sufferings if that by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead mans light is darkness and his wisdom is enmity The great lesson of the Gospel is self-denyal the state that the Gospel calls us unto is the state of the Resurrection it is a going out of the flesh into the spirit The business of the Gospel is not to save our selves but to lose our selves and in losing our selves we shall save our selves This is a riddle and a mystery and they that know not a spiritual life the life of God know not what to make of it I do not my own will and I know my judgement is just because I do not my own will but the will of him that sent me Let every one that professeth the Gospel consider whether he walks by this rule whether he seeks righteousness by going out of himself into Christ or whether he seeks it in himself whether he seeks it in a new creature whether he looks for the new creature that is born of God and brought forth in his Image which is righteousness and true holiness and not counterfeit There is counterfeit holiness counterfeit righteousness the righteousness of man the holiness of man is abominable and filthy in the sight of God I beseech you saith Paul that ye would not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12. He that will be my Disciple let him deny himself You that seek Christ you wait to purpose in the Gospel and you that have Christ you have the Gospel which is the light and life and glory of God Do not rest in a bare profession nor in mans righteousness nor in some poor outward reformation Do not rest in repairing and beautifying old Adam Christ came from God and we are going to God Let us see our estate in Christ For we are chosen in him and we are of him And he is made of God our wisdom c. It is a vain thing to go about the work of repairing to build Jerico to be patching and peicing an old garment to put old wine into new bottels You will but make rents and breaches Adam was only a shadow and type of that which was to come Look after the new man who shall make straight that which is crooked and supply that which is wanting give up your selves to the spiritual man the second man who is the Lord from heaven Be making towards the fellowship of his sufferings and labor to attain the Resurrection from the dead Make to Christ as he is the Resurrection He is righteous indeed that is righteous before God none shall be owned righteous but he his name shall be called the Lord our Righteousness To walk in our own reason and our own light and wisdom to follow mans will and consult with flesh and blood may be applauded by man but we shall have the portion of fools and wicked ones from the Lord Were it not better to be a fool and a wonder and a gazing stock to men then to be abhorred of God We must go forth without the gate bearing our reproach How can it be otherwise but he that hath laid by his own Reason and Will and professeth he is born of God and that God alone shall be his guide shall be accounted a fool and a mad man and out of his witts It is very hard to be sober to God but we must be mad to men I come to the witness the testimony in ver 31. If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true Here is a witness that is received as insufficient There is no witness authentick but the Father He doth not witness of himself nor do of himself and yet he doth do of himself he hath life in himself and he witnesseth of himself and his witness is true If this be a contradiction it is a Scripture contradiction See Joh. 8. 14. Will you say its a Scripture contradiction The Scripture is a contradiction and nonsense to those that judge after the flesh You will not say it of the Scripture but you will say it of them that preach Scripture that they speak contradiction ver 16. Yet if I judge my judgement is true Why For I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me are one If I were alone my witness were not true but the Father and I being one without contradiction the judgement is true Object But how can this be that Christ witnessing of himself his witness should not be true without controversie man witnessing of himself his witness is not true because he is sinfull But Christ was pure there was no guile found in his mouth To this I answer Though he was a pure and a spotless creature yet he had weakness in him and ignorance in him It is said he grew in stature and knowledge Christ never witnessed any thing but what was true but he never brought forth the full truth He was to bring forth himself in his body in a higher way in greater power then he appeared in the flesh He that believes in me greater works shall he do then I do because I go to the Father There are two things required in a witness faithfullness and knowledge There wanted nothing of faithfulness there wanted of knowledge in Christ he grew in knowledge Christ in us doth know all things Therefore be not cast down though thou doest not yet know all things Upon this account it is that John takes off the new man and the spiritual man from sinking into sorrow upon the judgement he passeth on himself He that is in thee is greater then thy heart and knows all things Judge nothing before the time till the Lord come and if Christ in that pure nature was not ripe to pass a judgement wonder not that we cannot do it in this corrupt nature I bear not witness of my self saith Christ I judge not my own self he that judgeth me is the Lord saith Paul If I bear witness of my self my witness is not truth There is an other that bears witness and I know his witness is true And who is this other It is the Father ver 37. The Father himself that hath sent me he beareth witness of me Christ lays by all testimony but this The fathers and all testimony except the Father be in it to give us settlement and assurance fall short For none knows the Son but the Father and he to whom the Father reveals him Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Blessed art thou Simon flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee but my Father He that establisheth you together with us is God There are three witnesses and these are one the Father and the Son and the Spirit And there is nothing more concerns those that profess to know Jesus Christ then to examine how they came to know him whether they have had this knowledge by the teaching of the Father The baptism of Iohn is
di'dst both preach and live Divinitie J. N. THE Right Spirit of CHRIST OR The Son glorifying the Father SERMON I. JOHN 5. 30. I can of my own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father that hath sent me CHrist had marvellously cured a Cripple that had been so thirty eight yeers as we may see in the fifth verse of this chapter and setting him on his feet he bids him take up his bed and walk The Jews that stood by because it was the Sabbath day said it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed He tells them that he that made him whole bid him take up his bed and walk by whom judge you should this man be guided by him that shewed power or them that talked The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power they ask who this man was that bid him do so for He is a Sabboth-breaker and must be stoned Doct. 1. See how forms of Religion are set up against power Yet here was nothing against form for what was this carrying his bed but preaching the love and power of God Christ discovers himself to the man cured of his limbs to a through cure of him Sin no more A cure indeed the man tells the Jews who it was that cured him whereupon Christ reasoneth with the Jews justifying what he had done vers 17. My father works and I work as if he had said in charging me you charge my Father his power and presence is manifested with me if you will see it They strove so much the more to kill him in that he said God was his Father Doct. 2. Carnal and formal Religion is bloody nothing will serve but killing Those that are born after the flesh do not know what it is to be born after the Spirit That which is the substance of Christian Religion is to them blasphemy Christ is pleading with them and tells them how the Father doth manifest himself by the Son and onely by the Son He had now manifested himself in a great work and they would take no notice of it they take notice onely of a Sabboth-breaker and a blasphemer there shall be such a manifestation of the Father in the Son as shall make you marvel the Father hath given him power to raise the dead and judge the world and as the Father hath life in himself so he hath given unto the Son to have life in himself and he hath given him authority to execute judgement Christ hath all that the Father hath onely here is the difference He hath it as gift it is given him Now to prevent that which they might object and say You take too much upon you Christ answers it in vers 30. I can of my own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just c. I told you the son hath life in himself and that he raiseth the dead and hath power of judgement But I told you withal it was given him I can of my self do nothing c. My design in presenting you with this Text is to shew unto those that do believe in Christ what they have in Christ and to shew them whence it is and whence their witness and testimony is for that they have whence it is they are owned in that power and Majesty The power of the Resurrection is Christs and the power of judgement is Christs and Christ witnesseth that it is his from whom he received this power I can of my own self do nothing and if I bear witness of my self my witness is not true All that Religion and godliness that is not in power and all that power that is earthly and that testimony thereunto that is worldly is worth nothing Christ undertakes great things he challengeth power to raise the dead Authority of judgement and this is all given him from the Father his Record is on high his witness is the Father Here are many testimonies named but he looks above them all here is his own witness If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true There is mans witness I receive not witness from man there is the witness of the eminent and excellent among men but he lays them by and looks above them all to God Here is the witness of John who was a burning and a shining light In the 46. verse There is an other witness Moses If you had believed Moses you would have believed me for he wrote of me But there is another witness a greater then that of John or Moses ver 36. The works which the Father hath given me to finish bear witness of me Works are an excellent witness but the works which the Father hath given me they are excellent indeed yet are laid by These are not sufficient for they must have a testimony themselves and therefore are laid by Here is the Scripture vers 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me He lays by this witness too ye will not come to me that you might have life The Scripture holds forth me and eternal life in me but ye will not come to me Thus here are several degrees of testimony one above the other but there is but one to be rested in and that is the testimony that enables all the other the testimony of the Father Ver. 32. There is another that beareth witness of me and I know the witness that he witnesseth of me is true Who is that Vers 37. The Father himself that hath sent me hath born witness of me Is not the Fathers witness in the Scripture and in Christs witness and in Johns witness and in the Works of Christ It is and as the Fathers witness is there they are witnesses that have validity they make an end of the controversie The Father not appearing in them they cannot settle the heart nor decide the controversie It is the Father onely that is the sufficient witness the Father without these the Father in these but these without the Father are nothing The truth of these is the Father the life of these is the Father And the world doth not know the Father Vers 37. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape My design in this Scripture is to call you up to the Father And this is the design of Christ that he travels with to bring us unto God he suffered the just for the unjust to bring us unto God Here is rest and nowhere on this side it the Scripture in the Father and the Father in the Scripture the Father in the Ministry of man and the Ministery of man in the Father the Father in the works that are done and the works done in the Father we must know the Father if we will know Christ It is true we may know the Father and not know that we know the Father
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ let us look therefore for an express manifestation of the Father whose express image the Son is God in Christ Now for the works here And first touching Christs working and judging vers 30. I can of my own self do nothing as I hear so I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me Secondly of the witness and testimony of Christ If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true I can do nothing of my own self The Scripture is pure contradiction unto a carnal man and the spiritual man that speaks according to it is judged by the world to speak contradiction The world is tender to charge the Scripture with it but is bold to charge them that speak from the Scripture I can do nothing of my own self and yet I can do all things Christ hath Two selfs and a Christian hath Two selfs the natural self and the spiritual self There is my self of Adam and my self of God I can do nothing of my self of this creaturely self but of God and in God I can do all things Isa 11. 3. It is said He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his ears There is himself of Adam and himself of God according to the former he judges as he hears according to the latter he judges not by the hearing of the eare The Spirit of the Lord makes him of quick understanding The Lord is my strength and righteousness and my self in the Lord judges and doth things the world shall marvel at I do of my self and I do not of my self I do my own will and I do not my own will Thus there are two selfs It is not I but Christ that lives in me saith the Apostle it is Christ that lives and not I. I can do nothing of my self There is an estate in Christ in which we neither can nor will displease God I can do nothing of my self I cannot do my own will but the will of the Father such an estate there is in Christ and we are all called to the state of Christ Christ in us Christ formed in us risen in us the glory of Christ the glory of the body Christ and his body are not severed the same kingdom and glory is theirs he hath called us into the fellowship of his kingdom and glory God in Christ and Christ in us as God is in Christ so Christ is in believers That which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive hath God prepared for them that love him because I live ye shall live also The Saints life is the life of Christ there is an estate in which we neither can nor will displease the Father It is the state of God that cannot deny himself this is that we are called to the life of God the life of God in Christ This state is not manifested but it is manifesting we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth we are kept by the power of God through Faith to salvation God acting and governing the words that I speak I speak not of my self Christ spake in God and it shall be that all we speak and all we do we shall speak in Christ and do it all in Christ as God is in Christ so Christ is in us Joh. 14. 10. The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works And so Christ in us and when Christ is grown up in us and risen in us and glorified in us there shall none be seen nor heard but Christ There is a state in Adam wherein we can will and do good or evil indifferently there is a corrupt state that neither can will nor do good there is an estate in Christ wherein we cannot we will not displease God This is that we wait for to have Christ thus brought forth in us and we brought forth in him thus perfect I can of my own self do nothing Secondly see here how Christ lives out of himself in God the Father and this is that which Christians do as they are Christians they live out of themselves and they live in Christ They neither do nor will but Christ wills in them It s said Christ pleased not himself He that doth all of himself he doth all to please himself he in whom God doth all he doth all to please God he doth all in the Lord and to the Lord not my will but thy will be done His natural will stood up sometime and would be owned but it was brought to submit Not my will but thy will be done And here it appears who speaks of himself and who speaks not of himself he that seeks himself speaks of himself but he that seeks not his own glory but the glory of him that sent him he speaks not of himself And take notice of this that righteousness so far forth appears in us as we go out of our selves as we lay by our own wills and judgements so far forth we are righteous and just My judgement is just because I seek not my own will but the will of him that sent me we are so far righteous before God whose judgement is according to truth as we go out of our selves and out of our own wills My judgement is just because I seek not my own will He that lays by himself and seeks not his own honour he that goes out of his own Reason and his own will he is a righteous man indeed Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God and in his even Gods wisdom and power he walks and acts and so far forth as we walk in Christ who is the wisdom and power of God we are owned by God to be just and righteous and no further all our own wisdom is folly to God and all our own righteousness is wickedness to God Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption So far forth are we righteous in Gods account as we lay by our own Reason and our own Wills Christ acts in the wisdom and power of God so far forth as we act in Christ we act in the wisdom and power of God and so far we are true and just There is no righteousness nor wisdom but the Lord therefore so far forth as we are found in him we are wise and righteous that I may be found in him saith Paul His own light led him till God was pleased to reveal his son in him and then he saw there was no wisdom or righteousness but in him That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law c. That I may know the power of his death and the fellowship of his
it from heaven or from men So your knowledge is it from God or from men have you received it from your good Ministers or from your own reason or light or from the Spirit of the Father It concerns us to consider this Let the world Jeer and Scoff and cry Fancy and Whimsie and what they will There is no true knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by revelation It is that the Apostle prays for That God would give unto you the Spirit rf revelation All the learned in that only Church of the Jews were all blind and did not receive Christ Who were they that received him they were born of God If we speak of Consciences testimony let us remember that it is my conscience bearing me witness in the holyghost This is the witness of the Father in your consciences then the voice of conscience is a glorious voice This is speaking in Christ I speak the truth in Christ I lye not saith Paul my conscience bearing me witness he speak in the Father these three are one and make up one witness that is true When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me c. Look now what your faith stands in stands it in the wisedom of men or the power of God Let every one of us be looking after the power and life of the Father and of Christ that we may see the Father he that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ to Philip. Let us dwell no more in man nor upon man but let us look higher It is written all thy sons shall be taught of God You never come to peace nor rest till you come to God to the Father As the Father appears more clearly to you in Christ so you come to true peace stability and Settlement and till ye come to him ye are like children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine One Sect of men blows this way another Sect blows an other way and so we are tossed up and down till we come to know the Father by the Spirit in Christ We are weary of all Religion and settle nowhere till we come to find the rock to find God till we come to hear him speak that hath the words of eternal life that speaks power and life and not as the Scribes We never come to put off the old man till we come to hear Christ and the truth as it is in him Then we stand firm in all winds that blow and puff This is to hear the Father then we put off the old man Silly women we are weak and foolish creatures till then He that establisheth you is God when shall we cease from man There is another that bears witness of me and his witness is true And when we have his witness it will satisfie And we shall know that his witness is true but the world doth not know him This is satisfaction to Christ that he knows the Father and the Father knows him though the world doth not know him but they shall know him to their destruction and confusion when he comes forth to be revealed and to be glorified in his Saints I know his witness is true I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world Let the world say and think what they will My witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world I know my witness is true There is the rest of the Saints of God Men call you before their judgement seats and you cannot satisfie them They cannot be satisfied but your satisfaction is in God And the world cannot see God yet the Saints can pitty the world in their madness and blindness Now he comes to the testimony of Iohn Ye sent unto John and he bare witness of me but I received not testimony from man Christ humbles himself very low to plead Johns witness He alledges Johns testimony against them They did not own him but they did own John They inquired of John whether he was the Christ John told them plainly he was not the Christ but he pointed them unto Christ yet they receive not Iohns testimony and so Christ makes it a testimony against them This is all that carnal Professors get that do not love the truth by searching out the truth they meet with a testimony against themselves See how low God hath put himself into such a condition that he needeth mans witness He hath withdrawn himself and set up the world While God is in this low state the world sits in judgement and the Devil hath the power But there will be a time when God will come forth without witness And when he appears he will say Bring forth your witnesses and your strong reasons We look what witness God hath among men How few and inconsiderable were the witness that Christ had in respect of the world He sent to John a man that had nothing to commend him according to the flesh Ye have heard of old Simeon he bare witness unto Christ And of Hanna an old woman she bare witness also But look among the Priests and Elders the Scribes and Pharisees Famed Learned and godly men and how few were there among them that bare witness unto Christ How should we long that the witnesses might finish their testimony when the Lord himself will come forth that every eye may see him and all people own him Christ sent unto Iohn but received not testimony from man but these things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye might be saved Here is a people had nothing in their hearts but killing and Christ had nothing in his heart towards them but saving And upon this design did Christ travail all the while he was amongst them There was wheat among the chaff of the world and all his dealing in the world was to gather the Wheat from the chaff There is no testimony worth any thing but where God appears Christ testifies of Iohn that he was a burning and a shining light The face of God shining is day This day dawned in Iohn such witnesses we expect such a Ministry we expect in whom we may see the light and purity of God consuming sin burning up chaff The Ministry of God in John the light of God set up in Iohn was that which made him a burning and shining light Do we know such a Ministry or no It is this only that is to be desired The Ministry of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and fire This is the Ministry we should look after We have too long dwelt in men and languished in mens gifts and parts Wisdom and Elocution Let us be looking after the light and life of God after God in Christ manifested unto us and in us by the Spirit SERMON III. JOHN 5. 30. I can of my self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me TO
Christ is given me both in heaven and in earth The Father comes forth in Christ and Christ comes forth in the Saints Christ comes forth in the flesh lower then the Angels He makes him lower then the Angels he comes forth as a servant while the son is under age he is kept as a servant he is made of a woman made under the Law at last the Father comes to own him as his son and Christ owns him as his Father When the time appointed of the Father comes he sends his spirit into our hearts saying 'T is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom Christ hath the keys of hell and death and he exercises these keys in his Saints We at present do not know how he exercises these but we shall know how when we feel the want of them when we see our weakness and darkness and mourn after the Lord. God hath suffered the devil hell and sin to be a kinde of Cloak and covering upon himself but when he pleaseth he will come forth and command them The Saints need not the worlds power and force to go to the world for power is to go to the devil for power The Saints have power with God and therefore must needs have power over Satan And this power the Saints obtain by mourning as the Apostle hath it in the second verse Ye ought rather to have mourned Iacob wept and made supplication wrastled with God and so prevailed The Saints indeed they are great persons but few there are that know themselves We are the sons of God but the world doth not know us God hath brought forth himself and brought forth Christ in his Saints and people but that was but a first fruits to shew what he will do fully He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in them that believe The spirit of God was withdrawn that the man of sin might appear This is that believers should do they should be looking after this power the power of the Lord Jesus What a poor thing it is to spend our time in an outward powerless profession onely If we are Christians and of Iesus Christ we cannot do so The kingdom of God is not in word but in power Do we profess Christ Where is the power of the Lord Iesus Why do lusts and corruptions reign in our hearts Why have Satan and the world such power over us Where is the power of the Lord Jesus Where is the spirit of Eliah as Elisha said when he had seen his master taken up into heaven and had received his mantle and had a promise of a doubling of that spirit Christ is taken up into Heaven He hath told us greater works then he did in that flesh should we do in his Spirit Where is that spirit Where is that power by which devils were made to tremble and submit to him 'T is time we should begin to know our selves that we are of God that we are the Temple of God the body of the Lord that we are the fulness of Christ and that in us he will manifest himself and 't is that we should look for We should be weary of a formal outward languishing profession and so bringing forth the Lord Jesus we shall make his name known O that thou wouldst bow the Heavens that thou would'st come down and make thy name known that Hell and Death and Satan and all the powers of darkness might melt before thee Resist the devil saith James and he will flie from you What is that power by which the devil is resisted 'T is the power of Christ the power of the Lord Jesus is with his people though not yet manifested we should wait for it and not rest contented with the name but look after power to command hell and death those that have commanded us We are comforting our selves that Christ hath done this for us 'T is true he hath done this for us he will do it in us The Apostle bids us stand to it in Eph. 6. You wrastle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers therefore put on the whole armour of God If you be true Israel you are able to deal with God and then the devil and the world are not able to stand against you Do you believe this Then wait for it The next thing I shall commend unto you is this That we must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. And if this stick in your stomacks and will not go down let me offer it to you in an old expression of Divinity as they call it that is That God leads his people to Heaven by Hell We must be delivered to Satan if ever we will be delivered from Satan Satan hath carryed all the seed of God captive in the flesh 'T is under the law of sin sin and death hath captivated the whole seed of God here this seed lieth as it were dead in a swound and in this state we dream of nothing but life and happiness great enjoyments when we are captives to Satan at his pleasure God he quickens this same seed this divine nature and then they see where they are see how they were deceived what a fools Paradise they were in then they have no rest till they be delivered This is to be delivered from Satan to see that we are in Satans power So it comes to this That there must be a discovery of our state under the power of darkness before we be delivered from it Deliver him unto Satan destroy him that he may be delivered destroy him that he may be saved kill him that he may be made alive convince him of sin then of righteousness Deliver him unto Satan is quicken him and enlighten him that he may see where he is in Satans power And whereas before there was peace when the strong man kept the house it was because he did not see Satan but now he sees him there is nothing but trouble there is no rest till he be delivered This is nothing but what the Apostle saith you hath he quickened that were dead in trespasses and sins Dead in trespasses and sins here is the seed of God under the power of Satan The spirit quickned sees whereabouts it is sees that it is in hell among devils lusts death and flames and it cannot abide here The Prodigal came to himself that was the quickning of this divine seed he was well enough before at the swine-trough till he comes to himself O then he cannot endure it he cannot live here any longer We must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan And the ground and reason of this lieth thus God hath let all his seed fall under the hands and power of death and Satan and he would never suffer this state unless he meant they should be sensible of it unless he did
praise here is thanksgiving indeed praise indeed which is that that is held forth in Psal 116. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I le walk before the Lord in the land of the living Here is the sacrifice of praise I le walk before the Lord I le walk in the Spirit and no more in the flesh In the 12 Verse it follows What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Here is the sacrifice of praise here is dying dying to the world dying to the flesh Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints O Lord truly I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving What shall I render unto God T is said of Hezekiah that he rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefits he received from him This is that God enables his people to do to render to him according to what they have received God enables his people even to recompence him to requite him Do you thus requite the Lord The Lord enables his people to requite him and to requite him fully for as he is our fulness so we are his fulness as he gives himself to us so he enables us to give our selves to him and so we return himself unto himself Of thy own we have given thee Thus only a Saint can praise that hath the Spirit that hath received God for nothing is acceptable to God but himself Nothing comes to God but what comes from God There is no sacrifice indeed but Jesus Christ By him let us offer up the sacrifice of praise unto God The people of God do make a Covenant with God by sacrifice Psal 50. There is a sacrifice of praise praise is a sacrifice and a sacrifice of our selves t is Christ that is the sacrifice and t is by Christ that we become a sacrifice acceptable a sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God For I do not live saith the Apostle but Christ lives in me And as by him we are a sacrifice so by him we are Priests a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God as t is in 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is the fire of this sacrifice the Eternal Spirit Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot and that that is our praise is the meat and drink upon this Altar the refreshing and the wine In keeping of them of thy Commandments saith David there is great reward There is somewhat to be carried forth in this sacrifice and that is iniquity and sin that cleaves unto our holy things Praise and thanksgiving is the sum of the Worship of God and Jesus Christ and this praise and thanksgiving is a sacrifice and such a sacrifice as you have heard Vse This may make a discovery unto us that praise and thanksgiving is little known among us we are very little acquainted with it we have heard of the name but know not the thing The common praise and thanksgiving stands in some expression of words sometimes there is a day set apart sometimes good words spoken of God at such a time there are some Ceremonies used and it may be a great deal of sacrifice done to the flesh there is a seeming offering somewhat to God but none of the best And cursed is the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offers to God a corrupt thing The true praising and acceptable thanksgiving is offering up of our selves our selves sanctified that the offering up of the Gentiles might be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and our selves a living sacrifice There is no man can glorifie God but he that is glorified of God according to that prayer of Christ in Joh. 17. Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee If this that hath been said in this point cause us to look into our hearts and consider what we have done and how we have been in this service of praise it is that I intended in it When we shall look into the nature of Praise and Thanksgiving and shall look with a right eye we shall see that there hath been nothing or little else besides the name of Praise amongst us it hath been but a form of Godliness having in it scarce any thing of the power By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually By him let us do it That is the next thing to be considered here That by Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ in the power in the light in the love in the spirit of Jesus Christ must our praise go up to God and all that is acceptable doth go up so By him let us offer c. All that comes to God that is acceptable sacrifice it comes by him it comes in his name it goes up in his grace it goes up in his love in his light in his power this is by Jesus Christ There is no Sacrifice acceptable but that which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost as in Rom. 15. 16. That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable to God sanctified by the Holy-Ghost There is nothing that comes acceptable unto God that God owns that he receives or where he smells a savour of rest but that which comes up in the spirit of Christ by Christ by him in his name There is nothing holy but what is by the Holy-Ghost It is he that sanctifies the people by his blood as it is said here before Let us go forth to him and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise He is the Mediator between God and man he is our peace our wisdom our righteousness our sanctification If he be our sanctification God will own us there is nothing that God can own but what comes by him We are all an unclean thing there is nothing comes from us but pollution but onely as we come forth by Christ and in Christ Else all our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are nothing but a form a shew of holiness It is a fair shew toward God but tends only to the flesh and to the world Our minde and Conscience is defiled till it be taken into the Holy-Ghost till Christ be brought forth in us In Christ we come forth a new creation All this same old creation is lost and fallen into Satan in the new Creation Satan hath nothing to do the prince of this world comes and hath nothing in me By him All acceptable service goes to God by Christ In him are all the promises yea and Amen The promises saith the Apostle they are to the seed he doth not say to Seeds as to many but as to one and that is Christ Gal. 3. 12. Coming and not coming by Christ we have no promise of acceptance Christ is the heir of all God
when the people undertook to obey it the Lord pittied them O that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey me It was a manifestation to discover sinfulness and weakness death and the curse and so to usher in a manifestation of life and power But now ye are come to the Gospel state ye are come to Mount-Sion ye are come where God dwells ye are come into a comforting and chearing presence ye are come to the Mount that may be touched without fear or terror It may be touched There are spiritual senses as 1 Joh. 1. 1. That which we have heard which we hame seen which our hands have handled of the word of life that declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and so it s the Mount that may be touched We are come to the City of the living God We are come where God dwells we are come to communion with God and one with another in the spirit we are come where God is in the midst of his people He hath quickned us who were dead in sins and set us down in heavenly places in the heavenly Jerusalem If we are come to the heavenly Jerusalem we are past the wilderness we are come to our rest There remaineth a rest to the people of God and that 's the heavenly Jerusalem of which the earthly Jerusalem and Canaan were but a Type This heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all And to an innumerable company of Angels Not onely to be administred unto by Angels as under the legal dispensation but to administer unto Angels for to them is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God And to the general Assembly and the Church of the first-born We are come to the General Assembly we are above particular Churches though we walk in them yet we are not bound to them nor bound in them We are come to the Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven We are come to those that are in Christ that partake of the divine nature in which God lives and acts and whom God fills who are born of the spirit who are sons and heirs together with Christ Who are written in Heaven There was a first-born written in earth in the letter in flesh Let Israel my son go for he is my first-born said God to Pharoah but this was after the flesh We are come to God the Judge of all We have boldness towards God We are above the judgement of men yea above the judgement of our own Consciences It is a very small thing to me saith the Apostle to the Corinthians to be judged by you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine own self 1 Cor. 4. 3. We are passed from death to life and we are come to God the Judge of all we can stand before God the Iudge of all We are come to the spirits of just men made perfect We are come to see and to acknowledge the spiritual and divine nature whereof through exceeding great and precious promises we are made partakers we are come to see and to be the spiritual man the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness we are come to the holy one born of the Holy Ghost to Christ formed in us who is not tainted with any pollution who sinneth not nor can he commit sin Though he dwell among devils and death yet he partakes not of their filth and guilt but shall overcome and destroy them all And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to Iesus to the truth as it is in Iesus to the power and wisdom of God which is Iesus we have the Law written in our hearts We are come to Iesus instead of Moses who is the Mediator of a better Covenant If we be Christians indeed we are not come to a Law that hath onely a sound of words written on stone but we are come to a Law written in our hearts we are come to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to the efficacy of his mediation And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel The blood of sprinkling It is an allusion taken from those sprinklings under the Law all which pointed to this We are not come â—â— corruptible blood we are come to the blood of sprinkling that is incorruptible That speaks better things c. It speaks and what doth it say It makes intercession for us it makes intercession in us and the Lord he is with us by a word of power speaking and commanding sin and death Satan and Hell out of our souls This is the Doctrine The glorious state which is the true Gospel state it is the state of every true Believer though it may be many do not know it it is a state in the spirit and it is revealed by the spirit This is the Gospel state and therefore if you profess the Gospel do not sit down below it Let us all be making to it let us not stay at Mount-Sinai but let us pass on to Mount Sion Let every one of us look whereabouts we are whether we be under a spirit of fear if we be this is Mount-Sinai or whether we be under a spirit of love of power and of a sound minde if we be this is Mount-Sion Are we in earthly or in heavenly places Take notice that there are three states 1. One is in Egypt under the bondage of sin Satan death and hell 2. Another is leading out of Egypt in the wilderness at Mount-Sinai leading up to Adams perfection to a perfection in nature but there is no resting here This is but a shadow Christ in the flesh came in this natural perfection but he dyed to it and in it and rose again to the life of God 3. A third state is the spirits of just men made perfect Here is rest and stability Here is the kingdom of God do not sit down below this for if you do you sit down at best in natural Reason in a shadow in a lye Some sit down in the filth of nature but do not ye sit down no not in the excellency and perfection of nature Look to the high calling of God in Christ Iesus unto which ye are called But I pass over from the Doctrine and come to the Vse which the Apostle makes in ver 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven God speaks once and twice and we hear him not God is continually speaking He speaks in every creature he speaks in every providence he speaks in every administration do you know his voice He speaks on earth and he speaks from heaven See that ye refuse not him that speaketh God speaks from
in time There is nothing that is but it hath been Grace coming forth is nothing but the Childrens coming out of their minority from under tutors and governors The Saints coming from under the Law and out of the flesh There is a time appointed of the Father for this this is the time of grace grace hath appeared and we receive the adoption of sons God tels us we are his begotten his inheritance and he is ours Grace comes forth and appears by degrees and there was never but some appearances of grace But a low appearance of grace is counted as no appearance in respect of a higher That appearance before Christ in the flesh is counted no appearance in respect of that which came forth with Christ in flesh That appearance with Christ in flesh is not appearance in respect of that which comes forth with Christ in the Spirit When he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation to them that wait for him He appears now to salvation but now he appears in sin and weakness and this is not appearing in respect of that which shall be the glory is no glory in respect of that which is coming that is at the dore God brings forth himself out of the dark he hath put himself into the dark and he comes up by degrees he lyeth under vails and coverings and hides his face There is everlasting mercies but they are hidden Your life is hid with Christ in God and God reveals this by degrees There is grace not appearing and salvation not appearing where it is And there is wrath and destruction not appearing also where it is they will both come forth And till these do come forth it is very irrational for any to judge that that which now doth not appear is not there and will never appear It is the comfort of them that wait for grace and cannot see it I know thy poverty saith Christ to one of the Churches in the Revelations but thou art rich Rev. 2. 9. There is nothing to be done for our salvation and glory but the bringing it forth the making it to appear We have a life but 't is hid and vail'd and so we are said to be dead as 't is in Col. 3. 1. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Grace hath appeared teaching us 'T is a blessed thing to know the teaching of grace There is the Laws teaching and Graces teaching there is a Letter teaching and the Spirits teaching In the first teaching we are ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the truth but are still led about with lusts Here is onely a profession and nothing but a form but there is the teaching of grace which is the writing the Law in our minds and putting them in our hearts Here is the Covenant of grace the Law of grace when we are delivered up into the Doctrine as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 17. the form of Doctrine into which you were delivered as 't is in the Margent We are delivered up into the Doctrine we are formed and fashioned and moulded into it There is an appearance of God in Majestie in Mount Sinai that makes servants and slaves and bondmen that saith Do or you dye Do or you are cursed And there is an appearance of God from Mount Sion in love and grace The God of grace or the grace of God hath appeared and he teacheth us his ways and he makes us sons and he brings forth his own nature in us 'T is our life our meat and drink to do his will and finish his work The everlasting Covenant in blood comes forth and makes us perfect to do his will Here is the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus that frees us from the Law of sin and death 'T is a sad thing to be only under a Letter and under a Voice to have nothing but a Letter and a Hearsay Nothing but a voice and direction without here is nothing but enmity within But the word is nigh thee in thy heart when we come to this teaching this inward teaching this Law of the Spirit All other teaching without this inward teaching doth but put us into a Dream into Fancies and we think and seem that we eat and drink but when we awake we shall find our souls hungry and thirsty But this grace of God that teaches effectually delivers us up into the Doctrine moulds us into the form of that which is taught The God of grace appearing to us we are turned into his Image from glory to glory by his Spirit 2 Cor. 3. latter end Let 's all look after this teaching this inward teaching They shall be all taught of God Let us look after the teaching of Christ who spake with authority and not as the Scribes Let us look for power and life and light from God And let 's deal with man for nothing else but that we may hear God by him and see God in him and be able to say God is in you of a truth The grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared teaching us grace and favor it is exceeding winning God doth overcome all our evil by good Love is mightily constraining She had much forgiven her she loved much Let favour be shewed to the wicked he will not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly as 't is in Isa 26. 10. Thou after thy impenitent heart treasurest up wrath and dispisest the goodness of God that leads thee to repentance Bounty is leading to repentance but the God of grace and the grace of God it sets up repentance in us Let us go forth then in grace and in love And so let us be winning and working upon others Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly c. Many men will say if I deny my lusts all the lusts of the world here 's an end of my life What shall I do How shall I live Thou shalt live the life of God It brings death upon this life this Worldly life and brings us to live in hope Looking for that blessed hope It is a foolish thing to a carnal heart to think of suffering it self to betaken off from the present enjoyment of the world the satisfying his lusts to live upon hope But the hope that is in God is firm and sure and surerer then the World The World passeth away and the lusts thereof and they that have their life in these things find nothing but shame and Death but this hope never makes men ashamed Which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail And here le ts take notice of this That the grace of God that brings Salvation is made out in teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Every one
will is If grace and salvation be reckoned by us to be safe in sin and safe in the world and in the flesh we are in the Devils deceit in the deceivableness of unrighteousness among them that perish If you will have this made out to you by Scripture the Saints of God know this in their hearts and souls but will you have it in the Scripture His name shall be called Jesus a Saviour Mat. 1. Why because he shall save his people from their sins Here is salvation to be saved from sin What is sin 'T is opposition unto God breaking his Laws to be saved from falling out with God this is salvation And to be saved from sin is to be saved from wrath there is wrath and hell in sin though it be not yet come forth but it will come forth When sin hath conceived it brings forth death if you have a Saviour he saves you from your sins Another place is Acts 3. 26. God sent Christ to bless us to turn every one of us from our iniquities You look upon your selves as blessed by Christ if you be blessed this is the blessing Turning you from your iniquities enabling you to deny ungodlines and worldly lusts You may add a third place Acts 5. 31. Whom God hath made a Prince and a Saviour he speaks of Christ there to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins You like forgiveness of sins well how like you Repentance where God gives one he gives the other where Christ is our Righteousness he is our Sanctification where he is both these he is our wisdom he gives us a new minde and a new heart writes his Law in our mindes this is life this is salvation here is grace and salvation teaching us to deny ungodliness t is a work supernatural as to old Adam the corrupt Man it is only in those that spring from the Spiritual man Jesus Christ they rise up in a new life and walk in it if ye walk in the spirit fulfil not the lusts of the flesh T is the Divine Nature springing up in us that doth not live the life of the flesh if a man hath no life but in the flesh that which is indeed salvation and grace is destruction and wrath to him Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts c. What is this denying ungodliness and worldly lusts T is that which is called in other Scriptures self-denying we have a self that is nothing but ungodliness If we be Saints indeed we have two selves a divine self a spiritual and heavenly self the new Creature the Heavenly man the Divine Nature and there is a carnal self an earthly self a self that is sin in which dwells nothing that is good There is another self contra-distinct to sin t is not I but sin in me there is a self that is Christ and a self that is corrupt Adam I do not live I of corrupt Adam but Christ lives in me Here is one self never to be denied one self that is godliness heavenly lust and heavenly desire makes after God only this self is to be pleased happy is he that pleases this self and knows this self But there is carnal self the Law of the Members this is ungodliness this carries wholly from God to the World wholly to that which is not of the Father this is to be denied And this is beating down the body that the Apostle speaks of I beat down my body What 's that is it as the Papists do to whip themselves to pine their bodies no there is a body of death a body of sin this corruption in me this self I beat down there is the old man that is to be destroyed The grace of God that brings Salvation teacheth us to deny this self this ungodly self this worldly self this self that is of the Devil And it is by bringing forth another self that this self is denied if it be truly denied for there is self denying self sin denying sin lust denying lust a master lust that starves other lusts this is not the denying that the grace of God teacheth There is a lust that is kept in with bit and bridle like a horse and mule there is denying ungodliness by the power of the Law but here t is grace that teacheth us to deny ungodliness grace that brings salvation Corrupt self denies it self but in some things the Law enables us to deny our selves but in some things some ungodliness and indeed it is not the denying of ungodliness the denying ungodliness only by a carnal man it is ungodliness T is the new man that is brought forth in true righteousness and holiness There is nothing but a shew of righteousness and holiness till this new man be brought forth after the Image of God The Law it teacheth us to deny this piece of ungodlinesse or to seem to deny it at least to deny the gross act of it but to deny it in the root of it it can never do it But the grace of God teacheth us to deny all ungodliness to come out of all that is not of God all that is not like God This life of God it purges out all filth He that hath this hope purifies himself as he is pure this life it rises out of its vail and grave and covering of worldly lusts yea it riseth from under the Law This grace of God appearing is the time appointed of the Father when we shall be no more under Tutors and Governors in the condition of Servants but Sons Heirs and Free-born SERMON II. TITUS 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us c. TEaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts Denying implies soliciting ungodliness and worldly lusts will be soliciting even in those to whom the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared After grace hath effectually appeared there will be solicitations temptations and motions to sin ungodliness and worldly lusts soliciting and tempting to return again unto them but the grace of God that brings salvation teacheth us to deny them There is sin in our Members still there is soliciting and there is very far prevailing The grace of God that brings salvation sprouting forth is often struck back into a seed into the root again There may be a bewitching of the Spiritual man as the Apostle writes to the Galatians O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth There is many a blast that comes upon the Oaks and the tall Trees and there may be withering in the branches while the substance the holy seed abides in the root There are solicitations of death after grace and Salvation hath appeared and sometimes exceeding violent In so much that Paul cries out I am carried captive O miserable man Who shall deliver me Rom. 7. The reason of this is because ungodlines and worldly lusts are not quite destroyed at once But the work is