hath laid upon him the Iniquity of us all He bare ouâ— sins in his own Body upon the Tree that wâ— being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness by whose Stripes we are healed Greaâ— hath been the love of God to us he hatâ— given his Son to die for us and his Spirit tâ— live in us and he calls us in the Day of Visitation How may we know when he calls wilâ— some say When by his good Spirit he stirs in thâ— Heart and strives in thy Soul checks thee anâ— reproves thee for Sin as often as thou findesâ— anything in thy Conscience that reproves theâ— for what is evil this is the Voice of the Soâ— of God John 5.25 Verily verily I say unâ— you the hour is coming and now is when thâ— Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God anâ— they that hear shall live Even those that arâ— dead in Sins and Trespasses shall be quickeneâ— by the Voice of the Son of God For as thâ— Father hath life in himself he hath given untâ— â—he Son to have Life in himself And hath â—iven him Authority to execute Judgment alâ—o because he is the Son of Man Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in their Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that â—ave done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation Blessed be the Lord who hath made known â—s Mind and Will unto us we have the Spiâ—it of Truth within us and the holy Scriptures without us It is a great Mercy that â—hey are vouchsafed to all Nations and that â—hoy have been wonderfully preserved in all Ages and Generations from the Primitive â—imes to this day and have come to us safe through so many different Hands and all the Copies of Holy Writ agreeing in Words and Sense without any cousiderable difference Let us bless God for this singular Blessing and Mercy vouchsafed to us Tho' I would not Idolize the Scriptures â—et I do highly esteem and honour them We â—ead Luke 16.27 That in the Parable of the â—ich Man he speaks to Abraham after this manner I pray thee Father that thou wouldst send Lazarus to my Father's House for I have five Brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come to this place of Torment Abraham saith unto â—im They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And he said Nay Father Abraham but if one went unto â—hem from the Dead they will repent And he said vnto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded tho' one rose from the Dead therefore to the Law and the Testimony the Testimony is in our Consciences and the Law is written outwardly but effectually and inwardly upon the Hearts there is no disjoining what God hath joined Therefore if any one should bring any other Doctrin that is contrary to the Holy Scripture or if an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel we are not to receive it It hath been the Spirit of Antichrist in all Ages and the Man of Sin that hath endeavoured to undervalue the holy Scriptures who as the Apostle saith opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God This Spirit of Antichrist where-ever it is it secretly undermines the holy Scriptures therefore it concerns you to keep close to the Law and the Testimony Let me in true love to your immortal Souls desire every one of you to mind the work of your Salvation and to work it out with fear and trembling and God will work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Examine your selves and prove your selves whether you are in the Faith take heed that you be not led by a Spirit of Error to the Law and to the Testimony If any Man think that he is wise in many things let him not presume to be wise above that which is written lest he need to come and learn again what he doth not know and hath been taught Great is the Mystery of Godliness and great also is the Mystery of Iniquity therefore you are concerned to examine your selves and to prove all things and hold fast that which is good You are a seeking and enquiring People else you would not have been here at this time And what can inform you better than the gift God hath been pleased to give unto you together with the holy Scriptures examine your selves whether when you have proved all things you hold fast that which is good Make it appear that you are good Christians by your righteous and heavenly Conversations and by your holy Walk make it appear that you are true Disciples of Christ that you are Followers of the Lord Jesus and endued with his Spirit by being holy in all manner of Conversation Take heed of indulging thy self in any sin take that Counsel which is given by our Lord Jesus to all his Followers Matth. 5.30 If thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell Live so as to be always ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus that you may be found among the wise Virgins The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto ten Virgins which took their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom and five of them were wise and five of them were foolish Here are abundance of Professors in this City that would be taken for Virgins and Followers of Christ but they are too like those five foolish Virgins that took their Lamps and took no Oil with them whereas the Wise took Oil in their Vessels with their Lamps while the Bridegroom carried they all slumbered and slept and at Midnight there was a Cry made behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him then all those Virgins went and trimmed their Lamps and the foolish said unto the wise give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out but the wise answered not so lest there be not enough for us and you go you rather to them that sell and buy for your selves And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the Door was shut afterwards also came the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us but he answered and said Verily I say unto you I know you not O take heed that this be not your woful and deplorable Case at the coming of Christ to Judgment but prepare and be in readiness that you may have an abundant entrance into his everlasting Kingdom Take my words into consideration and lay aside every weight and the sin that doth easily beset you and run with Patience your heavenly Race that you may so
us to do it we should be at a great loss and disadvantage But God is so full of Grace and Bounty blessed be his Name that he giveth us both Wisdom to know his Will and Power to fulfil it Therefore the Spirit of God which was promised to rest upon Christ the Root and Stem of Jesse God promised that the Spirit should rest upon him and that a measure of it should be given to all the Members of that Body whereof he is the Noble and Holy Head he giveth it in one measure to one in another measure to another and in a suitable measure to all according to every ones Capacity to some more and some less as in the â—istribution of Talents he giveth to every â—ne according to their ability The state and â—ondition of Men with respect to Spiritual â—nd Divine gifts they are like the Capacity â—f Vessels some of a lesser and some of a greater quantity There are Cups and Flaggons and Barrels and other Vessels that contain greater and lesser quantities So for Vessels of the Sanctuary Vessels of the Lords House there are Cups and Flaggons and other Vessels A Cup is not capable of holding so much as a Flaggon nor will a Flaggon contain so much as a Barrel or Firkin herein appears the Wisdom of God in that he gives to every one according to their Capacity so that none have reason to repine and murmure and say Lord thou hast not given enough to me Grudge not at the gifts of God to others but consider that though God hath given thee but a little he hath given thee what is fit for thee to receive if he had given thee more there might have been more danger to thy Soul if thy Cup run over there is more than it is capable to receive and therefore God gives that measure to thee that is fittest for thee God gives to every Man and Woman a measure of his Grace which was purchased for them by the Son of his Love the Lord Jesus Christ by what he hath done and suffered even by his Obedience to the Death The Spirit of God which rests upon his dear Son Christ Jesus is said to be the Spirit of Might Isa 11.1 2. And there shall come forth a roâ— out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots And the Spirit of the Lorâ— shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom anâ— understanding the Spirit of councel and might the Spirit of knowledg and of the seat of the Lord Here is a Spirit of might as well as a Spirit of VVisdom and Understanding here is I say a Spirit of might and of the fear of the Lord. The Holy Scripture saith perfect love casteth out fear what fear is it that it casteth out Slavish fear but Filial fear Evangelical fear perfect Love casteth not out for this Love and fear are Twins they are Inseparable they are of one kind of one nature our Lord Jesus Christ himself was filled with this Holy Spirit of fear it is said Hebr. 5.7 Who in the Days of his Flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared Isa 11.3 The Spirit of the Lord saith the Prophet shall rest upon him c. The Spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shall not judge after the sight of his Eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his Ears but with righteousness shall he judge the Poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ sincerely and truly by this belief we shall receive VVisdom and Power sufficiency of it plenty of it one measure and degree after another we shall have the Spirit of God to teach â—s and counsel us what we ought to do what â—s our Duty to God to our Neighbour and â—o our selves and all that is required of us in order to our Eternal Happiness and Salvation which is given by Christ Jesus and also Power to do what we ought to do and also Power to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ There are some have made such an Objection as this and I have sometimes made it my self in my own Thoughts O! say some we want a Power to believe we find it very difficult to believe It is good to be thus sensible of thy own Inability and it is good to be perswaded that it is not so easie a thing to believe as many hold it to be The generality of Christians here in Christendom they think it to be an easie thing to believe It is impossible for any Man or Woman rightly and truly and sincerely to believe in God or in Christ with the least Measure of true saving Faith unless the mighty Power of God work this Faith in us And this Faith begins in a very small beginning it is first sown in the Heart of Man or Woman as a grain of Mustard-seed he that soweth it will make it to grow he is not like an unskilful Husbandman that begins to plant or build and is not able to go through with it the Lord is wise and Powerful he will go through with his Work if thou dost not by the Obstinacy Subbornness and Carelesness of thine own Heart hinder it the Lord will carry on this Work of Faith by his mighty Power And if you have Faith but as Grain of Mustard-Seed you shall say to thâ— Mountain Be removed and it shall be removed This Faith is witnessed by a Blessed Remnant that know the removing of Mountains not earthly Mountains but all those inward Letts Impediments and Hindrances that thâ— poor Soul feels within it self even Mountainâ— of Sin and of the Powers of Darkness thaâ— stand between God and their Souls which intercept the Light of his Countenance from shining on them they would get near to the Lord they follow hard after him The Lord lifts up the Light of his Countenance in some lesser degree upon them which is like a little Beam of Light coming through a Cranny they have not that full and satisfactory Enjoyment of the Lord that they desire Act Faith upon the Lord 's Almighty Power that hath given thee a little Grain of Faith a small measure of it and in due Time thy Faith shall be strengthned and be able to remove all those Mountains of Sin and of the Powers of Darkness that are in thy Heart I say it hath often been an Objection to me O! I would fain believe I want Power to believe and I bless the Lord that let me see that I was not able of my self to believe that I had no might or Ability of my self to act Faith the Lord was pleased by the shining of his blessed Light into my Heart to enable me to act Faith and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
the Son the Father gives Life to the Son and the Son giveth Life unto Believers the Son is continually receiving from the Father and we are continually receiving from the Son through the Exercise of our Faith Would you know and feel an heavenly Vertue and Sap and vital Influence flowing â—â—om Christ into your Souls And would you now nothing of dryness barrenness nor unâ—â—uitfulness then live by the Faith of the Son â—f God and exercise your Faith upon Christ â—ontinually It is not enough to have Faith â—e by you as a Man hath an Instrument lying â—y and he doth not use it But know the Use and Exercise of Faith you must know â—he daily Operation of Faith elsâ— you cannot â—eceive continual Sap flowing 〈◊〉 you from Christ the heavenly Vine Gâ—â— 2.20 I am â—rucified with Christ saith the Apostle neverâ—heless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me â—nd the Life which I now live in the Flesh I â—ive by the Faith of the Son of God who loved â—ne and gave himself for me There is no â—iving but by the Faith of the Son of God Rom. 1.16.17 I am not ashamed of the Gospel â—f Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written Hab. 2.4 the Just shall live by his Faith Every Man and Woman are to live by their own Faith It is not the Faith and Holiness of another will serve our turn every one must have Faith of his own which is the Gift of God I once more warn you against that Faith that is only literal traditional and historical for that is not the Faith that will justifie and save you that is not the Faith which I preach I am much abused wronged and traduced by some that say I preach an unprofitable Faith and that the Faiâ—â— which I preach all England hath it and aâ— Christendom hath it If they had it wâ— should see the Fruits of it Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness and Temperance these are the Fruit of the Spirit and Concomitants of true Faith The Faith which I preach is indispensibly necessary to every one that expects Salvation and to live with God and Christ in Heaveâ— for ever It is a Faith that is wrought by thâ— mighty Power of God the powerful word oâ— God in the Heart Heb. 4.12 The Word oâ— God is quick and powerful sharper than anâ— two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joyntâ— and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughtâ— and Intents of the Heart This Faith comeâ— from an inward Root this Root is the Lighâ— within the Power of God the Spirit of God within O how many thousands in Christendom have risen up against this Testimony Blessed be God that gave me a share in this Testimony there is a living Testimony that remains in my Mouth and Heart to this Day that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us performed the Office of an High Priest for us and upon the account of his precious Blood we receive Remission of Sins All this is by Faith in Christ we witness to his prophetical Office he is the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church and People and we witness to his Kingly Office he rules and governs in our Hearts by his Holy Spirit This Faith is not universally preached and known in all Christendom in the Root of it which is Christ within the Light within that Christ in his prepared Body did the Will of God and suffered Death for us This Faith whereby I believe Christ died for me and makes Intercession for me the Root of it is the Light within and Christ within Is this the Doctrine that is believed and professed all over Christendom No by no means This Faith I can prove out of our Friends Writings in Print that it respects Christ whole and entire Every true Exercise of Faith doth respect Christ as he is both God and Man It respects him as he came in the Flesh died and suffered for us in the Flesh and as he rose again from the Dead and ascended into Heaven and now appears in the Presence of God for us and as he will come again to judge the world as he is â—he Son of Man God hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World by the Man Christ Jesus whereof he hath given Assurance â—o all Men in that he hath raised him from â—he Dead Some will be ready to say Shall not the Light within judge all Men Shall not the words which Christ hath spoken judge us at â—he last Day Yes Christ shall judge all Men at the last Day both by his Light in their Hearts and â—s he is the Man Christ now if any think â—â—at the Light within is the Man Christ Jesus and nothing else and exclude the Person oâ— Christ the same Person that was crucified anâ— died for us and was buried This would bâ— a great Error and a contradiction to thâ— fundamental Principles of the Christian Faith I say that blessed Body which God prepareâ— for his dear Son to tabernacle in to be hâ—â— Temple that Body remains in Being and wiâ—â— remain a glorious Body to all Eternity Thâ— Apostle tells us Phil. 3.20 That our meaâ— and vile Bodies shall be made like unto Christâ— glorious Body For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change ouâ— vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto hâ— glorious Body according to the working whereâ—â— he is able to subdue all things unto himself It will be the Happiness of the Saints thâ— they shall be made like unto Christ both iâ— Soul and Body We shall be made more likâ— to Christ in our Souls and Spirits then anâ— we must be cleansed from Sin and made liâ—â— him now for we expect no Purgatory aftâ—â— this Life therefore defer it not He that haâ— this Hope saith the Apostle purifyeth himseâ—â— even as he is pure My Friends I expect no cleansing after thâ— Life I expect all my cleansing here to 〈◊〉 cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh aâ— Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of Gâ—â— that so when I come to die I may be receivâ— into the Bosom of Christ that I may have measure of that holy Confidence to pray 〈◊〉 Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit This â—lessed Martyr Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and â—aw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the â—ight Hand of God and when they were stonâ—ng him to Death he kneeled down and cried with a loud Voice Lord lay not this Sin to â—heir Charge and when he had said this he â—ell asleep Friends you that have a Life of Faith and â—eel Christ dwelling in your Hearts by Faith
us exceeding great and precâ—ous Promises that by these we might be Partakers of the divine Nature according to his divine Power whereby he hath given unto us all things partaining to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue You see the Promises are of great use to us in order to our being made Partakers of the divine Nature and to witness Regeneration and the new Birth It is not enough to read them outwardly unless a divine Work be upon us to enable us to see the Promises and our Right and Interest in them otherwise they will not be effectual upon us The next thing that I would speak to is the Subject of Faith that is the Seat of it as it is placed in a Man or Woman whether it is only in the Understanding as an assent to the Truth or placed in the Will and Affections so as to have an influence on all the Powers and Faculties of the Soul I answer True and saving Faith is seated in the Understanding and in the Will and so hath an influence upon the Affections and so the Affections come to be renewed and sanctiâ—ied through the Power of Faith As Faith is â—n the Understanding it respects Christ as he â—s faithful and true but as Faith is placed in â—he Will of Man he iâ— the Beloved of the Soul â—nd the great desire of the Soul and Faith reâ—pects Christ and God in Christ as he is good â—nd gracious not only as he is holy and â—â—ist faithful and true but as good merciful and gracious tender and compassionate 〈◊〉 Faith in God and in Christ Jesus as it is seated in the Understanding and Will it esteem him as the supream Truth and chief Good submits to his Scepter and depends upon hiâ— Sacrifice and Satisfaction resigns and surrenders up to his Government to commanâ— the whole Man the Affections Memory anâ— bodily Members that Christ may be All in All. And now to come to a Conclusion and to end as I begun it is the Duty of every one that professeth himself to be a true Christian to examine himself whether he hath the true Faith of Christ or be in the true Faith Now I have opened the nature of true Faith it is the more easy for you to come unto an Examination of your selves examine your selveâ— by all the Marks and Tokens that can 〈◊〉 given you whether you are in the Faith anâ— the true Faith be in you if you have thâ— Spirit of God ye may know the things freelâ— given you of God It is by the Spirit of Goâ— that we may know whether we have Faith and Love and Meekness and Humility anâ— other Evangelical Graces There are divers Helps and such things as may be called Marks and Evidences whereby we may be helped to know whether we have true Faith oâ— no. But some may say if we may know whether we have true Faith by Marks and Signs what need we the Spirit And if we maâ— know it by the Spirit then what need wâ— Marks and Signs and other Evidences It is the work of the Spirit to intimate to us whether we have these Marks God hath given us the Book of the holy Scriptures that tells us If we have Faith it works by Love it is such a Faith as hath Works accompanying of it such as love to God and love to one another If thou lovest not thy Brother whom thou hast seen how canst thou be said to love God whom thou hast not seen If we love God above all and love our Brother and love our Enemies these are good Marks and Evidences that we are in the Faith The holy Scripture giveth Marks and Signs of a Man's being a true Believer but the Scripture doth not tell us that we have those Marks But you will say If a Man do examine himself he may be mistaken though he attend â—o what Conscience shall speak You are not to rely upon the Testimony of Conscience alone a Man 's own Conscience may err and his Heart deceive him when it tells him That he hath Faith and Love and other Evangelical Graces But if the Spirit of God witnesseth with our Spirits that we have these Marks and that we are indeed the Children of God then be sure we cannot be deceived when the Spirit of Truth doth give us this infallible Testimony A SERMON Preached by John Raunce AT Harp-Lane near Towerstreet August 19th 1694. 1 Thess v. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good IT is a Saying of the Apostle Paul to the Church of the Thessalonians Prove all things hold fast that which is good The Thessalonians were a People too like to many in ouâ— Days they wanted to be truly settled in thaâ— which is good and that made the Apostle speak in Commendation of the Men of Bereaâ— Acts 17.11 These were more noble than thosâ— in Thessalonica in that they received the Worâ— with all readiness of Mind and searched thâ— Scriptures daily whether those things were so that were preached among them And truly Friends I have this to say among you That every one who is come through the Exercises they have met with to a tryal of things that offer themselves to their Consideration they may be said to be a happy People if they have so proved all things as to hold fast that which is good This is the Day wherein we live wherein things offer themselves to a seeking Peoplâ— after such a various manner that truly all who desire Salvation to their immortal Souls ought to be very mindful of the Exhortation I now mentioned Prove all things and hold fast that which is good Some may ask me What is here meant by All Things that the Apostle bids them Prove I answer They were such things as are of a Religious Concern He did not bid them prove all things of one kind or another that offered themselves to them but these all Things relate only to religious Matters We are among a People that are religiously concerned about many things that offer themselves unto them There are many Ways many Perswasions and Professions and many things that offer themselves to our Consideration It ought to be our Care and Concern like the noble Bereans to try all things and prove all things It greatly commends those Men and Women that will try and examine Matters and not receive things upon Trust as too many do in our Days There are a great many as the common Proverb is that are ready to pin their Faith upon another Man's Sleeve to be of his Opinion and Perswasion without any good Ground or serious Consideration That which I have to mention among you at this Time is the Apostle's Exhortation Prove all things hold fast that which is good In Matters of a Religious Concern Matters of Faith wherein your Eternal Salvation is concerned go not by hear-say because other Men say so but let us all come to practise
his coming down spiritually that we may witness and enjoy a further measure of him and of his spiritual and heavenly Presence and wait for his coming to us O saith David when shall thy Word come unto me How sweet are thy Words unto my taste yea sweeter than Hony to my Mouth He waited that the Word of God might come unto him Send forth thy Light and thy Truth send it forth from thy Zion from above from thy holy Hill from thy Dwelling-place above in Heaven Send forth thy Light and thy Truth that it may guide me to thy holy Habitation thy holy Hill of Zion He waited more and more for it These Words were first of all spoken by Moses Deut. 11.12 For this Commandment which I command thee this Day it is not hidden from thee neither is it afar of It is not in Heaven that thou should say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us That we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou maist do it This is the Word of Faith the Word of Life and Reconciliation the powerful Word of God that is within as a Hammer and a Sword and as Fire it breaks and melts the Heart and is helpful to every good Thing The Tribes of Israel had it This Word which I command thee this Day This Word of Righteousness and Salvation every Man and Woman hath it in all Ages and Generations blessed be the Lord it is more abundantly revealed now than in former Ages and Generations yet Moses saith This Commandment which I command you it is not hid from you But this Mystery of Christ was hid from Ages and Generations It is said to be hid because it was not so plentifully revealed as in latter Ages yet it was not so hid always but something of it was known in darkest Times Moses might well say to the Children of Israel It is not hidden from thee neither is it far off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to Heaven that is to say to bring down Christ from above to bring him down to appear in a Body of Flesh he was not then come in the Flesh yet was expected in many Ages Moses and all the Holy Prophets and Holy Men of God they were contented with a Spiritual Sight of him they waited and prayed for his Coming yet he was not manifested in the Flesh in their Days and Generation they died in the Faith that Christ should come into the World in the fulness of Time and they obtained Remission of Sins for hiâ— sake Who hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us and died the accursed Death of the Cross that our Sins might be forgiven and that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith Before the coming of Christ God's Israel of old offered Sacrifices of Rams Bullocks and Goats not that they believed there was any Vertue in the Blood of those Sacrifices to take away Sin but this was a Testimony of their Thankfulness to God And so likewise it helped their Faith as a Symbol to preach Christ to them and their Posterity That in the fulness of Time Christ should descend from Heaven and take a Body of Flesh Gal. 4.4 The Apostle tells us But when the fulness of Time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Rom. 8.3 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus â—â—th made us free from the Law of Sin and Dâ—â—th for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likâ—nesâ— of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh tâ—â—t thâ—â—ighteousness of the Law might be fulâ—â—â—â— in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Christ was a Sacrifice for Sin he came to finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in everlasting Righteousness Now it was in the fulness of Time thaâ— Christ should descend from Heaven and comâ— in the Form of a Servant and die for ouâ— Sins and rise again for our Justification Before Christ died and rose again from the Dead this Prophecy of Moses was not fulfilled Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring down Christ to us or who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it to us before Christ died and rose again from the Dead He wenâ— over Lakes and Seas Here is a Prophecy given forth by the Spirit of God in Moses hiâ— Time and now fulfilled Christ went abouâ— doing good He went about by Land anâ— by Sea to do good unto People Sometimes he preached aboard a little Ship and sometimes on the Land He travelled both by Sea and Land and went about doing good and healeâ— all manner of Diseases for God was with him And that was the Time and Age of which Moses gave forth this Prophecy That Christ should die and rise again from the Dead and go over the Seas And the Apostle Paul was guided by the same Spirit when he wrote these Words Rom. 10.6 7. Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shaâ— descend into the Deep that is to bring up Chrisâ— again from the Dead the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thine Heart thaâ— is the Word of Faith which we preach This was declared and fulfilled in the Apostles Days Christ had descended into the lower parts of the Earth died and rose again and was ascended into Heaven This is the Word of Faith that we Preach I shall insist further upon this God willing if I have an Opportunity renewed to me If you have a right Faith and Belief that Christ died for you you will believe it was for us and not for himself he suffered the Death of the Cross he was cut off for our Sins not for his own he shed his precious Blood for our Sins not for his own he offered not a Sacrifice as other Priests did first for his own Sins and then for the Sins of the People for he had no sins of his own If you have fixed your Faith upon this and if you have a living Faith in your Heart iâ— will open to you and give you the Comfort of it I say It is a Lamentation and may be for a Lamentation that the true Faith of it is so little preached in Christendom Therefore Christendom is as a Wilderness which might have been as the Garden of the Lord.
as a High Priest and Propitiation for Sin as an Advocate as an Intercessor and as the Attonement we must see our absolute need of him in order to our obtaining Eternal Salvation Christ is both the Priest and the Sacrifice the Priest that offers and the Attonement that is offered O glorious Mystery that he who is our great high Priest should offer himself The Priests under the Law offered other things â—s the Body and Blood of a Beast but Christ offered himself he gave himself a Ransom for us he offered his own Blood his own Life he made his Soul an Offering for Sin he offered himself Soul and Body a compleat Offering not his Body only but his Soul and Body also he offered himself through the eternal Spirit Before Christ can be thus embraced and sought after as a Hiding-place there must be a Preparation going before And it is prophesied of him A Man shall be a Hiding-place the Man Christ Jesus No Man but he can be a Hiding-place from the Storm and Tempest And as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land And it is prophesied of him again He shall be our Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land What Man is this And who is this Assyrian It is an Allegory or Metaphor The King of Assyria you know invaded the Land and carried away the ten Tribes The King of Assyria by way of Metaphor or Allegory is he that seeks to destroy our Souls and make havock of them Christ shall be our Peace When the Assyrian comes into our Land to spoil us and destroy us the Man Christ Jesus shall be our Defence How through Faith in him he shall be our Hiding-place and our Defence and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land We must fly unto him by Faith and our Faith must not stand in the wisdom of the words of Men but in the power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Foundation he is the true Ground and sure Footing for every one of our Faith The mighty Power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ opening and revealing to our Souls the great Mysteries of our Salvation Christ is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God The Jews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Doth Paul preach two Christs No by no means neither Prophet Apostle or Evangelist preach two Christs as if Christ within were one Christ and Christ without another Christ The Man Christ Jesus that died a painful and shameful Death upon the Cross in whom all Fulness dwells the Fulness of the Godhead bodily he is the living powerful eternal Word that had the Spirit without measure which is in measure in us he is but one Christ one compleat and intire Christ But some may say Why doth the Apostle Paul call Christ the Power of God and the wisdom of God I answer plainly because the fulness of the divine power and wisdom dwelt in Christ and dwells in him so that through our Faith in him we receive such a measure of the divine wisdom and power as we need in order to have the work of our Salvation wrough out to have it begun carried on and finish'd There are two things that we greatly need that we absolutely and indispensibly need Wisdom and Power We need a measure of God's Wisdom of heavenly and divine Wisdom to make known to us the whole Will Counsel and Mind of God for our Salvation for all that we can read in the holy Scriptures and other good Books and all that we have preached to us from time to time can never suffice to give us the true Knowledge of the will and mind of God in order to our Salvation unless we be supplied with divine Wisdom from above unless we be inwardly inspired endued and inlightned with the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge from God and Christ Jesus We need a measure of the divine Spirit and of the divine Wisdom to teach and instruct us concerning the Mind and Will and Counsel of God concerning our Salvation not by Piece-meal and in Parts but we must know the whole Mind and Counsel of God as much as is needful to our Salvation to have it wrought in us David was sensible of this when he thus prayed Teach me to do thy Will O God teach me thy Judgments Psal 119.108 And teach me thy Statutes vers 64. teach me by thy good Spirit But some there are that are ignorant and self-conceited which are ready to say What need we pray after this manner Did not David know God's Precepts and Statutes He had them upon his Memory and upon his Heart But for all the knowledge that he had of God's Precepts yet he needed further to be taught and instructed in the depth of the Mystery of divine Wisdom and Knowledge therefore in respect of the Commandments and Statutes of God he prays Lord teach me thy Precepts teach me thy Statutes and Testimonies and Judgments We need the Teachings of the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation The Apostle prays thus for the Ephesians 1 chapter 17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him The eyes of our understandings being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right Hand in the Heavenly places We need a measure of the Divine Wisdom that dwels in all fullness in Christ He that was Crucified and buryed rose again and Ascended into Heaven and is now there in that prepared Body wonderfully Glorified but not another Body it â— the same Body but now impassible not subject to suffering or Bodily weaknesses aâ— Hunger Thirst Sleep or Wearyness hiâ— Body is not now passible or obnoxious to any kind of Suffering Secondly Another thing we greatly need is Power these two Wisdom and Power do in a manner comprehend and contain all our needs We want the Instruction of Divine Wisdom to give us understanding and knowledge to know the Mind of God to know the whole Will and Counsel of God to know our Duty to God and what the Lord requires of us and what the Lord Christ requires of us in order to our Eternal Happyness And then we want Power as well as Wisdom if God should give us Wisdom and Understanding and Councel to know what we ought to do and withhold Power from
with Joy and the Wicked shall see him with Horror and they would be glad that the Mountains would fall upon them and hide them from his Presence but the Saints shall see their Saviour with comfort and rejoice to hear him pronounce that blessed Sentence that sweet and loving Invitation which will transport them into an Extacy of joyful Admiration Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Therefore Friends I beseech you unless you would rush upon that Rock that will be too strong for the stoutest of you embrace the necessary Doctrin of Christ crucified by whom alone you can obtain Salvation and escape that Wrath that is to come that will certainly fall upon those that make light of Christ and what he hath done and suffered for them Do not discourage me in my Labours a necessity is laid upon me to preach Christ and him crucified and a right Faith in him if any shall put this Question of the Jailor What shall I do to be saved My Answer is that of the Apostle Paul and Silas Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Say not in thine Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine Heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation But that is not all there must be Obedience and we must express our love to Christ by keeping his Commandments for He is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him If any shall reject this Doctrin and Faith in Christ crucified and say It will do me no good I can tell them from mine own Experience That the Lord hath wrought it in my Heart blessed be his Name and I find the purifying Nature of it Let it not be said That all Christendom or all England have this Faith which I preach for the generality of Men and Women have only a literal an historical and traditional Faith they believe only because they have it sounded in their Ears or read it in the Bible that Christ died for Sinners to reconcile us to God and purchase Salvation for us And tho' as I have oft declared I have that Charity that God has a Remnant in all Professions in Christendom that have some measure of the true Faith If it be a right saving justifying Faith it must be wrought in us by the mighty power of God Your Faith stands not in any Man's Words tho' never so good but in the Power of God Your Faith muâ—â— not be grounded upon any Man's Testimony He that believeth saith the Apostle hath thâ— Witness in himself and the Spirit of God beareth witness with our Spirits that we are thâ— Children of God and witnesseth the great lovâ— of God that gave his only begotten Son to die for us and the love of Christ that gave himself for us and took our Nature and Sins upon him and became a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us saith the Apostle from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree he hath also once suffered for Sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God being put to Death in the Flesh but quickened by the Spirit If all England had a right Belief a right Faith and Persuasion of the Love of God that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all and of the love of his Son Jesus Christ who gave himself for uâ— this would melt their Hearts and draw â—hem effectually to the love of God and Christ and constrain them not only to love the Lord Jesus but to live to him that died for them This Faith in a crucified Jesus is a Faith that worketh by Love and Love is the fulfilling of the Law and will make you have respect to all God's Commandments and if this divine Love reign and rule in our Hearts it will be the most delightful Exercise of our Lives to do the Will of God If all Christendom had a right Belief of the Love of God that gave his Son to die for us and did live in a sense of the love of Christ that was crucified and gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour this Love would captivate and overcome them and melt their Hearts before the Lord. My Friends the power and efficacy of this Faith and Love is that blessed be the Lord which I know from Experience and from a deep sense of this Love of God shed abroad upon my Heart by the Holy Ghost which is given to me and hath opened to me the Mystery of that infinite love and grace of God in the VVork of Man's Redemption by Jesus Christ wherein the Power Mercy Wisdom Justice Truth and Holiness of God are wonderfully displayed to our unspeakable Joy and his everlasting Glory A SERMON Preached by George Keith At Devonshire-house August 26. 1694. John 15.1 2 5. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman IN these VVords there is a great nearness and unity held forth by the Lord Jesus Christ between himself and his People that do believe in him In the 5th Verse he saith I am the Vine ye are the Branches VVhat Ye is this All Men and VVomen upon the Face of the Earth No who then Only them that believe in him These are Branches ingrafted into this Vine abiding in this Vine and bringing forth Fruit from the Sap and Moisture that this Vine affords they only that believe in him derive vital influence from him By Faith we are ingrafted into Christ the â—rue Vine and united to him true Faith is of â—n uniting Nature No sooner are true Beâ—ievers united to Christ by a true Faith but instantly and immediately they find a divine Sap and Vertue flowing from Christ into their Souls which will make them fruitful I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away And every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. True and sound Believers that are really united to Christ will become fruitful in every good Word and Work and abound in all the Fruits of the Spirit mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 5.2 But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law Now from this it evidently appears that that Faith which generally abounds
of the Apostle Peter Pet. 1.1 8. Whom having not seen ye Love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Joy unspeakaâ—le and full of Glory These words Import â—hat though now ye see not the Man Christ â—esus yet the time will come when you shall see him that is when he shall appear in his Glory at the great Day of Judgment when â—he Nations shall stand before him then they shall certainly see him though now they see him not and then Believers shall rejoyce with â—oy unspeakable and full of Glory I say Faith is a very great mystery in that it joyns the Souls of them that truly believe in him to Christ now in heaven Believers do not rejoyce Imaginarily but really True Faith is incomparably a more excellent thing than Imagination is Faith joyneth us to Christ it knitteth us to him and giveth us access unto God by him Remember what our Lord said to Thomas after he arose from the Dead when he appeared to his Disciples the Doors being shut the eleven had seen Christ before when Thomas was not present he would not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to them John 20. When the other Disciples told him we have seen the Lord. He said unto them except I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe And after eight Days again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you then saith he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be Faithless but believing And Thomas answeâ—ed and said unto him my Lord and my Gâ—â— Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hâ— seen me thou hast believed Blessed are they thâ— have not seen and yet have believed O my Friends these VVords are preciouâ— my Heart is touched and tendered with theâ— Blessed are they that have not seen yet haâ— believed we have not seen him risen from thâ— Dead he appeared not to us as to them and 〈◊〉 he appeared to Paul outwardly this is oâ— case you are blessed if ye believe in him whoâ— ye have not seen in the Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 the Man Christ Jesus and if they are Blesseâ— that have not seen yet have believed then follows by the Rule of contraries that theâ— were not blessed who did not believe in hiâ— though they saw him and heard him Preach I cannot say it is a Sin in them not to bâ—lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ who have nâ— heard him Preached to them outwardly nor Inwardly who have not heard of his Death Burial Resurrection and Ascension and sittinâ— at the Right-Hand of God I cannot say 〈◊〉 is a Sin in them not to believe who nevâ—â— heard of those things but those that have haâ— this Doctrine preached and also read in thâ— Holy Scriptures and yet do not believe Chrisâ— risen from the Dead that do not believe Chrisâ— died for their Sins nor believe that he is gonâ— to Heaven and liveth for ever to make intercession for us It is so great a Sin not to believe Christs Incarnation Death and Resurrection when it is preached that they bring a Curse upon themselves that believe not this Doctrin after it is plainly preached to them I do say it and am ready to prove what I say They that have an opportunity to hear this Doctrin preached and read it they have an obligation lying upon them to believe it not because of the outward Testimony barely for where-ever the Scriptures come and are read and preached there is an inward Witness and Testimony goes along with the outward Testimony and it cannot be supposed that the inward Testimony of God's holy Spirit will be wanting to them that enjoy the preaching of the Gospel of Christ to enable them to believe It is Unbelief that brings Men under the Curse and makes them guilty before God Our Saviour told the Jews Except you believe that I am he ye shall die in your Sins O this is most dreadful and whither I go ye cannot come It is not a bare literal traditional or historical Faith or Belief in Christ that I preach to the People which is a Faith of no Value or Worth for Hypocrites have this Faith but that Faith which I preach it is a living Faith wrought by the mighty Power of the Spirit of Christ accompanying the outward Teaching It is a living Faith a fruitful Faith and where-ever this Faith is Love is it is never without Love for Faith Hope and Love always go together and all the Fruits of the Spirit all evangelical Vertues Humility Meekness Temperance and Patience so that they that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ they have a Faith that worketh by Love Love to God and Man That Faith that they have in them is a pious devout religious consciencious Faith and this Faith is accompanied with a Desire that every one might partake of the like precious Faith Every one thaâ— hath it they feel an earnest Travel and concern upon their Spirits that all might be partakers of it they are zealous for the Faith of Christ's Doctrine for by the Faith of Christ's Doctrine we have the Faith of Christ himself So that I do not understand for my part how people can have the Faith of Christ that have not the Faith of his Doctrine A Man or Woman may have a measure of the true Faith of Christ and be short in some matter of Doctrine that is not fundamental they may be wanting in some measure but it were better that there was nothing wanting if possible I long to see you saith the Apostle Rom. 1.11 compared with 1 Thess 3.10 that I may perfect what is lacking in your Faith He did suppose those that were partakers of the Faith of Christ might have something lacking in their Faith that might be supplied to them Christ's Doctrine as it is powerfully preached hath this Service in it to help a Man to lay hold on Christ by Faith as you know we can more easily lay hold upon a Man that is cloathed than upon one that is naked we can more easily lay hold upon Christ by laying hold upon his Doctrine and upon his precious Promises the Promise of Remission of Sin and of his Holy Spirit John 7.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water These are exceeding great and precious Promises by which we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature I can tell you something of mine own Experience I was enabled to lay hold on Christ by laying hold on the Promise of Christ Christ comes cloathed with the precious Promises to believe the Promise of Salvation through Christ Jesus the Promise of Remission of
and Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ it is not the true Doctrin of the Gospel of Christ to preach Pardon of Sin and Justification through the Obedience that any Man or Woman can perform to or by the Light within the Spirit of God within or any inward Principle without Faith in the Man Christ Jesus It is by Faith in him that we witness Peace with God Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 It is not in my Heart to go into Niceties to answer that Question that hath more of Nicity than of Necessity in it Whether we are justified by Faith or by Faith and Works viz. by such Works as accompany Faith and go along with Faith and that flow from Faith as the effects of it We cannot be justified whatever any may â—irm without Faith in Christ crucified and â—hoever preach that we may be justified by â—y Works that we can perform any obediâ—nce to Christ within or without without â—ith in Christ crucified they preach another â—ospel and pervert the Gospel of Christ â—al 1.8 But though we or an Angel from â—eaven saith the Apostle preach any other â—ospel unto you than that which we have preachâ—â— unto you let him be accursed Now they preach another Gospel that preach â—ustification and Remission of Sins by our own â—orks and Obedience without Faith in Christ crucified The Apostle James saith â—deed Jam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our â—ather justified when he offered Isaac his Son â—pon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought â—ith his Works and by Works was Faith â—ade perfect And the Scripture was fulfilâ—â—d which saith Abraham believed God â—â—d it was imputeâ— to him for Righteousness â—â—d he was called the Friend of God And it is â—id concerning Rahab Was not Rahab the â—arlot justified by Works when she had receiâ—ed the Messengers and had sent them out anoâ—her way Josh 2.15 She let them down by a â—ord through the Window and she said unto â—hem Get ye to the Mountains lest the Pursuâ—rs meet you And the Spyes said unto her â—ehold when we come into the Land thou shalt â—ind this Line of Scarlet-Thred in the Window â—ich thou didst let us down by c. The â—carlet-Thred did typify and represent and shadow out the Blood of Christ by which shâ— should be saved she hid the Spyes and thâ— was a good Work her Faith that saved heâ— was as the Scarlet-Thred dipt and dyed iâ— the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from alâ— Sin So these Works were not without Faith but did accompany it and were the real Fruiâ— of it I have told you that the Object of Faitâ— is God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son both in his inward and outward coming anâ— appearance and as he is yet to come again and appear without us at the end of thâ— World at the great day of Judgment and also the holy Spirit Now to open to you briefly one Scripture John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name The Exposition that some have given of this is the receiving of Christ inwardly that is so far good But that dotâ—â—ot comprehend the whole sense and meaning of the Words To receive him and believe on him is not only to receive his Light and Power and Spirit in our Hearts but to receive him as he died for us and shed his precious Blood for us and became both a Priest and Sacrifice for us and offered himself through the Eternal Spirit without spot to God We must believe thâ— worth and value of that Sacrifice to expiatâ— our Sins and to make attonement for us â— so that by Christ's Sacrifice and offering oâ— himself the justice of God haâ—h satisfactioâ— made to it as fully as if we our selves had sufâ—â—red and made full satisfaction So that to â—â—ceive Christ is not to receive him only in â—â—s inward Appearance but in his priestly Ofâ—â—ce as he died upon the Cross and shed his â—recious Blood for us I have said it divers times and it is in my Heart to say it again That Christ offered the Gift of his Manhood upon the Altar of his Godhead that sanctified it and made it so â—ighly valuable and acceptable How will â—ou prove this some might say This may â—ell be proved out of the holy Scripture Heb. 13.14 For if the Blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling â—he Vnclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the â—lesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ â—ho through the Eternal Spirit offered himself â—â—thout spot to God purge your Consciences â—im dead Works â—o serve the living God The â—â—â—rnal Spirit 〈◊〉 the eternal Power and Godâ—ead is the Altar tâ—â—â— is greater than the Gift â—â—d the Altar which sanctifieth the Gift and â—hich was that that gave value and merit to â—s precious Blood and to what his Body and â—oul suffered here I say is the Gift upon â—â—e Altar and the Altar sanctifieth the Gift 〈◊〉 Christ had been Man only then his Death â—â—d Sufferings and his precious Blood had â—t been of that great worth and value to exâ—â—te our Sin and make Attonement for us â—â—d reconcile us to God God hath had reâ—â—d to this in all Ages God looks favourable â—on us only through Christ our great Mediator and High-priest Christ's Blood is of meritorious Efficacy in all Ages since it was shed and before it was shed And as Christ is the Object of our Faith so is the Doctrin of Christ in all the parts of it in a secondary sense but more especially as it respects the Promises of Salvation and his Commandments these two the Promises of Christ and the Commands of Christ if we believe his Promises we believe his Precepts and obey them We are pardoned and sanctified and justified freely and all boasting is excluded If we believe in Christ we believe in his Person and we believe his Doctrin his Promises and all that is written That through the comfort of the Scriptures we might have Hope I will by a Similitude express and represent to you of what great use the Promises are unto us as I have found by experience blessed be God that the great and precious Promises of our Lord Jesus Christ and hiâ— sweet Invitations and Calls that are recorded in the holy Scripture are a mighty help to us in laying hold upon Christ We cannot take hold of a Man so well when he is naked as when he is clothed It is not so easy foâ— us to lay hold on Christ naked as when he iâ— preached in the Gospel and as when he iâ— clothed as it were with the precious Promâ—ses It is very hard for us to lay hold oâ— Christ and embrace him and come to him without a Promise The Apostle Peter holâ—ing forth this great Mystery tells us 2 Pet. 1. â— Whereby are given to
that Counsel that is here given to the Church of the Thessalonians Prove all things Try all things prove Men's Ways prove Men's Words prove Men's Doctrines prove Men's Principles I question not but you are such an understanding People that I need not say much to you I hope you are come to that exercise of Mind that you will take care not to be led aside not to be prevailed upon by the fair Speeches of any but that you make it your business rightly to come to know how to prove all things that offer themselves to your Consideration which I told you are of a religious Concern and are such things wherein the Salvation of our Souls are concerned That which we must come to prove things by is that which I have next to mention among you this a Man cannot do except it be given him from above We cannot prove things as we ought we cannot try things nor search into things except we know a receiving something from above A Man can receive nothing except it be given to him by God from above You and I have not that Knowledge that Ability that Understanding to Prove all things and hold fast that which is good until I receive the Gift of God I cannot do it And as it hath been often told you God hath been pleased to give so much of his Grace and of his good Spirit as he hath seen good but some have not received this heavenly Gift But some may ask me What I mean by receiving it By receiving I mean when this good Gift is given and bestowed upon Men they are joyned to it and made one with it As it hath pleased God to give to every one of us a measure of his Grace and Spirit There are diverse Names it is but one and the same thing if we have received the Gift from above let us keep to it and abide in it then as we abide in this Gift in this good Spirit then are we in a State and Condition to prove all things It is a true saying of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned You see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise Men after the Flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the Wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought the things that are The Apostle speaking to the Church of Corinth saith Hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World for after that in the Wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe for the Jews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom but we preach Christ Crucified to the Jews a Stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God If any saith the Apostle would be wise let him become a Fool that he may be wise Let us lay aside all our own Parts and Wisdom and come to the Gift of God in our own Souls and to the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Friends my Charity is such I am so persuaded of you all I am satisfied that God hath been so merciful to you all as to enlighten your Minds and open your Understandings that you are among a seeking People walking towards Sion with your Faces thitherward I do not question but you may meet with many things which may sometimes put you in doubt and make you to question your Condition that you do not well know what to do yet in the midst of all your Troubles there there is something in your own Souls and Consciences that will not let you be quiet till you come to be in some measure like those the Apostle exhorts to Prove all things and hold fast that which is good It is good for all Christian People to be examining themselves in reference to Religious matters that do concern the Salvation of their Souls I count those that are seeking Men and Women to be in this holy Exercise the Grace of God which is in their Hearts will put them upon it as it is in Dan. 12.4 They shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased But it is fallen out in our Days that Iniquity doth abound and Wickedness encreaseth That which I have further to mention is this That you will be sure to keep to the Gift of God and when you come to know what is good that you hold it fast when you are upon searching or trying any Man's Doctrine if it be sound hold it fast if it be not sound meddle not with it But some may put this Question How shall we be further satisfied We may be discomposed in our Minds and possibly be in a maze and in great straits that we cannot keep so close to the Gift of God as we ought to do Is there nothing elsâ— that may be assistant and helpful to us I answer yes God hath been pleased to afford us another Help the Holy Scriptures The Bereans they did search the Scriptures whether those things were so You that are a seeking enquiring People examine and prove all things according to the Gift of God which is given to you and see whether any Doctrine that is preached to you be according to the Holy Scriptures If any Man preach any other Doctrine the Apostle passeth a severe Sentence against them 1 Gal. 7.8 There be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ but though we or an Angel from Heaven preach another Gospel to you than that which we have preached let him be accursed It is the Lord 's great and abundant Mercy that he hath graciously vouchsafed the Holy Scriptures of Truth to be preserved through all Ages and to be translated and turned into their own Language when we are in doubt or at a loss we may go to the Law and the Testimony there it no contrariety between the Lord 's Teaching and the Holy Scriptures Therefore let us prove Men's Sayings and be not like many in our Days that take things upon Trust It is good to be striving as much as in us lies to prove every thing wherein the Salvation of our Souls is concerned and to hold fast that which is good This ought to be our Care and there is a great deal required after we have examined and proved and found out what is good there are many things to hinder us and turn us out of the
O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death I have formerly been greatly troubled and distressed because I wanted a certainty of the Remission of my sins that are past now I am as much troubled and disquieted and my Soul is cast down within me because I have not Power over my present sins alas I have not power to fight the Lambs Battles and to overcome my Spiritual Enemies when I am engaged in the Holy warfare under the Captain of my Salvation who was made perfect through sufferings and he hath only made a promise to him that overcometh I have not yet obtained the Victory He that overcometh saith Christ the same shall be clothed in white rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Holy Angels Rev. 3.5 12. Him â—hat overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of God and he shall go no more out and I â—ill write upon him the Name of my God and â—he Name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven â—rom my God and I will write upon him my â—ew Name Thou complainest of want of power to overcome thy Spiritual Enimies â—rt thou one that longest to overcome then I â—ope the controversy is at an end do not say â— shall carry this Body of sin and Death to the Grave with me but wait to be made a parâ—aker of Christs Prayer John 17.15 17. I pray â—ot that thou shouldst take them out of the World â—ut keep them from the evil Sanctify them brough thy Truth thy word is Truth Wait for Sanctification and to receive power according to that antient lesson John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them â—hat believe on his Name Dost thou believe â—hat Christ is endued with all power in Heaven and Earth that he may give power to his People and save them from their sins and to be a defender of their Faith now he is in Heaven as certainly as on the Eearth he offerâ—d himself a sacrifice upon the Cross and beâ—ame a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World then doubt not but thou shall have â—ower over thy sins and be more than Conqueâ—our through him that hath loved thee I will tell thee that Lesson which I haâ— learned in the School of Christ that is to wâ—â— to be endued with Power from on high anâ— the desire of thy Soul shall be satisfied and thâ— waiting will not be in vain when thou waiâ—est upon God that waiteth to be gracious But thou further complainest I want strengtâ— where my weakness is and my weakness 〈◊〉 inward I want assistance where my enemâ— comes to assault me and that is within me Every one that belongs to Christ Jesus is 〈◊〉 some measure made sensible of sin and is waiting to be delivered from it Therefore as said Christ gave his life a Ransom for many to be testified in due time Let me be waiting for Power to become a child of God Thou hast Power thou sayest to stand and to keep thy self from falling thou hast power to keep thy self from Drunkenness anâ— Uncleanness and other gross sins but dosâ— thou wait upon the Lord for power over thy Thoughts and dost thou say as it is in the Prophet How long shall these vain Thoughts lodge within me We have a good Lesson from the Apostle in this case Ephes 6.10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might puâ— on the whole Armour of God that ye may bâ— able to stand against the wiles of the Devil foâ— we wrestle not against flesh and blood but againsâ— Principalities and Powers against the Rulers oâ— the darkness of this World against spirituaâ— Wickedness in high Places O that all the precious Truths that are delivered to you may be mixed with Faith in them that preach it and hear it Wherefore â—e unto you the whole armour of God that ye â—y be able to withstand in the evil day and â—oing done all to stand Stand therefore havâ—â—g your loins girt about with truth and havâ—â—g on the breast-plate of righteousness â—d your feet shod with the preparation 〈◊〉 the gospel of peace above all â—nâ—â—â—g the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be â—â—le to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked â—â—d take the helmet of salvation and the sword 〈◊〉 the spirit which is the word of God prayâ—â—g always with all prayer and supplication in 〈◊〉 spirit Take unto you the sword of the â—â—irit that you may put to flight the armies 〈◊〉 the aliens Those strange and troublesome â—â—ings those vain thoughts that would alieâ—ate my heart and my affections from God â—hat sort of weapons must we use Our â—eapons are not carnal but spiritual and mighty â—hrough God for the pulling down of strong â—olds of the man of sin and the bringing into â—aptivity every thought to the obedience of Christ O mind these things in good earnest and â—hey will turn to your spiritual advantage â—f it please the Holy Ghost to touch the Preachâ—r's Tongue with a coal from the Altar he may â—op a word of exhortation which will be â—â—arper than a sword and may pierce thy â—â—art Heb. 4.12 The word of God is quick â—nd powerful and sharper than any two-edged â—word piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentiâ—â— the hearts All Scripture saith the Aposâ—â—â— is given by inspiration of God and is profitâ— for doctrine for reproof for correction for â—â—struction in righteousness that the Man of 〈◊〉 may be perfect throughly furnished unto 〈◊〉 good works Some have unadvisedly said That we dâ— the divine authority of the Holy Scripturâ— which we so highly esteem and can say wâ— the Apostle We are not ashamed of the Gosâ—â—â— of Christ for it is the power of God to salâ—â—tion If any among us shall deny the Hâ— Scriptures to be of Divine Inspiration 〈◊〉 them bear the just reproach of it It is commendation given to the Church in Pâ—â—ladelphia Thou hast a little strength and hâ— kept my word and hast not denied my namâ— But now concerning the sword of the spiriâ— which is the word of God I need not sâ— much about it unto you you know the woâ—â— is nigh you in your mouth and in your Heart Many among us have known the word 〈◊〉 God powerful upon our Hearts awakeninâ— us to consider our eternal State Many yeaâ— years ago People marvelled at us saying What ails this People that they are so nice anâ— scrupulous and will not do what others do They will not be chearful and merry and gâ— to Masks and Plays they are cast down anâ— afflicted and weep and lament and moutâ— for their sin before the Lord and are greatlâ—
admire and highly esteem for their profound learning and excellent parts There are places for publick Meetings and solemn Worship and Preaching almost in every Corner of your Populous City and there stands a Pracher with the Bible in his Hand and he calls upon his Auditors to give their reverend and serious attention and harken to the Word of the Lord And the People likewise have their Books in their Hands and observe the Scriptures he Quotes and turn down a Leaf that they may find them when they come home and go away admiring the Sermon and the wisdom and learning of the Preacher and say he is an excellent Man But Alas too few do make it their work to apply the great Truths of the Gospel to their Hearts or so hear as the Prophet speaks That their Souls may live Though I have not a Book in my Hands while I am Preaching to you yet I do highly esteem and Reverence the Holy Scriptures of Truth and I do often at other times take the Bible in my Hands and seriously read it and pray to God to help me to â— right understanding of it that I may rightlâ— divide the Word of Truth and declare unto you the whole Counsel of God and open the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the great things belonging to your everlasting Peace and how Christ saves his People from their Sins from the condemning Power and the concommanding Power of them Sin shall not have Dominion over you saith the Apostle for ye are not under the law but grace Rom. 6.22 And being now made free from Sin and become Sorvants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life for the wages of Sin is Death but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We that Preach the Gospel should imitate the Apostle who used all his skill and utmost diligence by all his Preaching to bring Men to Spirituality Heavenly Mindedness and to a conformity to the Life of Christ God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things c. Who being the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power when he had by himself purged our Sins sat down on the right Hand of the Majesty on high Thus he begins his Epistle to the believing Hebrews and tells them what Christ had done for them and offers to them then he chargeth them to give the more earnest heed to the things that they have heard lest at any time they should let them slip for saith he How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation And in the close of his Epistle he tells them That they are not come to Mount Sinai that burned with fire nor unto blackness and Darkness and Tempest c. But ye are come unto Mount Sion the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an Innumerable Company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judg of all and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel It is the end and design of our Preaching the Gospel to bring Men to the saving knowledg of Christ and him Crucified and to turn them from the Power of Satan to the Power of God There is a complaint of some that are Preachers in this City and other places and I fear there is too much cause for it that they only Preach Christ within and the Light within but do not make mention of the Death and sufferings of Christ and the benefits that come to believers by his Sacrifice and satisfaction for he that knew no Sin was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him and he was wounded for our Transgressions bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Without controversy saith the Apostle great is the Mistery of godliness God was Manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory The Prophets spake of Christs coming in our nature and being manifest in Flesh in that Body prepared for him to do the will of God And Abraham the Father of the Faithful rejoyced to see his Day and was glad great things were foretold of him before his coming and great Titles given to him Isa 9.6 For unto us a Child is born and unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace In the fulness of time when he came into the World Luke 1 8. The Angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds abiding in the Field and keeping Watch over their Flock by Night and the glory of the Lord shone round abouâ— them and they were sore afraid And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring good tidings of great joy which shall be to all People for unto you is born this Day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace good will towards Men. I have many times been astonished when I have considered the wonderful Condescention of the Eternal Son of God who being in the form of God thought it not Robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross I have searched solemnly into this Mystery for my satisfaction with respect to his bodily and outward appearance and I have thought with my self God hath been pleased in his most wonderful kindness and compassion to condescend to our weakness and infirmity and help our unbelief and lest People should be ready to question Gods Veracity and not believe what is reported by the Angel concerning Christ and Salvation to be obtained by his Death and sufferings and what was foretold by the Prophets God sent his Son into the World that Men might see him Face to Face and hear him Preach to them with his own Mouth who had Grace poured into his Lips that they might be convinced and converted by his heavenly Doctrin who had the words of Eternal Life for such Majesty and Power appeared in his Preaching that many which heard him were stricken with wonder and said Never Man spake like this
vital Power and Motions in us As the Soul of Man actuates the Body to bring forth the proper Operations of the natural Life so the divine Life the Life of Christ doth actuate the Soul in all heavenly and spiritual Acts and Operations So that I am for preaching the Light within and Christ within the hope of glory but not so as to draw your Minds from Christ without from what he hath done and suffered for us on Earth and what now he is doing for us in Heaven for as he hath died for us and made his Soul an offering for Sin and satisfied divine Justice and became a Sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling Savour so he liveth for ever in Heaven to make intercession for us So I would not have your minds drawn from the Light within from Christ within by what is preached of Christ without but I would have you make a due improvement both of one and the other which cannot be â—eparated but are always united and joyned â—ogether in a Right Preaching of the Gospel I know the Doctrin of Christ crucified may be perverted and abused by some and the grace of God turned into wantonness but there is no tendency in the Doctrin of Christ without us of what he did and suffered for us there is no tendency in this Doctrin to draw the Minds of any from minding the Work of God within the Seed of God within and Christ within As this Doctrin hath no such tendency so I do appeal to God the searcher of Hearts and the righteous Judg of Heaven and Earth that I have no design nor intention to draw any Man by my Preaching Christ without from Christ within from the Light and Grace of God within us and the enjoyment of God within O! it is the breathing of my Soul to God and my Hearts desire and Prayer that every one of us may feel and enjoy by an inward experience more of the Light and Grace of God within and of Christ within then there would not be such hard thoughts and hard speeches and such rash and uncharitable judging and censuring one another The Lord grant we may learn of Christ who when he was reviled reviled not again and when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously I have answered one weighty question What it is to have Christ formed in us It is to have a measure of the Divine Nature a measure of the divine Life acting in the Souls of the Lords People Christs Life ruling in the Soul and acting in the Soul as the Soul acts in the Body The Body cannot govern it self but so long as the Soul lives and dwells in the Body and is united to the Body it carries the Body whether it will So when this precious Life of Christ liveth and acteth in the Soul the Soul is subjected to it it ruleth the whole Man it ruleth his Soul more immediately Now another girdeth us and we do not gird our selves and we witness that which our Saviour said to Peter John 21.18 Verily I say unto thee when thou wast young thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whether thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy Hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not When we are come to Christ and when once Christ is formed in us though we followed our own corrupt Wills and Inclinations before then we must be governed by Christ and act according to this noble and divine Principle and say with the Apostle I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I shall now come very briefly to answer another Question Question 2. By what means is this divine Birth this Spiritual and Divine Life of Christ produced and brought forth in us That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit There is a natural Birth that hath flesh for the Mother of it But there is a divine and supernatural Birth a being born again and born of the Spirit How is this wrought and effected Answer Partly by an outward Ministry of Gods fitting qualifying and sending yet it is far from me to affirm there is an absolute necessity to depend upon an outward Ministry There is a difference between God's ordinary way of forming Christ within us and God's extraordinary Way and Prerogative to do what he pleaseth God can work without Means as well as with Means But in Gods ordinary way he is pleased by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We Preach Christ crucified saith the Apostle unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks Foolishness but unto shem which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God The faithful Ministers of Christ they labour and they spend themselves and are spent in their carrying on the Work of the Gospel for the Salvation of the Souls of their hearers They have a holy labour and travail continually upon them they do not speak words barely from their Brains and from other Men's Lines and things made ready to their Hands but they labour Night and day that Souls may be converted and saved They are as instruments in Christ's Hand for the forming of Christ in the Souls of People the Holy Ghost is the Mother of the New Birth Pray that you may have Faith in the Man Christ Jesus and you shall abundantly partake of his Spirit John 7.37 38 In that last Day the great Day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any Man Thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive This Faith in Christ here spoken of doth respect Christ as God and Man not only as God from Eternity but as he is the Son of Man As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up It is not barely a literal traditional or Historical Faith but a Faith wrought by the mighty Power of God that we witness through the Power of the most High coming upon us and the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost As it was said to the blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord Luke 35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the highest shall over-shadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God We shall feel but in some far inferior manner the Holy Ghost to come upon us and the Power of the highest to Over-shadow us as Christ is formed in us A SERMON Preached by Thomas Budd At Grace-church-street April 11. 1694. I Am under an oppression of Spirit at this time being sensible that there are many that have left their first love and have fallen