Finisher of our Faith Some say that he is a good Man and others have said nay but he deceiveth the People This last Reproach hath been handed about or otherwise they would never have dissuaded People from coming to hear me So far it is true some do secretly wish that I was gone out of the Country yea many in this Island had rather I was gone out of the World By the way if their Spirits now are so impatient and restless that they cannot endure a single Troubler of Israel how then will they endure when their Souls fly out of their Bodies it is but a short Respite and Reprieve between if they should be with the whole Company of Prophets and Apostles who were so to their Age and Country what I am accused of now Neither they nor my self have troubled Israel but those Men only have troubled it who have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord. Some very few others in this Neighbourhood had rather perhaps that I stay longer among them for their Souls Good and Edification by their attending on my Ministry in this place But beloved of whom I hope Salvation to speak a short Word unto ye I have no greater Joy than to hear that my Children walk in Truth John 3. 4. For what is our Hope or Joy or Crown of Rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ for ye are our Glory and Joy 1 Thes 2. 19 20 This is my Hope my Comfort my Joy and my Crown that every one of you are not gainsaying and disobedient Despisers and non-hearers although far the greater Multitude of the Inhabitants of this Town and Neighbourhood are Ye might convince them in the mean while as ye will be Witness against the others at the last Day Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exbort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God even according to all the words of the Gospel without adding one Word or diminishing from it so ye would abound more and more The same Paul saith on this wise concerning another Minister of the Gospel Receive him for he also worketh the work of the Lord as I work So my dear and beloved Fellow-Christians I would have ye to know that whensoever I go from hence notwithstanding the contrary Reproaches of many People I do work the same Work of the Lord which I do here in this place Namely by the words of God's Grace and Truth which are committed to my Ministration to endeavour to convert Sinners and to make them a People prepared for the Lord. But there I do it more by writing and publishing the Copies thereof which is the more lasting and remaining Good Here it is by a living Voice and by Word of Mouth Again of this ye are not ignorant that in other Cities Towns and Villages there are the like Creatures of the same God as ye your selves are and alike Sheep of the one and everlasting Shepherd who hath us Ministers for his under-Shepherds and these Sheep are to be fed instructed and exhorted in the Words of Eternal Life So that ye may be contented and satisfied for they also are Children of the Stock of Abraham and Flesh of your Flesh and Bone of your Bone altho' one who was a Burning and Shining Light in his Generation and some of ye were willing to rejoyce in his Light for a season should be removed to another place for the much yet greater ends of the Gospel and for the yet more Universal and lasting Publishing and Propagation of the Eternal Truths of God For the Souls of such of ye as shall be saved will be saved nevertheless whither I go away or stay if ye remember and continue mindful of the things that have been spoken and particularly if ye obey and observe the very last Direction which I Intend to leave with ye As also in the latter Days when ye shall consider it more perfectly than I can now declare it unto ye then ye will glorifie God on my behalf and also be well pleased therewith and have good Will towards me in my making the better Choice as to obey the Call of God and prefer the greater things pertaining to his Kingdom before the less This common thing of good Will is a thing that the Ministers of the Gospel do very often want signified by that relative kind of Speech Glory to God on the highest on Earth Peace and good Will towards Men. But as to the Souls of them in this Town and Neighbourhood who shall perish they would still continue Despisers and Non-hearers Reproachers and Blasphemers stubborn and perverse be Blinded Rom. 11. 7. and Snared Isa 8. 14. at the Word of my Ministry and there would be a stumbling Block hindering them from coming to hear it altho' I should continue here all the remaining evil Days of my Pilgrimage which I intend not to do As Robert Bolton call'd for his six Children up when he lay upon his Death-bed and utter'd this his last Saying unto them Take heed that none of ye do meet me at the Judgment-seat of God in an un-regenerate Heart so in this my Farewel-Sermon I warn and testifie unto all the Inhabitants of this Town and Neighbourhood let those that hear carry out this Word to them that do not hear take heed that none of ye do meet me at the Judgment-Seat of God in an un-regenerate Heart nor yet in the Spirit of despisal and refusal to hear the Word of the Lord nor yet in the Spirit of Reproach Stubbornness and Perverseness nor yet in the Darkness of Ignorance which most People are now in And which shews for these are the Fruits and Effects thereof that your Hearts as yet are Un-regenerate Unsanctified and Unrenewed and your foolish Hearts are darkned Which perhaps altho' they are not in every part yet it is so in some part thereof for ye are not as yet turn'd unto the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Souls and with all your Mind without the Exception or Reserve of any Lust Humour or Will of your own And ye are not as yet given up to follow the Lamb who is the Way the Truth and the Life and consequently the Conducts and Leadings of Divine Truth whither soever it goes but such do turn unto the Lord with some of their Heart but not with their whole Heart This Word is proper and belongs unto those of the several Professions Sorts Sects and Names of Religion inhabiting among us as they are commonly called or distinguished by Church-People Presbyterians Quakers The name of it nor yet your listing your selves in either of the Parties nor yet your confining your selves only unto it will not save ye nor any of ye But it must be pure and undefiled Religion before God thro' his Gracious Acceptance thereof it must be by true Primitive and Universal Christianity the way wherein our Fathers
A SERMON Preached unto the Inhabitants of the Town of Thornbury in Glocestershire on March 20. 1697 8. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning for in thee do I trust Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee Psal clxiii 8. THE great Thought and Searching of Heart in Man the Reasonable Creature is God-ward or towards God And this again divides its self two ways that is to say whither God be angry or in favour with us and accordingly as we have a Fear Sence and Apprehension of One or the Other so we are either Troubled or else Contented We are troubled if we believe that the Invisible God over us hath Anger Wrath and Displeasure against us so on the other hand we are contented as we think that we have his Favour or Loving Kindness Although Solomon saith truly No man knoweth either love or hatred that is of God by all that is before him Yet it is an usual thing with Corrupt and Ignorant Man as he is Man a little tincture whereof even David the Servant of the Lord here had to judge of the Love or Hatred of God towards them according to the delightful or afflicting things which happen unto them in this World As sure as Scripture is true which is as certain as that the Word of God is true which again is as certain as that God himself is true This is a fallible yea it is a mistaken Rule to judge by For the Scripture saith expresly Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son which he receiveth Which same chastening for the present seemeth not joious but grievous Heb. xii 6 11. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. iii. 19. And so again it is on the other hand The men of the world have their portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure They are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance unto their Babes Psal xvii 14. Their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart could wish Psal 1xxiii 7. The Tabernacles of Robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly Job xii 7. Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things Luke xvi 25. And yet all this while it is certain that they who receive their good things in this Life the prosperous Sinners had not the true Favour of God Again it is certain that such who did fear before him although they received their evil things here and were plagued all the day and chastened every morning Psal 1xxiii 14. Yet these had the favour and loving kindness of God who whom he loves he loves with an everlasting love resting upon them all the same while though perhaps they were not sensible thereof For such a thing is possible yea it is common that as many wicked sinful People who are hardened ignorant and unbelievers and under the Displeasure yea they have the wrath of God abiding on them John iii. 36. Although in this Life-time they are not sensible of as much for they do not know and feel it So again it is on the other hand there is amongst us many a Soul that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Isa 1. 10. Although they are really and indeed beloved of God yet they have not at the same time a sence of his Love and Favour the want whereof makes them to mourn and to be in the Spirit of Heaviness But in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel the Mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets Rev. x. 7. for indeed the whole way and method of the Dispensation of his Kingdom towards us Men is all Mystery It is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given Mat. xiii 11. Amongst other things which might be named and instanced in it is one part of this Mystery That his Servants and the Righteous should receive evil things from the hands of God and yet at the very same time God hath a Love towards them And so again the Sinners and Children of Disobedience receive good things from the hands of God and yet at the very same time the Lord is displeased with them God is angry with the Wicked every day although at the same time he sendeth Rain upon the just and unjust and is kind to the unthankful and to the evil This may even now be somewhat understood in the Sanctuary and from out of the Book of the Lord by those who are spiritually wise and discerning by such who believe and know the things of God but it will yet be more clearly seen at the end of Time when the Mystery of God shall be finished But in the mean while it is usual with the mixt Multitude and Common sort of People who judge by Appearance and not Righteous Judgment to esteem such stricken smitten of God and forsaken Isa 1iii 4. as if they were forsaken and hated also by the God who made the World because the World Frowns upon them and because they are in low Estate and seem outwardly miserable therein If I say I will speak thus behold I should offend against the Generation of thy Children No such matter for as the Friendship of this World is Enmity with God so when the World is cross and athwart and at Enmity with such an one it is rather a sign that God is a Friend unto him Said Jesus Christ the first Born amongst many Brethren the Son of God himself who was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not He came unto his own and his own received him not This same Jesus Christ said unto his Disciples and Followers and Servants of all Generations and Countries If the World hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you If ye were of the World the World would love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you So that the Hatred of the World provided that we be all along followers and doers of the thing that good is is rather a sign and evidence of the Love of God towards us because herein we are more conformed and likened unto him who had this Voice from out of the Cloud Thou art my beloved Son this day have I begotten thee And yet this same Beloved Son of God for there was in him also somewhat which savours of Men to evince and demonstrate that he was really come in and made Flesh when he came to endure the Rage of the Wicked Men of World and was Crucified by them then also he betwrayed forth Human Infirmity and Weakness in taking up that saying My God
Peace when we are taught of God and chiefly we have great Peace when we obey and do according to that Teaching of his And so we hear his loving Kindness when he causes us to know the way wherein we should walk From whence observe again That when our Spirits are dissatisfied restless and troublesome it is a certain sign either of some Guilt appearing forth in them or we are not conversant about and employed in what we ought Again on the other hand as we can prove our own Work and then find rejoycing in our selves and not in another Gal. 6. 4. This is a Sign and Evidence that it is a Good and Right Work The Apostle speaks in this manner unto some to whom he writes The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing So the same God of Peace fills People with Peace in doing his Will which same Peace he denies them again as they neglect the doing of his Will I have experienced much of this last my self and by the Horrors and Accusings of mine own Conscience herein I can somewhat guess and apprehend before-hand what will be the pain of Loss at the great Day of Judgment The Sun rejoyceth as a strong Man to run a Race Psal 19. 5. So there is a Satisfaction in all the created Beings to move and act according to the Rule Law and Will of their Creator And again when they do not they are out of their Element and then there is Trouble Doubt and Disquiet As God asks the Question in reference to the false and idolatrous Worshippers among the Jews Should I receive Comfort in these Isa 57. 6. So it may be conceived and judged of before-hand as to our several Acts of Religion According as we find and receive Comfort in them so it is a foregoing Sign of God's Acceptance of them For as the Jewish Worshippers did hereby know that the Lord receiv'd a Burnt-Offering and a Meat-Offering at their Hands if the Fire did come down from Heaven and consume and Sacrifice and when he did shew us all these things Judges 13. 23. So even then it might be understood and also under the Gospel that God did Remember all our Offerings and accept our Burnt-Sacrifice and so what we did as pertaining to Religion and Worship if thereupon God did immediately give us the chief things of the lasting Mountains and the precious things of the lasting Hills Deut. 33. 15. that earnest and glimpse of future Glory I mean that Peace and Joy and Comfort in the Holy Ghost at the very same time and afterwards also wherein we were serving him This again is to be differenced from that fond Exultancy of Spirit and Complacency of Mind which the false and formal Worshipper may sometimes have in that in his own Imagination he hath done something for God and for his own Soul Like unto Micah who said Now know I that the Lord will do me Good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest Judges 17. 13. which yet was but a false Conceit of his own for as may be understood from Verse 5. he was an Idolater And let not such a one or any other false Worshipper think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord as to the future Recompence which he hath promised to such only who worship him in Spirit and in Truth But when we receive Comfort in our Holy Things and in our Religious Performances upon some true and assured Grounds out of God's Word This is an Evidence and Sign before-hand of our Salvation and that our Religion is a Religion to the saving of the Soul So again on the other Hand when we do not receive Comfort in our Religion but we perform it in a way of Drudgery and Task Here we may suspect our Course that as such People do not receive true Comfort in the Acts of their Religion so the great God unto whom it doth all relate and terminate doth not receive Comfort in them neither will they receive Benefit thereof hereafter Either such do not worship God in Spirit and in Truth or there is Sin and Iniquity in the Worshipper God heareth not Sinners If I regard Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me Or they do not turn unto him with their whole Heart It is only done out of Custom or as a Task that is set them which they do not mind after it is over Such will be of the number of those who shall say Lord Lord Mat. 7. 21. throughout their Life and yet shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Such do neither pray unto God for it neither doth God cause them to know the way wherein they should walk and so they neither hear his loving Kindness nor is any due and belonging unto them for this is the favour he beareth unto his People and is distinguished and peculiar to his Elect only There is a great Fear Jealousie and Doubt in the Heart of Man especially in those who prepare their Heart to seek know and please him whither we be in the way of God or not Besides the sure Word of Prophecy the certain Rule of Scripture if it be according to that and more especially by the Spirit which he hath given us We may very much conceive and judge thereof before-hand According to what Peace and Satisfaction of Mind we have if the other Signs here mention'd do also concur and agree then we are in God's way But if we are in Doubt Perplexity and Uncertainty of Soul then probably we are out of it Each Person knows his own Case and Condition herein better than all the Divines or Preachers of the World can instruct or put him in mind of To the Law and the Testimony and the Light that is in them and also within himself hereby he may know and assure his Heart before him viz. That he is in the way wherein he should be even the way which the Invinsible God his Creator would have him to be in and which leads up unto Heaven the Habitation of the most High Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the Place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his Voice Exod. 23. 20 21. This Angel is Conscience which also is to be ruled and guided by the written Word or that of himself which God hath implanted in Man or Woman By the Dictates and Motions whereof we may well guess whither we be in the way or not It is said The Angel before thee to keep thee in the way so Conscience is a Guide going before us and in our sight that is of the Eyes of our Vnderstanding being enlightned Which if we follow all along signified by those Words Beware of him and obey his Voice it will keep us in the way And when we are turn'd aside or out of it this will give Knowledge and Warning thereof yea and it will bring us in again if we Beware