wonderful Works of God Acts 2. 11. they are taken up with mans Notions Sayings and Phrases and they are bewildered in the little things of this lower World for they do not understand even them throughly and clearly Where seems to be a little pure and primitive Christianity is not there much Ignorance and coming short of the Knowledge of the Things of God as they ought to be known There are either some affected Phrases of their own which they harp and insist altogether on or there is a preference of some select parts and portions thereof before the whole Word of God all which ought to be brought in equally upon occasion without preferring one thing before another or at least not to make the one a pretence to shut out the other Are there not dark Speeches used if it be not sometimes unintelligible and mystical nonsence whereas the time now is that they should speak no more to us in Proverbs but they should shew us plainly of the Father John 16. 25. And in these larer times the Spirit speaketh expresly 1 Tim. 4. 1. yea and clearly viz. such things as may be understood not in Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth not in humane affected Phrases but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual with spiritual And compare Scripture with Scripture we shall find that such whether they be Men or Women who say when the Lord hath not spoken or who speak a Vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord Jer. 23. 16. Which prophecy out of their own heart Ezek. 13. 17. Or who say that it shall so come to pass when the Lord hath not commanded them and it will not come to pass and the thing doth not follow such are presumptuous Deut. 18. 22. They take God's Name in vain and a Woe is now pronounced against them which at last will fall down upon them to their own misery and condemnation Is it not in some measure fulfilled at this day We see not our Signs there is no more any Prophet neither is there any among us that knoweth how long Psal 74. 9. That knoweth any thing certainly from God as in times past he did reveal his Secret unto his Servants the Prophets or how long this Judgment of the Sword will be upon the Nations nor after what manner and when God will work Salvation and establish Peace in the midst of the Earth For God is my King of old working Salvation in the midst of the Earth Psal 74. 12. I will be thy King Where is any other that may save thee in all thy Cities and thy Judges of whom thou saidst Give me a King and Princes Hos 13. 12. These things will so be when God doth reign immediately over the Hearts of all Men and they yield that Obedience unto him as now they do to their Kings and Governours after the Flesh But at this day it is fulfilled Therefore night shall be upon you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and it shall be dark over them then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their Lips for there is no answer of God Mic. 3. 6 7. Consider throughly of this all ye Preachers in the several Churches and Congregations and do ye not sensibly perceive the Truth of this last There is no answer of God There is at this day and accordingly he that is most spiritual and knows most of God doth most sensibly perceive it the face of the Covering and the Veil that is spread over all Nations Isa 25. 7. There is a Veil and Covering over the Hearts and Understandings of Men I feel it upon mine own that they have not that constant lively Faith and clear Knowledge of the future and invisible things of God as was in the days of Moses or of Christ or as themselves had in former times when they were illuminated Heb. 10. 32. Or as themselves shall have when God shall be pleased according to his gracious Promise here to destroy that Covering and Veil and to break it that we may see through But even unto this day when Moses is read the Vail is upon their Hearts nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the Veil shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3. 15 16. Religion is now at a low ebb I do not mean as to outward Worship the Profession Appearance and Shew thereof for that was retained all along throughout the foregoing Generations But so it is as to the walking in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless in all Righteousness and true Holiness To shew the exceeding stress that the People lay upon this thing of their going constantly to the place and their performing the outward act of Worship the Holy Ghost doth repeat it three times in his Caution concerning it Trust ye not in lying Words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer. 7. 4. That is as much as to say it is a lying and false Word let People repeat it over and over and insist upon it never so much It is not the bare going to Church or to such a Congregation is all that God doth require of Men and Women nor is this sufficient to bring them to Heaven To say or affirm that this is all which God doth require or that this with no more ado will bring them to Heaven is a lying Word For the Lord hath shewed in the foregoing Verse what he doth require of Men namely Amend your ways and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place This is the way to be fixed and for ever to abide in the high and blessed place of Heaven Again he finds fault Will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense to Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not here the Prophet enumerates the breach of Six Commandments and in like manner it may be applied to the other Four viz. Sabbath-breaking Dishonouring of Parents Falshood and Covetousness and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these Abominations Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your eyes behold even I have seen it saith the Lord Jer. 7. 9 10 11. So that the Inference is natural and necessary That it is not the going to Church or to any other Place of his Worship upon the Lord's Day or upon every Week-Day will serve to make an atonement or blind and deceive God for the breach and transgressions of his Laws and Commandments for he doth here say I have seen it even through this Veil of Hypocrisie let them think or say what they will that their Trade or Business or Necessity of Affairs do require them so to do To the same purpose is the first Chapter of Isaiah throughout I hate
and be assured of by the quickness of Thought and by Sight the principal Sense and Operation thereof For our Thoughts will run to and fro from East to West from North to South faster than the Sparks among the Stubble even in a moment of Time For so our Eyes reach up unto Heaven at the first opening the Lid thereof so the Spirit of a Man will in the twinkling of an eye waft it self throughout the whole Universe Besides the quickness of its motion it is eminent for its tenuity whereby it will pass through the most firm Bodies Now the Soul is wrapt up in a small Body and seems to be little more than nothing but then it will be exceeding subtle and small and then it will be gathered up unto the Father of Spirits As aforesaid People will then perceive and remember that it would be infinitely better for them to have done exactly according to the Will of God than to have acted at that confusion and uncertainty with which the World goes on now after their own Ways and in their own Wisdom and Will It is a frequent form of speech in Ezekiel and in the other Prophets That when God doth bring his Judgment and Punishment on the Inhabitants of the Earth then they shall know that the Lord hath not said thus in vain So when the Reward is to be given and some are made up among the Lord's Jewels then shall they return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mal. 3. 17 18. So when this Generation of Men and Women is carried off from the Earth as the former already are and as we go off day by day in our several Persons then we shall return that is to the proper Understanding of Men and discern that it would be better to have lived otherwise The consideration whereof will raise indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish in the Soul for having done evil because there comes of it punishment and also loss of an exceeding and eternal Happiness To what is doubt now and dull apprehension then will be the greatest certainty and most lively sense that so it would have been Let the Heathen be awakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat c. Joel 3. 12. By which phrase of awakened we learn that the knowledg of God and the Christian spiritual Life is as much beyond that of Heathens and natural Men as waking is to sleep And even in serving of God there are proportionable degrees which do exceed the service of God according to the common standard and size of the World as real Action is beyond Dreaming But then according to Truth and as it is common to all This Life with all its activities is as much less and comes short of the future Life as sleeping now is to waking or as the absolute death of the Body is to the breathing thereof in sleep or as fire it self doth exceed the remote and distant heat thereof or as the light of the Sun shining in its brightness is much more than the dim light of a Candle And so the business and employment with all the other things pertaining to it do proportionably as much exceed the other And so the Happiness and Good which God hath prepared for his Creatures and which he will invest them withal doth yet seven times exceed the utmost apprehension and thoughts any one hath concerning it As we have heard so have we seen Psal 48. 8. and yet much more abundantly in the City of the Lord of Hosts in the City of our God God will establish it for ever Selah Whereby is denoted a contrariety and diversity to the things here which are but perishing and do pass away We have thought of thy loving kindness O Lord in the midst of thy Temple vers 9. Now this Temple is the World and accordingly the Jews fashioned their outward Temple made with hands according to the similitude thereof and the Earth is observed to be placed in the exact midst of the World So that it is no forced construction but the very natural meaning thereof That in this short time we did live and inhabit here on this Earth we thought of the loving kindness of God not so much what we were sensible of then but chiefly what he did intend to do further for his Creatures It is elsewhere written Men's Hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth Luke 21. 16. So it will be with them who have been ungodly and wicked but to the good and obedient it is joyful Hope and comfortable Expectation either to look after what things are coming on the Earth or what shall be shortly manifested before them Day unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge As every day bringeth forth something that is remarkable of what is done here throughout the World There is somewhat more or new if not in its self yet in its person or in the manner and place of acting So the Servant of God who is endued with Faith and Knowledge as every day he makes nearer approaches to the things unseen so he is in expectation of further knowledge and discovery of them As the Traveller upon every five or six miles advance hath a new and fresh Horizon opened unto him so in the succession of Days and Weeks and Months and Years we know more spiritually concerning God and also more clearly and distinctly concerning the other Life Sometimes we are upon the Mountains and then in the Valleys our Mind is now pure lifted up and dwelling in Heaven again it is cast down and become altogether earthly and sensual Sometimes we have clearness and brightness of light then a cloudy day see Zech. 14. 6. now there is a glimmering of morning and evening and then again we are fallen into the darkness of night It is thus differently with us throughout the several times of our Life as to our apprehension of things spiritual and eternal Sometimes we are clear and then again cloudy We are sometimes in the twilight yea we become more dark and at some times are in utter darkness concerning them And this doth not so much depend upon set times and seasons but it happens thus diversly with us as we commit sin which makes God forsake and withdraw his Communications from us Again when we walk before him in all sobriety obedience and duty as is well-pleasing in his sight then he doth afford the Communications and Manifestations of himself to us Lord how wilt thou manifest thy self to us and not to the World But there is certainly a different and another Manifestation whereby God appears and discovers himself to his elect Servants than as he is apprehended by the generality of the World Tho' to them it is somewhat hard to discern as much and trust in him God doth commonly more shew and manifest himself in time of trouble both
him That they are the work of his hands Thy Mercy O Lord endureth for ever it reaches and extends beyond the Day of Judgment even throughout all Eternity Forsake not the work of thine own hands Psal 138. 8. Do not leave them for ever in utter despair and misery God hath more than one Blessing to Angels and Saints he may make Devils and condemned Sinners Hewers of Stone and Drawers of Water John 9. 2. That is somewhat ease and exempt them from the worst pain and thraldom For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek For there is no difference between the Flesh of a Saint and the Flesh of a Sinner and I suppose there is not much more as to the outward original frame and composure of Spirits of the same kind For the same Lord over all that is Creatures is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 12 13. This is cited from Joel 2. 32. and there it is delivered So that by the comprehensiveness of the Word Whosoever which takes in all without exception and from the Apostle's arguing That the Lord is rich unto all that call upon him That is he hath Goodness abundant and to spare for he doth ten thousand times exceed even that of Isaac or of the best and most tender Father for 't is he who created the Bowels and put Compassion in them By the Riches of his Goodness he is obliged to do somewhat for every one that calls upon him So that if these Creatures can and do but call upon the Name of the Lord though it will not be after the same manner and nothing to an equal degree of that Salvation the elect Servants of God are possessed of yet they will at length be somewhat saved and delivered from that depth and grievousness of pain and misery which they have long groaned under For I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth for the Spirit should fail before me and the Souls that I have made Isai 57. 16. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 11. 32. As the Wisdom of God is manifold so the Truths arising out of his Word are of more universal latitude and of longer extent even throughout the succeeding Eternity than that particular occasion upon which they were at first cited For these two great Scriptures have a further meaning and signification than to troubled and afflicted Consciences or to the temporal casting off of the Jews The same may be yet further understood from the very Nature of God who is infinitely eternally and essentially good and from the Analogy and Reason of things that he will not contend for ever in the punishment and misery of his Creatures but he hath shut them all under deserved and the greater part under actual condemnation that he might have mercy upon all O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out was the Conclusion which the Apostle made when himself had before according to the measure of the Knowledge given him searched and found out some of them But thus he pronounceth concerning what yet remained behind and which himself understood not any further If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand Psal 130. 3. And Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143. 2. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Rom. 3. 23. The best Servant of God that was ever or is now upon the Earth doth come short of that Holiness as He is holy and of performing that Duty in all things and at all times which God did command or require of him Such Truths are to be made known which shew how these are so let whatever imputation will be fastned upon it To come with Ropes about our Necks and acknowledge our selves worthy of Death eternal to donfess our Sin in the most aggravating Circumstances to arraign our selves and make no other Plea than acknowledgment of our own Guilt that we have transgressed against the Lord and to cry our mightily and earnestly unto him for pardon and mercy All this is the best and soonest way to make our peace with God So did David and the Prophets Saith one We lie down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord our God from our youth even unto this day and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God Jer. 3. 15. But we are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousness are as filthy Rags Isai 64. 6. Some may be apt to surmise What need the Prophet mention this for peradventure God might accept this Righteousness as it is whereas by vilifying and depretiating it as he doth he may put God in mind or move him not to accept it What an absurd and wrong imagination is here For it was the Spirit of God which did first acquaint and make this known unto Isaiah and he speaks it forth unto the People in order to humble them and make them have a low Conceit of their best Performances To be as nothing in our own sight to acknowledge our own Guilt and Unworthiness to bear iniquity and loath our selves for our Sins This is the way to get the Favour and Mercy of God for so did the holy Men and Women of old who served him and were accepted by him And so when God would tell People of their Sins and Transgressions when they have done amiss and erred from his Commandments he doth not now speak unto the Inhabitants of the Earth out of the cloudy Pillar or from the Battlements of Heaven but now he speaks in the still Voice of his Word and Spirit unto their Hearts and Consciences Which Word is yet more clearly and distinctly revealed unto some of his peculiar and elect Servants whom again he prompts by his Spirit to speak out and publish the same Word unto others And so they do not tell and inform God but God doth tell and inform them Agreeable hereunto is that kind of speaking unto Ezekiel Go and shew the House of Israel their Doings and cause them to know the Abominations of their Fathers Ezek. 20. 4. God sees it and is displeased Isa 59. 15. He knows it and is grieved Forty years long was I grieved with this Generation Psal 95. 10. His own Spirit is pressed until it is actually stirred up which same Spirit he doth infuse it into some Pipe here on Earth either Man or Woman who again doth receive convey and vent it forth by publishing and making it known unto other Men and Women I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed with sheaves He doth here speak after the manner of Men for our Infirmities And hereby we may apprehend how the
I despise your Feast-days and I will not smell in your solemn Assemblies Tho' ye offer your Burnt-offerings and Meat-offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the Peace-offering of your Fat Beasts Take thou away from me the noise of thy Songs for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols what must we do then But let Judgment run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream Have ye offered unto me Sacrifices and Offerings in the Wilderness forty Years O House of Israel Amos 5. 21 22 23 24 25. Have ye worshipped me according to your several Ways and Congregations in this Wilderness of the Earth where one is at a loss to find the right Way through your manifold Opinions and Divisions for almost six thousand Years O ye Children of Men But still ye have continued in your own Doings and in the things ye have made to your selves whereas that is the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man Heb. 8. 2. And now what if God himself should say in the last Day as he doth now speak from Heaven in this his Word I hate I despise I will not accept neither will I regard your Burnt offerings Meat-offerings and Peace-offerings Which he himself did yet command and institute and Man did then use them to please atone and be reconciled to Almighty God This is to be understood by the way that God will one day speak himself in person with a loud and outward audible Voice what he doth now speak from Heaven in the still Voice of his Spirit or in the Scriptures which are his Epistle sent unto the Inhabitants of the Earth And whereas with many Men their Letters are powerful but their bodily Presence is weak and contemptible it will be contrariwise as to God For his Word now as written or spoken by Men is weakness 1 Cor. 1. 25. But when himself shall utter his Voice the Earth will melt Psal 46. 6. The Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3. 10. For the Lord himself shall descend with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God 1 Thess 4. 16. So that he will make a yet greater impression and cause a greater shaking not only upon the living Creatures but also upon the very material Works of God even all the World over than that manner of giving the Law did formerly upon the single and particular place of Mount Sinai concerning which see Exod. 19. Heb. 12. 17 18. 19. So it will be pronounced concerning the several Acts and Parts of Worship outward Prayer Praise Hearing the Word Baptism and the Lord's Supper Not that these are to be cast off and neglected in no wise But yet so it is when it doth become the Sacrifice of Fools the Sacrifice of Sinners and Transgressors for they provoke God and deceive themselves whereby they are Fools when they keep up one with another that is when they worship God and yet continue in sin and transgression The whole Scripture is full to the same purpose But here it may be surmised That if the case is so it is good for such not to worship God at all But all Men cannot receive this Saying but unto whom it is given for Worship is due from every Creature unto God and these things are written not that they should cast off and neglect it in no wise But that every one should turn away from his Iniquities Acts 3. 26. and cease from all manner of sin and transgression And then they are to obey all the Commandments of God which relate to Good or Evil Righteousness or Wrong Truth or Falshood enjoying the one and forbidding the other as well as they do already obey those his Commandments which pertain to his Worship Except they do this also they cannot be saved and all their Worship will signifie nothing It is strange but yet true and common That many People of both Sexes should go on blindly and ignorantly for thirty forty fifty and sixty Years yea throughout all their life in this Deceit of being Worshippers of God and yet not doing his Will whereas it is written so plainly that every Capacity may understand it Now we know that God heareth not Sinners but if any Man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth John 9. 31. As we read that Prayer of Moses and David and that Promise which God made unto his People by Isaiah of Levi he said Bless Lord his Substance and accept the Work of his Hands Deut. 33. 8 11. Remember all thy Offerings and accept thy Burnt-sacrifice Selah Psal 20. 3. They shall come up with acceptance on mine Altars Isai 60. 7. and Ezek. 20. 40 41. We learn this Word of Instruction which may make us to fear and take heed and beg pardon for the Iniquity of our holy things and to pray instantly and continually for acceptance that in all things we do in order to God or pertaining to Religion as it is commonly named or understood unless God do accept thereof it all signifies nothing Nay what is yet further It is as cutting of a Dog's neck there is not much in that it is as offering Swines blood this doth displease God it is as blessing an Idol Isai 66. 3. which is the highest and superlative degree of provoking God to the greatest manner that possibly can be So they do rather displease than please they make God to be further off and more angry rather than bring him near and make him reconciled unto us Hear this Word all ye People of England that enter in at the Church-doors or Meeting-Houses to praise the Lord. Another thing wherein ye are defective and found wanting is this For they say and do not Mat. 23. 2. They hear read and talk of many good Words and precious Truths but they do not turn them into practice and suitable action It is recorded of Moses the Servant of the Lord He was mighty in Words and in Deeds Acts 7. 22. so he was for both and therein he pleased and was accepted by God who had hereupon a favour and love towards him But this belongs not to the nominal nor yet to the real Christians of this Age who make a fair shew in the Flesh and they are sincere and of the better sort yet herein they are found wanting many of them are mighty in Words but not in Deeds They do talk of the highest Duties and Attainments of Religion and they do conceive speak read hear and write of the great Truths of God but how to perform the same at all times and in all places and in reference to all Persons they find not Towards the publishing and making known these Truths throughout all this Region or to hazard or even to suffer actual tribulation for the Word's sake they are offended and themselves will not run the risque and experience of it The like