us out of
Pharoah's House and out of Egypt's Land and took us by the hand and led us peaceably to walk by the Rivers of Gods Pleasures I say see to it this day that you may answer the great Love of God that the Lord doth vouchsafe his Heavenly Presence in the midst of you and lift up the Light of his Countenance upon you that ye may be found answering his Love in his renewed Blessings that as he reneweth his Mercies you may renew your Obedience and as he renews his Loving kindness you may renew your Thankfulness that your Souls may be filled with high Praises for it is a Day of Praises for the Lord they who have obtained a Deliverance by Gods mighty Arm and Power that brought his People out of Egypt's Land into the Wilderness and through the Red-Sea and over Jordan's River unto the Banks of Salvation they who have received a marvellous Deliverance from their Spiritual Enemies they do not hang their Harps upon the Willows but Rejoice and Praise the Living God they resolve with the Prophet Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall Fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yield no Meat the Flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls and altho ' there be Plague Sword Fire Desolation and Destruction Yet we will rejoice in the Lord we will joy in the God of our Salvation Is it so with you this Day Are you come into this Divine Fellowship into this Intimacy with the Lord have you this Holy Frame of Soul O ye Sons and Daughters of the Morning the Everlasting Day of God hath dawned upon you that you may look into your Hearts and see how it is with you and see your experiences see the things that your Eyes have seen and your hands have handled You have tasted the good Word of God and known the Operation of his Power these are things that they have that are Children not empty Notions but Experiences If we travel on we shall be enabled to overcome and if we take unto us the whole Armour of God we shall be enabled to stand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand and what is the reward of them that overcome they shall eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life that grows in the Paradise of God as many as are fed from this Tree they are not to be standing Idle but Work the Works of God and are brought into the Paradise of God and enjoy the Delights of God in the Presence of God and the Lord will fill and satisfie them with his Divine Goodness and they shall grow and encrease in the Divine Life more and more Consider how doth the Work go on Consider the Lord Jesus he came in our Natures before he cometh into our Hearts Now Christ Jesus within us is the Hope of Glory and the Mystery that was hid from Ages and Generations is now Revealed in us Christ is now come not only into our Natures buâ— into our Hearts into our Inward man and all those at the Door of whose Hearts he hath knocked If they have opened to him and received him He hath come to Sup with them and he hath given them the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation and they have come into Divine Fellowship with him and so they have eaten his Flesh and drunk his Blood and fed upon that Bread that comes down from Heaven and all that open the Door and let him in they come to eat of this Bread and they come to see him that is the Desire of all Nations and the Light of the World and they walk in his Light This is an Ancient Testimony when you were first turned to the Light of Christ it was not a Natural but a Divine Light that you were turned to the Light of Jesus manifesting himself in us in this Light you received him and I desire to know what you have tasted what surther Joy is there What more excellent object what more excellent mark than this then the Light of the Nations that we are come to walk in Here is Divinity here is that which was before the World began here is made known the Divine Nature It is testified here that you might be partakers of it that you might be a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation a Peculiar People that you should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light see how this Work advanceth in every one of you that you may be faithful and improve your Tallents that you may be able to give up your account to the Lord with Joy and not with Grief When you shall hear a Voice saying Come come away There is no more Time the Glass is Run then how joyfully wilt thou hear that Voice if thou hast not been Idle but Working out thy Salvation and answering the Call of God and adoring him for his Love to thy Immortal Soul thou art not like Martha cumbred about many things but mindest the one thing needful that good part that shall not be taken away from thee If you thus Work out your Salvation it will be said unto you Well Done not Well Taught not well Disputed but Well Done good and faithful Servants enter you into the Joy of your Lord My Friends Time goes apace and we are wearing off and in a little while we shall be here no more Time will be gone and the Day of your Visitation quickly over the Thought and Consideration of this hath affected me many a time Look Friends that you be all travelling on in your Heavenly Journey as a faithful people and that the Work of your Salvation is carrying on and that is Christ is a Redeemer to you and that he doth deliver you from the Dominion of Sin and the Bondage of Corruption Art thou free who hath made thee free If the Truth hath made thee free If the Son of God hath made thee free then art thou free indeed If thou art made free thy Knowledge will be accompanied with experience and not notions only you want not notions but Possession of Inward freedom and liberty Doth your knowledge of Truth make you free from Sin Oh the tumblings and tossings that thy Soul was in Oh the Covenant making and the Covenant breaking there was no Peace no Rest because you were fallen and because you did not know Dominion and Victory over Sin which is only by the Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus which will lead you into the Path of obedience then you will know that in Christ there is Life and this Life is the Light of Men and the Light shineth in Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not you have Life only in Christ and you have it in him as in the Fountain this you must know that you may be delivered from sin By this saving knowledge of Christ and
Believing in him the All-sufficient Saviour you will come to Reign as Kings and Priests and sit with him in Heavenly places This will bring you to the General Assembly and Church of the First born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Whatsoever your hand finds you to do do it with all your might and work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling Live as those that are concerned for Heaven and Eternity Be Faithful and Diligent in your Generation that you may be Rich towards God Rich in the Love of God and in Peace with God These are Heavenly Treasures which Moth and Rust cannot corrupt nor Thieves break through nor steal from you Walk in the way of Righteousness and in the Paths of Judgment that you may have your fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life My Friends that which should exercise your Minds and which all should have an Eye unto is this that your Hearts be fixed upon God and your Affections set upon things above that walking in the Spirit you may beled by the Spirit of God as the Children of God and Heirs of God to the Inheritance above where you shall be for ever with the Lord. Friends This is my Exhorration to you that you will keep near to the Lord and Live under his Guidance and Government and Rely upon Christ alone for Salvation and live in the Light as becomes Children of Light Trust to nothing that will fail you in the Day of your Dissolution for then you will be under an Everlasting disappointment see that it be a true Foundation that you build upon and see what it is that you build upon it that it be not Hay and Stubble that cannot stand the Fire Build upon a Right Foundation the Eternal Word of God and build right things upon it That you may be always under the Guidance and Power and Government of the Blessed Spirit of the Living God that the Exercise and desire of your Hearts be towards the enjoyment of his Living Presence of his pure Power and quickening Spirit This is a Building which will abide the Fire This is a Building upon a Right Foundation What is that The Light of the Lord the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World here is the Right Foundation let us be found in him and keep close to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him This is the way to be preserved You that have got into a good state and condition keep in it and live near to the Lord and you will feel his Daily his Refreshing Presence and his Assisting Power to carry you on and conduct you in your Travel and Pâ—grimage that you may not faint in the way but in the end Reap the Crown of Immortal Glory that God hath laid up for those that fear him My Friends â—e was the Glorious Light of the Lord and the 〈◊〉 of the â—â—ving Eâ—â—rnal God by which you were 〈◊〉 in your Early Days Nay â—â— the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have often had in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good Spirit of the Lord and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lue 〈◊〉 among us Praised and 〈◊〉 be the Lords Everlasting Power that 〈◊〉 beeâ— extended to us The Lord Grant that that 〈◊〉 was our Alpha may be our Omega that that which began to turn our Hearts and Minds God â—â—d may â—atch over us and continue with us that we may be kept as an experienced People a Holy Pecuâ—â—ar People Zâ—alous of good Works that God may have all the Honour and Praise to whom it belongs who is God over all who is worthy to be Praised Adored and Magnified by us and all his People henceforth and for ever and ever Amen The Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious and Infinite God of Heaven and Earth in thy great and unspeakable Mercy thou Vifitest the Children of Men and extendest thy Love from one Generation to another and yet in this Age in which we live thy Day of Grace and Mercy reaches unto our Souls and we have been called by thee unto Righteousness and Holiness that so it might be well with us when we shall be removed out of this World and be no more seen of Men. Everlasting God If we consider aright thy dealing towards us the exceeding Riches of thy Grace in Christ Jesus It may provoke us and constrain us to Love thee and fear thee and serve thee in our Generation Lord thy Visitation hath been effectual upon the Hearts of many of the Children of Men who are Devoted to thy fear and service and give up themselves to Worship thee in the Beauties of Holiness Lord thou hast Gathered a People to thy self and thou hast brought them through many trials and Exercises and resined them by a Spirit of Judgment and they have been Baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire O Lord God of Life thy Mercy is exceeding great and thy Love unspeakable in all the Dimensions of it we pray thee that thou wilt be pleased to grant according to the Riches of thy Glory that we may all be strengthened with might by thy Spirit in our inner man that Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith that we being rooted and grounded in Love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Depth and Height and length and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulness of God Blessed Father of Mercies deliver us from this present evil World and the corruptions and pollutions that are in it let us not live as the Children of this World as those that are of it but as those that are of it but as those that are hasting out of it to the coming of the Day of God and help us to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who hath Redeemed us from all Iniquity not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with his own precious Blood us of a Lamb without blemish and without spot that we might live to him that Died for us and be holy in all manner of Conversation O Let the Lion of Tribe of Judah deliver us from that Roaring Lion of Hell that goes about seeking to Devour us make it our Delight O God to do thy Will and let thy Law be written in our Hearts that by patient continuance in well-doing we may seek for honour glory Immortality and eternal Life and that while we are engaged in the Christian Warfare we may take unto us the whole Armour of God and resist the Devil and overcome the World and be more than Conquerors through Christ that hath loved us that having fought the good fight of Faith we may lay hold
and let not any content themselves with a bare Profession of Christ and the name of Christians but make us Christians indeed true Israelites in whom their is no Guile We pray thee let the Power of Godliness shine forth in our Hearts and Lives let none be found among us that Crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame and tramplâ— upon the Blood of the Covenant and do despite to the Spirit of Grace Bring such we beseech thee to true Repentance as have made light of Christ and Salvation that they may seek thee while thou mayst be found and call upon thee while thou art near Glorious God of Lise and Love thine Eye is over all thy People at this time and their condition is known to thee and the living sense which thou hast given thy Servants of the state and condition of thy People makes them humble Mourners before thee and and doth bow down their Spirits in thy sight O Lord God of Glory let not thy wrath and Indignation break forth like Fire against the People of this Land but look down with an Eye of Compassion from the Throne of thy Glory and make bare thy Victorious Arm and make them a willing People in the Day of thy Power that they may be moved and excited to Repent and turn to thee and cease from their vain Conversation and serve thee in sincerity and in the beauties of Holiness Let the Spirit of Life quicken them that arâ— dead in Sins and Trespasses and remove the Stupidity Darkness and Ignorance of those that are strangers to thee and know not the things that belong to their Peace and open their Hearts and Minds that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And O tender Father of Life thou art at this Day threatning this Nation and shaking thy Rod over the Land of our Nativity cause the Inhabitants thereof to humble themselves under thy mighty hand and bow before thee and to consider how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God If thy wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in thee Blessed God of Glory Whom have we in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that can help like thee thy loving kindness is better than Life and thy displeasure more terrible than Death When thou hidest thy Face we are troubled but when thou liftest up the Light of thy countenance upon us and smilest upon our Souls and with a Ray of thy excellent Glory shining on us speakest peace unto us and openest a Door for us into the secret of thy Presence then we are filled with Joy unspeakable and satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness then we dwell safely as in the Munition of Rocks Most Glorious excellent Fountain of Divine Goodness be present with all thy People keep them as the Apple of thine Eye under the shaddow of thy Wings and in all their solemn Assemblies when they meet together to Worship thee O Lord meet with their Souls and let them see that thou Rulest and art present in the midst of them who art the Fountain of living Waters to those that thirst for thee the living God Let them in their Assembling together drink of the Brook of Shilo which runs with pleasant streams and there let them find Refreshment to their Souls we pray let them see the great design of thy love to them in that thou sendest them plentiful supplies from Heaven and givest the streams of Life where thou feedest thy Flocks and makest them to rest at Noon and to lyâ— down in Green Pastures and leadest them by the stil Waters though they walk through the Valley of the shaddow of Death they shall fear no Evil for thou art with them Thou preparest and furnishest a Table for them in the presence of their Enemies and they are abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thine House and thou makest them to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures But everlasting God of Life thou hast a Controversie with those that dwell at ease in Zion that do not lamen and mourn for the Sins and Abominations committed is the midst of them shew them that their Rest is not the Rest of God Let them cease from their own Works and serve and Worship thee in truth and Sincerity And let them know there is a Sabbath an Heavenly Rest for such to partake of Shew them the many secret working of the Enemy that they may watch against him aâ— not be Ignorant of his devices who is going about like Roaring Lyon seeking to devour them and to destâ—â—â— their Souls Arise O God of Glory and appear in Jacobâ— Dwellings and search Jerusalem as with Candles â—â— not thy People spare or hide any Darling sin froâ— the Slaughter nor keep Amaleck alive nor sâ—â—â— those Enemies which thou hast determined to Destruction Lord God of Life and Love thou Soveraign Lâ—â— of Heaven and Earth do thou graciously strengthâ—â— and keep in all tenderness thy People every where â—â— all their Travels Labours and Exercises let them fâ—â—â— Favour and Acceptance with thee in and through thâ— Lord Jesus Christ the Great Mediatour Let them know thy Heavenly Gatherings and there let them abide under thy Shaddow Let their Quiver be filled with the Arrows of the Almighty that may reach the Hearts of many by thy Power and let their Bow abide in strength let them hear the Heavenly Sounding of thy Trumpet from the Holy Mountain of thy Glory and in all their Assemblies let the pleasant Streams of life flow from thee upon their Souls and 〈◊〉 pray thee let them grow green and flourish and be as a Watred Garden bringing forth pleasant Fruits Then Blessed Father of Life and Glory thy love will be discovered to thy People when they are in the daily exercise of thy Grace and under the living Influences of thy good Spirit when thou takest them into thy Banquetting-House and thy Banner over them shall be love Blessed Lord God of Glory when it shall be thus with us we shall behold thy Heavenly Countenance shining upon us and thy glory in the Face of Jesus Christ and we shall be taken and delighted with the excellency thereof Thy Blessed Banquet will be sweet to our Tast and we shall be satisfied and overcome with thy Love then will thy Glory shine and thy Voice be heard Eat O Friends Drink yea Drink abundantly O Beloved Now for all thy Mercies and Blessings and wonderful patience forbearance and Longsuffering towards us We desire to offer our Thanksgivings to thee for thy tender Compassions extended to those that are sorrowful Afflicted and bowed down before thee Father of Life thou hast opened thy Bosom of Love and given them some ease and Refreshment thou hast Remembred us in our low Estate and thou hast been with us and kept us in all our Exercises and Labours and Travels
and thou hast made thine to grow up as the Lilly of the Vallies and as the Rose in Sharon and watered us as with the streams from Lebanon Lord God of Glory We do thankfully acknowledge thy wonderful Care over us and Love towards us and to all the Children of Men And we desire to offer to thee Praise and Glory through Christ Jesus the Son of thy Love who art worthy of all Honor Glory and Renown Power Blessings and Praise who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. RICHARD ASHBY At St. Martins Le Grand Feb. 16. 1693. THE Testimonies and Declarations which are given forth in obedience to the Lords requirings are to bring every one of you to a sense and feeling of the Inward Testimony of Truth in your own Bosoms to the feeling of the Work and Operation of the Lords Spirit upon your Hearts to give to every one a clear sight and understanding of those things that tend to their Souls profit and to their Spiritual advantage and a Divine growth in Grace If any of us are satisfying our selves in sitting down in an outward Gathering and only exercising our natural faculties to hear and to understand and come not to know and be acquainted in our selves with the Inspiration of the Almighty the Word of Truth we are Strangers to it and the good and excellency of it is hid from our Eyes So that it is matter of great concernment for every one to know what it is to be inwardly retired and to know the Operation of Gods Gift upon their Souls and to be acquainted with the Work of Gods Spirit in their inward parts else we shall be deficient in learning what we ought to know and fall short of certainty in our knowledg and we shall be among the number of those that are always Learning and never come to any stability and come not to the power and to know the Substance of all such are in the Dark they are groping for the Wall they are at uncertainty and tossed too and fro and have not a stability of Mind and Spirit attending them and they come not to know a true Exercise though there may be some inward desires yet for want of keeping to that Power by which they are begotten their desires seem to fail O my Friends that every one of you may be ponderous and weighty that in your minds you may feel the operation of that Power and the inward Work of Truth that is begun in the Soul as the Foundation of Eternal Happiness that is laid that we may know the Instruction and feel the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Heavenly Gospel in which he is carrying on the Work of our Salvation that we have an Eye unto Jesus and our expectations from him and be waiting truly upon him for Experience to come to know him that is the Author and Beginner of the Work of Faith in our Souls and lays the Foundation of Eternal Felicity These are such as walk on gradually and persevere to the end they look unto Jesus the Author and Fâ—â—â—sher of their Faith the great searcher of their Hearts and manifester of the Thoughts and Intents thereof They come to know him in his Offices as he discovers and makes known to man and sheweth unto him what it is that doth obstruct and prevent his enjoyment of Peace They that come to be sensible of this come to know an Inward Travel of Soul and are brought to a Spiritual exercise that hath a profitable tendency so that now they discover those things that are pleasing to the sight of their Minds not those things that please the carnal desire and bring reproof unto the Soul Here is the proper effect of Faith when there is Impressed upon the Soul a sense of Sin and of the Works of Unrighteousness and here is a Foundation laid for true Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ for saith the Apostle Him hath God exalted with his own Right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins He gives Repentance to those that come to feel their Need of a Phisician to heal them he makes such a discovery to their Souls such a sense he gives of their Sin and Transgression as makes it appear exceeding sinful These are such as come to reflect upon themselves and see their woful state this will lay low their Minds and bow down their Spirits these are they that come to Self-abhorrence and to have a Travel in their Spirits and they come down into a lowly state according to what the Prophet Jeremy speaks Lam. 2. 29. He fitteth alone and keepeth silence He putteth his Mouth in the Dust If so be there may be hope Wherefore doth a Living Man Complain a Man for the Punishment of his Sins It is of the Lords Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not They that come to be acquainted with the Lord as a Judge and as a Reprover here is a Decision made in the Soul and a Separation from Sin after it is discovered and the Judgment of God takes hold of the Sin and Trangression and a man comes under Reproof Here is a time of suffering and here is sorrow taking hold of him here is that which affects the Soul with grief and brings it into a state of Mourning and he is brought under a sense of Gods dealings with him and he comes to know that sorrow that hath an Inward effect upon the Soul to take away Iniquity and make the Heart better He submits to the discovery of that Deceitfulness that is lodged in the Heart For saith the Prophet The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it I the Lord search the Heart I try the Reins even to give to every man according to his ways and according to the Fruit of bis doings The Apostle speaking to some of the Heart being turned unto the Lord said then the Vail shall be taken away As God inwardly appears to a man there must be an humble submission to his searching of the Heart therefore faith the Psalmist Psalm 19. 12. Who can understand his Errors cleanse thou me from secret faults and he knew a cleansing Work in his own Heart Psalm 51. 10. Create in me a Clean Heart O God and Renew a right Spirit in me Cast me not away from thy Presence take not thy Holy Spirit from me restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit The Psalmist was in a Spiritual Travel and came to an experience of this Work upon his Soul and he prays the Lord to uphold him that what he had done might not be marr'd again therefore he begs of God to uphold him with his free Spirit You should all labour to go on in this Inward Travel that will bring you to a Repentance not to be Repented of and to have
a profitable Evidence that there is fruit brought forth not the Fruit of Sin What fruit have you of those things whereof you â—e now ashamed for the end of those things is Death They that are sensible of this know that the wrath of the Lord is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. The Work of Repentance stands in this not only in denying all Ungodliness but in abstaining from all appearance of evil Therefore stand upon thy guard against thine Enemy that he may not prevail against thee by his Assaults If sinners intice thee consent not to them go not in the way of evil men turn aside from it and pass away Learn Self denial which our Lord Jesus Christ doth declare to be of necessity Except a many Deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me he cannot be my Disciple Thou may'st appear to take up a Cross and deny thy Self but there must be a daily Cross a denying thy self continually not giving way to our Carnal Wills to our own Carnal Minds for to be Carnally minded is Death and to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace Here is a Work that produceth profitable Fruit that will not bring Reproach and Shame and Confusion upon us the Work of the Spirit of the Lord hath not that tendency but will bring the Soul to possess Vertue to inherit Glory Righteousness that exalts a Nation but Sin is the Reproach of any People Sin brings a man to shame and confusion of Face because there is a sense comes upon a man that God will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles 12. 14. We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ saith the Apostle that every one may receive the reward of the Deeds done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad O this brings shame and confusion of Face over a man many times the Lord appears in his displeasure and the weight of his Anger is let forth sometimes so that it appears intollerable Sometimes men are brought under great terror and affliction of Soul and Spirit because of it God afflicts men sorely sometimes and this is in Mercy that we may fear to offend him and be brought to the doing of our Duty and come up in Obedience to what the Lord requireth of us and hath made known to us He bath shewed thee O Man what is good Micah 6. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with Thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oil shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God This the Prophet tells us is more effectual and efficacious than Sacrifices under the Law Be faithful my Friends to what God makes known and give up in Obedience to the Works of Righteousness and live to the Glory of God and in Obedience to the Truth This tendeth to establish the Soul in a Divine Hope and Confidence which made Solomon to say the Righteous is as bold us a Lion why so Because the Lord is his strength He is strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might Friends see to this every one in your own particular that you put off concerning your former Conversation the Old Man with his Deeds which are corrupt and put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness then you shall find the happy effects of this the constraining effect and efficacy of the Love of Christ as the Apostle did 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which Died for them and Rose again And therefore the Apostle comes to declare of those to this effect He that is in Christ is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become New How is he a New Creature He is the Workmanship of God Created in Christ Jesus Oh the Work of the new Creation How precious is it to be Witnessed to All things are of God who hath reconciled us himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation And saith the Apostle to the Ephesians Eph. 2. 14. For he is our peace having made both one and hath broken down the Wall of Partition between us having aboâ—ished in his Flesh the enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain One new man so making Peace here is Peace upon a sure Foundation upon a certain Bottom This is the Peace that Christ leaves as a Legacy to his Disciples Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the Woald giveth give I unto you What is the difference The Worlds Peace is uncertain and attended with pain and trouble but the Peace of Christ maintains it self in those Souls that are gathered into the sense of his Power and under his Banner Isa 9. 6. saith the Prophet For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the encrease of his Government and Peace there shall be no end And saith the Prophet Jeremiah 23. 5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a Righteous branch and a King shall Reign and Prosper and execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Friends It is the desire of my Soul that you may come to know the precious effects hereof to your Souls that you may know Christ Jesus to be your Lord and submit to him and take his Yoke upon you for they that come to Christ must know what it is to be under his Dominion for he is a King and shall Reign and Prosper and execute Judgment The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver The Lord is our King and he will save us Therefore my Friends Be every one of you resigned in your Minds and Spirits and live in a dependance upon him that you may feel his Power overshaddowing you from Day to Day then you will say as it is in the Revelations Chap. 19. 1. Halleluja Salvation and Glory and
Honour and Power unto the Lord our God The Power of his Christ is Revealed to us O Friends that you may feel that you are gathered under his Power into his Pavillion that he may be a safe hiding place to you and that you may experience and witness his Power from Day to Day then your Peace shall be as a River O that you may every one find this in your own particular and not rest satisfied in outward Forms and in an outward Profession that you may feel the substance feel the Life and possession and have Heavenly Treasure in your Earthen Vessels then will you be witnesses of Immortal Life that is brought to Light by the Gospel then you shall be of the Number of those that have fought a good Fight of Faith and laid hold on Eternal Life and you shall be sensible of the Visitation of the Lord Giving Spiritual Life unto the Soul Thus the Psalmist experienced and declared All my Fresh Springs are in thee Here is an Evidence and Testimony of this Life O Labour to have a Testimony of this Life that ye may have fresh Springs from the Lord and Draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation These are renewed in the Soul from time to time It may be said that the Stream is but small to some Oh keep to the Streams and partake of them though but in the lowest degree that thou may'st feel the risings of them The Prophet Ezekiel was led into the Temple saith he The Hand of the Lord was upon me and he brought me thither and behold there was a Man whose appearance was like the appearance of Brass with a Line of Flax in his hand and a measuring Reed and he measured a thousand Cubits and he brought me through the Waters and the Waters were to the Anckles Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the Waters and the Waters were to the Knees and afterward the the Waters were to the Loyns And afterward saith He measured another Thousand and it was a River that I could not pass over for the Waters were risen Waters to Swim in a River that could not be passed over My Friends here are Divine openings upon the Soul in feeling fresh springs of Love and Life and you may come to know and witness Refreshings from the Presence of the Lord you are not strangers to the Fruits of the Heavenly Canaan and the fruits of the Tree of Life When you come to pertake of them you will say His fruit was sweet unto my tast you will find that the Lord will abundantly open his bountiful hand and satisfy his poor with Bread Let your waiting be continually upon the Lord and Bread will be given to you and your Waters will be sure then you will see the King in his Beauty the King of Glory discovering himself Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord. Here is a precious Object indeed O the Beauty of Holiness how affecting is it to the Soul The Soul is overcome with God When the Soul comes to the acting of its Faith and Trusting in the Lord and Depending upon him continually to beholding the Glory of the Lord which is of an affecting nature this raiseth desires in the Soul according to the Testimony of the Psalmist Psal 17. 14. As for me I will behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness The Apostle speaks of beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and being changed into the same from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. You that know the Revelation of God in you you will find this change from Glory to Glory and a coming up to the Beauty of Holiness Then my Friends here is a pure Communion a Communion with the Saints the Lord Reveals himself and makes his Spiritual abode in the Soul these are those that come to know Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ They that come to know this know God to be with them and do know Gods Power and Presence in the midst of them Then though man may frown the Light of Gods Countenance shall be lifted up upon us And If God be for us saith the Apostle who can be against us He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all How shall he not with him also freely give us all good things The Lord will bless us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ Wait upon the Lord and he will bless thee and encourage thee that thou mayst know additional blessings in thy Soul This is the intent design and import of these Declarations that are found among you that you may all know a being gathered unto the Lord and may feel his Power and know the Lot of your Souls Inheritance and know that the Lord will continue his mercies to you and will make good his Promise that if you cast your care upon him he will take care of you they that do this may know the Lord to be their Portion and the Lot of their Inheritance to be in him In times of distress and tribulation the Lord will be with them Israel of Old tho' they did all partake of an outward Canaan yet all had not their Lot in Shilo They that come to sit with Christ in Heavenly places they have their Lot in Shilo in a Peaceable Saviour the Prince of Peace Take a view of your inward state and condition see is the Lord Jesus your Lot and Portion then you shall not want but if you are Strangers to this and live in the state of carnal security sorrow will overtake you The Prophet saw some to do so It is as when a Hungry Man Dreams of Refreshment but when he awakes his Soul is empty and faint If you have not the feeling of the Power of Gods Spirit and are at ease a terrible Day will overtake you Therefore Friends while you have time give all diligence while the Manna falls about your Tents and are humbled in the sence thereof know that the Lord will preserve you from day to day then your Bread will be sweet and your Water sure O Friends The Great Prophet hath been sent to you Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me Friends He will bless you and you shall know your Provisions which are made for you the Lord Christ will bless your store for the Treasures of Heaven fail not where Moth and Rust doth not corrupt nor Theives break through nor Steal and therefore Friends have respect to the manifestation and Spiritual Appearance of the Lord Jesus that you may feel his Power overshaddowing you from day to day that you may be kept by the Mighty Power of God We must wait upon the
Name of the Lord is a strong Tower The Righteous shall fly unto it and be safe and when they are assaulted with the Enemy the Spirit of the Lord shall be with them and when the Enemy comes upon them as a Flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard for them against the Adversary and they shall stand still and see the Salvation of God And they shall find the Power of Gods Spirit come upon them for Sanctification and they shall be as the purest Wheat gathered into the Garner of God Therefore My Friends let the Testimonies of Truth which the Lord is pleased by his Servants and Messengers to send to you take hold of you and go along with you and have a place in your secret thoughts It is an Exhortation of the Word of Truth which God gives by his Spirit to you therefore let it be retained While you are in the Light walk as Children of Light and have no Fellowship with the Vnfruitful Works of Darkness and you shall dwell safely and be set upon a Rock that is higher than you you shall be as Stars shining in a Dark World and though there be darkness upon the Earth yet here is Light here is Beauty Those that are in Zion and in Goshen the Songs of the Night shall be given to them When others are in distress these are they that have their Habitation in the Lord and find a Spiritual repose and enter into Rest and enjoy that peace which God through Jesus Christ his Beloved Son doth give unto the Souls of his People that Peace that Passeth Vnderstanding Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts unto the Lord. Salvation and Praise be ascribed unto our God continually for all his Mercies and Favours for to him Honour and Glory and Thanks giving belongs And as you render Praise to the Lord in the Name of his Beloved Son you shall find acceptance with him and an answer of Peace returned into your Bosoms when you pray as the Psalmist Psal 141. 1 2. Lord I cry unto thee make bast unto me give ear to my Voice when I cry unto thee let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up my hands as the Evening Sacrifice Hereby you shall enjoy Divine Rest and Repose and Refreshment from the presence of the Lord and that Joy that is unspeakable and full of Glory This is my Desire and Souls Travel and the end of my Labour among you that this may be your Lot and Portion with the Lord. The Prayer after Sermon BLessed Lord God who hast in this day of thy Power made manifest thy Self unto thy Children and People who are this day waiting upon thee O Lord God we pray thee let thy Infinite Mercy more and more be extended to us and we humbly pray thee do thou preserve us a sensible People that as thou hast afforded the Visitation of thy Love unto us we may delight in it Lord reveal thy Love more and more to us that we may obey thee and delight to do thy Will Lord thou hast an Eye of Pity and Compassion upon the Sons and Daughters of Men whom thou seest in a lost and perishing condition and thou wilt remember them in their low estate because thy Mercy endureth for ever extend the Riches of thy Goodness to such as are strangers to thee that they may come to the knowledge of thee through the Son of thy Love for this is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent O Lord manifest thy Love to us more and more and appear is thy excellent Glory for the bringing down of every thing contrary to thee Blessed Father and Fountain of Life set up thy Throne and Reign in the Hearts of the Children of Men that they may own thy rightful Government and submit to thy Wisdom and become a willing People in the Day of thy Power and be reconciled to thee in the blood of thy Son Be with us in all the Dispensations of thy Grace and Love and manifest the operation of thy Power upon us in our attendances on thee from Day to Day and from one season to another Lord thou that hast revealed thy Glorious Arm and Power to thy People in their many Travels Exercises and Afflictions that have come upon them for the tryal of their Faith and the exercise of their Patience and Humility and other Graces let our Patience have its Perfect Work and let the trial of our Faith be found unto Praise Honour and Glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ and let our humility lay us low before thee that being humbled under thy mighty band we may be exalted in due time for the sake of Jesus Christ whom thou hast hast exalted at thine own Right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to us and Remission of Sins Lord our desires are to thee and our expectations are from thee do thou supply us with all things needful for our Souls and Bodies as thou hast mercifully sustained us hitherto O Lord do thou Bless all the Manifestations of thy Love and Power unto us that we may be sanctified and made meet to serve and glorifie thee that we may give up our account with Joy at thy Tribunal that we may then be found in Christ not having our own Righteonsness but being Justified freely by thy Grace through the Redemption that is in him we may enter into Glory and be for ever with the Lord. Blessed Father of Life Remember all those that are scattered up and down upon the Hills and Barren Mountains and are wandring up and down as Sheep without a Shepherd Remember them in this Day of thy Love and mighty Power and bring them home to the Sheep-fold of Christ who is the true Sbepherd and Redeemer and Saviour of Souls Lord go along with us from this place to our several Habitations and Imployments Let the Angel of thy presence attend us Let the Word that hath been preached dwell richly in us in all Wisdom Dearest God of Love and Life one Plants and another Waters but thou alone dost give the encrease we pray thee go along with us and be near unto us when we are separated one from another Now Lord for all thy Mercies and Benefits and Blessings renewed to us from day to day and from one season to another we desire to offer up to thee a pure and living Sacrifice of Praise and Love and Thanks giving for thou alone art worthy who art God over all who with thy Blessed Son and Eternal Spirit Livest and Reignest for ever and ever One God World without end Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. WILLIAM BINGLEY At Grace-Church street March 4. 1693. Friends IT is weighty upon my Spirit this Day to call upon you all to take
he hath given us a Measure of his Spirit to profit withal The Son of God is come to wash and purge Men from their Sins and to destroy the Works of the Devil and to waste and consume that Nature that hath separated Man from God and the Root and Ground of it that hath hindered our approaching near to God Christ is come to finish transgression and to make an end of sin to take it away and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness I would intreat you all in the Love and Tender Compassions of God to open to this coming of the Lord Jesus Christ He is come near to you he knocks at the Door of your Hearts by his secret Reproofs and Heavenly smilings in the Soul and shews People their evil Ways and Courses Now if you in Faith open to Christ when he knocks at the Door of your Hearts He will Work the Work of God in you He will work that in you and for you that no man can work for himself nor for another now the Lord Jesus Christ he is come to Work that Work which his Father hath given him to do which is to take away that which hath separated thee from God and made thee a Child of Wrath and an Object of Gods displeasure he will remove it and wash it away in his Blood it is the Blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all Sin O the wonderful Love of the Son of God that he manifested to us in that Body which was prepared for him to do the Will of God in submitting to the Death and being a Sacrifice once for all If thou wilt hearken to his Reproofs and Instructions he will Work the Work of God in thee and he will wash thee and cleanse thee from Sin in his own Blood and thou must be acquainted with this washing cleansing Work or thou hast no part in Jesus the Mediatour for he said to Peter If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me He doth purge and wash and purifie all that have a part in him who is the Fountain that God hath set open for the House of Judah and Jerusalem for Sin and for Uncleanness that you may wash in it and be clean Seeing the Fountain of Gods Love is opened to thee in the Lord Jesus Christ turn to him and feel the operation of his Blood it will take away thy Sin and Uncleanness yea the very Root of Evil. And every Plant as Christ said that the Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Mat. 15. 13. When thou comest to know the plucking up of these Plants and art willing to be purged by Christ and washed in his Blood in that Fountain that is opened for Sin and Uncleanness and comest to be made a Vessel meet for thy Masters Use and comest to be a Vessel in Gods House and fit toper form the Worship of God that stands in the Spirit thou wilt then find acceptance with God through Jesus Christ But this Reformation must not be outward only but a Reformation of the Mind and Soul and the Inward Man and a being truly rectified there and this is to make clean the Inside as Christ said Then thou wilt come to have a Discovery of and to be acquainted with the Mind and Will of God and thou wilt then feel a cry in thy Soul on this wise O Lord enable me to perform my Duty to thee and thou wilt find the Promise made good to thee and here thy waiting will be upon God They that wait upon the Lord shal renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Thus when thou art waiting upon God and doing his Will thou wilt perform thy Duty without weariness or fainting and Serve God and Gloriâ—â— him in Thoughts Words and Actions and thâ—â— thou wilt answer the end for which thou wast made and wilt Worship and Serve God in that ability of Grace which he hath given thee and thou wilt experience what it is to be under the conduct and guidance of the Spirit of God and wilt Worship God in Spirit and in Truth The Father seeketh such to Worship him for the Worship of God doth not stand in outward Observation nor in any thing barely that a Man can do outwardly but in Spirit and Truth They that are thus exercised they Live to God and in daily feeling of his Redeeming Arm and the Ransoming power of the Lord which hath broken the Chains of Darkness in which they were held and how the Lord hath brought them near to himself and filled them with a living sense of that Power that hath redeemed them and they cannot but fall into an holy admiration of God and admire his Love and bounty and Wisdom Power and Goodness Here is a Man that Worships God aright that truly performs the Worship and Service of God when the mind is truly humble and dwells in lowlyness such find life to spring from God the fountain of it and thereby their Souls are kept in a lively frame before him for it is the living that worship God it is the Living that praise him the Dead cannot praise his Name The Grave saith Hezekiah cannot praise thee O God Death cannot Celebrate thee The Living the living he shall praise thee as I do this Day Those that truly Worship God in Spirit they have Holiness to the Lord written upon them stampt on their outside And as they have born the Image of the Earthly so now they bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam These perform Duty to God aright and they are made meet to serve him and Worship him and they have a deep sense of the Love and mercy of God to them and in that Sense give Glory to God to whom it does belong for ever more Secondly As there is a duty we owe unto God so there is a Duty which we owe to our Neighbour and this Duty cannot be performed but as we are preserved in a sense of that power which hath quickned us to God Therein we are made Instruments in his hands to call upon others to turn to God and do good to them by our Exemplary Lives and that as we make a Profession of Godliness so we ought to walk in Love and have bowells of Compassion and Love to our Neighbours that they may be saved and brought near to God And therefore let us shew forth all Meekness Goodness Lowlyness Justice Truth Equity and all manner of Holy Conversation and Godliness and Love God with all our Heart with all our Mind and with all our Soul and our Neighbour as our selves These are the two great Lessons which we ought to learn and I am sensible many are short in not loving their Neighbours as themselves but are seeking rather to Circumvent and to defraud one another letting up bitterness and malice one against another Too many Instances may be given of these things but
our Duty is to endeavour to shew forth our Love in Justice Equity and Truth in all things and to be so far from going beyond or seeking to defraud or over reach our Neighbour as that we should upon all occasions manifest our care and love to him that he may be gained and brought over to the Love of the Truth This is that which God hath made us Witnesses of in his blessed day and Gospel and it should be our great care and concernment to answer this Duty that lyes upon us one towards another faithfully and to encourage one another and Watch ovâ—â— one another for Good and not with an Evil Eye or prejudice in our minds against any nor to let in any sourness or bitterness of Spirit against any I Counsel and Exhort you in the Love of God to perform your Duty to God whereby ye may receive an Answer of peace and acceptance with him an answer of well done from God which we shall if we keep and abide in his Love this will bring you to the Fountain of Wisdom and the opening and springing of it This is the Wisdom that is from above that is pure and peaceable and gentle and easie to be intreated and we shall be preserved in the Conduct of it we shall not be short in our Duty We shall Love one another and Converse one with another This is a particular Mark and Token and a certain distinction whereby the Disciples of Christ are manifested and known to the World Hereby saith Christ shall all men know ye â—e my Disciples if ye have Love one to another 13 John 35. Abide in this Love and in the Truth and shew forth the vertues of it They that do profess the truth but act otherwise and are carried away with any of the Lusts or pleasures and delights of the World or with the Pride Haughtiness Bitterness and Sourness of the Spirit of the World they that are carried away with these all their love to their Neighbour will be hindered and there will not be a sincere exercise of it There are some that make a profession of the truth and come among us whose Conversations shew they have a Root of Covetousness remaining in them they will defraud and over-reach and cheat their Neighbour and so bring a Reproach upon the truth they have an ill Fame they do not perform their Duty to their Neighbour in Love and Kindness neither are they under the Conduct of that Power that should direct and guide them in their duty to God Therefore my Friends Watch against the Enemy in these things be not Ignorant of his devices then the designs of the wicked one will not overcome you and prevail against you live in the fear of God which is true Wisdom keep your selves in the love of God and in love to one another O what Oneness and concord will there be And what sweetness and Harmony will be among us And with what a Heavenly Lovelyness will our Conversations shine in the World when we abound in all the Fruits of Righteousness and in love one to another Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity and Amity This is beautiful indeed It is like the precious Ointment on the head that runs down to the skirts of the Garment O the Heavenly Garment the Garment of Praise that shall cloth those that live in the love of God and of one another O the Holy Robe of the Righteousness of Christ shall cover such Souls O this is that which shines forth gloriously they that live in love shall have this beautiful Garment to cover and adorn them O my Friends the weight of this was upon me O that every one of you may be gathered and made willing to discharge your selves of this great duty to God and to one another that an Heavenly opening may be known This love to God and our Neighbour will be as a Munition of Rocks where our Bread shall be sure and our Waters shall not fail when the Life we live in the Flesh is by the Faith of the Son of God This Union and mutual love will Cement us together when we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are builded together for aâ— Habitation of God through the Spirit If we live in loves as the living Members of Christ the Blood will Circulate into the life of every Member from the Head and we shall know the Vertues of it If we live in love Gods name will be honoured and his Truth will be promoted from Sea to Sea and from Land to Land from one part of the World to another and many shall be brought to behold the Rising of the Sun of Righteousness and his Glory shining in our Day and be preserved in an Holy fear and awe of God and kept from all Evil If we discharge our selves of this solemn and indispensible duty of love to God and one another then we shall have an Answer of our Prayers and of Peace in our own bosoms and know that God will accept of us and we shall be supported under whatsoever trouble or Affliction shall befal us God will be our strength and our stay and we shall have no cause to murmure or complain God will bear us up by his Divine power and keep us in a tender sense of his love to us while we are living in the daily performance of this great Duty of Love to God and mutual love to one another His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Everlasting Father and Fountain of Life What cause have we to admire thy goodness and Worship thee and Reverence thy Great Name who dost manifest thy self in thy Love and thy tender Compassions from Day to Day in affording us one Visitation after another and in causing thy Love to be shed abroad upon our Hearts in our waiting on thee and crying and breathing after thee Thou openest thy hand from Day to Day and fillest us with thy Spirit and thou makest a Remnant to be as a Watred Garden to spring and bud and blossom O Lord God of Life those that are Plants of thine own Planting they have a Greenness upon them they grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and bring forth the fruits of Righteousness before thee O God of Infinite Power and Love keep them we pray thee that they may be coming nearer and nearer to thee and be more and more acquainted with thee that they may come to know and Witness their being built upon that Foundation which cannot be moved Let the desires and supplications of thy living ones reach to them that are scattered and and are yet unacquainted with thee that know not thy ways nor what thy worship is nor how to perform it Do thou open their Understandings
that they may see thy Power in tnrning their minds and Hearts to thee and in renewing and clâ—â—nging them that they may be made the objects of thy Love and brought into a nearness to thee and that they may be made acquainted with the feeling of thy Vertue and power upon their Souls Blessed God of Life do thou fill our Cup with thy Blessings and refresh us with the Incomes of thy Love Thou causest thy People to drink of the streams of those Rivers of Pleasure that are at thy Right hand and thou causest the Rain to Descend and drop upon thy tender Plants that they may grow and be fruitful in every good Word and Work and live to thy Praise and that they may exalt thy Gteat Name and magnifie thy Power manifested to them Lord remember thine every where those especially which are under Affliction and Exercise of body and mind open thy hand and send help to then according to their needs and necessities that they may be kept and supported under all their tryals that they may not be discouraged nor despond in their minds nor despair of thy love and goodness to them O Lord be thou known in thy Love and shed it abroad upon us by thy Spirit that we may all be brought nearer to thee and be more acquainted with thee who art the Fountain and Well-spring of all our Mercies and Comforts and have cause to bless and praise thee that hast made us Heirs of that Life and Blessedness that shall never have an end We desire to return living praises to thy Name for this days mercies for the Incomes of thy Love and thy presence in the midst of us Lord our Hearts are engaged to return thanks and praise to thee and to give Glory to thy Holy Name Lord keep us when we are gone and parted from one another and keep us that we may live to thee and not to our selves and that we may be Instrumental in turning many from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to thee the living God that they may receive Remission of Sins and an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified by Faith in Christ Jesus And that they may shew forth the Vertues of Christ in their Lives and Conversations and bring Honor and Praise to thy Name who art worthy of all praise To whom we desire to give Honor and Glory and Thanks giving and Praise not only at this time but for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. SAMUEL WALDENFIELD At Devonshire House March 11. 1693. THERE is a Day of Visitation which the Lord hath extended unto the Children of Men that we might every one of us observe our Season and time that so we might be Exercised in those things that relate to our Everlasting Peace and welfare in the World to come For we are like to be accountable to the Great God for the Deeds done in the Body Therefore every one had need to weigh and measure their ways and doings that they may stand Justified in the sight of God through Jesus Christ by whom we are Visited who hath been given of the Father not only to be a Light but a Leader to us and blessed will all they be that come to be led by the Lord Jesus Christ For that is a very precious state to know this One way for he is the alone way to the Kingdom of God and all those that make a Profession of him and reject his Leadings and his Counsel they will fall short they will meet with many things in the way that will turn them from the right Way to the Kingdom of God But all those that follow the Lord Jesus Christ it is they that shall receive the Crown of Immortal and Everlasting Life and Glory For this following of Christ is a Crucifying the Old Nature of Man it is a regenerating of Man in his Inward parts without which none of us can come to see the Kingdom of God This is not an outward Birth nor an outward Generation nor a growing into any outward comprehension of things but it is an Inward mortifying of the Deeds of the Flesh and that you know no Man can do but by and through the Spirit If Men walk after the flesh they must dye but if through the Spirit saith the Apostle ye mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall Live I do not speak of outward living in this World only but of living to God Eternally People in this World should live to the Lord then it will be well with them whom they come to Dye When this outward Earthly Tabernacle and House of Clay shall be dissolved all such as live to the Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God they shall have an Habitation and a Dwelling with him in his Fathers Kingdom they will be made Vessels of Honor to glorifie the Lord Therefore the greatest matter and thing that we can press after in this Life the most profitable the most advantagious of all things is to press after an Inward walking with God through Jesus Christ for saith Christ to his Disciples You that have followed me through the Work of Regeneration it shall be given to you to sit with me in my Fathers Kingdom Now most People believe that these things are true most that are called Christians believe that they are profitable but to pursue and press after them a great many are short in it Some it may be are hindred by the delights and pleasures and vanities of this World others it may be are hindred by some great Excercise that they meet withal and some and some sore Affliction not knowing that Power that carries through and gives Victory and that is the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the Knowledge of Christ is a very profitable thing I look upon it to be as necessary to be Preached to many that call themselves Christians as to a great many that are Heathens for if a Man or Woman profess to be a Christian and be not of a Christian Spirit and Conversation What will it signifie The Instance that the Apostle Paul gives concerning the Heathen will be more prevalent in the Day of the Lord and that is this Rom. 2. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts No doubt but they were accepted of the Lord according to their Integrity and Sincerity The Apostle Paul was an experienced Man and understood the Nature Quality and greatness of the Law of God which was dispenced to the Jews and given them for peculiar Instruction and for a School-Master to bring them to Christ for it was never given to compleat Salvation to any Man without Christ the Apostle tells you it was a School-master till Christ come And if you observe that in the time of the Law the Jews time Christ
Christ our Redeemer hath to Reign over us yet many will not let him Reign nor let him Exercise his Dominion What do you think of these What will become of them Our Lord Jesus Christ was in the World he spake a Parable to the Jews I will repeat it and I would have you all consider it whether the application may not be made to Christians that Rebel against him Luke 20 9. c. A certain man Planted a Vineyard and let it forth to Husbandmen and went into a far Country for a long time And at the season he sent a Servant to the Husbandmen that they should give him of â—ahe Fruit the Vineyard but the Husbandmen beat him and sent him away empty And again he sent another Servant and they beat him also and entreated him shamefully and sent him away empty and again he sent the Third and they wounded him also and cast him out Then said the Lord of the Vineyard what shall I do I will send my Beloved Son It may be they will Reverence him when they see him but when the Husbandmen saw him they reasoned among themselves saying This is the Heir come let us Kill him that the Inheritance may be ours So they cast him out of the Vineyard and Killed him What therefore shall the Lord of the Vineyard do unto them He shall come and destroy these Husbandmen and shall give the Vineyard to others If I should apply this and bring it over to Christians how dreadful would it be the Lord turned the Rebellious Jews out of their Country and overthrew their City the City of Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple and left not one Stone upon another Now consider the Lord Jesus Christ he hath Planted you a Vineyard I will give you Scripture for it if you please The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts was the House of Israel I mean the Children of Men It was not an Outward Vineyard The House of Israel was his pleasant Plant Now as the Lord looked for fruit from them so he expects fruit from us The Lord hath sent his Servants in one Age and in another Age and how have Christians treated them they have thrown them into Goals and Prisons and evil intreated them and they have boasted and in effect said the Inheritance is ours We have Ordinances we have these Accomplishments and Gifts and Graces we need not such a silly sort of People to come to us and Preach Christ and the Light wâ—erin us there is no need of that but you must â—â— Christians and come to Chruch to this Meeting and the other Meeting I do not speak by way of Reflection but I would do it to open your Understandings in the Mistery of the Kingdom of God and true Religion The Faithful Servants of the Lord have had hard treatment in this Countrey and other Countries in this present Age as well as in former Ages but that is not all The Lord of the Vineyard the Great Almighty God hath sent his Son among you Will you reverence him and bring forth fruit to him What do you say Have you fruit for him I cannot say of a wicked People they have fruit for the Lord for their fruit is untimely Fruit their Fruit is Iniquity and Transgression but the fruit that is acceptable to the Lord is Holiness and Righteousness this is the Fruit that God expects from you Let me tell you Friends If you will not reverence his Son Jesus Christ you will be as desolate in the day of Judgment as the Jews were you may possibly escape the Judgment of God in this World but not then Friends Countrymen and Citizens be you found bringing forth fruit unto the Lord and be not joyned to that which is evil be not govern'd by the power of the Prince of the Air you know where his Rule is he would Rule in your hearts if you should give way to him but resist the Devil and let the Kingdom of Christ and his Holy Government be set up in every one of your Souls then you will be found bringing forth fruit unto God which will be acceptable to him in the days of old the Prophet takes notice of it where he saith I found Israel as Grapes in the Wilderness I found them so in their innocence in their upright State in their Primitive Condition your Fathers were a kind of First-Fruits to me they were as the first ripe Fruits of a Fig-Tree before the times they separated themselves and bowed to Baal Men and Women in their tender days before they came to act evil with violence they were in better esteem with the Lord they were then pleasing to him as the first Fruits of a Fig-Tree when they were in their innocence and uprightness and many People have come into this good frame of Mind and Spirit and yet afterward have gone and separated themselves from the Lord from the Power and Spirit of Christ they have gone from it just as many did that were called Christians of old in the Apostles time there were some Christians that took this course they were acceptable to the Lord for a time they did run well for a time and pray how did they begin which way did they go They began in Obedience and in Subjection to Christ and his Spirit but they separated themselves afterward and the Apostle writers to them do but consider it O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth why what is the matter before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth Crucified among you are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are you now made perfect by the Flesh So I may say to many called Christians that live in this Land and obey not the truth but live in ungodliness oh Foolish People who hath bewitched you you begun in the Spirit and then you looked like Quakers as some might upbraid you So that you see it was above Sixteen Hundred years ago that the Apostles did Preach this truth Preached the Spirit what have you done ye did run well when ye were first convinced you began in the Spirit how in the Spirit the Spirit of Christ did rule and govern you there was a right beginning there was a right Christian Life do you now think to be made perfect by the Flesh So we have abundance of such Christians in the World that have rejected the Spirit and it is no part of their Religion to walk in the Spirit they have given it an hard name an ill name they have frighted People out of it Take heed of the Spirit that you be not deceived by it and misled by it you pretend to be led by the Spirit take heed of it say they but this was the Foundation of the Gospel Preaching and Ministry in the Apostles times they laid this foundation I believe an hundred instances might be produced out of the Holy Scriptures to assert this Doctrine you know our Lord Jesus Christ
when he was to go out of the World said I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive I will send the Spirit of truth that he may lead you into all truth what must we reject this Doctrine must this be no Article of the Christian Faith to believe in the Holy Spirit is this not a great obstruction and impediment to Religion and Christianity Let me tell you till People come to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his Truth and Spirit it will never be well with Christendom This ungrateful use of the Children of Men in resisting and grieving and slighting the Holy Spirit it hath brought all the Judgments Miseries and Calamities that are come upon us Oh how do all manner of Abominations Iniquities and Transgressions abound in the World How do they run down like a flood in the midst of us There is no returning to the Lord If the Lord should send an Angel from Heaven to set a Mark upon the forehead of all them that sigh and cry and mourn and lament for the abominations and sins of the People of this Nation that make it desolate how few would be found that are true Mourners for their own Sins and the Sins of the whole Nation This is the end and result of our Ministry and Testimony among you to turn People from the evil of their ways this was the end of Christs coming into the World For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil and that People might turn from their evil ways and forsake the Pomps and Vanities of this Wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh This is that which you will find to be owned in the Rubrick of the Church of England sure it was an excellent Spirit that attended People in those days when there was an introducing and bringing into their Church-Society and Congregation they were very strict in it if they mean as they say which I heartily wish when they are admitted as Church-Members it is allowed to Infants and and Little Children to be brought into the Church by that they call Baptism or sprinkling of Water upon their faces when this is administred to them because they are Infants they have Sureties to appear and speak for them and engage for them and what do they engage They engage against the Devil the great Usurper that so Christ might reign as absolute the Sureties promise and vow three things in the Child's Name that it shall forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and to keep God's Holy Commandments to their Lives end There is not a Quaker in England that can Preach up a Doctrine that speaks more absolutely against the Devil than this I wish that all the Church of England and Dissenters likewise would universally engage themselves in this Work against the World the Flesh and the Devil what brave times should we have then How would true Religion and Christianity slourish among us but they say and do not Oh my Friends it is sorrow to me when I consider it I do not speak by way of reflection but out of pure love to your Souls Oh that the Lord would perswade you all to engage in this Holy War against the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this Wicked World I may say it with Lamentation Wickedness Pride and Arogancy abounds in this Land and in other Nations though the Judgments of God have been threatned and his Mercies also displayed yet neither the one nor the other have awakened us nor allured us we do not grow much better what is this but a ripening us and fitting us for Judgment and for a day of slaughter when God will pour out all his wrath O Friends bow your Souls before the Lord God of Heaven and be humbled under his mighty hand that so you may escape the wrath that is to come So my Friends you see the nature of Christianity as well what was intended of old as at this day you have the Testimony of the Prophets and Apostles and a little hint of the Primitive Christians and of the Reformers of our times in these latter Ages of the World I do not question but among such of elder times as were called Fathers of the Church and likewise such as Luther and Calvin and those of later days they were sincere in their beginnings what an excellent thing would it be if all Protestants would put on the Lord Jesus Christ and set up his Kingdom and let him Reign in their hearts They will in their Prayers acknowledge Thine is the Kingdom but they will not let him have it but shut him out for the Kingdom of God is within Men we read in the Gospel that Christ shall say to some at the last day I know ye not depart from me ye workers of Iniquity and they shall say Lord dost thou not know us we have eaten and drank in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but he shall say unto them depart from me I was a Stranger and you took me not in People that live in Rioting and Drunkenness Swearing and Prophaness and Ungodlikenness they will not let Christ into their hearts Friends I do assert the present Reign of Christ in the Hearts of the Children of Men what do you think of it Do you believe it should be so It is said Isa 9. 7. Of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end his Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom the Prophet Daniel speaks os it Dan. 7. 9. 27. I beheld till the Thrones were cast down and the Ancient of days did sit whose Garment was white as Snow and the Hair of his Head like the Pure Wooll his Throne was like the Fiery Flame and his Whecls as Burning Fire a Fiery Stream issued and came forth from before him Thousand of Thousands Ministred to him and Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand stood before him his Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him the Messiah saith the Prophet shall finish the Transgression and make an end of Sins and make reconciliation for Iniquity and bring in everlasting Righteousness Some People think that the Reign and Government of Christ is only in Heaven above where he sits on the Right hand of the Majesty on high but they do not think that he is near the Children of Men They do not allow his Kingly Office his Prophetical and his Priestly Office Many cry out against the Quakers that they deny all these three Office of Christ what think you of it I declare to you that Christ
is a King that shall Reign in Righteousness and the Isles shall wait for his Law the Law shall go forth from Mount Sitn and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem so that Christ is spoken of as a King that shall Reign and Rule and his Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom As Christ is a King to Reign and Rule so he is also a Priest for ever not after the Order of Aaron but after the Order of Melchizedeek He is a Priest what for To finish Transgression to make an end of Sin and purge it away Now the Priests under the Law after the order of Aaron they could not do this they made use of Blood they Sprinkled the Sacrifice with Blood but they could not cleanse the Souls from Sin but Christ he comes he is a Priest and he offers a Sacrifice for all and he offers up himself and by that one Offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified he doth it effectually so Daniel Prophecied he shall make an end of Sin and bring in an everlasting Righteousness O say some People we will allow all this to Christ when he comes to Reign with his Church then shall his Reign be one and his Government one but you should let him be a King now and a a Priest now consider the reason of it why it should be now their is Sin and Iniquity in this World but there is no Iniquity in the Kingdom of Heaven nothing that worketh Abomination nor maketh a Lye can come there if Christ will purge us from Sin he must come down from Heaven among us and so he doth blessed be his Name for ever he is the High Priest of our Profession and he hath made us partakers of the Blessing of Cleansing from Sin by the purifying vertue of his own precious blood and the Sanctification of his Spirit Then consider in the next place Christ is a Prophet to teach and instruct his People in the things that belong to their Everlasting Peace If there was an Inspired Prophet in this Land we should be willing to hear what that Prophet did say if he had good things to tell and would warn us what evils we should escape Friends you have a Prophet now but you do not hear him this is according to the Testimony of Moses of old A Prophet saith Moses shall the Lord God raise up like unto me and him shall you hear in all things Do you hear this Prophet Who is it It is the Lord Jesus Christ hear this great Prophet what if we do not hear him He that heareth him not shall be cut off from among the People the Apostle when he writes to the Hebrews he asserts the Divinity of Christ and his Priestly Office and we do own and assert the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ also Now to make the Application of this to your Souls Let Christ be your High-Priest Prophet and King your Law-giver Counsellor and Leader that he may bring you to Glory to a blessed state of Salvation and Eternal Life and so to the Lord Jesus Christ I do recommend you and leave you you may find much of this fulfilled in you as you give up your selves to the Teaching of the Spirit of God and of the grace of God for if People will not be thus taught they will never learn Christianity so that People must come to Christ the great Prophet to learn of him and be taught by him else they can never be good Christians Do not you read this Prophecy concerning God's People They shall be all taught of God and the Apostle Paul tells us the Grace of God the favour of God through Jesus Christ hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying ungodliness and Worldly Lust 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 purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of all good works So that my Friends this is an excellent State and Condition the Lord bring you all into it and bring you to a certain and saving knowledge of Christ this is my desire this day that you may be Christians indeed and be Followers of Christ and obedient unto him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him His Prayer after Sermon Everlasting God and Fountain of Life from whom all Comforts and Blessings flow unto thy People through thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ before thee O thou Great and Almighty God we are gathered and assembled this day if thou Lord be not with us to open our hearts we cannot be edified or comforted aright Therefore the cry of thy Servants is that thou wouldest this day open the hearts of thy People and Children that infinite God of Life we may have access to thee in and through the Spirit of thy dear Son that thou mayst help us on in the way that we should go and blessed Father of Life our eyes are unto thee and our expectation is from thee for thou alone art the Comforter of thy People and Children Lord thy People of old did look dnto thee their hearts were only to thee from whence all their Beings came thou Infinite God and Fountain of all fulness let our Souls have respect to thee this day that so in our solemn Meeting and gathering together before thee we may be refreshed we may be opened we may be comforted and sustained by thee Lord God of Life we have need of thy Power and of thy strength to sustain us in our Pilgrimage and Journey thraugh this World Holy Farher we beseech thee to remember us and lead us and guide us in thy ways and preserve us by thy out-stretched arm thou didst make it bare for thy People of old make it bare we pray thee this day for the sake of thy People that so infinite God we may be conducted through the whole course of our Lives in this World that when our days and time come to an end our Portion may be with thee and thou be the Lot of our Inheritance that so we may live with thee in thy Kingdom for ever Glorious God of Life thou that didst hear the cry of thy People of old and didst open thine ear to their Prayer and Supplicatsons hear thy Children this day that cry to thee for thou hast regard to the cry of the Poor and to the sighing of the Needy In all their exercises in this World in their many afflictions and distresses be thou near to them and be thou near to us here and comfort and refresh us we pray thee that so we may persevere to the end of our days in thy fear and die in thy favour O Lord God thou Holy one of Israel this is the cry of thy Children to thee for whom have we in Heaven but thee and there is none
upon Earth that we desire besides thee O Lord extend the Riches of thy grace to every one of us in thy dear Son in whom thou art well pleased and turn us from the evil of our ways Lord our Cry is unto thee and our dependance is upon thee thou hast remembred thy People of old and hast remembred us this day thou hast stretched forth thy Almighty Arm in this day of our Visitation and hast shewed us the way of Salvation by Jesus Christ and gathered many into it Powerful Father of Life increase thy little Flock gather the scattered and bring home the lost Sheep of the House of Israel that so a numberless number may be gathered from the four winds say to the North give up and to the South keep not back and bring in thy Sons and thy Daughters from the utmost ends of the Earth And Lord God of Life that which kinders the prosperity of thy work and the spreading of thy Truth and Gospel of thy Dear Son remove it and take it out of the way and put an end to War and Blood shed in thine own time and in thine own way and create Peace on Earth and in thy Churches and let thy Jerusalem be made the praise of the whole Earth and an Eternal Excellency and as the Beauty of all Generations Bring Mankind into the Kingdom of thy dear Son to whom the gathering of the People is to be that so thy name may be glorified and the hearts of thy People opened to honour thy Name for thou alone art worthy of all glory praise and thanksgiving O Lord God of Israel thou hast manifested thy self among thy People in our day that thy Name and Fame may be great in the World and thou hast made thy Gospel to spread from Isle to Isle and from Sea to Sea that so the Earth may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea that the Glory of the Lord and the spreading of his truth may be from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same Lord God of Life and power bring down the Kingdom of Sin and Satan in this Land and other Lands it is the Sin of this Nation that hath brought misery and calamity upon it and will do more and more the Sins of this Nation have justly provoked thee to send down thy Judgments and to pour out thy displeasure upon the Inhabitants of the Land Let thy mercy be now extended to us and Father of Life be intreated to turn away thy wrath that thy Judgments may not be executed upon the Children of Men Powerful God of Life in this day of our Visitation let thy word go forth and thy Gospel be Preached and let thy light arise and thy Grace be extended that brings Salvation through the dear Son of thy Love unto the Children of Men Lord God of Life when shall the day come that the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of thy dear Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ that he may Reign in Righteousness and Rule in Judgment that the Isles may wait for his Law O Powerful God of Israel arise in thy Glory and let thy Splendor break forth powerfully among all People and let them be thine and enter into an everlasting Covenant with them that shall not be broken let there be a removing Iniquity and a doing away Transgression and Sin Lord bring it down and make the Children of Men weary and heavy laden under it and to groan under the burthen of Sin and cry to thee and seek thee while thou maist be found and call upon thee whiist thou art near give us thy presence at this time we pray thee and draw nigh to us and help us to draw nigh to thee and opâ—n our hearts that we may serve thee and worship thee and thy dear Son And Glorious and Infinite God thou hast extended in a large measure thy grace to us that we might serve thee acceptably and that we and all thy People whom thou hast chosen and set apart for thy self may glorifie thee in our Age and Generation that when our days and time come to be at an end we may live with thee in thy Everlasting Kingdom and sound forth Praises and Hallelujah's unto thee for thou O Lord art worthy to receive Blessing and Honour Glory and Power that sittest upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever For all thy Mercies and Blessings in this Day of our Visitation O make us sensible of thy Goodness and Mercy and Loving kindness to our Souls that we may render to thee Thanksgiving and Praise and Honour and Worship for thou alone art worthy who art God over all from Everlasting to Everlasting Blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JOHN BUTCHER At Grace-Church street March 11. 1693. My Friends THE end of our Preaching to you the Principle of the Light within is that you might come to the Knowledge of Christ as he doth appear nigh to you he is come nigh to the Children of Men in our Age that is by his Light Grace Spirit and Truth whereby he doth appear in the hearts of Men and Women Thus our Preaching of him doth agree with his own Testimony I am the Light of the World and he doth exhort all that they should so believe in him Believe in the Light says he that you may be the Children of the Light What is a Child of Light He is such a one as by the Operation of the Power of Christ hath know a being turned turned from what From Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto the Power of the living God And for this we do labour according to our ability which the Lord is pleased to give to us that People may be turned from darkness unto light and the following words are Explanatory from the Power of Satan unto the Power of the Living God so that it doth appear People have been under the Power of Satan the Evil One that is called the Prince of the Power of the Air he hath a Rule and a Government but in whom In the Children of Disobedience Now the Labour of those Ministers that were in the days of old who were the Preachers of the Gospel and Glad Tidings of the Kingdom they being such Ministers as were of Christ's own making their Labour was to turn People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of the Living God that they might be turned from that evil Power and Spirit that Rules and Works in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience who Rebel against the Light that shines in their Hearts and Consciences For the Man of Sin and Worker of Iniquity hath such a power and we all have been in Captivity to him we have all been in Captivity to him we have all been in Bondage to Sin and Satan which God knew and the Apostle takes notice of it saith
he God hath concluded all under Sin we have all been under the Power of the Wicked one For what end hath God concluded all under Sin For what end is it that we might be destroyed No God through Christ the Dear Son of his Love hath extended to you the day of Visitation that you might come to the knowledge of Life and Salvation But wherein may we come to this knowledge it is in that way which God hath ordained even by Christ who is the Way to God Christ Jesus the Eternal Son of God he is the Blessed Mediator and Way to God again What is Gods end in concluding all under Sin was it that he might destroy all the Children of Men that are the Workmanship of his Hands that he hath endued with Rational and Immortal Souls Was it that they might be destroyed No but that he might have mercy upon all Gods end in first Making and Creating of us was that we might Live to his Honour and that we might so live in this World that when we die we might obtain a Life that shall never die and attain to the possession of the Inheritance amongst the Saints in Light which Christ by his precious Blood hath purchased for all them that Love him and give up themselves to be Followers of him Now my Friends the Mercy of God appears so great to all in and through Christ Jesus who is the Light of the World and who is the only Way and as my Friend observed that spake before me we have not another way nor is there any other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved and obtain Eternal Life the Apostle refers this to the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ Well if so be that it is only by the Power of Christ that we must know Salvation where is it that we must attain it How shall we do to be made partakers of it and be saved from thee Wrath of God which shall come-upon the Workers of Iniquity For it 's said the Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God People hope to escape the Wrath to come and Everlasting Misery by Christ whilst they neglect to improve the present time that is afforded to them to obtain Salvation Christ he is come to Redeem us that we may know Redemption by him from what From Sin for Pollution and Defilement by sin is the cause why People notwithstanding all their Names and Profession of Religion still lie under a secret condemnation in their own Hearts If a man should hold such a fair Profession that none could charge him none condemn him yet if he meet with secret condemnation through all should speak well of him if his own Conscience condemn him He would not have any true peace or satisfaction in his own mind for the Testimony of a good Conscience is more to him than all the favour and friendship of the World The light of Christ if you incline your minds to obey it what will be the effect of it This Light or Spirit of Grace and Truth which is all one is sufficient to Save and Deliver you out of the Temptations and Snares of the Wicked one for we may every day while we are here meet with Trials and Temptations of one kind or other What shall a man do that he may be preserved from the evil of the World there are many Provocations and evils that a man meets with in the World How shall he do to be preserved from them Christ hath made Provision for us in his Prayer John 17. 15. to his Father I Pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil Christ will preserve me from the evil of the World when a Temptationis presented before me I shall overcome it if I obey the Light of Christ which will shine upon me and shew me that this must be done and that I must leave the other undone In my own Conscience there is something will tell me this thing is evil and I ought not to do it when this Power of Christ comes to be close with For it is an appearance of Love Grace and Mercy but if I do oppose and withstand this Grace and Mercy I may miss of that Power and Strength which is sufficient to overcome and so be overcome by the Temptation The Apostle John tells us As many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name So that it s they that do Receive Christ and Love his Light and Spirit so as to be led by it that come to know this Power of Christ and thereby an overcoming But if People slight and reject the Grace and Mercy tendered to them hereupon comes that Sentence pronounced by the Prophet Thy Destruction is of thy Self A man may destroy his own Soul by giving way to that which is evil and rejecting that which is good Therefore My Friends Close with that Power which inclines you to that which is good if I mind it and make trial of it I shall find that within me which will incline me to that which is good Though I may find sometimes a corrupt inclination in me to that which is evil yet there is something also that will incline me to do what is required of me why should I reject that which is good Try all things and hold fast that which is good I have tried many things but none will do me so much good as the Grace and Mercy Light and appearance of Christ to me if I mind it and close with it He hath shewed thee O Man what is good saith the Prophet Micah and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The Lord hath shewed you what is his Will be ye doers of it say then to thy self shall I give way to that which tends to my own Ruine How can I do this wickedness and sin against God Shall I join with the Enemy of my Salvation and yield to his Temptations and Dishonour God and Ruine my Immortal Soul God forbid What you know to be contrary to the Will of God take heed of it Cease to do Evil Learn to do well Be followers of that which is good take up the Cross of Christ Deny your Selves and your own Will know a being Crucified to the World by the Cross of Christ and the World Crucified to you Thus as I said before This is the end of our Preaching to you that noble Principle of the Light within that you might come to the Knowledg of Christ as he doth appear nigh to you and will lead you by his Spirit into all Truth and incline you to that which is good and preserve you from that which is evil when you are tempted to it Why should I join with the Devil that dark Spirit that would draw me to
of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World and the World passeth away and the Lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever Therefore see to it you that make a profession of it see that as you have received the Lord Jesus Christ you walk as he walked that you live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh that you live not in malice envy or bitterness and so grieve the good Spirit of God and bring a burthen upon the Souls of the Righteous We that are come to the sight and vision of Heavenly things and have the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God opened to us we are come to be Partakers of the gift of Charity which is a more excellent way if this be wanting all is wanting what doth the Apostle say though I speak with the Tongue of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding-Brass or a Tinkling Cymbal and though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have alâ— Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing and though I bestow all my Goods to the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profits me nothing These things have been often said and declared to you Friends and I have now this General Testimony to give in the dread and fear of the Lord God They that love God above all will Love their Neighbour as themselves they will love those that are the Friends of God and of his People nay it is a duty incumbent on them A New Commandment saith our Saviour I give unto you that ye love one another as I have lovtd you that ye also love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another And we are not only to love one another but to love our Enemies this our Lord Jesus Christ commandeth us Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you that ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he causeth his Sun to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the just and on the unjust Now my Friends that you may keep in this love of God and love to one another it is the desire and breathing of my Soul That so your Faith may stand not in the wisdom of Mens words but in the power of God this power will bring down every high thought and imagination into subjection and obedience to Christ that we may walk before bim to all well pleasing that when we come to die we may lay down our heads in peace and be found of him in peace without spot and blameless and at the end of our days we may receive the end of our Faith the Salvation of our Immortal Souls Friends to the Grace of God I commend you the Lord God of life preserve and keep you that you may be safe in the hands of God and abide under the shadow of his wing and be surrounded with his Almighty Arm which hath hitherto preserved us in all our Solemn Meetings and Assemblies when the Enemies of Gods truth have risen up against us The remembrance of it should be sweet and pleasant to us When the floods of the Vngodly were mustred up against us and sometimes halled us out of our Meetings to Goals and Prisons for bearing Testimony to the Truth of God in our day O the sweet and comfortable presence of the Lord that then attended us and blessed be his Name he waited to be gracious to us and did work manifold Deliverances for us and Praise and Glory be given to the Eternal and Almighty God whose Divine Power and Providence hath brought a calm over the Nation so that now we enjoy our Meetings without Trouble and Molestation O that we may be sensible of the wonderful Love and Mercy of God to us And Friends it greatly concerns us to be careful in the whole course of our Lives that we may not give any occasion for the obstructing or hazarding of the present Peace and Liberty we enjoy O there should be a serious care and tender regard to Gods Glory and the Honour of his Great and Excellent Name and also a care and concern for the Reputation of our Religion and Religious Societies that none may have any occasion or just ground to bespatter and reproach us and render us odious to the Government under which we live Blessed be the Name of the Lord for the freedom and quiet Seasons we enjoy and that are continued by the Mighty Arm and Power of the Lord let all our Souls bow before him and let us walk and live in a continual subjection to his Divine Wisdom and Will that our Souls may be all bound up in the bundle of Life that we may serve the Lord with sincerity and perrserverance to the end of our days that then an abundant entrance may be Ministred to us into the everlasting Kindom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ His Prayer after Sermon GLorious God of Life the Visitations of thy Love in thy Day of Grace and Salvation are very sweet and precious to the Souls of thy Children O Lord we have cause to bless thy Name that thou hast extended a Day of Mercy to us a Day wherein thou art visiting the Sons and Daughters of Men a Day wherein thou hast caused the Heavenly Divine Light of thy Son Christ Jesus to shine into our Hearts Thou hast given a Remnant to believe in it the Eyes of our Vnderstandings have been opened by it and wehave come to see and partake of the Visitations of thy tender Love to our Immortal Souls O the shining of this Divine Light hath made us see our way out of Darkness and the Day of thy Glorious Power hath Dawned upon us when many have been in the Region and Shaddow of Death And thou hast manifested thy Loving kindness to the Souls of men in and through our Lord Jesus Christ O Lord be thou graciously pleased to be nigh to thy People Preserve them and Guide them in thy Way the Way of Holiness and Righteousness which thou hast led them into O that they may Perservere therein and obtain Salvation to their Immortal Souls O Eternal God of Life and Glory we humbly pray thee send forth thy Light and thy Truth and open the Eyes of the Vnderstandings of the Sons and Daughters of Men and make them willing in this thy Day to embrace the Appearance of the Dear Son of thy Love in the shinings of his Light and Grace and Truth in their Hearts that they may be Sanctified and Purified and made
a peculiar People to thy self Zealous of good Works O Eternal God of Power let the Souls of the Children of men come to enjoy thy Presence that their Bodies may become Living Temples for thee to dwell in O Eternal God of Life exalt thy own Name and Truth and make thy self known more and more to the Nations of the Earth that they may come to believe in thy Dear Son Christ Jesus and that they may come to know Redemption and Salvation and the things that belong to the Everlasting Peace of their Souls O Lord we pray thee be with the Families of thy Children and People in all their Exercises in all their Afflictions and in all their Temptations be thou near to them to preserve them and keep them and uphold them by thy free Spirit that thou may'st guide them by thy Consel and afterward receive them into Glory O Eternal God of Life be with the Young Generation of the Children of thy Servans that they may serve thee in their Day and keep their Hearts O Lord by thy mighty Power and let them receive the Word of thy Truth in the Love of it and seal them by thy good Spirit to the Day of Redemption And O Blessed God of Life let thy Work prosper in the midst of the Earth and subdue all that is contrary to thy pure Mind and Heavenly Will and exalt the Kingdom of thy Dear Son and let his name be known and trusted in among all the Nations of the World that they may believe in him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to al them that obey him that so Glory and Honour and Everlasting Renown and Pure praises and Living Thanksgivings may Ascend to thee and let all thy sensible Ones offer them up to thee through Christ the Dear Son of thy Love in whom thou art well pleased for thou alone art worthy to receive all Glory and Praise who art God over all Blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JAMES PARK At Ratcliff April 19. 1694. THEY that come to wait upon the Lord and draw nigh to him and diligently attend upon him they shall receive Wisdom and strength from him and Power to enable them to do the Will of God to fear the Lord and call upon his Name to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and to Work Righteousness in their Time Day and Generation knowing him in whom thay have believed and whom a Remnant are come to and are Baptized into him and walk in him as they have received him and by whom they have been taught All are to receive the Lord Jesus Christ and to Walk in him who is the Lords Anointed the Judge of Quick and Dead all are to have a certain knowledge of him by receiving and embracing him Did we ever know God aright and the Lord Jesus Christ his only begotten Son till we received him and knew him to be in us the Hope of Glory Many of us have received the Lord Jesus Christ and walked in him as we have received him and then we came to know the witness of him in our selves such as know him experimentally can set to their Seals that God is true We have known God the Father at Work in us and his Son Christ Jesus Working mightily by his Almighty Power in and through whom we come to Work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling This causeth a great fear of God to come upon Man I have known in my time a great Trial to come upon Man and then he came to serve the Lord with Fear and that is good service and that undoubtedly will manifest a good servant when a man comes to serve the Lord with Fear and to rejoice with trembling not with an exalted Mind not with a puft up Mind keep out of that beware of that Friends I beseech you all in the Name of the Lord and in the Fear of God wait all in Gods fear and then you will be capable of drawing nigh to God It is Written in the Epistle of James Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you then will you feel the Lord to work in you mightily and to wash you and make you clean and then by the help of the Spirit of Lord you will put away the Evil of your Doings cease to do Evil and learn to do well and endeavour to please God in all things The Children of God are all taught of him and their Peace is great and they are established in Righteousness and they have a living Experience of that Promise of the Lord by the Prophet They shall be all taught of God their Heavenly Teacher and you that are taught of him shall find him near you that Teacher cannot be removed into Corners There shall be an Invisible Eyeâ— an Heavenly and Spiritual Eye opened to you that you may see the Lord near you Draw near to him in Faith and with a true Heart and with fuil Assurance and you will certainly know and you will see clearly that God is no Respecter of Persons but that in every Nation he that feareth God and Worketh Righteousness is accepted of him God is no Respecter of Persons his Love is of large extent with respect to the Sons and Daughters of Men Those thou gave sâ— me saith our Saviour I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled The Mercy of God through Christ Jesus the Son of his Love reacheth all there is Good Will towards Men Luke 2. 9 10. The Angel of the Lord came upon the Shepherds abiding in the Field and watching over their Flock by Night and said unto them Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great Joy which shall be to all People for unto you is born this Day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace Good Will towards men And the Prophet Isaiah tells us For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace You shall have Christ Jesus for your Lord and King and Counsellor and Instructer Christ Jesus the Son of the Highest he will instruct you and Counsel you safely and then great will be your Peace who can disturb the Peace of such a one or bereave him of it Such a one is also established in Righteousness and Christ is made to them of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that they may be all endued with that Wisdom that is from above which is pure and peaceable and gentle and easie to be intreated Let the same mind be in you saith the Apostle which was in Christ Jesus that great Lord and
man spareth bis Son that serveth him The Lord will bave mercy upon Sion and spare his People in the Day of his fierce Anger until his Indignatioa be over-past The Walls of Sion are the Walls of Salvation and they are a Bul wark to Gods People when did these Walls and Bulwarks fail you Have you not been preserved in your Day and Generation if these Walls of Salvation had failed we had not been preserved in Christ Jesus we had not now been a Peâ—ple we have stood the Brunts we have been kept safe in the strong City where Salvation is for Walls and Bulwarks And so I shall commit you to the Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World I desire you all to look to him and fix your Hearts upon him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that believe in him and obey him to him be Glory Praise and Dominion who is God over all Blessed forever Amen His Prayer after Sermon MOST Blessed Lord God thou art Lord of Heaven and Earth Infinite in Love and Life and Glory the God of the Spirits of all flesh in whom we live and move and have our Being who art neaâ— to every one that draweth near to thee and call upon thee in Truth Thou openest thy bountâ—ful hand and refreshest our Hearts with thy Mercy and Blessing O Lord God of Power thy Mercies are manifold and they are over all thy Works and the Works of thine own hands do all praise thee and thy Saints bless thee and magnifie thy excellent Name thou art pleased to magnifie thy Law â—nd to send forth thy Light and Truth and to make it honour able in the Hearts of many in the Day of thy Love in the Day of thy Power Thou art Redeeming thy People from Iniquity and purging away all their dross and taking away all their Tin O Lord God of Life and Power Let all that believe in thy Son Jesus Christ be purged and purified more and more let them be washed and sanctified that all that may be done away and removed out of their Hearts that is contrary to thy self that the Glory of thy Truth may arise and shine in their Souls and let all feel the Power of thy Truth and be sensible of it and believe it and obey it that they may follow the Lâ—adings of thy Holy Spirit and answer thy requirings and glorifie thy name and do thy Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven Let us all receive our daily Bread from thee and have the Light of thy Countenance to shine upon us Comfort the Hearts of all thine every where be thou their strength and stay and a presâ—nt help in trouble and solace their Souls with the sense of thy Lâ—ve which is better than Wine and with thy favour and loving kindness which is better than Life Strengthen the weak hands that hang down and coâ—firm the feeble knees and succour those that aâ—e tempted and comâ—ort them and relieve them O Righteous Lord of Heaven and Earth make known thy Mighty Power in working upon the Hearts of thy People here and every where make known by Name and Glory thrâ—ughout the Whâ—le Earth Let thy glorious everlasting Gospel be sounded forth and Preached in all Naâ—ions of the World And let thy renown go forth and thy fame be spread abroad in all Nations let all the enemies of thy Peâ—ple be scattered and all that make opposition against thy Truth be conquered and overcome by the Power of it and submit themselves least â—hey perish in their opposition And let thy People receive thy Truth in the Love of it and become willing in the Day of thy Power to serve thee in the Beauties of Holiness and gird up the Loyns of their Minds and be kept sober and vigilant and hope to the end and live in love and unity with one another and keep themselves in the love of God and by Patient continuance in well doing seek for Honour Glory Immortality and Eternal Life Let us delight our selves in thee that thou mayst give us the desire of our Hearts whom have we in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that we can desire besides thee Thou hast many times refreshed us with the sense of thy Love in Christ Jesus and thou hast brought us into thy Banquetting House and thy Banner hath been spread over us we have been satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and drunk abundantly of the Rivers of thy Pleasures we have sat under thy shaddow with great delight and thy fruit hath been sweet to our tast Bless us and all thine every where and mind us of our latter end that all the Days of our Appointed time we may wait till our change come and be so prepared for our great account that we may give it up with Joy and not with grief Now Blessed God of Heaven and Earth for all thy Mercies and Favours that we have received and the Blessings and Benefits which thou hast bestowed upon us and continued to us and for preserving us from time to time by the Arm of thy Power and for opening our Hearts at this time to receive the Word of thy Truth and the Influences of thy Spirit take thou the Honour and Glory Thanksgiving and Praise which we humbly and sincerely offer up to thee for to thee it doth belong and thou alone art worthy who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. FRANCIS STAMPER At Devonshire-House May 3. 1694. God hath laid help upon one that is Mighty to seve to the uttermost all that come unto God by him THis Mighty One that the Almighty Lord Jehovah hath laid help upon for Man it is the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of his Love and they are blessed of God that come to partake of the help that is in him who said to his Disciples and Followers in the days past without me ye can do nothing Friends This is a deep and a very near word and it stands us all upon to consider whether we have him or no for we all owe Service a Duty and a Worship to the Everlasting God and of our selves we cannot perform it without the help and assistance of his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the comfort of all that believe in him and love him is this that he is not only able to help but willing to help Blessed be the Lord God for ever may all you say that have been made partakers of his Vertue and of his Power and Life that have found a willingness in him to assist you in all your troubles in all your exercises in all your afflictions in all the bowings of your Souls and Spirits before the Lord who have said in your Prayers and Supplications Lord lend me thy help let me have thy gracious aid and assistance Without this help of the Lord Jesus Christ we cannot do that good that sometimes
we desire but we are even like to poor Israel when they had forgotten the Lord when they had been cleaving to that that led them in the steps the end whereof was destruction The Lord thus complained by his Prophet O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but thy help is in me And O Friends what greater love could the Lord God have shewn to the lost Sons of Adam then to have sent his Son his only begotten Son from the bosom of his Heavenly Love to Redeem Man up to God again to restore Man again and bring him back again out of that alienated state and out of that undone condition that he was fallen into by his disobedience and transgression against the Lord God hath hath laid help upon one that is Mighty Mighty to save Is there any poor Soul here this day that wants the Salvation of God that wants to be saved from Sin that so it may be saved from Hell saved from woe saved from distress saved from misery O come and lay hold on him by Faith that God hath laid help upon My Friends Turn your Minds inward this day have an eye and aâ—â—egard in your selves to that pure and Divine Manifestation of his Light and Grace and Spirit vouchsafed to you in that Light look unto him Holy Men and Holy Women Godly Men and Godly Women waired for this in the days of old and one of them expressed his joy and satisfaction even Old Simeon when he saw the Lord Jesus Christ brought into the Temple he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all People a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy People Israel that he might be for Salvation to the ends of the Earth Now here Simeon beheld and saw that which he long waited for and desired after and he had this manifested to him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ he saw him and beheld him that he might see he was come So some Souls at this day that are now under another dispensation they have waited long and cry'd to the Lord and said Lord when will the time come when will the day come that thou wilt open to me that which my Soul hath longed for Lord I have sinned against thee when will the time come that I shall have help and power against sin and find strength against sin and receive power from on high against my sins and to resist and overcome Temptations and obtain thy favour and through Jesus Christ be reconciled to thee whom I have offended Friends You that have long waited for the Consolation of God's Israel hold fast your hope keep your confidence unto the end keep your Faith and Patience Remember the words of Christ to the Church of Philadelphia These things saith he that is holy and true thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth My Friends The hour of Tribulation is coming apace and hastning it is even at the very door therefore lay hold on Christ that God hath laid help upon O my Friends that you may find this help extended to you in this day of your Trial and Temptation that they that are the hindmost of the Flock may come up the poor in Spirit that are poor in body too they that are groaning and crying and mourning in solitary places that they may come according to the words of Christ into his John 10. 16. And other Sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd This one Shepherd is present here my Friends pray here his voice this Afternoon his voice is sweet and lovely and pierceth the very heart it calls upon you Open to me my well-beloved It calls you out of sin and out of iniquity and out of that which offends the Lord O Friends this Voice calls open to me my Beloved you that are turned from this World from the love of Vanities and Pleasures from those vain delights that perish in the using and the desire of your hearts is that you may be more acquainted with him that is the good Shepherd of your Souls that saith I call mine own Sheep by Name blessed be you that have this new Name I go before them and they follow me and I will give to them Eternal Life saith Christ what greater gift can you have what better reward can you have you that have the help of the Lord you that have the strength of the Almighty you that have your dependance upon him you that can truly say the Lord hath laid help upon one that is mighty I feel his Mighty Arm and his Mighty Power that hath helped me and overcome great things that I thought I could never overcome Open the door of thy heart saith Christ and I will overcome that by which thou hast been overcome All praise glory and thanksgiving be returned through Christ to the Living God and Father of all O My Friends feel your Minds gathered into a sense of Gods love into a pure exercise of his Heavenly life and love that in this we may go on and travel together that in this we may be exercised together for the Glory of God and the good and peace and welfare of one another Friends God's care is over his People his Divine Providence is daily extended towards them in a plentiful and wonderful manner There is one promise of the Lord that comes into the view of my Mind even that promise made to them in ancient times My People shall dwell in a sure dwelling and shall rest in a quiet habitation Let us pray that every one of us may be in the number of God's People that have a sure dwelling for my Friends great disappointments great exercises and trouble will overtake the Habitations of the Wicked that are hard hearted and forgetters of God Let us keep humble and tender and reverent in the sight of the God of Heaven all our strength will fail us and all our own wisdom if we do not keep faithful to him that God hath laid help upon What are we poor Worms in Comparison of the Almighty he can do in Heaven and Earth whatsoever he pleaseth Man is to be wrought upon according to his Divine will and pleasure we are to submit to him and to be resigned and given up to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth and to lie low before him and to come to that in practice which People have been speaking of in words It is part of that
Prayer that our Blessed Lord taught his Followers and Disciples wherein he said thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven There is no Man or Woman can really come to Christ but those that have their Wills submitted to the will of God this is the will of God your sanctification it is the will of God that we should all be sanctified that we should be holy and pure then the blessing of the God of Heaven will be upon us Among the many blessings that Christ uttered on the Mountain one was this Blessed are the pure is heart for they shall see God it doth bespeak this that the sight of God shall be very clear to those that are pure in heart that come to have their hearts and minds subjected to the will of God for he worketh in them both to will and to do according to his good pleasure O then they shall know the vertue of this purity of heart they shall see God O how precious a thing is it to have that purity that can behold the Lord no confession of acknowledgment will be sufficient Thus it was when Nicodemus a Pharisee and a a Ruler of the Jews came to Jesus by night he said unto him Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do these Miracles that thou dost except God be with him here was a large Confession that Christ was the Teacher of the way of God aright yet that would not serve for Jesus answered and said unto him except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Friends It is a near word that should come home to us and Convince us of this truth of God that we fall short not of this Regeneration and of having our hearts and spirits renewed by the God of Heaven except we be born again we cannot see the Kingdom of God This New Birth is that by which the Blessings of the God of Heaven are conveyed to the Soul and that through the Lord Jesus Christ God hath sent his Son to bless us in turning every one of us from our Iniquities and from the evil of our ways from our Sin and Vanity from our Corruption and Wickedness to the pure everlasting God They know it to be thus that come to fear God and be partakers of that Wisdom that leads to Righteousness Prov. 8. 20. I Wisdom lead in the way of Righteousness in the midst of the Paths of Judgment that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their Treasures Can the Treasure of any heart be better filled O That these words of Wisdom might take impression upon every one of your hearts that you might feel the love of the Mighty God shed abroad upon your hearts by the Holy Ghost that your desires and breathings may ascend like Incense and be a sweet smelling Sacrifice to the Lord this evening O that every one was so qualified as to Worship the Living God aright that in the conclusion of this Meeting every ones heart may burn within them and may come with tender breathings and inflamed affections unto Gods Altar and find acceptance My Friends the goodness of the Lord hath been very great towards you and his Long suffering and patience hath been largely extended he willeth not the death of a Sinner but desires that they should Repent return and live As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a Sinner turn you turn you from your evil ways why will ye die O House of Isael Now if thou sayst I would fain turn from the evil of my ways I would fain have power and strength to do good and overcome evil then come to him that is mighty upon whom God hath laid help who is able to save to the the uâ—termost not from one or two sins only but from all Pollution and Wickedness in all those that come unto God by him I am God Almighty saith God to Abraham a faithful Servant that followed him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect But say some that is impossible but pray consider God hath laid help upon one that is mighty and thou mayst do all things through Christ that strengthens thee By his Divine Power working in thy heart he can effect that work in thee which thou canst not do in thy own strength that work which he will accept of the work of Righteousness Holiness and Purity in which State the Blessing of the God of Heaven is conveyed to thy Soul Blessed are the Pure in Heart for they shall see God their eyes being opened to look unto him in whom Salvation is In vain do Men look for Help and Salvation from the Hills and from the Mountains Look unto me saith the Lord and be saved all ye ends of the Earth Mal. 3. 6. For I am the Lord I change not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed O here is a good encouragement for you who are wrestling with the Lord God to receive a Blessing from his Divine hand here is good encouragement for you to wrestle Jocob was a Wrestler and he Wrestled with God and as a Prince he prevailed and he said I will not let thee go except thou bless me Will you be Wrestlers with the God of Heaven for a blessing from his Divine hand Labour to be gathered with a pure mind into the will of God as humble lowly and meek Creatures submitting your selves to him being sensible of your unworthiness and that you are less than the least of all his Mercies Say Lord what am I that thou shouldest be mindful of me What I have received thou gavest me I have no breath no good thing but what thou gavest me I depend on thee for all and will give thee the praise of all that I have and hope for Thus you must labour to keep your selves humble meek and tender and in a self-denying frame that you may be fit to follow the Lord Jesus who invites such to come to him Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls for my Yoke is easie and my Burthen is light Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek and lowly It is as if he had said be you so too learn that Lesson and you shall find rest to your Souls What more excellent Reward then to have peace with the Eternal God and not only so but in all our Tryals Afflictions and Exercises in this Life to be kept in a quiet and peaceable frame when the Soul can throw it self upon God and say Lord I will cast all my care upon thee for thou carest for me My Friends Look unto the Lord there will be great need for it many have been the warnings given to the Inhabitants of this Nation and of
this City of the dreadful Judgments of God that he will certainly bring upon the wicked and hard-hearted and upon the stiffnecked and Rebellious and I hope that through the Divine workings of the Divine Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ and through his Divine and Heavenly light that hath attended these warnings and testimonies many will be stirred up to Repentance And I have this more to say that the Lord God in the opening of his Divine Word hath commanded me This say to my People in the City of London and elsewhere where I have ordered thy Lot Be of believing hearts for the Vials of my wrath shall be poured out upon the Transgressors Therefore charge the Daughters of Sion that they touch not with the Daughters of Babylon and tell them that if they partake with them in their Sins they shall partake with them in their Plagues and in the punishments that God will pour down and execute upon the workers of Iniquity and greater will be their Condemnation if they do not repent and believe than of those that have not had such opportunities Therefore Children of Sion look unto the Lord Jesus Christ that Mighty one upon whom help is laid in whom is Divine strength and Power and from whom you may have Divine Assistance that we may perform the good that is required at our hands and that is incumbent upon us and that we owe to our Creator that we may Worship him from day to day and from one time to another they that perform this service in the strength of Christ they will feel the savour of his life upon them and find the sweetness of joy and peace in their Souls and when we are in our Imployments and Callings and Business we shall feel the savour of Divine Life going along with us and in all our Converse and Communion one with another and in our Families we shall instruct and correct and direct our Children and bring them up in the fear of the Lord that they may not do as the Children of Israel when some of their Judges were dead every one did that which was right in their own eyes Let them do what they will saith Joshua chuse you this day whom you will serve as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. O get your wills subjected to the will of God that you may obey his Righteous Law and feel your selves engaged in his service and have the powerful working of his Holy Spirit in your Souls God will by his own Almighty Arm and Heavenly Grace enable you to do what he requires and is pleasing in his sight he will work in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure By Grace ye are saved saith the Apostle not of your selves it is the gift of God To this Divine Gift we are all recommended Now the Lord God Almighty gather you all into a sense of it The Apostle when he wrote to the Churches he committed them to the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for Guiding and Governing them in the whole course of their Conversations that they might live in the pure fear and love of God and obedience to him and in Love and Concord one with another that God in all things may be glorified and Praise and Honour and Thanks givings may be offered up to him through Jesus Christ his Beloved Son and our alone Saviour who alone is worthy who is God over all Blessed for ever and ever Amen The Prayer after Sermon BLessed God of Life who art the Fountain of all our Mercies the God from whom we receive all the good we enjoy our eyes are unto thee and we wait and attend upon thee thou art pleased O Lord to give unto us all things that we stand in need of which should engage us always to have an eye unto thee for thou never failest any that put their trust in thee many a time O Lord have thy People cryed to thee in the sense of their wants and have bowed before thee and lifted up their supplications to thee and Lord thou hast had regard to them many a time and for the cry of the Poor and the groaning of the distressed thou hast risen and been a present help unto them So that O Lord we have had encouragement from time to time to draw near to thee for that thou dost appear in the midst of the Assemblies of thy People that do meet together in thy Name and in thy Holy fear O Powerful Father of Life we have cause to bless thy Name for that we have had a real tast of thy Goodnefs and of thy Mercy to our Souls Thou O Lord it was that didst appear in the time of thy Love and visitedst the Souls of many that were strangers unto thee and unacquainted with the way of Life and Salvation Thou O Lord it was that hadst mercy upon us in the day when there was none to help us when there was none that could save and deliver then didst thou make bare thy Almighty Arm and didst bring many to the knowledge of thy living way and all thine whose eyes have been to thee thou hast Crowned them with thy loving kindness and tender mercy Praises Praises be to thy Great and Excellent Name who livest for ever and for evermore Living God of Life let all thine be preserved by thy Eternal Arm of Power that they may live in the World to the Honour of thy Great Name Powerful God of Life our eyes are unto thee and thou hast given us to see thee and to have the light of thy Countenance lifted up upâ—n us Father of Mercies we are not able to keep our selves and preserve our selves but the eyes of all thine are unto thee that they may be acquainted with thee and have that Divine help and strength which thou affordest to thy People and to thy Children that they may be enabled to run on in that Race that thou hast set before them that at the end of their days they may come to lay down their heads in peace and have an abundant entrance into that Everlasting Kingdom which thou hast prepared for those that love and fear thy Name Blessed God of Life be with all thy People here and every where draw off their minds from the love of this World and the Spirit of it that they may be brought nearer and nearer to thee in their Love and Affections Blessed God of Life we have been waiting upon thee and thou hast graciously appeared in the midst of us blessed be thy Name Thy living presence is the comfort of all thine that wait upon thee How poor and empty and hungry and thirsty have we come into thy presence yet thou dost not send us empty away but thou hast filled the hungry with good things and opened a Living Fountain that the Thirsty Souls have known the Drinking of Our Souls are constrained to offer Praises to thee this Evening that we have found Comfort and Refreshment from thy Blessed Presence Lord God of Life go along with us and bless us and keep us in the fear of thy Holy Name that we may live in the World to the praise of thy Name Lord bless the present opportunity to all that are here before thee that we may go away rejoycing in the sense of thy love and goodness to us and be engaged to walk in humility before thee Lord let our cry come up to thee keep us every day and preserve us and pity and help all those that are crying to thee that are under Exercises Temptations Afflictions Tryals and Weaknesses of Body and Mind Be near to them to help them in their distress and save and deliver them and us from the Enemy of our Souls that goes about like a Roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour O Powerful God of Life be with all thine every where and bless them and keep them while they are in the World from the evil of it that Living Father of Life both they and we for all thy Mercies and Blessings which in the dear Son of thy Love thou hast bestowed upon us from time to time may render Living Praises unto thee And for thy affording us thy Presence at this time and for all the Seasons and Opportunities we have enjoyed for the benefit and advantage of our Immortal Souls we desire to return thee Praise Honour and Glory through thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased for thou alone art Worthy Worthy Worthy who art God over all blessed in thy self for ever and evermore Amen FINIS ADVERTISEMENT There is newly Publish'd THE General History of Earthquakes or An Account of the most Remarkable and Tremendous Earthquakes that have happened in divers parts of the World from the Creation to this time and particularly those lately in Naples Smrrna Jamaica England and Sicily With a Discription of the famous Burning Mount Aetna and the several dreadful Conslagrations thereof for many Ages To which is added an Appendix containing several other late strange Accidents and Occurences As I. A Surprizing Account of Angels Singing Psalms In the Air over the Ruins of the Protestant Church at Orthez a City in the Province of Bearne and other places in France in the year 1686. with the Words they Sang in the hearing of many hundred Auditors at once Papists as well as Protestants II. The Life of a Great Person of near an Hundred years old who is now an Hermit in a Forrest in France with the Devotions Cloathing Diet and Subsistance of him and his Companions c. III. The wonderful Army of Locusts or Grashoppers that were seen near Breslaw in Silesia Septemb. 7. 1693. and in other parts of Germany which in their March took up 16. Miles devouring every Green thing IV. Three Miraculous Cures wrought by Faith in Christ in 1693. As 1. Of Mary Maillard the French Girl suddenly healed of an extream Lameness 2. The Wife of Mr. Savage Cured of a Lame Hand 3. A Shepperd near Hitchin in Nartfordshire instantly healed of the Kings Evil under which he had languished Twenty Years Price one shilling FINIS