it from heaven or from men So your knowledge is it from God or from men have you received it from your good Ministers or from your own reason or light or from the Spirit of the Father It concerns us to consider this Let the world Jeer and Scoff and cry Fancy and Whimsie and what they will There is no true knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by revelation It is that the Apostle prays for That God would give unto you the Spirit rf revelation All the learned in that only Church of the Jews were all blind and did not receive Christ Who were they that received him they were born of God If we speak of Consciences testimony let us remember that it is my conscience bearing me witness in the holyghost This is the witness of the Father in your consciences then the voice of conscience is a glorious voice This is speaking in Christ I speak the truth in Christ I lye not saith Paul my conscience bearing me witness he speak in the Father these three are one and make up one witness that is true When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me c. Look now what your faith stands in stands it in the wisedom of men or the power of God Let every one of us be looking after the power and life of the Father and of Christ that we may see the Father he that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ to Philip. Let us dwell no more in man nor upon man but let us look higher It is written all thy sons shall be taught of God You never come to peace nor rest till you come to God to the Father As the Father appears more clearly to you in Christ so you come to true peace stability and Settlement and till ye come to him ye are like children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine One Sect of men blows this way another Sect blows an other way and so we are tossed up and down till we come to know the Father by the Spirit in Christ We are weary of all Religion and settle nowhere till we come to find the rock to find God till we come to hear him speak that hath the words of eternal life that speaks power and life and not as the Scribes We never come to put off the old man till we come to hear Christ and the truth as it is in him Then we stand firm in all winds that blow and puff This is to hear the Father then we put off the old man Silly women we are weak and foolish creatures till then He that establisheth you is God when shall we cease from man There is another that bears witness of me and his witness is true And when we have his witness it will satisfie And we shall know that his witness is true but the world doth not know him This is satisfaction to Christ that he knows the Father and the Father knows him though the world doth not know him but they shall know him to their destruction and confusion when he comes forth to be revealed and to be glorified in his Saints I know his witness is true I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world Let the world say and think what they will My witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world I know my witness is true There is the rest of the Saints of God Men call you before their judgement seats and you cannot satisfie them They cannot be satisfied but your satisfaction is in God And the world cannot see God yet the Saints can pitty the world in their madness and blindness Now he comes to the testimony of Iohn Ye sent unto John and he bare witness of me but I received not testimony from man Christ humbles himself very low to plead Johns witness He alledges Johns testimony against them They did not own him but they did own John They inquired of John whether he was the Christ John told them plainly he was not the Christ but he pointed them unto Christ yet they receive not Iohns testimony and so Christ makes it a testimony against them This is all that carnal Professors get that do not love the truth by searching out the truth they meet with a testimony against themselves See how low God hath put himself into such a condition that he needeth mans witness He hath withdrawn himself and set up the world While God is in this low state the world sits in judgement and the Devil hath the power But there will be a time when God will come forth without witness And when he appears he will say Bring forth your witnesses and your strong reasons We look what witness God hath among men How few and inconsiderable were the witness that Christ had in respect of the world He sent to John a man that had nothing to commend him according to the flesh Ye have heard of old Simeon he bare witness unto Christ And of Hanna an old woman she bare witness also But look among the Priests and Elders the Scribes and Pharisees Famed Learned and godly men and how few were there among them that bare witness unto Christ How should we long that the witnesses might finish their testimony when the Lord himself will come forth that every eye may see him and all people own him Christ sent unto Iohn but received not testimony from man but these things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye might be saved Here is a people had nothing in their hearts but killing and Christ had nothing in his heart towards them but saving And upon this design did Christ travail all the while he was amongst them There was wheat among the chaff of the world and all his dealing in the world was to gather the Wheat from the chaff There is no testimony worth any thing but where God appears Christ testifies of Iohn that he was a burning and a shining light The face of God shining is day This day dawned in Iohn such witnesses we expect such a Ministry we expect in whom we may see the light and purity of God consuming sin burning up chaff The Ministry of God in John the light of God set up in Iohn was that which made him a burning and shining light Do we know such a Ministry or no It is this only that is to be desired The Ministry of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and fire This is the Ministry we should look after We have too long dwelt in men and languished in mens gifts and parts Wisdom and Elocution Let us be looking after the light and life of God after God in Christ manifested unto us and in us by the Spirit SERMON III. JOHN 5. 30. I can of my self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me TO
Holyghost hath made you Overseers Every one of that flock must judge what he hears Now there is no judging but by the Spirit Iudge ye what I say saith the Apostle God makes all his people Prophets and pours his Spirit in some degree upon them Every one that is a Christian is annointed his name Christian imports so much Do not give the name and deny the thing He hath made us Kings and Priests by his blood When Eldad and Medad did Prophesie in the Camp the Devil starts up in a good mans heart and saith My Lord Moses forbid them But what answers Moses I would to God all the Lords people were Prophets There is a further manifestation of the Spirit desired where there is any manifestation already I would they were all Prophets and that God would pour out his Spirit upon them We have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ too too much with respect of persons The power of the Lord Jesus goes forth with all his Saints the meanest of them and out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings he ordains strength Gods people are his Temple they are his house they are all living stones And it s said Gods train did fill the temple in that vision Isa 6. Gods people are his body Now as t is in the natural body there is not one member not the least in which the Soul doth not act so in this spiritual body there is not one not the meanest in which the life of the Spirit is not more or less Though there be some more Principal parts as in the natural body yet God is in all the life and power of the Lord Jesus is in all They live because he lives And therefore the Apostle in Church meetings 1 Cor. 14. would have them speak one by one and in the Jews Synagogue the custome was to give liberty if any had a word of Exhortation to speak Acts 13. But now there is limiting and quenching the Spirit by many They cry loe here and loe there here are Ancient men learned men wise men the major part of the company here are the Elders But let 's hear the Spirit let 's hear the Lord What saith the Lord the power of the Lord Jesus is in the meanest of Saints The world doth not know the Spirit and since the Spirit hath drawn in from open appearance are there not Christians that do not know whether there be a Holy Ghost or no In this time of the withdrawing of the Spirit the manner hath been to set up such and such men and upon these to fix the Spirit to set up gifts parts to set up men so trained up so taught at the feet of Gamaliel as the Scribes and Pharisees they challenged the truth that they had it and none else When God annoints Jeremie sends him to preach among the People what say the Priests there Come let 's devise devices against Ieremie the Law shall not perish from the Priests and words from the wise So we heap up teachers to our selves so qualified so garbed and here we fix the Spirit Here are the lips that must preserve knowledge here we must seek the Law So when Christ came the Pharisees they opposed him and said of his Disciples This people that know not the Law are accursed We have even forgot the teaching of the Spirit which is the only gift and we know nothing but mans teaching For a little while there was the Spirits appearance after Christs ascention and when he began to withdraw then the world set up a Pope and this Pope forsooth hath the Spirit and is infallible and he is the visible Judge his determinations they must stand After the world was weary of this Idol and saw what a thing a Pope was then one sets up one thing another sets up another When Moses is gone into the mount they must make some Calfe or other to worship One sets up this Minister another sets up that Minister another sets up an Assembly of Ministers and that which most men look at for guidance and direction in matter of Conscience is such men such a line such a succession of men in Orders train'd up at the Vniversity not looking after the power of the Lord Jesus Where is there a spirit that joyns with mean and simple people that know the Lord Jesus and that look for him Most Professors they fetch their Religion from the Minister that they affect O he is a godly man Thus did Professors among the Jews they stuck to the Priests to the Pharisees and Scribes and stumbled at Christ So 't is now the world they fetch their Religion from the State what the State establishes that they bow down to that is the way with the generality of people and hath been for this long while we set up Masters and Teachers and this is nothing else but setting up Antichrist Hath not this been the main business of Ministers generally to draw Disciples after them to bring people into their form into their cut and garb O but where where is the Spirit The world doth not know the Spirit Christ the Carpenter and Amos the gatherer of wild Siccamores and the Apostles fishermen that came forth in the power of the Lord Jesus were not owned in their time no more are those owned in whom God comes forth now But Christ rejoyces in spirit that those things are hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to babes Churches and Congregations they are Lorded over by their Ministers and how few Ministers be there that are examples to the flock but set themselves as Lords over Gods heritage And that which we would have however we deny it in the principle yet we contend for in the practise is that our voice and judgement should be the Key that should open and shut that should determine and resolve the demonstration of the spirit who looks after that The devil he changes forms continually and therefore can deceive men let them take what form they please let them have a Pope or a Minister or an Assembly of Ministers what they will if they do not like one Pope let them take another this is nothing but setting up Antichrist that man of sin in the Temple of God in our hearts and Consciences that man of sin that is to be destroyed whom the Lord shall consume with the brightness of his coming He that defiles the Temple of God him shall God destroy 2 Cor 3. where the Apostle is speaking of their admiring of men One saith I am of Paul another saith I am of Apollo a third saith I am of Cephas Who is Paul saith he and who is Apollo Are ye not the Temple of God and he that defiles the Temple of God him shall God destroy He that sets up any man any parts any gifts in the place of God this is to defile the Temple of God This is the second point There is a third Thirdly When ye are gathered together and
praise here is thanksgiving indeed praise indeed which is that that is held forth in Psal 116. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I le walk before the Lord in the land of the living Here is the sacrifice of praise I le walk before the Lord I le walk in the Spirit and no more in the flesh In the 12 Verse it follows What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Here is the sacrifice of praise here is dying dying to the world dying to the flesh Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints O Lord truly I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving What shall I render unto God T is said of Hezekiah that he rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefits he received from him This is that God enables his people to do to render to him according to what they have received God enables his people even to recompence him to requite him Do you thus requite the Lord The Lord enables his people to requite him and to requite him fully for as he is our fulness so we are his fulness as he gives himself to us so he enables us to give our selves to him and so we return himself unto himself Of thy own we have given thee Thus only a Saint can praise that hath the Spirit that hath received God for nothing is acceptable to God but himself Nothing comes to God but what comes from God There is no sacrifice indeed but Jesus Christ By him let us offer up the sacrifice of praise unto God The people of God do make a Covenant with God by sacrifice Psal 50. There is a sacrifice of praise praise is a sacrifice and a sacrifice of our selves t is Christ that is the sacrifice and t is by Christ that we become a sacrifice acceptable a sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God For I do not live saith the Apostle but Christ lives in me And as by him we are a sacrifice so by him we are Priests a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God as t is in 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is the fire of this sacrifice the Eternal Spirit Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot and that that is our praise is the meat and drink upon this Altar the refreshing and the wine In keeping of them of thy Commandments saith David there is great reward There is somewhat to be carried forth in this sacrifice and that is iniquity and sin that cleaves unto our holy things Praise and thanksgiving is the sum of the Worship of God and Jesus Christ and this praise and thanksgiving is a sacrifice and such a sacrifice as you have heard Vse This may make a discovery unto us that praise and thanksgiving is little known among us we are very little acquainted with it we have heard of the name but know not the thing The common praise and thanksgiving stands in some expression of words sometimes there is a day set apart sometimes good words spoken of God at such a time there are some Ceremonies used and it may be a great deal of sacrifice done to the flesh there is a seeming offering somewhat to God but none of the best And cursed is the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offers to God a corrupt thing The true praising and acceptable thanksgiving is offering up of our selves our selves sanctified that the offering up of the Gentiles might be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and our selves a living sacrifice There is no man can glorifie God but he that is glorified of God according to that prayer of Christ in Joh. 17. Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee If this that hath been said in this point cause us to look into our hearts and consider what we have done and how we have been in this service of praise it is that I intended in it When we shall look into the nature of Praise and Thanksgiving and shall look with a right eye we shall see that there hath been nothing or little else besides the name of Praise amongst us it hath been but a form of Godliness having in it scarce any thing of the power By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually By him let us do it That is the next thing to be considered here That by Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ in the power in the light in the love in the spirit of Jesus Christ must our praise go up to God and all that is acceptable doth go up so By him let us offer c. All that comes to God that is acceptable sacrifice it comes by him it comes in his name it goes up in his grace it goes up in his love in his light in his power this is by Jesus Christ There is no Sacrifice acceptable but that which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost as in Rom. 15. 16. That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable to God sanctified by the Holy-Ghost There is nothing that comes acceptable unto God that God owns that he receives or where he smells a savour of rest but that which comes up in the spirit of Christ by Christ by him in his name There is nothing holy but what is by the holy-Holy-Ghost It is he that sanctifies the people by his blood as it is said here before Let us go forth to him and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise He is the Mediator between God and man he is our peace our wisdom our righteousness our sanctification If he be our sanctification God will own us there is nothing that God can own but what comes by him We are all an unclean thing there is nothing comes from us but pollution but onely as we come forth by Christ and in Christ Else all our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are nothing but a form a shew of holiness It is a fair shew toward God but tends only to the flesh and to the world Our minde and Conscience is defiled till it be taken into the Holy-Ghost till Christ be brought forth in us In Christ we come forth a new creation All this same old creation is lost and fallen into Satan in the new Creation Satan hath nothing to do the prince of this world comes and hath nothing in me By him All acceptable service goes to God by Christ In him are all the promises yea and Amen The promises saith the Apostle they are to the seed he doth not say to Seeds as to many but as to one and that is Christ Gal. 3. 12. Coming and not coming by Christ we have no promise of acceptance Christ is the heir of all God
sacrifice wherein is somewhat killed somewhat burnt and consumed and that is the world and lust and somewhat which is offered up to God that lives in God that lives in the fire and that is the spiritual part Christ in us It is a sacrifice and it is offered up by the fire of the Spirit sanctified by the Holy Ghost The world doth not know praise yea there may be many true Saints that yet do not know that which is their life for this same life of the Divine Nature doth not presently discover it self We grow up in this spiritual life by degrees as we do in the natural life T is impossible to offer this sacrifice but in the Spirit but by Jesus Christ By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually There is no man can praise God but by Jesus Christ To offer by Jesus Christ is to offer in the Spirit of Jesus Christ in the power of Jesus Christ in the life of Jesus Christ in the light of Jesus Christ and when we shall see and understand what it is to praise that t is an offering up of our selves unto God a freewil offering then we shall easily grant that this cannot be but by Iesus Christ There is nothing in us but enmitie unto God we have no sacrifice but for the Devil and for hell T is by Jesus Christ that we offer unto God let us look whether our praise and thanksgiving do come by Iesus Christ or no if we cannot see Iesus Christ with us and his Spirit leading us let us be sensible of it and abhor our selves in all we do and let us wait when he will come forth and lead us into the presence of God when his power shall be manifested in us when we shall see and know that we walk in the light as God is in the light T is time to be looking after power and life we have been long in a languishing Religion the workings of the heart the prayers the sighs and groans of the Saints after Jesus Christ tell us he is at the door T is time we should be weary of a profession and of a Religion which we cannot make forth to the world and sometimes cannot make forth to our selves Shall we not wait for the time when we may make it out that we are of God and walk with God by shewing forth the light of God the life of God the power of God the praises of God and the wonders of God surely we are called to shew forth his praises Now is Christ buried in us he is covered in us he walks in our rags and dirt and filthy garments how should we wait till that voyce comes forth Take away his filthy garments from him By him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually And that is the next thing we are to take notice of Continually God will bring his sanctified ones by Jesus Christ into a continual thanksgiving and praise to his name There is a continual offering up of the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto God by real Saints by true born Christians It is a continual work though they are not always sensible of it the new man is always in it he is of God and he is only for God Every true Saint shall do it manifestly shall do it sensibly Continual praise and thanksgiving unto God this is that that we are sanctified unto by Jesus Christ he hath made us Kings and Priests unto God Priests to offer up spiritual sacrifice The sacrifices and offerings in the Temple were continual the Priests did stand and watch by night in the house of the Lord you that by night stand in the house of the Lord. By him let us offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually There is nothing is called for in the new Testament but it is done all his Commandments are Promises It is the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus this is the new Testament The higher and greater the commands are the better it is for it tells us what God hath done for us and what he will bring forth in us There is that in us in a seed which he is calling up T is a pitiful thing for a spiritual man to complain of the height and weight of any Commandment for God enjoyns us nothing but what he will bring us up to for he shall work all our works in us and so ordain peace for us All the Commandments and Exhortations of the Gospel are the Saints glory for God will bring us up to every one of them By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Flesh and Blood will say a heavy task a hard saying the Spiritual man he saith Let us go up at once God will do it as Caleb saith Thou hast the words of eternal life saith Peter whither shall we go Thou wilt bring forth all in us Let us offer up the sacrifice of praise continually A Saints work is continual offering up himself to God It is the work of the new man of the spiritual man Behold I am thy servant it is the work of Christ in us the breathing of his soul to God It is written in the volumn of the book Lo I come to do thy will Sanctification by Jesus Christ is that we should be holy and alway the Lords This is the sacrifice of praise continual self-denial continual dependance upon God continual readiness to suffer and do his will continual acknowledgement of his love continual setting forth his praise and glory continual holding forth his vertues and his praises A true Saint a true born Christian is a house of prayer You also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God c. 1 Pet. 2. Now some weak Christians that do not know their own estate that do not know that seed that is in them will be making objections against this How can this be as Nicodemus said when Christ told him of a mans being born again So in like manner when they are called upon to be in continual thanksgiving and praise as here it s said By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually How can this be saith a worldly man how can this be saith a weak Christian who is in great part worldly and carnal What continual praising and what in all estates in all conditions and what shall I never pray must I always praise when shall I pray Why he that bids thee praise continually bids thee also pray continually The Apostle decides this Controversie in the fourth of the Philippians Let your requests be made known unto God with thanksgiving pray continually and praise continually What shall we never read shall we never hear shall we never work sleep eat drink yes but all with thanksgiving Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God If you know
Refreshing Drops AND SCORCHING VIALS SEVERALLY Distributed to their proper Subjects according to the Wisdom given that precious servant of the Lord Mr. CHRISTOPHER GOAD Sometimes Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge and Batchelor in Divinity as men speak But before his Translation Become a Disciple and Learner again sitting at the feet of Christ and his Spirit where he took a higher degree and now sits with Christ in Heaven Eccl. 12. 11. The Words of the wise are as Goads and as Nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd London Printed by R. W. for Giles Calvert at the sign of the Black-spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1653. TO THE READER Friend HE that ministred these ensuing Discourses to us did withall sow his life and in testimony thereof when he had finished this Ministration took his leave of us calling upon thee and me to follow him And if his life spring up in us it will carry us whither he was continually making Even without the Camp It was not the least of his services to dye for the flock which he did daily therein following the great shepherd Now a Box of precious Oyntment is broken Oh that the whole house of God on earth may be filled with the savor of it He was wont to say of every thing he said or did how good righteous and excellent soever and refreshing to others This is but a vail upon the Lord God considered and answered him in the desire of his heart and hath rent the vail for him A witness is gone but his Testimony remains and shall remain while the Sun and Moon endure If these Records should be destroyed yet the truth therein shall be preserved in the living Records of the breasts of faithful men and shall there grow up and be purified until the Lord come and bring this Author and all his Saints with him Zach. 14. 5. Even so make haste and come Lord Jesus And now let not any man think these Sermons were preached or are now published to enrich the world with notions They are to make us poor in spirit to slay ye to undo ye he that loves his life let him not come here They are to pull down the flesh and abase the glory of man but to lift up the Lord If he be your life here you may hear of him There is in the world a great deal of light and knowledge falsly so called Men are very rich in their several Administrations hence that unbrotherly walking one towards another and yet they talk of peace and accommodation but it is but talk Ye will never meet with an expedient for either until ye dye Come and in the grave of Christ let us reason together and be one There is no parling with men till the Cool of the day till the Sun of their imaginary glory be declining It is this grave makes all even there rich and poor master and servant lie down together and are at rest There the brother of low degree is exalted and the rich is made low They are enemies to peace that are enemies to the Cross of Christ Whosoever sets up any excellency besides Christ himself sets up an Occasion of strife and enmity a partition-wall The Cross of Christ took away that distance between the Jews and the Gentiles and t is the preaching of the Cross and the knowing of Christ crucified experimentally takes it away through all ages And it is in vain to send Embassies of peace to men while their strength is firm in them Why then are ye offended at Preachers of the Cross But be it known to ye ye that live and will not dye ye are dead while ye live To be carnally minded is death or which is worse your life is a continual torment to you And be it known to you there is strength in the grave The weakness of God is stronger then Men if ye will build for continuance ye must resolve to lay your foundation in confusion He layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters That building that shall stand for ever must rise up wholly purely out of God himself and his Spirit But to you that are dead with Christ and whose life is buried under the foundations of this world and its fleshly frames Behold I bring you glad tidings all things are dissolving the heavens are passing away with a great noise as it is said they should the elements are melting with the fervent heat of the Day of the Spirit and the earth with all the works of men are burning up by the same fire Lift up your heads your Redemption draws nigh Friends I have not of a long time had any power to go forth in this kinde I mean to open any thing Therefore accept the willingness of my minde to have done some thing by way of Preface and do ye make the supply by being the Epistle of Christ whereby ye shall shew the best respect to the labour and travel of him that is gone And let all expressions that are here left dark and homely through my deficiency to whom chiefly the inspection of the Copies was committed be corrected in the pure springings up of the living Truth in your hearts Yours in the Lord JOSH. SPRIGG A Preface to the Reader IT is time for us to be looking out of this world which grows old and is ready to vanish away God is by the brightness of his own discoveries burning up the works thereof and stablishing that new heavens new earth where righteousness dwells the creation hath sent up strong groans and hath long lien under bondage the redemption thereof now draws nigh We are the children of the last times and upon us are the ends of the world come Prophesies and Promises which have been bid from ages and generations are now enriching us by their revealing and fulfilling in us Arise and shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee It shall come to pass in the last days the Mountain of the Lords house shal be set up above the Mountains exalted above the hills Now begins to be brought to pass the saying that is written Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shal be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21. 3. The Church hath long lien among the pots God is giving her the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers of yellow gold she hath been conformed to Christ in his death and hath lain with him in the grave she that hath thus descended must also ascend she that hath suffered must reign since the mystery of iniquity began first to work it hath wrought most effectually and prevailed men and their traditions have been the unquestioned authority the light and teaching of the spirit in the Scriptures hath been forgotten and stood like a Sparrow upon the house
there 's light Quickning Comforting Directing and there 's Majesty and Glory and all the burning of the Lord comes forth at last in shining and Glory There is no shining without burning The day of the Lord burns like an Oven And he shall sit as a Refiner of Silver The tryal of your faith is much more precious then Gold The manifestation of God the Ministry of the Spirit is full of variety of operation Killing Saving Tormenting Refreshing We are the savour of death unto death to some and the savour of life unto life to others We should look what acquaintance we have with such a Ministry with burning and shining light Whether we have dealt with fire with burning and whether through that we have come to know what belongs to shining There is the Divine nature to be brought forth bright and shining The worlds part is to be burnt and dazled the Christians part is to have flesh consumed and the Divine nature to come forth in glory If any be in the fire let them hope to shine Have ye that in you that will endure the fire When I am tried I shall come forth like gold 'T is the righteousness of God only not of man that will endure this tryal 'T is the Divine nature only that can stand before devouring fire and everlasting burnings When this day breaks forth all the righteous Pharises and Formalists will be found to be the sinners in Sion that are affraid This manifestation of God is terrible to the world It is a marvelous light He hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light It is not the light of this world It is another Spirit then that of this world The world marvails at it and despises it because it is death and destruction to them For a while they Master it but at last it prevails against them and they see there is no standing before it In Low manfestations of God the people of God appear as Incendiaries and are so indeed This old world is to be purified by fire as the other was by water How was Herod scorcht and dazled with this fire The world prevails against it for a while and beats it down and then it riseth higher and higher till it prevail over the world Christ appeared in fleshly eyes there and riseth again in Spirit and after a long apostacy is rising again the second time If we be of God and have the Divine nature in us we shall rejoyce not onely in the light but in the fire They shall glorifie God in the fire Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Let us a little consider of these words Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light the light did in part please you there is some compliance and closing of carnal hearts and worshipers with the spiritual Ministry and true appearance of God The world strikes in for some time into the way of Christ and the appearance of God Herod heard John gladly and reformed many things he liked the light well but he could not endure the fire there is that which is held forth in the spirit that pleaseth the natural man salvation and glory and eternal joy but when they hear of going into the fire and what they must part withal then with the young man they go away sorrowful The stony ground sets forth a sort of people that hear the word with joy but because they have not much root they are scorcht and burnt up by the Sun of persecution and wither away many take up the profession of Christ and when they hear of salvation and glory its good news to them but when they hear what it will cost them that all must come through sufferings and offering all to death that they may receive all again by a Resurrection this they like not and so fall away for a little while they can bear God company but so soon as they see the cross in the way they turn aside There are some lusts and corruptions that some men are not enclined to while the fire of God comes forth against these in others they are well enough while God comes forth against some sort of men they can bear well enough while John came forth against the Sadduces and Pharisees Herod liked it well but when the fire of God breaks forth against their own lusts as against Herod It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife they can bear no longer And there are lusts that fight one against another for there is enmity in Hell when the fire comes forth and fights against a lust in another we like it well but when it strikes at our own lusts we cannot bear it And sometimes we fall out with the world and are tyred in the greatness of our way and then we can entertain something of Christ and of truth Worldly men can go along with Christ for worldly designs but if their design be spoyled no longer walking with Christ It concerns every one of us that have taken up a profession that are complying with such a Ministry as we look upon to be a Ministry of the spirit to look inward and to consider whether we have the love of the truth in our hearts whether we are able to bear the charge to the journeys end and to hold out in all weathers There are many builders that lay a foundation but they are not able to go through with the charge of finishing These are foolish builders that expose themselves to laughter and scorn Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light in the manifestation of God through John but it was onely for a season here was not the love of the truth here was not the divine nature here was not that which will abide therefore it was rejoycing in the light onely for a season how doth it concern us to look whether we have the love of the truth in us whether we have the testimony of the Father that we love the truth There is a Jew that is one inwardly and there is a Jew in the spirit there was a Jew that was one outwardly in the flesh that which is for a season onely is because it wanteth root there is a Christian indeed and a Christian onely in appearance and shew what a goodly shew doth the Corn on the stony ground make but when the burning comes it withers away when the Sun of persecution ariseth such shall be discovered how hard it is to know a Christian indeed until the fire comes until the salt comes Every man shall be salted with fire and every work shall be tryed by the fire How doth it concern us to see that we have our foundation in God that we may be able to stand in that day We may be great and glorious in mans eye and yet in the day of the Lord prove no better then chaffe or stubble that the fire takes hold on and consumes what discoveries have we daily
while it enters into his and so when thou shalt in the Spirit of God go forth to recover him and shalt be successfull thou hast gained thy brother and hast taken off the offense from thy self This same offence by anothers sin this same sense of anothers wounding himself and hurting himself is that the Law of love calls for We are all one body all the Saints live one life and so while one is wounded all are wounded if life be not buried in us If we do live indeed we shall find our life hurt in anothers hurting himself It is the life of God that is in the Saints and when one suffers all suffer There is a partnership in others sins by not taking notice of them by a senselessness You are puft up saith the Apostle and have not rather mourned And this is that that concerns us to mind We are for the most part narrowing sin making it as strait and as little as we can to reach as little way as may be this is a way flesh hath to wash it self to clear it self instead of fetching the blood of Christ to destroy it But here we see our own sin may lie upon us and another mans sin also We may partake of sin while that a brother sins and we are senseless while we are puft up and do not mourn while we are senseless of a sin committed by a brother it is a sin upon us You see then whas it is to have our hearts lifted up in pride and insulting when we see a brother sin There is many a ones Religion is nothing else but insulting upon others faults God I thank thee I am not like other men nor as this Publican Many a man is a brave man when he sees another man base and vile We should carry our selves in the flesh as one with all flesh We should carry our selves in the Spirit as one in the Spirit with all the Saints Who is weak saith the Apostle and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not Look upon Jesus Christ let him be our pattern He bare our infirmities and took our sickness Therefore look if you can find Jesus Christ in you that compassionate high priest that will not go by the wounded traveller as that Priest did in the story of the Gospel Look for Christ in you Know ye not that Christ is in you Prove your selves whether ye be in the Faith Look for this love and this compassion Look for the sufferings of Christ to be made up in you We must lay down our lives also for the brethren as John hath it All this I do for the Elects sake saith the Apostle Here is Christ in the Apostle I fill up the sufferings of Christ saith he to the Collossians wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer Wherefore I endure all things for the Elects sake Be not partakers of other mens sins There are many ways and this is one while we see sin break forth in our brethren and do not take notice of it are not affected with it do not mourn and so we neglect to gain our brother But there is a third thing that I would commend unto you at this time and that is That godly sorrow and humiliation for sin is that by which spiritual persons waiting upon God do receive power from God to discharge their own hearts and their Congregations ftom sin and Sathan You are puft up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be cast out from among you 'T is mourning that doth it It is not stoutness or resolution any thing of man that doth it But it is the power of God which comes into humble souls Godly mourning and humiliation is that that doth bring forth power to reform our own hearts and our congregations The proof of this was abundantly seen among the Corinthians as you shall see in the 2. and 7. chap. of the second Epistle where we shall read of the Apostles mourning upon this occasion how by him and his Ministry of the Spirit all the whole Church was brought into mourning and how by this their mournning the Spirit of God came forth in them in power and light and so they did rid themselves of this evil that was among them This incestuous person was delivered unto Sathan and there he left the flesh behind him he left sin behind him He left the Devil with the Devil He was delivered unto Sathan and so Sathan was destroyed in him Sathan was sent to Sathan the Devil was sent to Hell and the Spirit came forth and the Saint was saved in the day of the Lord Jesus The light and power of God was among them and came up among them which enabled them to renounce themselves their own strength whereby to deliver themselves from that evil And so God he owned them And the Apostle writes to them in the second chap. of the second Epistle that they would comfort that person they had delivered unto Sathan You ought now to comfort him you ought to restore him For by this spiritual humiliation and mourning they had power from God both to deliver up the sinner and restore the Saint You ought to comfort him least he be swallowed up of to much sorrow This same godly sorrow is the travail-sorrow Christ speaks of Ioh. 16. 20. You shall have sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into joy A woman when her hour comes is in sorrow but then she forgets all because a man child is born Thus the man child is born the Spirit comes forth and Christ comes forth in us by Godly sorrow by humiliation in the Spirit We see the proof of this here And this same sorrow this spiritual humiliation is nothing else but the reviving of the holy seed in a Saint 'T is nothing else but the new mans quickning nothing else but Christ quickning in us who being quickned and seeing himself to be cloathed and compassed with such filth he cannot bear it he cannot endure it He mournes he cries under it he will never be at rest or quiet untill he be delivered and God is at hand to deliver him and to rescue him This same Godly mourning it is upon the quickning of the new man in us of the Spirit in us which will not suffer nor indure iniquity it lusts against the flesh the Spirit lusts against the flesh Quest You read of the Prodigal how it is said he came to himself What was that he came to himself Answ This new man this Divine nature this holy seed that was carried away in flesh in sin where 't was dead as it were now is quickned he comes to himself he cannot endure to be in this state any longer he falls into a deep mourning a deep sense how sad his condition is that here he should serve swine serve lusts that he should be so far from God He remembreth he hath a Father considers that he hath bread enough at home
do in a Saint What doth hell in a Church Deliver him to Satan let Satan go to destruction it is his place it is his portion Thus spiritual mourning or the spirits mourning is that which brings forth the spirits power and this sets the soul free and sets a Church free Now we should look what we can finde of this mourning this mourning for sin this mourning after the Lord. This is not in flesh and blood to do All the mourning of flesh and blood is that sin may be supplyed All the prayers of a natural man are that his lusts may be furnished all his mourning and complaint is when sin suffers when godliness plays upon sin then he cries then he mourns The spiritual man mourns after the Lord as 't is said of the children of Israel they mourned after the Lord. The natural man mourns for Corn and Wine and Oyl The Lord speaks in the Prophesie of Hosea of the howling of the people Did you cry to me when you howled for Corn and Wine and Oyle But that which is the main thing to be observed here is that no power or wisdom of man or any company of men any Church any Rulers any Elders can set a heart free from sin or can cleer their Congregations from sin 't is God that must do it and therefore the Apostle saith Ye have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you When that evil is seen in your hearts and in your Churches what are you to do know that you cannot deliver your selves you are to mourn until it be done for you you are to lament after the Lord. O that the Lord would come that power would come that he that is great stronger then the strong man that he would come We are to wait for the assistance of Jesus Christ Here the Apostle speaks of mourning You have not mourned as you should do you should mourn after the Lord that he would quit you of this sin that he would rescue you in the fourth verse it is plainly set forth In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ It is not your power it is not mans power that shall rid you of the wicked one among you in your hearts or in your Congregations but 't is the Lord that must do it and therefore you must mourn after the Lord. If you be of God you will mourn after him and you will never be quiet until his power do come down to rescue you and deliver you This mourning that you may be eased of the wicked one shews that it is not in your power In the ninth of Mark Christ went up into a mountain where he was transfigured he took up one or two of his Disciples with him and the rest he left below vers 14. these Disciples left below were set upon by the Pharisees and that Sect to tempt them and to try them that if it might be they might have a victory over them a day of them now their master was away They bring to them a Father with his child that was possessed with an evil spirit that used him and handled him piteously that threw him sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water but the Disciples were not able to cast him out here was great joy and rejoycing among the Pharisees the Pharisees thought they had had the day As they were exulting and baffling the Disciples Christ he comes down from the Mountain when he comes down he is told what the business is vers 17. O faithless generation saith Christ how low shall I be with you bring him to me and he cast him out In this story we may see how ridiculous we shall make ourselves when we offer to set upon Satan or deal with sin when we have not the Lord Jesus with us we make but sport for the Devil and sport for the world There is no going forth but in the power of Christ Dost thou see sin Canst thou go forth in the power of Christ against it If thou canst not sit down and mourn till that spirit come till that power come Sin and Satan are too strong for man and if we deal with them without God we do nothing but endeavour by sin to cast out sin and by Satan to cast out Satan To undertake any thing against sin and have not the Lord with us is altogether in vain therefore Moses saith Vnless thou go forth with us do not carry us out hence To go forth in mans power in the power of a letter of the Scripture only it is not safe God will not be offended with us if we will not go forth without full assurance of his presence with us If he give us some assurance we should desire to have better assurance It is the power of God in which we must go out against sin successfully We shall never have rest from sin and Satan till we cease from our own works There is no going forth against sin but in the power of Christ You ought rather to have mourned that he which hath done this deed might be taken away from among you Look upon hearts look upon Churches they are both the Temple of God the House of God let God rule in his own house he hath the power there The Reformation of our own hearts and of Churches it is by the power of the spirit of God It is not in man to direct his ways Man is weak he is corrupt man and Satan in this respect are one Now the question will be If there be no going forth against sin but in the power of the spirit where is this power that reforms Congregations where is this Ministery of the Spirit where are these spiritual weapons mighty through God to cast down high thoughts and strong imaginations The Answer is It is confessed that the power of the spirit of God hath been and is yet very little abroad and therefore we see men go forth against sin and Satan and effect nothing they make nothing but sport There is little savour of life or savour of death to be seen in the Ministery of men little binding or loosing little opening heaven or shutting heaven very little forgiving sins or retaining sins in mens Consciences we know very little but a noise and a form in these things Most men that take upon them to do this they are put to it because of the weakness of their Ministery whatever brags they make to go to the civil Magistrate to back them This same power of the Lord Jesus whereby sin and Satan are thrown out of mens hearts is now but in a very low manifestation and very rarely appears But what is to be done then Not that that is usually done we must not go out as vaunting that we have that which we have not as pretending the spirit and the power of Christ with us
my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Wheresoever the power of the Lord Jesus goes let it be with babes and sucklings there shall the Apostles Spirit go let their appearance be what it will in the world And the power of our Lord Jesus The power of the Lord Jesus it is or it shall be manifested among his people in their communion and in their gatherings together The power of the Lord Jesus it is but O how dark is it yet It shall be gloriously manifested in the Assemblies of his Saints in their gatherings together When ye are gathered together The people shall say Come let 's go up to the house of the Lord for the Law shall go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2. 3. What is Zion and Jerusalem but the Assemblies of the Saints And upon all the Assemblies of Mount Zion there shall be a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoak Isa 7. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them What to do but to binde and loose to open and shut and gather my people together When the spirit came down upon the Disciples after Christs Ascension it was in their convening when they were assembled together for Christ charged them there to wait and they should receive power When they are together they are a body of living stones built up an holy Temple they are members apart altogether the body and the fulness of Christ and all the Saints have one life and one soul every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working of the measure of every part as the Apostle hath it Eph. 4. 16. Q. And what is this gathering together where the power of the Lord Jesus comes forth A. The main is in the spirit with my spirit saith the Apostle in the name of the Lord Jesus when ye are gathered together and my spirit The gathering together of spirits I do not say without bodies but this is the main the spirit is that which is born of God that which God acts whom I serve in my spirit 't is the new man flesh the devil acts and corrupt principles the devil acts there are gatherings together in that there are gatherings together where the power of Satan is it is a pittiful thing to get into a Church gathering and there sit down now I may be at rest and ease but this is a gathering in spirit in the unity of the spirit This is a gathering in him and to him and in this gathering a waiting for him no man shall be heard no man shall be Lord there is but one Master one Lord one King one guide and here we are together waiting what he will say it is no matter what this man says or that man saith Doth Christ speak in him We look for the demonstration of the spirit 't is no matter what this man saith or the other man saith We wait for power and evidence for God to go before us in a pillar of smoak and in a pillar of fire 'T is a spirit-gathering where the power of the Lord Jesus is There is a flesh-gathering a formal-gathering which is nothing but a cover of Satan a cover of the devil When ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus a gathering together in the unity of the spirit and this unity of the spirit doth not regard form it joyns with all Saints whatsoever in spirit under what form soever and this is a particular Assembly in reference to the General Assembly God is their Judge it is a gathering together of those that have made a Covenant by sacrifice as it is in Psa 50. They have given up themselves to the Lord they will be only guided by him They know what man is here goeth the power of the Lord Jesus with such gatherings O that we could finde such and see such we should soon see the power of the Lord Iesus If we have fellowship one with another the blood of Christ cleanses us It is this fellowship that hath power in it cleansing in it such gatherings as are in the power of God and such gatherings as wait for the power of God such gatherings where man lays himself down we wait what the Lord will say we will not stir without the spirit It is not a letter shall guide us nor a man shall guide us but the Lord. SERMON IV. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. V 5. TO deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus It is the Apostles direction unto a gathered Church how to quit themselves of one that had done a foul fact of the evil one among them to deliver themselves from that evil and to save the person In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one c. 1. 'T is onely in the power of the Lord Jesus that any Churches or Consciences are delivered from guilt it is not in the power and wisdom of man 2. And this power Christ will manifest in all believers in all his people in all his Saints he comes with all his Saints as well as Ministers The Apostles spirit joyns with them and my spirit saith he in the power of the Lord Jesus 3. And the power of the Lord Jesus whenever it shall be manifested will be especially made out in the gatherings of Saints when they are gathered in spirit A flesh-gathering is when we have the power of the devil with us But to these words in ver 5. To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh To destroy the evil principle and to save the person here 's a way which the world doth not know when the world sees sin it thinks of the destroying the person therefore it goes forth in the evil principle against the person Here 's a way now to destroy the evil and save the person the spirit of God onely can teach us this t is the power of the Lord Jesus Here is the means that is to be used delivering unto Satan and the end of that means that the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit saved And here is that that doth destroy flesh and save the spirit and that is the day of the Lord Jesus The manifestation of the Lord Jesus in the day of his power by the power of the Lord Jesus deliver such a one to Satan Satan is the enemy of God he dwells in wrath he dwells in fire Deliver him unto him Into that wrath and into that fire cast him into those flames there let him fry Where Satan is destroying there let Satan be destroyed that is in him and let the Saint come forth Deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the
flesh Here is a piece of Discipline that is the priviledge of a Saint it looks terribly but it is for salvation that the spirit may be saved Here is destruction in it but destruction is for salvation There are that are Satans let them be delivered to him there they abide they return no more there is that that returns again that the spirit may be saved The devil takes his own meddles with nothing else the flesh destroyed the spirit saved Deliver him to Satan how is that that is let him see that he is in Satans hands that he is drudging in his work that he is a vassal of his in this incest that he hath committed let him see this Qu. Why but he was in Satans hands under Satans power in the commission of this evil what then is this Delivering to Satan Answ Let him see it and let him feel it let him feel hell and feel wrath let him finde the flames about him And so I look upon that Scripture in Joh. 16. 8. to be the interpretation of this Scripture The Spirit shall convince of sin and of righteousness and of judgement Here is the power of the Lord Jesus the spirit of the Lord Jesus v. 4. by this there is a Delivery unto Satan a conviction of sin that the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit may be saved that righteousness and judgement may come forth This is convincing of sin of righteousness and of judgement Deliver him to Satan tie him fast by a spirit of bondage fill his soul with fear and trembling Deliver him for the destruction of the flesh The destruction of the flesh that 's the destruction of Satan Satans kingdom is in the flesh Gods rule is in the spirit deliver him to Satan that Satan may be destroyed Let him see that he is in the hands of Satan that the Spirit may make out of his hands the flesh is nothing but enmity to God The devil is the enemy of God so is flesh and if enemy be too little 't is said to be enmity Rom. 8. 7. the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God The wisdom of the flesh the most glorious piece of flesh is enmity to God the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh deliver him to Satan that Satan may be destroyed they that are in the flesh cannot please God That the spirit may be saved There is in a Saint two natures flesh and spirit the law of the members and the law of the minde there is I and sin I and Christ as the Apostle expresses it There is flesh in which Satan rules and acts there is spirit that is the Divine nature that Saints do partake of and this same divine seed lieth buried in flesh in weakness in darkness under a law of sin and death till it be quickned and when quickned it stands up for its liberty and after quickned it may fall into a swound and be as it were dead again as this Corinthian Obs That the Spirit may be saved The destruction of flesh is the saving of Spirit and 't is the day of the Lord that saves the spirit and burns up flesh The Lords appearance is like fire that goes through the Bryars and Thorns and burns them together the manifestation of the Lord against whatsoever is against him consumes it destroys it If any will set the bryars and thorns against me in battail I will go through them and burn them together The day of flesh is night and darkness unto the spirit to that that is born of God The day of the Lord is the night of the flesh and the night of Satan 't is darkness and not light and here the spirit comes forth that that is of God comes forth and the flesh is destroyed Thus you have a short view of the meaning of the words and do you judge what I say That which is to be observed here may be branched out into divers particulars 1. First this That there is mercy kindness pity life salvation conveyed unto Saints by such ways and means where there is nothing visible but evil and death hell and destruction Deliver him to Satan c. send him to hell that he may be delivered from hell by terrible things dost thou answer us O God of our salvation 2. Another thing to be observed here is this That Satan and hell and death in all the powers thereof is under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Saints When ye are gathered together with the power of the Lord Jesus deliver such a one unto Satan Deliver him for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved Satan is under the power of the Lord Jesus in his Saints in his people and he is disposed by them to take such a one to destroy his own power in him and to send him forth pure to send back that that is of God Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved The power of the Lord Jesus shall be manifested in the Saints to command and dispose of Satan and the power of hell This incestuous person was delivered unto Satan for what end That Satan should destroy himself in him now by the spirit of the Lord Jesus in the Church he is restored and received again In the second Epistle the second Chapter Now saith he ye ought to comfort him ye ought to relieve him sufficient to such a man is that punishment take heed he be not swallowed up of too much sorrow let him not lie too long in hell for we are not ignorant of Satans devices So he is put into Satans hands and taken out by the power of the Lord Jesus in his people This is that power that Paul did act in when he speaks of some that he had delivered unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. Whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme Strange that Satan should teach men not to blaspheme this is the power of the Lord Jesus in the Saints We know little of it or scarce any thing at all in this time of the Apostasie and of revealing of the man of sin but we look for the coming forth of this power in a more glorious manner then ever it was abroad yet when shall that be when by the brightness of his coming he shall consume that man of sin The power of the Lord Jesus in his people doth command devils and hell Do you not know saith the Apostle that the Saints shall judge the world Do you not know that we shall judge Angels So it follows in the next chapter to the Text 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Whose is the power of judgeing the world and Angels is it not the Sons That which is the Sons is the Saints â—he same glory thou hast given me I have given them All power saith
end of flesh And it must needs be this and nothing else because every Saint while he lives in the flesh is bewitched 'T is the Scriprure expression O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you It is a being born again you cannot see the kingdom of God except you be born again I conclude with this See how it concerns us to wait for the Ministery of the spirit and that is it we should look for in all these meetings and Assemblies Look to meet with the power of the Lord Iesus Satan would deceive us by the knowledge of the letter of the creature we may have a great deal of knowledge and be puffed up with pride and be delivered up to Satan when we have done We should admit of that distinction Letter and Spirit Man and God not that we divide between these but in Man and in Letter look for the Spirit and God The life was manifested we saw it our eyes looked upon it and our hands handled it The discovery of Hell is the destruction of Death and Hell by the power of the Lord Iesus deliver such a one to Satan c. A PARAPHRASE upon the seventeenth of the ACTS ACTS 17. ver 1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iews HEre is the entertainment that the Apostles being Messengers and Ministers of the Spirit had in the world They came to Thessalonica they had passed thorow some places without making any proffer of the Grace of God at Thessalonica there they tarry There was a Synagogue of the Iews The Jews were now scattered from their own place and instead of a Temple and other Ordinances they were content with a Synagogue It was very much like our state now under Antichrist in the rime of the Apostacy There was a Synagogue of the Jews Pauls heart exceedingly went out towards his brethren after the flesh if he might save some of them and yet wheresoever he offered himself to them in that way they were seeking his life and his blood but still he found a number that were of the Election of Grace who did receive Grace though the rest were blinded Verse 2. And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures These Jews had Learning and Knowledge in the Scriptures meerly to oppose the truth the power and the life of the Scriptures Here they hold Paul play in reasoning and disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures the Jews they dispute against Christ by the Scriptures and this is that that all the learning of man doth all his knowledge in the Scriptures doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater knowledge in the Scriptures and the more learning if it be only of man the greater opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit Verse 3. Opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Iesus whom I preach unto you is Christ It is not enough to know that there is a Jesus that hath suffered and is risen but we must come to this Iesus we must know him particularly this is he he in whom dwells the fulness of God he that is the manifestation of God the going forth of God the power and the wisdom of God have you met with him have you seen him-dying and found him rising in you Jesus Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God it is him we preach This is the Jesus whom I preach unto you saith Paul we must not only content our selves with generals and stories but we must come to particulars This is he here he is Till we finde him in our hearts we can finde nothing of his salvation nor of his life Verse 4. And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and of the chief women not a few Some of them believed Paul had a gleaning among his Countrey-men Those that were ordained to eternal life Hath God cast off his people saith he God forbid And consorted with Paul and Silas This is that the Ministry of the Spirit doth it is a Fan that severs it takes out the corn from the chaff that is the work of the Ministry to gather the Saints together to call up that holy seed that lieth in flesh and to make them one with another And of the devout Greeks a great multitude Some of the Jews but of the devout Greeks a great multitude more of the Gentiles then of the Jews And of the chief women not a few Here are Gentiles and women the Jews stand out except a little sprinkling of them but here are Heathens the Gentiles and women the weaker sort in these God appears It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth Here the Jew the Professor that is born after the flesh the carnal Professor he stands out and this we shall see in our days Many come from the east and from the west but these Children of the Kingdom these that are only in an outward profession they shall be cast out the Gentiles come in and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob the wise of the world shall be laid by silly and weak women shall be instructed babes and sucklings shall be fiill'd with strength and the mysteries of the Kingdom shall be hidden from the wise It follows Verse 5. But the Iews which believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the City on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people The Iews were such as owned themselves the people of God they carry the Scriptures they dispute out of the Scriptures and reason with Paul There is a form of godliness but the Devil is in it they are moved with envy that is the Devil Here is a pretence of zeal but envy lieth at the bottom this is that that is the Professors sin There is Gentile and Heathen sin that lieth in open prophaneness in drunkenness in filthiness and uncleanness in theft and murther and the like but here is the Professors sin that lieth in spiritual wickedness as envy malice hatred wrath evil surmisings and the like Many a man blesses himself in this I am not thus and thus no drunkard no adulterer no murtherer but look what thou art in thy heart is envy there then there is murther Every one that Professes God let him search his heart let him not Pharisaically boast he is not as this Publican They took unto them certain lewd fellows c. This is the way of men when reason and light are too hard for them then they make an uproar a clamor they will carry it with a noise and this is a judgement of God upon carnal Professors God leads them forth with evil doers in just judgement
not how this can be the Spirit teaches those that are born of him how it can and may be They that are born of him if they do not understand they shall understand God will reveal the same to them When God is all in all to us and we see God in all his love in all his power in all then we shall praise him in all we shall give thanks in all we shall do all we do to the Lord we shall dye to the Lord and live to the Lord Whether we live or dye we are the Lords we shall work to the Lord we shall sleep to the Lord we shall awake to the Lord Holiness will be written upon the bells of the horses upon all our imployments all will be a sacrifice of praise in all we shall give up our selves to the Lord. This is that the Apostle saith elsewhere 1 Thess 5. Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing in all things give thanks In all things what in affliction in troubles in sufferings in reproaches why what saith the Text Let us go forth to him without the gate bearing his reproach and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Count it all joy saith James when you fall into divers temptations but what will you make of us you will say should we be stocks and stones would not you have us sensible of afflictions and temptations of burthens and reproaches that lie upon us see what the Apostle saith to this As sorrowful yet always rejoycing The spiritual man hath a sense of afflictions and reproaches and a deep sense too he sees all that is in the cup but he sees through it he sees joy surpassing all sorrow Christ he saw through the cup he saw the shame and was sensible of it but there was joy that was set before him there was that that swallowed up all that that lifted him up above all there was a cup of wine that made him forget his sorrow Give wine to him that is sad in heart When our hearts are full of sorrow God comes in with a cup of wine God sheds abroad his love in our hearts and we joy in tribulation as saith the Apostle so here is the sacrifice of praise in affliction in trouble in necessity in reproaches being persecuted we suffer patiently being defamed we bless and a spirit of glory rests upon us We see God in all we see a good hand in all God will do me good for his cursing saith David The flesh cannot praise at all no not in all peace in all abundance all its sacrifice is to its own net but the Spirit praises in the midst of tribulation Paul and Silas sing in the Prison the Apostle commends to the Collosâ—ians long-suffering with joyfulness and he tells the Corinthians that as afflictions do abound for Christ so consolations do abound through Christ God comes in to his people in the saddest afflictions and tells them these are yours all is yours things present and things to come life is yours death is yours afflictions are yours they are all your servants he shews us that we are Lords and Masters and Conquerors he sets us above these Christ triumphed in the Cross as the Apostle saith and here is the triumph of a Christian over necessities afflictions reproaches yea over death it self not to be delivered from death but to be set above death to be conquerours of death We are more then Conquerors through him that loved us T is a poor expectation from Christ to expect by Christ to be delivered and defended from reproach from afflictions from necessities from sufferings Christ came to call us into these to set us above these and make us more then Conquerors over these He that will be my disciple saith he let him take up his cross and follow me Let us go forth to him without the gate and by him let us offer c. T is a strange thing this to praise in afflictions to be in continual praise but this is by him When we know the fellowship of his sufferings the vertue and power of his Resurrection this will be no strange thing to us and then we shall go forth willingly without the gate we shall go to his reproach chearfully Let us by him c. There is that in every Saint that seed of God that that is born of God that same holy one that is in continual praises The noise of flesh oftentimes and for a long time drowns this voyce but it shall be heard when flesh shall be put to silence When the Lord arises into his holy habitation you that see him sometimes and feel him sometimes shall see and feel him always and you shall say with the Apostle the life was manifest we have seen it we have handled it and our eyes have looked upon it You that say you live because he lives must needs see you live for ever for he never dies and you shall never dye you have a life that shall never be taken away I am the Resurrection and the life and he that believes in me shall never dye and this life is nothing but praise nothing but thanksgiving he is all in all doth all in us and for us works all our works and so far forth as we see him doing all as we shall see him perfectly when we walk in the light as he is in the light then we shall praise him in all t is his faith his sap his vertue his life his power to him be glory when he acts us and leads us by his Spirit whither can we go from him we must needs go to him we must go to praise we must go to glory he destroys the works of the Devil in us he destroys all that goes forth to the world to the creature at last he will destroy all there shall be no going forth but to him nothing but praise t is he that delivers us from other Lords Other Lords have had rule over us c. we have been praising the creature our own wisdom our own righteousness we have been offering up to our lusts Other Lords have had dominion over us now by thee only we will make mention of thy name you that mention the Lord keep not silence God doth bring and will manifestly bring all his true born people his own begotten children in Jesus Christ I say he will bring them into continual praise Some of these it may be do not know yet what it means the world shall never know it It may be yet we know no other praise but an expression of words we shall know that praise is giving up our selves to God We do not know that we pray but only when we set our selves apart and make this Preface Come let us pray perhaps twice or thrice a day c. T is far from me to condemn any one that is in the use of these hours and forms let them be in God in the Spirit and he will be with them but
of men Rom. 1. 17. The wrath of God is as it were in its place now kept up The wrath of God is nothing else but the manifestation of God God manifested to them that walk contrary to him his manifestation is wrath God manifested to Bryars and Thorns set in battle against him is consuming fire Now this wrath of God seems to be shut up in a secret place it shall be revealed from heaven it shall come forth out of its place All the glory rejoycing and prosperity of earthly men Earthly minded men in the creature you have your life in the earth your joy in the creature and your rest here you have this only while God is in his place while he is withdrawn but when he comes forth indignation comes upon you wrath comes upon you like Sorrow upon a woman in travail and you shall not escape Now you slight God care not for him say he sees you not say in you heart there is no God he will be upon you on a sudden and when he doth appear every knee shall bow to him and his enemies shall be found lyars And God doth appear purposely that it might appear what man is if the Majesty of God did appear no man would blaspheme him no man would slight him but now he is in a kind of absence and withdrawment he is in his place Now the world appears in riot and the evill servant drinks with the drunkard and beats his fellow-servants and saith My master will not yet come When he comes forth who shall stand before him Who shall stand before devouring fire Who shall stand before everlasting burnings All earthly-minded people they will vanish away they will come to nothing Even as darkness stands by the absence of light and when light comes it is destroyed so the darkness of this world and the joy of the wicked it hath its place while God is withdrawn when he appears and is manifested when he takes off his Vail that is upon him they consume out of their dwelling Let God arise and his enemies shall be scattered Set the Bryars and Thorns against me saith God who will do it I will burn them together I will go through them and burn them and it is but going through them and they are burnt There is everlasting destruction from his presence Darkness wickedness sin cannot stand but in Gods withdrawing and this is the reason of sin and hels rage God is gone into his place when he comes forth again these are like dust before him There are that have their time only in Gods absence and who are these They that live upon the world they that are satisfying their lusts they that have nothing but that which is seen that put their trust in it have all their life in the creature these have all their joy here in Gods absence and are just like the wild beasts as we have a description of them in the Psalms Man goes forth unto his labour till the evening and the evening comes and the beasts go abroad after their prey And this is the time of mens satisfying their lusts while God is in his place while God is not manifested My master defers his coming saith the evil servant And here is the reason of the dreadfulness of the mention of the day of Judgement unto an earthly heart a carnal heart O how terrible is it The thought of Doomesday the Judgement day the Throne set the Books opened The reason why this is so dreadfull is because that then all their sport is at an end all their joy is done they had it in the flesh but there shall no flesh glory in his presence All the glory that is in flesh shall dis-appear when the glory of God appears The day of the Lord is darkness and not light unto all that live in the world This is mans day Mans day which is Gods night and Gods day is the worlds night If you have your life in the earth when God comes forth there is an end of your life The Saints are dead till the Lord comes forth this is the reason why they wait for this day O that the Lord would come They love his appearance they long for his appearance they wait for his Kingdom Thus the Spirit of God in Scripture doth decipher out Saints and Disciples unto us They waited for the Kingdom of God They love and long for his appearance As he appears down goes sin his appearance sets a flame unto sin even the sin and lust that is in us and when that is burnt up there is nothing but glory nothing but glory that remains He is come out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth that is those that have their life and rest in the earth They have this life and rest and joy only while God doth not appear when he appears and comes forth nothing but blackness and darkness nothing but destruction from his presence as it is in 2 Thes 1. Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe Now he is dishonoured and reproached then he shall be glorified The Lord is come out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain When the Lord is discovered when he discovers himself there is a discovery of every thing there shall be no longer hiding The earth is disclosed God is light and there is an end of darkness when light comes forth The earth shall disclose her blood and shall no longer hide her slain What is this blood and this slain which the earth hides and covers for the time and which it shall disclose It is the Lords blood Do we not read in Scripture of the Lords blood Acts 20. The Church he hath redeemed by his own blood The blood of the Lamb the Lamb slain There are two things to be observed here First this That the Lord of life lyeth slain and buried in the earth and this is his place spoken of before When he comes out of his place the earth discloses her blood and discovers her slain The Lord lyeth slain and buried in the earth Another thing is That the Lord by his own power will rise up and discover and manifest himself and say I am he that was dead but am alive and I live for evermore and I have the keys of hell and death The Lord lyeth slain and buried in the earth the earth is the grave of the Lord this Creation is the Lords Sepulchre it is the Lords Monument and it hath this inscription written upon it Behold the place where the Lord lies the Lord lyeth slain in the earth and this is his place where he is hidden he is every-where but he is as