sin when the Lord is not with us it hath this issue nothing but foiling nothing but scorning nothing but reproach and shame With the power of the Lord Iesus To mention the name of the Lord Jesus and not to have the power of the Lord Jesus is nothing but prophaning that name taking it in vain 'T is nothing but a bug-bear All mans power it is on the body it is not on the Conscience It is impossible man should deliver himself or his brother from one error from one sin all that he can do is to restrain and lock up sin all that man can do in matter of error and sin is to bring forth Hypocrisie It is Gods prerogative to fashion hearts and to know hearts Psal 13. He fashioneth their hearts alike and understandeth all their thoughts And this is that God will make all the Churches to know Rev. 2. the latter end All the Churches shall know that I the Lord search the heart and try the reines If the Churches go forth with Carnal weapons to deal with the Devil and sin in their own power they shall know that this is the Lords prerogative It is only he that searches hearts and tries reines They shall find they have done nothing whatever they have seemed to themselves to have done They shall find they have confirmed and settled the Devil in his habitation while they have seemed to throw him out I have the keyes saith Christ of Hell and of death The keys are the power the power of man is not able to conflict with Sathan and Hell Christ hath received all power in Heaven and Earth And Christ manifested in us we shall go forth against principalities and powers and against the Rulers of the darkness of this world with the power of the Lord Jesus The weapons of our warfare are not carnal saith the Apostle but mighty through God The new Testament is the Ministry of the Spirit and so t is an able Ministry God hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit Letter and man and noise of words could never yet scare the Devil This we spake of before taking occasion from the Apostle calling the Corinthians to mourn which doth tell us they had no power of themselves 'T is a professing they had no power We cannot rid our Consciences or Congregations of sin But if we wait power will come in And when we once come out of this delusion of the Devil to see we have no power to see how the Spirit of power hath withdrawn from us and hath been absent a long while we shall begin to mourn after him and he will visit us and then we shall know what power is again We shall know what the Kingdom of God is that is not in word but in power We have hitherto known little of any Kingdom but in word When once we are sensible of this want of power and of this withdrawing of God that the man of sin might be revealed we shall mourn after him till he turn to us again 'T is by the power of the Lord Jesus only This is allowed and granted everywhere as a principle but how little do we act according to our Principles The Spirit of God only can throw out error and sin this is granted But the will of man and the actings of man this shall be called the Spirit of God The pride of man comes forth which is nothing but the Devil the name of the Lord Jesus that is put upon it To walk and act according to that Principle the Spirit of God Not we but the grace of God We live not but Christ in us 'T is looked upon as that which tends to confusion as that which lays by all mans gifts Object 'T is said then what will ye throw off your Ministers your Teachers Sol. The Apostle saith We have but one Master but one teacher that is Christ that is the Spirit Ye have the annointing that teaches you all things and need not any mans teaching 'T is not mans teaching we look after now if we understand ourselves but we look if we can find the name of God the power of God in the speakings of men God holds forth his anointing in man gives us a proof of Christ in man But take mans Ministry and all Ordinances if the Spirit be not there if the anointing be not there they are of man they are nothing So you see it is the power of the Lord Jesus only that rids Consciences and Congregations from sin In the name of the Lord Iesus when you are gathered together with my spirit and the power of the Lord Iesus In the second place take notice of this That the Lord Jesus and his power is in all Saints as well as in Ministers The Apostles Spirit joynes with them when they are gathered together The whole Church men and women the simplest as well as the wisest the weakest as well as the strongest with the power of the Lord Jesus The power of the Lord Jesus goes with you if you censure him and therefore my Spirit shall be with you In the name c. So the power of the Lord Jesus is in every Saint acts there and manifests it self there at the pleasure of the Lord Jesus It is the Spirit that makes Ministers and those Ministers that are made by the Spirit do minister the Spirit And that is ministring the Gospel when we Minister the Spirit But if we have only the Letter of the Gospel we have that that is no better then the Law If we be able Ministers of the New Testament it is in the Spirit I am a Minister of the New Testament so far as the Spirit speaks in me and by me and I would not be owned any further And all my work is to prove if the Spirit of God will go forth into any heart while I speak I know that Paul is nothing and Apollo is nothing If we be a sweet Savour of Christ then we are something In whomsoever the spirit stands up and speaks that person for that time is a Minister a true Minister The Spirit doth not regard Sexes the Spirit regards not Age Learned or unlearned 'T is not Age nor Sex nor any Major part can Minister Spirit but whom the Spirit pleases Obj. The Spirit will not teach by a woman For it is said let not a woman speak in the Church Sol. Where the Spirit doth not teach 't is but a womans teaching So far as we speak and speak not by the Spirit the woman speaks who is commanded silence And my Spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus The Apostles Spirit would own the meanest of the Saints and the power of the Lord Jesus in them There are in whom the Spirit acts and Ministers more constantly and there are in whom he doth Minister occasionally there are whom the Spirit of God hath made Overseers Acts 20. Look to the flock over which the
when there is no such thing We have done so a long time and the people have been deceived we have done it and have effected nothing but take heed of continuing this practise Remember when the Spirit was abroad what befell them that used this practice In the nineteenth of the Acts The Exorcists took upon them to command the evil spirit in the name of Jesus We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth and the evil Spirit answered and said Jesus we know and Paul we know but who are ye And the man in whom the evil spirit was leap'd on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded God hath winked a great while but he will not bear as he hath done When he comes forth again men shall not take his name in vain as they have done That which concerns us to do is to sit down in silence and mourn as the Apostle hath it here and plainly to confess and acknowledge that that power of the spirit that hath appeared doth not appeare now We do not finde that able Ministery of the New-Testament now that hath been We plainly see that Scripture 2 Thes 2. fullfilled of the Spirits drawing in that the man of sin might be revealed and truly the man of sin hath been so much revealed and the darkness hath been so great as we have not seen the darkness but now that the spirit is returning we begin to see where we were we begin to see what fools and mad mens parts we have acted how we have gon forth in the name of spirit and brought forth nothing how we have made our selves ridiculous to those that did observe and mark what the effect was but now we see it is the time of the Apostasie indeed and shall look forth for that power of the spirit that hath been abroad in the Primitive times that shall return again and not onely bridle and keep down Antichrist but destroy the man of sin till we shall see this power come forth let us sit down in silence for in all our own acting and talking we are but Sorcerers and Enchanters without this power There is now a low administration of the spirit and we wait when the spirit will be more manifest we are looking after him when he will come and this is that that concerns us to do to sit down in silence and mourn The people of Israel mourned after the Lord when the Ark was in the Philistines hands it hath been so now for these fifteen hundred yeers When we lament after the Lord surely then the time is that the Lord is coming forth again When we acknowledge what man is that we have no strength Out of weak we shall be made strong and the Lord whom we look for will suddainly come into his Temple If we were out of our pride out of our puffe out of our vaunting and were come to lie in the dust to put our mouths there and say we have no strength God hath left us O Lord when wilt thou return again to us When we are thus mourning surely then the time is coming that this power will come forth again and that in a greater manifestation then ever it yet appeared Out of weak we shall become strong It is not in any mans wisdom or strength to cast sin out of his own heart or out of any Church or Congregation When we see we cannot do it and sit down and mourn that the Lord would come and be present with us as he hath been formerly surely he will come This is that we ought to do Ye ought rather to mourn All our teaching perswading and exhorting is to be in great humility in a sense of our own poorness and weakness and of Gods long withdrawing waiting for any appearance of his though but a low appearance God hath been working and acting all this time of Antichrist but in great obscurity and under ground and now we are looking when he will come forth again for the brightness of his coming is that which will destroy that man of sin 2 Thes 2. You ought rather to have mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you 'T is the Lords work and not mans And let 's compare this rule with our practice particularly Men when they see the devil got into their hearts and would be rid of him what do they do They fast and pray and go forth in the strength of this duty and the other duty But what is to be done Why wait until power come wait till the Lord come wait that the evil one may be cast out and do not think you can cast him out your selves And in Churches what is done We look that the Officers and Elders should rid us of the wicked one and that the major part of the Church and Assembly their Vote should do it and what the major part of the Church concludes that we look upon as the work of the spirit and so there is sentence past but where is the power Nay going a long with the sentence oftentimes you cast out Christ and cast out the truth and so come to another kinde of Popery a new kinde of Popery while you set up in the place of the spirit any man or any Assembly of men what ever they be you set up a Pope Our work is to mourn if the spirit be not present if he be present to go forth in his power and in his might And then the effect will be the devil will flee and sin will flee O how glorious things are Churches that hold out the power of the Lord Jesus O what prisons are Churches where there is nothing but forms nothing but lust and Satan and the world and flesh that act and rule under them O how glorious things are Churches in whom Christ hath a Throne and where we see spiritual power But where do we see it now Churches that are the light of the world and the salt of the earth where shall we finde them It is not by any power or wisdom of man whereby sin is cast out of any particular heart or out of a Church or Congregation You ought rather to have mourned Paul he had mourned and he professes elsewhere in what deep sorrow he wrote unto them 2 Cor 2. In deep sorrow and abundance of tears he wrote unto them being sensible of this condition in which they were and the spirit of power came forth in his mourning to awaken them to set them a mourning and to cause them to come forth in power to save the spirit of this defiled person by the destroying of the flesh That which is Pauls part follows in the next words v. 3. For I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed The Apostle judges and he judges being absent First What had the
Apostle to do to judge He was neither Officer nor member of that Congregation To this we have to say that the Apostles were members and Officers of every Congregation in every Church The Apostle Paul was the Minister of the Gentiles the Apostle of the Gentiles of the Gentile Church the Apostle Paul went forth in the spirit and the spirit hath power in every Church in every Congregation The Apostle went forth in the power of Christ and every Church shall bow to him he is their King he is their Lord and all the Churches if they be true Churches they are one body and that Church or Congregation gathered that doth divide Christ and shut up it self from other Saints and from the General Assembly is so far forth an Antichristian Church That particular Assembly that doth not own the universal Assembly and the general Assembly the Apostle speaks of in Heb. 12. is so far forth Antichristian That Church which is nothing but form that hath no power of God in it manifested in the Conscience against spiritual wickedness that Church which doth not own all Saints under any form that Church so far forth is not of Christ the Church of Christ owns all forms and all Saints The Apostle had to do here for the spirit hath to do every where the spirit is free he comes forth in the spirit to whomsoever he comes forth he shall be owned he comes forth in power he comes forth either to life or to death he comes not forth in vain This for the Apostles right if any say What had he to do here Obj. But the Apostle is absent how could he judge he hears a report 'T is commonly reported but common report is a horrible lyer the devil is the Prince of the Ayre and he is in it Every man makes his report according to his humor it gathers still is changed still is transformed still We have experience hereof dayly how then could the Apostle judge I saith he have judged already Sol. Why he gives an account of that in these words absent in body but present in spirit When we are more in the spirit we shall be better able to understand and explain what this presence in spirit is When we are not so much in the body as we are when the body is not so much our home but we are more in the Lord and the Lord is more our home we shall be able to pronounce what this is to be present in spirit But a little now according to that we have received present and absent absent in body present in spirit We have the same speech 2 Col. 5. Absent in body present in spirit joying and beholding your order c. Well what is it to be present in spirit A natural man will interpret it according to his measure and his line and will not suffer it to be extended further then this he thought of them or he was with them in thought he knows no other presence of spirit then this and will allow no more And so we interpret all the matters of God according to our comprehension we make that our standard But the spiritual man goes further He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit The Apostle was present with the Lord who is everywhere In communion with the Lord he was there and did see and so did judge As in that place Elisha saith to his servant Gehazi 2 King 5. 26. Went not my spirit with thee when the man turned back again to thee He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Elisha he saw in the Lord it was not onely his thoughts went with Gehazi but he was present with him in spirit and saw what he did and told him what he did Went not my heart with thee when the man turned to meet thee saith he is it a time to receive mony and to receive garments and Olive-yards and Vineyards I in them and they in me saith Christ in John 17. that they may be perfect in One. God takes up his Saints into his own omnisciencie and clouds himself in his peoples weakness and ignorance There is a Union between God and his people God in them and they in him through this Union they see as God doth and through this Union God he sees as they do Here Paul sees as Elisha doth that which is distant from his body his body is absent but he is present in spirit There is the spirit that sees all knows all Yet as to the Vnion which he is in with us he is ignorant and he hears and hearkens and lisps and speaks as he is taught Joh. 16. 13. When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself He that is of himself shall not speak of himself the eternal truth the everlasting God that is of himself shall not speak of himself Whatever he shall hear that he shall speak He that teacheth you shall hearken in you learn in you be as you Here is the condiscending of the spirit of truth so that Scripture is not to be interpreted or explained but by that mystery of union which is a mystery the world doth not know cannot understand He that knows all things so condescends that in that union with us he knows nothing and learns with us and by that union with him we are lifted up into his Omnisciency We in his light are present in spirit when we are absent in body Thus God is in Christ and is made sin for us that we may be made the righteousness of God in him we in his strength he in our weakness Reject this and reject Scripture The Apostle here he sees and he judges in the Lord he is absent and yet he judges Doth the Apostle go upon common fame He is but a fool that does so there is no wise man would do it But he is present in spirit and through that spirit by which he was present he had a capacity to judge Being present in spirit saith he I have seen and judged alread God comes down into our confinement and he lifts us up into his enlargement And take notice of it here are some hints of it here in one that had the first fruits of the spirit how that God will bring forth his Omnisciency his wisdom and his power in his Saints and people God hath chosen his people to his own kingdom and glory The glory thou hast given me I have given them saith Christ in the seventeenth of John God will bring forth his Omnisciency and his Omnipotency in his people in believers The Apostle describes his coming 2 Thes 1. viz. to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that do believe Where do you look for him You look up that he should come in the clouds He comes in the clouds indeed he comes in the flesh of his Saints a despised people a reproached people he is covered in their weakness
for a reward And whosoever take upon them to be Prophets and do complie with the World are lying Prophets as he was All true Prophets that Prophesied of Christ saw him and he was in them Abraham saw my day saith Christ and t was Christ himself that preached in the days of Noah as Peter hath it But Iohn was much above the Prophets seeing Christ at a nearer distance then they did A Prophet saith Christ Yea I say unto you and more then a Prophet Iohn made a greater noyse a greater stir and bustle in the world then the Prophets before They came forth with power but they witnessed in sackloth in comparison of Iohn The Prophets before Iohn had nothing like that respect that Iohn had There went out to him all Iudea and Jerusalem Yea the Saduces and Pharisees went out to him and yet see how he takes them up O generation of Vipers who hath forwarned you to flye from the wrath to come See how he deals with Herod With what Majesty that its said Herod feared him They were dazled at his light and scorcht with his fire He was the greatest before Christ He came in the Spirit and power of Elias There are witnesses to Christ in the flesh and there are witnesses to Christ in the Spirit There are witnesses to his first coming in the similitude of sinfull flesh and there are witnesses to his second coming without sin to Salvation And the nearer to him the clearer sight of him the more transformed into his Image the more powerfull will be the witness He that is a true Prophet or a true witness doth not only tell us of truth or of Christ but he doth appear truth and appear Christ Here is truth here is Christ here is the Spirit There is no true Prophet or witness of Christ but he seeth him come But What! is Christ come He is come and he is coming The hour is coming and now is He is and he was and he is to come He is come the Lamb slain and he is come the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah So far forth aswe are true witnesses we see him amongst us we can poynt him out This is He. We see him in Faith Christ dwells in our hearts by faith We see him in hope Christ in you the hope of glory We see him the wisdom of God and the power of God We see him such a one as cares not for man Master we know that thou art true and carest not for any mans person We see him one that takes away sin It is he that is our righteousness and holiness It is he that is the true light It is his day coming that shall darken the Sun and the Moon It is he that makes the whole Creation to shake It is he that commands Devils and Hell Principalities and Powers In that degree we see him and have communion with him in that degree we witness to him He is coming and he is come without sin to Salvation He is amongst us and in the midst of us and if you see him not if you know him not it is because you are in darkness He is come and Iohn is come that bears witness of him Who is Iohn that bears witness to him He that calleth you from man to that one Master He that is decreasing before him and rejoyceth in it He that is dying into him and seeking to rise in him that is sending all Disciples to him and confessing him and professing that all were Thieves and Robbers that went before him that had drawn Disciples after them That Ministry that is calling us off from man from the glow-worm light of this Creation from mans parts and gifts into the Spirit that 's the Ministry we should look after This same Iohn came out of the wilderness He came not in a fleshly garbe He came not in that which commends him to man He feared not man nor his terror He cared neither for Herods glory nor the Pharisees applause He was leading men above the excellency of this creation and bidding them look beyond it He comes not into the Ministry upon the old account by the way of Succession or Election by mans laying on of hands or call of Churches but by the Spirit He comes of the Priesthood but not in the ordayning way When his parents were old when their bodies were dead when his Father was dumb when mans Ministry had been tryed then he comes forth not in the wisdom of man but in the power of the Spirit He comes out of the wilderness in Spirit So Christ is among us in the Spirit These are the mighty witnesses and this is that which makes them mighty Seeing of Christ This is the Ministry we should look after Look after such witnesses and look to be such witnesses to be seers indeed and not in a bare notion as Balaam was to see him in us and our selves in union with him to hold him forth to hold forth the truth to hold forth righteousness and to be able to say Here it is The Ministry of those that profess themselves the Ministers of Christ and yet do not see Christ the world takes hold on it and runs into it and so it comes to nothing The Ministry of those that see Christ by the power of Christ doth stop the mouths of Mockers and Scoffers that say Where is the promise of his coming Why he is come and he is coming That is the true Ministry that sees him and this is that which will grow exceedingly terrible to the world This is such a Ministry as the world is not able to stand before As Christ comes nearer so the Ministry of the Spirit will be more burning and shining more dazling and tormenting to the world and if any oppose it O what burning and tormenting then Burning and shining is the demonstration of the Spirit and Power The Divine nature in us is that fire from the Altar that never goeth out That fire that shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body that fire that shal put out and darken the glory of the world And that is the reason of the Ecclipse of the Sun which Naturalists cannot find out the greater light coming the Lord himself the Sun of righteousness appearing the light of gifts of parts and of natural reason presently disappears and vanisheth They are but as the light of a glow-worm to the Sun There is a fire of passion kindled by the fire of Hell The fire that Sampsons Foxes carried away in their tayls as it s said Wickedness burns like a fire The fire of the Spirit putts out this fire A burning and a shining light The manifestation of God in his servants is fire and light its burning and shining and the nearer God approaches the hotter the fire the more shining the light Burning and shining In burning there is great suffering there 's torment there 's slaying and offering up there 's assimilating In shining
is true As we are Saints we partake of the Divine nature but there is the corrupt nature also There is the flesh as well as the Spirit If the Spirit be asleep if God give Sathan Power and say to him as he did once Go and be a lying Spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets Go and be an unclean Spirit in such a ones heart What mischief may he not do If God withdraw and let Sathan out against David What a condition is David in what befalls the poor Corinthian here he was a Saint indeed but a Saint besmeared with sin God hath many glorious designs in such a desertion in such a temptation Reas For by this he doth make Gins and Nets and Snares and stumbling blocks unto the world wherein being catched and broken they fall and never rise again Doct. 3. Further we might see here from that first verse how there is a civil righteousness among the Gentiles Even Gentiles and Heathens they do keep themselves free from gross carnal actings they are free from gross defilements all the filthiness lieth within There it lieth hid till temptation draw it forth Doct. 4. And this also is to be taken notice of that abstaining from outward gross filthy actings will make us no better then the Gentiles If our righteousness be only an abstaining from outward gross acts it will be no better a righteousness then the righteousness of the Gentiles and of the Heathen There is all filthiness within but it is restrained and comes not forth Oh How doth it concern us that we be not found worse then the Gentiles When that which is within breaks forth in all filthy and beastly and abominable practice this is to be worse then the Gentiles We are no better then the Gentiles if we outwardly abstain We are worse then the Gentiles if we let these corruptions break forth Such Fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles Doct. 5. And here we see how it lieth upon Saints to possess their vessels in sanctification and in honor It lieth upon them and there is a Law for them as well as for the World The difference is that the world hath a Law upon them from without an imposition A Saint if he be a Saint indeed hath the same Law within the Law without only restrains the Law of the Spirit of life within it crucifies it mortifies it kills the very root of sin Object To those that say they are not fleshly in fleshly lusts Answ We have this to say in way of answer 1. Some say so and discover the contrary and some have said so and have had a discovery of the contrary in their own hearts 2. Again we say that we have no experience of any such thing 3. We say that there is a Spirit that discovers and judges and therefore let them that say so look to it When this same Spirit shall come forth in us we shall be able to judge till then we are silent I conceive there be two sorts of Ranters in the world one that comes forth in all fleshly beastliness another that comes forth in scorn and disdain insulting and lifting up themselves upon that occasion Let us wait upon God to be delivered from both these That for the first verse What is to be done when boyles and blaines do break out when such corruption and filth is discovered Le ts consider that What shall we do Shall we reproach Shall we throw stones Shall we insult Shall we despise Shall we judge He that hath the Spirit let him judge As concerning the outward acts let the Magistrate do his duty but he that judgeth let him see that the beam be first pulled out of his own eye let him see that the whore be judged in his own heart and burnt there He that is without sin saith Christ let him throw the first stone What then is to be done the second verse of the Chapter shews us and shews what these Corinthians evilly did They were puft up saith he and have not rather mourned that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you Mourning is the effect which such discoveries should bring forth in Saints hearts The sin of this person was a sadding thing a sad spectacle Mourning and confessing the root of that evil in their own Spirits all that baseness and abominable filth in their own hearts should have been the fruit of this persons fall I know that in me saith Paul that is in my flesh dwells nothing that is good This is that that is to be done mourning and making out for the Power of the Lord Jesus that this evil may be judged and that there may be no more of this abomination committed amongst them But you are puft up and have not ratherer mourned You are puft up After we have looked upon this same filthiness that is broken out in one Saint come and let us see sin in the power of it and seising upon the whole congregation or Church There is the Devil among you and you are proud high puft up High conceits you have of your own excellency of your good estate We see how Saints may fall asleep in carnal security be lifted up in pride blown up with vain puffs and swell'd with wind with conceits of goodness and excellency of that which is not made drunk and intoxicated with high high thoughts of their excellent condition when as death and hell are among them in great power Here is the filthiness of hell among these Saints and yet they are puft up what a glorious congregation are they in what an excellent state are they Ye are puft up The Apostles is expressing the workings of their hearts in the Chapter before this 1 Cor. 4. 8. Now ye are Full now ye are Rich Ye have raigned as Kings without us Ye are wise ye are strong ye are honorable as 't is in ver 10. These were the conceits they had of themselves You are puft up Carnal security pride among Saints a whole Church a whole congregation covered over with it drunken with it not one of them awake Not a wise man among them as saith the Apostle in another case What is there not a wise man among you Not one that hath his wits about him all dead and senseless of Sathans stratagems that had brought forth such lewdness and wickedness in the midst of them Thus you see Carnal security and pride among Saints There is a spiritual security security in God and there is a brave highth of mind boasting of God when t is in truth But this same pride is when there is conceit of that that is not My soul saith David shall make her boast of God and the humble shall hear thereof and be glad The new mans security and the new mans glory O that 's excellent that 's sweet But here was fleshly security flesh exalting it self in conceits of the Spirit The Devil transforming himself into an Angel of
and here he is in drudgery hunger and thirst have I not a father saith he I 'le go home to my Father He came to himself This is the quickning and awaking of the Spiritual Seed the new man the new creature in us that is born of God knows God and can never be at quiet as long as flesh and sin do raign It lusts against the flesh This mourning brings in power from God whereby to discharge it self from the evil that oppresses it Godly sorrow saith the Apostle works repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of In spiritual mourning there is a kind of dying of flesh and denying of flesh an owning and honouring of God The man goes out of himself I am undone He goes out to God Crying My destruction is from my self but in thee is my help I am not able to deal with these enemies with Sin Hell and Death Now help me Lord. This is the travail of the Soul with Christ until he be formed in us Spititual mourning Godly mourning it is the mourning of the Spirit in us with sighs and groans not to be expressed There is worldly mourning and there is Godly mourning There is fleshes mourning and Spirits mourning Fleshes mourning is for Affliction for trouble Take away this plague saith Pharoah The Spirits mourning is for sin I have done foolishly take away my sin saith David Fleshes mourning is sins mourning it would be delivered it would not be plagued The Spirits mourning is against sin take away the plague of the heart Spiritual mourning is to lament after the Lord. 'T is said of the children of Israel They mourned after the Lord 1 Sam. 7. towards the end of the chap. This is what the new man doth the Spiritual man the heavenly man in us the new creature when he is awakened when he is quickned which indeed is the conversion of a sinner the awakning the new man in him and this new man being the seed of God cannot endure to abide in filth in the dark but is making out making from whence it came making to his Father making unto God in mourning in a deep sense of its wretched condition in darkness in weakness in the power of lusts O miserable man who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ Here was a mighty proof of the Corinthians delivering their own hearts and delivering this person that the Devil had much power over I had an intent to have enlarged this further but I will rather break off and may goe on at another time SERMON II. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. HEre is a great and foul sin that doth veil a dear Saint a sin not named amongst the Gentiles such a sin as the Gentiles are ashamed of is found in a Congregation of Saints It is there and they do not see it nor take notice of it they are all asleep the whore hath put her cup to their mouths and they are all drunken with the world and pride Ye are puft up and have not rather mourned That is it we were upon in the morning That security and spiritual drunkenness may befall Saints The devil may get in among them in the basest practises and they not take notice of it but dream of righteousness and glory This Church were all asleep Saint Paul he awakens them he mourns and awakens them he comes to them in the spirit and sets them a mourning and so they go forth together in the power of the Lord Jesus and quit themselves and this poor deluded soul among them from the snare of the devil The Apostle before he brings them to judge this incestuous person he judges the whole Church and brings them to judge themselves and that is it that must be first we must be judged before we can sit in judgement Before we come forth in the judgement of the Lord against others we must be brought before the Tribunal of the Lord. The Apostle charges the whole Church with sin and delivers them first to Satan and then with them delivers this person from Satan He shews them that they are in the snare of the devil This is to be delivered unto Satan and this was the delivery of this incestuous person unto Satan A spiritual discovery that he was in Satans hands He was in Satans hands before but now the spirit of God came forth unto him by Paul and the Church to discover it to him and so he was delivered unto Satan and after he delivers the whole Church to Satan and after delivers them from Satan and then goes to work with them to deliver up this person to save him They were all partakers of his sin in that they were not sensible of it but were puft up He tells them what did rather become them what concerned them and that was to mourn ye have not mourned rather this is that you should be found in spiritual mourning Through spiritual mourning the power of God comes upon the Saints to discharge their own hearts and their Congregations from sin and wickedness This kinde saith Christ goes not forth but by fasting and prayer He speaks of a child possessed of the devil The Disciples could not cast him out and they ask Christ the Reason This kinde saith he goes not forth but by fasting and prayer By spiritual mourning by earnest contending with God by the power of the spirit in mourning and wrastling with God as Jacob did who had power with God we shall obtain power against sin Hos 12. He wept and he made supplication c. You will never have power against sin unless you have power over God You will never overcome the wicked one unless you first overcome God and God is overcome no way but by his own power in mourning and supplication 't is his power made out when flesh is denyed and he is owned 'T is by his own power his hands are bound Let me go saith God I will not let thee go saith Jacob until thou bless me He wept and he made supplication as you may see in that fourth of Hosea This same mourning out of which God comes forth in power against sin it is the spirits mourning the spirit in the Saints in Sighs and Groans It is the reviving and quickning of the new man that lay dead in the flesh who seeing himself thus besmeared thus imprisoned thus captivated with sin and Satan he is breaking out of it he cannot have rest in that state he sees he is not at home Whither am I carryed from my Fathers house saith the Prodigal when he came to himself It is the travel of the spiritual man as Christ expresses it Joh. 16. 20. in which the man-childe is brought forth the spirit as it was here in Paul and in the Saints which being brought forth was able to deal with Satan and with hell to send Satan to Satan and hell to hell What doth hell
but he will swallow up their weakness in his glory and here he will exercise his Omnisciency here he will exercise his Omnipotency Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 2. Reject this and reject Scripture as I said before By this union between God and the Saints and Gods manifesting himself in his Saints exercising his kingdom exercising his universal Judicature in them the Saints shall judge the world Do ye not know that ye shall judge the world and judge Angels There is no right judge but the Lord and there is no man that is fit to judge till the Lord be risen in him The spiritual man judgeth all things so far forth as he is spiritual he judgeeth all things so far forth as he is carnal he is not fit to judge any thing The carnal judgement condemns the Spirit passes judgement upon God rejects God The Saints are growing up into the Omnisciency and Omnipotency of God God is now despised in them but God shall be glorified in them God bears their weakness but they shall be cloathed upon with his power Christ is in every Saint and the Father hath committed all judgement unto him who doth not judge by the sight of the eye or the hearing of the ear Isa 11. 4. So Paul did not judge now by the sight of the eye or hearing of the ear that is bodily he neither went by common fame neither did his bodily presence help him to discern the business but he was present in spirit and in the light of God in the wisdom of God in the power of God he did see and did judge I already have judged though absent in body yet present in spirit There is no true judgement that passes upon mens Consciences but by the spirit Men that can only judge by the outward appearance can never judge righteous judgement you cannot judge righteous judgement till you are led within the vail till you see principles till you not onely see what is done but see upon what grounds it is done till you see the root of the matter The Apostle cares not for mans judgement He that judgeth me saith he is the Lord. All the people of God they are Princes they are Kings God hath called us to his own kingdom and to his own glory as the Apostle hath it And therefore Rev. 3. 12. it is said I will write upon them the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God and I will write upon them my new name so God will bring forth his glory in his people Paul expressing what he hath done he calls unto the whole Church to joyn with him and assures them they shal have his assistance his assistance and the power of the Lord Jesus When you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Do you judge as I have done The power of the Lord Jesus will lead you to it and you shall come forth in that power actually to deliver him to Satan You see by the effects this was not bare words this was not a bug-bear But that is it we see in Churches and Congregations among us that take upon them this it hath no effect no power And therefore if they have to deal with a Saint he pities them is sorry for them wishes they had more light if with one that is not a Saint he jeers them he scorns them But here is reality this Incestuous person felt hell in his Conscience saw he was in the power of the devil he was even swallowed up with sorrow Therefore the Apostle calls upon them to relieve him and this is to save him q d. look now if the flesh be destroyed then bring out the spirit and comfort him you ought to relieve him Here you see the power of the Lord Jesus he commands hell and death he commands Satan Take that that is thine and then give up that thou hast nothing to do withal Destroy the flesh deliver up the spirit This makes sport for wicked men to come out with thundring and lightning in the absence of power This should set us to mourn for the spirit How little is the manifestation of the spirit in our own Consciences How much less can we manifest it to others It is then time for us to mourn after the Lord. And if we were come to mourn after him we should soon come to rejoyce with him and make our boast of him SERMON III. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. IN the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus In the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of our Lord Iesus This is no vain or idle repetition all business of this nature is done only by the name and the power of Jesus Christ But if you please to make some difference take it thus In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that is owning the Lord Christ professing him calling upon him Wih the pwer of the Lord Iesus Christ that is let not there be a bare mention of him but let there be the power In the power of our Lord Iesus There is much mention of the name of Christ among us taking upon us great things by that name when it is but taking it in vain where no power appears In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit What 's this same spirit of Paul That by which he was present as he said before I am present with you in spirit This I look upon as the Divine nature which Paul did partake of the spiritual man born of God in which God doth act God guides and acts his people in this spiritual man flesh is acted by Satan there is the power of Satan and Hell but here is the power of the Lord Jesus in Spirit My spirit that 's the seat of God in a Saint And my spirit with the power of the Lord Iesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan there is the Sentence and Judgement But before we come to that I shall observe two or three things In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ c. First There is no dealing in the Consciences of men neither our own nor others against sin and Satan when they shew their power there in the power and wisdom of man unless we go forth in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ it is to no purpose T is only the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that delivers the Consciences and Hearts of men fron sin and Satan therefore the Apostle saith Iudge nothing before the time till the Lord come Saul was not to fight with the Philistims till Samuel came To go forth against
my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Wheresoever the power of the Lord Jesus goes let it be with babes and sucklings there shall the Apostles Spirit go let their appearance be what it will in the world And the power of our Lord Jesus The power of the Lord Jesus it is or it shall be manifested among his people in their communion and in their gatherings together The power of the Lord Jesus it is but O how dark is it yet It shall be gloriously manifested in the Assemblies of his Saints in their gatherings together When ye are gathered together The people shall say Come let 's go up to the house of the Lord for the Law shall go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2. 3. What is Zion and Jerusalem but the Assemblies of the Saints And upon all the Assemblies of Mount Zion there shall be a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoak Isa 7. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them What to do but to binde and loose to open and shut and gather my people together When the spirit came down upon the Disciples after Christs Ascension it was in their convening when they were assembled together for Christ charged them there to wait and they should receive power When they are together they are a body of living stones built up an holy Temple they are members apart altogether the body and the fulness of Christ and all the Saints have one life and one soul every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working of the measure of every part as the Apostle hath it Eph. 4. 16. Q. And what is this gathering together where the power of the Lord Jesus comes forth A. The main is in the spirit with my spirit saith the Apostle in the name of the Lord Jesus when ye are gathered together and my spirit The gathering together of spirits I do not say without bodies but this is the main the spirit is that which is born of God that which God acts whom I serve in my spirit 't is the new man flesh the devil acts and corrupt principles the devil acts there are gatherings together in that there are gatherings together where the power of Satan is it is a pittiful thing to get into a Church gathering and there sit down now I may be at rest and ease but this is a gathering in spirit in the unity of the spirit This is a gathering in him and to him and in this gathering a waiting for him no man shall be heard no man shall be Lord there is but one Master one Lord one King one guide and here we are together waiting what he will say it is no matter what this man says or that man saith Doth Christ speak in him We look for the demonstration of the spirit 't is no matter what this man saith or the other man saith We wait for power and evidence for God to go before us in a pillar of smoak and in a pillar of fire 'T is a spirit-gathering where the power of the Lord Jesus is There is a flesh-gathering a formal-gathering which is nothing but a cover of Satan a cover of the devil When ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus a gathering together in the unity of the spirit and this unity of the spirit doth not regard form it joyns with all Saints whatsoever in spirit under what form soever and this is a particular Assembly in reference to the General Assembly God is their Judge it is a gathering together of those that have made a Covenant by sacrifice as it is in Psa 50. They have given up themselves to the Lord they will be only guided by him They know what man is here goeth the power of the Lord Jesus with such gatherings O that we could finde such and see such we should soon see the power of the Lord Iesus If we have fellowship one with another the blood of Christ cleanses us It is this fellowship that hath power in it cleansing in it such gatherings as are in the power of God and such gatherings as wait for the power of God such gatherings where man lays himself down we wait what the Lord will say we will not stir without the spirit It is not a letter shall guide us nor a man shall guide us but the Lord. SERMON IV. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. V 5. TO deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus It is the Apostles direction unto a gathered Church how to quit themselves of one that had done a foul fact of the evil one among them to deliver themselves from that evil and to save the person In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one c. 1. 'T is onely in the power of the Lord Jesus that any Churches or Consciences are delivered from guilt it is not in the power and wisdom of man 2. And this power Christ will manifest in all believers in all his people in all his Saints he comes with all his Saints as well as Ministers The Apostles spirit joyns with them and my spirit saith he in the power of the Lord Jesus 3. And the power of the Lord Jesus whenever it shall be manifested will be especially made out in the gatherings of Saints when they are gathered in spirit A flesh-gathering is when we have the power of the devil with us But to these words in ver 5. To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh To destroy the evil principle and to save the person here 's a way which the world doth not know when the world sees sin it thinks of the destroying the person therefore it goes forth in the evil principle against the person Here 's a way now to destroy the evil and save the person the spirit of God onely can teach us this t is the power of the Lord Jesus Here is the means that is to be used delivering unto Satan and the end of that means that the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit saved And here is that that doth destroy flesh and save the spirit and that is the day of the Lord Jesus The manifestation of the Lord Jesus in the day of his power by the power of the Lord Jesus deliver such a one to Satan Satan is the enemy of God he dwells in wrath he dwells in fire Deliver him unto him Into that wrath and into that fire cast him into those flames there let him fry Where Satan is destroying there let Satan be destroyed that is in him and let the Saint come forth Deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the
flesh Here is a piece of Discipline that is the priviledge of a Saint it looks terribly but it is for salvation that the spirit may be saved Here is destruction in it but destruction is for salvation There are that are Satans let them be delivered to him there they abide they return no more there is that that returns again that the spirit may be saved The devil takes his own meddles with nothing else the flesh destroyed the spirit saved Deliver him to Satan how is that that is let him see that he is in Satans hands that he is drudging in his work that he is a vassal of his in this incest that he hath committed let him see this Qu. Why but he was in Satans hands under Satans power in the commission of this evil what then is this Delivering to Satan Answ Let him see it and let him feel it let him feel hell and feel wrath let him finde the flames about him And so I look upon that Scripture in Joh. 16. 8. to be the interpretation of this Scripture The Spirit shall convince of sin and of righteousness and of judgement Here is the power of the Lord Jesus the spirit of the Lord Jesus v. 4. by this there is a Delivery unto Satan a conviction of sin that the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit may be saved that righteousness and judgement may come forth This is convincing of sin of righteousness and of judgement Deliver him to Satan tie him fast by a spirit of bondage fill his soul with fear and trembling Deliver him for the destruction of the flesh The destruction of the flesh that 's the destruction of Satan Satans kingdom is in the flesh Gods rule is in the spirit deliver him to Satan that Satan may be destroyed Let him see that he is in the hands of Satan that the Spirit may make out of his hands the flesh is nothing but enmity to God The devil is the enemy of God so is flesh and if enemy be too little 't is said to be enmity Rom. 8. 7. the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God The wisdom of the flesh the most glorious piece of flesh is enmity to God the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh deliver him to Satan that Satan may be destroyed they that are in the flesh cannot please God That the spirit may be saved There is in a Saint two natures flesh and spirit the law of the members and the law of the minde there is I and sin I and Christ as the Apostle expresses it There is flesh in which Satan rules and acts there is spirit that is the Divine nature that Saints do partake of and this same divine seed lieth buried in flesh in weakness in darkness under a law of sin and death till it be quickned and when quickned it stands up for its liberty and after quickned it may fall into a swound and be as it were dead again as this Corinthian Obs That the Spirit may be saved The destruction of flesh is the saving of Spirit and 't is the day of the Lord that saves the spirit and burns up flesh The Lords appearance is like fire that goes through the Bryars and Thorns and burns them together the manifestation of the Lord against whatsoever is against him consumes it destroys it If any will set the bryars and thorns against me in battail I will go through them and burn them together The day of flesh is night and darkness unto the spirit to that that is born of God The day of the Lord is the night of the flesh and the night of Satan 't is darkness and not light and here the spirit comes forth that that is of God comes forth and the flesh is destroyed Thus you have a short view of the meaning of the words and do you judge what I say That which is to be observed here may be branched out into divers particulars 1. First this That there is mercy kindness pity life salvation conveyed unto Saints by such ways and means where there is nothing visible but evil and death hell and destruction Deliver him to Satan c. send him to hell that he may be delivered from hell by terrible things dost thou answer us O God of our salvation 2. Another thing to be observed here is this That Satan and hell and death in all the powers thereof is under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Saints When ye are gathered together with the power of the Lord Jesus deliver such a one unto Satan Deliver him for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved Satan is under the power of the Lord Jesus in his Saints in his people and he is disposed by them to take such a one to destroy his own power in him and to send him forth pure to send back that that is of God Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved The power of the Lord Jesus shall be manifested in the Saints to command and dispose of Satan and the power of hell This incestuous person was delivered unto Satan for what end That Satan should destroy himself in him now by the spirit of the Lord Jesus in the Church he is restored and received again In the second Epistle the second Chapter Now saith he ye ought to comfort him ye ought to relieve him sufficient to such a man is that punishment take heed he be not swallowed up of too much sorrow let him not lie too long in hell for we are not ignorant of Satans devices So he is put into Satans hands and taken out by the power of the Lord Jesus in his people This is that power that Paul did act in when he speaks of some that he had delivered unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. Whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme Strange that Satan should teach men not to blaspheme this is the power of the Lord Jesus in the Saints We know little of it or scarce any thing at all in this time of the Apostasie and of revealing of the man of sin but we look for the coming forth of this power in a more glorious manner then ever it was abroad yet when shall that be when by the brightness of his coming he shall consume that man of sin The power of the Lord Jesus in his people doth command devils and hell Do you not know saith the Apostle that the Saints shall judge the world Do you not know that we shall judge Angels So it follows in the next chapter to the Text 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Whose is the power of judgeing the world and Angels is it not the Sons That which is the Sons is the Saints â—he same glory thou hast given me I have given them All power saith
Christ is given me both in heaven and in earth The Father comes forth in Christ and Christ comes forth in the Saints Christ comes forth in the flesh lower then the Angels He makes him lower then the Angels he comes forth as a servant while the son is under age he is kept as a servant he is made of a woman made under the Law at last the Father comes to own him as his son and Christ owns him as his Father When the time appointed of the Father comes he sends his spirit into our hearts saying 'T is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom Christ hath the keys of hell and death and he exercises these keys in his Saints We at present do not know how he exercises these but we shall know how when we feel the want of them when we see our weakness and darkness and mourn after the Lord. God hath suffered the devil hell and sin to be a kinde of Cloak and covering upon himself but when he pleaseth he will come forth and command them The Saints need not the worlds power and force to go to the world for power is to go to the devil for power The Saints have power with God and therefore must needs have power over Satan And this power the Saints obtain by mourning as the Apostle hath it in the second verse Ye ought rather to have mourned Iacob wept and made supplication wrastled with God and so prevailed The Saints indeed they are great persons but few there are that know themselves We are the sons of God but the world doth not know us God hath brought forth himself and brought forth Christ in his Saints and people but that was but a first fruits to shew what he will do fully He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in them that believe The spirit of God was withdrawn that the man of sin might appear This is that believers should do they should be looking after this power the power of the Lord Jesus What a poor thing it is to spend our time in an outward powerless profession onely If we are Christians and of Iesus Christ we cannot do so The kingdom of God is not in word but in power Do we profess Christ Where is the power of the Lord Iesus Why do lusts and corruptions reign in our hearts Why have Satan and the world such power over us Where is the power of the Lord Jesus Where is the spirit of Eliah as Elisha said when he had seen his master taken up into heaven and had received his mantle and had a promise of a doubling of that spirit Christ is taken up into Heaven He hath told us greater works then he did in that flesh should we do in his Spirit Where is that spirit Where is that power by which devils were made to tremble and submit to him 'T is time we should begin to know our selves that we are of God that we are the Temple of God the body of the Lord that we are the fulness of Christ and that in us he will manifest himself and 't is that we should look for We should be weary of a formal outward languishing profession and so bringing forth the Lord Jesus we shall make his name known O that thou wouldst bow the Heavens that thou would'st come down and make thy name known that Hell and Death and Satan and all the powers of darkness might melt before thee Resist the devil saith James and he will flie from you What is that power by which the devil is resisted 'T is the power of Christ the power of the Lord Jesus is with his people though not yet manifested we should wait for it and not rest contented with the name but look after power to command hell and death those that have commanded us We are comforting our selves that Christ hath done this for us 'T is true he hath done this for us he will do it in us The Apostle bids us stand to it in Eph. 6. You wrastle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers therefore put on the whole armour of God If you be true Israel you are able to deal with God and then the devil and the world are not able to stand against you Do you believe this Then wait for it The next thing I shall commend unto you is this That we must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. And if this stick in your stomacks and will not go down let me offer it to you in an old expression of Divinity as they call it that is That God leads his people to Heaven by Hell We must be delivered to Satan if ever we will be delivered from Satan Satan hath carryed all the seed of God captive in the flesh 'T is under the law of sin sin and death hath captivated the whole seed of God here this seed lieth as it were dead in a swound and in this state we dream of nothing but life and happiness great enjoyments when we are captives to Satan at his pleasure God he quickens this same seed this divine nature and then they see where they are see how they were deceived what a fools Paradise they were in then they have no rest till they be delivered This is to be delivered from Satan to see that we are in Satans power So it comes to this That there must be a discovery of our state under the power of darkness before we be delivered from it Deliver him unto Satan destroy him that he may be delivered destroy him that he may be saved kill him that he may be made alive convince him of sin then of righteousness Deliver him unto Satan is quicken him and enlighten him that he may see where he is in Satans power And whereas before there was peace when the strong man kept the house it was because he did not see Satan but now he sees him there is nothing but trouble there is no rest till he be delivered This is nothing but what the Apostle saith you hath he quickened that were dead in trespasses and sins Dead in trespasses and sins here is the seed of God under the power of Satan The spirit quickned sees whereabouts it is sees that it is in hell among devils lusts death and flames and it cannot abide here The Prodigal came to himself that was the quickning of this divine seed he was well enough before at the swine-trough till he comes to himself O then he cannot endure it he cannot live here any longer We must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan And the ground and reason of this lieth thus God hath let all his seed fall under the hands and power of death and Satan and he would never suffer this state unless he meant they should be sensible of it unless he did
do in a Saint What doth hell in a Church Deliver him to Satan let Satan go to destruction it is his place it is his portion Thus spiritual mourning or the spirits mourning is that which brings forth the spirits power and this sets the soul free and sets a Church free Now we should look what we can finde of this mourning this mourning for sin this mourning after the Lord. This is not in flesh and blood to do All the mourning of flesh and blood is that sin may be supplyed All the prayers of a natural man are that his lusts may be furnished all his mourning and complaint is when sin suffers when godliness plays upon sin then he cries then he mourns The spiritual man mourns after the Lord as 't is said of the children of Israel they mourned after the Lord. The natural man mourns for Corn and Wine and Oyl The Lord speaks in the Prophesie of Hosea of the howling of the people Did you cry to me when you howled for Corn and Wine and Oyle But that which is the main thing to be observed here is that no power or wisdom of man or any company of men any Church any Rulers any Elders can set a heart free from sin or can cleer their Congregations from sin 't is God that must do it and therefore the Apostle saith Ye have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you When that evil is seen in your hearts and in your Churches what are you to do know that you cannot deliver your selves you are to mourn until it be done for you you are to lament after the Lord. O that the Lord would come that power would come that he that is great stronger then the strong man that he would come We are to wait for the assistance of Jesus Christ Here the Apostle speaks of mourning You have not mourned as you should do you should mourn after the Lord that he would quit you of this sin that he would rescue you in the fourth verse it is plainly set forth In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ It is not your power it is not mans power that shall rid you of the wicked one among you in your hearts or in your Congregations but 't is the Lord that must do it and therefore you must mourn after the Lord. If you be of God you will mourn after him and you will never be quiet until his power do come down to rescue you and deliver you This mourning that you may be eased of the wicked one shews that it is not in your power In the ninth of Mark Christ went up into a mountain where he was transfigured he took up one or two of his Disciples with him and the rest he left below vers 14. these Disciples left below were set upon by the Pharisees and that Sect to tempt them and to try them that if it might be they might have a victory over them a day of them now their master was away They bring to them a Father with his child that was possessed with an evil spirit that used him and handled him piteously that threw him sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water but the Disciples were not able to cast him out here was great joy and rejoycing among the Pharisees the Pharisees thought they had had the day As they were exulting and baffling the Disciples Christ he comes down from the Mountain when he comes down he is told what the business is vers 17. O faithless generation saith Christ how low shall I be with you bring him to me and he cast him out In this story we may see how ridiculous we shall make ourselves when we offer to set upon Satan or deal with sin when we have not the Lord Jesus with us we make but sport for the Devil and sport for the world There is no going forth but in the power of Christ Dost thou see sin Canst thou go forth in the power of Christ against it If thou canst not sit down and mourn till that spirit come till that power come Sin and Satan are too strong for man and if we deal with them without God we do nothing but endeavour by sin to cast out sin and by Satan to cast out Satan To undertake any thing against sin and have not the Lord with us is altogether in vain therefore Moses saith Vnless thou go forth with us do not carry us out hence To go forth in mans power in the power of a letter of the Scripture only it is not safe God will not be offended with us if we will not go forth without full assurance of his presence with us If he give us some assurance we should desire to have better assurance It is the power of God in which we must go out against sin successfully We shall never have rest from sin and Satan till we cease from our own works There is no going forth against sin but in the power of Christ You ought rather to have mourned that he which hath done this deed might be taken away from among you Look upon hearts look upon Churches they are both the Temple of God the House of God let God rule in his own house he hath the power there The Reformation of our own hearts and of Churches it is by the power of the spirit of God It is not in man to direct his ways Man is weak he is corrupt man and Satan in this respect are one Now the question will be If there be no going forth against sin but in the power of the spirit where is this power that reforms Congregations where is this Ministery of the Spirit where are these spiritual weapons mighty through God to cast down high thoughts and strong imaginations The Answer is It is confessed that the power of the spirit of God hath been and is yet very little abroad and therefore we see men go forth against sin and Satan and effect nothing they make nothing but sport There is little savour of life or savour of death to be seen in the Ministery of men little binding or loosing little opening heaven or shutting heaven very little forgiving sins or retaining sins in mens Consciences we know very little but a noise and a form in these things Most men that take upon them to do this they are put to it because of the weakness of their Ministery whatever brags they make to go to the civil Magistrate to back them This same power of the Lord Jesus whereby sin and Satan are thrown out of mens hearts is now but in a very low manifestation and very rarely appears But what is to be done then Not that that is usually done we must not go out as vaunting that we have that which we have not as pretending the spirit and the power of Christ with us