the evil of their ways that so he may bring forth holiness and righteousness and redeem a people from under the Bondage of Sin and fit them for the Kingdom of his Father and to use the Apostles words present them before the Throne of God without spot and blameless he will purifie them and sprinkle them from an evil Conscience their bodies being washed with pure Water he will sanctifie the Creature his Word is nigh them and in their Hearts he begins a good Work in many and will carry it on in one and in another Here lies the chief Work it is the good hand of God must work all our works in us and for us according to the good pleasure of his will work in you a willingness to bear the Cross of Christ and to deny your selves he will operate for you for this purpose therefore you must commit your selves to him It is not our Preaching which will Convert Men to God but it is the word of God that is pure which Converts the Soul to God and that cleanseth and fits and prepares it for the Kingdom of Heaven Psalm 19.7 We must come to the word of God that will convince us reprove us strengthen encourage illuminate us and do in us and for us all that we stand in need of to him be all the praise that worketh all in you and prepares you to be a Peculiar People to himself To the word of his Grace I commit you all take heed of doing any thing contrary to it if you do that which would be your Comfort will be your Condemnation His Prayer after Sermon BLessed God and Father of Life thou art Glorious in Holiness Infinite in Power the Eternal God thy Dominion is an everlasting Dominion thy Kingdom is without end O Lord we bless and praise thy Glorious Name that thou hast made known thy self among the Sons and Daughters of Men thou bast revealed to us in thy word the manner of the coming of thy Kingdom among us in setting up Righteousness and Truth and throwing down iniquity Powerful God of Life subject the Minds and Hearts of all thy People to thy Divine power and pleasure and let the dread of thy self rest upon our Spirits that every one of us may fear to Sin against thee and to do despite to thy Spirit the Spirit of thy Grace that we may every one of us turn from our iniquities the evil of our hearts and ways that we may praise thee in the Land of of the Living and may become faithful witnesses of that Salvation which thou hast wrought for us and for all them that believe Powerful God of Life the Souls of thy People which thou hast gathered out of the World do praise and magnifie thy Name for what they have seen and for what thou hast wrought thou hast wonderfully appeared in thy love and brought Salvation near and gathered many into it it is become a Wall and a Bulwark to them that they are defended from the Evil One and from the evils of the world O dearest God of Life raise up poor and needy Souls out of the dust that they may serve thee and obey thee and do thy will and shew forth thy power and strength in their weakness and infirmity that they may trust in thee and rely upon thee in the time of their distress Blessed Father of life and power give grace to the humble and meek and teach them in thy way We have had experience O Lord of thy fulfilling thy promises thou art still fulfilling of them to all that truly wait upon thee thou hast begun a good work wilt thou carry it on to the praise and exaltation of thy great name Blessed Father reveal thy Power more and more in the Nations round about that they that long after the life of the living God may come and find thee and behold thy Divine appearance through the Son of thy Love in their own Spirits that so they may receive thy word and thy word may quicken them to stand up from the dead and live for it is the living the living O Lord that praise thee that honour thy Name that offer praise and glorifie thee O Blessed Father of Life carry on thy great work with power throughout all the Earth gather a remnant of thy seed that are scattered and bring them home into the Kingdom of thy dear Son that we may praise thee together and rejoyce in thy Name Dear Father thou hast saved this Nation the Land of our Nativity to this day by a wonderful power by thy powerful arm our Souls are deeply sensible of the stretching forth of thy Almighty hand in our preservation at this day so living Father if it be thy heavenly pleasure lengthen forth our Tranquility and the enjoyment of thy mercy and goodness to the Inhabitants thereof that they may learn to fear thee and turn to thee with their whole hearts and break off by true Repentance from all those sins that grieve thy Holy spirit that so living Father of life they may come to walk in Love and in Vnion with the heavenly Power and have Concord one with another and shew forth the Power of thy Grace manifested to them and magnifie thy love and power and give thee honour and renown for that great salvation that thou hast wrought for them that so thy great name may be exalted and thy will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven that the Souls of thy People may be refreshed with thy love and the joys of thy presence and the revelation of thy Heavenly power for this Living Praises and Christian Thanksgivings we offer up to thee in and through the Lord Jesus Christ for thou art worthy of all Praise and Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for Nath-Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside History 1. ENglands Monarchs Or A Compendious Relation of the most remarkable Transactions from Julius Caesar to this present adorned with Poems and the Picture of every Monarch from K. Will. the Conqueror to K. Will. and Q. M. With a List of the Nobility and the number of the Lords and Commons in both Houses of Parliament Pr. one shilling 2. THE History of the House of Orange Or a Brief Relation of the Glorious Atchievements of his Majesties Renowned Predecessors and likewise of His own Heroick Actions till the late wonderful Revolution Together with the History of K. W. and Q. M. Being an impartial Account of the most Remarkable Passages from Their Majesties Happy Accession to the Throne to this time By R. B. Pr. 1 s. 3. THE History of the two late Kings Charles the II. and James the II. being an Impartial Account of the most remarkable Transactions and observable passages during their Reigns and the secret French and Popish Intrigues and Designs managed in those times Pr. one shilling 4. THE History of Oliver Cromwel being an Impartial Account of all
didst to thy People of old O Living God of Life thou hast ordained a remnant to give up themselves to be led by it thou regardest them and art with them and they enjoy from time to time thy Holy Presence which makes glad their Souls and they have Fellowship and Communion with thee and thy Son through thy Spirit by which they are quickned to offer up pure and living Praises upon thine Altar O living God of love and life thou hast shed abroad thy love upon their hearts by which they are enabled to pray for their Enemies that they may come to enjoy Salvation and the pleasures which are at thy right hand which are infinitely better than all the Pleasures of this vain World Holy and powerful Father have respect to all our Souls and touch all our Hearts with a sense of thy Divine Love that we may feel the Cords of thy Love drawing our Souls nearer to thy self and assuring us that thou hast a gracious purpose to save us O Powerful God of Life shew forth thy Power that our Hearts may be touched and quickned thereby to come to fear thee and reverence thy Name and be acquainted with thy Operation in their own Hearts that they may be humbled and broken before thee and bow down and Worship in the sincerity and uprightness of their Hearts so Holy God of Life if it be thy pleasure none may depart out of this Assembly without some sense of thy Love and feeling of the Powerful Drawings of thy Grace and without being raised up to purity of Heart and convinced of the evil of every thing that is contrary to thee and serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness and pursue it with all their Hearts and Minds and Soul and Strength that thou mayst have mercy on them and pardon their Iniquity and love them freely for so thou hast ordained in thy Son Jesus Christ that we may receive Remission of Sins through the Belief of thy Everlasting Truth and Holy Powerful God of Life that all thy People may partake of Holiness and Sobriety to the praise of thy Name and that they may all come to obtain a Victory over all those Spiritual Enemies that War against their Souls that thy Holy Work of Redemption and Regeneration may be carried on to the praise of thy Grace and the exaltation of thy Holy Name to whom Praise belongs Honour belongs and Wisdom belongs and pure and humble Thanksgivings and unto thee the Living God of Life we desire to offer our Praises and Adorations for thou alone art Worthy who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen Sermon II. Bearing the Cross of Christ the true mark of a Christian Preached at Devonshire-House Octob. 12. 1690. HE that knoweth 〈…〉 the Lord and the stretching forth of his Arm is quickned to feel the Power that is in Christ Jesus the Head of the Church that so he may be enabled through his Power to bring forth Fruit unto God The Eye of the Lord is upon you all and he expects at the hand of every one that they bring forth Fruit unto God that according to the aboundings of his Mercy towards you and of his patience and long suffering concerning you there might at last be an answer in the Soul of every one unto the mercy and goodness of God they that do not know and experience this that the long suffering and patience of God leadeth unto Repentance they know no part of Christianity let them make their profession never so high and proclaim their notions never so loud they that know not the Work of Repentance wrought in their hearts as yet need to Learn the first Principles of the Christian Religion You know it hath been the Custom of People to learn their Children Principles and they that have learned their Principles they go for Christians whether they repent or no though they go on in Sin and Iniquity all their days yet they go under the Reputation of Christians and it is high time to examine and find out if you can a reason for this that a Man should be accounted a Christian upon any other terms now in this age than the Lord Christ did Preach and Publish in the days of his flesh for he did absolutely deny that any Man could be his Disciple without taking up a daily Cross and without self-denial Now how should a Man at this day be a Christian or a Disciple of Christ without taking up a daily Cross and without self-denial It may be some will tell me that they are Baptized into the Christian Faith and have been taught and have made a profession of Christian Principles and associated themselves among those that make a profession of Christ but here is not a word of a daily Cross in all this nor of self-denial so that they would have you to understand in this that the terms of Christianity are changed and that Men may be Christians without the terms of Christ or at least reputed so And this hath been occasioned by the great Apostacy that hath been brought into the Church by a long night of darkness and by the revealing of Antichrist Antichrist hath been discovered and revealed and hath set up in despight of Christianity a false Christianity and there came in the terms of a Mans being accepted and reputed a Christian upon Antichrists terms and if you will conform to do thus and say so you shall be admitted into the Christian Society now all these terms of Antichrist have been such things as an unregenerate Man could conform to and comply with And the opening of this door hath let into the Church abundance of Hypocrites and Evil doers because they were able in their unregenerate state to conform to those things that were required for in the publick Society of Christians it was not said you must be regenerate and take up a daily Cross and deny your selves and walk as becometh Saints and so behave your selves that God may be glorified and the profession of Christianity honoured by you these were the terms of old but there are other terms of a later date of being Christians Now seeing this Apostacy hath prevailed and spread over whole Nations and Countries not a few so that whole Kingdoms have become Christians upon these later terms and God is greatly dishonoured among us and Christ the Holy one most horribly prophaned among us It is not so common among Heathens and Infidels to find People wronging and deceiving one another and killing and destroying one another and yet it is the practice of many that are called Christians these are the fruits and effects of those later times of Christianity Now seeing it is thus which no mortal man can deny I have this Question to ask and I desire that you would seriously weigh it in your Hearts and Souls both while you are together and when you are separate one from another whether it is not high time for all of us to return again to
be followers of Christ and not separate from Sinners Christ was so He went one way and Sinners went another they followed their Sins and Lusts but he followed the Work his Heavenly Father sent him about If thou art a follower of Christ thou art worthy of the Name of a Christian Do Drunkards and Swearers follow Christ Do the Wanton and Proud follow him Do the Unclean and Hypocrites follow Christ You know they do not why do you call them Christians This is a reproach and shame to the Holy Name of Jesus and to true Christianity that any of these Folks should be called Christians but such as are followers of Christ who are Holy Harmless and Undefiled and Separate from Sinners This is such a strange kind of Doctrine yet if it had been Preached in the Primitive Times there was People that would have received it as Apostolical Doctrine that a man should Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts For saith the Apostle Mortifie your Members which are on Earth If you through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall Live but if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall die And to be Carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace This was sound Doctrine then Now come and tell a man he shall certainly Perish and come to Damnation for all his Profession if he doth not mortifie the deeds of the Flesh If he lives in Sin and dies in it he is like to perish How many have been haled to Gaols and Dungeons only for Preaching this Doctrine and when we were first sent to Preach we durst not do otherwise And God did not send us to Preach till he had washed us and sanctified us and fitted us for the work of the Ministry Now when we saw in the Holy Scriptures that God did work upon others by his Spirit before he sent them to Preach the Gospel was not here sufficient Authority given to Preach the downfal of Sin and destruction of it One would think that such a one thus called and sent of God had as good Authority to Preach the Everlasting Gospel as the Laws enacted by all the Princes of the World could give him a man sure that had such Authority for Preaching the Gospel would not need to wait for Orders and Approbation he would not stay for an Induction The Apostle Paul took it for a Commission that was creditable when he tells you of his mission It was not by Man but by the will of God that he was called to Preach the Gospel If we should say we were made Preachers if you ask by whom never a man in the World can tell you but we were made Preachers many years ago Not by Man or by the Authority of Man but by the will of God What was your Commission to turn men from darkness that darkness we had formerly lived in To turn them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God The Apostle sums up his Commission in a few words the Lord told me I must turn men from darkness to light This is our Commission that we have received from God in this Age to turn men from darkness But some will say that we have not Humane Learning Qualifications for the work of the Ministry To this I answer If I heard a man Swear or tell a Lie I could tell him that this was not of God I had Learning enough to know and tell men and say that Whoring Drunkenness and Swearing and Lying were works of the Flesh and fruits of the Devils Power I would have you turn from these works to the Power of God What is that Power of God I will tell you it is a manifestation of Grace in your Hearts that will draw you away from the Love of all these things the Grace of God iâ— the Power of God to Salvation to them that believe To as many as received Christ to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to such as believe in his Name Such Christians will shew forth the Power and Life of Religion in their Conversations So that her is a sufficient Authority no want of Authority I have been sometime examined by what Authority do you Preach By the highest Authority in Heaven and Earth by the Authority of God that came by Christ the Redeemer What do you Preach Truth in the inward parts Grace and Truth and against all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit As long as Antichrist hath a Rule you must not Preach down Sin without Authority you must have power you must be Ordained and have an Induction before you undertake to preach the Gospel and preach down Sin and Wickedness the Devil hath got such Power and Rule that some tell us that no Man can live without Sin if it please God here and there to raise a Man and bring him to a Holy and Righteous Life this Man wants a Patent a Commission an Induction an Ordination to Preach and Cry down Sin in other Folks what Commission had the Psalmist when he said Come all ye that fear the Lord and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul Is it not high time for People that have Evidences of the Love of God shed abroad upon their hearts by the Holy Ghost to bear their Testimony against sin and wickedness Is it not high time for every bodies mouth to be opened that God hath been pleased to open to testifie against such a horrible mist of darkness that is come over Men to testifie against Hypocrisie Uncleanness and Unrighteousness It was the great design of the Primitive Preachers of the Gospel to cry down that which some Ministers cry up so that Christianity is not like what it was for then they told them that there was no Happiness but by breaking off from Sin by Repentance No possibility of Salvation without confessing and forsaking Sin and trusting in the Mercy of God through Christ for the Pardon of it Tell them of the mercy of God and the blood of Christ they will tell you that they cannot be cleansed from all Sin they cannot live without Sin How comes it to pass that there are Ministers that Preach an impossibility of Living without Sin when we are assured in the Holy Scriptures that without holiness no man shall ever see the Lord and that there shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lie Rev. 21.27 How comes this that Ministers preach an impossibility of living without Sin Will any of you saith he be so presumptuous as to say a man may live without sin I will prove it from good Authority both from Scripture and Fathers that no Man in the World can do it If any set themselves to it in their own strength the Devil will make a fool of them some indeed have gone about it in their own Power and Will and have Cloystered
do those things that are good and profitable and to avoid those things that are reproveable If thou wouldest hearken to the Spirit that is the Reprover that convinceth of Sin thou must turn away thy mind from that which will lead into those things that are reproveable otherwise thou wilt be under Condemnation in thine own bosome When the Spirit of God illuminates Men to see Sin the evil of Sin he will give them power against it but when they come to receive power against it â—nd stedfastness in the ways of God what will be the effect of that If I become Righteous and live a Holy Life and my Companions be wicked they will mock me and reproach me what profit and benefit shall I have by being Righteous I see evidently I shall lose many advantages which I might otherwise reap and reach with mine own hand I must forsake my Profits and Pleasures and all the Delights of this World The Disciples said to Christ we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have People before they would forsake all would see some thing they must have in the room of it Christ tells them that he that hath forsaken all Father and Mother Brothers and Sisters and House and Land for his Names sake shall have in this Life an hundred fold and in the World to come Eternal Life what is the meaning of that They shall have in this Life 100 fold Christ that is Truth it self that cannot Lie hath promised that they that forsake all shall receive an hundred fold now people are ready to grasp at it they think it must be something that will answer the loss of that they part withall that thou receivest in this promise must not be of the same sort and kind with those things â—hou didst part withall but when thou hast parted with all for Christs sake and the Gospel thou shalt receive that which thou shalt acknowledge is an hundred fold better and will make thee an hundred fold richer and happier and that it will give thee more an hundred fold than all that thou parted with could give thee If we part with Sin we part with that which brings bondage and fear of Death having parted with that when thy fear and bondage is gone and thou livest then the rest of thy Life time at liberty but this is not all thou livest in the enjoyment of the favour of God thou shalt have the sense of his Love and the Comforts of the Holy Spirit and you shall live in Peace and Righteousness and treasure up to your selves Glory Honour Immortality and Eternal Life whereas before you did treasure up only wrath against the day of wrath and the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God thou shalt receive an hundred fold that which is an hundred fold better Those that part with the things that are reproveable and do what Christ in his day performed the good and acceptable will of God the Enjoyments that he hath in Christ and the Comfort Peace and Tranquility he enjoys is an hundred fold better and more delightful than all the pleasures of Sin and the pleasures and delights of Shows and Sights and Plays and Comedies which vain Men entertain themselves with in their Carnal State A Carnal Man cannot understand and discern the things of God and the pleasures that are to be had in his holy ways he only looks at the things that are seen which are Temporal and not at the things which are not seen which are Eternal But my Friends those things which are unseen are not so unseen but that when a man hath an eye opened within him of the same Nature with those things he can see them blessed be God that we have an eye opened to see Spiritual things to see the Heavenly Treasure and enjoy it in these Earthen Vessels For all that have an ear to hear it would be a profitable change to part with all that is evil in the sight of God and put themselves under the Yoak of Christ and receive a Principle of Grace which he will Communicate to them that they may do the good and acceptable will of God and so may enjoy an hundred fold and have comfort peace and joy before they go hence and are no more seen You to whom God hath so graciously and mercifully appeared that have an understanding and a tast and feeling of those things which are Divine and Spiritual and which pertain to Life and Godliness Of all the People in the World you are an engaged People to serve the Lord great obligations lie upon you that you should abide and continue in that which God hath revealed and discovered to you I mean Grace for you will never grow till you be under the Government of the Grace of God that Grace that appeared to you before you came to the Knowledge of God and his ways that hath been with you in your travel from Death to Life and from Darkness to Light Prize it as a Heavenly Jewel as that which contains in it all those things that your Souls stand in need of If you have any strength to resist Temptation it is from the Grace of God that you receive Power to withstand Temptations if you have any living openings in your hearts it comes to you from that Grace that is in Christ When this and that and the other Prophecy of the Prophets of old is opened to you Prophecying and Foretelling that State and Condition which you are travelling towards how the Lord will subdue your Enemies under you you are encouraged hereby to go on cheerfully in your way to that Rest which you are travelling to There are many of those that believe the Truth who are not come to Establishment and they will find the Reason and Cause in themselves Do but ask and enquire how it comes to pass that such and such are established and not so subject to fear and horrour and perplexity as I am a little thing will turn me over and shake and unsettle my mind this hath been the cause want of keeping close to the grace of God in your Conversâ—tion in the World when you and your Children and Servants are governed by the grace of God in all you undertake then the Devil will endeavour to bring you into darkness and bring discomposure upon your Spirits for the purpose of Christ Jesus our Saviour is to settle you and the purpose of the Destroyer is to discompose and unsettle you and to marry you to this and the other changing thing if he can fix your hearts upon this and that Object then there is instability upon the Soul take away that thing and it brings disturbance upon you Hast thou any Objâ—ct that thy mind is set upon Thou wilt be much disturb'd at thy parting with it but whose fault is that The truth manifested to thee from the beginning of thy Conversion did engage thee to separate thy self from all visible sensible things that God might have
the first terms of Christianity and to reckon no man a Christian let him profess what he will saving such a one as doth know and witness that the long-suffering and patience and goodness of God doth lead him to Repentance and saving such a one as hath so much Faith towards God that for Love to God he will deny himself and take up his Cross and be a follower of Jesus in that way and Life he lived in It is high time for all of us to return again to the terms of Christianity that were set up by a higher Authority than ever Antichrist had and before Antichrist was revealed for though it is true that Antichrist hath obtained power on Earth to establish his sort of Christianity that is without the Cross and a sort of Religion whereby they indulge themselves in whatsoever pleaseth their Carnal Hearts and Corrupt Minds yet Antichrist hath not all Power he is not Almighty I hope Antichrist nor the Beast nor the Dragon nor the False Prophet nor the Whore they have not all Power on Earth though they have a great deal and by that Power they have establish'd Laws Decrees Canons and innumerable things about Religion and some cry this is the way you must walk in others cry the way to Heaven lies here and here you must travel if you will come thither Some cry this is the truth others say it is errour so that the World is divided Antichrists Government in the World is divided and when the House is divided against it self there is hopes that it will fall at last But there is one to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is given and committed and his Christians are not divided among themselves but they are of one heart and of one mind and he that hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him can crush and bruise that power that others have Herod had some and Pilate had some but saith Christ your Power is limited this is your hour and the power of Darkness and thou hadst not had Power saith Christ to Pilate were it not given thee from above here is power given to the Dragon to the False Prophet and the Beast to speak great things but this Power of Antichrist is going away but Christ Jesus was sent into the World in his day to bring people back again to God and to the Primitive Religion and Obedience and to the first terms of Society and Communion and to a fellowship in Christ Jesus through the Holy Ghost Now if we had set up a way of Religion as other Folks have done which is contained in some Canons Articles Doctrines and such and such Observations and Commandments of Men and if Men will confess these Articles and observe these Canons they shall be of our Society then we had done like the rest of the fallen Christians but we have declared from the beginning that professing our Doctrine and the Principles of Religion doth not give any Man Fellowship and Communion with us but our Communion is in the Self-denying Life and a daily Cross in opposition to sensual Lust Vanity Pride and bitterness of Spirit Corruption Enmity and Wrath this hath brought us to a Holy Fellowship and Communion in the Holy Ghost and to live in Unity from one Head which is Christ Jesus so that there is not this Mans Church and the other Mans Church among the People of God Do you read in the Primitive times that Paul had his Church and Peter his Church and James his Church and Jude his Church Indeed they had their Meetings as we have now in many Cities and Countries among the Jews and Gentiles but these Holy Apostles that were the first Publishers of the Everlasting Gospel after their Great Lord and Master Christ Jesus they never did appropriate any Church to themselves that was not their business but our Work and Business saith the Apostle is to gather you to Christ and present you as a Chast Virgin to Christ our work is to turn you from Darkness to Light that you may walk in it and be the Children of it our work is to build you up as a Spiritual House to be presented to Christ the Mediatour This is Primitive Christianity that hath its Foundation in Holiness and Righteousness sincerity and truth not in Words and Terms and Articles and Canons and Decrees and other Observances this is not the Foundation of true Christianity nor will be again when the Devils Kingdom is destroyed which is a shaking for he in whom we believe hath power from his Father to break the Devils head Antichrist and the Dragons head Christ Jesus is signified by divers Names The second Adam Lord from Heaven the Way the Truth and the Life but he is the same Christ so Antichrist is expressed by several Terms and Names but he is the same Power of Darkness he hath made the Nations drunk and to stagger and destroy and devour one another This hath been done in the fallen state of Christians and the design which the Lord Christ hath in sending his Ministers and Workmen to labour among you is to restore Men to the first Christianity and to bring Men to God that Religion is not made up of Doctrines Articles Canons and Decrees of Men but it hath the word of God for its Foundation he that hath an ear to hear let him hear there is some Spirit and Power and visible work in a true Christian which the false Christian never had The false Christians have taken the Name and the Profession of Christ and their Fruits have been dishonourable to him they might as well make profession of Antichrist and Satan they have a form of Godliness they have some of the Word but they deny the Power What is their Religion and outward Profession when they want the internal Life and the motions of the Holy Spirit if they bring forth the Cursed Fruits of the flesh enmity wrath Lust and Corruption which belongs to the fallen Nature and the unregenerate state The Apostle takes notice of this deceit and hypocrisie in Religion which was growing up before he died Men having 〈◊〉 form of Godliness and denying the Power thereof from such turn away If there be any Brethren that walk disorderly have no Company or Fellowship with them if you would have the holy Name of Jesus free from scandal This hath been the design of all the Faithful Ministers of Christ to keep their Holy Profession of the Name of Christ free from reproach that the holiness of Gods ways might be seen in the holy Lives of the Professors of them Till men come to know this and take up their Daily Cross and exercise Self-Denyal their Christianity is good for nothing I would not have you trust in it neither in Articles Tenents or Observations but see how with your Lives you answer your Profession Christ was Holy Harmless Undefiled Separate from Sinners And why should not Christians be so too How can Christians
his Life and great Miracles and of the great love he had to Mankind by which he laid down his Life for them We have been Conversing with Christ as to his Fleshly manifestation but consider whether there doth not till now remain an empty place in our Souls something that is not sufficed and satisfied What would you have Have you not Scripture Read you not there of the Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ I would still have something more for that will not suffice me I would have Pardon of Sin and my Peace with God and the Light of his Countenance lifted up upon me and further manifestations of Christ to my Soul We can never see the Glory of God but in the face of Jesus Christ This is the discovery that Christ makes to the Soul that believeth in him this is that which gives satisfaction A Christians Work is to be Conversing with him and exercising his mind under the gathering and â—â—â—ching of him that can lead him to the Father none but Christ can do thaâ— lead them to the Father and shew 〈◊〉 the Father and he hath in our day revealâ—â— himself and made himself manifest by his Spirit that Spirit by which we come to know his Holy Teaching Reproof and Instruction daily discovered in our Souls the Spirit is our Guide that Spirit we are led by and are to walk in Let men go under what form and denomination they will They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his until they come to be guided by his Spirit People are not led into Sin by the Spirit of Christ they will tell you these are the Devils Temptations and the Frailty of our Nature and the Corruption of our Hearts by which we are led into Sin it is not the Spirit of Christ It would be a horrid thing for men to say that the Spirit of Christ led them into Sin there are few or none so wicked as to say so The business we are to do in the World is to obey the will of God and where the understandings of Men are so illuminated that they are satisfied in their minds that God hath been pleased to give them a manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal All those that have this Spirit of Christ are directed by it to do the Will of God and to deny their own Wills and the Will of others that would draw them from their Duty that they owe to God in their Generation It is an excellent state and condition for a man to be guided by the Spirit and to be brought under the Government of Christ who is The Way the Truth and the Life So that they that come under his Government are directed and Pointed out every day to do the will of God This thou must do and God will be pleased with thee and this thou maist not do for if thou do it the Lord will be angry with thee it is Sin against God So that we have a Heavenly advantage to be taught of God by his Spirit to have the Divine and Daily teaching of the Spirit of God revealed in us if we are at a loss or make a question or dispute about a matter the Spirit will lead us into all Truth if we give up our selves to his Guidance and Teaching This hath been our desire labour many years not to draw People to observe what we say for who can direct another Man in all things relating to the Service of God If we were never so certain our selves we cannot convey certainty and infallibility upon all occasions to another if we should speak never so much and be never so much conversant with them Therefore our work is that all People in all things relating to their Souls might have recourse continually to the infallible Teacher and Guide which God through Jesus Christ hath made known to them If People be ruled by this they cannot but live in Unity and Love one another they will not fall into malice contention and hatred one against another It is impossible for Nations to make War and Destroy one another if they would be guided by the unerring Spirit of Christ for how should it contradict it self For how can any thing that agrees with the Standard of Truth which Christ hath set up act in contradiction to it for nothing is Truth but what concurs with it therefore it must needs agree with it self If we be directed by the Spirit we shall call that good which is really good and that evil which is so If there be thousands directed by the Spirit of Christ which leads into all Truth that which is good to one is so to all and that which is evil to one is so to all We must first know what is good and then receive power to do it If we come to be instructed by the unerring Spirit To know what is the good and accepâ—able will of God We shall receive daily power from him to do the will of God we shall all speak the same thing and be of the same mind and live in Love and Unity There is no evil wilfully done against God where the Spirit of Christ the Gospel Spirit comes to prevail upon us it will bring us to a peaceableness of Spirit to live in Love and Unity And the great work we have in the World will be to do the good and acceptable Will of God both with respect to our solemn Worship of God and our Duties towards our Neighbour then there will be Tranquility Peace and Joy and Comfort to all the Churches of Christ that are under his Government And it is given to the Sons and Daughters of Men every where when they come under the Yoke of Christ and take up a Daily Cross and live in Self Denyal this will bring Peace and Concord among them Many will come to our Meetings and spend a little time to hear what we say We exhort them to give up themselves to the peaceable Government of the Spirit of Christ that will finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring into the Soul where Sin reigned Everlasting Righteousness Where there is a great deal of Pride Malice and Envy the Spirit of Christ will root it up and all that evil that the Enemy hath Planted in men he will pluck it up and bring in Everlasting Righteousness and Plant Love in the same Soul and establish and settle it such a one will have more Joy Pleasure and Delight under the Government of the Spirit of Christ in one day than any one can have that is governed by the Evil Spirit in a thousand days You say the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withall what profit shall we get How doth it appear that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withal Because there is that Life and Grace stirring in the heart that makes it profitable and Truth doth so prevail that it makes us to
from God and a preparing for Life that Life that unites us to God again and when People are in earnest in this travel they are really resigned up to the government direction and leading of him that is gone before that hath made a way for us and will further our Progerss towards the Kingdom of God And therefore my Friends you know the way and know how the Power hath reached to you and hath opened your understandings that you may be faithful to that power in your own Souls and may have the true use and improvement of this and all other such Mettings as this for the gathering of your Minds out of all visible and changeable Objects unto that Life which God hath revealed that so in the exercise of it you may hold your fellowship with God and with one another here is the bond of Perfection here is that in which God hath Created Peace and Rest and Joy for his People so far as every one is Partaker of this innocent Life and feels himself changed into it they are gathered into the Church and they are gathered into fellowship with the head of it and are comforted in their Membership in their partaking together Though I be but a little one yet I pertake of the same vertue which the Lord ad-administreth to the greatest Saints while I am waiting upon him and of the same Divine Consolation and Operation and Power that weaneth me more and more from the World and that which is corruptible and raiseth up in me daily more and more fervent desires after that Bread which perisheth not Now herein Men and Women have an evidence of that Christianity in themselves the Spirit of God bearing Record and Witness to their Spirits which all the loose Professors of Christianity in the World are strangers to their evidence in themselves being against them they seek to have evidence without them and to gather up some kind of marks and tokens and sayings and sentences from without to make them believe that they are in Covenant with God and that they are in a state of Salvation by Christ but he that ttuly believeth hath an evidence of his Christianity and of his Reconciliation with God and he hath this evidence in himself a Divine Spiritual Testimony that answereth to his own Spirit that witnesseth to him that he is one of the Children of God And my Friends to this you are called whether you are come to it or no it is this you are called to with a Heavenly call that you might no longer live in the Rudiments of this World to be seeking and looking here and there for a ground of Peace and of Rest a ground of Hope but may know and feel the same thing the same ground of Eternal hope that the Saints of old had what is that What reason did they give and render of their hope of Eternal glory The Apostle tells you plainly the ground or reason of their hope of being glorified in the World to come was Christ in them the hope of Glory they witnessed that Christ gave his Life for the World Take the Glorious Testimony that the Apostle did bear in one of his Epistles saith he the life was manifested in me it was not covered up or hidden that People could not find it God was pleased to bring it to Light by the Gospel When a thing is brought to light you may see it This he affirmed in his day and the same is affirmed in our day The Life is manifested what Life Not the Life of this World but a Life not defiled not polluted but the Life that is of God a Heavenly Life that is Holy and Pure that Life is manifested we have seen it and we exhort all to lay hold of it to lay hold of Eternal Life some had a sight of it that had not laid hold of it they saw it in a Vision and they might say possibly Oh that I could live such a Life that there were no sin in me in my words or thoughts or actions what a gracious Life would that be They had seen that Life they had tasted of it but they did not lay hold of it but let it go by them take heed of that when you have seen it with open eyes Blessed are your eyes for they have seen and your ears for they have heard saith Christ to his Disciples They saw that Life that was holy harmless and undefiled lay hold on this Life especially when you are thus assembled together in a solemn manner in the presence of the Lord waiting to behold it and to see it more and more discovered to you and labour to have that gathering Power that will bring you to it that you may know the strength â—hat comes by it to the Soul There is none of you but you will meet with Temptations in this World that will draw you into Death and Darkness to things That are Carnal and Sensual and Devilish sometimes How shall I stand if I be not centered in that Life that was before the World began and before the Devil was If I labour to feel the influence of that Divine Power this is able to keep me my Faith tells me so I know that Power is able to keep me if I keep in the exercise of it The trust of a true Believer is that whatsoever Temptations and Tryals they are exercised with they know one already come In whom they have trusted who is both able and willing to deliver them So by this means he is kept harmless and innocent and blameless in his Life and Conversation Thus you might be kept if you would regard and have respect to the Life that is manifested in you Whosoever comes to know and feel and witness in their Souls the discovery and revelation of the Life of Jesus they know there is in it a certain Dominion over that which is contrary to it and you have many of you had experience of the exercise of the Power of God in your own Hearts that hath inabled you to reign over those things that have formerly ruled over you That you can now subdue vain thoughts and evil desires that you can withstand Temptations that come from without and from within Now if you could do this and if ever you have done it you did it by that Power that God discovered and revealed in you from Jesus Christ You had not such hold of this once before you believed but by believing the word of God sent unto you it being fixed by Faith in the Heart That Faith which is the operation of God You could then do that which you could not do before and forbear that which you was led away by These experiences which God hath given you should encourage you to hold on in your Labour and Travel and engage you To grow in the Grace of God and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Whatsoever is propounded by men in the Profession of Religion this ought to be
ingrafted word which is able to save my Soul I shall not only hear the word but live in obedience to it What signifies it to make a Profession that I have the Light within if I do not give obedience to it for without that it is all Hypocrisie all Pretence to Holiness Righteousness Mortification is but Hypocrisie any further than we find the power of Truth making an impression upon our Hearts and Minds bringing us to the obedience of Faith Let them therefore that profess Righteousness live Righteously and they that hear the Gospel live in obedience to it and those that profess to be Christians let them live like Christians indeed When every one comes to know within himself so far as the Gospel has shined upon him that they have received the Truth in the Love of it and love the Truth as it is in Jesus and are obedient to the Gospel they shall know the Salvation of it There is a discovery of Gods Power in the Gospel and there is a believing of it and a hoping in it this is that which belongs to a Christian this is the beginning and the first step to a Christian Life we must believe in Christ for without Faith it is impossible to please God He that believeth should be careful to walk in the truth that he hath received and then he shall have a Testimony of the Power and Vertue of it in his own Soul This Vertue and Power if he joins with it hath the Government of his Heart and Life and gives him Victory over the World and the Temptations of Satan You know in the Primitive Times there were Believers that not only had Faith but lived by Faith and by that Faith they got Victory over all the allurements and pleasure and vanities of the World I have fought a good fight saith the Apostle 2 Tim 4.7 8. I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing I have got the victory and there remains an Eternal Weight of Glory for me My Friends this is our ambition and all our Labour among you that you may be built up in your most Holy Faith that you may be brought home to Christ in all your Meetings and gatherings together you should desire to be enriched with Faith and to have your own Store-house filled with all the Fruits of the Spirit and not only seek for the knowledge of the truth but be subject and obedient to what you know otherwise by your Religion you will but hurt your selves And the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.12 speaks of knowing the Truth and of being established in it and of some that after they had escaped the Pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome and the latter end with them is worse than the beginning for it had beed better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them There is a Power goes along with the Preaching of the Gospel that will enable you to do what you know the Gospel is a powerful Doctrine whether you know it or not or whether you submit to it or not yet pray remember that Gods People are a willing People in the day of his Power they are a certain sort of People that are devoted to God and submit all their Worldly Honours Interests Profits and Pleasures to the pleasure of God and desire no other pleasure or happiness but to enjoy his presence and favour they are satisfied with this and they are a happy People being made a willing People in the day of Gods Power they are willing to deny themselves to take up their daily Cross to follow Christ have Salvation upon his terms There are a great many Professors that have notions and out-side appearances but they want that Vertue and Life and power that should settle them in Religion and a love of the Truth The Lord that knows our Hearts knows that our Labour and Travel among you hath been designed for your good and that our hearts desire is that you may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus We would have People consider and attend and hear what God speaks and remember what he hath taught you by the Ministers of the Gospel We have all ears to hear let us thank God for that blessed be God that there is a power and an ability of hearing with an outward ear but there are many that will not so much as give the hearing to what might from the Lord be spoken to them He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches and what he saith to his own Soul hear what the Spirit saith of your own State and Condition if it be good bless God for it are you in so good a Condition that you have no trouble no distress to lament no wants to supply blessed are you that have none but if you find you have done amiss and if the Lord should call you this Night to give up your account the Lord hath a great deal against you I am sure and I tell you it is your duty to turn to the Lord with unfeigned Repentance that through Christ Jesus you may receive Pardon and Remission of all your Sins and so hear what the Spirit saith to your selves and in your selves Pray come and make it your work and business the rest of the time that you have to live to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling that when Christ comes you may say come Lord Jesus come quickly purfie me and sanctifie me and prepare me to be presented to the Father without spot and blameless the day is coming that this will be the desire of every one of you And it is the earnest breathing and desire of my Soul that every one of you may have an eye unto the Lord and he will look down from Heaven and have regard to the cry and the sighing of the Needy Soul God will arise and find out the People that breath after him and that desire to be reconciled to him through the Mediatour Christ Jesus the Lord loveth to find out such a People and I am glad to Preach to such a People the glad tidings of the Gospel and to teach them as God hath taught me Good and Upright is the Lord therefore will he teach and guide you in the way which you should go Walk humbly with God he will resist the Proud but he will give Grace unto the humble Walk uprightly before the Lord in this Gospel Day that shines upon you love the appearance of God and prize it though it hath not been so Glorious to you as to some others yet