Refreshing Drops AND SCORCHING VIALS SEVERALLY Distributed to their proper Subjects according to the Wisdom given that precious servant of the Lord Mr. CHRISTOPHER GOAD Sometimes Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge and Batchelor in Divinity as men speak But before his Translation Become a Disciple and Learner again sitting at the feet of Christ and his Spirit where he took a higher degree and now sits with Christ in Heaven Eccl. 12. 11. The Words of the wise are as Goads and as Nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd London Printed by R. W. for Giles Calvert at the sign of the Black-spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1653. TO THE READER Friend HE that ministred these ensuing Discourses to us did withall sow his life and in testimony thereof when he had finished this Ministration took his leave of us calling upon thee and me to follow him And if his life spring up in us it will carry us whither he was continually making Even without the Camp It was not the least of his services to dye for the flock which he did daily therein following the great shepherd Now a Box of precious Oyntment is broken Oh that the whole house of God on earth may be filled with the savor of it He was wont to say of every thing he said or did how good righteous and excellent soever and refreshing to others This is but a vail upon the Lord God considered and answered him in the desire of his heart and hath rent the vail for him A witness is gone but his Testimony remains and shall remain while the Sun and Moon endure If these Records should be destroyed yet the truth therein shall be preserved in the living Records of the breasts of faithful men and shall there grow up and be purified until the Lord come and bring this Author and all his Saints with him Zach. 14. 5. Even so make haste and come Lord Jesus And now let not any man think these Sermons were preached or are now published to enrich the world with notions They are to make us poor in spirit to slay ye to undo ye he that loves his life let him not come here They are to pull down the flesh and abase the glory of man but to lift up the Lord If he be your life here you may hear of him There is in the world a great deal of light and knowledge falsly so called Men are very rich in their several Administrations hence that unbrotherly walking one towards another and yet they talk of peace and accommodation but it is but talk Ye will never meet with an expedient for either until ye dye Come and in the grave of Christ let us reason together and be one There is no parling with men till the Cool of the day till the Sun of their imaginary glory be declining It is this grave makes all even there rich and poor master and servant lie down together and are at rest There the brother of low degree is exalted and the rich is made low They are enemies to peace that are enemies to the Cross of Christ Whosoever sets up any excellency besides Christ himself sets up an Occasion of strife and enmity a partition-wall The Cross of Christ took away that distance between the Jews and the Gentiles and t is the preaching of the Cross and the knowing of Christ crucified experimentally takes it away through all ages And it is in vain to send Embassies of peace to men while their strength is firm in them Why then are ye offended at Preachers of the Cross But be it known to ye ye that live and will not dye ye are dead while ye live To be carnally minded is death or which is worse your life is a continual torment to you And be it known to you there is strength in the grave The weakness of God is stronger then Men if ye will build for continuance ye must resolve to lay your foundation in confusion He layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters That building that shall stand for ever must rise up wholly purely out of God himself and his Spirit But to you that are dead with Christ and whose life is buried under the foundations of this world and its fleshly frames Behold I bring you glad tidings all things are dissolving the heavens are passing away with a great noise as it is said they should the elements are melting with the fervent heat of the Day of the Spirit and the earth with all the works of men are burning up by the same fire Lift up your heads your Redemption draws nigh Friends I have not of a long time had any power to go forth in this kinde I mean to open any thing Therefore accept the willingness of my minde to have done some thing by way of Preface and do ye make the supply by being the Epistle of Christ whereby ye shall shew the best respect to the labour and travel of him that is gone And let all expressions that are here left dark and homely through my deficiency to whom chiefly the inspection of the Copies was committed be corrected in the pure springings up of the living Truth in your hearts Yours in the Lord JOSH. SPRIGG A Preface to the Reader IT is time for us to be looking out of this world which grows old and is ready to vanish away God is by the brightness of his own discoveries burning up the works thereof and stablishing that new heavens new earth where righteousness dwells the creation hath sent up strong groans and hath long lien under bondage the redemption thereof now draws nigh We are the children of the last times and upon us are the ends of the world come Prophesies and Promises which have been bid from ages and generations are now enriching us by their revealing and fulfilling in us Arise and shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee It shall come to pass in the last days the Mountain of the Lords house shal be set up above the Mountains exalted above the hills Now begins to be brought to pass the saying that is written Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shal be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21. 3. The Church hath long lien among the pots God is giving her the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers of yellow gold she hath been conformed to Christ in his death and hath lain with him in the grave she that hath thus descended must also ascend she that hath suffered must reign since the mystery of iniquity began first to work it hath wrought most effectually and prevailed men and their traditions have been the unquestioned authority the light and teaching of the spirit in the Scriptures hath been forgotten and stood like a Sparrow upon the house
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
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
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
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
in what strange darkness are we that we should not see him As certain of your own Poets have said and so he is strikeing them with their own quils dealing with them upon that they did own and acknowledge All men are the off-spring of God There are two ways of being Gods Off-spring one by nature another by the spirit one onely in old Adam another in Christ the living soul the quickning spirit Verse 29. For asmuch then as we are the off-spring of God we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver or stone graven by Art and mens device See the force here of the Apostles Reason We are his Off-spring this is profest among you now we being his Off-spring shall we make God our Off-spring Shall we make the work of our hands to be God We are of him and shall we maker him to be of us Verse 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent God was pleased that there should be such a time of darkness that the devil should have a power and a kingdom but now that he is coming forth he will be owned Now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent he is coming forth now to shew himself and he comes forth in Christ so in the next verse Verse 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Thus he works and toles them on from their own principles to believe in Christ He will judge the world in Righteousness and he will judge the world by a man that man whom he hath ordained of whom he hath given evidence that he will judge the world by him by that man who was judged by the world and suffered according to the flesh but is justified in the spirit in that he is risen from the dead Here is the judgement of God the Resurrection this raised state This day of the Lord comes forth when Christ comes forth when this man is revealed in us there this day this judgement comes forth As he is revealed we are judged Verse 32. And when they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said We will hear thee again of this matter Carnal wisdom cannot beare that which is beyond its reach Christ came into the world for judgement that those that see not might see and those that see might be made blinde Verse 33. So Paul departed from among them Yet there is some fruit of his preaching his spirit was not stirred to no purpose for Verse 34. Certain men clave unto him and believed c. CHRIST the onely SACRIFICE and ALTAR SERMON I. HEB. 13. 10 11 12 13 14 15. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the high Priest for sin are burnt without the Camp Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Let us go forth therefore unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach For here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name IEsus Christ yesterday to day and for ever the substance of all the true Altar the true Sacrifice the true High-Priest the heavenly Sanctuary let us by him offer the Sacrifice of praise We have an Altar let every one consider whether they do worship by this Altar There is no sanctified gift but by this Altar we have no true meat but from this Altar no true Spiritual refreshment but from him There is nothing strengthens and establishes the heart but Christ nothing but Grace he is the Altar and he is the Sacrifice So it follows in the 11. Verse For the bodies c. He is the sin-offering He is made a curse for us he became sin for us and whosoever is sanctified by him he is carried forth by him without the camp and is content to take up his reproach True Sanctification unto God is to go out of the glory and rest and ease of the flesh into the reproach of the world where Christ is and whither he calls us and through that willcarry us into spiritual glory into eternal honor and rest Let us go forth This is to be sanctified by Iesus Christ this is to be made peculiar unto the Lord to leave all and follow the Lord to take up his Cross to deny our selves to dye and to suffer with Christ then we shall live and raign with him The exchanging life riches honors is that we are called to by Christ who that he might sanctifie the people suffered without the gate he was made a curse and those whom he sanctifies he makes willing to be made a curse we come into the blessing of God by being contented to be made a curse unto the world those whom Christ sanctifies he makes a willing offering Let us go forth unto him without the Camp He lives in them he carries them forth and there appears the same minde in them that was in Christ Iesus This is true Sanctification Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Jesus No man takes my life from me saith Christ but I lay it down of my self The reproach of Christ is the way to the glory of Christ Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Let us go forth to him But this is a hard saying and who can bear it T is no hard saying for we part with nothing but what will away For we have here no abiding City we look for one to come We are going to a heavenly City and Countrey whiles we are parting with this so t is no hard saying Till we be convinced by the Spirit of the passing away of this present form of things and see a durable state coming an inheritance immortal and undefiled we shall never be content to go out of the City out of the Camp and to bear Christs reproach But this is that that is said every one seems convinced that here we have no abiding City and every one professes he looks for one to come if then we refuse to go forth without the Camp and to bear Christs reproach if we mock and scorn those that do we have that within us will rise up in judgement against us and our Religion comes all to this we profess we know God but in works we deny him By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Mark how those two come together Let us go forth c. and By him let us offer c. There is joy and glory in the reproach of Christ When
sweet here 's a sacrifice indeed be fill'd with the spirit singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. That same Praise and fruit of the lips that hath not a root in the heart continues not but what saith the Text Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually There is a seed in the stony ground that comes up fast There are that speak good words and goodly words Let the Lord be glorified Your brethren that hate you said let the Lord be glorified yet no continual sacrifice this fruit will be quickly blasted He that is a Lyar wants a good Memory Nothing that is violent is perpetual No worship of God continues but that which is made natural to us We may come forth and act parts but there will be discovery of what is in the bottom and though we hold forth God sometimes to others the devil will shew his head James met with such Can a fountain send forth sweet water and bitter Can a fig-tree bear figs â—nd thorns Can there be blessing and cursing Every one that pretends to Christ let them look what they have by Christ By him let us offer c. If you are sanctified by him you are made willing to go forth to him in his reproach If you are made willing to go forth to him in his reproach you will be no reproachers If you be made willing to bear the strife of tongues and filth of tongues and dirt of tongues you will keep your tongues from casting dirt or filth on any When the Grace of Christ is manifested to a soul there is a discovery of all the filth it lay in and out of which it is recovered And there is a sense of it goes along with it such a one was I foolish disobedient Now I le speak evil of no man There is nothing these times call for more in way of admonition then that which concerns the tongue Look to your tongues they are slippery members in slippery places and he is a perfect man that doth not offend in his tongue If we will judge of our selves there is as much evidence will come in by the tongue as by any thing By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Look how we carry our tongues If the Law of God be in our hearts there will be wisdom in our tongues Nothing will bewray us and discover us like our speech There is nothing that we need to be warned of and call'd out of more then strife of tongues If our tongues were set to love as they are to foment hatred and division we should have more peace then we have Who is it that looks upon himself as call'd to inherit a blessing Refrain thy tongue from evil saith Peter Therefore when you are reproached reproach not again when you are defamed do you bless this is the Law of God If you will profess Christ hold forth the Law of Christ and wait for this Law in the spirit of life Wait for Christ to come forth in your tongues to be the salt to season your hearts and so from your hearts to season every part of you to make your tongue the glory of God To make it your Lute and Harp to set forth his praises Look when God will restore a pure language O that God would set our hearts to learn a pure language How shall we learn a pure language Come into love come into Christ and be learning to bear evil language whisperings and backbitings and surmisings and evil reports and defamations and take up all the dirt and filth that men will throw upon you and do not thou throw any spot upon any but bless and love and overcome evil with good and heap coales of fire upon their heads This is the spirit of the Gospel And let us at last begin to live Gospel We have talked of Gospel a long while let us once see it where is it let us labour to bring it forth to be as Christ he made no noise his voice was not heard he went about doing good saving healing with humble comforting words Doing good Let us learn this let us wait for his spirit the spirit of the Gospel and that is the spirit of light The Gospell-Believers motion from Mount SINAI to Mount SION HEB. 12. 18. to the end of the chapter For ye are not come unto the Mount that might be touched and that which burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a word which they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more But ye are come to Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general Assembly and the Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. THe Apostle in this Epistle shews that all Legal administrations were but a passage things that God did lead his people through and which they shall leave behind them being but shadows of good things to come and not the very image And then he shews where these things do land us whether they do deliver us up where we set foot when we are passed through them We are come unto Mount-Sion For we are not come unto the Mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness but ye are come to Mount-Sion c. The former administration hath brought us hither It was a School-master unto Christ Now we by the spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith In ver 12. The Apostle is calling Christians unto cheerfulness Lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees by shewing that we are not under a weak administration but under one that is strong and mighty Ye are no more servants but sons Ye are come to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God to the joy and strength of God The joy of the Lord shall be your strength therefore lift up the hands that hang down No more weakness now ye are come to a kingdom that cannot be moved So this piece of Scripture sets before us a true Gospel-state would you know a true Gospel-state what it is why here it is set down negatively and affirmatively It is not that but it is this 1. First it s set down Negatively ver 18. Ye are not come to the Mount that might be touched This is not the Gospel-state this administration is terror fear and bondage 2 Secondly it s set down affirmatively ver 28. But ye are come to Mount-Sion Not to that but to this Not to Mount-Sinai but to Mount-Sion But ye are come
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