and Wrath and Envy and Revenge and Violence to be found among us as if it would pull down Vengeance upon this City They have heard preached in Pulpits much of Holiness and Humility Patience and Meekness That a meek and quiet Spirit is an ornament of great price Men have heard much Preaching against Pride Prophaneness and Drunkenness and Uncleanness but they have heard it like a tale that is told not much concerned about it and have given little Credit or Regard to what they have heard of these things Why are People so wicked The Reason at last results into this Men are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God they are not the servants of Christ but serve diverse lusts and pleasures and are led captive by the devil at his will and so they go on in Iniquity All the Laâ— of Kings and Queens cannot â—â—â—train and curb them when the Law of Christ is not written in their Hearts but when Men come to see a Necessity of Self-denial 〈◊〉 taking up the Cross this will produce a Reformation This is that I labour for and all good Men and Womâ—n will do it It is time to cry for Reformation Vain Fâ—â—hioâ—s and Garbs and Pride have been cried up why should not we cry for Reformation before the Wrath of a provoked God is kindled agâ—inst us and his Vengeance poured down upon the Natioâ— We must reform our Lives How shall Men reform you will say By getting the law of God within their hearts that is pure and holy and heavenly that will be as a light to mens feet and a lanthorn to their paths Now till People come to this they will go on in Sin and Iniquity till they be swept away with some overflowing and dreadful Judgment So that my Friends in the Fear of God and out of Love to you I seek that you may be brought to God through Christ that you may live in the Love and Fear of the Lord and when you come to die you may have Rest and Peace for your Souls There is no Rest for those that are evil-doers There is no peace saith my God to the wicked The Ungodly cry Peace peace and talk of Peace but there is no Peace for them but they shall have for their Portion tribulation and wrath and anguish this shall certainly come upon every one that doth Evil. It is no matter what Religion you are of if you do not obey the Truth but live in Unrighteousness Now Friends my Exhortation to you â—ll is That you will return to the Truth in your own Hearts and do it while you have time I am not pulling and persuading People to love my Truth but to love God's Truth in their oâ—n Hâ—arts to love it and obey it and you cannot do this unless you resolve to take up a daily Cross and be Followers of Christ who is gone before to prepare a Place for them that are his true Disciples and then he will present them to God as holy harmless and undefiled for these are Heirs of that evâ—â—lasting Kingdom which God hath prepared 〈◊〉 them that love him SERMON XII Christians should be often thinking on the Name of the Lord. Being his last Sermon â—â—eached at Devonshire-House July 17th 1692. a while before his Death THE People of God in former Ages did think upon the name of the Lord I would it might be the daily Practice of all that make Profession to be the People of God in our Days to think upon the Name of the Lord. This you know is an inward Exercise invisible and known to none but God he only knows when you are met together whether you are thinking upon his Name whether the Exercise of your Minds is upon his Power or upon whatsoever else your Minds are engaged They whose Exercise and Desire is to feel God's Power and to be acquainted with his Name the Lord is nigh to them to reveal his mighty Power and his Name to them and they are a People that partake of his Goodness and of his Vertue and 〈◊〉 an experimental Knowledge of the divers Administrations of both his Judgments and Mercies to their own Souls and so they can proceed from Thinking to Speaking of the Goodness of God from the Experience that they have in themselves that the Lord is gooâ— to them For all that some do in their manner of speaking of God and his Goodness and crying up the Name of the Lord it is alâ—â— worth nothing it is but Noise But every one that partakes in his own Soul 〈◊〉 somethiâ—â— of the Divine Vertue and Goodness that flows from God invisibly to him through Jesus Christ he hath Assurance in himself thaâ— he speaks the Truth It is not mere Words made ready to his hand but it is his owâ— Knowledge and Experience of that whâ— God hath wrought in him by his own Spirit there are none that think upon the Name oâ— the Lord and his Power and the workiâ—â— of it but they are able to speak of it eâ—â—â—ctually and truly I know it hath been and is the practiâ—â— among many that they are able to speak 〈◊〉 God's Goodness from what they find in 〈◊〉 Writings and Sayings of some that lived bâ—fore them that did bear an honourable Teâ—â—â—mony of God's Goodness in their Religâ—â—â— and they learn to say it over-again iâ— particular Age But what hath this Tale that they have told wrought This Report they have made How God was with the Christians of old the Primitive Christians and Martyrs they have told a Tale of these things and what hath it effected It hath either brought forth Christians or it hath not Therefore the way for People to be grounded and settled in Divine Knowledge is for every one to speak what they know And if they know nothing of these things to say nothing of them And the way for them to come to receive Divine Knowledge is by thinking by meditating by considering of that Converse that God hath with their own Souls for there is a way provided for all Men to converse with God that made them Every Man and Woman may ask Questions of him and may have Answers from him if they have Patience enough to wait for them every Soul here present that shall come to be serious and with seriousness of Mind shall ask of God what their State and Condition is if they were to die presently God will â—ell them He will answer them he will shine unto them by the Light of his Son Jesus Christ and let them know whether they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of their iniâ—uity still or whether they are redeemed out of it and brought into Covenant with himâ—elf But will you believe his Answer I would have no Man go about to ask such a Question of God unless he hath a mind to believe the Answer that God giveth him To what purpose should Men ask if they ask and ask amiss If they ask without Faith they do
THe Works of this Author have obtain'd such general Esteem that many are desirous nothing of his should be lost I have already published two small Volumes of his Sermons the First containing Eight and the Second Ten of his Declarations and the acceptance they have gain'd from Persons of different Persuasions has induced me to emit this Third and Last Collection containing Twelve Sermons more upon several very necessary Subjects none of which have been yet Printed One of them being his last Sermon preached at Devonshire-house London a while before his Death So that now these are all of this Author's which are to be expected from N. C. THE Third and Last Volume OF THE Sermons OF Mr. STEPHEN CRISP Late of Colchester in Essex Deceased Containing XII DECLARATIONS upon several Divine Subjects Exactly taken in Short-hand as they were deliver'd by him at the Publick Meeting-Houses of the People called QUAKERS In Grace-Church-street Devonshire-house and S. Martin's le-grand London And now faithfully Transcribed and Publish'd with some of his Prayers after Sermon London Printed for Nath Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry near Cheap-side 1694. The Contents of the Three Volumes of the Sermons or Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp THe First Volume contains Eight Sermons upon the following Subjects I. The great Mediator of the Everlasting Covenant II. Heart Preparation for receiving the Gospel III. The First and Great Commandment IV. The Standard of Truth V. The necessary Duty of remembring our Creator VI. The Divine Monitor or Light from Heaven VII The Inward Preacher or the Office of Conscience VIII Saving Faith the Gift of God alone THe Second Volume contains Ten Sermons upon the following Subjects I. Truth 's Testimony against the Power of Sin and Satan II. Bearing the Cross the right Mark of a Christian III. The Spirit of Christ the only true Guide IV. Pure and Spiritual Worship V. The Divine Life of Christ Jesus VI. The Kingdom of God within VII The undefiled way to Eternal Rest. VIII The dawning of the Day of Grace and Salvation IX The Excellency of Peace with God X. True Christianity THE Third and Last Volume contains Twelve Sermons upon the following Subjects I. The mighty Work of Man's Redemption II. The Word of God a Christian's Life III. The necessity of an holy Life and Conversation IV. Baptism and the Lord's Supper asserted V. Christ the Way the Truth and the Life VI. Captive Sinners ransomed by Jesus Christ. VII The Sheep of Christ hear his Voice VIII No True Worship without the right Knowledge of God IX The wonderful Love of God to Mankind X. Salvation from Sin by Jesus Christ. XI The acceptable Sacrifice XII Christians should often think on the Name of the Lord Being his last Sermon preached at Devonshire-house a while before his Death And are all to be sold either single or bound up in one Volume by Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry near Cheapside Price Three Shillings SERMON I. The mighty Work of Mans Redemption Preached at Grace-Church-street Feb. 8. 1687. My Friends WE are met upon the most weighty Affair that can be to every one of us even to wait that we may have a true knowledge of the beginning carrying on and perfecting the mighty Work of Redemption that People may know that Redemption is wrought in their Souls for every ones Soul hath been lost and captivated and led away from the pure Presence of God all have been alienated by reason of Sin which hath become an universal Wall of Partition and hath excluded and shut out unholy Souls from the Holy God all that have been defiled and polluted they have been excluded from his Dwelling-place they have been driven out into the World and the World hath become a World of Misery and of Distraction and Confusion to the Sons and Daughters of Men there hath been Anguish Tribulation and Wrath upon all their Souls and an insensibility hath happened unto many that they have not been apprehensive of the great Depravation they have lain under and they have not been sensible of the Glory of that State and Condition which they were to have enjoyed and in that State of Insensibility they have not sought after the Lord but have been captivated and led away by divers Lusts and Pleasures by which they have wounded their own Souls more and more And in such a State as this it is that the Lord hath found us he hath sought us out and he hath found us cast out into the open Field and wallowing as it were in our Blood and yet this hath been a time of Love and he hath manifested his Love to us in this respect in that he hath awakened us and brought us to a sense of our depraved and deplorable Condition and given unto a Remnant to perceive that there is a more excellent Glory a more excellent Enjoyment to be had than any this World can afford But a great many of those whose Eyes are so far opened that they can see and discern a more excellent Glory yet they cannot receive it for they are not in a capacity for the Enjoyment oâ— it many have the Glimmerings and some little sight of Heavenly Things but they themselves are earthly Many perceive there is a holy Life but it is not theirs for their own Life is unholy and yet they know there is a Life that is Holy and Pure Hereupon Desires are begotten by the divine Word of Life in the Sons and Daughters of Men through the Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator by him Desires are begotten in People that they might come to enjoy that Life of Holiness that they might not only see a better State than what they do enjoy but that they might come to enjoy it and have iâ— for theirs There is an universal Desire in People that they might have Eternal Life and they believe there is an Eternal Life to be enjoyed but every one hath it not and the reason is because they are not fitted and prepared for the enjoyment of it for it is a kind of Treasure that is never put into an unclean Vessel there must be a cleansing and purifying that so earthen Vessels may come to retain and hold this heavenly Treasure and when it comes to this that People must be cleansed and purified here the World turns out to divers Means and Methods some have gone to outward Washings outward Cleansings and Observations of this and the other Ordinance and when all that hath been done they themselves being Judges were yet unclean when they have done all that lies in their Power and Ability towards their Washing and Cleaâ—sing and towards preparing themselves they have found some secret Testimony in their own Consciences that their Hearts were still unclean and that there was defilement still abiding and lodging in the Secret of their Souls and this hath put a great many to a stand what they should do when they have come to the end of all they know not what
with my silver and gold and other ornaments and followed thy lovers therefore will I take them away from thee and strip thee of all thou gloriest in Those that forget God of whom they had these things that forget their brokenness of Heart and the Subjection of their Spirits to God if they forget this let them know that let their Partâ— be what they will they will certainly wither and their inward Life will fail you that have regard to your own Souls and do desire heartily at this Time to be quickned aâ—â— find that the Lord hath removed your Deadness and quickned and raised you to such a degree and measure of Life that you can say I find Communion with God and Fellowship with my Friends and Brethren in that one Eternal Life I pray God you may continue in it long and lay down your Heads in this Blessed heavenly Life Now that you may so do keep your selves low and humble and in the Fear of God and keep your Ears always open to his Word and live as becomes those that are born again and begotten of God and are brought to partake of the Divine Life Let Temptations surround you that Life will preserve you he that never sinn'd is with you to keep you from Sin and he that never deceived any will keep you from being deceived To his Consel and Conduct and to his Divin Care and Protection I do now commit you SERMON III. The Necessity of an Holy Life and Conversation Preached at S. Martin's-le-Grand March 16th 1687. O How happy are they that have Bread in their own Houses and that can draw Water out of their own Wells These have a blessed glorious Dwelling-place these are the Children that their Father provideth for All the divine Treasures and the Riches of Heavenly Things are laid up for these O that all that have a Sight of this blessed State were got into it that their Minds might no more wander that People might not be scattered in their Thoughts that when they meet together they might have their Expectations entirely from that God whom they profess to worship Lord thou hast said that thou wilt teach thy people thy self here a Cry goes up to the Lord and their Expectations through Faith are pitched upon God they never meet in vain but a well springs up and the water of life comes to them by which they meet with Divine Refreshments for you know the Promise that our Lord made to his Disciples He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst more Why will once Drinking serve Because I have tasted of the Living Water that the Lord Christ gives me will that serve No but he giveth me a substantial River that is the reason why I shall thirst no more it shall be in me a well of living water springing up to everlasting life blessed are the Witnesses of it these are they that are satisfied concerning Religion and Doctrin they are satisfied concerning Worship they are looking after no new things when these meet together they meet in the Name of the Lord and they have their Eyes to him who is a Fountain and they discern a Brightness and a Glory that is unspeakable and the Glory that is speakable that appears many times through Instruments will not satisfie them there is something beyond that which must satisfie this will never do it People will never be satisfied with hearing nor never satisfied with seeing till they come to hear and see that which is unutterable and then they are satisfied Christ had preached many Sermons in the hearing of his Disciples and there were a great many said That there was never any man spake like him preached like him yet one of them that was nearest to him and most acquainted and intimate with him after some Years meeting and hearing of his Sermons he cries out Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us My Friends this comes near to many of your States many of you have heard long and have heard the speakable Word of God that which could be uttered that which could be spoken forth by the Demonstration of the Holy Ghost by them that have received it of the Father this you have heard long and yet there are many of you that if you come to a serious Search you will find a Want you will find still that you have not that Satisfaction that puts you beyond Doubt beyond Fear there is some thing that stands in the way that hinders your Enjoyment of the unspeakable Glory of the unspeakable Word and this will never be removed but by your innocent submitting to the Work of the Power of God in your own Hearts that so you may not only be Believers but come to be really Baptized and then all is out of doubt for our Lord said he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he doth not say he may be saved but he shall be saved Woful Experience hath told us in our Days That a great many have believed the Truth and yet they are never like to be saved they have made shipwrack of their faith but if they had been baptiz'd if they would have endured the Baptism if they would have been buried with Christ in Baptism they should have been saved every one of them and now there are a great many that remain in the Belief of the Truth and yet they are not Baptized they are not Dead not Buried notwithstanding they have received like precious faith with us that faith which is of the operation of God and that is alike precious in its nature to all that do receive it and would work the same effect in all too if it were not obstructed but notwithstanding they have received Faith towards the saving of their Souls yet their Souls are Captives their Souls are subject to Lusts and Pleasures and Vanities and unto empty and foolish Things and to Passions and Corruptions after they have received Faith For if you take one that is a Believer of Truth that is overtaken with his Lusts and Passions and Corruptions he will commonly own that he believeth the contrary he believeth that these things should not be that it ought to be otherwise This is the signification of Truth against Untruth If it should be otherwise why is it thus then Why he finds a Life to spring up in that which is corruptible that is always contrary to the life of God and at enmity with it What shall I do I believe the Truth I know it is a holy thing it leads all that submit to it to a holy Life and there is this and that unholy thing this and that corrupt thing remains what shall I do It is an evident Demonstration that thou wantest the Baptism of him in whom thou believest thou hast believed in Christ Jesus that cometh after John and was before him and now having believed in him thou wantest to be baptized by him and for want of that the Pollution and
Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee The Covenant is made to Abraham and his Seed that is with Christ Jesus the Mediator It is he that brings to God those that trust in him and come to him He that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out they that do not come to Christ are cast off already All Men by Nature are cast 〈…〉 if any of theâ— will be 〈◊〉 it is by coming to Christ whâ— is able to â—ave to thâ— uttermost and to makâ— Peace for them and of Twins to make onâ— new Man and to make Peace between God and their Soulâ— There is a necessity for all People that have sense of their natural state and condition that according to Nature have no Title to the Kingdom of God to be reconciled to God By Nature they cannot make a claim to Righteousness and Life they cannot reconcile themselves to God by all their Works saith the Prophet Micah Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand of Rams or with ten thousand Rivers of Oil shall I give my first-born for mâ— 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 love Merâ—â— and walk humbly with thy God They that will be saved must lay hold of Salvation in that way and method that the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath prescribed He hath prescribed a way for every Body to be saved he would have no Body to perish but that all should come to Repentance and obtain everlasting Life God hath made a way that will serve every Body alike Thousands as well as Ten and all the World as well as one Man Now the way that God hath made is turning out of the State into which they are fallen and a forsaking that Governour that rules in the Hearts of the Chil◠〈…〉 Disobedience aâ— closing with Christ 〈◊〉 God hath appoinâ—ed to reign in every â—â—dy's Heart Peopâ—â— in Christendom will all say they have closed with Christ Do not you hope to be saved by Christ on the Terms of the Covenant It is not crying Lord Lord but doing the Will of God the Terms are All Men must believe in Christ the Eternal Son of God and through â—he Power of that Faith they have in him he comes to rule over them and they become subject to him And if a Believer be not subject to Christ he is all one as if he was an Unbeliever Circumcision or Vncircumcision avails not any thing but a new Creature and Faith which worketh by Love The Covenant doth not stand in meer Words 〈◊〉 I conform to such Articles then I am a Christian if I believe all the Articlâ—s of the Creed then I am a Christian and a Child of God If a Mâ—n will say I believe his Say so is not sufficient The condition of the Covenant that God hath made is That Christ shall rule and have the government of those Souls that he presents to God How should it be otherwise seeing he is not to present any to God that are unclean Christ hath no Commission to present any to God in their Uncleanness and Wickedness He that believeth he must be cleansed and purifyed by him If so then that cannot be done by ruling over them If they had the Rule of themselves they would be polluted and be like Water whose Current is stopt with Di◠〈…〉 â—d not running in its own natural S◠〈…〉 People will commit Sin when they have the Rule of themselves but when Christ presents People to God and when they come to be led by him they are cleansed and purified When the Apostle describes true Faith he doth it by this quality and property of it It purifies the Heart All other Faith is but the Hope of the Hypocrite but real Faith is the operation of God saith the Apostle and that Faith worketh in an unclean Heart to the cleansing of it and in an impure Heart to the purifying of it If the Heart comes to be purified then it must needs follow that the Conversation must be pure also No body doth an ill Work nor speaks an ill Word but it is from an evil Heart Now if the Axe come to be laid to the Root of the Tree and the Word of the Lord operate in the Heart powerfully if never so much evil be in it the Axe when laid to the Root of the Tree will cut it down the Power of God will execute Judgment upon every thing that is contrary to him Christ is holy harmless and undefiled and separate from Sin and Sinners and tho' he extend his Life and Vertue to the Life and Soul of the most wicked Man in the World it never joins with their Uncleanness but keeps immaculate and undefiled in the Heart of the worst of Men. Now this immaculate Power that comes from Christ it will purifie the Hearts of Men and preserve them from evil Thoughts Wâ— and Actions This is the manifestation of 〈◊〉 one Mediator that they must be governed bâ— else they cannot be presented spotless to God the Father There is a necessity of coming to a Saviour otherwise than by Words and Profession we must come to him and heartily joyn with him we have all joyned with the Devil he hath suggested moved and instigated and People have followed his instigations and motions there is no Man but is sensible of a devilish motion why not then of a Divine motion Though now it is become a Bugbear to say we are moved by the Spirit of Christ why not by that Spirit as well as by the Spirit of the wicked one No Man doubts but that there are motions of the Devil which they are sensible of that sometimes they have joyned with him and sometimes they withâ—â—â—nd him What is the reason that Men should joyn with evil motions There is no just reason for it The reason why you and I withstand the motions of the Devil is bâ—cause we find another motion conveyed into our Hearts by the Spirit of God if a Man hath one motion to commit uncleanness he hath another motion to keep himself pure if he hath a motion to speak a Lie he hath another motion to speak Truth there are two movers at the same time in the same Heart which shall we joyn with Shall I joyn with the Devils motion If I find any thing of the â—ove of God in my Heart it will constrain me to â—â—nd the good motion and make me withâ—d the evil motion so that the movings 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God is not such a wonder There are none but they have bad motions in them and they have also motions of the Spirit of Truth they have met with evil motions and they have admired them too much then it is time to repent if there be a distinction between a motion of the Spirit of Truth and a motion of the
to do Many have cried secretly what shall we do to be saved For all what we can do cannot save us We have retained this and the other Doctrin follow'd this and the other Way and made many Observations but all this doth not cleanse our Soul nor purge our Consciences from dead Works this will not bring us to the Inheritance of that Immortal Life that will give us satisfaction We hear many speak of Satisfaction and of Joy unspeakable and full of Glory but here is a weight and burthen still lying upon our Souls Therefore my Friends that all such who are brought so far as to be under such a Burden and Oppression that they might be informed and come to understand where the true Rest is and where that Power can be found that is able to answer those tender Desires that are begotten in them for this cause hath the Lord our God communicated and given the Dispensation of the Gospel of his Son unto a Remnant whom he hath sanctified that they might Speak a word in Season to the weary Soul This is not a day to make a mock of Sin this is not a day to make a Covenaâ—â— with â—â—ath and Hell and to resolve to go on in a wicked Life and continue in it all their Days But yet there are a sort of People that desire to have a Word spoken in Season to them when they are weary How many are there in our Age and Generation that one may reckon of this number that are Sinners and overcome by their Lusts and Corruptions and by the Temptations of Satan and his Instruments But they are weary of it it is a burden to their Souls it costs them many a bâ—â—ter Tear many a Sigh and many a sad and sorrowful Thought in secret that they shouâ—â— have a sight of a more excellent Glory and of a better Life than that of their own and yet know not how to get into it My Friends that same Divine Word of Life by which any of the People of the Lord in any Age were ever restored redeemed and purchased again to the Lord That Word of Life must have been at work in their Hearts and hath been at work in them or else â—hou hadst never been so far opened there hath been something that hath unstopped thine Ears that thou might'st hear and the reason of thy Continuance in thy Bonds after thy knowing something that might have freed thee is because thou hast not heartily closed with that which hath begun the Work God bâ— his redeeming Power in the Hearts of them that believe in Christ to raise an inclination in People to seek after the Lord. You know what the Apostle saiâ—â— It is not of us so much as to think a good Thought But this all People will grant is a good Thought when a Sinner thinks of turning to God and leaving his evil Ways if he had Power and Ability and cries out If I knew how to stand against Tempation I would never sin against the Lord more this must be a good Thought in thy Mind How came it there Who is the Author of this Thought you will say This ought to be attribured to the Love of God in Christ that he hath convinced and persuaded us and that tho' there is Sin and Pollution yet he hath not so forsaken us utterly to cast us off he hath sent forth his quickening Spirit that is the Lord from Heaven that he might stir up and quicken People to consider their condition and bring them to a sense of their present State that they may come into a better State than they are in at present If this may be granted that the Spirit of God and the Grace of God is the Author of all these Desires then it will be granted at the same time that every one of you ought to be sensible that such spiritual Desires stirring in you are from the motion and operation of the Spirit of God that hath raised them in your Souls and then I hope you will grant that if you had but joined with that Spirit and with the assistance of that Spirit all things would have been possible thereunto So that here is the first thing that I would have every one satisfied about in their Understandings whether they arâ— totally exempted from any such Touches and Operations of God or no for it is said by some ignorantly That a great part of Mankind have never had any such Divine Workings of the Spirit of God upon them in order to their Conversion therefore it is not in vain for you to consider your state and condition for if you or I or any here be under such Circumstances that they never had nor are ever like to have any such Divine Operations or Touches of the Spirit of Life in order to Conversion then I am sure you and I had better never have been born If you will consider with your selves and lay aside the Disputes of Doctors and Learn'd men you may know the things pertaining to your selves Things relating to others I may let Disputes alone about them but as for things relating to my Salvation I must have a certain Knowledge of them It concerns you my Friends to know within your selves by an infallible Evidence of the Spirit of God whether you have had such Divine Touches Workings and Operations upon your Hearts as have inclin'd you to seek the Lord. I hope I may believ there are none here but have in their Heatrs an Answer I have had such Touches and Operations in me This is great Love from God more than my Tongue can set forth You will be ready to say I have not deserv'd this I have not so behaved my self towardâ— my Maker as to deserve that he should wait upon me and call upon me When wilt thoâ— turn and amend thy Life and hearken to him that made thee When wilt thou leave serving God's Enemy and serve him that is thy rightful Lord So that now this is a greater Aggravation of our Sin to continue in it and yet to have a Belief that God is still waiting upon us and that he hath such a kindness for us as now and then to touch our Hearts by the inward Operation of his Spirit and Grace in order to Conversion Now when this is agreed and Men settle themselves in the belief of this you know what the consequence will be When I consider with my self I that have been under these Workings have been rebellious wicked and disobedient to God yet the Lord is not so angry as utterly to cast me off but is still waiting to be gracious by the Operation of his Spirit to gather me to himself in order to sanctifie me and heal my my Backsliding to cure my Weakness and Infirmities and at the last to save me and make me an Heir of his Eternal Kingdom What is the consequence of this Love Why the next Resolve must be this I will rebel against his Grace and resist
contrary to the Mind of God than that the Devil should have the Rule of us for God would have the Government of us himself When we consider the infiniteness of God's Power for destroying that which is contrary to him who can believe that the Devil must ever stand and prevail I believe it is inconsonant and disagreeable with the true Faith for People to be Christians and yet to believe that Christ the Eternal Son of God to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is given will suffer Sin and the Devil to have dominion over them There is no other Name under Heaven by which I can be saved therefore I have put my confidence in him If the Devil must have the Rule of me here then I cannot be subject to Christ in all things I may go to Meetings but I can never master the Devil and his Temptations this is as inconsisâ—ent with the Faith of a Christian as Light with Darkness and Christ with Belial If Christians think themselves true Believers then let them see how far their Faith will reach whâ—ther it be like that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints for by that Faith their Hearts were cleansed and they became free from Sin Rom. 6.22 But now being made free from sin and the servants of God saith the Apostle you have your Fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life you were Servants to Sin but now you are free from Sin so that this Faith is but one and if Men have got another it will do them no good Take heed thou art not mistaken about thy Faith I have heard some learned Men say That a Believer is a Servant of Sin and he is ever like to be so but he is not at the same time free from Righteousness for he hath the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and God looks upon him as righteous in his Righteousness there cannot be a more Anti-apostolical Doctrin I may be a servant of Sin and yet have the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness I may be a Servant of Sin say they yet Christ is Righteous he is the Righteousness of God and he hath fulfilled the will of God and hath purchased salvation for me and he is the Object by which I am made righteous Consider this the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will never do me good till I come to partake of his Righteousness till his Righteousness be made my Righteousness in me and for me Christ is made to us of God wisdom righteousness sanctification and reâ—emption so that if a Sinner one that was a Sinner the other Day come through Fâ—â—â—â— in Christ to have his Heart cleansed and purged and true Righteousness planted in him where Sin was planted there Sin through the Blood of Christ is cleansed and purged away So that Christ is made Righteousness to me and not his Righteousness barely imputed and reckon'd to me Christ is my Wisdom I am a Fool without him Christ is made Righteousness to me for my good Deeds and holy Living cannot be acceptable to God till they be done in him and commended to God by him the proper Work of Faith is to fix the Soul on him that worketh all things in us and for us that worketh in us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure and it is the good pleasure of God that we should live in 〈◊〉 Righteousness They that come to receive this Faith at first receive it from an inward Feeling they have the Operation of the Word of God in them so the Apostle reckons Faith not because such a Man heareth and such a Man believeth what such a Man preacheth but Faith is the operation of God you may hear me and a Thousand preach and you may die Unbelievers for all that except you come to thiâ— to know the Operation of God and the woâ—â— of Faith in you How doth my Heart close with this how doth my Soul joyn with this What Vertue and Power do I feel in my self It may be others that preach feel the Powâ—â— but do I feel it if not I come but to a Noise and Sound If People feel not their Hearts joyning with the Word preached there comes no advantage to them You read in Scripture That the word preached did not profit because it was not mixt with faith in them that heard it This is your Cafe you come to Meetings and you love to hear the Doctrin of Truth preached I tell you and I will speak plainly to you unless you come to feel the Operation of the Word of Truth in your Hearts you may hear the Gospel and the Word of Life preached to you but it will not profit you much How is it possible for a Man to have a Testimony against Drunkenness and yet be drunk a Testimony against Uncleanness and yet be unclean How can a Man hear such a Testimony and believe it and yet commit the Sin he heard it but did not feel the Vertue of it within himself and so he did not mortifie the Sin that he was inclinable to but they that come to joyn with Truth and with meekness receive the ingrafted word they find the Power and Ability of it they find how able it is to save their Souls they find how it worketh not only just when they hear it but it goes along with them and dwells with them and they feel the vertue of it overshadowing their Souls with the Dread and Terror of the Lord not with the Words that a Man speaks I do not trust to them but here is the Power â—â—d the Feaâ— of the Lord which will preserve my Soul and keep me in safety this is that which will keep my Mind fixed upon him and keep my Mind inward that I do not gaze about me so that every one may have an Infallible Testimony of what they have heard and known I have known the Doctrin of several Sects that have been among us and the main thing that many have gone from one People to another about is this that they might know what such a Man holds forth more than such a one and they think the truth is more perspicuous among such a People than other People if you examin the Matter it is this Who preached and proved his Doctrin beâ—â— Alas if they did all concur together and did preach as certain and infallible Doctrin as ever Chrâ—â—â—â— and his Apostles preached this will all â—â— thee and me no good unless we know the Power You know there were Thousands that heard Christ Preach as you now hear me and there were some so taken with him that they went away and said Never Man spake like this Man But were they all Christians did they partake of Life by him No some of them were ready to stone him Now bring this home and consider with your selves whether you are not some of yoâ— in the same State when you hear Trutâ— preached there is an assent and agreemenâ— with it in your
driven away in a cloudy and dark Night be brought to a glorious and blessed Day wherein they may enjoy the Gospel that brings Light to dark Souls that Praises and Thanksgivings may be offered up in thy House for thy Holy Presence with us that we may be fed there when we are assembled together in thy Name accordiâ—â— to thy Promise Continue to 〈◊〉 â—midst of us that living Praises and Thanksgivings may be offered up to thee through Jesus Christ for thou alone art Worthy who art God over all blessed for evermore Amen SERMON II. The Word of God a Christians Life Preached at Grace-Church-street March 14 1687. IT was the Doctrin of the great Master of the Christian Religion the Lord Jesus Christ while he was preaching and publishing and making known the way of Salvation among the Sons and Daughters of Men he then preached and declared That it was not Bread only by which Man lived but by everâ— Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of Goâ— Now the way and means of Mans Preservâ—tion in Life in a living state the Methâ—â— and Course that the God of Heaven doâ—â— open to keep the Sons and Daughters of Meâ— alive is by this Word Every Word 〈◊〉 proceedeth out of the Mouth of God hath a Ministration of Life in it and therefore all that are desirous of the enjoyment of the Immortal Life and of the preserving and encreasing of it they are diligently to wait to be made Partakers of this Divine Ministration Outward Bread is for our outward Preservation but Man is made inward as well as outward he hath a Soul as well as a Body Now Christ to signify to us what the inward Man is nourished and fed by tells us That Man liveth not by Bread only but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God So now in this our day as well as in former Days it hath pleased God to give unto a Remnant an experimental knowledge of the Truth of this that they have been quickned and made alive by the Word of God that is they have heard and felt and tasted of the Word of Life that was with the Father before the World began that hath been divinely ministred to them by the mercy of God through Jesus Christ many that were dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath said unto them Live He hath given unto many an inward sense of their State who sometimes had it not he hath brought many a one to feel sin to b a Burden and an oppressing Load who sometimes before have taken Pleasure and Delight in it This is a great change that is wrought in a Mans Mind that he should come to be loaden with that burthened and oppressed by that which was before â—is Pleasure and Delight yet this great Châ—â—ge hath been wrought in many a Soul by the operation of the word of God of that inward Word that inward Voice when the Lord hath taken Men in hand himself There are many have taken Sinners 〈◊〉 hand and have gone about to convince theâ— and convert them but they were not able to do it but when the Lord hath taken Man in hand himself when his Creator hath undertaken to deal with him himself then the Man cries out I am a Worm and no Man then he cries out under the sense of the judgment of God then he cries out under the indignation of the Lord which he hath kindled by his Sins he cries out for Mercy then he prays for Remission then he wishes that he had never provoked the Lord for the Word that goes out of the Mouth of God hath â— mighty Force and Power upon the Spirit of â— Man so that he is converted and changed â—â— it as the Prophet said of old The Word â—â— God is pure converting the Soul Now where any come to an experimentaâ— knowledge of the Word of the Lord of thâ— inward Voice whereby God speaks to thâ— Sons and Daughters of Men they have râ—ceived thereby an infallible feeling of thâ— own State and Condition this is the firâ—â— Lesson learned by it They come to have certain infallible knowledge of their oâ—â— State and they are sure that they cannot 〈◊〉 deceived for it brings an Evidence with it in their Consciences so that whatsoever this Word of Life signifieth to a Man he hath the knowledge of the same thing evidencing it in his own Conscience as the Apostle saith If our Hearts condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things Now here is a way found out for Men to obtain divine Knowledge by a divine Means for the Lord speaks by his Spirit and if Men come to hearken to that Voice unto that Speaking they perceive readily what it saith unto them The Lord tells People as well now as in former Days what he hath against them and this every one in the Closet of their own Hearts come to understand We read in the Book of Revelations what our Lord Jesus Christ appointed John to write to the seven Churches in Asia that he had a few things against some and many things against others Now that which is the design of our Meetâ—ng when we are Assembled together is that we may know what the Mind and Judgment of God is concerning our Selves How shall we know that unless we ask him and come to wait upon him and enquire at the Oracle of Counsel that God hath appointed in the Bosome of every man For he signifies his mind unto the Children of men by that Light â—nd Grace which Jesus Christ hath Planted in â—hem he hath Enlightned every man that comes â—â—to the world with an undeceiving Light and he hath ministred of his truth and Grace to every man tho' the man be bad and untrue and in the Dark and there be Darkness in him yet the Light shineth in Darkness The Man may be a false Man yet there is true knowledg in him if this false Man harken to the Voice of Truth when the God of Truth signifies what his Mind and Judgment is concerning him and his present State So that here is an opportunity offered and if a Man believe the word of Truth which is administred to his own mind he cannot say such a Man hath deceived him for it is Truth it self which is signified to him which he believeth For the Truth is the object of 〈◊〉 Faith and he believeth it of himself he believeth that while he remains wicked in 〈◊〉 unrenewed state he is out of the Covenant of God and in the high Road to Destruction if he doth not get out of it and return to God and mind his Duty He believeth this and he believeth the Truth It hath been so with many it hath been so with us all this is the firâ—â— kind of Faith and Belief that ever we receive for when Truth signifies to us our fallen state our alinated state when Truth signifies and discovers to us the Partition Wall of Sin and iniquity which we
have builded up whereby the Glory and favour of God was hid from the Soul we believed this to be true we would have been looked upon as Heires â—â— God 's Kingdom yet when we are come to hearâ—en to the Truth we find that we are Children 〈◊〉 the Devil and do his works shall a Man believe this after he hath been forty years a professor of Christanity If a Man believe Truth there is no danger in believing it tho' it be his own Destruction that is threatned Now the great thing that I would have ushered into the Hearts of Men is that they may believe the Truth for Truths sake If Men will believe the truth they must believe many things against themselves which they are not willing to believe but saith Christ no Man can be my Scholar my Disciple but be denying himself I must deny my self my pretensions to Christianity my supposed Saintship and â—itle to the Kingdom of God now if I would be convinced that I am a wicked Man a prophane Man one that doth not live as becomes the Gospel I must believe truth the Voice of truth being of infallible certainty it is signified Divinely by the immortal Word that cannot deceive us this ought to be the reason why People should believe the Testimony of it tho' it be against themselves they that do so presently come to find the effects of it for they were in their Sins and Trespasses before and so are still they were before in a kind of liberty in a kind of ease and indulgence of themselves and still their Sin remains in them and they remain in it but they are now under a sense of Sorrow under a weight under a Burden under an oppression which signifies they are alive and quickned for if you take an outward comparison they remain not senseless and dead now lay what Load you will upon a dead Man he will neither groan nor grumble at it but if he comes again to life he cryes take off the Burden the weight and oppression that lyes heavy upon me This is the difference between being deaâ— in sins and trespasses and being brought to liâ—â— and sense again this word of life that comâ— from the Mouth of God begets a sense in evâ—ry one that receiveth it it is of great serviâ—â— and use to all People to be acquainted witâ— it that desire to be Heirs of life eternal thaâ— desire to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of God But how should they come by it they thinâ— by this duty and the other duty and this and the other Temporary performance to obtaiâ— it no but if they will have life they muâ—â— have it from the God of life that created them he must Create them again to good works they can have it but by one way all must be brought to it that way it cannot be by hearing a Man preach unless the Spirit doâ—â— cooperate with the word of God there is nâ— possibility of being quickned and necessiâ—â— binds me to hearken and have a regard to the one means Now I say to you saith Chriâ—â— speaking of Peoples way of living to eterniâ—â— Man liveth not by Bread alone but by evâ—â— word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of 〈◊〉 now when we come to understand this 〈◊〉 as spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ we 〈◊〉 conclude there was a possibility of understaâ—â—ing and hearing that inward Voice and Word of Truth in our own Hearts that God did speak to us by his Son Jesus Christ who enlightned us Hereupon Meetings were appointed at first that the Word should minister Life in them and Life to them that attend them and to this Day our Meetings are appointed for this purpose that we may have â—he ministration of Life and Vertue from Christ the Fountain of Life and Vertue by whom we are to be quickned and strengthned and by whom those that are dead in Sins and Trespasses are to be quickned Therefore I would have every one always to have a Reverence to the Word of Life that speaks in themselves for if we speak as we are moved by the Spirit of God and utter those things by verbal Testimony which God hath made known to us if you have not an Oracle in your Bosoms if you do not at the same time perceive an Eccho of Truth in your own Souls this will do you no good but be an empty sound which will pass away again but the Mind that is serious and settled in waiting upon God with an earnest Desire that it may receive Benefit in going to this and the other Meeting such aâ—one will say I pray God bless this opportunity to me that so I may receive Benefit to my Soul Where People meet in this manner they have not only an administration of Doctrin from without from this and the other Instrument but they have a Ministration of the Word of God in â—â—emselves by which a Man liveth Let us not be 〈◊〉 and hurried away with the grand Error of the Times the great Error of this Age and of the Ages by-past that there is no possibility for People to understand and hear this Voice of God this inward Voice There are say they no immediate Teachings now adays no Inspirations now adays they had as well said that there are no Conversions now adays I will prove it from the Holy Scriptures that there is no Man in this Age is like to be converted to God or redeemed from his Iniquity and brought to the knowledge of his Maker unless he have it by the inward Working of the Eternal God Not by Mans Preaching and Instruction nor by reading all the good Sermons that ever were preached without the Co-operation of the holy sanctifying Spirit which begets Life in them that believe and if these Men say none can be Converted then we must all go Headlong to Hell and they and all These Quakers may say what they will there is no immediate Teaching now adays no Man can know the mind of God nor understand the Scriptures none can open theâ— to you But blessed be God this Darkness is râ—moved this Vail is gone over and taken â—way the brightness of the glory of the Goâ—pel hath expell'd this Darkness and thousanâ— now adays do not onlâ— hear the Minister reprove them but they â—eâ— a Voice within that doth reprove them 〈◊〉 â—â—iquity and they find and feel a Judgment and Tribunal within themselves and that God hath an immediate way of Counselling and Instructing them if they will hearken to him You that are under any sense of this that are come to such an inward sense of the operation of the Word of God if you have heard it reprove you exhort you judge you and condemn you consider that this Word proceeded out of the Mouth of God and not out of the Mouth of any Man You hear the sentence of God upon you in your own Consciences Whence comes it This is out of the Mouth of God Every Word that comes
own Bosom against Whoredom Lying Drunkenness Fraud and other Sins he knows he hath done amiss he is not going to a Confessor that will take off and remove the Guilt from his Conscience he hath offended the Majesty of the great God and God hath signified to him Is not Judgment come and hath not God set it up in his own Heart if through Custom in Sin thou losest the Sense of this Judgment it is not because God hath determined to take Advantage against thee but because thou actest against thy self and comest to be past feeling thou wast once under a sense of these things and thou wast not past feeling if thou at any time told thy Parents a Lie thou hadst Remorse but now thou canst tell a Lie and not feel it thou art past feeling whose Fault is this The Lord would have brought thee to love Truth but thou chusest Lying if thou periâ—◠〈◊〉 Blood will be upon thine own head the 〈◊〉 clear from it They that receive the Word of God 〈◊〉 Life for man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God You are sensible of God's speaking this Word to you I exhort you all in the Love of God that you would prize this manner of Speaking and look upon it as the greaâ—est Mercy that ever you enjoy'd that God hath not given over speaking to you and that Conscience hath not given over speaking to you and that the Spirit of the Lord doth yet strive with you he will not always strive you may be of that sort of Fools before you die that make a mock of sin and be as trees twice dead and plucked up by the roots You that are sensible of this inward Voice prize it above all your Mercies Health and Wealth and all other Mercies are not worthy to be compared to this Voice of God speaking in you They that prize this will never complain for want of Power they will find Power in it all the Power in Heaven and Earth is contained in this Truth that shines unto you They that come to be exercised in this Word receive Power from God for God gives it to them he gives them Power by degrees from being Sons of Belial Sons of the Devil to become Sons of God to as many as believe in his name They that receive this Truth grow tender of a Lie of a vain Word they find themselves grow tender feeling and sensible Hâ—â—e is a token that the God of Life is quickâ—â—â— them I am now tender of speaking a Lie to my Neighbour I will not do that thing to another that I would not have another do to me when you come to a tender state which is far better than an hard-hearted state you will have an Evidence in your selves That man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Blessed are they that God hath brought into Acquaintance with his Word of all Nations and People upon the Earth they are a blessed People though there are manifold Blessings that reach indifferently to all the sun shines and the rain falls on the evil and the good and on the just and unjust yet this is a Blessing that can only make the Soul happy that an Intercourse between it and its Maker is open that there is an open Intercourse for the Lord to hear a Man cry and he to receive his Word all those that God hath brought into Covenant with himself by Christ he hath made sensible of this Intercourse and way of God's speaking to his People which he spake to them by in former days Take heed that this way be not stopt up you know by what it was opened and what will stop it up again when you were in much Trouble and Grief you cried to the Lord and he delivered you But if I regard iniquity in my heart said David the Lord will not hear me You cried to the Lord again it may be and he did not answer you and the Lord cried to you and you answered him not but hearkned to your Lusts Yet the Lord by his long-suffering and patience hath won upon a Remnant and hath brought them over to believe and trust in his Power for Salvation and as soon as ever they came to believe in him they found his Power to remove out of the way that which hindred the Intercourse between God and their Souls What a great Stir was there in removing out of the way the Pride Corruption Enmity Loosness Wantonness and abundance more of evil things that made the Soul like a Wilderness What hacking up and burning up was there God's Word like a hammer and like a fire did break up and burn up these things and the same Word of God like a Sword did cut down those Sins and Lusts which prevailed over you before By this means God hath opened a Way for you to have access to him and for his Word to have access to you When you come to the Lord in this way you know you live by this Word and if you hear the Word of the Lord spoken immediately to you your Joy and Consolation increaseth and you have sweet Communion and Fellowship with God and Christ and with one another by this Covenant of Life How came you into it It was by removing a great deal of Rubbish out of the way If you should let this Rubbish grow up again which kept you from the Joy of the Holy Ghost will it not do it again If your Pride Corruption Enmity Prejudice Looseness and Wantonness if these be suffer'd to grow up in any of you they will do as they did before they will separate you from the Lord and from one another As the Truth brought you to God and this heavenly Fellowship with him so if a wrathful Mind and wanton Spirit get up again it will separate you from God and scatter you from one another then you will live in the outward Life and die to the inward one and perish Remember you were told so Every one that goes from this living Word and suffers any thing to arise of the old Nature so much as that riseth so much will your way of Intercourse with God be stopt sometimes Men cry to God but they have a Bar in their way and they come for Comfort to the Throne of Grace but they cannot receive those Ministrations of Joy and Peace which they desire their foolish hearts are darkned and their minds blinded and they will go on in darkness and be left out of the Holy Covenant which God hath called his People to You that God hath engaged to be his by the Operation of his Power O live in a holy Fear and watchfulness and know this That let your Understanding and Gifts be what they will you have nothing but what is given you and what God he hath given you he can take away Thou hast decked thy self with my flax and my wool and
but the grand question that every one ought to enquire about and put to themselves is What progress they have made in this way Whether they are Baptized yet or no Whether they have Put off the old Man and his deeds and put on the new Man and the new Mans deeds which are righteousness and holiness They that find that though they are believers they are short of this they do also find that their shortness is their hinderance their shortness in not coming up to the pattern that hath bin shewed them is their hinderance so that they enjoy not the things here spoken of the being under this sense and really sitting under this sense in a Meeting though there should be no Man speaking to them outwardly yet being come to this faith and made partakers of this baptism People would find in their own Bosoms the hidden Word of life ministring to their condition they would have enough there would not be a famin of the Word unto them nor they should not need to be in expectation of going out to this or the other Instrument but they would be satisfied when they are met together with the presence of the Lord that the Lord is in midst of them ministring to them the Word of life in his operating and working speaking in a tongue that every one can understand it speaking with a kind of Voice and Language that every one may understand his own state and condition and this is the way that God brought up People at the beginning to the knowledge of Heavenly things and opening of the mysteries of Salvation we had it not of Men but of Jesus our Lord he was our great minister we waited upon him and trusted in him and he taught us himself he hath ministred to us at our silent and quiet waiting upon him those things that were convenient for us we might well say he gave us our Food in due season he hath not only given strong Meat unto Men but hath ministred of the sincere Milke of his word unto Babes that lived in sincerity and self-denyal loving God above all things and he taught and conducted us in our way this way of simplicity until our understandings came to be opened until our Souls came to be prepared to receive the mysteries of his Kingdom In those Days there were some that started up in Knowledge and that built their Nets on high and took Flax and Wool and Silver and Gold and decked themselves with them but the Lord found them out and brought them down and took the Crown from their Head and cloathed them with Dishonour So God doth from Age to Age his Judgments will begin at his own House if you would Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ then grow in humility and self-denyal and keep a constant watch upon your Hearts examine your Hearts and Commune with your selves upon your Beds and be still take heed lest you sin against the Lord and provoke him There were some that provoked the Lord of old and they commited two great evils What be they They have gon away and forsaken the Fountain of living Water as much as to say they have not their dependance upon an invsiable power as they ought to have for I am a living fountain and t is by an invisible power that I am able to councel and teach direct and purify and open their understanding but they have forsaken me that is one great evil and the other is they would not be without somewhat they have forsaken the Lord and they would have somewhat instead of God They have digged to themselves broken Cisterns that will hold no Water And how many in this Age have committed these two great evils My Friends examine your selves are there not many that have been guilty of these two great Evils They do not keep their close dependence trust and reliance upon the invisible Power of God as they profess they ought to do but are hurried away from it some by the love of the World some by Lusts and Pleasures some by Passions and others by worldly Interests are drawn away from the Power to do and say that which the Power is against Is not this a forsaking of the Lord the living Fountain What do they do then Are they not for this and that and the other Man for hearing this and the other Mans word and digging to themselves broken Cisterns And have they not their trust and confidence in going to Meetings in commending this and the other way Have they not their trust in their Profession outwardly when it ministers nothing to their Souls so that they secretly wither for all this If you had all the Men and Angels that were ever sent of God appointed to preach to you that could not minister Life to you unless there be that Faith that stands in the Power of God The Faith that stands in any Mans Words that will not overcome your Lusts but the Faith that stands in the Power purifies the Heart it will not suffer any unclean thing there As for Preaching let a Man preach against this and the other Lust and Corruption there it will remain for all his Preaching unless Men know Gods Power and Life in which there is Righteousness for Words and Knowledge and Sight and Speculation will never give People Victory over their Sins Therefore you know every one who is setled must be setled where the Foundation of Religion is it is not coming to Meetings and owning this and the other Doctrin which is the Foundation of our Religion God hath revealed his Power to every one of us God hath not given his Spirit to Preachers and Prophets only for then there would be a Famine of the Word as was in Israel The Priest's Lips preserved Knowledge If you did take away the Priest you did take away their Knowledge The Prophets had the Word of God and they only spake the Word of God If the Prophet was taken away then the Word of God was taken away The Lord threatned to send a Famine among them they grieved and vexed and killed and destroyed the Priests and Prophets therefore saith thâ— Lord I will send a Famine among you not of Bread but of the Word and they shall go from City to City and enquire for the Word of the Lord. Thus it was in the Jewish Church if there was a Prophet they would go 30 40 or 100 Miles to him that had the Word of the Lord They shall go from City to City to enquire for the Word of the Lord But blessed be God we are come to another Day for now the Word of the Lord is manifested in the Hearts of all that believe they know the Word I do not say all that believe do preach the Word or ought to preach but the Word preacheth to them they are not as broken Cisterns that can hold no Water when they find the Word and hear it they speak
have an Eye to Christ the Author and Finisher of their Faith when Men have a reference to their Faith in Christ this makes their Duty acceptable I cannot do it except the Lord strengthen me therefore I will have respect to the Mediator Christ Jesus who was sent for a Light into the World God sends forth his Grace to every one to lay hold on that generally believe that tho' they are unable to do what God requires yeâ— he will enable them to do it 〈◊〉 aâ— many as receâ—ved him to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God tho' they were the Devils Children before He is the same yesâ—erday to day and for ever He abides alâ—â—â—s the same in his Grace to Men he is in his operation to them the same he offers Grace to them that are out of a frame of Mind to receivâ— it they may know that his Power will givâ— them Ability and that whatsoever they do of themselves will prove fruitless because it is not done in Christ's Name and Power and so not acceptable to God The greatest thing that we are to be concern'd about if we will be Religious and concern our selves about divine Matters about the Kingdom of God and the World to come is to see what frame of Mind we are in at present whether the high Places are taken away whether we are not exalted in our own Conceits of Knowledge and Wisdom and reckon not to be beholden to him for his Grace If we be highly conceited and think we can stand upon our own Legs the high Places are not taken away Men are not prepared to seek the God of their Fathers therefore let every one mind turning to God and see how it is with you see whether there be a Mind brought low enough to be subject to Christ and to the gracious Teachings of his Spirit A Man may say I can make a good Sermon I can make a good Prayer and Exhortation and I can make a Book â—nd 〈◊〉 it abroad I can do all this by mine own Pâ—â—ts and Abilities so thou maist and maist maâ—e it all full of good Words but thou canst never make it acceptable to God for without me saith Christ you can do nothing Tâ—â—â— must have the assistance of the Spirit of Christ else thou canst not make a good Prayer nor a good Book nor any thing good God esteems the very Plowing of the Wicked to bâ— an Abomination to him Where the Mind is not exercised by the Spirit of God if he should pray from Morning to Night and spend all his Days in Pennance it will do him no good If I saith David regard Iniquity you may think I am a Man in favour with God a Man after Gods own Heart yet if I regard Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer What signifies Prayers and Sermons made of good Words if they come not fâ—â—m a Heart separate from Iniquity If it be not so it will do no good at all in point of Acceptance with God O let the fear of the Lord enter upon every Heart wait all to feel the Divine Power of the Lord that brings down every high Thought that so you may look to the Preparation of your Heart that is a right Preparation when People are so low so broken and so tender that they are nothing in their own Eyes but what the Lord will make them to be Then they are as Clay to the Hands of the Potter they are fashioned by his Hands and 〈◊〉 the Worâ—â—anship of God in Chrâ—â—â— Jeâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—e one Mediator between God and Mâ—â— They must bear Christ Jesus his likeness 〈◊〉 his hâ—â—â—enly Image they must â—â—ve hiâ—â—ualities and have the same Minâ— in them that was in him I do always that which pleaseth my Father saith the Lord Jesus Christ Indeed he hath the doing of things in the Hearts of Men and God is pleased with him and where Men have the doing of them themselves they are thrown back as Dung in their Faces where any aim at infallible Justification where Men have a right preparation of Heart so to seek the God of their Fathers as to find him and be accepted of him it is through Jesus Christ in whom he is well pleâ—â—â—â— In all your Assemblies Prayers Exercises and Meditations you must be separated and drawn oâ—â—â—â—m your former Lovers and you must be joined to him that God hath sent to be a â—eader and a Guide unto you then you will find daily his Assistance and as you have Assistance from him you will find Acceptance wiâ—â— God and he will shew you the Father and that and nothing else will satisfy the Soul hungring and thirsting after God Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us So when Christ the Mediator comes to have wrought so far as the purifying of the Soul and the sanctification thereof and thereby fitted it for his Glory such holy Souls 〈◊〉 behold his Glory For the Lord 〈…〉 Grace and Glory and no good thing will 〈◊〉 hold from them that walk uprightly That you may be brought to this State and â—ept and preserved in it that the Heavens may rain down Fatness upon you and that you may feel the living Vertues that flow from Christ to every Member this is the Labour and Travel of the Servants of God for their own Souls and the Souls of others that are in Unity and Fellowship with the Holy Spirit SERMON VI. Captive Sinners set free by Jesus Christ Preached at Devonshire-House April 29th 166â— THere is nothing will make People live to God but that which they received from God For as all Men by Nature are in a state of Death so there must be something beyond Nature to make them alive again and that â—s it that every one ought to wait upon God 〈◊〉 that you may feel something that is supernatural And that you may be acquainteâ— with God's Gift The gift of God saith the Scripture is eternal life Many find a Life in this World that is not the Gift of 〈◊〉 The Life that People have in Sin it is not the Gift of God the Delights and Pleasures of this World are become a Life unto them The World is that to which every one must die they that are not dead to that they live all to themselves they do not live to God for none can live to God but by the Life that comes from him That which People receive of Man gathers them unto Man that which they receive of God carries them to God So Men have made Gatherings and have communicated of what they have to one another and by vertue thereof have made them a People Many Men have gathered many People â—â—ny Churches and they live to them that gathered them they do not live to God for want of receiving something from God 〈◊〉 all they that come to receive the Gift of God they die to the World and they come to live such a Life as the World doth
bringeth Salvation appeareth to all Men and that is by teaching us What doth it Teach I pray consider it iâ— teacheth us To deny all Vngodliness and 〈◊〉 worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteoâ—â— and godly in this present World Where is 〈◊〉 Sin now if a Man be taught by this Gâ—â—â—â— and the Dictates of it Can a Man live Sin and yet live righteously soberly and godly too Can a Man live in Sin and yet deâ—y all Ungodliness at the same time Where â—ave Mens Understandings been that cannot understand their Mother Tongue and consider sense Where are Mens Understandings that will say I may deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and yet follow the Lusts 〈◊〉 my own Heart You would think I speak Nonsense if I should speak thus and yet we â—â—ve been put off with such nonsensical Stuff as this We must pray to God to send his holy Spirit into our Hearts to enable us to live godly righteous and sober Lives and at the same time believe that we shall never do it but that it is a business of Impossibility Now when Men come to lay these things together and when they consider between God and their own Souls how it is with them many are amazed to think they should ever be put off with such incongruous disagreeing and dissonant things that are not consistent with one another But do you think it is possible for any Man to live without sin Yes or else I would say it is impossible for any to be reconciled to God for God will never be reconciled to Sinners as such for his â—argain and Covenant is made with such kind 〈◊〉 Articles Isa 1.16 17. Wash ye make ye â—â—ean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well c. Then come and let us reason together saith the Lord tho' your Sins be as Scarlet thâ—â— shall be as white as Snow tho' they be Red 〈◊〉 Crimson they shall be as Wool still these 〈◊〉 the Terms Put away the evil of youâ— doingâ— then Patience Mercy and Long Sufferiâ—â— shall be extended to you God will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold what from those that say their Prayers or gâ— to the Church or a Meeting No but no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 These are the Men. And when the Lord is distinguishing by his Prophet who he would have among them he speaks of a sort of People that called upon the Name of the Lord Those that feared the Lord and spake often one to another that is of the goodness of God they were a sort of People that Trembled at the Word of God a sort of People that did not do as others did hunt after Pleasures Riches and the Honours of the World but to be acquainted with the inward Word that wrought upon their Hearts In that Day that I make up my Jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord Whose shall the others be Thou wilt own these for thine but whose shall the others be that think not upon thy Name and tremble not at thy Word There is a Place for them too Tophet is â—â—â—pared of old made both wide and large 〈◊〉 Fuel thereof is Fire and Brimstone and 〈◊〉 Wood and the breath of the Lord kindleâ—◠〈◊〉 This is for all that are Wicked 〈…〉 work Iniquity This is in the Old Testament then comes the New Testament in John's Revelations there is a separation again There are a sort of Folk which are called the true Worshippers and the Angel was commanded to go and measure the Temple and those that worshipped therein The outward Temple was not measured but left for the Gentiles to tread in and left without the measure For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie And then the Lord speaks to his Prophets in the Old Testament again If thou put a difference between the Precious and the Vile then thou shalt be as my Mouth unto them but if thou huddle them altogether and sow Pillows under their Elbows then thou shalt be as my Mouth So that in all Ages God aimed at a separation of the state and condition of his People and one sort of People were purified through the sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth and another sort were unsanctified and unpurified and remain'd in their Sin and the end of Christs coming into the World it was to call People to Repentance He came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to â—epentance and to leave off their Sin To as â—â—ny as received him to them he gave Power 〈◊〉 become the Sons of God to as many as beâ—â—â—ed on his Name Whose Sons were the other They made as high a rattle of Profession as the other He tells them who is their Father You are of your Father the Devil oâ— he did orderly prove it and that was tâ—â—â— That they did the Devils Works Ergo Tâ—â—â— were the Devils Children It was Christ himself the greatest Doctor of Divinity that evâ—â— was in the World that spake these Woâ—â—â— And this is the manner of Logick whereby 〈◊〉 argues with the Pharisees to make them believe that they were the Devils Children they that do the Devils Works are the Devil's Children but you do his Works therefore you are his Children so they sought to 〈◊〉 him they could not bear such Arguments If one should go and search out a People in thâ—â— City and Nation and see one Man of this Religion another of that Religion and pick them out and use this Argument with them There is a Man professeth high he professeth a Light within if you look upon his Deeds they are dead and dark why then he is one of the Devils Children If you put me to prove this I say he doth the Devil's Works he is an Extortioner a Deceiver and a Drunkard and unclean Person and doth the Devil's Works and so is none of God's Children And so go to another sort and use this Argument it is safe enough you can never fail in this kind of Argument which Christ used and if People would use it with â—â—eâ—selves and think themselves no better 〈◊〉 we should have People confess themselves 〈◊〉 Devil's Children None come to be God's Childrâ—◠〈…〉 come to acknowledge their lost estate 〈◊〉 deplorable condition that they are fallen from God and through Sin and Iniquity are got into a nature that is at â—â—mity with God then they will cry out Who shall deliver me â—rom this body of death and Childship of Saâ—â—â— this Heirship of Wrath I am an Heir oâ— an Inheritance I am an Heir of Wrath and I would fain lose my Inheritance and Heirship and have an Inheritance with the Saints in light we shall never know this till we come to Divinity without Sophistry and without Tricks and Quirks and come to Christ's Râ—â—â—â—ning He that doâ—â—
state and 〈◊〉 you see with your inward Eye that your 〈◊〉 is not so good as you would have it â—o 〈◊〉 then trust and rely upon the all-sufficient 〈◊〉 powerful Operation of God's Holy Spiâ—â—â— mend your state and give you Power 〈◊〉 your Corruptions and to go on from one 〈◊〉 to another towards the Cleansing and Sanctiâ—â—cation of your Souls so that you may receive something from God to enable you to live to God for all that you receive from Men will only make you live to Men but that which you receive from God will help you to live to God that will purifie you and sanctify you and make you clean through the word So through the Word you will come to Cleanness Purity and Holiness And when you are come to the way of Holiness you may believe you are gotten into the way of God's Kingdom and never till then It is not enough to make a Profession but we must live up to the Profession of that Religion that we make it is not holding this Tenet and the other Tenet and saying This Minister I am sure preacheth the Truth thou mayest be a Child of the Devil for 〈◊〉 that I now speak indifferently to all People without respect to any fort They thaâ— believe they are walking toward the Kingdom of God and yet their way is not a holy 〈◊〉 â—hey have cheated themselves and deceiv'd their â—wn Souls and they had need look about them â—nd take heed what they do the Glass is â—â—nning and Time is hasting away and our â—ife may end we know not how soon It is â—ood to prize and improve Time while you â—ave it and bring your Deeds to the Light â—ee what Reproofs Instructions Counsels and Openings you have met with from the Lord and see how you have answered aâ—d been obedient to them and so you will come to take a sound and infallible account of your condition and if it be not so good as it should be wait upon the Lord to mend it he that made you can mend you he that made your Ears must unstop your Ears to hear the Word of God To that Power that carries on the Work of Sanctification and Redemption by his word to that word I must leave you and to his Spirit I commit you This word will be with you and if you part not with it it will not part with you it will go with you to your Houses and to your Shops and to your Beds it will lie down with you at Night and rise with you in the Morning To that end Christ he is a Leader and Governour and the Captain of our Salvation to lead the Van and carry you on in the way of Salvation and as many as follow Christ and are led by the spirit of God they are the Children of God SERMON VII The Sheep of Christ heaâ— his Voice Preached at Devonshire-House May 10th 1688. My Sheep saith the true Shepherd hear my Voice THE Sheep of the true Fold hear the Voice of Christ the good Shepherd and know the Voice of Strangers too But saith he the stranger they will not follow This Scripture hath been a Mark of Distinction in all Ages that hath been peculiarly bestowâ—â— upon the People of God that they have hâ—â—â— a discerning Knowledge to make a certain distinction between them that were of God and those that were of the World Now they that are of God hear us saith the Apostle Now that you may all find in your selveâ— this peculiar Gift of God to be able to understand and discern between the precious and the vile that you might know the Ministration of Life from the Ministration of Dâ—â—th you must all be gathered inwardly into â—hat which you have received 〈◊〉 God for they â—â—at are only exercised 〈◊〉 Gifts and Parts and Acquirements that appertain to this world they have been always subject to Delusions apt to be led away into a by-Path and crooked way that leads to destruction but they that are under the Government and Direction of the Gift of God they have been able thereby to make such a Distinction of Voices and of Sounds that they have been preserv'd from the Delusions of the Age. This was the difference of old between the Prophets of God and the false Prophets between the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ and the false Apostles the difference was not so much in their Words for they had in a great measure the same Words if the true Prophets used to say Thus saith the Lord the false Prophets would say so too if the true Prophets declared against Sin the false Prophets likewise would do so for the false Prophet stole his Word from his Neighbour But the great Matter by which the People of the Lord were preserved was that hidden and divine Wisdom they received of God by which they understood the Voice of the Spirit from the Voice of Strangers from the Voice of them that were of the Flesh and that was the Cause that Christians in the Primitive Days did not adhere to and follow those false Apostles that came to them in their own Names and held a form of Godliness but denyed the Power of it But they amongst them into whom theiâ— witchcrafts did enter they went away from thâ— spirit and saught to be made perfect in the flesh they went to the outward observation and to the beggarly rudiments of things that perish with their using and from the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus And as it hath been in those Ages of which we have read so it comes to pass in this our Age in which a dispensation of the spirit of Truth is manifested and revealed unto the Children of Men there is a remnant that have received the Testimony of Eternal Life and have believed the Testimony and waited on him of whom the Testimony is born not to have Life by the Testimony but to have Life in him so they receive their Life by the ministration of the spirit of Christ and they live to God and others who have received no Life from him but have a Life in the Words and Sounds and Noizes and Terms and distinguishing Phrases of things their Life 〈◊〉 there they live not to God but to themselves their Glorying is not in the Cross of Christ but in the Words and outside of things so that every one had need at such a time as this to approve their Hearts unto the Lord who knows the inside of Peoples profeâ—sion the inside oâ— of their Religion that knows how the Heart is concernd towards God and what they say and do upon the account of his service so that all that are met together might come to receive more and more of the Life and vertue that sanctifies the Soul of him that receiveth it For Alas my Freinds it is not the gathering together of the most excellent Words about Religion and about worship and service which will approve any Man in the
is a plâ—ce appointed for the Woman in 〈◊〉 Wilderness where she is preserved by the â—â—mighty Power where she is nourished for a Time and Times and half a Time from the Face of the Serpent but she must come out again after some Time in spite of the Devil and all his Instruments of all his Dragons and Serpents The woman must come out of the Wilderness and the Man-Child must come down with great Power to rule the Nations This hath been accomplished say some above fourteen hundred Years ago and if you will take their Word the Church hath been come so long out of the Wilderness But the Church that they speak of hath it not wanted Holiness and Righteousness Hath it given glory to God on high with peace on earth and good will to men No their Church hath lived in Tyranny and barbarous Cruelty and shedding of Blood They say the Churcâ— was in the Wilderness in Dioclesian's Time and when Constantine came to the Empire theâ— she came out of the Wilderness If it had been a Holy Church we should have seen the Man-Child come down from God and Holiness and Righteousness would have run down like a mighty stream and Truth would have filled the whole Earth All these things have not yet been fulfilled for we have seen the Professors of Truth fallen in the Streets they have been persecuted and troubled and thrown into Prisons and … on s but there is a better Church some … to be found I read of the Holy Church the Lamâ—â— Wife the Spouse of Christ that hath been hid somewhere a great while in some Corner or other in the Wilderness but she will come forth again out of the wilderness leaning upon her well-beloved She doth not come leaning on this Prince and the other Potentate She comes not out of the Wilderness leaning on Captains Generals and Armies but leaning on Christ her well-beloved the Immortal Invisible Power of the Son of God she trusteth in it All the other Churches I have read of they have leaned upon one Prince or Potentate or one Emperour or another and they have relyed on these great Men as on their Bulwark but this Church that comes out of the Wilderness will come leaning only upon her well-beloved the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Author and Finisher of her Faith she will put her Trust in him for he will deliver his Church from all her Enemies And though the Serpent cast out of his Mouth Water as a Flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood 〈◊〉 the Lord will cause the Earth to help â—he â—oman and thâ— Earth shall open her Mouth and swallow up the Flood which the Dragon cast out of his Mouth Let the Dragon do what he can to destroy the Woman and her Seed she knows what her beloved can do he will command the Earth to open and swallow up the Flood and she shall go dry through it How happy are they that lean upon Christ their well-beloved The Church of Christ in all Ages hath leaned upon him and he hath founded his Church upon a Rock so that the Devil and all his Instruments and the very gates of hell shall not prevail against her The Members of this Church have their Teacher Christ Jesus and they receive Counsel and Direction from him He is their Priest and Teacher and he teacheth them by his Spirit and his Word which he hath placed in their Hearts and given them an Understanding to know him that is true Christ's Word you must keep to 〈◊〉 if you will be true Schâ—lars This 〈◊〉 true Divinity if you will have the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God communicated and opened to you give heed to 〈◊〉 word and that Truth that is in your 〈◊〉 parts Attend to that Light and that 〈◊〉 that is manifested in your Hearts and 〈◊〉 Lord will shew you more of the Power 〈◊〉 Efficacy thereof and if you be faithful 〈◊〉 little he will make you ruler over much 〈◊〉 answerable to the Understanding and Knowledge that God hath given you and if you be faithful in a little he will communicate more and more of his Mind and Will to you and if you be led by the Spirit of Truth you will trust in it and hearken to it and understand the Language of it in your own Hearts and if you be a willing people in the day of God's power God will work all things in you and for you and work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure SERMON IX The wonderful love of God to Mankind Preached at S. Martin's-le-Grand November 9th 16â—0 IT is our great concern while we are in this World to promote the Glory of God and 〈◊〉 work out our own salvation to endeavour â—hat in us lies to be sensible and to help one another to be sensible of the Love of God to 〈◊〉 This is the only thing that can give us 〈◊〉 comfort to have a Sense of the Love of God to us in Christ Jesus There is 〈◊〉 more certain â—haâ—â—hat all of us are Partakâ—â—â— of the Love of 〈◊〉 which is imparted to us daily and we live noâ— a Day without it but we may if we have not a care live maâ—â— Days without it and without the comfortaâ—â—â— Sense of it and that is the reason that 〈◊〉 great many of â—he Sâ—â—â— and Daughters of Men do 〈◊〉 in their Liâ—â—â— so little Love to God becaâ—â—e they have so â—â—â—tle Sense of his Love to them for the Apostle â—ohn that had attained 〈◊〉 great Knowledge and Experience in Christianity plainly declareth that â—he â—â—â—son of that Love â—â—at we have to 〈◊〉 is â—â—â—ause he first loved us and I do not believe that any Man can have any true Love to Gâ—d that is not sensible of the Love of God to hâ—m And 〈◊〉 those temporal Blessings that we enjoy 〈◊〉 thâ—â—â—â—fe as Health and Strength and our very â—â—eath 〈◊〉 â—â—ing and well-being that every Day and Hour are continued they are from 〈◊〉 Love of God to us and the lengthning 〈◊〉 of our Lives and vouchsafing us Oppâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—es for the good of our Souls are evident Tokens of God's Love and Good-will to us Where these things are not coâ—sidered and regarded men live like the 〈◊〉 that perish and regard not him that mâ—dâ— them but go on in Disobedience to him 〈◊〉 Dishonouring of his great Name and hoâ—â—â—ing up Wrath upon their own Souls Aâ—◠〈◊〉 doth every Man while he remaâ—â—â— in 〈◊〉 natural state and conditionâ— foâ— there is in every Man by nature the Sâ—â—d aâ—d Root of all Sin and Rebellion against 〈◊〉 which makes him return evil to God fâ—â— the good he doth to us And I believe we are â—ll of us sensible in some measure of the depravedness that is fallen upon all Maâ—â—â—d and of tâ—â—t â—â—mity to God and that aveâ—â—â—â—ss that â—s 〈…〉 the doing the will of God and that impotency and inability
not believe except the Answer please them Many in our Days have put up their Petitions and Prayers to God that he would discover to them the State and Condition of their Souls The Lord hath answered them that notwithstanding all the Profession that they have made of his Name and of their Faith in his Son Jesus Christ and of the Work of Redemption yet he hath told a Man Thou art still unredeemed thou art still in thy Sin and Lusts and Concupiscence prevail over thee thou art still in Bondage This is God's Answer to many but there is something ariseth in their Minds that they are not willing to believe this I would think better of my self than this What if thou dost think better of thy self Thou art never the better for â—he word of the Lord stands sure There is no removing of it there is no â—â—nial of the Truth If this Truth condemn thee all the World canâ—ot justifie thee and this Trutâ— by which God condemns the Sinner is in the Sinner's own Heart What will he do with it It is in the Sinner's Conscience it doth not only condemn him by Book out of this Chapter and that Verse out of this Author and the other Author but he is condemned by God's true and faithful Witness in his own Conscience Thou wilt not believe iâ— but if thou believest not this then thou remainest in thy Unbelief of the Truth and nothing else but believing it can save thee No counsel else can deliver or redeem thee So that the best Advice and Counsel that I can give a People in this case is this That when they come to such a religious Meeting as this is they would come with a Mind prepared and fitted to think upon the Lord to think upon his Name and the way by which he brings People to himself for no Man can be called a Child of God that doth not partake of his Nature If a Man be never so wise and rich and great in the World if he be a Prince or an Emperour without this he is a Child of Wrath Now if these Children of Wrath meet with something that convinceth them if they are touched and become a sensible People then Crowns and Diadems are nothing to them Such a one will say If I be a child of wrathâ— a Captive to Sin and my own Lust and Concupiscence yet for all that I will go to a religious Meeting where I hope the Word of God will be preached I hope to meet with something there that will do me good and I have a Desire that I may be translated out of a natural State from being a child of wrath and to be brought into the kingdom of God If I have this Desire in me God that made me wrought it in me for by Nature we cannot so much as think a good thought When Men think of being better and of amending their ways and doing their Souls good these are very good Thoughts in themselves When such Thoughts are begotten in any Men's Hearts I would have them to ascribe them to the Grace of God and nothing else Preachers may do much where these Desires are begotten but it is not in their Power to beget these Desires Many have come to a Meeting with loose prophane and wandring Minds and though many good things have been spoken to them it hath not reached so far as to beget good Desires their Hearts have been so alienated from the Grace of God in themselves which is the great superiour Worker to which we are but Servants and Ministers there is none can beget any thing but he in whom all Power is They that are under the Power of Darkness the Devil begets in them Wantonness and Vaniâ—â— Prophaneness and hardness of Heart Some go away from a Meeting without being touched and perswaded and they have no good Hope of being better But where People are really touched in their Spirits with a desire after something that will do them good they must come to the Fountain of Good the God that made them and think upon him if they cannot see his glory and hear his voice yet they can think upon him This is the least Duty of a Christian to think upon the Name of the Lord and where their Minds are exercised about divine Matters about the State and Condition 〈◊〉 their poor Souls If I die this â—ight what will become of me This and that Sin I have committed how shall I be able to answer to God for one of a thousand of all my loose Thoughts Words and Actions They that come to a Consideration of this and a due Sense of their State and Condition though it is such a State that they do not like of that it is not such as it ought to be yet notwithstanding it may be better they may be brought out of it into a better condition Now this is the duty of all to be waiting upon God the Fountain of all Good that they may receive something from God for every good and perfect gift comes from above from the Father of Lights the Father of thy Light and my Light that Light comes to us from the Father of Lights If we have any perfect Gift bestowed upon us it is bestowed by God therefore you will grant that we are all obliged from the great◠〈…〉 least to wait upon him if we have the 〈◊〉 Expectation from God by a Meeting otherwise we had better keep away But I am apt to judge that the most here are come with some Desire that if it please God they may receive Benefit by their Meeting Where shall they have it They say if such a Man preacheth then I can edifie much by him This is a great Mistake for let who will preach there is no Body can receive any Benefit but it must be from the Lord as the Fountain of Good for the best Preachâ—rs in the World are but Instâ—â—ments in the Hands of Godâ— if God doth not bless his Labours 〈◊〉 â—â—eacher can do nothing to the Souls of Pâ—â—ple bâ—â—â—an sound the Truth 〈◊〉 their Ears outwardly but he can reach no further God only speaks to the Heart If thou mind the Preacher and not God that made thee all his Preaching will do thee no good It may indeed help thee to a Notion or Speculation but that comes not to the Inside that will be no better the Insidâ— wants mending There are great Deformities Scars Spots Stains Wounds and Lamenesâ— upon the Soulâ— of Men by reason of their Sins Lusts and Corruptions and there wants a Remedy and thâ—â—â— is no Physician of value but God that 〈◊〉 us after his own Image The Devil hath brought in Deformity he hath made one proud another cruel another wanton another an Oppressor another malicious this is all the Devil's Work And for this end 〈◊〉 Jesus came into the world that he might destroy the works of the Devil He came to destroy Pride Malice and Lust these are the
Deâ— Works that Christ came to destroy 〈◊〉 doth he not do it He will destroy 〈◊〉 Devil hath wrought in every Man that will be subject to him Can a Chirurgeon set a Bone if the Patient be not subject to his Hand But this is far beyond all comparison Christ hath received all power in heaven and earth yet he â—â—â—â—ays looks for a willing People he sends 〈◊〉 Day of his Power upon a People anâ— he worketh upon thâ—â—r Heâ—rts by an invincible Power he makes them willing to be helped and mended and healed and cured and then he cures them I dare say there is not one here that is willing to be reformed and to submit to Christ to be saved and redeemed by him but he will do it He that is willing and obedient shall eat of the good of the land and shall know the Good of Redemption See whether it be come to a State of Redemption here is universal Grace offered for the light of Christ Jesus lightneth every one of you It shews you your lost State and Condition When you see yoâ—â— Condition bad that it is not as it ought to be who would not have it better What means Prayer that Christian Duty 〈◊〉 us What shall we pray for Must not People be sensible in themselves what they should pray for before they come to pray And what is it that will make them sensible but the Light and Grace of God They see their own Wants when God worketh Faith in their Hearts and they believe that God can supply those Wants Why should I go to a Beggar to pray him to give me an hundred Pounds I believe he cannot do it therefore I will not pray to him for it Now necessity brings People to go to Prayer but there must be Faith in him to whom 〈…〉 he is able to supply their Wants 〈…〉 relieve their Necessities Upon this acco … the Apostle saith H … cometh to God 〈◊〉 believe that he is and that he is a rewarder 〈◊〉 them that diligently seek him He must 〈◊〉 know that there is a God to come unto anâ— then that he is a Rewarder Here is the Foundation of all true Religiâ—â— and true Worship they that go to God 〈◊〉 say their Prayers and joyn with others in â—â—â—ing their Prayers if they have no 〈…〉 God they had as good hold their 〈…〉 for their Praying is to no purpose They 〈◊〉 pretend to believe in God without an expâ—â—â—mental Power of God working upon 〈◊〉 Hearts their Belief is not worth a Strawâ— without their Respect to the Power of God all their Belief is nothing but if they know that God hath such an Operation upon them that no Man of Woman in the World can discover that to them that God discovereth then they know that God is the searcher of hearts and the tryer of the reins Jerem. 17.10 Suppose I know that there is a God and at the same time I believe that he will never hear me that I am a reprobate Creature and that he hath cast me off for ever and that he hath sealed Condemnation upon me to all Eternity What reason hath such a one to pray This is a desperate condition But while we believe there is a God and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rewarder of them taht diligently seek him it is not in vain to pray yet there is someâ—â—ing antecedent to to Prayer there is Knowâ—edge and Faith upon that Knowledge that God is a Rewarder He that hath this let him pray in God's Name But what must he pray for He must not offer the sacrifice of fools he must have regard to his Lips if it â—e mental Prayer he must pray for that he â—â—ands in need of it is for something he prays â—â—at God hath revealed by his Holy Spirit â—e stands in need of it is for something that he needs it is Power to overcome Corruptiâ—n and Power to overcome Temptation that â—e stands in need of he stands in need of a Mediator to procure for him the Pardon of his Sins These things he stands in need of then let him pray He that is afflicted let him pray So that if a Man or Woman go to Prayer they must pray to God in the Belief of his Goodness â—d Mercy that he will bestow some Blessing upon them that may be for the better that may be for their good When they come to a Meeting to worship God and hear the Word spoken outwardly they must pray for something that may be for their good Lord give me something that may support my Soul and something that may withstand Temptation People should have their Minds thus exercised and they should think upon the Name of the Lord according to their particular Necessity they should pour out their Supplication to the Loâ— This is such Worship as God looks for 〈◊〉 such as he likes and is pleased with he wâ— deliver those that thus pray to him out 〈◊〉 Temptations so that they shall not prevailâ— over them One Man's Temptation is of one sort another's of another sort but they are all delivered by â—e Grace of God and helped over them upon their Prayer to God for they find by Experience that God is a God hearing prayers Now when we have â—â—â—yed what is thâ— next Work It is to â—â—it for an Answer of our Prayer I prayed 〈◊〉 other Day to God for Power to withstand such a Temptation when that Temptation comes agâ—â—n I do expect that God will answer my Prayer Dost thou so Then I pray thee have an Eye to the samâ— Grace â—f Gâ—d that convinced thee and shewed thee the Tâ—mptâ—tion and have thy Faith exercised upon that Gâ—â—ce of God and thou wilt find it sufficient for thee I will warrant thâ—e Let the Devil come with a Temptation never so suiâ—â—ble and subtil keep thine Eye upon the Grace of God and it will deliver thee This was the Case of Paul when a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him he besought the Lord thrice The Temptation did attend him and God gave him an answer of his Prayer My grace is sufficient for thee As if he had said Let the Devil come with never so much Power he shall never overcome â—hee I speak to those that are well skilled in 〈…〉 of Work and have met with sharp Temptations and sometimes perhaps they â—ave been overcome by them and at other times they have withstood them What is the difference why one while they are loose and careless and did not pray for the Assistance of Divine Grace anâ—â—her while they kept close to it and were delivered Therefore when you come to Meeting with a desire to receive Benefit from God with you Expectations God-ward to receive Comfort from the Hands of the Lord let your Eye be upon â—im and the Working of his Grace in your own Hearts and hearken to that Voiâ—â— that is within you and it will be more effectual than mine If you find thâ— Work of Grace in you to
sight of God that is but the painting of a Sepulcher and covering the rottenness that is in many but the Lord sees into the inside of every professor and whosoever names the name of Christ and departeth not from iniquity they do but take his name in vain and contract a guilt upon their own Souls so that every one that seemeth to be Religious ought to enquire whence their profession springs If it springs from a real possession of a measure of that which sanctifies the Life and shews it self forth in its working and operation many times abundantly more than it doth in Word and profession It manifesteth it self in Holyness and Righteousness to the Honour of God it s the aim and design of all such to exalt the name of him whom they profess by Holyness and Righteousness shining forth in their works for it will never shine through words alone many good Words may be spoken yet God not glorifyed but his name may be dishonoured by them but whosoever comes to feel that which is Life in themselves they know what will Honour God they feel the Birth Immortal that is of God of his own begetting by the Word of Truth This living birth is that which brings fortâ— living praises the other is but flesh that which is Born of the 〈◊〉 is Flesh and it glorifyes the Flesh and â—â—en the Flesh is most of all glorifyed most of all exalted it is then but as the â—â—wer of the Field it is then cut down and withered the Sun of Righteousness shines with the beams of the Everlasting glory of God and causeth it to wither and come to naught So Friends let your Minds be gathered inward that you may be able in your own selves by vertue of the divine gift of God to distinguish between the Voâ—â—â— of the true Shepherd and the Voice of a Stranger that so your minds may not follow a strange Voice that you may follow the Lord with your whole Heart with a fuâ—â—â—â—â—pose 〈◊〉 Heart for there is a real Word of prophecy discovered in the inward parts which doth Distinguish between the precious and the Vile in every ones particular and that which is precious in one it answereth to that which is precious in another and that which is vile in one it answereth to that which is vile in anothcr For there is an inward and secret mistery of iniquity as well as a mistery of Godlyness The mistery of Godliness is when God is manifested in the flesh the mistery of iniquity is when the wicked one is making himself manifest and appears and discovers himself in the Flesh that he may rise up and glory in the Flesh Now the eternal Truth which never changeth that is it which giveth a discerning this hath always put a difference between the true and the false Prophets the true and the false Apostles between the true and the false Ministers the difference hath not been so much in words as in Power as the Apostle speaks concerning some in his Days that had endeavoured to deceive and draw Men aside from the Simplicity of the Gospel when I come saith he I will know now their Words were not so much taken notice of what they said whether their Words be true or no I will not know their Words but their Power How should he know their power if he was not in the power himself Now this Divine Power as every one acquaints himself with it it worketh unto the Sanctification of them when they have fellowship with the stirrings and movings of all others that are partakers of it this is that which will establish and confirm your Minds in the true Faith and simplicity of the Truth that you turn not aside to the right Hand or to the left If you have regard to the principle of Divine Truth that you have received from God then you can receive confirmation from any one that hath a Measure according to it There is a measuring Line and the Reed of the Sanctuary that measureth the Temple and all that dwell therein that measures them with one Reed and one Measure and every one answereth to that Measure according to the stature and degree of growth of the grace of God they arrive to and now they are come to a fixed foundation Others there are in the World that haâ—â— laid their foundation upon this creaturely help and the other creaturely help upon this Man and the other Man but now true Christians they come to have their foundation their rooting and Building upon Christ Jesus upon that word of Life that first of all gathered their Minds into a desire after Holyness into a desire after acquaintance â—â—th God that made them You that are true Christians can remember how you were begotten and that which did beget you that Word of God that is incorruptible that is immortal that was not of a dying quality that need not be supported by this and that and the other means but it hath its support in it self it hath its nourishment in it self and it grows up in 〈◊〉 â—â—lf and every one that receiveth it they grow up in it until they come more and more to partake of the Life and qualities of it that as he is so they may be in the present World But alas this is never known but where the Word of God hath its free passage Many have tasted of this Word of God and by tasteing of it have been acquainted with the powers of the World to come they knew well enough the Power that would bring forth another World A new Heaven and a new Earth and Righteousness in it many have felt the Power that have never continued to see the working of it never continued to see and witness what this Power would work going â—â—de from the Power of the World that was to come they have never seen the coming of it but their foolish Hearts have been darkned again and their Imagination have grown vain and they have conceived to themselves a false liberty to the Flesh and their Wills have been strong and have prevailed over them that tho' they had tasted of the Powers that did belong to the World to come they never saw the working and operation of that Power to bring to pass that which by sight and vision they did behold Therefore it is needful for every one of you in every state and condition that the Lord hath brought you into to keep your selves in a deep Humility to know the Afflictions Temptations and Trials you are under and to exercise â—â—ur Minds not only on what you have got over for when some come to look at what Sufferings and Difficulties they have got over they are apt to be exalted above measure and lifted up in their Minds but let every one know the state and condition in which at present they are labouring let every one consider what is their present state and work their help lies in that condition Some have always a