wisher to the Souls of all Men As God hath done good to my Soul So I cannot but wish well to the Souls of others That as he hath found out a way for my Redemption and Salvation so likewise I wish the same for others that are bond-men and bond-women and under the Power of their Corruption Gods work hath been to destroy the Bondage and the Oppression and to destroy the Tyrant that Reigns over the Souls of his People God having made them for his Glory and the Devil hath Stolen them away that they do not that which pleaseth God But God's good pleasure is that all may be Saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth And God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life And he is called The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World He can take away Sin if my Sin do not obstruct my Faith and Confidence in him he will take it away and if he takes that away then he makes the Tree good Nothing hinders us from the injoyment of God but Sin and if Christ will take it away by the blood of his Cross no matter for all the Scorn Contempt Hardship Reproach and Persecution of this World no matter for he hath not deceived us but told us before hand If we will be followers of him and be led by him we must expect these things suffering Reproaches Persecutions Disdain Envy these things come not uncertainly upon us the World loves its own and cannot love them that are not of it but they that are now of the World may be brought to the terms of God and they may not be any longer of the World Christ Prayeth not that his Disciples may be taken out of the World but kept from the evil he prayed for them that did not believe So that Christ is a Mediator for all men and a Propitiation for all men and he is working by his Spirit for the Redemption of all men That to as many as believe in him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God The sum of all is this that we have an opportunity put into our hands we cannot deny it you must all upon search confess that the Grace of God doth often work in your hearts against any Corruption against any Evil Let not this prize be put into our hands in vain as into the hands of fools If I knew that this and that was a sin I would leave it let us be of that mind and we shall soon know it Then say If I knew such a thing to be a sin If I could get a thousand pounds by it I would not do it why should'st thou love sin for profit or pleasure I am sure it is an ill bargain when it is done Whatsoever I am convinced of is a sin I will not it Resolve upon this and there the Grace of God will be at work we shall soon see that we must leave off sinning there is such a thing I must leave God hath set up a Judgment in my mind against it though it bring profit and pleasure away it must go here is a step a following step to follow Christ he that will deny himself will follow Christ My Redeemer shews me this to be an evil I will not do it but follow him and imitate him Here the Soul is led step by step even by Christ the Captain of our Salvation till it is gradually cleansed from sin and reconciled unto God and this can be done by no other means for Prayer and Alms will not do it All that can be done by us will not dot it none can do it but Christ alone that God hath laid help upon that you may all wait for the Divine Operation of his Grace in your hearts that is it which we Labour and Travel for as knowing that God hath wrought wonderfully by it for the Redemption of all those that love him more than they love their pleasures more than they love their sins it must be concluded that following of him and leaving Father and Mother Husband and Wife Children Brethren and Sisters all these things as they stand in competition with him and the Obedience of his Spirit all these must be looked upon as nothing to him Then above all things I must not displease him He can speak Peace and none can take it away and if he take it away none can give it If we follow Christ when this is done then all is done according to the Will of God then the blessing of God descends upon the whole Creation then every man will speak truth to his Neighbour and every man will govern his Family with discretion So God is Glorified and his name comes to be Exalted who is worthy to be Loved Adored and Exalted above all Blessings and Praises to him be Glory who is God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious God of Life and Power and of Everlasting Kindness a God of Long-suffering and Patience else we had not been here at this day Lord we are Monuments of thy Mercy thou hast spared us long and hast called unto us in a day when we turned away our Ear from thee thou hast stretched out thy hand all the day long and thou hast gathered a little Remnant of the lost Sheep of the house of Israel to partake of thy Pastures of Life and now all our Souls have been greatly refreshed and comforted since we come to understand and comprehend with the rest of thy Saints the Height and Length and Breadth and Depth of thy Love which in the Son of thy Love thou hast Revealed to us And blessed Father of Life our Souls do breath and cry unto thee on the behalf of Strangers which are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel that are yet breathing and inquiring after thee And asking the way to Sion O Lord remember them and hear their cry and let their sighing and complaining enter into thine Ears that all they in whom thou hast begun to kindle up holy desires after thee may have them grow into a flame to burn up all their Enmity to thee that so they may be purified by thy judgments and receive of thy Heavenly Grace This is the way which thou hast used with thy Children thou hast commanded them to Worship thee in thy dwelling place thou hast taken them into thy house and fed them with thy finest Wheat refreshed them with thy Loving-kindness and filled them with thy Holy Spirit Dearest God of Love this is the design and purpose of our Meeting together that we may enjoy thy Presence and feel the operation of thy Word and have Communion with thee and thy Son Jesus Christ through thy Holy Spirit the way into Rest and Life is with thee thou canst open and none can shut Lord open the hearts of this People to receive of thy
working in the Soul tend to beget a Love to God and fervent desires after being cleansed and purified from Sin and earnest Prayer to the Lord to make that Holy Fire to kindle that would burn it up The more the Soul trusteth in Christ the more doth this Heavenly Fire burn up our Lusts and then a Man feels a great change in his mind The things saith he that I delighted in are now grievous to me I hope I shall never be found in those things again my mind is now taken off them who took it off Didst thou not strive before to take it off I did but I could not do it There are many I believe in this Assembly before the Lord that are my witnesses in this matter that when they came to Christ the Mediator he changed their minds and he untyed the Devils fetters they were tyed to their Sins and Lusts but he hath unloosed them and set them at liberty and they now find such a change that they hate those things they loved and when they come to think of them they are ashamed they are ashamed of those things that they formerly took pleasure in What fruit saith the Apostle had you in those things whereof you are now ashamed So I say what pleasure have you in Sporting and Gaming and Drinking and Company-keeping What pleasure have you to think of your Wanton Discourses What pleasure in Pride and Vanity What pleasure in Wrath and Bitterness of mind And what pleasure in Malice and Envy What pleasure have you in those things whereof you are now ashamed So far as you are convinced you are ashamed to think of them I am ashamed to think that the Devil at such a time by such a Temptation should prevail over me I would to God you were all come to this to be ashamed that you might remember your past evil Ways and Actions with sorrow and shame There is a secret Joy in this Sure it is better to be ashamed than to continue in impudence God hath wrought this change at last and who shall have the Glory of it God shall have the glory of it for his own Works will praise him What men do many times they do for their own praise but when they are at their wits end and know not what to do they cast themselves upon their Maker to see if he will have mercy upon them if not they must Perish then for what he doth he gets the Glory and the Praise of it There are some here that are bound to praise God while they have a Day to live for what he hath done for them They could never have loved God with all their Hearts but they would have continued Strangers to God and the Devil would have led them Captive at his Will They would not have loved God with all their Hearts had not God first shed abroad his love upon their hearts and constrained them to love him it is he that hath first loved them and wrought in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Whatsoever we are we are by the Grace of God this Grace is magnified in them that believe and obey the Gospel My Friends we know there is so much Peace and Pleasure in the ways of God so much Soul-satisfaction in Walking with God and loving of him with all our Hearts That I should be glad that every one of you were of the same mind and had experience of it We Labour diligently for this purpose and we would set before you these two things First how we may come to know our miserable State by Nature What a blessed and happy Sâ—ate they are in that have been Converted and Changed that have been translated out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of God's Dear Son Consider your State by Nature is Evil we hope that many of you in hearing the Reports of the Gospel concerning the goodness of the Lord his great love in sending his Son into the World to seek and save you that were lost and that you may believe in him And we are perswaded that by the Foolishness of Preaching God will save some of you that you may be his Redeemed Ones and trust to no other Saviour for there is not any other Name under Heaven but the Name of Jesus by which you can be saved He only can take away the Sâ—ns of the World his Spirit searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins which he promised to send into the World when he was leaving it Now I dare Proclaim that Holy Spirit to be the Spirit of the God of Heaven that now sees what Resolution thou art of and what thou art now proposing to do whether to go on in Sin or to return to God This I can speak without Blasphemy it is God's Spirit that searcheth thy Heart and knoweth thy thoughts and purposes and convinceth thee of thy Sin God hath sent his Son Christ Jesus into the World to enlighten you that by his Light you might see him and that by his Grace you migh Receive him and that by his Grace you might be saved To him I commit you all and these words that we have spoken are in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit according as he hath wrought in us I must tell you we were never called of God to Study Sermons for you nor to Preach things that are made Ready to our hands but as the Lord our God hath wrought in us and as God hath been pleased to make known his mind to us and by his Spirit given us utterance So we speak and so we Preach You that are come to believe and receive the things of the Spirit you will Judge what I say I speak unto you that are Spiritual Judge ye what I say saith the Apostle so when I speak of Divine and Heavenly things you that are Spiritual Judge what I say and as you come to Judge and Determine in your selves that these things are true you will feel the Power of them in your own Spirits And we shall all be of the same mind and as we have One God we shall serve him in sincerity and Worship him with Reverence then his Name shall be Exalted in the midst of us and we shall Edifie one another in Love and we shall instruct one another and call upon one another Come let us go to the House of the God of Jacob He will Teach us and Preserve us in his way and do us good and keep us from all Evil. Turn your minds inward and consider that God is a God at hand ready to help you and he requires no more of you than of other People in former times to love the Lord with all your Hearts and to abstract and withdraw your minds from all other things that do come in Competition with him and be sure to have no Trust or Dependance but upon him Then see what God will do for you no Tongue can express nor Pen Write neither
Lord Jesus Christ to whom thou hast given a Name above every Name and let his kingdom and glory be exalted over all and shine forth in the midst of us Blessed Father of Life give wisdom to our Counsellers that they may Counsel for thee Make known thy will and send help from Heaven to all that stand in need thereof and that wait upon thee for it Give them thy Holy Spirit that they may be guided in thy way let thy Son Jesus Christ have the stearing and Governing of all things and let Glory be rendered to thy great aad worthy Name and keep us in the Love of God and in Union one with another let the stroak of thy Power remain upon the Hearts of all whose Hearts thou hast touched at this time let them be bowed down always in thy Holy Worship and remain in a belief of thy truth and cease to do evil and learn to do well and walk acceptably before thee that so Transgression may be finished and Sin and Iniquity may be put to an end and that Truth and Righteousness may be set up and shine among us and that our Souls may rejoyce in thee that we may magnifie and praise thy Power and Glorifie thy Name for thou art worthy of all Honour praise and glory and humble thanksgivings for the manifestation of thy love and Power All which we desire to offer thee through Jesus Christ who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen Sermon VII The Inward Preacher Or The Office of Conscience Preached at Grace-Church-Street June 21. 1692. My Friends MAny have been sent among you that from Living experience have declared their Testimony for the truth that you might all be brought to wait for the testimony of Truth in your selves This is that which will stand you in stead to know the testimony of truth in your own Hearts to be for you Therefore you are to wait especially at such times as these to hear the Voice of Truth in your own Souls For whatsoever the Preacher preacheth if the Truth in thine own Heart doth not speak Peace it is not well with thee Whatsoever testimonies are born of the Truth it self it is the Truth that must bear testimony of thee That unerring Word that gives to every one an Infallible evidence of their Peace with God or against that which hinders them You know our labour hath been to perswade all People to hearken unto the Truth in themselves and to make it their business and travel and endeavour that they might have unity with the Truth in their own Hearts that their Consciences may not condemn them For such as you in whom God hath raised his witness and hath exalted his Truth for a Judge You are not Ignorant nor covered over with darkness as many others are you do not remain in doubt but you know the Truth and have an Answer of Peace in well doing and a condemnation in evil doing not Administred to you only by Preachers without but by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of God in your own Hearts This is that standing Ministry which God hath raised which can never be put down again but as each one may put it down in themselves I grant that Men may put it down You have read and had it plainly witnessed to you even killing the just and Crucifying the Lord of Glory and of spiritual Sodom and Egypt These things you have read of and you that are turned to the Light know the meaning of those sayings by woful experience for when ever you have turned aside from a due subjection to rhe Grace of God by which we are convinced then there hath been a piercing and Crucifying the Son of God a fresh and a vexing and a grieving the Holy Spirit by which you should be Sealed to the Day of Redemption then there hath been Anguish and Tribulation upon your Souls And if this be minded it will plant a fear upon the Heart and make you affraid to do the like again but where this Tribulation and Anguish is neglected and put off there a custome of Sin takes away the sense of Sin As you know many have had more Judgment at sometime upon them for a vain word or a vain Thought than afterward they have come to have for the most abominable wicked Action How come this to pass Was Sin ever the better Or hath it changed its Nature No but they are further off from the sense of the evil of it this is the word of Truth to which you must stand or fall this is the Stone that whosoever falls upon it shall be broken and tendered But if they stay till the weight of Truth fall upon them it will grind them to Powder They that will have a life of liberty let the Truth say what it will I will have my liberty and use my Tongue as I list I will be wanton and proud and envious and malicious though I know these things to be nought and the witness in my Conscience testifies that these things are wicked and contrary to the will of God yet I will have them whosoever comes to this Mind the Stone is near falling upon them and they will be ground to Powder they are like the barren Earth which beareth Thorns and Briars and is rejected and is nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned Therefore Friends I entreat you to hearken to the Word of the Lord it is a holy Word an old Word many have professed it There are some Preachers that will cry Hearken to the Word of the Lord in such a Chapter and such a Verse My Testimony this Day is Hearken to the Word of the Lord but where shall we find it some will say I tell you it is written with the Finger of God in your own Consciences and is either for you or against you Let your Profession amongst Men be what it will this Minister of the Covenant hath no respect of Persons or regard to Profession he will not excuse this or that Man because he makes a greater Profession of his Name than others this rather is his Judgment and his Condemnation shall be more swift and sharp upon him that makes a Profession of Christs Name If Judgment begin at the House of God what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God These that take upon them a strict Profession they do greater dishonour to God than those that cry out there is no Reformation there can be no Living without Sin these Profess what they do and they do as they Profess But when People come to Profess Holiness and Righteousness and Profess a Power also by which Righteousness is obtained but live not strictly according to their Profession these are they That cause the Name of God to be Blasphemed among the Heathen more than they that say there can be no living without Sin Now this Witness of God hath no respect to Profession but hath respect
his Neighbour the party loseth by it and the Devil reioyceth at it Thus we know the Life of Righteousness is brought forth through the Spirit of Truth and outshines all and will reach Gods witness in them that are afar off and bring them near and happy and blessed are they that are found in this Divine work conforming their Lives and Conversations according to the new Creature Peace be upon them And upon the whole Israel of God There is a Minister that abides with you that goes home with you it is his Testimony that you must stand or fall by If any one should be a false Professor and be cryed up if he be not sincere he hath not Peace though he flutter a while and makes a shew the Worm of guilt Gnaws him and Torments him such as these have not Peace with God nor fellowship with the Church Though they seem to be a live yet they are Dead as it was with the Churches in Asia they had a name to live yet they were Dead though they have an empty Name such a one is a living Man or Woman are esteemed Friends to the Church but though they are commended and cryed up and have a Name to live yet they are Dead there are a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments they walk with me in White saith Christ for they are worthy I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art Dead See what Christ the Bright Morning Star could do he could look into a Meeting and see whether few or many had only a name to Live or were really alive if they were Dead as to Sincerity and Truth though they had been among the Church they would help to break it down but not to build it up You that have his Divine life still stirring in you and feel the operation that first quickened you to God prize this principle of the Divine life above all What is there can rob you of it Value not the Friendship of the World Alas What can it Amount to Count it as Dung in comparison of Christ Jesus look upon all things with a sound Eye Peace with God is of that concerment that you cannot be happy here or hereafter without it the Friendship of the World I can be without and the customes and fashions of the World I can be without I can spare these things but the Favour of God I cannot be without and growth in Grace and the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a sincere Profession of the Gospel I cannot be without these things My Friends though you do not make a shew and Flutter in the World as some others do yet your glory is within they that are living Members of this Divine body the glory and beauty and brightness of such appears in the sight of God If you grow in grace you will be a Comfort one to another and as the Apostle speaks You are our Epistle written in our Hearts knâ—wn and read of all Men. The Lord preserve and keep you simple keep you in all Sincerity in that Truth that hath wrought in your own hearts that you may have acquaintance with your teacher that he may not be driven into corners for you may do it and stop his mouth and silence him too If you let your Perverse will Rule you may slay the Just but there will come a Day of his Rising then down go you Whatsoever Men may get by it at present when Truth riseth when the just one that was slain hath a Resurrection in them then most certain down they go While you have an opportunity in your Hands and an Interest in the Covenant of Life walk with God according to the Counsel and Dictates of his Holy Spirit that you may be brought to an heavenly Fellowship and to partake of the Good things that God hath prepared for his Children My Friends Pray prize your seasons let no Day slip for fear you may miss a Day at last wait upon the Lord and let his fear and a Holy awe be always upon your Hearts Then peace will be upon you and there will be acceptance of all that you do Mark the Perfect Man and behold the upright for the End of that Man is peace when he can reflect upon his past Life and say I have walked before the Lord with a perfect Heart and done that which is good and well pleasing in his sight and have not turned aside to the right Hand or to the left but the standard of Truth hath been the guide of all my Spiritual and Temporal Actions If truth hath been thy guid here then Truth shall be thy Portion hereafter If Truth guide thee in thy way then thou shall rejoyce with the Saints and receive an Inheritance with the People of God and enjoy that glory and felicity which God hath prepared for them that Love him His Prayer after Sermon EVerlasting Glorious Eternal God of Life whose kingdom ruleth over all thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom a Glorious and Blessed Day hath dawned wherein thou art making thy self known to the Sons and Daughter of Men and thou hast opened an Eye in a Remnant which the God of this World had blinded to see the Glory of it For though we have lived without God in the World yet thou art near to us and thou hast called us to Repentance and inspired our Souls with a desire to thee and to the Remembrance of thy name Praises and Everlastings Thanksgivings belong unto thee who art the Author of our Salvation who hast reached out thy Hand and laid hold upon us and sought us out when we sought thee not and hast made known thy Power and love for our Redemption and Salvation and thou wilt make it known more and more to every upright and sincere mind O Powerful Father of Life how hath thy Power and Goodness been Revealed on our behalf for thine own Name sake Thou hast stood by us in all our Tryals and Exercises and we have â—ound thee a God nigh at Hand and thou hast brought a Remnant to desire nothing so much as the Injoyment of thy Presence thou hast brought them to be sensible that without thee they can do nothing therefore in all our Assemblies and Meetings we desire to be Acquainted with thy Power to hear thy Word which speaks Life to our Souls by which we may live And Dear and Powerful Father the Continuation of thy goodness among us doth greatly engage the Hearts of thy Children to offer up Praises and Thanksgivings to thee Thou hast inclined the Minds and Hearts of thy People to wait upon Thee and hast opened their understandings to receive thy Heavenly Truth and those rich and Heavenly treasures which thou offerest them and hast provided a Cup of Salvation to refresh the Poor and needy Soul O Living God of Life reach forth thy Hand to support and save those that are Breathing after thee that are sensible
would find out something by which it might be done Others are willing enough to continue in Sin and Drunkeness Whoredom Lying and Hypocrisie these are a sort of Fools that make a mock of Sin and that swim in the stream of pleasure and what care they so long as they make a profession of Christianity But I am speaking of a People that are strugling under their corruptions that would mortifie Sin and serve God in Holiness and Righteousness and do Gods will on Earth as it is done in Heaven and do it not in form but would have power to do it And they try several ways to have it done it is not done many have been at this work till Gray Hairs are upon their Heads and it is not done Now God hath given Christ to make Reconciliation now how can we that have the Love of God extended to us But extend our Good-will to our Friends and signifie to them that all the travel and pains they are at and all the Prayers they make that all will do nothing till they have their Faith fixt upon Jesus that is able to save and deliver them and save to the uttermost all that come to God by him But here some will object and say It is true what you say But is it needful to preach such Doctrines to us for we all believe in Christ that is the only Mediator and Saviour We know that Christ Jesus is the only Mediator and that unless he Commend us to God we cannot be Accepted of him This is our General Doctrine therefore what need it be urged and pressed upon us that are come into the the Faith already Let me search into the matter it is of greater concernment than to search into a Bargain of Worldly things men would fain have others open and discover to them wherein they may be Cheated to prevent their being Imposed on in a wordly bargain I hope then they will hearken to know how and wherein they may be deceived by themselves and deceived by others in matters of Eternal concernment There are no Protestants but they reject any Mediator but Jesus Christ and believe that no Mediator can Reconcile them to God but Christ alone and they say he is the Object of their Faith I would ask them this Question Whether they believe in Christ at a distance or as present really present with them If their Faith be Historical and at a Distance that they believe in Christ as one born of the Virgin Mary and was Crucified and Dead before they were born and Arose again and Ascended into Heaven and is set at the right hand of God if the reason of my belief be I have heard of this Relation of Christ Or whether the reason be because by his Spirit he hath visited me in this Age The one is I believe because good men have told me so but the other is I believe because by this Spirit he hath promised to send to lead me into all truth he hath visited me Now whether I am aware of such a Spiritual visitation by this quickning Spirit which is the Lord from Heaven and not only the Lord in Heaven Whether I am aware of such a quickning Power and Vertue which I have received upon my Spirit that he is not only at the right hand of God on high in Heaven but that now he is come to knock at the door of my heart and hath raised in me a Life as opposite to sin as his was Now if I be aware of a secret touch of his quickning vertue upon my Soul whereby he hath begotten me into a Life opposite to sin so that if sin remains it remains as a Burthen and Oppression upon me so that I am a sufferer forasmuch as I am quickned and made sensible of a better life of a godly Life I would fain be at it and live in it but Iniquity Lust and Corruption lies in the way He that hath quickned me so far as to bring me to a sense of the Burthen of sin my Faith tells me he will take the Burthen off else my faith will do me no good if that Corruption still prevail upon me if my Faith tells me this it will tell the wickedest Man in the World as much But if my faith tells me I am a sinner and my sin consists of this and the other evil thing I do and am inclined to do it tells me again that he that hath quickned me and brought me to a sense of sin he can take the burthen off from me Here now is a true Faith that begins in Conviction and ends in true Conversion this is the word of Faith which was delivered to the Saints and which we are to Preach They said of Oâ—d that the word of Faith which they had to Preach was that which was nigh in their mouth that they might heaâ— it and do it I have something nigh that reproves me for sin if I be Obedient to it then Faith giveth me victory over that which is sinful for which the word reproveth me and as I see Faith gives me victory over any Corruption which I have been strugling under Here I am incouraged to fix my Faith upon him that hath thus quickned me So that this is the difference between Faith in Christ at a distance and Faith that quickneth me by Gods Spirit that Spirit which hath been so much slighted in our days by the highest Notionists in our Age they have supposed it to be a meer fiction some have mocked and derided and others have been discouraged to speak of the Spirit of Christ and his operations upon the Soul some have declared it both in the Press and Pulpit that they have had no experience of the touches of Gods Spirit upon their Souls But our experience hath brought us to another degree of knowledge We know and you may know if you please and that before you sleep that there is a way opened God hath made a way for his Spirit to reach the Spirits of men to signifie immediately to their Spirits without means herein thou dost wrong and herein thou mayest have life and seek after it Now the Spiritth at thus worketh is the Spirit of Christ the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son that Voice in Man that tells them they might believe and be saved When he comes saith Christ He will lead you into all truth How shall the World know this is he He shall convince them of sin If there be any convincement that ariseth in Man of this and the other sin it must be from the way the holy Spirit hath upon their Spirits he hath a way to speak to men and every one that is a Lover of their own Souls are bound to hearken unto that voice In the latter days saith the Lord When I shall raise a Prophet in the midst of you whosoever will not hear that Prophet shall be cut off All Commentators agree on this Text that that
God's Spirit for there is a Seal upon them and none can open that Seal but The Lion of the Tribe of Judah he only is found worthy to unseal the Mystery and unseal the Divine Blessings that are with the Lord so that People must come to that retiredness of Spirit to that resignation of Soul that they are as a little Child waiting upon the Lord crying out unto the Lord that he will Prepare them That he will make rhem Hungry and then Feed them That he will raise a Thirst in them and then satisfie them with those Divine Springs of Life which through the Lord Iesus Christ are opened to every one that Believeth So far as your minds are stayed and setled waiting for the Lord you will feel in your selves an openness and readiness that if the Lord speaks you are ready to hear him ready to submit to his word ready to obey him that so there may be such an openness in the mind not to the words of any man but unto the word of God to receive that for where the words of men are received though never so excellent they convert not the Soul But the Word of the Lord is pure converting the Soul And this word is that which is able to Quicken those that are Dead in Sins and Trespasses and bring them to be made partakers of Life For it is not an encrease of knowledge that will do the turn but it is the increase of Life and Vertue the increase of Godliness and a Submitting of our Wills unto him that made us It is this that will do our turn this will bring Peace to the Soul and bring us into the Favour of God through our Lord Jesus Christ Now that all may feel that which Prepares the Heart for this resignation and quietness and subjection you must wait upon the Lord that ye may be made partakers of the blessings of of his Everlasting Gospel and of his Divine Presence This is that which is most profitable most advantagious And then the Lord will Open to you the Windows of Heaven and Rain down of those Blessings upon you whereby you will be comforted and refreshed far beyond all the Works that we can do for it is an inward Work that must be done upon the Soul to Convert People that have been Alienated and estranged from God and bring them to a Reconciled State through the Lord Jesus-Christ whereby they may partake of the Divine virtue which Sanctifies and justifies the Soul in the sight of God His Prayer after Sermon Most Glorious and Powerful Father thy Arm of Power is made bare in this our Day to bring Salvation to the Poor O Lord thou hast lifted up the Light of thy Countenance upon a People that have waited for thy Glory and thy Salvation a little Remnant whom the good of this World could not satisfie but O Lord in an acceptable time thou hast brought thy Salvation near and the Light and Brightness of thy everlasting Gospel thou hast commanded to shine into the Hearts and Souls of the Mourners and bowed down ones who are seeking the living God not among the outward Forms and ways of Men. But O Blessed Father of Life thou hast now brought us to the Day of thy Power and bowed our Wills and made us a willing People therein to serve thee and to do thy Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven and for that end O Lord thou hast put it into the Heart of thy People to wait upon thee in whom all our fresh Springs are that from thee we might receive the renewing of Power from Day to Day and in all the hours of our Temptations and Tryals our Eyes O Lord have been to thee and to thy Power and we acknowledge to the Glory of thy Power and Goodness that thou hast been a God nigh at hand when we have been seeking thee and trusting in thee so that we are a People sensible of thy Power and presence with us for that Eye which thou keepest open to thy Children It brings thy Glory to our view and shews it breaking forth over the Nations and we have great joy and satisfaction in beholding the Progress of thy Mighty Power in our Day how thou hast broken down and Confounded and art still breaking down and Confounding all the Dark imaginations and Devices of the Sons and Daughters of Men that have Conspired to hinder the breaking forth of the Glory of thy Son Christ Jesus O Powerful God of Life arise more and more in the greatness of thy Power and Love and make known thy Counsel and thy will among the inhabitants of the Earth and bow their minds O Lord and their Wills that none may dare to withstand thy appearance lest they be found fighters against God and destroyers of themselves O Powerfull Father for this end make bare thine Arm unto the Rulers and Governours of these Nations that they may know thy Counsels and bow to thy Heavenly Will and may promote thy Law of Righteousness in their own Hearts and the Hearts of others that by thy Power a Blessed Reformation may be wrought and iniquity have a stop put to it that it may not run down in a mighty Stream as it hath done in time past but that Truth and Righteousness and sound Judgment may be known in the Earth that they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness may have their Souls desires satisfied and so praise and thanksgivings shall arise from their Souls to thee O Powerful Father of Life preserve and keep thy Children whom thou hast gathered and Purged and Purified and to whom thou hast made known the way of Life and made them a willing People in the Day of thy Power to do thy will and to wait for the coming of that kingdom that thou hast promised to establish under Christ Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that it may grow and increase and be spread abroad upon the Earth and let every one desire to be the Subject thereof So Powerful Father of Life the Arm of thy Power and Invincible strength hath been Revealed that nothing hath been able to resist or stand against and prevail by which thou art planting Sion and building Jerusalem and establishing it By the same Power let thy Work be carryed on and many be brought in to be Subjâ—ct to Christ for the good of their Immortal Souls as thou hast multiplied thy Blessings among us so from Day to Day thou hast made us sensible of thy Love unto us owning us to be thy Children and peculiar People by thy presence in the midst of us when ever we meet in thy Name to wait upon thee that so living Father all thine both here and every where may be encou aged to attend upon thee and to be faithful to thy Power that wait for the opâ—ning of thy Counsels and the enlightning their understandings that they may be able to compâ—ehend with all Saints the height and depth
and length and breadth of thy Love in Christ Jesus that in the Sense of the freeness and greatness thereof all thy Children here and every where that in an everlasting Covenant of Grace thou hast gathered to thy self may have Communion with thee and thy Son and Spirit and may return thee the honour Glory and Praise of all thy Love and Mercy and Grace for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for ever and ever Amen Sermon III. The First and Great Commandment opened Or The Heart given up to God Preached at Devonshire-House May 27. 1688. VVHen God gave forth his Law on Mount Sinai which Israel was to hear and to obey The first great Commandment was Thou shalt have no other Gods before me here is the sum and substance of all the true Religion that ever was on the Earth to this day all the Commandments all the Precepts Prophecies and all the dealings of God with his People from that Day to this have been all contained in this short Precept thou shalt have no other Gods but me and as long as Israel stood in Obedience to this Command their Blessings were multiplied upon them their good things were increased from Day to Day The Lord was with them as long as they were willing to be his Pâ—â—ple he appeared as their God as their Defeâ—der wrought their Deliverances sought all their Battles for them gave them Dominion and Strength Courage and Wisdom Ministred out of his Treasury all good things unto them For the great Care of God Almighty was with all his People he had regard to them and visited them at all times to keep them from Idolatry I am saith he a Jealous God take notice of me to be so I am Jealous of my Name If thou wilt be mine thou shalt have no other Gods buâ— me And all the Precepts about Offerings and Sacrifices and making attonement for Sinners and the divers Services and Worship the various Offices in the Temple and Sanctuary they were all as outward means appointed of God to keep this outward Church in an inward Conformity to the Command of God This Command was written in Tables of Stone and these Tables were laid up in the Ark of God and all this pertained to the First Covenant and all this Typed and Figured out the Dispensation of the New and everlasting Covenant that God would make with his People not like unto the old How not like it Not like it in the outward Shadows the Types and Shadows of things but he would bring forth the Susbtance of all those Shadows and Types and would alter the Form and outward appearance of things For as God is unchangeable so his Law is unchangeable Moses saith the first and great Commandment is thou shalt have no other Gods but me This was put into the Stone Tables Christ Jesus saith the first and great Commandment is thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind Mat. 22 27. This is put into the Tables of the Heart So here is a difference between the first Commandment by Moses and the first Commandment by Christ they both acknowledge the first and great Command to be the subjecting of the Creature to him that made him as his God that he may only serve him that he may love him with his whole Heart The Jew could prove this by his Stone Tables and Christ proves this by the Fleshly Tables of the Heart for there he is bound to love the Lord with his whole Heart and to serve him onely him onely shalt thou serve Now here is the Jews Law brought over to the Christians in the greatest Point of Religion that ever was Preached that shuts out all Idolatry all Superstition all variety of Religions all is shut out by this Commandment and the Christian that hath the Law written in his Heart according to the new Covenant he can go as readily to it and read it as ever the Jew could go to his Stone Tables and read the Law there you cannot deny that if there be a thing written and Graven in my Heart I can go as readily to it as I can go to any Book or Table though I have the keeping of it But the Jews had not the keeping of it generally it was laid up in the Ark of God Now Friends that which lies upon my mind to speak to you at this time and that out of the great Love that I have to all your precious and Immortal Souls as God hath had a Love to mine is that you would all consider and weigh in the fear of the Lord whose presence is among us which of you and how many of you are come to the Obedience of this Commandment I do not doubt but the most of you can say them all but a happy People are you if you can do one I dare pronounce that Soul a blessed Soul that can perform this one Commandment that can or dare stand before his Maker and say O Lord I love thee with all my Heart with all my Soul and with all my Might my love is withdrawn from all other things in comparison of thee there is nothing in this whole World hath a place in my mind but as it is in subjection to the love of thee Here is the first and the great Commandment the unchangeable Law the Law that was good in Moses his Days and good in Christs Days and it holds good in our Days and indeed it is such a definitive Law that the Breakers of it can neither be good Jews nor good Christians there is an absolute necessity lies upon us of abstracting and drawing away our minds and Souls from all other Gods from all Images and other dependencies and trusts that People are naturally liable to trust to And to have their whole Confidence set upon the Lord but alas with Grief of Heart I speak it there are but a very few that as yet have known the right giving forth of the Law and there are a great many fewer that are subjâ—ct to it This Law was not given forth at first without Thunder and Lightning and a terrible noise and the Mountain smoaking he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear in so much as Moses himself said he feared greatly and he Quaked exceedingly because of the Thunder of the Almighty and the Mountain that smoaked and burned with Fire so that Israel could not draw nigh Now I say there are but a few that have come to the Knowledge of the giving forth of this Law that have certainly known those Thunders and that Terrible Work that the Lord of the whole Earth makes when he comes to set up his Law for a great many that have come nigh to it and might have heard and received the Words of the Law of God they have gone backward they have done like unto the Jews of old though they had suffered much and gone through much and had seen the Wonders of
Tenet and the other Tenet this Text and the other Text For my part I should only desire for you to Understand this Text and I should not doubt your going to Heaven Here is the Sum Here is all at once Here is the Quintessence of all Religion of all Types Shadows Figures Ceremonies and Priesthood and all that ever was or could be Named and Practised in the World all brought to this The Heart given up to God our Love set upon him What is this sufficient will some say This will make you a good Moral Man but what is this to the Christian Religion You may be led into Error and become an Heretick for all this How can this be that I should not be of a sound Faith but led into Error and Heresie for all this When People let in Error and Heresie and Unsoundness of Faith Where do they let it in Do they not let in the Principles of Errour and Heresie into their Hearts I believe this and that and the other Error it comes into the Heart and hath a seat in the Heart but how can we do that How can we let it into the Heart When the Heart is given up to God Cannot he keep out Error and Heresie if I give up my Heart and Soul to him Cannot I trust him with all This kind of talk of Error and Heresie hath come among Men that have had the keeping of their own Souls they have taken their own Souls into their own hands and have ordered their Religion themselves or have gotten some body to order it for them and a great many of them have met together to make Creeds and Catechisms and Confessions and Orthodox Doctrines that might certainly be professed and subscribed Afterwards some have come and found fault with them then they must have a Council to try them then these go off and are laid aside and others are given in the room of them so that these Men have set up for themselves These would not be under the Government and Prescription of God as Children under the Government of a Father but they will set up Religions themselves and say to the rest of the World if you own any thing contrary to our Principles you are an Heretick and being an Heretick you are to be rooted out and cut off Do not you read in the Scripture that whosoever hears not the Prophet that was to come into the World shall be cut off What will you not hear Christ speak in the Church Will not you hear Christ speak The Church cannot speak without a Head If you will not hear the Church you shall be cut off Then they have fallen to Hanging and Burning and Killing and Destroying People and Nations not a few And this comes from their making Faiths and Creeds and ordering Religion themselves all their Barbarous and Inhuman Cruelties Martyring and Dungeoning of People comes from their making Faiths themselves and of all things nothing is more desparately wicked and they did not know it The Heart is deceitful above all things and desparately wicked who can know it Men know not how Proud and Arrogant they themselves are and yet they would be ordering the Hearts and Minds and Consciences of others and out of this hath Sprung all Superstition and Idolatry because men would not give up their Hearts to God Thou shalt have no other Gods but me This Commandment is great in it self strict in the terms Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and thy Neighbour as thy self Their Neighbour could not see with their Eyes therefore there must be Hanging and Burning and Destroying one another But blessed be who is now bringing forth true Christianity upon its old Basis and Foundation whereon it was placed at first for Christianity hath been justled off from its first Foundation for instead of Loving God with all their Hearts and Loving their Neighbours as themselves they Hated them Now this is the Day O Friends the weight of it is great This I say is the Day whereâ—n God is bringing Christianity upon its old Foundation I would not have you think that I am here judging our Fore-fathers that are fallen asleep that therefore they are gone to Hell because they saw not this Day and Lived not to see the benefit of it that we enjoy I am far from it This was the thing that they believed and prayed to God for they did not see this Day outwardly but they saw it by Faith I my self when I was a Child I remember the People of God when they got three or four together they would rejoice in the Hope of what they Foresaw they gave Thanks to God for the Blessed Days that he would bring forth though they could not tell when they did say and believe that God would scatter the Foggs and Mists and bring forth an Happy Day wherein his People should have the Gift of his Spirit when they saw the Impositions and Persecutions of these times when they that did not Conform and Comply were cast into Prisons and thrown into Dungeons and Goals Well it will not always be thus say they there is a Day a coming wherein the Lord will set his People free from all the Yoaks of Oppression and from the Oppressour Indeed my Soul did rejoyce when I was hearing the Prophetical sayings of these good men and I thought I might live to see that Day Blessed be God that hath Preserved my Life to this Day and to this Hour to enjoy what they Prayed for They Prayed to God to scatter the Mists and Fogs that they might no longer Cloud and Darken Men's Minds and hinder them from enjoying God's Teaching Blessed be God that we are now in the injoyment of the Prayers of the Faithful that left the World before we were in it Now the Day is come that they Prayed for and Enquired after How strangely doth the Man Talk will some say concerning the Christian Religion The Christian Religion is all England over go to any Meeting in London except one and they will tell you they are Christians I would to God they were that is the worst I wish them all But what should we talk of the Christian Religion without the Christian Life Except we find that amongst them What signifies the Name and Profession of it And the Christian Doctrine is wanting in many places too There be many in this City urging this very Command of Loving God with all their Hearts and their Neighbours as themselves as fervently as I can do or any body else and yet they will tell you in the next breath that no man in London nor in all the World can do this No Man can possibly Love God with all his Heart Never a Man can be found that can perform such an Act as to Love his Neighbour as himself Not every Neighbour it may be but some one choice Associate he can pick out that he can Love and bear with his Infirmities and
to this pass to be at thy Wits end and not know which way to turn thee nor to whom to run for help or to ask Councel for thy Souls wellfare thou art come to the end of all and without hope then God reveals himself by his Son Jesus Christ Christ the Son of God is known by our coming to him but none can come unto Christ except the Father which hath sent him draw him When thou hast done with thy Gods and thrown away thy Idols to the Batts and Moles then thou wilt find the Lord and thou wilt cry out O that God would have mercy upon me and lift up the light of his Countenance upon me I am a poor miserabie Creature There are many that make such a Whining and Complaining that they take a pride in their very Complaints their Hypocrisie is so great I have known some that have prided themselves in wording their Condition and expressing their miserable case before the Lord but suppose thou canst not speak at all but feelest thy self miserable thou canst not express thy Condition At such a time as this God was drawing thy Soul to Christ Jesus the Mediator of it I have heard of a Mediator and that there is Balm in Gilead for me that there is a Physitian there that there is one Physitian even Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant thou hast sinned against him and grieved him yet he stands with open Arms for thee ready to receive thee and embrace thee where stands he He stands at the Door and Knocks it is a small matter one would think to let him in Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the Door and knock and if any man heâ—r my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Here is good News for a hungry Soul if any such be here Christ the Mediator stands at the Door and Knocks he will come in and Sup with thee if thou open to him then we shall meet with the Lords Supper This is the Lord we will wait for him he will bring his Bread with him The Bread of Life and the Wine of his Kingdom And the Lords Supper will be celebrated without cavilling and jangling Now because we do not pervert the Scripture I would have you â—hat understand Books read what Commentators say what those of this and former Ages say upon this Text whether they do not Consture and Deliver in their Opinions that this Knocking at the Door is Christs Calling the Soul by his Grace and this Door is the Door of the Heart and Christs Calling the Soul by his Grace and Spirit to let him in by Faith This is their Judgment and Sense and their Sense is mine and I believe the Genuin Sense of the Text that Christ would have People think he is near to them and that he would have People open their Hearts and Receive him by Faith for to be a Saviour to them No that saith Flesh and Blood I cannot bear I cannot consent to have him for my Saviour I will not let him in for he is like Micaiah to Ahab He never speaks good concerning me For if I have him for my Saviour I must part with my Lusts and Pleasures if there be any other Saviour I will try and not meddle with him He will spoil all our Mirth and good Society he will tell me of every Idle word that I shall speak I must give an Account thereof at the Day of Judgment What do you think that I can like such a Saviour That I can live with such a one as will call me to an Account for every word I speak and that if I speak one idle word Judgment will come upon me No I will try one and another rather than accept of him upon such terms I am one that am joyned to such a Church and enjoy such and such Ordinances and such Helps I am in Covenant with God and under the Seals of that Covenant I am Baptized and do partake of the Lords Supper which is another Seal of the Covenant I hope it will be well with me I will go something farther another saith we must have a Mediator I will go to the Virgin Mary and offer something to her and pray to her Saith another I will go to Saint James and Saint John and other Saints to Intercede with God for me They must have some Mediator This is the Twisting and Twining of the Sons and Daughters of Men to keep out Christ the Great Mediator who came into the World for this purpose to destroy the works of the Devil Alas I have nothing left but my bare Life and Living in the World I have nothing left me but some Liâ—tle desire I had to please God and that he will never Judge and Condemn me for but my false dealing and buying and selling with Deceit He will Judge this and Condemn it And my Discoursing of things without me all my Carnal Friendship and Love of the World and my vain Fashions all that is Corrupt and Defiled these he came on purpose to destroy He came to destroy boâ—h the Devil and his Works What can a man Live in the World and never joyn wiâ—h the Devil Never Sin at all Never do any thing that the Devil would have him do There is no Perfection in this World no living without Sin here then I am sure there is no Unity with Christ here and if there be no Unity with Christ then there is none with God the Father What will become of thee now What will all the pleaders for that opinion say now There is some thing stands betwen God and me and I shall never have Peace and what is that It is Sin I would have my Sin taken away else I had better never been born Canst thou remove Sin out of thy Heart I have tryed but I cannot do it I have heard of Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant He saith he came into the World and that for this purpose he was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Now Sin in my Heart is the Devils work I will see if he will destroy that for me I will trust and rely upon him and see if his great Power can destroy it in me Here People come rightly to believe in him that God hath sent and trust in him and he will take them in and like a Chirurgion he will rip up their Hearts and lâ—t out their Corrruptions though there hath been never so much Rottenness and he will heal them and purifie them and pardon them though they have been never so wicked if they come to him when thy Sins are set in order before thee then thou cryest out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Is it God that hath thought of me and waited to be Gracious and hath born my Sin long how wonderful is his patience towards me All these things
they would give more reverence and respect to it It is this that brings those that Preach Christ to Preach him in those terms and under those Denominations that he is nigh them We do not doubt of Christs being born of a Virgin in the Land of Canaan and that he wrought Miracles and Preached many Godly Sermons and that he was Crucified Dead and Buried and Rose again from the Dead for these things are certainly true we would have him our Saviour in this Age we would have a nearer knowledge of him and a sense and feeling of the virtue of that Power by which he saved them that lived in former Ages He is not a Christ and a Saviour of one Age only but of all Ages to this Day from Adam to the last Man that shall live upon the Earth That Age and Generation that knoweth not Christ will not be saved by him if there be any Age wherein he is not known There is no other Name under Heaven by which you can be saved if you ask where is this Saviour Say not in thy Heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall Descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach He is nigh thy Soul he is the Lord of Life and a Quickenning Spirit If I know that Quickening Spirit after this I know the Lord Christ when he comes to work in me by his Power changing my Heart and translating me from Death to Life then I know the true Christ God hath manifested in all Ages that it is the Duty of People to come to the knowledge of the Son of God for he hath sent forth his Spirit for to teach us and to lead us into all truth For when Christ was with his Disciples he told them that he would pray the Father and he should send the Spirit the Comforter and when he came he would be known by his Divine and Inward Teachings and Operations guiding and leading them into all Truth that was his work to them But what shall other Folks do He will be made known to others too When he comes He shall convince the World of Sin So that his work to his Disciples was to lead them into all Truth and his work to the Woâ—ld is to convince the World of Sin Who will deny but that there is a Spirit in our Age as well as in other Ages that will convince men of Sin Is this the Spirit of God that convinceth the World of Sin or is it the Spirit of the QUAKERS only When People come to consider really and truly how they may serve God aright they will find there is no serving God aright unless they come to Christ the Mediator that in and by him they may put up suppplications to God and through him they may expect at the hands of God Peace and comfort and there is no other way nor never will be The Jews they had another way they had an outward way of serving God this stood in divers Offerings Sacrifices Washings and Observations this was a way of worship of Gods own institution to that People but what came of it When the Apostle came to grasp it he said The commers thereunto were not made perfect What were the transgressors of it then They that would sin on and continue in sin and not bring a Goat or a Ram or other Oblation they that did observe it and came up to the point of the Law they did bring their Offering when they were convinced of their Sin If a man sinned he was to bring a Hee Goat and to bring it to the Door of the Tabernacle but when he sinned the conscience of sin the guilt of sin remained upon him For it was impossible saith the Apostle that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away the Sin For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the Unclean Sanctifieth to the Purifying of the Flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit Offered himself without spot to God Purge your Consciences from Dead works to serve the Living God When there is no hope of attonement and reconciliation with God by all those offerings under the Law he tells you of one offering of the Son of God himself through the Eternal Spirit by which he became a a Propitiation for thus will it do If I believe that Christ offered an Holy Offering to the Father for my sins I believe he offered his Body and that through the Eternal Spirit that he might be a propitiation for sin and take away sin and have Power over Sin and Death and conquer Death and Darkness the Apostle drives the matter farther you must come to the inward Work of this outward Offering this Eternal Offering that was in due time Offered to God you must come to know the Operation of it by the sprinkling of the Heart from an evil Conscience so that there was to be an Applicatory Faith for the offering of that The way to a Saviour was not made by Man no more than the way of Salvation by Christ was found out by Man No more than the Application of the benefits is effected by man Where it pleaseth God to call a People by his Grace he calleth them to his Son not by this and the other Form No man cometh to me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him The first thing that a Man or Woman comes to be aware of is the secret sense and feeling of the Lords Divine Power upon the Heart to seek Christ Jesus As soon as they feel this and embrace it this will be a Token of the Love of God I hope all this Congregation will acknowledge that they have sometimes felt his drawings and that they have not embraced and closed with them so well as they ought When the People are aware of these drawings Inwardly to Holiness and Righteousness and are sensible that they should with care and intention close with them for the good of their Poor Souls and that it concerns them to be happy in the other World that World that is to come and therefore resolve to be led by these drawings of the Spirit of God these are not weeds that grow in the Field Naturally These are sparks of Divine Fire kindled in the Hearts of Men by God himself No Man comes unto God till God cometh to him and touches him and gives him sense and motion these are the motions and stirrings of Gods Holy Power in the hearts of many that are wicked and Abominable Yet the Lord doth not despise the work of his own hands but reacheth to such When the Lord meets with these that Despise not but highly Prize this wonderful Grace and Close with it and are Glad of it such a one
thy Divine Almighty Power that they might appear in the Earth to the Praise and Glory of thy great Name And O Lord as thou hast begun a great Work in the Earth so thou hast committed this great Work to thy Servants and Children that bear thy Name among the Sons of Men that they should shew forth thy Righteousness among the Inhabitants of the Earth And our Souls have said many times who is fit and sufficient for these things All our sufficiency and Preparation is from thee do thou make bare thine Arm and Reveal and make known thy Power We have found thy Presence with us from day to day and thou hast upheld them that know thy Love O Glorious God of Life herein we have Encouragement to go on in the work that thou hast called us to Hereby we are enabled to Worship before thee and to offer up Living Praises to thy great Name for that Consolation that thou hast Ministred unto thy People And O living Father we have never waited upon on thee in Vain when ever we have met together in thy Name we have found thy Divine presence and the opening of the Treasures of thy Love of thy Wisdom and of thy Favour unto thy Children so that from day to day and even at this day thou remembrest thy People and givest them fresh occasions to draw nigh to thee and to receive their daily nourishment and strength from the Operation of thy Power O living God of Life gather up the Hearts of thy People more and more unto thy self and draw them into a nearness to thy self that their Understandings may be more opened to discern thy will and subject themselves to thy Wisdom that every thought that is exalted against thy Divine Power and living Voice in their own Consciences may be brought down That so all the Nations of the Earth may bow before thee that so thy truth may Reign and thy Power may be exalted and the Righteousness which thou hast revealed may shine out more and more in the brightness and glory of it and inlighten those that are afar off that they may be brought to seek after thee And O thou living God of life and power let those that are bowed down under the weight of Sin be supported and raised up And let those that are weary and heavy laden have rest to their Souls Powerful God of life keep thy People in the fresh and living sense of thy love and of thy Heavenly Vertue by which thou nourishest thy Children and satisfiest them from Day to Day not only when they are met together but when they are separated from one another let thy People be preserved from the World while they are in it and let thy Wisdom and Power give them Victory over it That thou mayest have the Glory of all thy Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to them for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon VI. The Divine Monitor OR Light from Heaven Preached at Grace-Church-Street June 19. 1692. IT is a great Priviledge to the Sons and Daughters of Men that it hath pleased God Almighty to open a way how they may come to the true Knowledge of himself And O that there was a Heart in every one of us that could rightly prize this Priviledge as they ought to do for in the Knowledge of the true God consists our true Happiness and without this the mind of no Man or Woman can be be good there is nothing seasons the mind and Soul of Man and prepares and fits it for an everlasting well-being but the Divine Knowledge of the living God that made him And there is a Propensity in the Soul of Man even since the Fall to return again to God and to have that acquaintance and Communion with the Lord that Man had before he fell and they that have regard to that inward spark of Divine Love that they find in their own Souls towards God they will experience that the Lord is merciful and Gracious and Propitious to that which is of himself For though the Soul is lost and Man is lost through transgression and a great Alienation is happened between him and his Maker yet the Mercy of the Lord endureth for ever And his kindness and favour to lost Man is such that he stretcheth out his hand all the day long and presents and offers to the Children of Men a Friendship and Acquaintance and a Communion again with him and though by Sin and Transgression there is a rebellous Nature grown up in the Sons and Daughters of Men yet the Soul of Man is not wholly so there is something that strives and labours in a contrary way and persuades the Soul to turn again unto the Lord and to wait for the knowledge of God and whosoever hearkens with care and diligence to that Divine Monitor that is daily drawing and persuading People to seek after God they come to understand that the Lord is not so Angry with Mankind but his Love and Mercy and Good-will reaches towards all the Sons and Daughters of Men and the Bar that hinders their Communion with God and Peace with God it is not in the Lord but it is in themselves and therefore the remedy must be wrought in themselves This is evident to every Eye that there is something gotten into Mankind which the Holy God cannot own and can never have fellowship with That is another contrary Spirit hath wrought upon the Souls of People and hath seduced and drawn them out to that which is unholy and contrary to God and the terms of Gods Covenant with Mankind which is that he should forsake that which the contrary Spirit hath wrought Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts Why should he forsake his ways Because the Lord never led him to those ways He that made him never led him into them but the Devil the Enemy of Mankind seduced him into those ways therefore the Creatour cries out to him Let the wicked forsake his Ways and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts I cannot have union with him as long as he walks in his evil ways I cannot dwell in his mind so long as evil thoughts are in it so may the Lord complain of the works which the Devil hath wrought that Man is carryed away from God by his evil thoughts and the works of the Devil Why doth not God destroy those works when he is Almighty and able to do it Very true God is so but he hath offered to Mankind through the Son of his Love a way and means how Man may come to be purged and cleansed from the evil that the Devil hath wrought in him and how he may come to be reconciled to God God hath not chosen the way of Coertion and Force and to work altogether by irresistible Power that Man shall go to Heaven whether he will or no there was no force used for his going to Hell and Darkness but
that inhabits Eternity yet he dwells with meek humble and contrite Hearts that tremble at his word If I be one of the number of those that tremble at Gods word I have Gods promise that he will come Home to me and dwell with me It is well for thee if the over-ruling Power of God hath prevailed upon thee that thou canst be willing to be at Gods Disposal and say Lord What wouldst thou have me to do Therefore Friends I would advise you all in Love to your Souls that when God desires your Hearts that you would give them up to him that there he may delight to dwell and have his habitation Hearken to Gods Voice and have regard to his word which is a more sure word than any Man 's in the World There is a more sure word of Prophecy saith the Apostle unto which you will do well to take heed This will check you and reprove you when you do Evil and shew you wherein you have Transgressed and will encourage you and be a Comfort to you when you do that which is good This will make you wise to Salvation and throughly furnish you and give you understanding for every good work This word will tell you this you must not do lest you offend God and wound your Conscience and grieve the Holy Spirit this word will help you so to speak as to Administer Grace to the hearers such a one as hath regard to this word hath a Chaplain in his own Bosome That will direct and teach him how to stear his course and order his Conversation among Men and how to serve God acceptably This High Priests Lips will preserve knowledg even Jesus Christ The Righteous who speaks to us in his Word we can do nothing but by his Direction If you come to him to lead to you into all truth he will bring you the Father reconcile you to him that you may obtain his Favour and Everlasting Life when one of Christs Disciples said Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Jesus saith unto him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father And How sayest thou then shew us the Father If you subject your selves to Christ and to the Government of his Spirit he will bring you to that Life and Immortality that fadeth not away This hath been our Labour and Travel from time to time to Preach Christ among you and not to Preach our selves and gather a Church for our selves but to gather a People in to Christ who is Lord of Heaven and Earth We would Preach Christ Jesus the Lord we would not have you Admire Mens words and sayings and charge your Memory with them But we would have you remember the words and sayings of Christ who is the great Mediatour to reconcile Man again to God that you may know him by his Power working effectually in your hearts we Labour for nothing else and we want nothing else We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christs stead be ye Reconciled to God That you may so Live that whether you Eat and Drink or whatsoever you do you may do all to the Glory of God your great Creatour that hath given his Son to Die for you and Redeem you from all Iniquity that you might be a peculiar People zealous of all good Works Therefore let God have all the Honour and Glory for all his mercies and Blessings Let us render to him Hearty Praises and Thanksgivings for his wonderful Love and ackowledg that it is a great priviledg that we may obtain by Jesus Christ even to be brought again to the true knowledg of the living God which we lost by our Transgression His Prayer after Sermon GLorious art thou in thy Appearances O Lord and very wonderful is thy Power and thy ways past finding out And in this thy glorious Day thou art opening a way for the Sons and Daughters of Men to return to thee And O Lord those whose Eyes thou hast opened rejoyce and are Glad because they have seen the way of thy Salvations and the breathings of their Souls are that their Feet may be kept therein and that they may make straight steps in their way to thy kingdom And O Lord we are sensible that our strength and our Power and our Ability is only in thee and therefore are the Souls of thy Children bowed and subjected to thee Waiting for the Renewing of thy Power that as our Temptations are renewed from Day to Day that thou wouldest make known thy Power in us that we may feel the stretching forth of thy hand to save thy little Ones out of the hands of the Destroyer And so Powerful God of life break forth more and more in thy Glory and make known thy Power in expelling the Clouds of darkness and ignorance and bring the Minds and Understandings of thy People to know thee more and more till they come to the blessed Inheritance among the Saints in Light Holy and Powerful Father break in upon thy People by thy Almighty Power and scatter the dark Clouds of Temptation and cause the light of Life to shine upon them thou that hast commanded the Light to shine out of darkness do thou shine into the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Open their Hearts that they may receive thy Truth and make tender their hard Hearts that they may live to thee that Created them and give a comfortable Account to thee of their Thoughts Words and Actions and let them turn to thee before it be too late to repent them Powerful God of Life thy mercies and loving kindness do abound to a little Remnant that do believe in Christ and do trust in thy great Name Thou hast been with them in their fiery tryalls and tribulations and to this Day thou hast been the glory of our Assemblies and the joy of our meetings We are sensible of thy holy Power working in our Souls and of thy renewing thy love upon us All that want a full sense thereof that are seeking and crying after thee for it O let them be brâ—ught to a due sense of God O arise for the help and the Comfort of the Sorrowful the Sighing and the needy Soul pour forth the treasures of thy love upon them that follow hard after thee and breath for deliverance that so Powerful God of life praises may arise to thee for all thy mercies and abounding blessings for thy goodness and loving kindness bestowed upon us from time to time Most Powerful God of life and light let the Eye of thy Favour be turned upon this Land of our Nativity spare the inhabitants of this City and Nation that they may seek after thee let them know the weight of thy Hand upon them to bow them down to humility and brokenness of Heart Give them Repentancee for their Sins Living God of life display thy Power to all from the highest to the lowest among us and advance the kingdom of our