light and in this state and condition what wonder is it if the Devil work at his pleasure In such Mists and Foggs as these the Devil brings into our hearts and Congregations all manner of filth and baseness that can be exprest or thought of Fornication not once named among the Gentiles brought into a Christian congregation Vse This calls upon us not to trust to our own hearts He that doth so is a fool saith Solomon And if we walk in Churches and Congregations le ts not rest there as many do who look upon themselves and think now they are safe now they are secure they are in a Church they have many eyes to watch over them they have Shepherds and Overseers We may be all Overseers and all overseen al asleep The wise virgins slept Take heed of carnal security When we see no sin and feel no evil 't is carnal security 't is the Devils peace When we see no sin and are not either complaining of sin opposing sin fighting with sin or else chasing it driving it before us 't is carnal security 't is the Devils Cradle 't is the Devils Bed Be not high-minded saith the Apostle Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall There be many say we are Kings and we raign O how excellent is our estate This is the voice that is heard in many Churches in many Congregations when Paul stands by that hath the Spirit of God and saith I would to God it were so I would to God you did raign indeed then we should raign with you There is a worldly and fleshly walking in Church-fellowship The Devil gets into that form as he hath got into all others We will be wise to the world and yet we will be in a Church as the Apostle hath it in ver 10. of the foregoing Chapter You are wise in Christ strong in Christ you are honorable This is that that is too too much seen in Churches and Congregations But we saith the Apostle are fools for Christs sake we are weak we are despised and are content to be so 'T is Christs cross that we bear and we can rejoyce in nothing but in this that we are fools that we are weak that we are despised But we shall appear honorable When Christ shall appear we shall appear with him in glory Saints may fall asleep fall into carnal security be puft up with pride and so be under a great power of the Devil a great Snare It may be any Saints case it was a whole Churches case here and a Church that was gathered by the Apostle Is there not need that we should watch Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation Is there not need that we should watch one over another Therefore it is that Churches and Congregations are gathered that there may be watching that some may be awake while others sleep But see here what watchmen are if the Lord do not keep the City The Congregation of Saints are the City of God Here are men watchmen and all the City asleep all intoxicated all drunken and lying in carnal security the Devil and sin and death are walking among them and they are not sensible of it 'T is a sad thing to think of that there may be and are Churches that are gathered together that they may laze and drowse together that they may nourish one another in carnal security strengthen one another in the world and in the flesh that thinks t is enough there is a form of Godliness that we are in Church-fellowship and so lie down together and sleep and t is a sad thing I have no quarrel with Churches or any form but such as have not the Spirit in them Here all are asleep asleep in death You are puft up when you should mourn and here is Paul he mournes so that he wakens them all he obtaines the Spirit of God comes forth to them in the Spirit wakens them and raiseth them up in the Spirit to take vengeance upon Sathan upon this sin upon the flesh in this incestuous person Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh Ye are puft up and have not rather mourned Mark here how the Apostle charges the whole Church and judges them and they being judged he brings them to judge this incestuous person And indeed there is no man fit to judge till he hath been under judgement himself Ye are puft up First he arraigns them in the Spirit judges them brings them all to mourning and then he takes them up with him into the Judgement Seat and so they deal with this incestuous person they deliver him from Sathan by delivering him unto Sathan They deliver him to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh Another thing worthy our thoughts is this That there may be a partnership in sin We may be defiled by other mens sins by partnership by a partaking Partake not of other mens sins saith the Apostle to Timothy There is a partaking of other mens sins while we see them and are senseless of them We partake in them by any complyance or suting with them You are puft up saith he and have not rather mourned q. d. There is such a person among you thus defiled and you are not ashamed Here is the Corinthians sin and whole Churches sin as 't is laid to the charge of the Princes of Judah Jer. 36. 24. that when the King did cut the Roul that Baruch had written from the mouth of Jeremie which was the Prophet of the Lord the Princes they looked on and none of them rent their garments None of them were sensible of that contempt and rebellion against God The Apostle to the Ephesians chap. 5. calls upon us not to have fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them Mat. 18. 15. This is that which our Savour expresses when he speaks of a brother offending Quest If thy brother offend thee saith he what 's the meaning of a brothers offending What is it If he hath done thee any hurt or wronged thee Answ Nay but this same offence by a brother is a brothers sin And this doth appear plainly by that that Christ commands If thou hast told thy brother and reproved him and so hast wrought upon thy brothers conscience that he is convinced thou hast gained thy brother So that the sin of a brother is an offence and a wounding unto all the brethren if they be awakned if they live at that time if they be not asleep as these Corinthians were If they be not in carnal security and intoxicated with pride they shall feel a wound in his wound they shall find a loss in his loss therefore he saith if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother He doth not speak of any outward wrong for which men go to Law to recover them Right but when there is a sense of the wound and suffering of him that sins in thee there is a sword that pierces thy soul
while it enters into his and so when thou shalt in the Spirit of God go forth to recover him and shalt be successfull thou hast gained thy brother and hast taken off the offense from thy self This same offence by anothers sin this same sense of anothers wounding himself and hurting himself is that the Law of love calls for We are all one body all the Saints live one life and so while one is wounded all are wounded if life be not buried in us If we do live indeed we shall find our life hurt in anothers hurting himself It is the life of God that is in the Saints and when one suffers all suffer There is a partnership in others sins by not taking notice of them by a senselessness You are puft up saith the Apostle and have not rather mourned And this is that that concerns us to mind We are for the most part narrowing sin making it as strait and as little as we can to reach as little way as may be this is a way flesh hath to wash it self to clear it self instead of fetching the blood of Christ to destroy it But here we see our own sin may lie upon us and another mans sin also We may partake of sin while that a brother sins and we are senseless while we are puft up and do not mourn while we are senseless of a sin committed by a brother it is a sin upon us You see then whas it is to have our hearts lifted up in pride and insulting when we see a brother sin There is many a ones Religion is nothing else but insulting upon others faults God I thank thee I am not like other men nor as this Publican Many a man is a brave man when he sees another man base and vile We should carry our selves in the flesh as one with all flesh We should carry our selves in the Spirit as one in the Spirit with all the Saints Who is weak saith the Apostle and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not Look upon Jesus Christ let him be our pattern He bare our infirmities and took our sickness Therefore look if you can find Jesus Christ in you that compassionate high priest that will not go by the wounded traveller as that Priest did in the story of the Gospel Look for Christ in you Know ye not that Christ is in you Prove your selves whether ye be in the Faith Look for this love and this compassion Look for the sufferings of Christ to be made up in you We must lay down our lives also for the brethren as John hath it All this I do for the Elects sake saith the Apostle Here is Christ in the Apostle I fill up the sufferings of Christ saith he to the Collossians wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer Wherefore I endure all things for the Elects sake Be not partakers of other mens sins There are many ways and this is one while we see sin break forth in our brethren and do not take notice of it are not affected with it do not mourn and so we neglect to gain our brother But there is a third thing that I would commend unto you at this time and that is That godly sorrow and humiliation for sin is that by which spiritual persons waiting upon God do receive power from God to discharge their own hearts and their Congregations ftom sin and Sathan You are puft up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be cast out from among you 'T is mourning that doth it It is not stoutness or resolution any thing of man that doth it But it is the power of God which comes into humble souls Godly mourning and humiliation is that that doth bring forth power to reform our own hearts and our congregations The proof of this was abundantly seen among the Corinthians as you shall see in the 2. and 7. chap. of the second Epistle where we shall read of the Apostles mourning upon this occasion how by him and his Ministry of the Spirit all the whole Church was brought into mourning and how by this their mournning the Spirit of God came forth in them in power and light and so they did rid themselves of this evil that was among them This incestuous person was delivered unto Sathan and there he left the flesh behind him he left sin behind him He left the Devil with the Devil He was delivered unto Sathan and so Sathan was destroyed in him Sathan was sent to Sathan the Devil was sent to Hell and the Spirit came forth and the Saint was saved in the day of the Lord Jesus The light and power of God was among them and came up among them which enabled them to renounce themselves their own strength whereby to deliver themselves from that evil And so God he owned them And the Apostle writes to them in the second chap. of the second Epistle that they would comfort that person they had delivered unto Sathan You ought now to comfort him you ought to restore him For by this spiritual humiliation and mourning they had power from God both to deliver up the sinner and restore the Saint You ought to comfort him least he be swallowed up of to much sorrow This same godly sorrow is the travail-sorrow Christ speaks of Ioh. 16. 20. You shall have sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into joy A woman when her hour comes is in sorrow but then she forgets all because a man child is born Thus the man child is born the Spirit comes forth and Christ comes forth in us by Godly sorrow by humiliation in the Spirit We see the proof of this here And this same sorrow this spiritual humiliation is nothing else but the reviving of the holy seed in a Saint 'T is nothing else but the new mans quickning nothing else but Christ quickning in us who being quickned and seeing himself to be cloathed and compassed with such filth he cannot bear it he cannot endure it He mournes he cries under it he will never be at rest or quiet untill he be delivered and God is at hand to deliver him and to rescue him This same Godly mourning it is upon the quickning of the new man in us of the Spirit in us which will not suffer nor indure iniquity it lusts against the flesh the Spirit lusts against the flesh Quest You read of the Prodigal how it is said he came to himself What was that he came to himself Answ This new man this Divine nature this holy seed that was carried away in flesh in sin where 't was dead as it were now is quickned he comes to himself he cannot endure to be in this state any longer he falls into a deep mourning a deep sense how sad his condition is that here he should serve swine serve lusts that he should be so far from God He remembreth he hath a Father considers that he hath bread enough at home
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
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
Holyghost hath made you Overseers Every one of that flock must judge what he hears Now there is no judging but by the Spirit Iudge ye what I say saith the Apostle God makes all his people Prophets and pours his Spirit in some degree upon them Every one that is a Christian is annointed his name Christian imports so much Do not give the name and deny the thing He hath made us Kings and Priests by his blood When Eldad and Medad did Prophesie in the Camp the Devil starts up in a good mans heart and saith My Lord Moses forbid them But what answers Moses I would to God all the Lords people were Prophets There is a further manifestation of the Spirit desired where there is any manifestation already I would they were all Prophets and that God would pour out his Spirit upon them We have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ too too much with respect of persons The power of the Lord Jesus goes forth with all his Saints the meanest of them and out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings he ordains strength Gods people are his Temple they are his house they are all living stones And it s said Gods train did fill the temple in that vision Isa 6. Gods people are his body Now as t is in the natural body there is not one member not the least in which the Soul doth not act so in this spiritual body there is not one not the meanest in which the life of the Spirit is not more or less Though there be some more Principal parts as in the natural body yet God is in all the life and power of the Lord Jesus is in all They live because he lives And therefore the Apostle in Church meetings 1 Cor. 14. would have them speak one by one and in the Jews Synagogue the custome was to give liberty if any had a word of Exhortation to speak Acts 13. But now there is limiting and quenching the Spirit by many They cry loe here and loe there here are Ancient men learned men wise men the major part of the company here are the Elders But let 's hear the Spirit let 's hear the Lord What saith the Lord the power of the Lord Jesus is in the meanest of Saints The world doth not know the Spirit and since the Spirit hath drawn in from open appearance are there not Christians that do not know whether there be a Holy Ghost or no In this time of the withdrawing of the Spirit the manner hath been to set up such and such men and upon these to fix the Spirit to set up gifts parts to set up men so trained up so taught at the feet of Gamaliel as the Scribes and Pharisees they challenged the truth that they had it and none else When God annoints Jeremie sends him to preach among the People what say the Priests there Come let 's devise devices against Ieremie the Law shall not perish from the Priests and words from the wise So we heap up teachers to our selves so qualified so garbed and here we fix the Spirit Here are the lips that must preserve knowledge here we must seek the Law So when Christ came the Pharisees they opposed him and said of his Disciples This people that know not the Law are accursed We have even forgot the teaching of the Spirit which is the only gift and we know nothing but mans teaching For a little while there was the Spirits appearance after Christs ascention and when he began to withdraw then the world set up a Pope and this Pope forsooth hath the Spirit and is infallible and he is the visible Judge his determinations they must stand After the world was weary of this Idol and saw what a thing a Pope was then one sets up one thing another sets up another When Moses is gone into the mount they must make some Calfe or other to worship One sets up this Minister another sets up that Minister another sets up an Assembly of Ministers and that which most men look at for guidance and direction in matter of Conscience is such men such a line such a succession of men in Orders train'd up at the Vniversity not looking after the power of the Lord Jesus Where is there a spirit that joyns with mean and simple people that know the Lord Jesus and that look for him Most Professors they fetch their Religion from the Minister that they affect O he is a godly man Thus did Professors among the Jews they stuck to the Priests to the Pharisees and Scribes and stumbled at Christ So 't is now the world they fetch their Religion from the State what the State establishes that they bow down to that is the way with the generality of people and hath been for this long while we set up Masters and Teachers and this is nothing else but setting up Antichrist Hath not this been the main business of Ministers generally to draw Disciples after them to bring people into their form into their cut and garb O but where where is the Spirit The world doth not know the Spirit Christ the Carpenter and Amos the gatherer of wild Siccamores and the Apostles fishermen that came forth in the power of the Lord Jesus were not owned in their time no more are those owned in whom God comes forth now But Christ rejoyces in spirit that those things are hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to babes Churches and Congregations they are Lorded over by their Ministers and how few Ministers be there that are examples to the flock but set themselves as Lords over Gods heritage And that which we would have however we deny it in the principle yet we contend for in the practise is that our voice and judgement should be the Key that should open and shut that should determine and resolve the demonstration of the spirit who looks after that The devil he changes forms continually and therefore can deceive men let them take what form they please let them have a Pope or a Minister or an Assembly of Ministers what they will if they do not like one Pope let them take another this is nothing but setting up Antichrist that man of sin in the Temple of God in our hearts and Consciences that man of sin that is to be destroyed whom the Lord shall consume with the brightness of his coming He that defiles the Temple of God him shall God destroy 2 Cor 3. where the Apostle is speaking of their admiring of men One saith I am of Paul another saith I am of Apollo a third saith I am of Cephas Who is Paul saith he and who is Apollo Are ye not the Temple of God and he that defiles the Temple of God him shall God destroy He that sets up any man any parts any gifts in the place of God this is to defile the Temple of God This is the second point There is a third Thirdly When ye are gathered together and
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
to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God to an innumerable company of Angels c. Here is the Gospel-state here is the glory of Jesus Christ the glory of God that the Gospel brings us to brings forth in us Are we come hither or no There are some come to it that do not know it There are many of us heirs but we live in bondage we live like servants we know no better portion then Mount-Sinai though of right our portion be Mount-Sion Let us wait till the spirit of God shew unto us the things that are freely given to us of God This glorious state is nothing else but the state of the spirit which we are waiting for We are come unto Mount-Sion the City of the living God Christs work is to bring us to God and so we are no more strangers but fellow-Citizens with the Saints we are set down with Christ in heavenly places we are set down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God We are set down in the same glory that the Apostles and Prophets are set down in we are fellow-Citizens with the Saints and with the General Assembly and Church of the first-born See your glory Christians if you be Christians indeed If you be in the spirit and not in the letter onely If you be free-born if you be born after the spirit and not after the flesh see your glory In the words read you may see a Doctrine and a Use 1 A Doctrine propounded which holds forth the glorious state of Believers It is that which eye hath not seen ear hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what it is but God hath revealed the same to us by his spirit It is in the letter and now our business is that it may be revealed to us by the spirit It may be the fathers good pleasure and his time now to bring forth the inheritance to some that hear me this day that hitherto have been kept under Tutors and Governours little better then servants This we are to try now how God will be with us to take away the vail and reveal our inheritance to us The Doctrine begins at the 18 ver and reacheth to the 25 ver At the 25 ver there begins the Use the Application which is an exhortation 2. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. Do not turn away from him that speaketh life and glory Turn not away from him that calleth you to sit down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Apostle useth divers Arguments to enforce the exhortation First He that speaks doth not speak from earth but from heaven Secondly from the danger of refusing to hear 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 Thirdly the Apostle shews the effect of this voice ver 26. Whose voice then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not onely the earth but also heaven And the evidence the Apostle brings for this is from a Scripture taken out of the prophesie of Haggai Hag. 1. 6 7. The word that was spoken on earth shook the earth The word that is spoken from heaven shakes earth and heaven also Then the Apostle interprets this word yet once more ver 27. It signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain In ver 28. he further enforceth his exhortation from the advantage that the Saints have by this change Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear In the former administration there was not grace to serve God acceptably in this there is that was leading to bondage this to a kingdom The Apostle concludes with this Argument For our God is a consuming fire of which more hereafter I shall speak of these particulars as time shall give leave Here you see a Gospel state what it is it is a strong state a glorious state a state that cannot be moved a kingdom that cannot be shaken it is strong and it is sweet There was a weak state and that was full of terrour The Law was weak through the flesh It was a weak state a shaking Mountain a Mountain not to be touched If so much as a beast touch the Mountain it was to be stoned or thrust through with a dart That was weak and terrible but ye are come to that which is strong and gracious Ye are come to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God The glorious state of believers is held forth here from the 18 verse to the 25. Our business will be to run over the particulars with some short explication and to set before you one or two parallel Scriptures that hold forth the same things though not so fully and particularly The first Scripture is Eph. 2. 5 6. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And ver 17 and 18. of that chapter And came and preached peace to you which were afar of and to them that were nigh ver 19 20 21 22. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles c. Ye that are Believers are come to Mount-Sion and ye are built up a spiritual house fitly framed together an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit The other Scripture is 2 Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind We are not come to the Mount that might not be touched and to blackness and darkness No God hath poured out another spirit upon us of power of love and a sound mind Ye are come to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to God the judge of all Now let us briefly run over the words as they lie before us Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched It might be touched and it might not be touched It might be touched but not without danger of death It might not be touched There was such a terrible manifestation that there was no coming to it It was an administration of distance from God It had a spirit of fear that gendred unto bondage There was a terrible manifestation There was blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a word Nothing but an outward command a word that could not be obeyed and
it from heaven or from men So your knowledge is it from God or from men have you received it from your good Ministers or from your own reason or light or from the Spirit of the Father It concerns us to consider this Let the world Jeer and Scoff and cry Fancy and Whimsie and what they will There is no true knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by revelation It is that the Apostle prays for That God would give unto you the Spirit rf revelation All the learned in that only Church of the Jews were all blind and did not receive Christ Who were they that received him they were born of God If we speak of Consciences testimony let us remember that it is my conscience bearing me witness in the holyghost This is the witness of the Father in your consciences then the voice of conscience is a glorious voice This is speaking in Christ I speak the truth in Christ I lye not saith Paul my conscience bearing me witness he speak in the Father these three are one and make up one witness that is true When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me c. Look now what your faith stands in stands it in the wisedom of men or the power of God Let every one of us be looking after the power and life of the Father and of Christ that we may see the Father he that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ to Philip. Let us dwell no more in man nor upon man but let us look higher It is written all thy sons shall be taught of God You never come to peace nor rest till you come to God to the Father As the Father appears more clearly to you in Christ so you come to true peace stability and Settlement and till ye come to him ye are like children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine One Sect of men blows this way another Sect blows an other way and so we are tossed up and down till we come to know the Father by the Spirit in Christ We are weary of all Religion and settle nowhere till we come to find the rock to find God till we come to hear him speak that hath the words of eternal life that speaks power and life and not as the Scribes We never come to put off the old man till we come to hear Christ and the truth as it is in him Then we stand firm in all winds that blow and puff This is to hear the Father then we put off the old man Silly women we are weak and foolish creatures till then He that establisheth you is God when shall we cease from man There is another that bears witness of me and his witness is true And when we have his witness it will satisfie And we shall know that his witness is true but the world doth not know him This is satisfaction to Christ that he knows the Father and the Father knows him though the world doth not know him but they shall know him to their destruction and confusion when he comes forth to be revealed and to be glorified in his Saints I know his witness is true I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world Let the world say and think what they will My witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world I know my witness is true There is the rest of the Saints of God Men call you before their judgement seats and you cannot satisfie them They cannot be satisfied but your satisfaction is in God And the world cannot see God yet the Saints can pitty the world in their madness and blindness Now he comes to the testimony of Iohn Ye sent unto John and he bare witness of me but I received not testimony from man Christ humbles himself very low to plead Johns witness He alledges Johns testimony against them They did not own him but they did own John They inquired of John whether he was the Christ John told them plainly he was not the Christ but he pointed them unto Christ yet they receive not Iohns testimony and so Christ makes it a testimony against them This is all that carnal Professors get that do not love the truth by searching out the truth they meet with a testimony against themselves See how low God hath put himself into such a condition that he needeth mans witness He hath withdrawn himself and set up the world While God is in this low state the world sits in judgement and the Devil hath the power But there will be a time when God will come forth without witness And when he appears he will say Bring forth your witnesses and your strong reasons We look what witness God hath among men How few and inconsiderable were the witness that Christ had in respect of the world He sent to John a man that had nothing to commend him according to the flesh Ye have heard of old Simeon he bare witness unto Christ And of Hanna an old woman she bare witness also But look among the Priests and Elders the Scribes and Pharisees Famed Learned and godly men and how few were there among them that bare witness unto Christ How should we long that the witnesses might finish their testimony when the Lord himself will come forth that every eye may see him and all people own him Christ sent unto Iohn but received not testimony from man but these things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye might be saved Here is a people had nothing in their hearts but killing and Christ had nothing in his heart towards them but saving And upon this design did Christ travail all the while he was amongst them There was wheat among the chaff of the world and all his dealing in the world was to gather the Wheat from the chaff There is no testimony worth any thing but where God appears Christ testifies of Iohn that he was a burning and a shining light The face of God shining is day This day dawned in Iohn such witnesses we expect such a Ministry we expect in whom we may see the light and purity of God consuming sin burning up chaff The Ministry of God in John the light of God set up in Iohn was that which made him a burning and shining light Do we know such a Ministry or no It is this only that is to be desired The Ministry of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and fire This is the Ministry we should look after We have too long dwelt in men and languished in mens gifts and parts Wisdom and Elocution Let us be looking after the light and life of God after God in Christ manifested unto us and in us by the Spirit SERMON III. JOHN 5. 30. I can of my self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me TO
of rottenness in professors and as this day appears more so there will be greater discoveries You have such and such marks and signs but they are things that need a testimony to them the Apostle John speaks of that testimony The love of the brethren but it comes at length to this We know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given us Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce c. Willing and rejoycing how like is this to the spirit as if the day of Gods power had been amongst them to make them willing but when that day comes it will bring us to eternity how many be there that have been willing and rejoycing in Christ but now their season is gone Consider whether we are for a season onely or whether we are for ever Whether we are not onely for the light but for the fire Christ is yesterday today and the same for ever It is a pittiful thing to be onely for a season better not to be at all and never to have known the way of righteousness then to be but blazing Stars and Comets and at last fall to the earth with what confusion of face shall they be thrown down that shall stand up at the last day and say Lord have we not preached and prophesyed and cast out devils in thy name when he shall answer them Depart from me I know you not he that is right in Religion indeed is growing and increasing he is as a Tree planted by the Rivers side that brings forth fruit and whose fruit remains If Christ be in us he grows up in us and we grow up in him being rooted and grounded in love we grow up into his fulness till we be filled with all the fulness of God Ye were willing for a season ye were professors for a season Christians for a season the people of God for a season and some for one season and some for another season now lifted up to Heaven and by and by thrown down to Hell this is a miserable case better never to have known the way of righteousness better to have continued in our natural estate without making profession at all then to shine for a season and afterwards be cast into outward darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The Invalidity of Church-censures where Christ is not judge SERMON I. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you 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 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ To deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus HEre is a foul sinner among Saints And he that is a sinner is also a Saint Here is the whole company of Saints leavened they are sinners by partnership All in carnal security all of them in high conceits of their good estate Ye are puft up saith he in the second verse 2. Here is that which Saints should do in such a case When the corruption within doth break forth in such a manner what should they do should they talk it about It is reported commonly should they trumpet it out Or what should they do should they rail should they scorn should they throw stones Nay but the Apostle tells us here they should mourn Ye are puft up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you And thirdly the Apostle is shewing them that by right mourning there will be power obtained to get free from this evil To save our selves and to save sinners by destroying of sin The Apostle he was a mourner as it is plentifully expressed in 2 Cor. 7. And had obtained power of God to come forth against this corruption and sin that was broken forth even to cast it out This he expresses in the third vers For I verily as absent in body but present in Spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed He had gotten a power of judging It was a power I have judged already Object And if that Objection should be made He was absent and not present Absent in body saith he but present in Spirit I have judged already Sol. The Apostle by the Spirit foreseeing that the Church the Saints here should partake with him of the same power to judge this sinner by humbling themselves before the Lord he summons them unto mourning then calls them unto judging and shews them the assistance they should have He shews them his assistance and shews them the common assistance of him and them They should have his Spirit ver 4. and he and they should have the power and assistance of the Lord Iesus In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit c. You see the General scope Let us now consider the particulars in the Text. It is commonly reported that there is fornication amongst them c. Sin among the Saints Fornication Fleshly uncleanness this may seem strange to find this in a Church to see this break out in a Saint 'T is true a Saint he was but this was no piece of his Saintship You may think it strange but it is only strange to them that have not seen the whore that is in their own hearts Filthy base uncleanness among Saints what a sight was this Such as is not once named among the Gentiles saith the Apostle not named in any way of honor not named in any way of good report This to be brought forth in the sight of the Sun A tent spread in the face of the Sun Acts not fit to be named Such as he is ashamed to speak of Many things might be observed from this first verse As that first of al touching common fame It is reported commonly Doct. Those Saints that are wise will have as little to do in common fame as may be And what they receive by common fame let them bring home to the parties concerned as the Apostle doth here It is commonly reported saith he The Apostle doth not trade in this business What he meets withall he brings home to the persons concerned We have experience enough in these days what common fame is what report is I shall not speak of that Touching the sins of Saints that also might be spoken to Doct. 2. That there is the same corruption the same corrupt nature in a Saint as in others It
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
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
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
end of flesh And it must needs be this and nothing else because every Saint while he lives in the flesh is bewitched 'T is the Scriprure expression O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you It is a being born again you cannot see the kingdom of God except you be born again I conclude with this See how it concerns us to wait for the Ministery of the spirit and that is it we should look for in all these meetings and Assemblies Look to meet with the power of the Lord Iesus Satan would deceive us by the knowledge of the letter of the creature we may have a great deal of knowledge and be puffed up with pride and be delivered up to Satan when we have done We should admit of that distinction Letter and Spirit Man and God not that we divide between these but in Man and in Letter look for the Spirit and God The life was manifested we saw it our eyes looked upon it and our hands handled it The discovery of Hell is the destruction of Death and Hell by the power of the Lord Iesus deliver such a one to Satan c. A PARAPHRASE upon the seventeenth of the ACTS ACTS 17. ver 1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iews HEre is the entertainment that the Apostles being Messengers and Ministers of the Spirit had in the world They came to Thessalonica they had passed thorow some places without making any proffer of the Grace of God at Thessalonica there they tarry There was a Synagogue of the Iews The Jews were now scattered from their own place and instead of a Temple and other Ordinances they were content with a Synagogue It was very much like our state now under Antichrist in the rime of the Apostacy There was a Synagogue of the Jews Pauls heart exceedingly went out towards his brethren after the flesh if he might save some of them and yet wheresoever he offered himself to them in that way they were seeking his life and his blood but still he found a number that were of the Election of Grace who did receive Grace though the rest were blinded Verse 2. And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures These Jews had Learning and Knowledge in the Scriptures meerly to oppose the truth the power and the life of the Scriptures Here they hold Paul play in reasoning and disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures the Jews they dispute against Christ by the Scriptures and this is that that all the learning of man doth all his knowledge in the Scriptures doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater knowledge in the Scriptures and the more learning if it be only of man the greater opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit Verse 3. Opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Iesus whom I preach unto you is Christ It is not enough to know that there is a Jesus that hath suffered and is risen but we must come to this Iesus we must know him particularly this is he he in whom dwells the fulness of God he that is the manifestation of God the going forth of God the power and the wisdom of God have you met with him have you seen him-dying and found him rising in you Jesus Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God it is him we preach This is the Jesus whom I preach unto you saith Paul we must not only content our selves with generals and stories but we must come to particulars This is he here he is Till we finde him in our hearts we can finde nothing of his salvation nor of his life Verse 4. And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and of the chief women not a few Some of them believed Paul had a gleaning among his Countrey-men Those that were ordained to eternal life Hath God cast off his people saith he God forbid And consorted with Paul and Silas This is that the Ministry of the Spirit doth it is a Fan that severs it takes out the corn from the chaff that is the work of the Ministry to gather the Saints together to call up that holy seed that lieth in flesh and to make them one with another And of the devout Greeks a great multitude Some of the Jews but of the devout Greeks a great multitude more of the Gentiles then of the Jews And of the chief women not a few Here are Gentiles and women the Jews stand out except a little sprinkling of them but here are Heathens the Gentiles and women the weaker sort in these God appears It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth Here the Jew the Professor that is born after the flesh the carnal Professor he stands out and this we shall see in our days Many come from the east and from the west but these Children of the Kingdom these that are only in an outward profession they shall be cast out the Gentiles come in and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob the wise of the world shall be laid by silly and weak women shall be instructed babes and sucklings shall be fiill'd with strength and the mysteries of the Kingdom shall be hidden from the wise It follows Verse 5. But the Iews which believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the City on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people The Iews were such as owned themselves the people of God they carry the Scriptures they dispute out of the Scriptures and reason with Paul There is a form of godliness but the Devil is in it they are moved with envy that is the Devil Here is a pretence of zeal but envy lieth at the bottom this is that that is the Professors sin There is Gentile and Heathen sin that lieth in open prophaneness in drunkenness in filthiness and uncleanness in theft and murther and the like but here is the Professors sin that lieth in spiritual wickedness as envy malice hatred wrath evil surmisings and the like Many a man blesses himself in this I am not thus and thus no drunkard no adulterer no murtherer but look what thou art in thy heart is envy there then there is murther Every one that Professes God let him search his heart let him not Pharisaically boast he is not as this Publican They took unto them certain lewd fellows c. This is the way of men when reason and light are too hard for them then they make an uproar a clamor they will carry it with a noise and this is a judgement of God upon carnal Professors God leads them forth with evil doers in just judgement
honourable and noble they are Kings and Queens and Princes and they shall appear so Verse 15. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens c. Athens was an University where were learned men See the Apostles entertainment here wheresoever he came else his entertainment was persecution but here he hath little besides scoffs and jeers He had more to do here with the wise heathen then with the professing Jews and 't is observable what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1. We preach Christ crucified to the Greeks foolishness to the Jews a stumbling block The wise Greeks looked after wisdom the Jews after a sign Christ crucified was foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block to the Jew Here Paul deals with the Greeks which say What saith this babler What strange Doctrine is this Verse 16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the City wholly given to Idolatry His Spirit was stirred in him There is body soul and spirit as the Apostle hath it in the Thessalonians What is this spirit but the partaking of the divine nature as Peter calls it The new man born of God in which God doth act This spirit lieth dead and is asleep further then God doth quicken and act it This spirit is the seat and Temple of God where God moves the devils business is in the flesh there he works his work the spirit is entire unto God here God appears sometimes and sometimes he does not We cannot do any handsome work in the Gospel without a stirring in spirit we cannot sail without a gale we cannot stir in a calm He was stirred in spirit It is the spirit of God that stirs the spirit of his people Sometimes there is a discovery of Idolatry the spirit of the Saints is not stird Sometimes God saith as of Ephraim He followeth Idols let him alone Here was a whole City in Idolatry and Pauls spirit is stirred to deal with them if it may be to help some of them out of it the spirit of God will strive with some and it will not strive with others 't will give over striving my spirit shall no longer strive with man as 't is in Genesis Here the Lord was pleased to appeare to some of them When he saw the City wholly given to Idolatry That which is given to Idols is given to devils Here was a City given to the devil this learned City this seeing City is wholly in the devils hands wholly given to Idolatry given to Satan He is the God of the world the wisdom of the world and flesh worship him and Jesus Christ in whom the true God makes his appearance is crucified by the world Verse 17. Therefore disputed he in the Synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the Market daily with them that met with him He disputed with them There are some to be disputed with and some to be let alone He disputed with the Jews in the Synagogue and on the Market day Paul is a market-man What doth Paul in the Market Paul in the Market hath no worldly design Paul is a spiritual man in the Market as most men are carnal in the Congregation Paul's design was Heaven and God in the Market and many a ones design is the world and flesh in the Synagogue The Saints in the world they are not worldly carnal men are worldlâ— even in the Church Spiritual men in their dealing in outward things are spiritual 't is God that they look at and 't is him that they seek Carnal men even in prayer and all their worship are carnal and make use of God onely for the world and flesh Verse 18. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said What will this babler say Othersome he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Certain Philosophers Students in this University lovers of wisdom some of the Epicureans those that were taken up in a search after true pleasure true contentment true rest we do not look upon that Sect as making after fleshly or beastly lusts it was a gallant study And some of the Stoicks those that studyed the subduing their passions a brave study but both of them fruitless and nothing but labour in vain without the spirit Paul comes to them with that Ministery it had pleased the spirit to communicate to him They that are Ministers of the spirit cannot minister the spirit to whom they will but as it pleaseth the spirit to go forth by them These encountred him and some said What will this babler say This is the repute that all those have that minister the spirit and that they must look for that will hold forth onely the learning of the spirit among the wise of the world a spiritual man must reckon to be looked upon as a fool a trifler a babler Whatever natural wisdom cannot understand and reach the pride that is in it will scoffe and jeer at What will this babler say Thus the language and expression of the spirit is unto the world the wise of the world The wisdom of the world is enmity to God Some said He seems to be a setter forth of strange Gods Why Gods in the plural number Paul held forth one God and the onely God as he shews afterward This God is strange unto wise and learned men they look upon him as setting forth strange Gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Like enough they looked upon him as holding forth Jesus to be one God and the Resurrection another Carnal men are very apt to have gross mistakes when they hear of spiritual things Jesus and the Resurrection Mark how these are joyned together I am the Resurrection and the Life saith Christ So far as any man doth know Jesus he lives in the Resurrection All the knowledge of Jesus that is saving is above the world above the natural man It is life eternal to know Jesus and this is the Resurrection And this Resurrection is above the reach of all the learned and wise men of Athens The natural man comes not into it it lieth within a veil therefore he that preaches Jesus indeed must needs be a Barbarian and a babler to a meer natural man Whosoever doth preach Jesus in the spirit he must not look nor think to be generally understood For my part if all I hold forth concerning Jesus should be commonly understood I had very good ground to question whether I preach Jesus or no. Verse 19. And they took him and brought him unto Areopagus saying May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speakest is Here was some ingenuity he was not barred up indeed it was their profession their business at Athens to tell or hear some new thing as ver 21. May we know c. Paul might answer them I cannot tell whether you may or
ye are reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory rests upon you There is meat in this Eater according to Sampsons Riddle The sacrifice of praise continually Take notice here that the service and the worship which God expects of his people is praise and thanksgiving Thou wouldst not have sacrifice else would I give it thee Offer to God thanksgiving as t is in Psal 50. 12 13. Who so offers praise honors me Sacrifice was but an outward sign of praise and thanksgiving God hath made his people for his praise Isa 43. 21. This people I have formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise God hath but this only design to manifest himself to shew forth his glory he will bring forth his glory in the salvation of his people he makes a people of those that were no people that they should shew forth his vertues and his praises this is the business that a Christian is called to to hold forth God The effect of the Spirit which is poured forth is nothing else but praise and thanksgiving Making melodie in your hearts singing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs as t is in the Epistle to the Ephesians God will manifest himself to his glory in his people in all blessings in spiritual things God will be the song and the praise of his people then we are right Worshippers Gospel-Worshippers when God is our praise when God is our song let us by him therefore offer up unto God the sacrifice of praise And if this be the worship that God requires of us then let every one of us be looking how far we are lead into it or whether we are at least coming toward it There is nothing acceptable to God but this mourning and prayer is only acceptable as it makes to this God is emptying us and humbling us that he may fill us and his filling us is praise and thanksgiving Therefore David when he is mourning saith he shall yet give him thanks In prayer and mourning he is but travelling for praise and thanksgiving praise is coming forth t is breeding I shall yet give him thanks saith he So much as we have attained in praise so much we have attained in true and spiritual Religion so much as we go forth in praise so much we go forth by Christ Let us by him therefore offer the sacrifice of praise The worship and service of God is a joyful thing t is a chearful thing we do not know the service of God in truth until we know joy in the Holy Ghost The Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost It is refreshing it is chearing it is meat and drink In the keeping of thy Commandments there is great reward Do not reckon that we are true Worshippers of God Worshippers in Spirit and Truth until we come into the joy of God until we can offer the sacrifice of praise We may be tending to it and making to it we may be travelling with it in sorrow and in sighs but when we are brought forth in it it is in praise By him therefore let us offer c. It also sets an end and determines that controversie between the Law of Works and the Law of Faith between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ between mans Righteousness and the Righteousness of God between Iustification by works and Iustification by faith It is praise that God looks for mans Righteousness mans Works they praise man and set up man What is that that throws down boasting The Law of Faith that sets up God Why dost thou boast Thou hast nothing but what thou hast received This makes us praise And it may help us by way of direction how to know what is truth and so keep us from being carried about by divers and strange Doctrines What is it that leads us to praise what is it that brings us into rest and joy the joy of the Lord what is it that exalts God God hath nothing to do nothing to seek but his own exaltation his own praise that that is from him that leads to him that that sets him up only shall be exalted in that day praise is the sum of that which God requires of us When we can praise then we can worship By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise But what is this praise then t is worth the knowing what it is to praise him Consider here what a Title the Text gives it it is a sacrifice By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise In a Sacrifice there is offering up there is an Altar there is Fire there is a Priest there is somewhat to to be carried forth there is somewhat to eat there is somewhat for refreshment So t is here in praise true acceptable praise is a sacrifice t is the fruit of our lips as the Apostle calls it here 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 The fruit of our lips is this all no this is but a part it is the calves of our lips as the Prophet Hosea calls it By the lips the heart comes forth and the abundance of it but the sacrifice is our selves praise is the offering up our selves I beseech you saith the Apostle in Rom. 12. that you offer up your bodies not your lips only but your bodies a living and acceptable sacrifice every member a weapon and instrument of righteousness this is praise Your bodies and your spirits they are the Lords To praise him is to offer up both unto him In this sacrifice here is somewhat to be killed that is lust fleshly lusts worldly lusts and here is somewhat that is to live somewhat that is to be offered up a living sacrifice here is somewhat that is to be devoured in the fire and somewhat that lives in the fire that glorifies God in the fire there is that that lives in God who is a devouring fire and everlasting burnings all that is spiritual all that is the new creature that is it is offered up a living sacrifice there it hath its life it comes from God and it lives in God so it is a sacrifice of praise It is the giving up the resigning up of our selves to be disposed of by the Lord. The offering up of the Gentiles that the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 15. 16. sanctified by the Holy Ghost To offer the sacrifice of praise is to make our selves an offering unto God as Jesus Christ did Here I am to do thy will saith he thou wouldst not have sacrifice Here I am dispose of me T is written that I should do thy will therefore I am no more my own but thine This is to offer the sacrifice of praise this is to give thanks to his name The love of Christ constrains us we must no more live unto our selves but unto him This is the sacrifice of
praise here is thanksgiving indeed praise indeed which is that that is held forth in Psal 116. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I le walk before the Lord in the land of the living Here is the sacrifice of praise I le walk before the Lord I le walk in the Spirit and no more in the flesh In the 12 Verse it follows What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Here is the sacrifice of praise here is dying dying to the world dying to the flesh Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints O Lord truly I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving What shall I render unto God T is said of Hezekiah that he rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefits he received from him This is that God enables his people to do to render to him according to what they have received God enables his people even to recompence him to requite him Do you thus requite the Lord The Lord enables his people to requite him and to requite him fully for as he is our fulness so we are his fulness as he gives himself to us so he enables us to give our selves to him and so we return himself unto himself Of thy own we have given thee Thus only a Saint can praise that hath the Spirit that hath received God for nothing is acceptable to God but himself Nothing comes to God but what comes from God There is no sacrifice indeed but Jesus Christ By him let us offer up the sacrifice of praise unto God The people of God do make a Covenant with God by sacrifice Psal 50. There is a sacrifice of praise praise is a sacrifice and a sacrifice of our selves t is Christ that is the sacrifice and t is by Christ that we become a sacrifice acceptable a sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God For I do not live saith the Apostle but Christ lives in me And as by him we are a sacrifice so by him we are Priests a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God as t is in 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is the fire of this sacrifice the Eternal Spirit Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot and that that is our praise is the meat and drink upon this Altar the refreshing and the wine In keeping of them of thy Commandments saith David there is great reward There is somewhat to be carried forth in this sacrifice and that is iniquity and sin that cleaves unto our holy things Praise and thanksgiving is the sum of the Worship of God and Jesus Christ and this praise and thanksgiving is a sacrifice and such a sacrifice as you have heard Vse This may make a discovery unto us that praise and thanksgiving is little known among us we are very little acquainted with it we have heard of the name but know not the thing The common praise and thanksgiving stands in some expression of words sometimes there is a day set apart sometimes good words spoken of God at such a time there are some Ceremonies used and it may be a great deal of sacrifice done to the flesh there is a seeming offering somewhat to God but none of the best And cursed is the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offers to God a corrupt thing The true praising and acceptable thanksgiving is offering up of our selves our selves sanctified that the offering up of the Gentiles might be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and our selves a living sacrifice There is no man can glorifie God but he that is glorified of God according to that prayer of Christ in Joh. 17. Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee If this that hath been said in this point cause us to look into our hearts and consider what we have done and how we have been in this service of praise it is that I intended in it When we shall look into the nature of Praise and Thanksgiving and shall look with a right eye we shall see that there hath been nothing or little else besides the name of Praise amongst us it hath been but a form of Godliness having in it scarce any thing of the power By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually By him let us do it That is the next thing to be considered here That by Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ in the power in the light in the love in the spirit of Jesus Christ must our praise go up to God and all that is acceptable doth go up so By him let us offer c. All that comes to God that is acceptable sacrifice it comes by him it comes in his name it goes up in his grace it goes up in his love in his light in his power this is by Jesus Christ There is no Sacrifice acceptable but that which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost as in Rom. 15. 16. That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable to God sanctified by the Holy-Ghost There is nothing that comes acceptable unto God that God owns that he receives or where he smells a savour of rest but that which comes up in the spirit of Christ by Christ by him in his name There is nothing holy but what is by the Holy-Ghost It is he that sanctifies the people by his blood as it is said here before Let us go forth to him and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise He is the Mediator between God and man he is our peace our wisdom our righteousness our sanctification If he be our sanctification God will own us there is nothing that God can own but what comes by him We are all an unclean thing there is nothing comes from us but pollution but onely as we come forth by Christ and in Christ Else all our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are nothing but a form a shew of holiness It is a fair shew toward God but tends only to the flesh and to the world Our minde and Conscience is defiled till it be taken into the Holy-Ghost till Christ be brought forth in us In Christ we come forth a new creation All this same old creation is lost and fallen into Satan in the new Creation Satan hath nothing to do the prince of this world comes and hath nothing in me By him All acceptable service goes to God by Christ In him are all the promises yea and Amen The promises saith the Apostle they are to the seed he doth not say to Seeds as to many but as to one and that is Christ Gal. 3. 12. Coming and not coming by Christ we have no promise of acceptance Christ is the heir of all God
not how this can be the Spirit teaches those that are born of him how it can and may be They that are born of him if they do not understand they shall understand God will reveal the same to them When God is all in all to us and we see God in all his love in all his power in all then we shall praise him in all we shall give thanks in all we shall do all we do to the Lord we shall dye to the Lord and live to the Lord Whether we live or dye we are the Lords we shall work to the Lord we shall sleep to the Lord we shall awake to the Lord Holiness will be written upon the bells of the horses upon all our imployments all will be a sacrifice of praise in all we shall give up our selves to the Lord. This is that the Apostle saith elsewhere 1 Thess 5. Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing in all things give thanks In all things what in affliction in troubles in sufferings in reproaches why what saith the Text Let us go forth to him without the gate bearing his reproach and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Count it all joy saith James when you fall into divers temptations but what will you make of us you will say should we be stocks and stones would not you have us sensible of afflictions and temptations of burthens and reproaches that lie upon us see what the Apostle saith to this As sorrowful yet always rejoycing The spiritual man hath a sense of afflictions and reproaches and a deep sense too he sees all that is in the cup but he sees through it he sees joy surpassing all sorrow Christ he saw through the cup he saw the shame and was sensible of it but there was joy that was set before him there was that that swallowed up all that that lifted him up above all there was a cup of wine that made him forget his sorrow Give wine to him that is sad in heart When our hearts are full of sorrow God comes in with a cup of wine God sheds abroad his love in our hearts and we joy in tribulation as saith the Apostle so here is the sacrifice of praise in affliction in trouble in necessity in reproaches being persecuted we suffer patiently being defamed we bless and a spirit of glory rests upon us We see God in all we see a good hand in all God will do me good for his cursing saith David The flesh cannot praise at all no not in all peace in all abundance all its sacrifice is to its own net but the Spirit praises in the midst of tribulation Paul and Silas sing in the Prison the Apostle commends to the Collosâ—ians long-suffering with joyfulness and he tells the Corinthians that as afflictions do abound for Christ so consolations do abound through Christ God comes in to his people in the saddest afflictions and tells them these are yours all is yours things present and things to come life is yours death is yours afflictions are yours they are all your servants he shews us that we are Lords and Masters and Conquerors he sets us above these Christ triumphed in the Cross as the Apostle saith and here is the triumph of a Christian over necessities afflictions reproaches yea over death it self not to be delivered from death but to be set above death to be conquerours of death We are more then Conquerors through him that loved us T is a poor expectation from Christ to expect by Christ to be delivered and defended from reproach from afflictions from necessities from sufferings Christ came to call us into these to set us above these and make us more then Conquerors over these He that will be my disciple saith he let him take up his cross and follow me Let us go forth to him without the gate and by him let us offer c. T is a strange thing this to praise in afflictions to be in continual praise but this is by him When we know the fellowship of his sufferings the vertue and power of his Resurrection this will be no strange thing to us and then we shall go forth willingly without the gate we shall go to his reproach chearfully Let us by him c. There is that in every Saint that seed of God that that is born of God that same holy one that is in continual praises The noise of flesh oftentimes and for a long time drowns this voyce but it shall be heard when flesh shall be put to silence When the Lord arises into his holy habitation you that see him sometimes and feel him sometimes shall see and feel him always and you shall say with the Apostle the life was manifest we have seen it we have handled it and our eyes have looked upon it You that say you live because he lives must needs see you live for ever for he never dies and you shall never dye you have a life that shall never be taken away I am the Resurrection and the life and he that believes in me shall never dye and this life is nothing but praise nothing but thanksgiving he is all in all doth all in us and for us works all our works and so far forth as we see him doing all as we shall see him perfectly when we walk in the light as he is in the light then we shall praise him in all t is his faith his sap his vertue his life his power to him be glory when he acts us and leads us by his Spirit whither can we go from him we must needs go to him we must go to praise we must go to glory he destroys the works of the Devil in us he destroys all that goes forth to the world to the creature at last he will destroy all there shall be no going forth but to him nothing but praise t is he that delivers us from other Lords Other Lords have had rule over us c. we have been praising the creature our own wisdom our own righteousness we have been offering up to our lusts Other Lords have had dominion over us now by thee only we will make mention of thy name you that mention the Lord keep not silence God doth bring and will manifestly bring all his true born people his own begotten children in Jesus Christ I say he will bring them into continual praise Some of these it may be do not know yet what it means the world shall never know it It may be yet we know no other praise but an expression of words we shall know that praise is giving up our selves to God We do not know that we pray but only when we set our selves apart and make this Preface Come let us pray perhaps twice or thrice a day c. T is far from me to condemn any one that is in the use of these hours and forms let them be in God in the Spirit and he will be with them but
take notice that there is continual prayer therefore thou that hast thy times and thy hours and thy forms begin to look higher and be at it continually By him let us offer the sacrifice of Praise to God continually And 't is no more then what is held forth to us in the Prophecy of Isa the last chap. ver 23. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabboth to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. You that do not know continual Praise if you do praise God in the spirit if you are sincere and true in your makings unto God you shall know what it is They that are strong should bear with the infirmities of the weak and they that are weak should not judge the strong thou that dost not know what continual praise is judge not those that do thou that dost know it do not despise those that do not but go down to them to fetch them out of their weakness for Christ is come down to fetch thee up and let brotherly love continue Continually 'T is that we are designed to by Jesus Christ to be ever with the Lord Let us be making to it let us be looking after the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Let us all know and acknowledge we are making forward not yet perfect By him let us offer c. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name That is the fruit of our lips Here take notice how the tongue and the lips and the fruit thereof is sanctified by Jesus Christ and consecrated to God And this in all those that are sanctified by Jesus Christ The fruit of the lips is a sacrifice acceptable by Christ And therefore the Prophet Hosea Hos 14. 2. Calls the fruit of the lips the Calves of the lips The fruit of our lips by the sanctification of Jesus Christ is made a sacrifice acceptable unto God and not onely the fruit of our lips but the fruit of our hands the fruit of our feet the fruit of all our members The fruit of the earth as 't is said in Isa 4. 1 2. where the Prophet speaks of the manifestation of Christ in the spirit In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped That is for the spiritual seed the remnant that are taken out of the corruption of the world when he shall come who is the desire of all Nations seven women shall lay hold of him all shall make to him and own him and be one with him then the fruit of the earth shall be glorious then we shall eat our own bread and wear our own apparel we shall no more wear sins nor the devils robes we shall not borrow of sin we shall no more eat of his bread but of our own that which is in our Fathers house and that is Christ And in that day the fruit of the earth every part of us the whole body even the lips that have been full of poyson the tongue that hath had the fire of hell in it shall be filled with the fire of Heaven That that hath been darts and arrows and swords and venome and the sting of Aspes and Dragons even that shall be healing It shall be refreshing and delighting this is by Jesus Christ Christ shall come forth even in our tongues and season them with grace and make them to be a tree of life they shall minister Grace unto the hearers Christ doth recover all that the devil hath carried away as Abraham all that the King of Sodom caried away He recovers it he takes it out of pollution and out of filth There is a dumb Devil a beastly Devil a blasphemous Devil an accusing Devil a pratling and busie body Devil as Peter speaks of such Why Christ shall cast out every one of these Devils all the fruit of the lips shall be a sacrifice of praise there shall be no more of these no backbiting no slandering no going up and down to tell one anothers faults nothing but love and Praise and Thanksgiving Every member shall be restored and the tongue shall be restored I beseech you saith the Apostle as you have yeilded your members servants of iniquity unto iniquity so yeeld them servants of righteousness unto holiness This is by Christ and this is the effect of the spirit when he is poured forth making melody in your hearts which breaths forth nothing to God but love nothing to man but love nothing but praise nothing but joy Christ is a thorow Redeemer a thorow Restorer and therefore body and soul and every member of the body shall be Redeemed The spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies Christ gains the heart to God and out of the abundance of that the mouth speaks He makes the heart a treasury of good things and then comes forth nothing but good at the door of the lips The tongue and the lips are either the great instruments of the Devil or of God of Heaven or of Hell the fire of Heaven and the fire of hell is in the tongue Acts of life and death are in the power of the tongue Here is blessing and here is cursing God promises in the prophecie of Zachary to restore unto his people a pure lip or language and what is this pure language but Praise and Thanksgiving what is it but love but grace but edification they shall call upon the Name of the Lord and serve him with one consent a pure language is not in words and syllables but Christ fills the heart thence the mouth is fill'd as 't is in Psal 37. 30 31. He speaks there of the Righteous man His mouth speaks of wisdom and his tongue of understanding and the Law of God is in his heart This is that which is the New-Testament the Law in our heart and when the Law is in our heart then it will be in our tongue The old administration began in the tongue thou shalt speak of it at all times the New-Testament begins at the heart Thou shalt write it in the heart and then the tongue will speak nothing else The fruit of our lips There is a fruit of our lips that is seeming praise which coming not from the abundance of the heart is the greatest abomination unto God A flattering and deceitful tongue the Lord shall cut it out There is more of the fire of hell in a tongue that speaks to God and not from the heart then in a tongue openly blaspheming Therefore the Apostle Paul could not bear the devil that cried These are the servants of the most high God that shew unto us the way of salvation But Christ in the heart the fire of Heaven in the heart the Altar in the heart and there flaming out at the mouth O 't is
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
earth if I have told you earthly things and ye believe not saith Christ how will ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things There are higher and there are lower administrations wherein God appears Are we acquainted with them Do we know them God speaks on earth from Mount-Sinai and he speaks from heaven at Mount-Sion he spake from Mount-Sinai and he was refused yet there was a shew of entertaining All that the Lord saith unto us will we do but O said the Lord that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey my voice They said they would obey but their hearts turned back again to Egypt God speaks on earth and who doth hear who doth not refuse he speaks with a loud voice on earth he manifests his glory and every one seems to hear seems to stoop and bow before him but they are all lyars God speaks from heaven he speaks in the spirit he speaks in a low and still voice as it were afar off in a far Country and from this far Country he sends to his Subjects to see if they will own him but they say We will not have this man to reign over us God comes in a full manifestation of himself and then every knee stoops and bows to him some sincerely others feignedly and lyingly as it is said Thine enemies shall be found lyars When God shall make us Mount-Sion when he shall awaken the spiritual man when he shall quicken the new man that lieth as it were dead in us then we shall hear then we shall obey There is nothing so much concerns us as to know the voyce of God to hear him speak My sheep hear my voyce and the voyce of a stranger they will not hear John 10. God speaks and God gives an ear to hear him speak He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened then said I Lo I come in the volumn of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will Psal 40. 6 7. God is speaking and the Devil is speaking happy are they whose ears God hath opened that can distinguish that know the voyce of God from the voyce of a stranger See that ye refuse not him that speaks There is nothing in man but what refuseth to hear God speak but what refuseth God himself whether he speaks from earth or from heaven That man doth hear God speak that doth know the voyce of God it is the spiritual man the new man that is born of the Spirit The carnal man the natural man cannot possibly hear God speak he refuseth God The wisdom that is in him is enmity to God He is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be But they that will not know his voyce they shall know it They that will not yield to it shall be broken by it it is a terrible voyce When he shall come and speak from heaven those whose hearts are not brought to a compliance with him shall be destroyed by his presence He will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that obey not the Gospel Next we may take notice of the effects of this voyce whose voyce then shook the earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth only but heaven also When you meet with shakings and violent motions then know what the matter is Why the Lord is speaking Heaven and earth are shaking at this time Do we see the Lord and hear the Lord We are fallen into shaking times His voyce once shook the earth but now it shakes not only earth but heaven Haggai 2. This Scripture shews what is to be expected the shaking of heaven and earth and then the desire of all nations What is that Why it is Christ he is called the desire of all nations All nations desire him though they do not know him and when he is come he shall fill Sion and Jerusalem he shall fill his Saints and people the City and the house built of living stones shall be filled with Glory he will fill all things Eph. 4. 10. When Christ came forth in flesh there were shakings in heaven and earth When Christ came forth in Spirit upon the Apostles and primitive Christians what a shaking was there then of heaven and earth What strange workings were there in the hearts of men through the light and evidence and demonstration of spirit that went abroad That was the beginning of this last shaking after that God was pleased to draw in and to retire that the wicked one might return again to shew what he was that Antichrist might appear and set up his trade under the name of the Spirit and when the man of sin is fully revealed then the Lord will come forth again and by the Spirit of his mouth and the brightness of his coming will he utterly destroy him and that will be a terrible shaking indeed Yet once more I shake not earth only but heaven This shaking is begun Are we sensible of it What wars and rumors of wars are there What overturnings Let us see whether we be not under the appearance of this shaking shaking of earth shaking of heaven shaking of Forms of Religion of Churches All that is earthly shall be shaken that the earthliness being removed the true body may be brought forth anew in the Spirit How many in these times hove lost their wisdom and their righteousness that they looked upon as great gain was ever such confusion as there is at this day Yet once more I shake not the earth only but heaven It is certain we are come to it but are we sensible of it God is shaking us out of fleshly and formal Religion out of mans Religion and mans Righteousness he is destroying the old man and bringing forth the new man he is destroying the old earth and heaven and bringing forth a new earth and heaven wherein righteousness shall dwell He hath promised saying yet once more This terrible shaking cometh forth in a promise It is a mercy a blessing a deliverance It is the Redemption of the people of God Lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh When Paul and Silas were in Prison and in the Stocks at Midnight there was an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and that became their deliverance How many of the Saints will lie in Prison and in the Stocks at midnight till this earthquake come and shake them out Then shall come the desire of all nations By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation How will God answer us Why saith he I must remove all this corruptible frame I must create a new heaven and a new earth I must shake the Civil Estate and the Religious Estate I must shake off old Adam I must shake out Antichrist Christ must go away in his appearance in flesh that he may return again
even from within from your lusts and then he discovers the pitiful condition that the power of these lusts puts them into it makes them war and fight and kill and yet they cannot be satisfied Ye lust in the second Verse and have not ye kill and desire to have yet cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not And so here Lust puts them upon tryal of every thing to satisfie it self it will try heaven and try hell it will pray and it will fight and it will kill and gets as much by fighting and killing as by praying and as much by praying as by the other for lust shall never attain any thing by prayer Ye ask and ye receive not in the third verse because ye ask amiss to consume it upon your lusts and then he shews what these lusts are in the fourth Verse Worldliness earnest going forth after the creature we must have this and we must have that Give me children saith Rachel or else I dye Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God where he discovers what these lusts are and what this lust makes them Enemies to God Adulterers and Adulteresses pretending Religion and Friendship with God yet look to the world make after the things thereof and then he mindes them of the Scripture that discovers these evils in all mens hearts in the fifth verse Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy All this rashness comes from your lusts and the Scripture hath told us that there is this evil in our hearts when he hath discovered the evil then he is giving direction what to do in the sixth verse and so on there 's the power whereby to act He gives more grace the Scripture saith The spirit lusts to envy we are all carried to envy Then to what purpose is it to endeavor any thing that is good might some say Why he gives more grace and therefore what is to be done submit your selves to God and leave lusting leave desiring put your selves into the dispose of God say Here we are do with us what thou wilt make us rich or make us poor teach us to be hungry and teach us to be full Do thou feed us with food convenient we will not be our own carvers Submit your selves to God he will be careful of us when we submit our selves to him Resist the Devil and he will flee from you The Devil is in Lust and so long as you serve lust you serve the Devil submit your selves to God and then God will be for you and you shall have power over the Devil you shall be no more captives to him Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you So long as lust preys and strives for its own satisfaction here is no comfort to you all that is the friendship of lust but draw near to God bring clean hands and pure hearts Now ye are double-eyed you look to God and you look to the world you make a fair shew to God but your hearts are set upon the creature purifie your hearts and purifie your hands this is Jame's plain dealing with his own kindred the Jews We will run over some of these particulars as the time shall give leave and as we shall conceive to be most profitable Ver. 1. Wars fightings contentions brawling quarrelling This was a piece of the evil that did work among the Jews the Jews were scattered afflicted yet so many as lived together could not live in peace All the world was against them and their own hands were against one another Their afflictions could not reconcile them one to another nor make them friends oft-times an enemy abroad makes peace at home and we then fall to quarrels and divisions among our selves when we are secured from abroad But we see outward affliction doth nothing upon a man but discover and bring forth what is within even as a Tempest at sea it discovers what is at the bottom there is mud and filth and then the sea foams it up If there be good in the heart affliction brings it up if there be evil it draws out that afflictions and troubles in carnal hearts work nothing but baseness and make discoveries of what evil is within working murmuring quarrelling in bitter spirits When we are wroth and angry then we fall one upon another and he that is weakest he shall bear most This same people of the Jews were the people of Gods curse there was but a little remnant that should be saved but a remnant that were spiritual The Apostle in 1 Thess 2. 15. thus describes them they neither pleased God and they were contrary to all men T is James his work here as it was Pauls if it were possible to save some of them and to pull them out of the fire wars and fightings quarrellings among brethren and that under strangers and enemies oppressing them and they professed servants of God and owning the royal Law of Love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy neighbor as thy self this was very foul The design of God in that people choosing them and dealing with them heaping blessings upon them chastening them with afflictions instructing them from heaven his special design was besides gathering out his Elect from among them to shew the nature of man how stubborn how rebellious how incorrigible his neck like an iron sinew his brow of brass altogether irreconcileable carrying Leopards spots that will not be washed off the Blackamoors tan that will not be scour'd God he suffered them till there was no remedy as you see 2 Chro. latter end In Isa 5. he asks What he should do or what he could do more to his vineyard that he had not done His design therefore was to discover unto us what our nature is to discover that evil spirit that the Scripture says is in every man that the Scripture may not say it in vain as else it should And therefore let none of us boast against the branches as the Apostle hath it There is the same envy in us the same evil the same rebellion though it may not be altogether so discovered If there be any good in any of us it comes from God Every good and perfect gift is from above that that is truly good it comes by our being born of him by partaking of the sap and the fatness of Christ Wars and fightings Quarrellings they do not become Saints profest Saints they do not become those that own the Spirit of God The Spirit is unity The unity of the Spirit saith the Apostle Eph. 3. 3. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit There is one Lord one Faith and this Spirit it keeps us in unity though it trains us up in different Administrations it keeps us in unity by causing us to do that is set down in Ephes 2. 4. With all lowliness meekness and long-suffering
forbearing one another in love condescending one to another bearing one with another by humble mindedness meekness Every one is for unity and every one stands that he would rule and he would set down what should be done and he complains of dissentions and want of peace because all will not come unto him when we should condescend one to another and submit one to another with all lowliness of minde Quarrellings and contentions they are very unbecoming Saints contentions about outward things Why do ye not suffer wrong saith the Apostle Controversies in matters of Religion and Differences in Judgement these differences should be soberly carried there is but one Umpire but one Judge and that 's the Spirit of God So though thou and I differ who shall resolve the Resolution is the Lords why therefore wait quietly till God reveal and God will reveal the same to him saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 16. Is there any that fear God you shall all grow up to a perfect man What God hath revealed to one he will reveal to the other Wars Contentions quarrellings brawlings they become not Saints If any seem to be contentious saith the Apostle we have no such Custom and they that live in the Spirit will own no such Custom All differences they are commended to the Spirit commended to God and so when we differ we sit down waiting until God shall teach us till the Messiah come From whence come Wars and contentions among you T is good to enquire and examine into the root of all manner of evil that is amongst us From whence comes this and from whence comes that here 's this evil here 's the other evil t is good to look into the root and spring whence every one comes We shall have a better sight of things when we see their original and when we see their principle T is the evil principle that makes a thing evil t is a good principle that makes a thing good every thing is good and evil as the principle is good or evil God is the good principle and Satan is the evil principle as God hath a hand in all all is good and to the pure all things are pure saith the Apostle to him that is defiled nothing is pure and we are not able to judge of any thing whether it be good or evil till we know the principle The same thing that is good in one is evil in another because it comes from a good principle in one and from an evil principle in another From whence come wars and contentions It concerns us to look to the root and spring of evil to see the evil and from whence it comes Again we had need to have our eyes turn'd unto the root of evils and to see that they have their root within us and their cause within us Come they not hence even from our lusts Because we have a trick of shifting off things translating them we can hide our sins like Adam The woman thou gavest me saith he The Serpent beguiled me saith she We cry out such occasions such company such evil times Satan nay God himself But let no man when he is tempted say I am tempted of God for God tempts no man to evil every man when he is tempted is drawn aside of his own lust Whence then comes evil Whence comes wars and contentions come they not hence even from your lusts They come from your lusts Men do get children and lay them at other mens doors men binde heavy burthens and lay them on other mens shoulders the Apostle here would have every man take up his own burthen and we shall never be eased of our own burthens till we first take them on our own shoulders and then Christ will say Come to me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I le refresh you and ease you he will first have us feel the weight of our own burthens and then he will ease us and take them off The Apostle James here shews the cause of all trouble that is in us when we are in quarrels and contentions we lose our peace And whence is this thank your selves saith he it is your lust Do not say that such a one is contentious look into your own hearts All the trouble that is upon us we are the Authors of it hath its root in us we may thank our selves for it Thy destruction is of thy self saith the Lord God though he doth appoint every thing and order every thing his providence is in every thing yet that that man doth he doth freely and he is drawn aside by his lust and therefore there 's no shifting it of When the Apostle is mentioning Gods taking whom he will he brings in an Objecting Then why doth he finde fault Why here is the reason why he findes fault though he hardens Pharoahs heart yet Pharoah doth harden his own heart and is carried to do that he doth by his own lust and enticed We must see in our selves the fountain of all evil and then if we be of God we shall also see in our selves the fountain of all good There is that that is born of the flesh that hath all evil in it there is this nature that comes of God that hath all good and no evil in it From whence come wars and contentions come they not hence even from your lusts Yea hence they spring and here 's the root of all Your lusts which war in your members Your lusts What 's lust earnest going forth of your hearts after the creature and here 's the work of lust which is to war and here 's the place where this warring is In your members your lusts which war in your members What are these members in which lust doth war There is a natural body which hath members and there is a spiritual body which hath also members of these spiritual bodies there are two sorts Thère is a spiritual body the body of Christ there is a spiritual body the body of Satan there 's the man Christ and there 's the man of sin These same members in which lusts war are the members of a spiritual body which Paul expresses in Rom. 7. 23. he speaks of the Law of his members which did war against the Law of his minde he complains in the next verse of the body of death of the body of sin Who shall deliver me from this body of sin for it s a spiritual body and these members are members of that body And the Apostle mentions these in the Epistle to the Colossians Col. 3. 5. Mortifie your earthly members fornication uncleanness covetousness The members of the natural body are these hands feet eyes the members of a spiritual body the body of sin the body of death Satans body are fornication uncleanness covetousness here lust wars and this is that body the Apostle speaks of 2 Cor. 9. 37. when he says I beat down my body I keep it in subjection Papists look
well or as it should be You ask not and therefore ye have not you ask amiss and therefore have it not as good not ask as ask amiss Another thing is this That the main amisness in Prayer is when our Lusts are regarded when we ask to gratifie our Lusts This is a thing of special consideration and will come neer to every one of us 't is a great abuse of God to go to him and desire this or that of him to consume it upon our Lusts what is our Lust it is an enemy to him it is a strange God it is an Idol it is another Lover we go to God and would have more love that he would thus and thus furnish us to commit Adultery that the Lord would give us to serve his enemies we go to God to serve us in the creature we have a burning Lust after this after the other he must satisfie us that 's to serve his enemies that 's to maintain us in opposing him in scorning him and mark where God is set when I sue to him for such a thing to satisfie my Lust where is God put under my Lust and he is made use of to serve my Lusts if my lust be served I care not a rush for him I would never seek him but for my lusts I want this and the other thing therefore I pray I do not want him I care not at all for him God makes his very enemies stoop to him and acknowledge him Lust and the devil can do nothing unless he give to them you ask for your devil and lust you ask of God that you may play the whore you Adulterers and Adulteresses says Iames a strange word and yet in such praying we think we have perform'd excellent worship and service to God when we do put God in the very place of the veriest drudge and scullion there is not a worser place we can put him in then to seek of him to serve our Lusts This is a drudging to his enemies 't is a main amiss in Prayer and so he reckons it and therefore he says Ye did not cry to me when ye howled on your beds for corn and wine and oyl To ask to satisfie your Lusts is to go to the devil And therefore as we are to consider what we do so we are to consider how we do it and as in every thing else so in Prayer and as we are to look into many amisses and miscarriages and faults there so especially to this this is a main one to ask to consume upon our Lusts why it may be you will say we do not know for what end to ask else why it is good to be ingenuous it may be you do not but I hope better things of you but I know a carnal heart can have no other end a carnal heart cannot seek God and this is the right asking this is the asking is not amiss when we ask God give me thy self and when in asking for other things we submit to God as the Apostle hath it here Submit your selves to God put all into his hands let him dispose it be you satisfied with his love do you desire that he would shew himself shew us the Father and it sufficeth and for other things commend them to him with submission as he pleases he knows what 's good what 's convenient Father says Christ if it be possible let this cup pass from me but thy will be done this is the right asking to ask God let God be the boon you ask Labour not for the meat which perisheth but labour for that bread which endureth to everlasting life Joh. 6. 26. What 's the bread endures to eternal life It is God manifesting himself communion with God seek this ask this and all things will come in with this Seek the Kingdom of God and other things shall be added unto you put your selves into Gods hand and dispose he is all your exceeding great reward You ask amiss when you ask any thing but God Let this cup pass away but if it be possible but Father says he glorifie thy Name Whom have I in Heaven but thee and who is there on earth but thee I have none to look at besides thee glorifie thy self this is right asking and this is an asking that flesh can never attain to this is beyond flesh and blood who is there can beg this of God but God himself flesh and blood hath not taught thee but my Father as Christ said to Peter If you seek any thing and do not seek God you make use of God to serve your Lusts and you subject God to the devil and there is as much setting up the devil and vilifying God in that that 's call'd Prayer and worship as in any thing whatsoever You ask amiss because you ask to consume it upon your Lusts And now it follows in the fourth verse what kinde of Lusts these are what are these Lusts they are lustings after the creature they are no worse You Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity unto God The friendship of the world We love the world we run after the creature with violence you must have it cannot get it pray for it cannot get it fight for it kill for it Here is Murder and Adultery in going forth unto the world the Apostle James here reproves in the spirit and he is bold Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses and he takes in both Sexes men and women and he would let them know he deals with them upon a known principle do ye not know the friendship of the world is enmity to God It is written in every one of your hearts that to go out unto the creature is to go from God and if you do not know it it shall be made appear to you that you do it You do know it and your Consciences will tell you when it s awakened Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God And then he makes this conclusion Whosoever is a friend of the world is an enemy to God I 'le point at two or three things Observe here first that according to the tenure of the Scripture to embrace the world to go out after the creature is to commit Adultery to go out in earnest desire after the creature to make the creature a chief or a main thing that our hearts go out after is Adultery Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses I had not known sin says the Apostle unless the Law had said thou shalt not Lust Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her says Christ he hath committed Adultery in his heart whosoever looks after any creature to lust after it he hath committed Adultery too our Ministers it may be do not teach so but we see what the Scripture holds forth you have heard how it hath been said of old sayes Christ but I say unto you we count it not evil after mans reckoning but it is accounted so
with God 't is heart-Adultery to go out after any creature to go out after any creature but in God is Adultery and if this be Adultery every one if we should look into our own hearts will be careful and afraid to throw stones at an Adulteress you know the story in the Gospel whosoever he be that fears God he hates and detests all evil yet he sees it in his heart and though he be free from gross acts yet he will be far from insulting over any that are left to defile themselves with gross acts The desire of any creature it is Adultery Flesh can do nothing but commit Adultery All Flesh hath corrupted their way but it doth not break out alike but all are alike in the root to make out after any creature is Adultery And again The friendship of the world is enmity unto God Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God and he that is a friend to the world is an enemy to God This is that other Scriptures hold forth The love of mony is the root of all evil Love not the world nor the things thereof whosoever loves the world the love of God is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. They are enemies to the Cross of Christ that mind earthly things Phil. 3. about the end enemies to the Cross of Christ what is the business of the Cross of Christ to crucifie us to the world and the world to us you admire outward things and love outward things you have friendship with them you are enemies to the cross of Christ and therefore ungodliness and worldly lusts are joyned together Tit. 2. The grace of God that brings salvation unto all men hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts c. We cannot serve God and Mammon friendship of the world is enmity to God and therefore let every one consider what his heart most ayms at and what his Prudence and Wisdom and Providence is what that is that the world does so admire and extol Is it friendship with the world or no So long as thou dost well to thy self men will speak well of thee but thou dost well to thy self indeed when thou seekest after the Lord thirstest after him and lustest after him and desirest him and in all desires in which thou art carryed out towards any thing but him thou expressest enmity to him thou lovest not him There is no going from God but to the creature thou art the creatures if thou have left God he that is a friend to the world is an enemy unto God What is friendship with the world when that we seek the creature for it self we are in love with it we do not seek God but seek it when we put our rest in it cannot be without it must have it put it in Gods place we must have such a thing and the other thing we cannot be without it A pitiful thing to live in enmity to God O when God comes forth how shall we be devoured and destroyed before him But there are that will be friends with God and the world too let them look to it how they make it out the friendship of the world is enmity to God And now the Apostle is shewing here how the Scripture discovers this same evil that is in our hearts Vers 5. Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Does the Scripture say in vain the Scripture says nothing in vain but the Scripture speaks much in vain to us while that we do not mark it nor attend it We all speak for the Scripture how the Scripture is of God the Scripture is Truth and the Word of Truth we speak well of it but the Scripture doth not speak well of you It says The spirit that is in you lusts to envy There is nothing but evil in our hearts We shall never understand the Scripture till that we understand it in our own hearts Do you think that the Scripture says in vain The spirit in you lusteth to envy Where does the Scripture say this It says Every thought of mans heart is onely evil and that continually The Scripture it tells you the evil is in your hearts and there is no good in your flesh and let it not be in vain the Scripture tells you if it be in vain now and you do not entertain it and hear God will come and you will finde it so How many carry the Scripture a witness and testimony against them Does the Scripture say in vain there is evil in you and the spirit in you lusts to envy The devill is in your hearts and he reigns there Does the Scripture say this in vain You will not hear it now to heed it and believe it you shall feel it one day that the Scripture does not speak in vain The greatest contenders for the Scripture and the Authority thereof are the greatest despisers of the Scriptures for they make the Scriptures speak as Ahab would make Michaiah speak well of him speak nothing but good and will not observe that the Scripture speaks in discovery of our evil but this is to reject the Scripture to catch here and there a piece to serve our turn and abuse them and wrest them as the devil did so the devil in us does Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy But the Scriptue tells us not so I but the Spirit of God tells us in the Scripture In the Scripture there is a cleer discovery of evil in our hearts Vers 6. But he gives more grace To finish in a word What is the meaning of that Why I conceive it is to prevent an Objection which might arise from the foregoing words For if the spirit that be in us lust to envy and if that be to serve the devil and that is all in our wars contendings and fightings what shall we do it is in vain to speak Nay for he gives more grace There is more grace then there is sin And where sin hath abounded Grace shall abound much more there is one greater in you then he that is in the world He gives more grace Why God he comes forth in his people and he makes them able to deny themselves and this wicked one that lusts to envy He gives more grace Wherefore he says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Here is Pride seen in contention and war and when we submit to God and depend upon him we are well Submit your selves therefore to God He gives more grace to the humble And he gives thee grace to be humble If any man be humble it is his Grace and what is that Humility and Grace Submit your selves to God be at his dispose let him measure out that he knows convenient for you and do not you lust after this thing and the other thing but let God come out to you Feed
it were dead and slain Rev. 5. John saw the Lamb as it had been slain he is as it were slain but he lives all this while and he raigns and rules but there is nothing seen but the Kingdom of Men of Devils of Death of Hell The Lord he is slain he comes forth at times and makes appearances and as he looks up still he is knockt down and the world cries Devil and Blasphemy In all the appearances that hitherto he hath made he hath been slain the Devil hath possessed all the Mountains that ever he raised up the seven Mountains the Whore sits upon them That the Apostle hath Heb. 6. They crucifie afresh the son of God and put him to open shame God makes his appearance and still he is crucified still he is slain whilst he riseth in flesh still he is killed If you ask who it is that kils him His enemies kill him sin and hell his friends kill him therefore Christ saith Father forgive them they know not what they do These are the wounds I have received in the house of my friends He kils himself he gives up his life for that which Pilat and Herod did they did by the determinate Counsel of God Awake O sword against the shepherd that is my fellow I lay down my life of my self and no man takes it from me saith Christ he gives up himself It is the blood of God in us that redeems this earth Thou hast redeemed us by thy blood There is no man shall live but he in whom God is dead in whom he lyeth slain for a while or as it were slain and by this God comes forth in a more glorious Kingdom His Kingdom is more glorious when he comes out of death into it comes upon Death comes upon Hell and all the powers of it God is pleased to make himself enemies that he may appear to be above them God is slain his blood is shed in Christ and Christ in the Saints he suffers still I fill up the sufferings of Christ saith the Apostle Here he dies and here he rises And this it may give us some light and instruction touching sin in the knowledge whereof we are exceeding defective All have sinned that the Apostle saith and sinned the utmost of sin Slain and murdered the Lord of life And think of it what you will you never see sin in a true light till you see your selves murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of glory the Spirit convincing of sin it convinceth of this and this is that that earthly-mindedness doth the earth in us this love of the earth this love of the creature it kils the Lord and buries the Lord it keeps down the Lord. Do you not know saith Iames that the friendship of the world is enmity unto God And you that know God and love God mind what you do whilst you go out after the earth Here is killing the Lord and burying him keeping him down Either we are crucifying God or else we are crucifying the world and the world is crucified unto us one of these two We are crucifying God while we do not look and long for his appearance all living in the earth being at home in the body is crucifying the Lord. The Devil is the god of this world he is a murderer and so are all those that serve this world murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of life The earth buries him the earth covers him the Princes of this world crucifie the Lord of glory You that profess to know the Lord of glory see what you do whilst you are climbing up in the world making after the greatness and the glory thereof the earth hides his blood and covers him here he is buried worldly lusts fleshly lusts these kill and flay and bury God in you keep down Christ in you This is the reason why the world makes so little account of God and makes no more of God then a fancy they have slain him and they have buried him and they raign but he will rise and then wo to the inhabitants of the earth The Devil is come among you and then you shall see the Devil the Devil is among you but you do not see him then you shall be delivered up to him It is a comfort to them that they cannot see God that their souls long after him and they love him but they cannot see him Why He is not discovered where he is he lyeth dead a great while He lyeth dead in the hearts and souls of his People And it should make us beware of passing judgement upon any That they are not the Lords and the Lord is not in them because he is not at present manifested he lyeth dead there is his blood and it may quicken though it be now as dead And it should make us very wary of judging any persons those that walk in the greatest opposition unto God God may lie dead in them and when he rises in them that shall suffer for him that did before persecute him and whosoever he be that lives he hath seen God dead in him and now he is raised This is indeed the conversion of a sinner it is the quickening of Christ in the heart He is dead in the earth here is his blood and he will rise up the earth shall discover her blood shall no longer hide her slain he will come out of his place he hath come forth in many appearances and hath been killed again but he will come forth in his own body and he will stand in the earth and rising from the dead he dies no more death hath no more dominion over him and he coming out of the grave will bring forth all his with him of which we had a type in the coming of the people of God out of Aegypt and out of Babylon they brought forth all the riches out of Aegypt returned with all the vessels out of Babylon When God brings us forth out of death and hell he will bring us forth with all the goods and all the riches that death and hell have robbed us of The earth shall no longer cover his blood And it cannot be it is impossible he should see corruption it is his blood and therefore must recover it is the Lamb but as it were slain he rules still he rules amidst his enemies he rules in death in hell but is covered is not seen He shall live and his people shall live with him And look we into our hearts what we find of the death of Christ of the resurrection of Christ of fellowship with him in his sufferings and the power of his resurrection This is that Pauls heart did beat upon Phil. 3. 10. We know him and the power of his death and fellowship of his sufferings Look what we know of him and look for his revealing in us When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me Know ye not that Christ is in you Prove your selves whether you be in the faith Christ
returns the life of God in you revives us according to the Divine nature It is the grace of God that brings Salvation that only cures us of distemper and makes us perfect men in Jesus Christ It is Jesus Christ is the only perfect and sound man the wisdom of God and we are sound when he is formed in our hearts brought forth and raised up in us The Apostle attributes this sound mind to the grace of God God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power but of God and of a sound mind The Spirit of Jesus Christ is a spirit of a sound minde While we have not the spirit we are under a cloud we are in a distemper and in weakness even in the purest state of flesh God finds weakness and folly in his Angels he hath not put trust in them There is no sound and perfect state but the state of God all that are born of God are born into that state and he is their wisdom Jesus Christ the wisdom of God and is made so to us of God Of the Prodigal t is said when he came to himself he remembred his fathers house Paul says that he was mad against the Church 1 Tim. I was exceedingly mad how came he changed the grace of God was exceeding abundant towards him which is in Christ Jesus This revived his soul The grace of God that brings Salvation teaches us to live soberly It makes us sober indeed it makes us mad in appearance Paul says he was mad before the grace of God appeared Festus told him he was mad after the grace of God had appeared There is a seeming madness and a seeming sobriety Sobriety is madness unto mad people Mans sobriety is madness unto God and Gods wisdom is folly and madness unto men The spirit of God coming upon the Disciples there 's a multitude that cry these men are full of new Wine they are drunk they spake truer then they were aware of 'T was new Wine indeed they had drank but such wine as they knew not of and that which they look't upon as Drunkenness was true sobriety and they but then came into their wits to a sound mind There was a Spirit of Power and Glory then came upon them and the Spirit of fear it was vanishing away When Christ began to manifest himself his kinred said he was mad They went forth to lay hands on him and said he was mad As the grace of God does appear in us and to us it makes us signs and wonders in Israel It is from the Lord of hosts It takes us off from following our own reason and it leads us in a way that men do not walk in The way of the Spirit is not the way of men it transforms us out of the World and changes us by the renewing of our mind The mad world thinks us mad when we begin to be sober There 's Gods wisdom and mans wisdom mans wisdom is foolishness to God and Gods wisdom is foolishness to man Solomon says of man that folly and madness is in his heart till the wisdom of God come in there is nothing else and he that is in the height of madness his madness is not seen to himself madness is continually there here is madness that he stumbles at God There is no such madness as is discovered by the wise and prudent man when he discourses in matters of Religion There was not such a mad and frantick man to throw fire and arrows of death as Paul when only humane learning led him in the practice of Religion The madness of men appears in calling evil good and good evil in running after shadows and leaving the substance in walking against the very light of their consciences to run into the world when they know the world is but a vain shadow in tempting God when they know he is stronger then they The grace of God makes a man sober And there is this ground for it Reas Because God is the only wise God To the only wise God If God be only wise then every man must be a fool but man will be wise says Job though he be born like a wild asses colt and here he discovers greatest folly Whosoever yields God that title The only wise God he does deny it to himself unless it be in Christ unless it be by grace if the grace of God hath entered it teacheth us to live soberly God hath let Satan enter upon this Creation that mad Spirit that carries us to destruction setting up himself in it and striving with God though he shall never prevail as God breaks in and throws out Satan wisdom comes and madness goes and therefore every one that looks upon himself as sober and would be counted so let him consider whence this sobriety comes hath the grace of God appeared that brings Salvation Is it from God or from man There is not such a mad man as a worldly wise man dealing in Religion The foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men and the wisdom and excellency of men is foolishness to God He takes the wise in their craftiness their light is nothing but darkness whosoever they be that have not the madness of man and flesh discovered to them do not yet know sobriety All that the world calls sobriety and wisdom it will appear but madness in the day of the Lord The wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God what folly is this what do you get by enmity to God Flesh is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be If you be truly wise and sober it is by the grace of God appearing that hath brought Salvation And whosoever is indeed made wise and sober by this grace of God appearing he must look to be accounted mad and foolish True sobriety must needs be accounted madness of those that have it not I and the sons whom thou hast given me are for signs A man instructed by God by a strong hand Noah was lookt on for a mad man and condemned by the world and he that is made sober by God he knows what the sobriety of the world is the world does not know what his sobriety is and he can carry himself boldly before the world in that it counts madness and folly knowing that it will justifie it self and bring confusion on all their wisdom That 's the first The grace of God that brings Salvation appearing is that only that teaches sobriety Secondly The grace of God that brings Salvation appearing is that only that teaches true Righteousness It teaches us to live soberly and righteously Till the grace of God that bringeth Salvation appears we do not know true righteousness all the righteousness that we practise before is but the shew of righteousness Till the new man be brought forth there 's no true holiness but he is created after the Image of God in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4. 24. Paul
was a wise man and a righteous man in his own opinion and the opinion of the great and learned professors of his time but when the grace of God appeared to him he saw he was a mad man and a wicked man he saw he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and he throws away all he accounts it as dung I accounted all dung for Christ that I might be found in him not having my own righteousness that is by the Law but the righteousness of God in Christ the righteousness which is by faith the Lord our righteousness the righteousness of God When that righteousness comes forth all our righteousness that is by the Law appears as an unclean thing as a menstruous cloth in Isa 64. all our righteousness is as menstruous cloths Ther 's no true righteousness but what the grace of God bringing Salvation must help us to There is no man righteous before God in his sight shall no flesh living be justified Ther 's none justified but Christ none blessed but Christ If Abraham were justified by works he had whereof to glory but not before God There 's no glorying of man in his own righteousness No flesh shall glory in his presence only he that is of God to whom Jesus Christ is made wisdom and righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption he can glory in the Lord I know that in me says Paul that is in my flesh dwells nothing that is good It is in vain for God to be our righteousness if the righteousness of man would serve the turn where any man stands up in his own righteousness Christ hath nothing to do with him The whole have no need of the Physitian but the sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In all mans righteousness there 's nothing but man there 's nothing but self the things of man end in man it comes to nothing it reaches not to God There is nothing reaches to God but that that comes from god The righteousness of man how glorious a shew soever it makes is only in worldly and earthly designs That 's evil with him that does any way oppose him in his peace in his quiet in his rest in the flesh The righteousness of man let it come to the highest it is but passive and it is very fickle and inconstant It is a proud righteousness that makes a man swell against God As there is no wisdom but God so there is no righteousness but God he is the only wise he is the only holy God and he is the only righteous God The grace of God appearing bringing Salvation that teacheth us to live righteously and so Salvation is not for righteousness but Salvation is righteousness and righteousness is Salvation And every one that pretends to righteousness should look whether he hath seen that righteousness of God or whether he hath met with the discovery of his own righteousness of the righteousness of man the deceivableness of unrighteousness Till the true and perfect righteousness comes in there is no discovery of the deceivableness of unrighteousness Iniquity walks in a Mysterie and till the Mysterie of God be opened the Mysterie of iniquity does not appear There is a golden cup of Fornication the Whore carries in her hand It is not enough to be delivered from that which man calls evil but from that also man calls righteousness There is as great abomination in that man calls and counts righteousness as there is in any thing he counts evil there is that makes man a fair shew and is glorious to men which is abomination in the sight of God The Jews followed after righteousness but obtained it not because they sought it as it were by the works of the Law We by the Spirit saith the Apostle wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith You that look for righteousness look out for true righteousness Take heed of the deceivableness of unrighteousness man will call evil good and good evil call Satan Christ and Christ Satan If you look for righteousness look for the righteousness of the Spirit look for the righteousness of God Men they call this and that righteousness and look not what is the will of God righteousness is nothing but conformity unto God and to that will of God that is revealed within Christ within is guiding and leading by the Spirit and not only by a Letter not that we should throw away Letter but what is Letter without the Spirit A man watching in mans righteousness may make a very fair shew to the eye even dazel mens eyes but there is no righteousness before God but the righteousness that is of God the righteousness that is of him A man walking in his own righteousness may be very acceptable with men but a man brought out of that into this and walking in the righteousness of the Spirit is lookt on as frantick and fantastical with men For when he walks in Gods righteousness he does not walk by his own will and reason he doth not act himself the Lord must act him and guide him And there is nothing so disfigures a mans face to the World as being acted and guided by the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is wisdom it self yet counted folly with men It leads us in many ways men call folly and madness I and the children whom thou hast given me are for signs and wonders from the Lord of Hosts Abraham could be counted no less then a mad man and Noah no less then an old doating fellow to build a ship in the midst of the land and be knocking 120. years together what do you think this man indured all that while The righteousness of God is conformity to God this Christ is made unto us the grace of God that brings Salvation Thirdly And he is made unto us godliness There is no true Godliness till this grace of God comes that brings Salvation There is a form of Godliness before but where 's the power of it when the grace of God comes bringing Salvation the power of it comes godliness is like God godliness is partaking of the Divine nature as we shewed you in the morning godliness is being guided by the Spirit of God Godliness is working our works in God godliness is God speaking in us and acting in us and we ceasing from our own works There is no man knows godliness but he that is born again of the Spirit and no man that knows godliness that walks only by the outward commandment and Letter and hath it not also by the Spirit There is a worldly sanctuary and there is a house not of that building There is a Law of the Spirit of life that is never without godliness there is Redemption from all iniquity as it follows here in the text Grace and Salvation is all grace brings Salvation and it brings Salvation in bringing Sobriety and Righteousness and Godliness t is grace that does all and here is Salvation Righteousness Sobriety