exercisâ— of Humility and Watchfulness as becomeâ— Christians for there is now as much Danger and Peril in this time of Liberty and Tranquility as there was before If any one in the time of Persecution and Suffering hath said within himself I had better give over and part with the Truth and forsake the ways of the Lord and give over my Testimony for his Name for I shall be undone and ruined in the World this Man by his carnal Fears hath lost his Testimony So likewise if a Man in this time of liberty and freedom of serving the Lord and bearing Testimony to his Name if he shall not intirely trust in the Lord to carry him on in his Work and Service and continue his dependance upon him and wait for the Assistance of the holy Spirit of God to work in him to will and to do of his good Pleasure this Man shall lose his Testimony as well as the other Therefore let every one of you keep up a dependance upon Gods holy Spirit for carrying on the Work which he hath begun in your Souls consider what Work it is that Christ is now at in every one of you I know what his Work was when I was first Convinced he was burning up and hewing down every thing that hindered his carrying on the Work of Sanctification and Redemption and Settledness and Stability in the Covenant of Life and Peace So that our meeting together ought to be â—n the Name of Christ I hope it is so with most of you I hope it is not to see and hear what this or that Man saith but to know within your selves what part of the Work of Redemption the Lord Jesus Christ is carrying on that you may join with him and be a willing People in the Day of his Power and say as Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do If thou wilt have me part with my all Lord here it is I offer it up and if thou wilt have any Service done Lord here I am Speak for thy Servant heareth let there be in every one of you an attentiveness and an humble waiting upon the Lord and say as the Psalmist Behold as the Eyes of Servants look unto the hands of their Masters and as the Eyes of a Maiden unto the hands of her Mistress so our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God until he have mercy upon us When ever a Christian hath his dependance upon God's Wisdom and Power such a one shall never want Wisdom the Lord will give him Wisdom to preserve him against all the Wiles of Satan and he shall never want Power for the Lord will enable him to fulfil and perform what he requireth of him he shall be replenished with Judgment and Understanding Ability and Power to direct him into the good ways of God and to enable him to walk in them It is the earnest desire of my Soul that every one of you may be exercised in those things which are profitable for you and which may be comfortable to your Friends and Brethren that you may all grow up into a stability and stedfastness in the good ways of the Lord that you may not be shaken and tossed with every Storm and Tempest that when there comes a time for the trial of your Patience and Fortitude and Courage you may not be tossed to and fro like Children but be stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord that so living in all holy Obedience and patient continuing in well-doâ—ng you may have a constant Supply of Strength and Power from God ministred unto you by his Holy Spirit SERMON VIII No true Worship without the right Knowledg of God Preached at Grace-church-street May 24. 1688. My Friends THere is no Man can truly worship God till he comes to a measure of certain Knowledge of him for all the Worship in the World where the Vail of Ignorance still prevails upon the Mind is all abominable there is no acceptance with God There must be a knowledge of God before there can be a true Worshipping of him for they that worship before they know God they worship they know not what they worship a God they have heard of but do not know so every one that would be a true Worshipper must first come to that which giveth a true knowledge that raiseth up a certainty in the Mind This is the Lord we will trust in him this is our God and we will serve him And that all People might come to this certainty of Knowledge therefore it is that God hath sent forth his Spirit that the things of God might be communicated by the Spirit of God for without the Assistance of this Spirit Men seek after the Knowledge of God in vain If they seek after the Knowledge of God they cannot find it and if they seek after the Worship of God and after Acceptance with God they cannot find it so that all Religion and religious Performances that People are exercised in where the Spirit of Truth hath not the beginning they will all prove fruitless in the end There be wise Men in the world and they have imployed their wisdom to find out the true God but God in wisdom hath ordained that the world by all their wisdom shall not know him so there is an end of all their Labour How shall they know him then As none can know the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him so none can know the things of God but the spirit of God so that they that resist the Guidance Direction and Counsel of the Spirit of God are like unto those that would enter into a House or Pallace and remember not the Door that leads into it People would fain come into the Divine Knowledge and into the understanding of Divine Mysteries but they would come by it another way they would study for it they would learn it by Arts and Sciences they would attain it by their own Industry and herein they labour to excel one another If there comes a Man among them that tellâ— them Friends you are all out of the way then they are angry and instead of enquiring what is the way they are angry that their way must be rejected Friends you will never come to the Knowledge of God but by the Spirit of God then they mock and then they scoff and scorn the Doctrin of the Spirit for the Teaching of the Spirit hath been the common Scorn and Derision of our Age. It is so in our Day with many if they cannot come to the Knowledge of God any other way but by the Spirit they would deny to make use of that to be subject to that and these put their Trust in their own Power and Industry to find out the Mystery of the Knowledge of God so they are ever learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth How should they How can a People come to the Knowledge of the
in the World but letting her Ear hearken to this Old Serpent she was beguiled there grew up a Consultation in her reasoning part It may be so as he saith I will try So I say to you that are come to a state of Sanctification and in some measure to know the cleansing Power of God and that you have not believed in it in vain but it hath effectually wrought some Change and Alteration in you and is still carrying on the Work of your Salvation Many Temptations will attend you and many Snares will be laid in your way but God hath preserved you to this Day I know the Devil 's Wiles and Temptations are manifold they are fitted to every one's Inclinations fitted to every Opportunity and to every occasion in this World Men are tryed every way by the Tempter to see which way he may ensnare them he tries every way to ensnare and entangle the simple that he may turn them to the right-Hand or to the left that their Souls may be destroyed and perish I cannot speak to you by a more emphatical word by a more familiar Exhortation than this Take heed you be not beguiled as Eve was many will be tempted as she was but I would not have you do as she did and yield to the Temptation Take heed that you do not defile your selves but keep your garments white you that have been washed and cleansed labour to keep your selves unspotted from the world this is pure religion and undefiled that which hath enlightned many a Nation and shall enlighten many of those whose Religion is to be undefiled and to keep themselves unspotted from the world I pray God increase the number of them that so the blessed Work of Sanctification that hath begun in this way may be carried on to his Praise and the Salvation of our Souls to the spreading forth of his Glory and the exalting of his Name that the Strangers which are scattered and desolate may be brought into his holy Way and walk in it that we all in a Fellowship together walking in that holy way may through the Eternal Spirit offer Praise and Tanksgiving to God who is worthy to receive Glory and Honour Power and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SERMON IV. Baptism and the Lord's Supper Asserted Preached at Grace Church-street April 15th 1688. If any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his IF I should say no more there is that in every ones Conscience that will make Application If he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his you may say Whose is he then If they be none of Christ's that have not his Spirit whose are they They are all his whose Spirit rules them every one of us doth belong to him whose Spirit ruleth over us unto whose Power we are subjected You know this distinguisheth People in the World One King knoweth his Subjects from another King's Subjects they are under the Obedience of this that and the other King or Prince his Law is over them they are subject to it so here is a Decision of all the People in the World who they belong to We all of us I hope do expect there will be a Decision at the Day of Judgment and believe the things we read concerning that That there will be a Decision and some will be placed on the right-Hand and some on the left-Hand some will have the Sentence of Come ye blessed and others the Sentence of Go ye cursed but now there is a way of finding out the Decision of the Matter before we go out of the World before the Day of Judgment when there will be no Remedy that is then it must be and abide so now there is no need it should continue so if it be amiss it may be mended if I do not belong to the right Prince if I be not under the right Power and Spirit I may be for now it is a day of Grace a day of Mercy I have been a Rebel to the right Prince I may be pardoned and taken into Favor it is far better for People to know their state now than to know it then because then there will be no Remedy The Apostle in laying down Fundamental Apostolical Doctrines that were to be belived and taken notice of and are in our Age so that we may say Things written of old time were written for our learning he makes this Affirmation and Position of Doctrine He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his he doth not belong to him if he be called a Christian he is not a Christian if he hath not the Spirit of Christ It is but a Name he hath got he hath not that which makes him essentially so for nothing can make a Christian but having the Spirit of Christ therefore when they would vindicate their being Christians they prove it thus For he speaking of God hath sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts and we know the mind of Christ we know him that is true or we are in him that is true These things if they were right if they were true were evident Demonstrations that they were a sort of Men who depended more upon thâ— Spirit and spiritual Teachings and Spiritual Guidance than upon Rules and Methods of Teaching that were in the World I speak of this Friends because you know as well as I how averse this Age of ours hath been to have any thing spoken of Spiritual Dispensations or about spiritual Teachings though a Man hath been counted formerly a wise Man a learned Man a Man of parts if once he come to smatter out a little about inward Teaching it is enough to spot him and make him ridicul'd of his Acquaintance as if there were no such thing in the World We have a Book called the Bible it is from one end to the other full of such Expressions of being led by the Spirit you have an anointing which teacheth you all things The whole Tenor of the New Testament is about Spiritual Teaching and Divine Operarations and of Faith being the operation of God and the Old Testament hath abundance of Expressions by way of Prophecy that in the New Testament Dayes if People would look for the Law of God they must look for it in their Hearts and if they would know God they must look to the mediator the Lord Jesus Christ The New Testament seems to go that way Christians should be the most Spiritual People in the World that is the Guide the Rule But say they the Scripture is the Foundation of Faith and Manners Belief and Practice this is but Dissimulation I am afraid that is to be found in some What is the Scripture the Rule of Faith and may People believe what they find in Scripture Yes but say some it is best be aware for fear of Error What is in the Scripture is serious sound and orthodox and did Quakers think you never find in Scripture that People
Nations of Europe now inhabited with such a People that are calling upon the Name of the Lord but every one worshipping their own Gods one makes Gold and Silver his God another makes his Pleasure his God another his Honour another this that and the other Lust and they bow down to them that is they yield themselves to their Lusts concupisence and corruptions that they stand in unity with but they call upon the Name of the Lord too they do apply themselves to some kind of form of worship which they say is unto the immortal and invisible God but alas they come not to the Knowledge of God by this All that the Priests could do that the King of Assyria sent back they brought not the Samaritans to the Knowledge of the God of Israel they only brought them to a Report of such a God that had set up such a Law They had the Report of it and for fear that the Lions should tear them in pieces they would enter into that Form but they worshipped their own Gods still So it is now People do not come to the Knowledge of the true God the living God by entring into any Form of Religion for instance Prayer Hearing or any Ordinance or Church-Fellowship these give give not Men the Knowledge of God there is but one way to come to that but only one Men have found a great many it is past your Skill and mine to reckon up the many ways that Men have found out upon the Face of the Earth how they might come to the Knowledg of God and to Peace and Reconciliation with him but they have only play'd the Fools and spent their Time in vain especially they that own the Scriptures of Truth to be a true and faithful Record of the Mind and Will of God they play the Fool abominably for the Scripture that they give so much Reputation to in their Profession doth testifie the way is but one and there is no other way for People to be reconciled to God than by coming in to Christ to be found in him to be regenerated and born into his Nature and have his Qualities put upon them That as he was pure they may be pure that 〈◊〉 that sanctifieth and they being sanctified 〈◊〉 him may become both one and so be recâ—â—ciled to the father through him This you know is the common Profession of Christendom or at least of our Nation And in other Nations the common Profession is There is no Mediator but one no Reconciler but one Indeed some others hold there may be other Mediators and that there are others that may contribute to them by their Mediation and by their Prayers and Merits but the generality of the Nation are otherwise Now for People to fall out and say my way is best and thy way is not best and to fall into Contests about many ways when the Scripture concludes but one Way is not well We were better all agree about this Doctrin That there is no possibility of Reconciliation with God since we are fallen out with him and since Sin hath made a separation there is no way of being reconciled again to God but by and through our Lord Jesus Christ nor by him neither unless we receive of his Spirit to quicken us nothing can quicken us enliven us or recommend us to God but the Spirit of Christ operating and working in our Hearts that he may prepare us for the Father's Kingdom If People would agree upon this there would be an end of all Labour and Toyl and Jangling about the right way for the Consequence and Conclusion would be thus That Man that doth not know in himself the â—anctifying Power of the Spirit of Christ Jesus he is out of the way to Reconciliation with God let his Form and Profession be what it will If therefore he be reconciled to God it must be by and through the Mediator and he will never recommend him to the Father till he hath made him a Temple to let in the Spirit of Christ to work in his Heart to fit him for the Kingdom of God And Men have no other way to come to it for though they be zealous in every Prayer and Form it signifies nothing to any great purpose their Hope will be frustrated There is no other way saith Christ of coming to the father but by me I am the way the truth and the life If I am out of the Truth I am out of the way and if I am out of the way then I cannot come to the end of the Way This is plain reasoning among Men If I tell a Lie that is out of the Truth If I have vain Communication or deceive or wrong my Neighbour that is out of Truth what is manifest in my Conscience to be contrary to the Truth if I am in it I am out of the way though I be strict in the way as to Profession yet I am out of the Way to God I am out of the Truth there is no way to God but by Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life whoever is out of him is out of the Way which made the Apostle say That his labour endeavour and desire was that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousness but having on the righteousness of Christ Jesus Many Men think to recommend themselves to God by their righteous just and honest Dealings and doing Wrong to no Body This is good in it self but doth not recommend us to God unless it be done by the righteous and holy Spirit of Christ Jesus unless it be of his Working he must have the working of Righteousness and Truth in us he must plant it and it must grow by his working if it be acceptable to the Father for without me saith Christ you can do nothing A Man out of Christ a Stranger to his Spirit may do something but nothing available to the well-being of his Soul till he have Reconciliation by Christ Jesus If he be reconciled to God this Mediator must be the Reconciler and he must fit and prepare him for Reconciliation with the Father All the Divisions Sorts and Sects of Religion they all come to an end if this Measuring Line be laid to them they all appear too short and there is nothing will do a Man good but that Religion that obligeth and tyes him to the good Pleasure of God through the Spirit of the Mediator which he feels working in him by which he is raised from Death to some degree of Life When he is sensible what a Burthen sin is to his Life and that godly Life which he hath is burthened with every Sin and oppressed with every vain Thought and every vain Word If he be not in some measure quickned 〈◊〉 â—ot sensible of this Burthen but being quickned he is sensible of the Burthen that lies upon his Life by reason of his Sin and then being under the Weight of his Sin he calls to God
foundation of their Faith present with them that they may feel the object of their Faith where they hope for Help where they hope for Comfort and Strengthening to be present with them Now every one that believeth in the word of God their care is that they may know this Word of God that they may hear it feel it and behold the beauty of it under the Exercises of it how it conducts and leads how it counselleth and adviseth that so in all things they are to pass through they may not be as those that have run into it as those that do this and that of their own Wills but may be properly Followers of something I go into this or that or the other thing not to do mine own Will not that I run into it but I am lead into it my Leader goes before me the Word of God that hath conducted me and led me I am a Follower of God in all his Dispensations in all his Leadings and Guidings I am to follow him for he teacheth me his way he instructeth me in the true way The best of all his Scholars and Disciples they are to be led and guided into that Work and Service they are to do that they may run into no Irregularity or Absurdity for he will lead them into Holiness Righteousness and Humility where all become the Servants of God in Christ Jesus and Servants to one another There is a mutual Concord and Harmony in the Work of this Spirit in the Service of this Power where every one finds what they are appointed and directed to and all the Members of the Body of Christ know they ought not to be disjointed and rent and separated one from another but tyed together in Joints and Bands to edify one another in the Love of God so thâ—â— here is one Spirit that hath been the Guide of this one People in all Ages Many People have been guided by many Guides and they have been scattered divided and separated one from â—nother and have been under this that and the other Name but all Gods People have been guided by the Spirit of Christ that universal Spirit that is one with God In the Old Testament times and the New Testament times they were all led by the universal Spirit of Christ and they were of one Heart and of one Mind serving the Lord there was a Concord and Unity among them and if at any time any Discord or Division happened it was because the roaring Lyon that goes about continually seeking whom he may devour had found some or other that he might devour and draw into his Snares and Gins for there are some that he may and some that he may not Who are they that this roaring Lion may destroy The Devil knows who those are that he may prevail upon he knows that those which are in the Hands of God are out of his reach My Father saith Christ is greater than all and none shall pluck them out of my Fathers hands yet doubtless those that are in the Fathers Hands are tempted and tried the roaring Lion goes about seeking to devour them if he might a Man that he devours he swallows up with Prejudice Enmity Coveteousness and Pride and he will lead him into any evil thing he hath many Gulphs to swallow Meâ— up into but if he meet with one that is kept in God's Hands he knows such a one is out of his reach and he is not able to catch him If he meet with a Man that he can prevail over as he did over our Father Adam and Mother Eve that are in their own Hands that stand upon their Wit and Parts and Knowledge and Eloquence those that stand upon these things as their Foundation they are in their own keeping these are they whom he may devour and catch and ensnare in one or other of his Gins and swallow them up in one of his Gulphs and Temptations But seeing God hath opened and manifested these things by his Spirit and seeing the secret Wiles of Satan are discovered and made knoâ—n by the shining of his Light how ought every one that is a Believer of the Truth to depend upon God for his Protection and be careful that he goes not out of his Fathers Hands that he never trust himself to his own keeping for his Security and Preservation lest he meet with a Temptation that may swallow him and devour him I remember our Lord Jesus Christ when he was upon Earth he put his Disciples in mind of what happened long before Remember Lot's Wife You may take notice of her the Power of God took hold of her and brought her out of Sodom and was leading her to a place of safety but she had something of Adaâ—'s Apostacy in her Nature she looked back and was turned into a Pillar of Salt Our Saviour was pleased to make use of this Passage that happened some hundreds of Years before to shew how she failed of coming to the place of Safety tho' she was led out of Sodom by the Hands of one of the Angels of God O remember her she was turned into a Pillar of Salt and remains so to this day If we remember where our Safety is and from whose Hands we must expect it we need not go and look at Lot's Wife We have seen many in our Days that have stood fair for Redemption they have had a Power revealed to them that is able to redeem them and save them to the uttermost but afterward by exalting themselves above this Power and taking the Government of themselves into their own Hands they have robbed God of his Glory and he hath withdrawn himself from them and then it was with them as with Saul when the Lord departed from him The evil Spirit entred into him We have before our Eyes from day to day those that have known the beginning of the Redemption of Gods Power and have been in a great measure brought out of Sodom and out of the way of Egypt and they have had opened to them the Mystery of the Kingdom of God for their Encouragement but at last they have taken and arrogated these Gifts to themselves and looked upon themselves as far excelling others magnifying their Parts as if they were their own when they were the gifts of God Then the Lord hath left them to let them see whether they could stand of themselves and they have fallen and been taken in the Ginns and Snares of the Devil who like a roaring Lion goes about continually seeking whom he may devour Now my Friends it greatly concerns us all to know what Refuge we have to fly to in a time of Tryal we have a time of Trial now tho' not a time of External Suffering and Persecution and enduring Hardship yet upon us to try our Faith and Trust in God yet we have no reason to be secure careless nor remiss in our present Duty nor to put the evil day far from us but to be in the
Truth without the spirit of truth that reveals it Can any come to the Knowledge of Christ unless he that sent him reveals him Where are People's Books where are their Bibles where is their Rule they call it so that all their Endeavours for many Ages have proved fruitless in respect of the Knowledge of God This is but your say so may some say How doth it appear that we have not attained to the true Knowledge of God and to the true Worship and to the true Religion I will tell you how it appears for all in all Ages that have attained to the Knowledge of God they have been made partakers of his divine nature and his Divine Qualities they have brought forth a sort of Fruit in their Lives and Conversations that hath been of the same Nature it hath been Holy and Divine They have known the Sanctifier and they have been a sanctified People so they have become one with him and have shewn forth the Beauty of Holiness in their Lives that is a Demonstration that may shew the Knowledge of God for without it they live another Life an unholy one a corrupt one a Life of Self-love a Life of Pride Vanity and Enmity and that they never had from God but from another Root a Life of Iniquity and Sin it came from another Seed so that they are still without the Knowledge of God And again all that have come to the Knowledge of God they have trusted in him that People cannot do now-a-days except here and there a few that do know him the generality of the Age they cannot trust God they must have something else to rely upon and trust to for in him they cannot trust Now the Lord said by the Prophet of old They that know my name will trust in me thaâ— is enough if People know God whom to know is life eternal even to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This is Life Eternal if People were coâ—â— to this Divine Knowledge they would never take care or study for any Refuge or set up this or that or the other thing to lean upon A rich Man he trusteth in his Ricâ—es one trusteth to one thing and another to another but they would trust in the Living God and he should be their God and their Rock and they would venture their Concerns upon him both in this World and that which is to come if they did but know him People may talk as much as they will but he can never properly be said to be my God and thy God till we cast our care upon him and can venture our concerns upon him both in this World and that which is to come and can say He is our God and our Relyance and Dependance is upon him Now this is the Effect and Consequence of this Knowledge of God such as come to partake of it they shall not need to be bid to worship him You shall not need to make a Law that this People shall worship the God that they know there needs no Law to command the People of God to worship him his law is written in their hearts and they that know him will worship him There was never any Man on Earth that had the Knowledge of the true and living God that needed be put upon worshipping him that needed a Law to oblige him to it for the very Knowledge that is given of God through Christ this brings forth naturally an Adoration of the invisible Power which Men put their Trust in it produceth an Adoration that is true Worship it causeth an humble Reverence of that Power it brings the Soul upon its Knees as it were it brings the Soul to stoop and bend and bow upon all occasions to God as his God It raiseth his expectations to receive Counsel and Judgment and Understanding from him as the Fountain of Wisdom and hereby People are taught to worship in the right Divine Knowledge But to tell Men of the Worship of God before they know him though you make as many Laws as you will to force them to worship that God they do not know yet you can never do them any good nor make their Worship acceptable nor make them devout you can never bring Devotion nor Divine Adoration into their Hearts by all the Laws that you can make But there is a Spirit of Life that sets the Soul at liberty from its former Bondage to Sin and Satan and when this Law comes to be revealed in my Heart what saith this Law Worship God give Honour and Glory to him This Law saith Submit thy self to him that redeemed thee thou art his thou art no more thine own This Law being written in the Heart obligeth a Man to a true Worship and to worship God in spirit and truth for this Man hath done imagining among the Heathen that there are Gods many and Lords many He hath done imagining what God is and where he is for he is now come to Knowledge he is come beyond the best Scholar in Athens let him be never so mean and despicable in the World if it be never so poor a Lad or Lass they are beyond the best Scholar in Athens for the best Scholar there came only so far as to contradict their fellow Scholars Some of them were for Mars and some for Jupiter some for one God and some for another These Scholars by some Beam of Divine Light shining in them had come to perceive that the Influences that were in Mars Jupiter and Venus and the Sun and Moon and other Planets they received them from an higher Power that is God They denyed not that these Planets had Power and Influences given to them sometimes they are called heavenly Bodies the Sky or Canoâ— of the Earth and Sun Moon and Stars 〈◊〉 called Heavenly Bodies they have Power and Influences but this was given them and that Power must be greater than theirs from whom they receive their Power Vertue and Influence even that God who is the maker of all things The Scholars at Athens were gotten so far as to see there was a God greater than the Planets which the Nations worshipped they thought that God was to have an Altar as well as Jupiter and Mars and those other Gods and therefore they built an Altar to the unknown God whom they ignorantly worshipped If thou and I are come to the knowledg of the true God then we must know more than these Scholars of Athens who erected an Altar to the unknown God When the Apostle comes to Preach Divinity among these Scholars of Athens there were Masters of Arts and sciences he begins to Preach to them about an unknown God whom ye ignorantly Worship saith he him declare I unto you we do not need to declare to you the Gods of the Nations for you Worship them but to declare to you the unknown God whom ye ignorantly Worship these were the â—reat Scholars of Athens that the Apostle sâ—â—ke to
upon â—oâ—'s Sanctuary this Priests Lips shall preserâ—e knowledge All that come to God's Church are taught of this Priest he is a high one the high priâ—â—â— of our profession we have not such another he is not set up by a Carnal Commandment his Induction came not from any Priest in this World but his Induction came from the God of Heaven and Earth his Father set him up for a Priest he comes by a heavenly Induction and Commission he is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek not after the Order of Aaron If you come to God's Church you may hear this Minister Some have called a House of Stone 〈◊〉 Wood a Church but that will not do noâ—â— therefore there are People that know better than they when they gather Churches of living Stones Men and Women are gathered to these Churches Now the Apostle saith the Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ if you will come to Church you must come to Jesus Christ the Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the general Assembly the Congregation of his faithful People What do you mean by a Church Ask a learned Man that understands Greek and Hâ—brew what is the meaning of the Word A Church saith he is the Congregation of the Faithful it is an Assembly of the Faithful People congregated together Where must they meet they must meet in the general assembly of the first-born whose names are written in heaven The Hebrews were come to that Church though they lived many hundred Miles asunder in Asia Cappadocia and Bythinia You are come to the general assembly of the first-born there is a Priest there is the high priest of our profession the Lord Jesus Christ who is a priest after the order of Melchisedeck not after the order of Aaron How long is this Priest like to stay in his Priesthood For ever He is a priest for ever not after a carnal commandment but the power of an endless life The Priests that were after Aaron's Order they could not continue Death snatched one away then they must have another Priest but here is one that hath a Priesthood higher than the Heavens by the Power of an endless Life Here is the Priest of God's Church and the Teacher of God's People so that when God's People come to Church that is to God the Father there Christ teacheth them according to the old Prophecy I will teach my people my self We have laboured to bring People to this Teaching that they might come to the Knowledge of the Living God Now there needs none to teach them for they are taught of God blessed be God our labour hath not been in vain we see the fruit of our labours and are satisfied We have been labouring to bring Men to know the Lord new all shall know the Lord from the greatest to the least and bow before him and worship him they hear that their high priests lips shall preserve knowledge If they do amiss he chastiseth them for it if they do well then he comforteth them by his Spirit Now our Labour is that all may be brought to this and that every one may know the Lord and may fear him and serve him and worship him in his Temple Our Bodies are a Temple for that use to worship God in know you not that youâ— bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost you musâ— worship in your selves you must go into youâ— selves you must know the Exercise of the Graces of the Spirit in your selves and thâ— Workings of the Spirit of Truth in youâ— selves and that your Souls that are in yoâ—â— Bodies may be bowed to the Power of the Spâ—rit and that your Worship must be in the Spirit you must pray in the Spirit and give Thanks in the Spirit Though those that set up Worship in the Church talk 〈◊〉 Divinity and Religion in every part of it yet the Substance of all the Shadows of the Law are fulfilled in the Gospel the Substance of all the Modes and Rites and Forms of Religion are fulfilled in the Gospel-way So then let every one compare and examine their State and consider how the case stands between them and their Maker what Knowledge they have of God and what Trust they have put in him that so they may be persuaded and prepared to come within the Pale of this Church But you must first come out of the World else you can never come into that Church that is in God if you be in the World you must go to the World's Church and be the Members of the World's Church and you shall have this for your Pains the World will love you but if you come out of the World's Church into God's Church the World cannot love you Be as good as thou wilt thou canst never bâ— so good as Christ Jesus and they loved him not because he was not of the World if you were of this world saith Christ the world would love its own but since you are not of the world but I have taken you out of it therefore the world hates you if they do so to the green tree â—hat will they do to the branches Are you better than I saith our Saviour the servant is not greater than his Lord Those that are the Disciples of Christ must be content to be persecuted reviled and hated for his names sake for thus they treated him who 〈◊〉 holy and harmless and undefiled who gave them a good Example and who did them no hurt but did them good yet the World hated him and it is but reasonable that you should suffer from the World in the same manner and bear it at their Hands If you come to this Church that is in God the Father and Jesus the mediator the church of the first-born that are written in heaven and come out of the World's Church then the World will be about your Ears all the World will set themselves against this Church against the Woman that shall bring forth a Birth that shall rule over the Nations There appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman cloathed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars and she being with Child cryed travelling in birth and pained to be delivered And there also appeared another wonder in heaven a terrible thing and behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and the dragon stood before the woman that was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born and she brought forth a man child that was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to Gâ—â— and to his throne When the Dragon 〈◊〉 ready to devour this Birth God took it into his own Care in spite of the Devil and all his Instruments and he will save the Child and preserve the Woman he that fits in heaâ—â—â—â—ill laugh at his Enemies and defeat them 〈◊〉
to do Many have cried secretly what shall we do to be saved For all what we can do cannot save us We have retained this and the other Doctrin follow'd this and the other Way and made many Observations but all this doth not cleanse our Soul nor purge our Consciences from dead Works this will not bring us to the Inheritance of that Immortal Life that will give us satisfaction We hear many speak of Satisfaction and of Joy unspeakable and full of Glory but here is a weight and burthen still lying upon our Souls Therefore my Friends that all such who are brought so far as to be under such a Burden and Oppression that they might be informed and come to understand where the true Rest is and where that Power can be found that is able to answer those tender Desires that are begotten in them for this cause hath the Lord our God communicated and given the Dispensation of the Gospel of his Son unto a Remnant whom he hath sanctified that they might Speak a word in Season to the weary Soul This is not a day to make a mock of Sin this is not a day to make a Covenaâ—â— with â—â—ath and Hell and to resolve to go on in a wicked Life and continue in it all their Days But yet there are a sort of People that desire to have a Word spoken in Season to them when they are weary How many are there in our Age and Generation that one may reckon of this number that are Sinners and overcome by their Lusts and Corruptions and by the Temptations of Satan and his Instruments But they are weary of it it is a burden to their Souls it costs them many a bâ—â—ter Tear many a Sigh and many a sad and sorrowful Thought in secret that they shouâ—â— have a sight of a more excellent Glory and of a better Life than that of their own and yet know not how to get into it My Friends that same Divine Word of Life by which any of the People of the Lord in any Age were ever restored redeemed and purchased again to the Lord That Word of Life must have been at work in their Hearts and hath been at work in them or else â—hou hadst never been so far opened there hath been something that hath unstopped thine Ears that thou might'st hear and the reason of thy Continuance in thy Bonds after thy knowing something that might have freed thee is because thou hast not heartily closed with that which hath begun the Work God bâ— his redeeming Power in the Hearts of them that believe in Christ to raise an inclination in People to seek after the Lord. You know what the Apostle saiâ—â— It is not of us so much as to think a good Thought But this all People will grant is a good Thought when a Sinner thinks of turning to God and leaving his evil Ways if he had Power and Ability and cries out If I knew how to stand against Tempation I would never sin against the Lord more this must be a good Thought in thy Mind How came it there Who is the Author of this Thought you will say This ought to be attribured to the Love of God in Christ that he hath convinced and persuaded us and that tho' there is Sin and Pollution yet he hath not so forsaken us utterly to cast us off he hath sent forth his quickening Spirit that is the Lord from Heaven that he might stir up and quicken People to consider their condition and bring them to a sense of their present State that they may come into a better State than they are in at present If this may be granted that the Spirit of God and the Grace of God is the Author of all these Desires then it will be granted at the same time that every one of you ought to be sensible that such spiritual Desires stirring in you are from the motion and operation of the Spirit of God that hath raised them in your Souls and then I hope you will grant that if you had but joined with that Spirit and with the assistance of that Spirit all things would have been possible thereunto So that here is the first thing that I would have every one satisfied about in their Understandings whether they arâ— totally exempted from any such Touches and Operations of God or no for it is said by some ignorantly That a great part of Mankind have never had any such Divine Workings of the Spirit of God upon them in order to their Conversion therefore it is not in vain for you to consider your state and condition for if you or I or any here be under such Circumstances that they never had nor are ever like to have any such Divine Operations or Touches of the Spirit of Life in order to Conversion then I am sure you and I had better never have been born If you will consider with your selves and lay aside the Disputes of Doctors and Learn'd men you may know the things pertaining to your selves Things relating to others I may let Disputes alone about them but as for things relating to my Salvation I must have a certain Knowledge of them It concerns you my Friends to know within your selves by an infallible Evidence of the Spirit of God whether you have had such Divine Touches Workings and Operations upon your Hearts as have inclin'd you to seek the Lord. I hope I may believ there are none here but have in their Heatrs an Answer I have had such Touches and Operations in me This is great Love from God more than my Tongue can set forth You will be ready to say I have not deserv'd this I have not so behaved my self towardâ— my Maker as to deserve that he should wait upon me and call upon me When wilt thoâ— turn and amend thy Life and hearken to him that made thee When wilt thou leave serving God's Enemy and serve him that is thy rightful Lord So that now this is a greater Aggravation of our Sin to continue in it and yet to have a Belief that God is still waiting upon us and that he hath such a kindness for us as now and then to touch our Hearts by the inward Operation of his Spirit and Grace in order to Conversion Now when this is agreed and Men settle themselves in the belief of this you know what the consequence will be When I consider with my self I that have been under these Workings have been rebellious wicked and disobedient to God yet the Lord is not so angry as utterly to cast me off but is still waiting to be gracious by the Operation of his Spirit to gather me to himself in order to sanctifie me and heal my my Backsliding to cure my Weakness and Infirmities and at the last to save me and make me an Heir of his Eternal Kingdom What is the consequence of this Love Why the next Resolve must be this I will rebel against his Grace and resist
Minds but when a Command comes to be obeyed and a Cross to bâ— taken up and Self-denial to be shewn 〈◊〉 some Increase of Trade lies in the way let Truth go where it will you must follow your Interest there wants somewhâ—â— to fix you in the Principle of Truth which is able to sanctifie you and perfect you that you may be reconciled to God through Christ They that are resigned and given up to Truth it is possible for them that they may be satisfied they have an Infallible Testimony of the Spirit of Truth witnessing with their Spirits that such a thing is bad and if they might get the whole World to do it they will not What is Profit and Pleasure to me My Pleasure is at Gods right Hand and my Profit is to get Grace and to have an abundant entrance into Gods Everlasting Kingdom Those that have the true knowledge of Christ they have Profit and Advantage Pleasure and Delight enough which is hid from the World and ever will be They are for Profit and Pleasure which they may have with a good Conscience Those Things which God affords them as Blessings in this World they despise them not but take them with Thanksgiving and use them for his Glory But if they cannot have Profit and Pleasure without sinning against the Lord and their own Consciences take Profit and Pleasure that will They that come thus to close with Truth they have an infallible Evidence within them they do not conceive it is thus and thus because such a Man saith it is so but they have an infallible Evidence in themselves This is the Mind of the Lord God hath signified it by his Spiâ—â—t and sealed it upon my Spirit and I cannot but know it What do you profess Infallibility Else I would hold my Tongue if I did not know what I assert infallibly I would never Preach more Truth may be many times concealed A Man may have wronged and cheated his Neighbour and he not know it this Man goes away and his Neighbour doth not reproach him but when he comes to lie down in his Bed he hath a sting and a reproach in his Conscience I know I have donâ— him harm Whether is not this Infallible Let me consult some learned Men that I may know wâ—â—ther it was a Lie I told I need not go to learned Men and Logicians to know whether it was a Lie I am infallible in this I know certainly it was a Lie I have a certain Evidence and if a thousand Men tell me to the contrary I will not believe them If there be Infallibility here is there not then Infallibility in the word of Truth Shall I question it or doubt it if I have an infallible Testimony of it Tho' Men have never so little proficiency if they have it upon sure Terms and lasting Foundations let a thousand Men come with all their Logical Skill and Sophism yet they can never remove a Man from the Witness â—n himself The Remnant that God hath â—rought to this Foundation they have a certainty and Infallibility in their Obedience they pay to the Will of God aâ—â— in the comfort they have in their Obedience to the Law of God which he hath written in their Hearts Let what will come they can never be removed for this exceeds all the Precepts and Doctrin of Men it is the Precept and Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles Let People read them and endeavour to practise them but here comes the Testimony the Divine Power by which the Precept was given forth to them and is now given forth again to thee and me with as much Liveliness and Power Let us perform them as did the Primitive Christians Here now Comfort comes to flow forth from a settled Foundation that shall never be moved The Winds have come and blown upon Religion let what Wind will blow and can blow God hath built his Church upon a Rock and it will remain unmoveable against all opposition blessed are they that are founded thereupon Hath God fixed and established us in our Society with one another and with our Lord Jesus Christ This is the Foundation that God hath placed it upon We desire that all Men may come to the same stability and settlement and never more to be tosseâ— with the Winds of Doctrin but be built upon Christ Jesus the Rock of Ages the Rock of our Ages the Rock of us and our Children That God will carry us â—n in this Society is the desire of our Souls for our Selves and all our Friends and Country-men The way for you to be blessed and to have 〈◊〉 Advantage for your Immortal Souls by the Testimony that hath been raised up is to have regard to the working of the same Power that you may come to partake of the Benefit of those Gifts and Graces which God hath bestowed upon his Church His Prayer after Sermon MOST blessed and glorious God and Father of Life how wonderful art thou in thy Appearances to thy People in the Day of thy Power in which thou has stretched forth thine Arm and hast gathered a Remnant of those that were scattered and art yet gathering them and bringing them to thy self those that have been driven away and thou hast made known thy power and goodness in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men that they might love thee That thou mightest beget love to thy self thou hast made known thy love to their Hearts if thou hadst not loved us first we had never loved thee But thou hast been shedding abroad thy love in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost to constrain us to love thee Thy love is manifested to all that are breathing after thee and none do breath after thee but through the Life that thou givest to them and those that were dead in Sins aâ—â— Tâ—esâ—asses hast thou quickned and we wâ—â—◠〈…〉 forth thy Praises and Thanksgivings for the great things that thou hast done for us in Jesus Christ All thy Works praise thee and thy Saints bless thee Holy Father of Life increase and multiply those Graces and holy Desires which thou hast begun to work in us and pluck up every Plant that thy right Hand hath not planted Let spiritual Sodom be burnt up and all that are Corrupt let those things that thou hast planted spring up to the Praise of thy Name and the Salvation of the Souls which thou hast gathered O powerful God of Life let thy blessed Presence and living Fear be among us that all thy Children may offer Praises and the Sacrifices of humble Thanksgivings upon thy Holy Altar Arise O Lord more and more in the greatness of thy Power and dispel the Clouds of Darkness that have been upon the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men and raise up in every one of us more and more holy Desires and Breathings after that Life that is Eternal Those that have been scattered let them be now gathered and let those that have been
driven away in a cloudy and dark Night be brought to a glorious and blessed Day wherein they may enjoy the Gospel that brings Light to dark Souls that Praises and Thanksgivings may be offered up in thy House for thy Holy Presence with us that we may be fed there when we are assembled together in thy Name accordiâ—â— to thy Promise Continue to 〈◊〉 â—midst of us that living Praises and Thanksgivings may be offered up to thee through Jesus Christ for thou alone art Worthy who art God over all blessed for evermore Amen SERMON II. The Word of God a Christians Life Preached at Grace-Church-street March 14 1687. IT was the Doctrin of the great Master of the Christian Religion the Lord Jesus Christ while he was preaching and publishing and making known the way of Salvation among the Sons and Daughters of Men he then preached and declared That it was not Bread only by which Man lived but by everâ— Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of Goâ— Now the way and means of Mans Preservâ—tion in Life in a living state the Methâ—â— and Course that the God of Heaven doâ—â— open to keep the Sons and Daughters of Meâ— alive is by this Word Every Word 〈◊〉 proceedeth out of the Mouth of God hath a Ministration of Life in it and therefore all that are desirous of the enjoyment of the Immortal Life and of the preserving and encreasing of it they are diligently to wait to be made Partakers of this Divine Ministration Outward Bread is for our outward Preservation but Man is made inward as well as outward he hath a Soul as well as a Body Now Christ to signify to us what the inward Man is nourished and fed by tells us That Man liveth not by Bread only but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God So now in this our day as well as in former Days it hath pleased God to give unto a Remnant an experimental knowledge of the Truth of this that they have been quickned and made alive by the Word of God that is they have heard and felt and tasted of the Word of Life that was with the Father before the World began that hath been divinely ministred to them by the mercy of God through Jesus Christ many that were dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath said unto them Live He hath given unto many an inward sense of their State who sometimes had it not he hath brought many a one to feel sin to b a Burden and an oppressing Load who sometimes before have taken Pleasure and Delight in it This is a great change that is wrought in a Mans Mind that he should come to be loaden with that burthened and oppressed by that which was before â—is Pleasure and Delight yet this great Châ—â—ge hath been wrought in many a Soul by the operation of the word of God of that inward Word that inward Voice when the Lord hath taken Men in hand himself There are many have taken Sinners 〈◊〉 hand and have gone about to convince theâ— and convert them but they were not able to do it but when the Lord hath taken Man in hand himself when his Creator hath undertaken to deal with him himself then the Man cries out I am a Worm and no Man then he cries out under the sense of the judgment of God then he cries out under the indignation of the Lord which he hath kindled by his Sins he cries out for Mercy then he prays for Remission then he wishes that he had never provoked the Lord for the Word that goes out of the Mouth of God hath â— mighty Force and Power upon the Spirit of â— Man so that he is converted and changed â—â— it as the Prophet said of old The Word â—â— God is pure converting the Soul Now where any come to an experimentaâ— knowledge of the Word of the Lord of thâ— inward Voice whereby God speaks to thâ— Sons and Daughters of Men they have râ—ceived thereby an infallible feeling of thâ— own State and Condition this is the firâ—â— Lesson learned by it They come to have certain infallible knowledge of their oâ—â— State and they are sure that they cannot 〈◊〉 deceived for it brings an Evidence with it in their Consciences so that whatsoever this Word of Life signifieth to a Man he hath the knowledge of the same thing evidencing it in his own Conscience as the Apostle saith If our Hearts condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things Now here is a way found out for Men to obtain divine Knowledge by a divine Means for the Lord speaks by his Spirit and if Men come to hearken to that Voice unto that Speaking they perceive readily what it saith unto them The Lord tells People as well now as in former Days what he hath against them and this every one in the Closet of their own Hearts come to understand We read in the Book of Revelations what our Lord Jesus Christ appointed John to write to the seven Churches in Asia that he had a few things against some and many things against others Now that which is the design of our Meetâ—ng when we are Assembled together is that we may know what the Mind and Judgment of God is concerning our Selves How shall we know that unless we ask him and come to wait upon him and enquire at the Oracle of Counsel that God hath appointed in the Bosome of every man For he signifies his mind unto the Children of men by that Light â—nd Grace which Jesus Christ hath Planted in â—hem he hath Enlightned every man that comes â—â—to the world with an undeceiving Light and he hath ministred of his truth and Grace to every man tho' the man be bad and untrue and in the Dark and there be Darkness in him yet the Light shineth in Darkness The Man may be a false Man yet there is true knowledg in him if this false Man harken to the Voice of Truth when the God of Truth signifies what his Mind and Judgment is concerning him and his present State So that here is an opportunity offered and if a Man believe the word of Truth which is administred to his own mind he cannot say such a Man hath deceived him for it is Truth it self which is signified to him which he believeth For the Truth is the object of 〈◊〉 Faith and he believeth it of himself he believeth that while he remains wicked in 〈◊〉 unrenewed state he is out of the Covenant of God and in the high Road to Destruction if he doth not get out of it and return to God and mind his Duty He believeth this and he believeth the Truth It hath been so with many it hath been so with us all this is the firâ—â— kind of Faith and Belief that ever we receive for when Truth signifies to us our fallen state our alinated state when Truth signifies and discovers to us the Partition Wall of Sin and iniquity which we
have builded up whereby the Glory and favour of God was hid from the Soul we believed this to be true we would have been looked upon as Heires â—â— God 's Kingdom yet when we are come to hearâ—en to the Truth we find that we are Children 〈◊〉 the Devil and do his works shall a Man believe this after he hath been forty years a professor of Christanity If a Man believe Truth there is no danger in believing it tho' it be his own Destruction that is threatned Now the great thing that I would have ushered into the Hearts of Men is that they may believe the Truth for Truths sake If Men will believe the truth they must believe many things against themselves which they are not willing to believe but saith Christ no Man can be my Scholar my Disciple but be denying himself I must deny my self my pretensions to Christianity my supposed Saintship and â—itle to the Kingdom of God now if I would be convinced that I am a wicked Man a prophane Man one that doth not live as becomes the Gospel I must believe truth the Voice of truth being of infallible certainty it is signified Divinely by the immortal Word that cannot deceive us this ought to be the reason why People should believe the Testimony of it tho' it be against themselves they that do so presently come to find the effects of it for they were in their Sins and Trespasses before and so are still they were before in a kind of liberty in a kind of ease and indulgence of themselves and still their Sin remains in them and they remain in it but they are now under a sense of Sorrow under a weight under a Burden under an oppression which signifies they are alive and quickned for if you take an outward comparison they remain not senseless and dead now lay what Load you will upon a dead Man he will neither groan nor grumble at it but if he comes again to life he cryes take off the Burden the weight and oppression that lyes heavy upon me This is the difference between being deaâ— in sins and trespasses and being brought to liâ—â— and sense again this word of life that comâ— from the Mouth of God begets a sense in evâ—ry one that receiveth it it is of great serviâ—â— and use to all People to be acquainted witâ— it that desire to be Heirs of life eternal thaâ— desire to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of God But how should they come by it they thinâ— by this duty and the other duty and this and the other Temporary performance to obtaiâ— it no but if they will have life they muâ—â— have it from the God of life that created them he must Create them again to good works they can have it but by one way all must be brought to it that way it cannot be by hearing a Man preach unless the Spirit doâ—â— cooperate with the word of God there is nâ— possibility of being quickned and necessiâ—â— binds me to hearken and have a regard to the one means Now I say to you saith Chriâ—â— speaking of Peoples way of living to eterniâ—â— Man liveth not by Bread alone but by evâ—â— word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of 〈◊〉 now when we come to understand this 〈◊〉 as spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ we 〈◊〉 conclude there was a possibility of understaâ—â—ing and hearing that inward Voice and Word of Truth in our own Hearts that God did speak to us by his Son Jesus Christ who enlightned us Hereupon Meetings were appointed at first that the Word should minister Life in them and Life to them that attend them and to this Day our Meetings are appointed for this purpose that we may have â—he ministration of Life and Vertue from Christ the Fountain of Life and Vertue by whom we are to be quickned and strengthned and by whom those that are dead in Sins and Trespasses are to be quickned Therefore I would have every one always to have a Reverence to the Word of Life that speaks in themselves for if we speak as we are moved by the Spirit of God and utter those things by verbal Testimony which God hath made known to us if you have not an Oracle in your Bosoms if you do not at the same time perceive an Eccho of Truth in your own Souls this will do you no good but be an empty sound which will pass away again but the Mind that is serious and settled in waiting upon God with an earnest Desire that it may receive Benefit in going to this and the other Meeting such aâ—one will say I pray God bless this opportunity to me that so I may receive Benefit to my Soul Where People meet in this manner they have not only an administration of Doctrin from without from this and the other Instrument but they have a Ministration of the Word of God in â—â—emselves by which a Man liveth Let us not be 〈◊〉 and hurried away with the grand Error of the Times the great Error of this Age and of the Ages by-past that there is no possibility for People to understand and hear this Voice of God this inward Voice There are say they no immediate Teachings now adays no Inspirations now adays they had as well said that there are no Conversions now adays I will prove it from the Holy Scriptures that there is no Man in this Age is like to be converted to God or redeemed from his Iniquity and brought to the knowledge of his Maker unless he have it by the inward Working of the Eternal God Not by Mans Preaching and Instruction nor by reading all the good Sermons that ever were preached without the Co-operation of the holy sanctifying Spirit which begets Life in them that believe and if these Men say none can be Converted then we must all go Headlong to Hell and they and all These Quakers may say what they will there is no immediate Teaching now adays no Man can know the mind of God nor understand the Scriptures none can open theâ— to you But blessed be God this Darkness is râ—moved this Vail is gone over and taken â—way the brightness of the glory of the Goâ—pel hath expell'd this Darkness and thousanâ— now adays do not onlâ— hear the Minister reprove them but they â—eâ— a Voice within that doth reprove them 〈◊〉 â—â—iquity and they find and feel a Judgment and Tribunal within themselves and that God hath an immediate way of Counselling and Instructing them if they will hearken to him You that are under any sense of this that are come to such an inward sense of the operation of the Word of God if you have heard it reprove you exhort you judge you and condemn you consider that this Word proceeded out of the Mouth of God and not out of the Mouth of any Man You hear the sentence of God upon you in your own Consciences Whence comes it This is out of the Mouth of God Every Word that comes
out of the Mouth of God administers Life Sense and Conviction and you feel it and receive it and you may have more familiar Acquaintance with it There is not a Day or Hour that passeth over your Head nor mine but if we attend to this inward Voice we may know what it speaks to us by its Counsels Doctrins Reproofs Convictions and Illuminations for the Spirit speaketh expresly with an express signification unto the Spirit of Man and if he be under a Temptation to tell a Lie and he comes to a little Pause or Question whether he shall tell it or no if he hearken to this inward Word he will not pause long about it but such a Sentence will arise in him as that to Joseph How can I do this great Wickedness and sin against God How can I speak a Lie tell a Lie when in so doing I sin against God Here is a sentence of Truth wilt thou receive it or not No saist thou I will venture to tell a Lie then shalt thou come into the rank of them that do Despite to the Spirit of Grace that trample under Foot the Son of God and count the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing What Sentence such shall have at the latter end you may read at large in the Holy Scriptures Now there is a great necessity that every one be persuaded to hearken to this Voice not only at a Meeting but on all Occasions they have in the World I hope I speak to many serious and religious Persons that are enquiring about their Immortal Souls what may be best for their Souls whether 't is better to go on in Wickedness or leave off and that resolve and say I would be glad to leave my Sins as well as you if I had Power and to live a holy Life As for the want of Power that you have not Power I do not wonder at it for till you come to an exercise of Faith in that which hath empowered the People of God in all Ages I wonder not that you have not Power You say I am so weak that I am overcome before I am aware the Devil is so subtil and cunning with his Temptations that I am surprizeâ— and snatch'd into Temptations and overcomâ— with evil before I am aware He is like 〈◊〉 Roaring Lion going about continually so all 〈◊〉 whom he may devour But who can he devour Can he devour those that hearken and submit to the Word of God If he could then none could escape him if the Devil could pluck out of Gods Hands then no Body would go to Heaven nor ever shall if he have Power Where the Devil finds any in their own Hands as suppose a religious Person of this and the other Religion who never experienced any thing of this Power of God but trusteth to his Duties and Performances this Man is at his own Hand now such a one the Tempter hath Power over He can make him cheat his Neighbour and lead him into Drunkenness and Uncleanness sometimes and into the greatest Abominations but if a Man come into an exercise of Faith and dependance upon God and hath left trusting in his own Hands and saith I see I cannot preserve my self from sin I see a necessity of putting my trust in the Lord and of waiting upon Gods Power to keep me If the Tempter come to such a one he cannot prevail all the Devils in Hell cannot stir him one jot the Devil may tempt him but he stands in the Power of Faith he knows his Name and saith Get thee behind me Satan when the Devil comes before him and lays a Temptation before him he casts it behind him if the Devil rises up against him he can chain him down he can say in the Name of the Lord Get thee behind me Satan This is the Reason why many are tempted and not overtaken why many are tempted to sin and not overcome How comes it to pass that we do not do every thing that we are Tempted to There is something that keeps us the Devil is not so bad to Tempt but we are as bad in our own Inclinations to yield to him The Heart is deceitful above all Things and desperately wicked who can know it There is more Wickedness in it than can be uttered If People be tempted and not overcome something must preserve them if there be something that preserves a Man from any Evil it can preserve him from all Evil. The Reason why some People are led into Temptation sometimes and resist it is because sometimes the Temptation suits not their Inclination sometimes their Reputation lies in the way sometimes one thing sometimes another But when a thing they are Tempted to suits their Profit and Pleasure then away with the fear of God and nothing shall hinder them I will have my Pleasure But they that understand the Keeper of Israel and come to know his Power living in their Hearts these always bring their Deeds and Temper before him and they come to him for a Verdict and Judment and they ask Doth this tend to the Honour or Dishonour of God Is it good or evil The Oracle of God in the Heart says do it not it is evil Thou wilt kindle the Indignation of the Lord against thee what will it profit to gain the whole world and lose thy own soul or what wilt thou give in exchange for thy Soul Here is one at hand that can give Counsel to all of us at all times this is he that we must advance our Labour and Work upon the Stage of thâ—s World among the Sons and Daughters of Men is to advance the Vertue and great Authority of this mighty Counsellor Christ Jesus we do say and affirm in the Name of God that the same Light and Grace by which God hath brought us out of Darkness into his marvelous Light and from the Power of the Devil into the Kingdom of his dear Son the same Power is extended to you that you may be sanctified and saved from your Sins One Sect will say my Tenets are so and so and our Ordinances are so and so will you come over to us You shall be a Member of our Church Our duty is to come over to the Grace of God that shines in our Hearts now we are Witnesses for God that he doth not desire the death of them that die but rather that they would turn and live for his Word is gone forth and his Light shines and his Glory is risen upon the Nations that they that inhabit the Earth may fear him Fear God and give Glory to God The hour of his Judgment is come Do you know that to be true that you may not be deluded you shall certainly know that the Hour of God's Judgment is come Thus when any one suffers himself to be led away with the Evil One when he feels after that a Remorse upon his own Heart 〈◊〉 finds a secret Judgment and Tribunal set up in his
but the grand question that every one ought to enquire about and put to themselves is What progress they have made in this way Whether they are Baptized yet or no Whether they have Put off the old Man and his deeds and put on the new Man and the new Mans deeds which are righteousness and holiness They that find that though they are believers they are short of this they do also find that their shortness is their hinderance their shortness in not coming up to the pattern that hath bin shewed them is their hinderance so that they enjoy not the things here spoken of the being under this sense and really sitting under this sense in a Meeting though there should be no Man speaking to them outwardly yet being come to this faith and made partakers of this baptism People would find in their own Bosoms the hidden Word of life ministring to their condition they would have enough there would not be a famin of the Word unto them nor they should not need to be in expectation of going out to this or the other Instrument but they would be satisfied when they are met together with the presence of the Lord that the Lord is in midst of them ministring to them the Word of life in his operating and working speaking in a tongue that every one can understand it speaking with a kind of Voice and Language that every one may understand his own state and condition and this is the way that God brought up People at the beginning to the knowledge of Heavenly things and opening of the mysteries of Salvation we had it not of Men but of Jesus our Lord he was our great minister we waited upon him and trusted in him and he taught us himself he hath ministred to us at our silent and quiet waiting upon him those things that were convenient for us we might well say he gave us our Food in due season he hath not only given strong Meat unto Men but hath ministred of the sincere Milke of his word unto Babes that lived in sincerity and self-denyal loving God above all things and he taught and conducted us in our way this way of simplicity until our understandings came to be opened until our Souls came to be prepared to receive the mysteries of his Kingdom In those Days there were some that started up in Knowledge and that built their Nets on high and took Flax and Wool and Silver and Gold and decked themselves with them but the Lord found them out and brought them down and took the Crown from their Head and cloathed them with Dishonour So God doth from Age to Age his Judgments will begin at his own House if you would Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ then grow in humility and self-denyal and keep a constant watch upon your Hearts examine your Hearts and Commune with your selves upon your Beds and be still take heed lest you sin against the Lord and provoke him There were some that provoked the Lord of old and they commited two great evils What be they They have gon away and forsaken the Fountain of living Water as much as to say they have not their dependance upon an invsiable power as they ought to have for I am a living fountain and t is by an invisible power that I am able to councel and teach direct and purify and open their understanding but they have forsaken me that is one great evil and the other is they would not be without somewhat they have forsaken the Lord and they would have somewhat instead of God They have digged to themselves broken Cisterns that will hold no Water And how many in this Age have committed these two great evils My Friends examine your selves are there not many that have been guilty of these two great Evils They do not keep their close dependence trust and reliance upon the invisible Power of God as they profess they ought to do but are hurried away from it some by the love of the World some by Lusts and Pleasures some by Passions and others by worldly Interests are drawn away from the Power to do and say that which the Power is against Is not this a forsaking of the Lord the living Fountain What do they do then Are they not for this and that and the other Man for hearing this and the other Mans word and digging to themselves broken Cisterns And have they not their trust and confidence in going to Meetings in commending this and the other way Have they not their trust in their Profession outwardly when it ministers nothing to their Souls so that they secretly wither for all this If you had all the Men and Angels that were ever sent of God appointed to preach to you that could not minister Life to you unless there be that Faith that stands in the Power of God The Faith that stands in any Mans Words that will not overcome your Lusts but the Faith that stands in the Power purifies the Heart it will not suffer any unclean thing there As for Preaching let a Man preach against this and the other Lust and Corruption there it will remain for all his Preaching unless Men know Gods Power and Life in which there is Righteousness for Words and Knowledge and Sight and Speculation will never give People Victory over their Sins Therefore you know every one who is setled must be setled where the Foundation of Religion is it is not coming to Meetings and owning this and the other Doctrin which is the Foundation of our Religion God hath revealed his Power to every one of us God hath not given his Spirit to Preachers and Prophets only for then there would be a Famine of the Word as was in Israel The Priest's Lips preserved Knowledge If you did take away the Priest you did take away their Knowledge The Prophets had the Word of God and they only spake the Word of God If the Prophet was taken away then the Word of God was taken away The Lord threatned to send a Famine among them they grieved and vexed and killed and destroyed the Priests and Prophets therefore saith thâ— Lord I will send a Famine among you not of Bread but of the Word and they shall go from City to City and enquire for the Word of the Lord. Thus it was in the Jewish Church if there was a Prophet they would go 30 40 or 100 Miles to him that had the Word of the Lord They shall go from City to City to enquire for the Word of the Lord But blessed be God we are come to another Day for now the Word of the Lord is manifested in the Hearts of all that believe they know the Word I do not say all that believe do preach the Word or ought to preach but the Word preacheth to them they are not as broken Cisterns that can hold no Water when they find the Word and hear it they speak
were to wait for the Spirit and pray in the Spirit and serve God in the Spirit and that all Religion that is not in Power is not available did they not find it in the Scripture And you that are not Quakers Did you ever read the New Testament How came it to pass that ye never found these Texts But some People read and read the New Testament twenty times over and mock and deride and persecute a Man that shall speak of the Spirits Teaching I have admired at it how intelligent Men to whom God hath given a competent Understanding should be so blinded they have learned to read English and they have read the New Testament over several times and the Old Testament too and they have read those Sentences of Christ's Doctrin that do so currently and unanimously speak of Divine Teachings and Spiritual Operations Spiritual Worship and Spiritual Religion that muâ—t have some Motion and Stirring of the Holy Ghost to be the Original of it and that alâ— others are not acceptable to God doubtless they have read these things but I have often desired and do still desire that they would but read it again once more and try and see what God will do he hath oftentimes made use of the Holy Scripture as a means to awaken People and to open their Understandings and let them see the Mind of the Spirit by which the Scripture is written and the next time if they can find Scripture Text and Apostolical Doctrin to teach People to wait upon the Spirit I hope they will leave Scoffing and Mocing It hath been hitherto looked upon as an Invention to speak of the teaching of the Spirit and waiting upon the Spirit and being moved by the Spirit This Apostolical Doctrin Prayer and Worship hath been looked upon as an Invention that we have brought in To look for the Holy Ghost in that way that was never known to our Fathers is a fantastical Conceit of the Quakers say they To tell People they must be led by the Spirit in Divine Things as in Prayer and Worship and the like that in these things they must wait for the spirit was there ever any Man that was counted good for any thing that ever preached so before they came Do we read any such kind of thing in Scripture O the blindness that hath happened to this Nation I have considered not without admiration how the Devil he is a spirit too and a wicked one the Devil should have power to shove out the knowledg belief sense and feeling of the Spirit of God now a days there are thousands in this Nation that have formerly believed that it was as impossible for a Man to believe the divine motions and struglings of the spirit of God in this life as to raise their Fathers and Mothers out of their Graves some of their learned Teachers have told us it is a Whimsy and Fancy and that there was no inspiration of the spirit now a days but that it was a foolish fancy in us to wait for such a thing it is needless say they there was an Immediate Teaching in the Apostles days and they had the sense of the spirit of Christ working in them to teach them to write Letters and Epistles to the Church which Letters and Epistles were written by the moving of the Holy Ghost but we have no need of it now the Holy Ghost hath brought order and goverment into the Church we have it now in black and white Printed in our Books therefore say they there is no need of the spirit and People need not be acquainted with the operation of the spirit now a days in regard they have it in their Books what manner of Worship they must perform I grant them their due that they have the direction of the Scripture I am able to understand that People are to worship God and pray to him and are to meet together and to observe this and the other doctrinal precepts there laid down I confess I can make shift herewâ—th to frame out a form of Religion and if I do not mistake in the opening and explication of the Doctrine I could make a right form too but I am lyable to mistake another Man that understands Greek better than I saith that the Greek word ought to be translated so and the form ought to differ in such a respect some say the only way of goverment is by Bishops and the word bears it in the original and another saith he hath streched the word for the word means Presbyter another saith Presbyter signifyes no more than choice of Church Elders and Deacons and such like and this is all out of one Book the settlement of Bishops Presbyters and Elders Here a parcel of form-makers all fall out about the meaning of the word what remedy can any mortal Man provide for this We must not be killing and slaying one another about words if I be an episcopal Man and say the word signifyes Bishops I may be a wicked Man still and if another say it must be Presbyter he may be a wicked Man too and if another say it should be Pastor Elders and Deacons he may be a wicked Man notwithstanding Thus they have rent and torn one another about Church Government what remedy shall we have for this that these quarrellings and contentions about terms and words may come to an end Could a Man prescribe a more certain remedy for all these mistakes than this if they had a measure of this spirit which did work in the Apostles when they wrote down these Words which the Apostles had in Writing them then I say they could tell you what the spirit meant for the spirit is the same and not changed and the Words are the same to a small matter so that if a Man had that he might end all the controversie but where shall we have a Man that hath this spirit to end the controversie There is none now a days say the Protestants and say the Papists there is none but one that hath this infallibility and they will not suppose that neither for some of them say that one Man is as infallible as another Man there is a great brangle whether any one Man be infallible or a great many men together are infallible about Doctrin and Worship This might be cured all at once if we could come to this conclusion Papists Protestant and Quakers here is an end of all their out-side Worship He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his If there be not spirit in it it is not Christs Religion and Worship So that they that jangle and bark and bite are without among Dogs and Sorcerers that are straâ—gers to the spirit of Christ there is a spirit in them that denies the spirit of Christ there is a spirit that rules in them that are witâ—out the spirit for no Body that I know on acts things without a spirit and without being moved What are good and
an end of Baptism A Man is hungry and when his Time comes to eat he hath no Victuals yet he sits him down as if he did eat will this feed and nourish him So men now a days they have a Baptism wherewith they are baptized but Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire is the right Baptism therefore do not baptize until you find the Holy Ghost this will be far better this is the Baptism that they which come to know it are sure of Salvation by it for by this Baptism they are born up and tinctured in their Souls with the Divine Spirit of Christ Jesus proceeding from the Father and the Son till they receive his Likeness and so die unto Sin As many as were baptized were baptized into Christ's death He openeth it himself in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God so that they that were baptized were baptized into Christ's Death and you that are dead unto sin how should you live any longer therein These that were baptized lived without Sin can that be true never any lived without Sin but Christ only Yes saith the Apostle you that were free from sin are alive to righteousness their Life stood before in Sin and now that Life is taken away by Baptism and they are alive to Christ and he that liveth he liveth to God â—e that comes to be partaker of the first Resurrection if he live Ten Twenty Forty or an Hundred Years he liveth to God he liveth no more in the Pomps and Vanities of the Woâ—ld and the sinful Lusts of the Flesh but he liveth unto God This Baptism whosoever comes to be baptized with it shall be saved so that we do not deny Baptism But we hear say That you deny the Lord's Supper We had never such a Thought God knows there is nothing that our Souls long after more but people have been making a kind of Work of their own they have lost a Reality and make Shadows as Children do who when they see things made in the House for Service they will make the like in Sand and Clay People do not see what a great thing it is to attain to the Supper of the Lord as things came into an Evangelical Opening they spake then more lively and freshly of things Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man open to me I will come in and sup with him and he with me For the understanding of this Text If you go and examine and search all the Commentators you can find see what the learned Men say of it see if they do not apply this to the Inward Call of the Spirit and Grace of Christ to let him into our Hearts and would one think that those that wrote these things should be against the Spiritual Dispensation of things They say that this knocking at the Door of the Heart signifies the Call of God's Spirit at the Door of the Heart There are two sorts of Sinners that God knocketh at the Door of their Hearts one is a Man that is weary of his Sin for his part he wisheth that he might never sin more As soon as he perceives the Knock and is called upon to let in the Grace of God to help him against Temptation he freely opens his Heart to receive it and saith With all my Heart I will entertain and welcome the Grace of God glad I am that God hath had so much Patience towards me and since God offers his Grace I will embrace this Grace of God above all Pleasures and I will take it into my Heart the Grace of Christ is the greatest Jewel that I know Honest Paul he took this Course and prayeth Lord take away this Tempter here is a Temptation that troubleth me and I am not willing to yield for all the Devil follows me with it He cried unto the Lord and besought him three times earnestly to take away the Temptation And the Lord answers him My grace is sufficient for thee What matter if the Tempter buffet thee and the Temptation trouble thee hast thou not received my Grace into thy Heart thou art a Believer and thy Trust is in me and my Grace is sufficient for thee Let the Tempter do his worst keep thou to the Grace of God and thou wilt withstand and overcome the Temptation when it comes If a Man openeth his Heart and receiveth Christ when he comes then you shall find such an Alteration in that Man that go and carry him the same Temptation which prevailed over him the last Week it will not do with him now tho' he be as weak as Water and as prone to Corruption and Iniquity as before yet now having a Faith begotten in him that the grace of God will defend him he keeps out of the Devils Snares Now this Man trusting in this grace till his Sin and Iniquity be purged out now is the time to spread the Table there is a clean Heart and the Heavenly Guests are now come and the Dainties of the Kingdom are brought to him for his Nourishment Now saith Christ I I will come in and sup with him and my Father also will come and we will sup with him and he with us This never happens to any Body so long as the Table and Heart is foul for the Table must be clean and the Devil and Sin thrown out and then will the Lord confirm and ratify and seal the Covenant so that here is a Seal with a Witness When a Man hath this Testimony of the Love of God that God is reconciled to him in Christ then Christ will come in and he will bring his Father and they will sup with him and this is that which will give compleat satisfaction to such a Soul All the Tongues of Men and Angels are too short to speak of these things as they are in themselves but they are all manifested by the Spirit All the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God are manifested by the Spirit of God now to say there is no Spirit to be regarded now adays that is as much as to say we must never regard the Kingdom of God for no Man can discern the things of God but the Spirit of God no Man can tell what they be As no Man can know the things of a Man buâ— the Spirit of God But I must look to this and the other Form and Mark and Method about them for we can know nothing of the things of God themselves I hope you are all of another Judgment and believe that this is a Trick and Cheat of the wicked one People do find the Spirit and will feel it if they will wait upon the Motions of it I do not only mean when you are here together but when you are separated one from another when you feel the Motions of thiâ— good Spirit embrace them and make them yours This Spirit is a Gift that is given so may a Shilling or a piece of
Bread be held forth to a poor Creature but if he receive it not he may perish for all that it is not his tho' I have appointed it to be his and have separated it from my other Substance to be his If he receive not what I offer and would give him he may Perish for all that Here is Grace and Truth comes by Jesus Christ and God hath offered it to all Men in that he hath raised up Christ from the Dead the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all Men but all Men have not received it therefore all Men have it not and they that have not the Grace of Christ and the Spirit of Christ are none of his but it doth not follow that they never will be none of his When they have received the Gift by Christ and say I will be his Sheep or Lamb they will come into his Favour by that Gift and shall partake of the good things of his Fathers Kingdom but till they have received this Gift they are not the better for it they have not any Benefit by the death of Christ they have no help no benefit by it except it be the Patience and long Suffering of God who for Christs sake bears with their Weakness and waits to 〈◊〉 â—ious and for Christs sake offers them Favoâ—r but they are not come to the Possession of it till they open their Hearts and receive the Grace of Christ then they are convinced of Christs end and â—hat there is a possibility of enjoying the Spirit of God and of being taught and led by it Take this along with you that it is your absolute and indispensible Duty to wait from day to day upon the great God of Heaven the Giver of every good and perfect Gift that you may have that blessed Gift that you may have the Assistance of a greater Power than your own to lead you out of Sin into Righteousness that through Jesus Christ you may be acceptable to God SERMON V. Christ the Way the Truth and the Life Preached at Grace-Church-street Apâ—â—â— 18 1687. I Fear the high Places are not taken away it hath been so in all Ages and it is manâ—festly so in this Day where the Heart is nâ—â— rightly prepared for the Lord there the higâ— Places are not taken away For all the higâ— Places in the time of Israel's Idolatry theâ— were ever set up when they departed from thâ— Lord and all the high Places now they arâ— up in a time of Ignorance of God when People have forgotten the Lord then they exalâ— themselves then Pride and Arrogance and every evil way prevails upon us but when Men come to seek the Lord with Uprightness that brings down their high Conceits thaâ— brings every one into Humility for every one comes to be convinced in themselves that none can find the Lord but as they are brought to be Humble nay indeed none seek after him aright buâ— such none have the promise of finding him but the Humble Therefore it is the duty of every one that is a real inquirer and seeker after God to know the right preparation of the Mind to know themselâ—â—â— in such a frame of spirit that they may see◠〈◊〉 hope that they may have a right and just expectation of finding him whom they are seeking after for this hath been the reason that a great many 〈◊〉 been frustrated in their endeavours and 〈◊〉 their purposes of seeking after the Lord 〈◊〉 have not been rightly prepared for him 〈◊〉 â—â—nifest himself â—â—to them they have noâ—â—â—wn the Preparaâ—ion of his Sanctuary there was a peculiar preâ—aration that was requisâ—â—â— to those that drew near unto the Sanctuary of God they were Hallowed that is made Holy ere they drew near to the Holy Place but alas this hath been greatly neglected in our Days unholy People with unholy Minds have been seeking after the Holy God they have been enquiring after a Holy way and were not prepared to walk in it there was nothing raised in their Minds in their Souls that was fit to walk in that way For so long as Men or Women stand in Unity with their Sins with their Lusts and Concupisence with the spirit of this World and the way of it they are not capable of receiving that which should lead them into the way of Holiness nay if it appears to them they cannot receive it for it is with them as with other guests there be other Lovers already let in which imploy thâ— Powers and faculties of their Souls so that if the most beloved of all the most excellent if the Chiefest of Ten Thousand do appear they cannot see 〈◊〉 comlyness in him The Prophet speakiâ—â— oâ— this state and condition of Men did prophecy concerning our Lord Jesus Christ when we shall see him there is no comlyness in him why we should desire him and so it hath happened to a great many now adays though the Truth hath appeared to them yet they have not looked upon it as a pleasant way as a way desirable but a 〈◊〉 be shun'd if possible What shifts have 〈◊〉 great many People made 〈◊〉 keep themselves if possible out of the way oâ— Truth arguing for this and that and dispâ—tâ—â— for one way and another that was out of Truths way out of the way of Holiness What was the meaning of all their arguments but to tell us they might be happy they might be saved though they did not come into Truths way and walk in Truths way and though they did abide in those things that were contrary to the Testimony of Truth in their own Hearts yet it might go well with them This is the strength of the arguments of all sorts of all persuasions in the World that have been arguing themselves out of the Truth and would argue us out of the Truth too and would take the liberty to do those things which are not agreeable therewith but now the reason of this is because the preparation is wanting they are those that have no need of Truth and that have no need of God and of a Saviour but think they can make shift without them he is not become the chiefest to them they can abide in the high places the can call upon the name of the Lord and they can worship in the Groves and in the high places both together like as those Nations that were brought to inhabit the Kingdon of Israel when the ten Tribes were carried away they sent for Priests to teach them they sent back to the King of Assyria to send them some Priests to teach them to worship the God of their Coâ—ntry and when the Priest came to teach them he taught them the Ceremonies of the Law and the divers observations that the Jews used to practise in that Country and so they grew into a formality of serving the God of Israel They called upon the Name of the Lord and every Nation Worshipped their own Gods How is this Nation and the
for his Assistance he cries to God to help him he now knows that he hath striven and laboured in vain O God of all Grace if thou vouchsafe not Help to my Soul if thou dosâ— not interpose by the Assistance of thy Grace I cannot overcome this Sin There is a continual Cry to God for Divine Assistance and as they cry to God for Assistance he ministers Assistance to them by which they are able to overcome the Enemy of their Souls and all Temptations when they come And when a Man finds such Divine Assistance his Faith is strengthned and confirmed and so he fights the good fight of faith and at last gets the Victory Victory over his Sin and his own Lusts and Concupiscence and Victory over the Assaults and Temptations of the Adversary and at last he comes through the Grace of God to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously soberly and godlily in this present world Now when People do thus it is by the Grace of God This Life of Righteousness Sobriety and Godliness is not the effect of their Labour and Exercise and of their Endeavours herein but it is the effect of the Holy Spirit that hath been the Teacher When you see a Man is grown a good Scholar eminent in al◠〈…〉 â—â—â—ning you will conclude he di◠〈…〉 to all this of himself he could not leâ—â—n this and the other Language this â—nd the other Art and Science of himself No he had some judicious and able Master and â—eacher who communicated of his Leaâ—ning and Knowledge to his Disciple and Scholar This is the efficient cause of his Improvement Now if a Man by the Grace and the Spirit of God and the Teachings of it live a holy godly Life this is the effect of something he did not always live such a Life How comes he to live such a Life now Is it by his own Industry Labour and Exercise No it is by being exercised taught and led by the Spirit of God so that it is the effect of the Grace of God that he should live such a holy Life though it is not the meritorious cause of it as he is a Creature but acceptable to God in Christ the Mediator Thus a Man comes to be justified and accepted not because he is a godly Man but is made so by the Spirit of God You are not under the law saith the Apostle but under grace You are under the Teachings of it under the Directions of it Grace can reprove People for that Grace and that Truth that comes by Christ and manifests it self as a Light in the Hearts of Transgressors reproves their Sin and calls them out of it it reproves them for it and exhorts them to leave it both at one Time so that we must acknowledge all our Righteousness Holiness and Obedience to be o◠〈…〉 â—â—ll that we do in order thereunto a◠〈◊〉 done by the Teaching by the Influence and Operation of the Grace of God given us in Christ Jesus it is the effect of him who is our Mediator he worketh it in us and for us of his good pleasure If we be justified we are not justified for a righteous holy Life and for our Obedience but we are justified through Christ who worketh a godly Life in them that believe so that a Man is not justified by any other way or means and all other ways a Man takes of being reconciled to God are vain and fruitless and have been spoken against by all that were moved by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament Saith the Prophet What shall I come before the Lord with all I am fallen under Death and Sin and in a separation from God I would fain be reconciled to him what shall I do to be reconciled to God He goes about to reckon without Christ and without Faith and Holiness Shall I take a thousand Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oil Shall I come nearer still Shall I make an Offering of the Fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul Shall I offer my first-born to God that I may not be rejected and brought to a separation from him Thus Men when they come to be sensible do feel in themselves that all this is to no purpose The Answer comes Thou maist live but all thy Contrivances about making an Offering are vain 〈…〉 â—â—ewed thee O Man 〈◊〉 â—o do It is noâ— thy findinâ— this way and tâ—â—â— way viz. thy â—â—â—â—s and thy Oil and 〈◊〉 first-born it is no way of thy devising and imagining that can reconcile thee to me I have shewed thee O Man what is good What is this that is shewed It is comprised in a short compass It is to love Mercy to do Justice and to walk humbly with thy God Will this serve without offering Rams and Oil and offering my first born This will do if thou canst but love Mercy when it s shewn thee that is embrace Mercy and love it He hath shewed Mercy to all Men then love it and receive it do justly leave every thing that is unrighteous and do that which is just in the sight of God but do not boast of thy Justice and Righteousness but walk humbly with thy God here is the whole Duty of Man This looks as if I should go to Works and forbear something in order to my Justification Indeed the consideration of these kind of Lessons do corrupt some Men and put them upon doing this or that and upon forbearing this or that and hath brought many to Confession and great Abstinence and put them upon great doings thinking this would answer the Justice of God I have loved Mercy and given all I had to the Poor If I do justly and abstain from this and the other Liberty if I walk humbly that is if I humble my self by this and the other manner of Pennance and Contrition then I do what God requires and then I have pleased God Now all that havâ— gone this waâ— of working to do justly and love mâ—â—cy and to make themselves humble and humbled themselves low in such a manner they have missed the Mark. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good that it is impossible for fallen Man to answer this himself he may be convinced of his Duty to do Justice but by his own Power and Strength he cannot do it there are so many Temptations from without and so many from within such a proâ—â—nsity in Nature that will prevail against all â—â—e â—onds of Charity that he can make Therefore is Help laid upon one thâ—t is mighty without the Grace 〈◊〉 God that comes by Christ Jesus a Man can never do it tho' Convinced Tho' the Lord hath shewed him what is good he shews us that we are unable of our selves he hath taken care to send his Son God hath so loved the World that he hath sent his Son into the World that he might help those that have need of help that every one that is in Distress might
bringeth Salvation appeareth to all Men and that is by teaching us What doth it Teach I pray consider it iâ— teacheth us To deny all Vngodliness and 〈◊〉 worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteoâ—â— and godly in this present World Where is 〈◊〉 Sin now if a Man be taught by this Gâ—â—â—â— and the Dictates of it Can a Man live Sin and yet live righteously soberly and godly too Can a Man live in Sin and yet deâ—y all Ungodliness at the same time Where â—ave Mens Understandings been that cannot understand their Mother Tongue and consider sense Where are Mens Understandings that will say I may deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and yet follow the Lusts 〈◊〉 my own Heart You would think I speak Nonsense if I should speak thus and yet we â—â—ve been put off with such nonsensical Stuff as this We must pray to God to send his holy Spirit into our Hearts to enable us to live godly righteous and sober Lives and at the same time believe that we shall never do it but that it is a business of Impossibility Now when Men come to lay these things together and when they consider between God and their own Souls how it is with them many are amazed to think they should ever be put off with such incongruous disagreeing and dissonant things that are not consistent with one another But do you think it is possible for any Man to live without sin Yes or else I would say it is impossible for any to be reconciled to God for God will never be reconciled to Sinners as such for his â—argain and Covenant is made with such kind 〈◊〉 Articles Isa 1.16 17. Wash ye make ye â—â—ean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well c. Then come and let us reason together saith the Lord tho' your Sins be as Scarlet thâ—â— shall be as white as Snow tho' they be Red 〈◊〉 Crimson they shall be as Wool still these 〈◊〉 the Terms Put away the evil of youâ— doingâ— then Patience Mercy and Long Sufferiâ—â— shall be extended to you God will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold what from those that say their Prayers or gâ— to the Church or a Meeting No but no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 These are the Men. And when the Lord is distinguishing by his Prophet who he would have among them he speaks of a sort of People that called upon the Name of the Lord Those that feared the Lord and spake often one to another that is of the goodness of God they were a sort of People that Trembled at the Word of God a sort of People that did not do as others did hunt after Pleasures Riches and the Honours of the World but to be acquainted with the inward Word that wrought upon their Hearts In that Day that I make up my Jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord Whose shall the others be Thou wilt own these for thine but whose shall the others be that think not upon thy Name and tremble not at thy Word There is a Place for them too Tophet is â—â—â—pared of old made both wide and large 〈◊〉 Fuel thereof is Fire and Brimstone and 〈◊〉 Wood and the breath of the Lord kindleâ—◠〈◊〉 This is for all that are Wicked 〈…〉 work Iniquity This is in the Old Testament then comes the New Testament in John's Revelations there is a separation again There are a sort of Folk which are called the true Worshippers and the Angel was commanded to go and measure the Temple and those that worshipped therein The outward Temple was not measured but left for the Gentiles to tread in and left without the measure For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie And then the Lord speaks to his Prophets in the Old Testament again If thou put a difference between the Precious and the Vile then thou shalt be as my Mouth unto them but if thou huddle them altogether and sow Pillows under their Elbows then thou shalt be as my Mouth So that in all Ages God aimed at a separation of the state and condition of his People and one sort of People were purified through the sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth and another sort were unsanctified and unpurified and remain'd in their Sin and the end of Christs coming into the World it was to call People to Repentance He came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to â—epentance and to leave off their Sin To as â—â—ny as received him to them he gave Power 〈◊〉 become the Sons of God to as many as beâ—â—â—ed on his Name Whose Sons were the other They made as high a rattle of Profession as the other He tells them who is their Father You are of your Father the Devil oâ— he did orderly prove it and that was tâ—â—â— That they did the Devils Works Ergo Tâ—â—â— were the Devils Children It was Christ himself the greatest Doctor of Divinity that evâ—â— was in the World that spake these Woâ—â—â— And this is the manner of Logick whereby 〈◊〉 argues with the Pharisees to make them believe that they were the Devils Children they that do the Devils Works are the Devil's Children but you do his Works therefore you are his Children so they sought to 〈◊〉 him they could not bear such Arguments If one should go and search out a People in thâ—â— City and Nation and see one Man of this Religion another of that Religion and pick them out and use this Argument with them There is a Man professeth high he professeth a Light within if you look upon his Deeds they are dead and dark why then he is one of the Devils Children If you put me to prove this I say he doth the Devil's Works he is an Extortioner a Deceiver and a Drunkard and unclean Person and doth the Devil's Works and so is none of God's Children And so go to another sort and use this Argument it is safe enough you can never fail in this kind of Argument which Christ used and if People would use it with â—â—eâ—selves and think themselves no better 〈◊〉 we should have People confess themselves 〈◊〉 Devil's Children None come to be God's Childrâ—◠〈…〉 come to acknowledge their lost estate 〈◊〉 deplorable condition that they are fallen from God and through Sin and Iniquity are got into a nature that is at â—â—mity with God then they will cry out Who shall deliver me â—rom this body of death and Childship of Saâ—â—â— this Heirship of Wrath I am an Heir oâ— an Inheritance I am an Heir of Wrath and I would fain lose my Inheritance and Heirship and have an Inheritance with the Saints in light we shall never know this till we come to Divinity without Sophistry and without Tricks and Quirks and come to Christ's Râ—â—â—â—ning He that doâ—â—
〈…〉 Works is the Devil's Child then â—â—ey wiâ—â—â—â—nfess this is of the Devil and â—he other 〈◊〉 the Devil This is an evil Wâ—â—k an◠〈◊〉 that I had need be brought into another condition When People come to an Acknowledgment of the Truth and of their own Condemnation then they are one Step towards Redemption and Salvation No one ever took one step towards their Salvation till they â—cknowledged their own Condemnation He that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of one and they that are joyneâ— to the Lord are one spirit An evil tree saith Christ cannot bring forth good fruit When Christ spake this he spake it to Men and Women â—nd he spake it of Men and Women and not of Trees And when he said No man can gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles he speaks of a Generation of Men as if he had said 〈◊〉 this Thorn must be translâ—â—â— changed into another nature before 〈◊〉 bring forth Grapes and this Thistle 〈◊〉 changed into another nature before 〈◊〉 forth Figs. There must be a Change in the naâ—â— Man before there can be a Change 〈◊〉 Fruit and Effect of his Doings Whaâ— he sows thâ—â— he shall also reap whatsoâ—â— man doth in the body he must give an 〈◊〉 thereof at the day of judgment for th◠〈◊〉 will be opened and men judged according to 〈◊〉 thinâ—â— written in those books If there be 〈◊〉 Booâ—â—or thee and me I le warrant thee thâ—â— is a great deal in it there is a Recorder anâ— a Clerk for the Book which God hath opened in every Man's Conscience and there 〈◊〉 set down every Manâ— Transgressions and hiâ— Sins Saith one Thâ—â— hast written my Transgressions as with the point of a diamond thou hast ingraven it so deep that it seems impossible that it should ever be blotted out again Some have had their Sins so deeply ingraven in their Consciences that they have thought they would never be blotted out they were written as with the Pen of a Diamond When People see and consider that they have ventured their Souls upon such 〈◊〉 Grounds I hope they will be awaked to 〈◊〉 after Righteousness when they see the 〈◊〉 nothing good in them Where there is 〈◊〉 thing good it is God that hath given it 〈◊〉 them Some will say If I be pervers◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 wicked I cannot hâ—lp it therefore 〈◊〉 be beholdenn to my Maker to help 〈◊〉 â—lse I must never be helped Now beâ—â—â—â— God knows that we are helpless he 〈◊〉 â—id help upon one that is mighty that is 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus Christ and Christ hath sent 〈◊〉 his spirit into the world to convince the 〈◊〉 of sin and to lead his people into all 〈◊〉 And this Grace that comes by Jesus â—â—â—ist hath been so universally shewed and 〈◊〉 universally extended to all Men that I never met with a Man yet that had none of it But let them be as bad and as dark as they could yet the Light of Christ shined â—o that Darkness into the darkest Heart that ever I met with in all my Life He sheweth Men That his light shineth in darkness and the darkness cannot comprehend Therefore the Worâ— that God hath set us about and the Service which he requires at the Hands of many of us is to turn Men from their own Darkness unto the Light of Christ their Saviour and from the Devil's Power that hath enslaved them to the Power of God that can redeem them and yet we are far enough from that which they call Free Will we are far enough from this We say a man can never be saved till he learn to deny his own Will it is God's Will that every one â—â—ould be saved But some will not be saved they will keep their Wills and not resign them up to God they have a Free-will to go to Destruction As for Salvation if they will obtain it they must part with 〈…〉 and they must take a Yoâ—◠〈…〉 on them before they can b◠〈…〉 â—â—â—ple can have theiâ— Wills they will 〈…〉 Christ's Yoke upon them He that 〈◊〉 Christ's Disciple must deny his own Wâ—â—â— take up his daily Cross These are â—he 〈◊〉 of the Gospel But you will say No Man by 〈◊〉 Power he hath can redeem himself 〈◊〉 Man can live without Sin We will say Amen to it But if Men teâ—â— us That when God's Power comes to help uâ— and to redeem us out of Sin that it canno◠〈◊〉 â—ffected then this Doctrin we cannot awaâ— with nor I hope you neither Would yoâ— like it well if I should tell you That God puts 〈◊〉 his Power to do such a thing buâ— the Devil hinders him That it is impossible for God to do it because the Devil doth not like it That it is impossible that any one should be free from sin because the Devil hath got such a Power in them that God cannot cast it out This is lamentable Doctrin hath not this been preached this Doctrin of Impossibility of living without Sin It doth in plain Terms say Though God doth interpose hiâ— Power it is impossible because the Devil hath so rooted Sin in the Nature of Man Is 〈◊〉 Man God's Creature and cannot he nevâ—â— make him and cast Sin out of him If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rooted deeply in Man I say 〈◊〉 〈…〉 deeply rooted but Christ Jesus is enâ—â—◠〈…〉 the Root of the Nature of 〈◊〉 that he hath received Power to destroy 〈◊〉 evil and his Works â—nd to recover and 〈◊〉 Man into his Primitive Nature of â—â—â—hteousness and Holiness or else that is 〈◊〉 That he is able to save to the utmost â—â—at come unto God by him We must throw 〈◊〉 the Bible if we say that it is impossible 〈◊〉 God to deliver Man out of Sin Is not â—â—â—ist entred into the root of our Nature And hath he not taken upon him the Seed of Abraham after the Flesh Is he not entred into the Root of all Men's Natures and tasted death for every man that he might quicken every one that is dead in sins and trespasses All these things speak the Love of God to Mankind in order to â—â—â—ir Salvation Much might be said to these things these Clouds of Error and Darkness that have overspread the Nation yet this I say if one were to speak of it never so long it must be by the Eye that God gives you that you must see it it is he that opens the Hearts of Men as he did Lydia's If there had not been the Power of God that reached her Heart Paul could not have opened it When all is said that can be said the Counsel of God which hath sounded in your Ears is recommended to you that every one may retire in quietness and stillness of Mind to 〈◊〉 for the feeling of that quickning Pâ—â—â—â—r of the Spirit of Christ that is sent inâ—◠〈◊〉 Hearts of Men that that may open 〈◊〉 Eyes to see your present state then you 〈◊〉 see a better state 〈◊〉 further
state and 〈◊〉 you see with your inward Eye that your 〈◊〉 is not so good as you would have it â—o 〈◊〉 then trust and rely upon the all-sufficient 〈◊〉 powerful Operation of God's Holy Spiâ—â—â— mend your state and give you Power 〈◊〉 your Corruptions and to go on from one 〈◊〉 to another towards the Cleansing and Sanctiâ—â—cation of your Souls so that you may receive something from God to enable you to live to God for all that you receive from Men will only make you live to Men but that which you receive from God will help you to live to God that will purifie you and sanctify you and make you clean through the word So through the Word you will come to Cleanness Purity and Holiness And when you are come to the way of Holiness you may believe you are gotten into the way of God's Kingdom and never till then It is not enough to make a Profession but we must live up to the Profession of that Religion that we make it is not holding this Tenet and the other Tenet and saying This Minister I am sure preacheth the Truth thou mayest be a Child of the Devil for 〈◊〉 that I now speak indifferently to all People without respect to any fort They thaâ— believe they are walking toward the Kingdom of God and yet their way is not a holy 〈◊〉 â—hey have cheated themselves and deceiv'd their â—wn Souls and they had need look about them â—nd take heed what they do the Glass is â—â—nning and Time is hasting away and our â—ife may end we know not how soon It is â—ood to prize and improve Time while you â—ave it and bring your Deeds to the Light â—ee what Reproofs Instructions Counsels and Openings you have met with from the Lord and see how you have answered aâ—d been obedient to them and so you will come to take a sound and infallible account of your condition and if it be not so good as it should be wait upon the Lord to mend it he that made you can mend you he that made your Ears must unstop your Ears to hear the Word of God To that Power that carries on the Work of Sanctification and Redemption by his word to that word I must leave you and to his Spirit I commit you This word will be with you and if you part not with it it will not part with you it will go with you to your Houses and to your Shops and to your Beds it will lie down with you at Night and rise with you in the Morning To that end Christ he is a Leader and Governour and the Captain of our Salvation to lead the Van and carry you on in the way of Salvation and as many as follow Christ and are led by the spirit of God they are the Children of God SERMON VII The Sheep of Christ heaâ— his Voice Preached at Devonshire-House May 10th 1688. My Sheep saith the true Shepherd hear my Voice THE Sheep of the true Fold hear the Voice of Christ the good Shepherd and know the Voice of Strangers too But saith he the stranger they will not follow This Scripture hath been a Mark of Distinction in all Ages that hath been peculiarly bestowâ—â— upon the People of God that they have hâ—â—â— a discerning Knowledge to make a certain distinction between them that were of God and those that were of the World Now they that are of God hear us saith the Apostle Now that you may all find in your selveâ— this peculiar Gift of God to be able to understand and discern between the precious and the vile that you might know the Ministration of Life from the Ministration of Dâ—â—th you must all be gathered inwardly into â—hat which you have received 〈◊〉 God for they â—â—at are only exercised 〈◊〉 Gifts and Parts and Acquirements that appertain to this world they have been always subject to Delusions apt to be led away into a by-Path and crooked way that leads to destruction but they that are under the Government and Direction of the Gift of God they have been able thereby to make such a Distinction of Voices and of Sounds that they have been preserv'd from the Delusions of the Age. This was the difference of old between the Prophets of God and the false Prophets between the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ and the false Apostles the difference was not so much in their Words for they had in a great measure the same Words if the true Prophets used to say Thus saith the Lord the false Prophets would say so too if the true Prophets declared against Sin the false Prophets likewise would do so for the false Prophet stole his Word from his Neighbour But the great Matter by which the People of the Lord were preserved was that hidden and divine Wisdom they received of God by which they understood the Voice of the Spirit from the Voice of Strangers from the Voice of them that were of the Flesh and that was the Cause that Christians in the Primitive Days did not adhere to and follow those false Apostles that came to them in their own Names and held a form of Godliness but denyed the Power of it But they amongst them into whom theiâ— witchcrafts did enter they went away from thâ— spirit and saught to be made perfect in the flesh they went to the outward observation and to the beggarly rudiments of things that perish with their using and from the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus And as it hath been in those Ages of which we have read so it comes to pass in this our Age in which a dispensation of the spirit of Truth is manifested and revealed unto the Children of Men there is a remnant that have received the Testimony of Eternal Life and have believed the Testimony and waited on him of whom the Testimony is born not to have Life by the Testimony but to have Life in him so they receive their Life by the ministration of the spirit of Christ and they live to God and others who have received no Life from him but have a Life in the Words and Sounds and Noizes and Terms and distinguishing Phrases of things their Life 〈◊〉 there they live not to God but to themselves their Glorying is not in the Cross of Christ but in the Words and outside of things so that every one had need at such a time as this to approve their Hearts unto the Lord who knows the inside of Peoples profeâ—sion the inside oâ— of their Religion that knows how the Heart is concernd towards God and what they say and do upon the account of his service so that all that are met together might come to receive more and more of the Life and vertue that sanctifies the Soul of him that receiveth it For Alas my Freinds it is not the gathering together of the most excellent Words about Religion and about worship and service which will approve any Man in the
is a plâ—ce appointed for the Woman in 〈◊〉 Wilderness where she is preserved by the â—â—mighty Power where she is nourished for a Time and Times and half a Time from the Face of the Serpent but she must come out again after some Time in spite of the Devil and all his Instruments of all his Dragons and Serpents The woman must come out of the Wilderness and the Man-Child must come down with great Power to rule the Nations This hath been accomplished say some above fourteen hundred Years ago and if you will take their Word the Church hath been come so long out of the Wilderness But the Church that they speak of hath it not wanted Holiness and Righteousness Hath it given glory to God on high with peace on earth and good will to men No their Church hath lived in Tyranny and barbarous Cruelty and shedding of Blood They say the Churcâ— was in the Wilderness in Dioclesian's Time and when Constantine came to the Empire theâ— she came out of the Wilderness If it had been a Holy Church we should have seen the Man-Child come down from God and Holiness and Righteousness would have run down like a mighty stream and Truth would have filled the whole Earth All these things have not yet been fulfilled for we have seen the Professors of Truth fallen in the Streets they have been persecuted and troubled and thrown into Prisons and … on s but there is a better Church some … to be found I read of the Holy Church the Lamâ—â— Wife the Spouse of Christ that hath been hid somewhere a great while in some Corner or other in the Wilderness but she will come forth again out of the wilderness leaning upon her well-beloved She doth not come leaning on this Prince and the other Potentate She comes not out of the Wilderness leaning on Captains Generals and Armies but leaning on Christ her well-beloved the Immortal Invisible Power of the Son of God she trusteth in it All the other Churches I have read of they have leaned upon one Prince or Potentate or one Emperour or another and they have relyed on these great Men as on their Bulwark but this Church that comes out of the Wilderness will come leaning only upon her well-beloved the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Author and Finisher of her Faith she will put her Trust in him for he will deliver his Church from all her Enemies And though the Serpent cast out of his Mouth Water as a Flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood 〈◊〉 the Lord will cause the Earth to help â—he â—oman and thâ— Earth shall open her Mouth and swallow up the Flood which the Dragon cast out of his Mouth Let the Dragon do what he can to destroy the Woman and her Seed she knows what her beloved can do he will command the Earth to open and swallow up the Flood and she shall go dry through it How happy are they that lean upon Christ their well-beloved The Church of Christ in all Ages hath leaned upon him and he hath founded his Church upon a Rock so that the Devil and all his Instruments and the very gates of hell shall not prevail against her The Members of this Church have their Teacher Christ Jesus and they receive Counsel and Direction from him He is their Priest and Teacher and he teacheth them by his Spirit and his Word which he hath placed in their Hearts and given them an Understanding to know him that is true Christ's Word you must keep to 〈◊〉 if you will be true Schâ—lars This 〈◊〉 true Divinity if you will have the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God communicated and opened to you give heed to 〈◊〉 word and that Truth that is in your 〈◊〉 parts Attend to that Light and that 〈◊〉 that is manifested in your Hearts and 〈◊〉 Lord will shew you more of the Power 〈◊〉 Efficacy thereof and if you be faithful 〈◊〉 little he will make you ruler over much 〈◊〉 answerable to the Understanding and Knowledge that God hath given you and if you be faithful in a little he will communicate more and more of his Mind and Will to you and if you be led by the Spirit of Truth you will trust in it and hearken to it and understand the Language of it in your own Hearts and if you be a willing people in the day of God's power God will work all things in you and for you and work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure SERMON IX The wonderful love of God to Mankind Preached at S. Martin's-le-Grand November 9th 16â—0 IT is our great concern while we are in this World to promote the Glory of God and 〈◊〉 work out our own salvation to endeavour â—hat in us lies to be sensible and to help one another to be sensible of the Love of God to 〈◊〉 This is the only thing that can give us 〈◊〉 comfort to have a Sense of the Love of God to us in Christ Jesus There is 〈◊〉 more certain â—haâ—â—hat all of us are Partakâ—â—â— of the Love of 〈◊〉 which is imparted to us daily and we live noâ— a Day without it but we may if we have not a care live maâ—â— Days without it and without the comfortaâ—â—â— Sense of it and that is the reason that 〈◊〉 great many of â—he Sâ—â—â— and Daughters of Men do 〈◊〉 in their Liâ—â—â— so little Love to God becaâ—â—e they have so â—â—â—tle Sense of his Love to them for the Apostle â—ohn that had attained 〈◊〉 great Knowledge and Experience in Christianity plainly declareth that â—he â—â—â—son of that Love â—â—at we have to 〈◊〉 is â—â—â—ause he first loved us and I do not believe that any Man can have any true Love to Gâ—d that is not sensible of the Love of God to hâ—m And 〈◊〉 those temporal Blessings that we enjoy 〈◊〉 thâ—â—â—â—fe as Health and Strength and our very â—â—eath 〈◊〉 â—â—ing and well-being that every Day and Hour are continued they are from 〈◊〉 Love of God to us and the lengthning 〈◊〉 of our Lives and vouchsafing us Oppâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—es for the good of our Souls are evident Tokens of God's Love and Good-will to us Where these things are not coâ—sidered and regarded men live like the 〈◊〉 that perish and regard not him that mâ—dâ— them but go on in Disobedience to him 〈◊〉 Dishonouring of his great Name and hoâ—â—â—ing up Wrath upon their own Souls Aâ—◠〈◊〉 doth every Man while he remaâ—â—â— in 〈◊〉 natural state and conditionâ— foâ— there is in every Man by nature the Sâ—â—d aâ—d Root of all Sin and Rebellion against 〈◊〉 which makes him return evil to God fâ—â— the good he doth to us And I believe we are â—ll of us sensible in some measure of the depravedness that is fallen upon all Maâ—â—â—d and of tâ—â—t â—â—mity to God and that aveâ—â—â—â—ss that â—s 〈…〉 the doing the will of God and that impotency and inability
and yet knows in his own Conscience that he is condâ—mned he believeth a Lie he is seduced and deceived A Man cannot be justified â—y Christ when the Spirit of Christ condemneth him Such 〈◊〉 whâ—â—â—e comes to lay down his Head upâ—â— his Dying Pillow all his Faith will fly away I 〈…〉 with some Instances lamentable I◠〈…〉 those thaâ— were called Christians 〈…〉 made a Profession of Religion an◠〈…〉 have laid down their Heads in So◠〈…〉 this be your Mistake consider while y◠〈…〉 Time â—â—at you may die in Peacâ— Now 〈◊〉 Proposition and Tâ—â—der o◠〈…〉 Loâ—â— of God 〈◊〉 Mankind hath alâ—â—ried that Limitâ—â—â—on with it that is 〈◊〉 in the World ought to observe If a Man hope to be saved by Christ he must be ruled by him Iâ— is contrary to all manner of Reason thâ—â—â—he Devil should rule a Man and Christ be his Saviour The whole tenour of the New Testament is against it pray read it as oft as you pâ—â—â—se for it is a good Exercise you will find the true Christian's Faith to be this That he that hath Faith in Christ hath an Operation upon him for the Cleansing his Heart and purifying and purging his conscience from dead works that he may serve the living God though he hath been a Servant of the Devil it will make hâ—â—r leave his former Servitude and bring him under the Influence of another Law the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus which will make him free from 〈◊〉 law of sin and death The Apostle sets down â—he several Conditions he had â—â—ssed through I was alivâ— without the law once he thought himself a Man a brave Man a Man of Understanding thâ—â— had profited among the Jews I was alive having respect to that Law which should have been my Goverour but when the commâ—ndment came sin revived and I died He hâ—d â—ead the Law the Commandment many 〈…〉 and had been at the reading of it in the 〈…〉 â—gue but there was a coming of the Comâ—â—ndment which he had not been acquainted â—ith there was a Writing of thâ— Law of God in his Heart when he 〈◊〉 to this inward World upon him â—â—â—re was thâ—â— the 〈◊〉 he lived When the 〈◊〉 came Sin revived and I died There was a professing Life he formerly liâ—â—d but he was slain by the Power of thâ—â—â—â—manâ—ment it laid him in the Dust as a â—â—ain Man when he was in a 〈◊〉 condition he found out that Law in him that was the Law of Sin and Death and this caused a Combat and a War in him I find a law saith he that whâ—â— I would do good evil is present with with me for I delight in the law of God in the inner mâ— but I see another law in my membe◠〈…〉 against the law of my mind and b◠〈…〉 into captivity to the law of 〈◊〉 which 〈…〉 members Now this brâ—â—ghâ— him 〈◊〉 a Poverty of Spirit into a Sense of his miâ—â—â—â—ble Condition and then he cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Now some People in this Day they are like the Apostle they have a law in their mâ—mbers warning against thâ— lâ—w of their minds the good that they would dâ—â—â—ey do not and they can go no further But the Apostle Paul did reach further though he did not in that state know Deliverance yet 〈…〉 that he should be delivered and that he 〈…〉 be miserable all his Days Thus haâ—ing 〈…〉 Romans into the several Staâ—â—s through whâ—â—â— he passed he brings them to a furtheâ— Sâ— The law of the spirit of life in Christ 〈◊〉 hâ—th made â—e free from the law of sin 〈◊〉 deâ—â—â— And now there is no condemn◠〈…〉 â—â—em that are in Christ Jesus How sh◠〈…〉 know this They walk not after the flesh 〈◊〉 after the spirit Nâ— Pâ—ul was come to that sanctified state tha◠〈◊〉 of Freedom and Liberty which Christ â—esus will bring all those unto that believe â—n him Holy Men in former Days did experience and find a greaâ— Strife and Warfare in their own Hearts they would do all well and exercise a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man but there is a Law of Sin that wars in their Members if we yield to it it leadâ— to Sin and Death but if we yield our selves to the law â—f the spirit of life there is a Power tha◠〈…〉 â—ved from the Mediator that will â—â—anslate the Soul out of the kingdom of darkness and Sin which the Devil is the Prince of and bring it into the kingdom of God's dear Son There must be a real Change wrought in us before we can come tâ— God and to Fellowship and Commâ—â—ion wiâ—h God which â—lone can make th◠〈◊〉 happy Let this be tâ—e Exercise of eâ— one of us to adore and magnifie and 〈◊〉 Mercy and the kindness of God â—hat 〈…〉 not withdrawn his Spirit from yo◠〈…〉 hath placed a Mâ—n for in your 〈…〉 â—s upon you to cease to do evil 〈…〉 and to consider that the 〈…〉 sin is death Here is a Sin I may â—mit it there is a Temptation beofre me 〈◊〉 I know there is a Bait and a Hook 〈…〉 swalloâ— it if I will but if I do iâ— will 〈…〉 â—y Râ—th Would I come to eternâ—l Death and have my Portion with Lyars and wicked Persons in the Kingdom of Darkness Where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched or would I have my Portion with Saints and Angels If I would have my Portion with the blessed in the Kingdom of God when I die I must walk in the way that leads to it but the Gate is strait and the way narrow and few there be that find it Labour then to be one of those few But what signifies our Labour some may say if we can do nothing that is good not so much as think a good thoâ—ht What signifies our Labour all the Labours and Endeavours in the whole World cannot â—â—â—ke a Man happy I now speak to a People to whom God doth vouchsafe the Help and Assistance of his Gracâ— and Spirit and the Visitations of his Love and Power you mu◠〈…〉 â—ndeavour to do somethâ—â—g if a Man enâ—â—avour with the help of 〈…〉 â—ie may doâ— great deal of good and 〈◊〉 a great deal of Evil Though all our Endeavours in our own Power and Strength can signifie nothing yet they are required by God and â—y joyning them with his Grâ— and layinâ—â—old of Opportunities by 〈◊〉 Assistance we may do whâ— God will aâ— But if a Man do 〈◊〉 thing in his own Poâ— and Strength whether Prayer Hearing Râ—â—ing Meditation or any other Duty he ha◠〈◊〉 good let it â—â—one I would consider you as those that God hath followed with his Grace and the Manifestation of his Spirit this is given to every Man to profit withal and every Man hath Opportunity to work with it but he must work while it is day for the night
Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee The Covenant is made to Abraham and his Seed that is with Christ Jesus the Mediator It is he that brings to God those that trust in him and come to him He that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out they that do not come to Christ are cast off already All Men by Nature are cast 〈…〉 if any of theâ— will be 〈◊〉 it is by coming to Christ whâ— is able to â—ave to thâ— uttermost and to makâ— Peace for them and of Twins to make onâ— new Man and to make Peace between God and their Soulâ— There is a necessity for all People that have sense of their natural state and condition that according to Nature have no Title to the Kingdom of God to be reconciled to God By Nature they cannot make a claim to Righteousness and Life they cannot reconcile themselves to God by all their Works saith the Prophet Micah Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand of Rams or with ten thousand Rivers of Oil shall I give my first-born for mâ— Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love Merâ—â— and walk humbly with thy God They that will be saved must lay hold of Salvation in that way and method that the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath prescribed He hath prescribed a way for every Body to be saved he would have no Body to perish but that all should come to Repentance and obtain everlasting Life God hath made a way that will serve every Body alike Thousands as well as Ten and all the World as well as one Man Now the way that God hath made is turning out of the State into which they are fallen and a forsaking that Governour that rules in the Hearts of the Chil◠〈…〉 Disobedience aâ— closing with Christ 〈◊〉 God hath appoinâ—ed to reign in every â—â—dy's Heart Peopâ—â— in Christendom will all say they have closed with Christ Do not you hope to be saved by Christ on the Terms of the Covenant It is not crying Lord Lord but doing the Will of God the Terms are All Men must believe in Christ the Eternal Son of God and through â—he Power of that Faith they have in him he comes to rule over them and they become subject to him And if a Believer be not subject to Christ he is all one as if he was an Unbeliever Circumcision or Vncircumcision avails not any thing but a new Creature and Faith which worketh by Love The Covenant doth not stand in meer Words 〈◊〉 I conform to such Articles then I am a Christian if I believe all the Articlâ—s of the Creed then I am a Christian and a Child of God If a Mâ—n will say I believe his Say so is not sufficient The condition of the Covenant that God hath made is That Christ shall rule and have the government of those Souls that he presents to God How should it be otherwise seeing he is not to present any to God that are unclean Christ hath no Commission to present any to God in their Uncleanness and Wickedness He that believeth he must be cleansed and purifyed by him If so then that cannot be done by ruling over them If they had the Rule of themselves they would be polluted and be like Water whose Current is stopt with Di◠〈…〉 â—d not running in its own natural S◠〈…〉 People will commit Sin when they have the Rule of themselves but when Christ presents People to God and when they come to be led by him they are cleansed and purified When the Apostle describes true Faith he doth it by this quality and property of it It purifies the Heart All other Faith is but the Hope of the Hypocrite but real Faith is the operation of God saith the Apostle and that Faith worketh in an unclean Heart to the cleansing of it and in an impure Heart to the purifying of it If the Heart comes to be purified then it must needs follow that the Conversation must be pure also No body doth an ill Work nor speaks an ill Word but it is from an evil Heart Now if the Axe come to be laid to the Root of the Tree and the Word of the Lord operate in the Heart powerfully if never so much evil be in it the Axe when laid to the Root of the Tree will cut it down the Power of God will execute Judgment upon every thing that is contrary to him Christ is holy harmless and undefiled and separate from Sin and Sinners and tho' he extend his Life and Vertue to the Life and Soul of the most wicked Man in the World it never joins with their Uncleanness but keeps immaculate and undefiled in the Heart of the worst of Men. Now this immaculate Power that comes from Christ it will purifie the Hearts of Men and preserve them from evil Thoughts Wâ— and Actions This is the manifestation of 〈◊〉 one Mediator that they must be governed bâ— else they cannot be presented spotless to God the Father There is a necessity of coming to a Saviour otherwise than by Words and Profession we must come to him and heartily joyn with him we have all joyned with the Devil he hath suggested moved and instigated and People have followed his instigations and motions there is no Man but is sensible of a devilish motion why not then of a Divine motion Though now it is become a Bugbear to say we are moved by the Spirit of Christ why not by that Spirit as well as by the Spirit of the wicked one No Man doubts but that there are motions of the Devil which they are sensible of that sometimes they have joyned with him and sometimes they withâ—â—â—nd him What is the reason that Men should joyn with evil motions There is no just reason for it The reason why you and I withstand the motions of the Devil is bâ—cause we find another motion conveyed into our Hearts by the Spirit of God if a Man hath one motion to commit uncleanness he hath another motion to keep himself pure if he hath a motion to speak a Lie he hath another motion to speak Truth there are two movers at the same time in the same Heart which shall we joyn with Shall I joyn with the Devils motion If I find any thing of the â—ove of God in my Heart it will constrain me to â—â—nd the good motion and make me withâ—d the evil motion so that the movings 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God is not such a wonder There are none but they have bad motions in them and they have also motions of the Spirit of Truth they have met with evil motions and they have admired them too much then it is time to repent if there be a distinction between a motion of the Spirit of Truth and a motion of the
Spirit of errour then I may boldly say it 〈◊〉 our duty to joyn with the Spirit of Truth and not with the Spirit of errour if there be a desire in us to be saved from the wrath to come then the way to be saved from Gods wrath is to be saved from the cause of it take away the cause and the effect ceaseth The cause of Gods wrath being kindled against Man is Sin for God had no wrath against Man when he first made him for he made him after his own â—â—â—ge and gave him Power to conâ—inue in 〈◊〉 Holyness and Righteousness wherein he created him but he fell and was cast out of Paradise and an Angel was sent with a Flaming Sword 〈◊〉 turned every way to keep the Way of the Tree of Life Thus Man fell under the wrath of God by his sin but how shall I have the wrath of God allayed By breaking off from sin and returning to God again This looks like a covenant of Works say some do you say I must break of from Sin and so escape the wrath of God Yes I do but no mortal Man 〈…〉 off from Sin but by joyning with the 〈…〉 He is the Author of Eternal Salvation h◠〈…〉 in us to will and to do and enableth us to 〈◊〉 out our own Salvation it was Sin that dr◠〈◊〉 Man our of Paradise and brought upon him the wrath of God Sin is the Devils work now that Christ might be a Saviour to us 〈◊〉 will destroy the Devils work for this purâ—â—â—â— saith the Apostle the Son of God was manifested that he might Destroy the works of the Devil Now the Devil was not the destruction of Man simply in himself but by tempting him to Sin which is the Devils work now Christ was manifested to destroy the Devils work that Propensity to Sin that is in the Nature of Man which makes him rebel against the Mind and Will of God Christ the Eternal Son of God he became Man he took the Nature of Man that he might bring Man again to his primitive state wherein he was Created after the Image of God Now how doth the Devil work his works doth he do his works coercively No he useth no irresistible force But doth Christ the Mediator work coercively with an irresistible power and force to bring a Man again to God No no more than the Devil did to bring a Man from God Man might have stood and continued in his state of Innocency if he would he might joyn with evil and yield to the Temptation of the Devil if he had a Mind he knew if he gave over his Mind t◠〈…〉 â—e should be ruin'd and it proved so 〈…〉 â—as resolved to try what it was to yield 〈◊〉 Devil and obey him He told them that 〈◊〉 they did eat of the forbidden Fruit they should be as Gods but they became more like the Devil this they got by being obedient unto him not that the Devil laid an irresistible force upon them you shall eat of the Fruit of this Tree but there was only a presentation of it to them and with that he prevailed and so came the destruction of Mankind So Christ the Mediator that he may present us to God he comes and presents himself to us in his commands and his command is that we must break off from that servitude and subjection that the Devil had brought Man into and there must be a yielding of subjection unto Christ we must believe in Christ and harken to the word of God and break off from Sin But where is the Power If God would have me Holy let him make me Holy if he would have me Pure let him make me so and give me ability to do that which of my self I cannot do when it pleaseth God to give me Grace and captivate my Will I shall become a good Christian Now here is a great mistake that People should think they must wait for an irresistible power to bring them back to God there is a presentation of love and mercy and earnest invitations and the long-suffering and patience and goodness of God's long waiting upon Sinners 2 Cor. 4.6 God who Commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our Hearts to give the Light 〈◊〉 knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face oâ—â—â—sus Christ What shall I do with the Liâ— that shines into my Heart I will shut miâ— Eyes against it I love Darkness rather thaâ— Light and evil more than good this Light will lead me to Holyness and Righteousness I will quarrel with it it comes to bereave me of my Comforts in this World of my merry Companions and of all my Bravery I will not harken to it Who can help it This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their deeds are evil saith our Saviour If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had Sin but now they have no Cloak for their Sin Here is the Gospel Preached by Christ himself here is the presentation of an opportunity for every Man and Woman to return again but I must be in the way of returning that is by joyning with that which presents it self with Holyness with Righteousness with Chastity and Humility that presents and offers to the Soul all the Vertues and Graces that are in Christ and shews it the Light and Grace that comes from Christ Now this Light and Grace shewing it self to my Soul I have a view of it Hast thou a view of it Hast thou seen Purity Humility Sobriety Meekness and Self-denyal and an Heavenly frame of Spirit in thy self or some body else How dost thou like it I like it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I love to have Honour and Dignity â—ower and Dominion and my Elbow-Room in the World I love not this Meekness Humility and strictness of Life that a man must have a Care what he speaks and set a Watch upon his Lips and upon his Heart and Tongue and Hands I do not like this kind of Life If thou dost not like a good Life some body will like it and live in it and for all your Vapouring and Hating and Despising it when People come to live this kind of Life they will out-live thee thy topping Life thy reigning Life and thy having Elbow-Room in the world will at last come to be limited the Hand of God is against it and it will bring down the Pride of Man When thou comest to life upon thy Dying Pillow expecting every moment to expire and breath thy last then thou wilt wish O that I had been more serious and lived more like a Christian lived a godly Life and given up my Heart to God and been more watchful over my Thoughts and Words and Actions There is such a Friend of mine that hath lived better than I if I had lived such a Life as he hath lived I should have had more Comfort And they that are despisers of