the Lord of life they crucifie the Lord of glory it was Lust in Pilate in Herod in the Jews in the Gentiles that crucified the Lord of glory upon whom shall the blood that was shed from Abel to Zacharias the blood of all the witnesses of God of whom shall it be required but of this same Lust This is the whore that is in Scarlet dyed with blood eats up Gods people like Bread there is not any appearance God hath come forth in but Lust hath fallen upon it under pretence it is the Devil and Heresie Paul and Silas came to preach Christ at Philippi Lust stands up here are men come say they will turn the world upside down The business was they had cast out a devil and they heard they brought in great revenue to some of them And in all that Lust does is disappointment it hath not what it seeks It kills the Lord he rises again and he rises so at last it shall never kill him any more and so in all Lusts labours and in all its adventures in all its hazards is certain destruction destruction to the person himself he is empty and hungry Ye lust and have not ye kill and yet ye have not 'T is the very devil the very grave and hell there is not a worse torment You fight and war and you have not and yet Lust is not satisfied but must go to fight and warring again and 't will be fighting till it be slain it self 't will not leave any blood unshed all the blood in the world will never satisfie it you kill and yet ye have not and yet ye fight and war Take this observation by the way That in worldly Lusts in fleshly Lusts there is murther Ye lust ye kill Lust is that that when it goes forth would murther every thing stands in its way It is the root of all evil says the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. The love of mony or the creature is the root of all evil How many are there be ready to wash their hands that they have not committed murther is there not Lust in you to the world here 's the root of murther you war and ye kill Kill men and kill God that is fight against the appearances of him Ye kill and and yet ye have not because ye ask not I but you ask too O Lust will be Religious Lust will put on a form of godliness the devil transform'd into an Angel of light Lust will pray and Lust will read the Scriptures Lust will Sacrifice Lust will worship You ask and yet you have not Lusts askings will never get any thing this we shall speak of by and by but you have not because ye ask not Take notice of this that there is no success nor satisfaction in any prosecution without prayer You lust you kill you fight you war you have not because you ask not Let men use wisdom and strength and labour and diligence it shall never be successful unless they pray 't is God that orders all you shall not attain any thing from God God is stronger then we fight and kill you shall reap nothing but winde or the whirlwind whatsoever you get you shall put it into a bag with holes whatsoever you get it shall be but to choak you Let 's pray that attains asking praying seeking woing God God is love and he loves man God says he will be enquired of he will be sought unto Iacobs wrastling with God it was by prayer and supplication God is not prevail'd with but by his own power Let him take hold of my strength saies God to him Isa 27. 5. The power of God is put forth in prayer Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you The fool Psal 14. says in his heart there is no God and it follows there is no fear of God before his eys What does he eat up my people like Bread and calls not upon God what success hath he he was in great fear where no fear was nothing but trouble nothing but disappointment Then the way to be truly successful is prayer but Lusts prayer shall never get any thing Lust goes forth to killing and the same goes forth to praying and so it is when it goes forth to praying as if it did go to fighting Isa 66. He that offers an Oxe is as if he did kill a man he that offers a sheep had as good cut off a dogs neck Prayer we are for but for right Prayer not Lusts Prayer but Faiths Prayer Spirits Prayer Christs Prayer For you ask and receive not because you ask amiss Lust cannot ask aright and here first of all take notice of this that every truth hath its counterfeit every thing both earthly and spiritual there is a truth and the counterfeit there is true Religion and there is false Religion there is right Prayer and there is praying amiss there is right hearing and hearing amiss take heed how you hear there is hearing mixt with Faith and hearing that is not mixt with Faith There is drawing neer to God with the lips when the heart is far from him there is Jezabels fast and there is Iehosaphats fast there is nothing the Saints do but the world will counterfeit there is nothing that Moses did but the Magicians did likewise the devils Ministers are transformed into the Ministers of righteousness good and evil it lies within it lies in the principle as I shew'd before Man thinks to mock God indeed he may mock himself and deceive himself and that he does true worship is onely where the truth is God is a Spirit and he will be worship'd in spirit and truth That 's truth that is in the spirit the spirit is truth what we do in God is rightly done prayer in God reading in God giving in God he that come to the light he comes to it because his works are wrought in God Ioh. 3. 21. There is asking amiss and hearing amiss and let us take notice of this if any among us onely look that this and the other thing be done and never consider how it is done it is to no purpose what we do Why dost thou take my name into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed says he Taking Gods name in vain is in swearing t is also in praying t is taken notice of in swearing but not in praying but it is in the one as well as the other You ask amiss there be many amisses in Prayer in asking many amisses when we onely use gifts and parts that 's amiss either our own or other mens some use other mens this is amiss again when we do not ask in Faith but we will look to that in the Text You ask amiss what 's that amiss That you might consume it upon your Lusts And here take notice of two things the first is this That not asking and asking amiss have the same success As good do nothing as not do it
top desolate and forsaken we have said of the Spirit as once that murmuring people said of Moses Up make us Gods that may go before us for as for this Moses we know not what is become of him And in this mist of darkness Satan hath conveyed himself in all deceivableness of unrighteousness and made such a deluge upon the face of the world that till of latter yeers as it was in Elias his time the true Church Saints of God were not discernable though doubtless in the darkest times God reserved a small remnant to himself who bowed not the knee to the Idols of mens inventions nor fell down before the Throne of the Beast The reign of Antichrist hath been long and so taking being beautifyed by the excellency and glory of flesh that the whole world wondered after the Beast whatever was prone and apt to deceive and bewitch the world that hath he cloathed himself withal not onely learning wisdom greatness and power humane but whatsoever the Gospel afforded outward that hath been given to him to carry captive into his own place to that great City Babylon there have Ordinances and the letter of the Scripture been brought into cruel bondage and made to fight against the Spirit and a form of godliness to war against the power what God hoth joyned hath been there divorced and put asunder and the abomination that maketh desolate set up the whole world in their Religion Worship and Righteousness have lien in darkness and are not aware of it they liked not the Faith once given to the Saints neither contended for it they received not the truth in the love of it and therefore were given up to strong delusions to believe lyes and by the signs lying wonders and cunning craftiness of this man of sin whereby he lay in wait to deceive have been led about and taken captive by him at his pleasure And think not this strange neither wonder at it Art thou a stranger in Israel Ought not these things so to have come to pass Ought not our Lord to be crucified in Sodom and Egypt before he ascend to his last and most glorious appearance in the world is it not necessary the man of sin should first be revealed before Christ can come in his brightness and that the highest glory should be born out of the womb of the deepest darkness this was the Let kept Christ at a distance seeing by this he was making way for a more glorious and admirable discovery of himself and the Gospel then the world yet ever knew By this he will commend himself to us in his second appearance as the Law commends Grace and as Pharoah and the Red Sea commended that deliverance of old here is a time for Saints to keep their garments white and the name of Chrâ—st unblemished when the world is become Satans Synagogue here is a season beautiful for the Faith Patience and Testimony of the Saints to appear and for those that call themselves Apostles and are not to be tryed and found lyars By this good pleasure of God in so ordering things will be built up an everlasting Monument of the worlds folly and blindness in the greatest exercise of their wisdom and knowledge who though they had an open faced discovery of God in the Gospel 2 Cor 3. 18. and not the writings of Moses onely but of Christ himself left to them and life and immortality brought therein to light yet despising the light and instruction of the spirit herein and causing that to withdraw and trusting in their own wisdom and making flesh their teacher professing themselves wise have become fools and turned the truth of God into a lye and by that their wisdom know not God in this wisdom of God but heap to themselves brain inventions and by the Doctrines of men make void the Counsel of God to their own destruction and have turned that which gave in it self a savour of life into a savour of death unto death And now that the fulness of time for those better things kept in store for us draws nigh and that Egyptian darkness and slavery which the world hath been kept under is nigh to cursing how hath the truth multiplyed how hath God remembred his people and for some good number of yeers past been making way for himself again to be owned and breaking forth in such measures of light as the world hath been able to bear and gradually destroying the power of the beast in his mark his image and the number of his name and is still going on till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth and in these discoveries also hath Satan of late been putting in for a part resisting the truth as Jannes and Iambres withstood Moses seeking to set up that in form and flesh and so preserve his Kingdom which God is doing in spirit and power but he shall proceed no farther for his folly shall be made manifest to all and those precious souls who have in these days stood at a distance from the outward part of worship because it hath been the Court trodden down and the man of sin hath here so long had his abode and hath so polluted and stained all forms of Religion and made that his shelter and thicket where he hath lain concealed shall see him trodden under their feet and cast alive in the midst of these his deceitful workings with the false Prophet into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone and whatever hath been captived into Babylon shall be brought back and set upon Mount-Sion the redeemed of the Lord shall return and being filled with the Spirit and restored to their first state shall shine in the perfection of beauty and holiness and then shall all Saints sing in the unity of the spirit the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways O thou King of Saints Reader Amidst the diversity of those gifts and administrations in dispensing whereof God hath enriched this latter age there hath not a brighter spirit shone forth then what dwelt like a fixed star in the Author of these following Discourses who whilst he lived here was indeed dead by the Cross of our Lord Jesus and in that voyce being now dead he yet speaketh what thou seest here of him thou hast upon great disadvantage being imperfectly taken and never designed by the Author beyond the private edification of his Hearers these things were most pleasantly beheld in his life where they were written in a perfect Copy from whence all that he taught seemed to be borrowed and transcribed his ministration of them also gave not a little more lustre to them then what they now seem to have but at best this heavenly treasure ran through an earthen vessel so may perhaps need the laver of love to wash off what it contracted by that passage I leave it to
thy love who ever art the Reader desiring thee to remember that whatsoever is ministred to us either by men or books though of the most spiritual subjects is no better then the Mantle of Elijah unless the God of Elijah be there if the truth dwell in thee I am Thine in the Lord C. Worsley To the memory of Mr. Goad PErfections Samplar draught of spotless life Envy of Preachers and of Hearers strife Wrapt up in silence and laid by Till death unfold the mystery Some Teach but Live not Truths usurping part Shining not burning of the Glow-worms Art But this was onely his mistake He was much more then what he spake Experience was the mistress of his Art He spake not from the lips but from the heart The rise of many was his fall A Form of words Traditional Such fallings Consummations call we may So morning twi-light falls into the day His stars did shrink into their skies When Sun in him did once arise A State Religion counsels Synods stamp Which yet admits of a far higher vamp Riddles Believe it he that can The Word of God made so by man Thus bankrupts vouch their credit by Record Their obligations pass but his bare word No forraign teacher by him used Light not acquired but infused And yet how commonly such borrowed fire Obtruded is as of divine inspire What He presented to our sight Did sparkle from the Fountain light The all-inditing Spirit did him fill That scorns the Rival of a second quill Till grown in Notions pure so ripe He did resolve into the Type The Road-Religion doth it self maintain By partnership in worldly pomp and gain For Rivers can no higher grow Then to the Fountains whence they flow But his Religion was in Mysterie And in his breast did contradictions lie His life was unto Christ to dye His Glory flesh to Crucifie Dulness in him did cut we did espie In his rude plainness a bright majesty His spirit pure his Notions choyce Judged by matter not by voyce How sweetly was he ravish'd 'bove the life Of the Scripturian and the Letter strife Where water-Baptism that should quench Is made the ground of difference Fire was his Baptism and his common food Not signs but very body very blood Thus had in him each Sacrament Its true and genuine intent His middle Doctrine by Gods sacred Clue Did cut betwixt extreams of either hue Legal profession here doth stand Seraphick looseness on that hand This th'high-born spirit labours to depress That sets it out in the most careless dress 'Twixt both Our VVatchman did descry The Spirits Bounds and Liberty He steer'd an even course in numerous throng Chaining attentive Hearers to his tongue Soft showrs did fall in 's dropping words Yet quick as lightning sharp as swords His Doctrine so proportion'd limb by limb Truth was not Thrown in but Laid up in him Yet 's Method was the meanest thing Matter was Jewel of the Ring His soul was lifted up 'bove common track Of Themes and Systemes True Religions wrack Thus set he pitties common crew Which yet put in for Preachers too When grosser bodies judg'd by bulk not merit Are by skill'd hand Alembick'd into spirit The dregs and bulk flye not from hence 'T is but a Dram mounts Quintessence This Dram was He Scruple Iota tryed In every Dispensation rarified Till his pure soul did glories vye With th'oneness of the single eye His first fruits did to Law and Sinai tend Which to some Preachers is their journeys end No marvail he out-did their worth He gain'd half way at setting forth His second step more glorious was and better Knowledge of Gospel truths but in the letter Yet this gave not a lasting rest 'T was Moses vail'd with th' name of Christ For where the Legal spirit rules in Might There 's little diff'rence 'twixt the'xternal rite Whether that Baptism doth obtain Or Circumcision still remain In 's third appearance and most glorious scene Were naked glories and perfections seen Truths not yet owned to their merit Gospel-knowledge in the Spirit Who can this blessed state with that compare Where Sinai's thundrings and Laws threatnings are Where Selfe and worldly interest Goes half Religion with the best But his pure soul wandring in boundless sense Delighted Hearers with rich Eloquence Whilst he discovered unto them The light of new Jerusalem Here sublimated souls joyned in one By Divine Unction mount and grasp the Throne Thrice happy soul for here it findes What others seek in Marks and Signes Yet here short-sighted zeal by illustrious ray Is strook quite blinde and gropes though at Noon-day And in its rage at truths past ken Takes men for trees and trees for men Hence 't was Goads Doctrines most Seraphical Mistaken judgements counted notional Thus zeale boyld up 'bove due degree Proves poyson and not remedy But he 's translated by discerning Fate Beyond the hand of Envy reach of Hate Whence he bequeaths this Legacie to All May on their spirits his rich Mantle fall Blest soul thou' art fixt and at thy rest Whilst we with Gog Magog contest Yet sweet to us shall Sufferings be Since they can but Bring us to Thee To the memory of Mr. Goad on the Publication of his Excellent SERMONS THat soul is upward flown whose rays so bright Through a Clay-prison did send forth their light The want of such a guide we drooping bear Here clouded in a dusky Hemisphere For a more ample Orb this Sun requir'd Whose heavenly breathings sweetly once inspir'd Our lesser fires and darted forth a flame From which at once both heat and light there came Divine Creator-like 't was he that gave To pictures life now shadows substance have How pure and how refin'd the spirits were This Heaven-taught Chymist did extract when here Below he wrought from his full soul there came Such sweet resultances so clear a flame As melted preaching from its grosser Oar In place of Form we had the Spirit and Power The pith and kernel for the Bark and we Into that body of Divinity That 's in the world so must discour'st of finde Infus'd by him the soul and purer minde When on his Sermons we but cast our eye And in so plain a dress such beauty spie A native splendour which not tincture'd is With skill or art we can experience this That treasures in an earthen vessel lie And we a burning shining light descrie In Camels hair attir'd How did the fine And brighter Colours in his preaching shine Which were not subt'ly woven with a shade Of Self-applause and yet they were not made All rude and unprepar'd for we did finde In that plain garment Majesty inshrin'd Such was his Doctrine such his life that we Saw not a loose but Christian Liberty In all its parts exactly by the Law That Spirit that keeps even Libertines in aw Of his own compass steer'd for as he taught The life of God he up to it was wrought Immortal Goad let this thy Motto be Thou
it from heaven or from men So your knowledge is it from God or from men have you received it from your good Ministers or from your own reason or light or from the Spirit of the Father It concerns us to consider this Let the world Jeer and Scoff and cry Fancy and Whimsie and what they will There is no true knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by revelation It is that the Apostle prays for That God would give unto you the Spirit rf revelation All the learned in that only Church of the Jews were all blind and did not receive Christ Who were they that received him they were born of God If we speak of Consciences testimony let us remember that it is my conscience bearing me witness in the holyghost This is the witness of the Father in your consciences then the voice of conscience is a glorious voice This is speaking in Christ I speak the truth in Christ I lye not saith Paul my conscience bearing me witness he speak in the Father these three are one and make up one witness that is true When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me c. Look now what your faith stands in stands it in the wisedom of men or the power of God Let every one of us be looking after the power and life of the Father and of Christ that we may see the Father he that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ to Philip. Let us dwell no more in man nor upon man but let us look higher It is written all thy sons shall be taught of God You never come to peace nor rest till you come to God to the Father As the Father appears more clearly to you in Christ so you come to true peace stability and Settlement and till ye come to him ye are like children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine One Sect of men blows this way another Sect blows an other way and so we are tossed up and down till we come to know the Father by the Spirit in Christ We are weary of all Religion and settle nowhere till we come to find the rock to find God till we come to hear him speak that hath the words of eternal life that speaks power and life and not as the Scribes We never come to put off the old man till we come to hear Christ and the truth as it is in him Then we stand firm in all winds that blow and puff This is to hear the Father then we put off the old man Silly women we are weak and foolish creatures till then He that establisheth you is God when shall we cease from man There is another that bears witness of me and his witness is true And when we have his witness it will satisfie And we shall know that his witness is true but the world doth not know him This is satisfaction to Christ that he knows the Father and the Father knows him though the world doth not know him but they shall know him to their destruction and confusion when he comes forth to be revealed and to be glorified in his Saints I know his witness is true I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world Let the world say and think what they will My witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world I know my witness is true There is the rest of the Saints of God Men call you before their judgement seats and you cannot satisfie them They cannot be satisfied but your satisfaction is in God And the world cannot see God yet the Saints can pitty the world in their madness and blindness Now he comes to the testimony of Iohn Ye sent unto John and he bare witness of me but I received not testimony from man Christ humbles himself very low to plead Johns witness He alledges Johns testimony against them They did not own him but they did own John They inquired of John whether he was the Christ John told them plainly he was not the Christ but he pointed them unto Christ yet they receive not Iohns testimony and so Christ makes it a testimony against them This is all that carnal Professors get that do not love the truth by searching out the truth they meet with a testimony against themselves See how low God hath put himself into such a condition that he needeth mans witness He hath withdrawn himself and set up the world While God is in this low state the world sits in judgement and the Devil hath the power But there will be a time when God will come forth without witness And when he appears he will say Bring forth your witnesses and your strong reasons We look what witness God hath among men How few and inconsiderable were the witness that Christ had in respect of the world He sent to John a man that had nothing to commend him according to the flesh Ye have heard of old Simeon he bare witness unto Christ And of Hanna an old woman she bare witness also But look among the Priests and Elders the Scribes and Pharisees Famed Learned and godly men and how few were there among them that bare witness unto Christ How should we long that the witnesses might finish their testimony when the Lord himself will come forth that every eye may see him and all people own him Christ sent unto Iohn but received not testimony from man but these things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye might be saved Here is a people had nothing in their hearts but killing and Christ had nothing in his heart towards them but saving And upon this design did Christ travail all the while he was amongst them There was wheat among the chaff of the world and all his dealing in the world was to gather the Wheat from the chaff There is no testimony worth any thing but where God appears Christ testifies of Iohn that he was a burning and a shining light The face of God shining is day This day dawned in Iohn such witnesses we expect such a Ministry we expect in whom we may see the light and purity of God consuming sin burning up chaff The Ministry of God in John the light of God set up in Iohn was that which made him a burning and shining light Do we know such a Ministry or no It is this only that is to be desired The Ministry of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and fire This is the Ministry we should look after We have too long dwelt in men and languished in mens gifts and parts Wisdom and Elocution Let us be looking after the light and life of God after God in Christ manifested unto us and in us by the Spirit SERMON III. JOHN 5. 30. I can of my self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me TO
for a reward And whosoever take upon them to be Prophets and do complie with the World are lying Prophets as he was All true Prophets that Prophesied of Christ saw him and he was in them Abraham saw my day saith Christ and t was Christ himself that preached in the days of Noah as Peter hath it But Iohn was much above the Prophets seeing Christ at a nearer distance then they did A Prophet saith Christ Yea I say unto you and more then a Prophet Iohn made a greater noyse a greater stir and bustle in the world then the Prophets before They came forth with power but they witnessed in sackloth in comparison of Iohn The Prophets before Iohn had nothing like that respect that Iohn had There went out to him all Iudea and Jerusalem Yea the Saduces and Pharisees went out to him and yet see how he takes them up O generation of Vipers who hath forwarned you to flye from the wrath to come See how he deals with Herod With what Majesty that its said Herod feared him They were dazled at his light and scorcht with his fire He was the greatest before Christ He came in the Spirit and power of Elias There are witnesses to Christ in the flesh and there are witnesses to Christ in the Spirit There are witnesses to his first coming in the similitude of sinfull flesh and there are witnesses to his second coming without sin to Salvation And the nearer to him the clearer sight of him the more transformed into his Image the more powerfull will be the witness He that is a true Prophet or a true witness doth not only tell us of truth or of Christ but he doth appear truth and appear Christ Here is truth here is Christ here is the Spirit There is no true Prophet or witness of Christ but he seeth him come But What! is Christ come He is come and he is coming The hour is coming and now is He is and he was and he is to come He is come the Lamb slain and he is come the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah So far forth aswe are true witnesses we see him amongst us we can poynt him out This is He. We see him in Faith Christ dwells in our hearts by faith We see him in hope Christ in you the hope of glory We see him the wisdom of God and the power of God We see him such a one as cares not for man Master we know that thou art true and carest not for any mans person We see him one that takes away sin It is he that is our righteousness and holiness It is he that is the true light It is his day coming that shall darken the Sun and the Moon It is he that makes the whole Creation to shake It is he that commands Devils and Hell Principalities and Powers In that degree we see him and have communion with him in that degree we witness to him He is coming and he is come without sin to Salvation He is amongst us and in the midst of us and if you see him not if you know him not it is because you are in darkness He is come and Iohn is come that bears witness of him Who is Iohn that bears witness to him He that calleth you from man to that one Master He that is decreasing before him and rejoyceth in it He that is dying into him and seeking to rise in him that is sending all Disciples to him and confessing him and professing that all were Thieves and Robbers that went before him that had drawn Disciples after them That Ministry that is calling us off from man from the glow-worm light of this Creation from mans parts and gifts into the Spirit that 's the Ministry we should look after This same Iohn came out of the wilderness He came not in a fleshly garbe He came not in that which commends him to man He feared not man nor his terror He cared neither for Herods glory nor the Pharisees applause He was leading men above the excellency of this creation and bidding them look beyond it He comes not into the Ministry upon the old account by the way of Succession or Election by mans laying on of hands or call of Churches but by the Spirit He comes of the Priesthood but not in the ordayning way When his parents were old when their bodies were dead when his Father was dumb when mans Ministry had been tryed then he comes forth not in the wisdom of man but in the power of the Spirit He comes out of the wilderness in Spirit So Christ is among us in the Spirit These are the mighty witnesses and this is that which makes them mighty Seeing of Christ This is the Ministry we should look after Look after such witnesses and look to be such witnesses to be seers indeed and not in a bare notion as Balaam was to see him in us and our selves in union with him to hold him forth to hold forth the truth to hold forth righteousness and to be able to say Here it is The Ministry of those that profess themselves the Ministers of Christ and yet do not see Christ the world takes hold on it and runs into it and so it comes to nothing The Ministry of those that see Christ by the power of Christ doth stop the mouths of Mockers and Scoffers that say Where is the promise of his coming Why he is come and he is coming That is the true Ministry that sees him and this is that which will grow exceedingly terrible to the world This is such a Ministry as the world is not able to stand before As Christ comes nearer so the Ministry of the Spirit will be more burning and shining more dazling and tormenting to the world and if any oppose it O what burning and tormenting then Burning and shining is the demonstration of the Spirit and Power The Divine nature in us is that fire from the Altar that never goeth out That fire that shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body that fire that shal put out and darken the glory of the world And that is the reason of the Ecclipse of the Sun which Naturalists cannot find out the greater light coming the Lord himself the Sun of righteousness appearing the light of gifts of parts and of natural reason presently disappears and vanisheth They are but as the light of a glow-worm to the Sun There is a fire of passion kindled by the fire of Hell The fire that Sampsons Foxes carried away in their tayls as it s said Wickedness burns like a fire The fire of the Spirit putts out this fire A burning and a shining light The manifestation of God in his servants is fire and light its burning and shining and the nearer God approaches the hotter the fire the more shining the light Burning and shining In burning there is great suffering there 's torment there 's slaying and offering up there 's assimilating In shining
there 's light Quickning Comforting Directing and there 's Majesty and Glory and all the burning of the Lord comes forth at last in shining and Glory There is no shining without burning The day of the Lord burns like an Oven And he shall sit as a Refiner of Silver The tryal of your faith is much more precious then Gold The manifestation of God the Ministry of the Spirit is full of variety of operation Killing Saving Tormenting Refreshing We are the savour of death unto death to some and the savour of life unto life to others We should look what acquaintance we have with such a Ministry with burning and shining light Whether we have dealt with fire with burning and whether through that we have come to know what belongs to shining There is the Divine nature to be brought forth bright and shining The worlds part is to be burnt and dazled the Christians part is to have flesh consumed and the Divine nature to come forth in glory If any be in the fire let them hope to shine Have ye that in you that will endure the fire When I am tried I shall come forth like gold 'T is the righteousness of God only not of man that will endure this tryal 'T is the Divine nature only that can stand before devouring fire and everlasting burnings When this day breaks forth all the righteous Pharises and Formalists will be found to be the sinners in Sion that are affraid This manifestation of God is terrible to the world It is a marvelous light He hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light It is not the light of this world It is another Spirit then that of this world The world marvails at it and despises it because it is death and destruction to them For a while they Master it but at last it prevails against them and they see there is no standing before it In Low manfestations of God the people of God appear as Incendiaries and are so indeed This old world is to be purified by fire as the other was by water How was Herod scorcht and dazled with this fire The world prevails against it for a while and beats it down and then it riseth higher and higher till it prevail over the world Christ appeared in fleshly eyes there and riseth again in Spirit and after a long apostacy is rising again the second time If we be of God and have the Divine nature in us we shall rejoyce not onely in the light but in the fire They shall glorifie God in the fire Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Let us a little consider of these words Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light the light did in part please you there is some compliance and closing of carnal hearts and worshipers with the spiritual Ministry and true appearance of God The world strikes in for some time into the way of Christ and the appearance of God Herod heard John gladly and reformed many things he liked the light well but he could not endure the fire there is that which is held forth in the spirit that pleaseth the natural man salvation and glory and eternal joy but when they hear of going into the fire and what they must part withal then with the young man they go away sorrowful The stony ground sets forth a sort of people that hear the word with joy but because they have not much root they are scorcht and burnt up by the Sun of persecution and wither away many take up the profession of Christ and when they hear of salvation and glory its good news to them but when they hear what it will cost them that all must come through sufferings and offering all to death that they may receive all again by a Resurrection this they like not and so fall away for a little while they can bear God company but so soon as they see the cross in the way they turn aside There are some lusts and corruptions that some men are not enclined to while the fire of God comes forth against these in others they are well enough while God comes forth against some sort of men they can bear well enough while John came forth against the Sadduces and Pharisees Herod liked it well but when the fire of God breaks forth against their own lusts as against Herod It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife they can bear no longer And there are lusts that fight one against another for there is enmity in Hell when the fire comes forth and fights against a lust in another we like it well but when it strikes at our own lusts we cannot bear it And sometimes we fall out with the world and are tyred in the greatness of our way and then we can entertain something of Christ and of truth Worldly men can go along with Christ for worldly designs but if their design be spoyled no longer walking with Christ It concerns every one of us that have taken up a profession that are complying with such a Ministry as we look upon to be a Ministry of the spirit to look inward and to consider whether we have the love of the truth in our hearts whether we are able to bear the charge to the journeys end and to hold out in all weathers There are many builders that lay a foundation but they are not able to go through with the charge of finishing These are foolish builders that expose themselves to laughter and scorn Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light in the manifestation of God through John but it was onely for a season here was not the love of the truth here was not the divine nature here was not that which will abide therefore it was rejoycing in the light onely for a season how doth it concern us to look whether we have the love of the truth in us whether we have the testimony of the Father that we love the truth There is a Jew that is one inwardly and there is a Jew in the spirit there was a Jew that was one outwardly in the flesh that which is for a season onely is because it wanteth root there is a Christian indeed and a Christian onely in appearance and shew what a goodly shew doth the Corn on the stony ground make but when the burning comes it withers away when the Sun of persecution ariseth such shall be discovered how hard it is to know a Christian indeed until the fire comes until the salt comes Every man shall be salted with fire and every work shall be tryed by the fire How doth it concern us to see that we have our foundation in God that we may be able to stand in that day We may be great and glorious in mans eye and yet in the day of the Lord prove no better then chaffe or stubble that the fire takes hold on and consumes what discoveries have we daily
is true As we are Saints we partake of the Divine nature but there is the corrupt nature also There is the flesh as well as the Spirit If the Spirit be asleep if God give Sathan Power and say to him as he did once Go and be a lying Spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets Go and be an unclean Spirit in such a ones heart What mischief may he not do If God withdraw and let Sathan out against David What a condition is David in what befalls the poor Corinthian here he was a Saint indeed but a Saint besmeared with sin God hath many glorious designs in such a desertion in such a temptation Reas For by this he doth make Gins and Nets and Snares and stumbling blocks unto the world wherein being catched and broken they fall and never rise again Doct. 3. Further we might see here from that first verse how there is a civil righteousness among the Gentiles Even Gentiles and Heathens they do keep themselves free from gross carnal actings they are free from gross defilements all the filthiness lieth within There it lieth hid till temptation draw it forth Doct. 4. And this also is to be taken notice of that abstaining from outward gross filthy actings will make us no better then the Gentiles If our righteousness be only an abstaining from outward gross acts it will be no better a righteousness then the righteousness of the Gentiles and of the Heathen There is all filthiness within but it is restrained and comes not forth Oh How doth it concern us that we be not found worse then the Gentiles When that which is within breaks forth in all filthy and beastly and abominable practice this is to be worse then the Gentiles We are no better then the Gentiles if we outwardly abstain We are worse then the Gentiles if we let these corruptions break forth Such Fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles Doct. 5. And here we see how it lieth upon Saints to possess their vessels in sanctification and in honor It lieth upon them and there is a Law for them as well as for the World The difference is that the world hath a Law upon them from without an imposition A Saint if he be a Saint indeed hath the same Law within the Law without only restrains the Law of the Spirit of life within it crucifies it mortifies it kills the very root of sin Object To those that say they are not fleshly in fleshly lusts Answ We have this to say in way of answer 1. Some say so and discover the contrary and some have said so and have had a discovery of the contrary in their own hearts 2. Again we say that we have no experience of any such thing 3. We say that there is a Spirit that discovers and judges and therefore let them that say so look to it When this same Spirit shall come forth in us we shall be able to judge till then we are silent I conceive there be two sorts of Ranters in the world one that comes forth in all fleshly beastliness another that comes forth in scorn and disdain insulting and lifting up themselves upon that occasion Let us wait upon God to be delivered from both these That for the first verse What is to be done when boyles and blaines do break out when such corruption and filth is discovered Le ts consider that What shall we do Shall we reproach Shall we throw stones Shall we insult Shall we despise Shall we judge He that hath the Spirit let him judge As concerning the outward acts let the Magistrate do his duty but he that judgeth let him see that the beam be first pulled out of his own eye let him see that the whore be judged in his own heart and burnt there He that is without sin saith Christ let him throw the first stone What then is to be done the second verse of the Chapter shews us and shews what these Corinthians evilly did They were puft up saith he and have not rather mourned that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you Mourning is the effect which such discoveries should bring forth in Saints hearts The sin of this person was a sadding thing a sad spectacle Mourning and confessing the root of that evil in their own Spirits all that baseness and abominable filth in their own hearts should have been the fruit of this persons fall I know that in me saith Paul that is in my flesh dwells nothing that is good This is that that is to be done mourning and making out for the Power of the Lord Jesus that this evil may be judged and that there may be no more of this abomination committed amongst them But you are puft up and have not ratherer mourned You are puft up After we have looked upon this same filthiness that is broken out in one Saint come and let us see sin in the power of it and seising upon the whole congregation or Church There is the Devil among you and you are proud high puft up High conceits you have of your own excellency of your good estate We see how Saints may fall asleep in carnal security be lifted up in pride blown up with vain puffs and swell'd with wind with conceits of goodness and excellency of that which is not made drunk and intoxicated with high high thoughts of their excellent condition when as death and hell are among them in great power Here is the filthiness of hell among these Saints and yet they are puft up what a glorious congregation are they in what an excellent state are they Ye are puft up The Apostles is expressing the workings of their hearts in the Chapter before this 1 Cor. 4. 8. Now ye are Full now ye are Rich Ye have raigned as Kings without us Ye are wise ye are strong ye are honorable as 't is in ver 10. These were the conceits they had of themselves You are puft up Carnal security pride among Saints a whole Church a whole congregation covered over with it drunken with it not one of them awake Not a wise man among them as saith the Apostle in another case What is there not a wise man among you Not one that hath his wits about him all dead and senseless of Sathans stratagems that had brought forth such lewdness and wickedness in the midst of them Thus you see Carnal security and pride among Saints There is a spiritual security security in God and there is a brave highth of mind boasting of God when t is in truth But this same pride is when there is conceit of that that is not My soul saith David shall make her boast of God and the humble shall hear thereof and be glad The new mans security and the new mans glory O that 's excellent that 's sweet But here was fleshly security flesh exalting it self in conceits of the Spirit The Devil transforming himself into an Angel of
but he will swallow up their weakness in his glory and here he will exercise his Omnisciency here he will exercise his Omnipotency Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 2. Reject this and reject Scripture as I said before By this union between God and the Saints and Gods manifesting himself in his Saints exercising his kingdom exercising his universal Judicature in them the Saints shall judge the world Do ye not know that ye shall judge the world and judge Angels There is no right judge but the Lord and there is no man that is fit to judge till the Lord be risen in him The spiritual man judgeth all things so far forth as he is spiritual he judgeeth all things so far forth as he is carnal he is not fit to judge any thing The carnal judgement condemns the Spirit passes judgement upon God rejects God The Saints are growing up into the Omnisciency and Omnipotency of God God is now despised in them but God shall be glorified in them God bears their weakness but they shall be cloathed upon with his power Christ is in every Saint and the Father hath committed all judgement unto him who doth not judge by the sight of the eye or the hearing of the ear Isa 11. 4. So Paul did not judge now by the sight of the eye or hearing of the ear that is bodily he neither went by common fame neither did his bodily presence help him to discern the business but he was present in spirit and in the light of God in the wisdom of God in the power of God he did see and did judge I already have judged though absent in body yet present in spirit There is no true judgement that passes upon mens Consciences but by the spirit Men that can only judge by the outward appearance can never judge righteous judgement you cannot judge righteous judgement till you are led within the vail till you see principles till you not onely see what is done but see upon what grounds it is done till you see the root of the matter The Apostle cares not for mans judgement He that judgeth me saith he is the Lord. All the people of God they are Princes they are Kings God hath called us to his own kingdom and to his own glory as the Apostle hath it And therefore Rev. 3. 12. it is said I will write upon them the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God and I will write upon them my new name so God will bring forth his glory in his people Paul expressing what he hath done he calls unto the whole Church to joyn with him and assures them they shal have his assistance his assistance and the power of the Lord Jesus When you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Do you judge as I have done The power of the Lord Jesus will lead you to it and you shall come forth in that power actually to deliver him to Satan You see by the effects this was not bare words this was not a bug-bear But that is it we see in Churches and Congregations among us that take upon them this it hath no effect no power And therefore if they have to deal with a Saint he pities them is sorry for them wishes they had more light if with one that is not a Saint he jeers them he scorns them But here is reality this Incestuous person felt hell in his Conscience saw he was in the power of the devil he was even swallowed up with sorrow Therefore the Apostle calls upon them to relieve him and this is to save him q d. look now if the flesh be destroyed then bring out the spirit and comfort him you ought to relieve him Here you see the power of the Lord Jesus he commands hell and death he commands Satan Take that that is thine and then give up that thou hast nothing to do withal Destroy the flesh deliver up the spirit This makes sport for wicked men to come out with thundring and lightning in the absence of power This should set us to mourn for the spirit How little is the manifestation of the spirit in our own Consciences How much less can we manifest it to others It is then time for us to mourn after the Lord. And if we were come to mourn after him we should soon come to rejoyce with him and make our boast of him SERMON III. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. IN the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus In the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of our Lord Iesus This is no vain or idle repetition all business of this nature is done only by the name and the power of Jesus Christ But if you please to make some difference take it thus In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that is owning the Lord Christ professing him calling upon him Wih the pwer of the Lord Iesus Christ that is let not there be a bare mention of him but let there be the power In the power of our Lord Iesus There is much mention of the name of Christ among us taking upon us great things by that name when it is but taking it in vain where no power appears In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit What 's this same spirit of Paul That by which he was present as he said before I am present with you in spirit This I look upon as the Divine nature which Paul did partake of the spiritual man born of God in which God doth act God guides and acts his people in this spiritual man flesh is acted by Satan there is the power of Satan and Hell but here is the power of the Lord Jesus in Spirit My spirit that 's the seat of God in a Saint And my spirit with the power of the Lord Iesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan there is the Sentence and Judgement But before we come to that I shall observe two or three things In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ c. First There is no dealing in the Consciences of men neither our own nor others against sin and Satan when they shew their power there in the power and wisdom of man unless we go forth in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ it is to no purpose T is only the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that delivers the Consciences and Hearts of men fron sin and Satan therefore the Apostle saith Iudge nothing before the time till the Lord come Saul was not to fight with the Philistims till Samuel came To go forth against
sin when the Lord is not with us it hath this issue nothing but foiling nothing but scorning nothing but reproach and shame With the power of the Lord Iesus To mention the name of the Lord Jesus and not to have the power of the Lord Jesus is nothing but prophaning that name taking it in vain 'T is nothing but a bug-bear All mans power it is on the body it is not on the Conscience It is impossible man should deliver himself or his brother from one error from one sin all that he can do is to restrain and lock up sin all that man can do in matter of error and sin is to bring forth Hypocrisie It is Gods prerogative to fashion hearts and to know hearts Psal 13. He fashioneth their hearts alike and understandeth all their thoughts And this is that God will make all the Churches to know Rev. 2. the latter end All the Churches shall know that I the Lord search the heart and try the reines If the Churches go forth with Carnal weapons to deal with the Devil and sin in their own power they shall know that this is the Lords prerogative It is only he that searches hearts and tries reines They shall find they have done nothing whatever they have seemed to themselves to have done They shall find they have confirmed and settled the Devil in his habitation while they have seemed to throw him out I have the keyes saith Christ of Hell and of death The keys are the power the power of man is not able to conflict with Sathan and Hell Christ hath received all power in Heaven and Earth And Christ manifested in us we shall go forth against principalities and powers and against the Rulers of the darkness of this world with the power of the Lord Jesus The weapons of our warfare are not carnal saith the Apostle but mighty through God The new Testament is the Ministry of the Spirit and so t is an able Ministry God hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit Letter and man and noise of words could never yet scare the Devil This we spake of before taking occasion from the Apostle calling the Corinthians to mourn which doth tell us they had no power of themselves 'T is a professing they had no power We cannot rid our Consciences or Congregations of sin But if we wait power will come in And when we once come out of this delusion of the Devil to see we have no power to see how the Spirit of power hath withdrawn from us and hath been absent a long while we shall begin to mourn after him and he will visit us and then we shall know what power is again We shall know what the Kingdom of God is that is not in word but in power We have hitherto known little of any Kingdom but in word When once we are sensible of this want of power and of this withdrawing of God that the man of sin might be revealed we shall mourn after him till he turn to us again 'T is by the power of the Lord Jesus only This is allowed and granted everywhere as a principle but how little do we act according to our Principles The Spirit of God only can throw out error and sin this is granted But the will of man and the actings of man this shall be called the Spirit of God The pride of man comes forth which is nothing but the Devil the name of the Lord Jesus that is put upon it To walk and act according to that Principle the Spirit of God Not we but the grace of God We live not but Christ in us 'T is looked upon as that which tends to confusion as that which lays by all mans gifts Object 'T is said then what will ye throw off your Ministers your Teachers Sol. The Apostle saith We have but one Master but one teacher that is Christ that is the Spirit Ye have the annointing that teaches you all things and need not any mans teaching 'T is not mans teaching we look after now if we understand ourselves but we look if we can find the name of God the power of God in the speakings of men God holds forth his anointing in man gives us a proof of Christ in man But take mans Ministry and all Ordinances if the Spirit be not there if the anointing be not there they are of man they are nothing So you see it is the power of the Lord Jesus only that rids Consciences and Congregations from sin In the name of the Lord Iesus when you are gathered together with my spirit and the power of the Lord Iesus In the second place take notice of this That the Lord Jesus and his power is in all Saints as well as in Ministers The Apostles Spirit joynes with them when they are gathered together The whole Church men and women the simplest as well as the wisest the weakest as well as the strongest with the power of the Lord Jesus The power of the Lord Jesus goes with you if you censure him and therefore my Spirit shall be with you In the name c. So the power of the Lord Jesus is in every Saint acts there and manifests it self there at the pleasure of the Lord Jesus It is the Spirit that makes Ministers and those Ministers that are made by the Spirit do minister the Spirit And that is ministring the Gospel when we Minister the Spirit But if we have only the Letter of the Gospel we have that that is no better then the Law If we be able Ministers of the New Testament it is in the Spirit I am a Minister of the New Testament so far as the Spirit speaks in me and by me and I would not be owned any further And all my work is to prove if the Spirit of God will go forth into any heart while I speak I know that Paul is nothing and Apollo is nothing If we be a sweet Savour of Christ then we are something In whomsoever the spirit stands up and speaks that person for that time is a Minister a true Minister The Spirit doth not regard Sexes the Spirit regards not Age Learned or unlearned 'T is not Age nor Sex nor any Major part can Minister Spirit but whom the Spirit pleases Obj. The Spirit will not teach by a woman For it is said let not a woman speak in the Church Sol. Where the Spirit doth not teach 't is but a womans teaching So far as we speak and speak not by the Spirit the woman speaks who is commanded silence And my Spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus The Apostles Spirit would own the meanest of the Saints and the power of the Lord Jesus in them There are in whom the Spirit acts and Ministers more constantly and there are in whom he doth Minister occasionally there are whom the Spirit of God hath made Overseers Acts 20. Look to the flock over which the
he leads them forth to sort and company with men whom they would have been ashamed to have seen among them formerly They took unto them of the baser sort lewd fellows Verse 6. And when they found them not they drew Iason and certain brethren unto the Rulers of the City crying these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also See what a bustle here is about this message of the Gospel the Gospel of salvation the kingdom of God the proclaiming thereof The kingdom of God is at hand This was the Apostles business they medled not with States and Commonwealths they medled not with the Kingdoms of this world They only held forth the grace of God and the power of God to deliver from sin and Satan and see what an outcry the devil makes among men for here is the devil to be seen If you would see the devil look upon envy look upon wrath look upon rage look upon opposition to the spirit these that have turned the world upside down c. This is the cry They did not meddle with the world but yet this is true in a sense which they did not reach The very truth is that the business of the Ministery of the Gospel which is carried in the spirit is turning the world upside down it is turning that uppermost which is undermost bringing God uppermost that lieth below and laying the Devil undermost that lieth above but there was no such thing as they had in their sense no disturbing of common peace no medling with civil government They that go forth in the spirit meddle not here They that go forth in man 't is for them to be fishing here and medling here but they that go forth in the spirit are to the world peaceable they let the world alone let the world guid themselves let the dead bury the dead That they hold forth is of another world the resurrection the kingdom of God Verse 7. Whom Iason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King one Iesus Here is their charge upon these they are enemies to Caesar they do that which is contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying There is another King Yet this is not against Caesar this is the King that gives Caesar his Authority and this is the wisdom of Kings and Princes to own Christ in his place and not to deal in Consciences but to subject their own Consciences to Christ and Christ and his people they will be all subject to them their bodies their estates shall be subjected to them but for their Consciences they must be excused Verse 8. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the City when they heard these things This is that that is to be seen dayly when the Iews make an outcry against the Ministers of Christ against those in whom the spirit of truth appears laying heavy things to their charge the Rulers and the people are troubled Why is this 'T is out of ignorance they know not Iesus and there is guilt lieth upon them they are full of unrighteousness and this makes them fear When they heard these things men are troubled with every noise till they come into the spirit and this noise of Iesus affrights exceedingly thus the poor world that know not God are troubled Verse 9. And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other they let them go The Saints are ready to give the world security that they will not molest them or trouble them Iason had given up the world his estate and life and is ready to give in security that he will never be an occasion of any trouble that he will never seek any change All the change that a Saint looks for or that he is given to is for the Lord to appear in the earth They gave security and this is that we are ready to do to give security that we will never be troublesome to the Princes of this world we will let them have their time we will never come against them in any worldly power We will never come forth against them unless against their unrighteousness and then we will come forth in the power of God When we talk of the power of God and of Iesus the world scoffs at us let them do so he is King and shall take his kingdom and shall destroy all unrighteousness and them that exercise it He shall come forth to be admired in them that believe Verse 10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea who coming thither went into the Synagogue of the Iews See here Ministers of the spirit in whom God dwelt and went about the world what shifts they are put to how they sneak and are conveyed away as if they had done a robbery as if they were traytors as if they were enemies to Caesar indeed This is the condition of Saints here as deceivers and yet true saith the Apostle here was a state of weakness they sent them away by night who coming thither went into the Synagogue of the Iews Paul is still among the Iews there was somewhat to work upon for they owned the Scripture Verse 11. These were more noble then those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of minde and searched the Scriptures dayly whither those things were so Here are Jews indeed among these Jews inwardly and these were noble Jews Here is the true nobility the nobility that is coming up now that the shadowy nobility is going down those that are born of God are truly noble The nobility the shadowy nobility of this world how hath it been reckoned and accounted of such as have principles of honour and vertue in them when they hear of honourable and vertuous actions cannot but own and honour the persons these are the noble the honourable men and this is the ground of nobility here in the world But now the true nobility is to be born of God And those that are born of God do acknowledge that that is truly noble they have principles in them of glory and honour and when God that is the onely vertue and glory appears they own him they receve him that is it that is said of these Berâ—ans that they received the word with all readiness of minde what is the word the manifestation of God that is the word All that are not born of God are base born and they do not know true nobility when the pearls of God are brought before them they know them not they trample upon them they are base bred they know not noble things They received the word with readiness of minde they knew the Scriptures were of God for God had witnessed it to them they searched the Scriptures and did see they did agree with that manifestation they had from Paul and Silas These were more noble Verse 12. Therefore many of them believed c. All Gods elect are
honourable and noble they are Kings and Queens and Princes and they shall appear so Verse 15. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens c. Athens was an University where were learned men See the Apostles entertainment here wheresoever he came else his entertainment was persecution but here he hath little besides scoffs and jeers He had more to do here with the wise heathen then with the professing Jews and 't is observable what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1. We preach Christ crucified to the Greeks foolishness to the Jews a stumbling block The wise Greeks looked after wisdom the Jews after a sign Christ crucified was foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block to the Jew Here Paul deals with the Greeks which say What saith this babler What strange Doctrine is this Verse 16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the City wholly given to Idolatry His Spirit was stirred in him There is body soul and spirit as the Apostle hath it in the Thessalonians What is this spirit but the partaking of the divine nature as Peter calls it The new man born of God in which God doth act This spirit lieth dead and is asleep further then God doth quicken and act it This spirit is the seat and Temple of God where God moves the devils business is in the flesh there he works his work the spirit is entire unto God here God appears sometimes and sometimes he does not We cannot do any handsome work in the Gospel without a stirring in spirit we cannot sail without a gale we cannot stir in a calm He was stirred in spirit It is the spirit of God that stirs the spirit of his people Sometimes there is a discovery of Idolatry the spirit of the Saints is not stird Sometimes God saith as of Ephraim He followeth Idols let him alone Here was a whole City in Idolatry and Pauls spirit is stirred to deal with them if it may be to help some of them out of it the spirit of God will strive with some and it will not strive with others 't will give over striving my spirit shall no longer strive with man as 't is in Genesis Here the Lord was pleased to appeare to some of them When he saw the City wholly given to Idolatry That which is given to Idols is given to devils Here was a City given to the devil this learned City this seeing City is wholly in the devils hands wholly given to Idolatry given to Satan He is the God of the world the wisdom of the world and flesh worship him and Jesus Christ in whom the true God makes his appearance is crucified by the world Verse 17. Therefore disputed he in the Synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the Market daily with them that met with him He disputed with them There are some to be disputed with and some to be let alone He disputed with the Jews in the Synagogue and on the Market day Paul is a market-man What doth Paul in the Market Paul in the Market hath no worldly design Paul is a spiritual man in the Market as most men are carnal in the Congregation Paul's design was Heaven and God in the Market and many a ones design is the world and flesh in the Synagogue The Saints in the world they are not worldly carnal men are worldlâ— even in the Church Spiritual men in their dealing in outward things are spiritual 't is God that they look at and 't is him that they seek Carnal men even in prayer and all their worship are carnal and make use of God onely for the world and flesh Verse 18. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said What will this babler say Othersome he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Certain Philosophers Students in this University lovers of wisdom some of the Epicureans those that were taken up in a search after true pleasure true contentment true rest we do not look upon that Sect as making after fleshly or beastly lusts it was a gallant study And some of the Stoicks those that studyed the subduing their passions a brave study but both of them fruitless and nothing but labour in vain without the spirit Paul comes to them with that Ministery it had pleased the spirit to communicate to him They that are Ministers of the spirit cannot minister the spirit to whom they will but as it pleaseth the spirit to go forth by them These encountred him and some said What will this babler say This is the repute that all those have that minister the spirit and that they must look for that will hold forth onely the learning of the spirit among the wise of the world a spiritual man must reckon to be looked upon as a fool a trifler a babler Whatever natural wisdom cannot understand and reach the pride that is in it will scoffe and jeer at What will this babler say Thus the language and expression of the spirit is unto the world the wise of the world The wisdom of the world is enmity to God Some said He seems to be a setter forth of strange Gods Why Gods in the plural number Paul held forth one God and the onely God as he shews afterward This God is strange unto wise and learned men they look upon him as setting forth strange Gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Like enough they looked upon him as holding forth Jesus to be one God and the Resurrection another Carnal men are very apt to have gross mistakes when they hear of spiritual things Jesus and the Resurrection Mark how these are joyned together I am the Resurrection and the Life saith Christ So far as any man doth know Jesus he lives in the Resurrection All the knowledge of Jesus that is saving is above the world above the natural man It is life eternal to know Jesus and this is the Resurrection And this Resurrection is above the reach of all the learned and wise men of Athens The natural man comes not into it it lieth within a veil therefore he that preaches Jesus indeed must needs be a Barbarian and a babler to a meer natural man Whosoever doth preach Jesus in the spirit he must not look nor think to be generally understood For my part if all I hold forth concerning Jesus should be commonly understood I had very good ground to question whether I preach Jesus or no. Verse 19. And they took him and brought him unto Areopagus saying May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speakest is Here was some ingenuity he was not barred up indeed it was their profession their business at Athens to tell or hear some new thing as ver 21. May we know c. Paul might answer them I cannot tell whether you may or
ye are reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory rests upon you There is meat in this Eater according to Sampsons Riddle The sacrifice of praise continually Take notice here that the service and the worship which God expects of his people is praise and thanksgiving Thou wouldst not have sacrifice else would I give it thee Offer to God thanksgiving as t is in Psal 50. 12 13. Who so offers praise honors me Sacrifice was but an outward sign of praise and thanksgiving God hath made his people for his praise Isa 43. 21. This people I have formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise God hath but this only design to manifest himself to shew forth his glory he will bring forth his glory in the salvation of his people he makes a people of those that were no people that they should shew forth his vertues and his praises this is the business that a Christian is called to to hold forth God The effect of the Spirit which is poured forth is nothing else but praise and thanksgiving Making melodie in your hearts singing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs as t is in the Epistle to the Ephesians God will manifest himself to his glory in his people in all blessings in spiritual things God will be the song and the praise of his people then we are right Worshippers Gospel-Worshippers when God is our praise when God is our song let us by him therefore offer up unto God the sacrifice of praise And if this be the worship that God requires of us then let every one of us be looking how far we are lead into it or whether we are at least coming toward it There is nothing acceptable to God but this mourning and prayer is only acceptable as it makes to this God is emptying us and humbling us that he may fill us and his filling us is praise and thanksgiving Therefore David when he is mourning saith he shall yet give him thanks In prayer and mourning he is but travelling for praise and thanksgiving praise is coming forth t is breeding I shall yet give him thanks saith he So much as we have attained in praise so much we have attained in true and spiritual Religion so much as we go forth in praise so much we go forth by Christ Let us by him therefore offer the sacrifice of praise The worship and service of God is a joyful thing t is a chearful thing we do not know the service of God in truth until we know joy in the Holy Ghost The Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost It is refreshing it is chearing it is meat and drink In the keeping of thy Commandments there is great reward Do not reckon that we are true Worshippers of God Worshippers in Spirit and Truth until we come into the joy of God until we can offer the sacrifice of praise We may be tending to it and making to it we may be travelling with it in sorrow and in sighs but when we are brought forth in it it is in praise By him therefore let us offer c. It also sets an end and determines that controversie between the Law of Works and the Law of Faith between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ between mans Righteousness and the Righteousness of God between Iustification by works and Iustification by faith It is praise that God looks for mans Righteousness mans Works they praise man and set up man What is that that throws down boasting The Law of Faith that sets up God Why dost thou boast Thou hast nothing but what thou hast received This makes us praise And it may help us by way of direction how to know what is truth and so keep us from being carried about by divers and strange Doctrines What is it that leads us to praise what is it that brings us into rest and joy the joy of the Lord what is it that exalts God God hath nothing to do nothing to seek but his own exaltation his own praise that that is from him that leads to him that that sets him up only shall be exalted in that day praise is the sum of that which God requires of us When we can praise then we can worship By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise But what is this praise then t is worth the knowing what it is to praise him Consider here what a Title the Text gives it it is a sacrifice By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise In a Sacrifice there is offering up there is an Altar there is Fire there is a Priest there is somewhat to to be carried forth there is somewhat to eat there is somewhat for refreshment So t is here in praise true acceptable praise is a sacrifice t is the fruit of our lips as the Apostle calls it here By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name The fruit of our lips is this all no this is but a part it is the calves of our lips as the Prophet Hosea calls it By the lips the heart comes forth and the abundance of it but the sacrifice is our selves praise is the offering up our selves I beseech you saith the Apostle in Rom. 12. that you offer up your bodies not your lips only but your bodies a living and acceptable sacrifice every member a weapon and instrument of righteousness this is praise Your bodies and your spirits they are the Lords To praise him is to offer up both unto him In this sacrifice here is somewhat to be killed that is lust fleshly lusts worldly lusts and here is somewhat that is to live somewhat that is to be offered up a living sacrifice here is somewhat that is to be devoured in the fire and somewhat that lives in the fire that glorifies God in the fire there is that that lives in God who is a devouring fire and everlasting burnings all that is spiritual all that is the new creature that is it is offered up a living sacrifice there it hath its life it comes from God and it lives in God so it is a sacrifice of praise It is the giving up the resigning up of our selves to be disposed of by the Lord. The offering up of the Gentiles that the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 15. 16. sanctified by the Holy Ghost To offer the sacrifice of praise is to make our selves an offering unto God as Jesus Christ did Here I am to do thy will saith he thou wouldst not have sacrifice Here I am dispose of me T is written that I should do thy will therefore I am no more my own but thine This is to offer the sacrifice of praise this is to give thanks to his name The love of Christ constrains us we must no more live unto our selves but unto him This is the sacrifice of
sacrifice wherein is somewhat killed somewhat burnt and consumed and that is the world and lust and somewhat which is offered up to God that lives in God that lives in the fire and that is the spiritual part Christ in us It is a sacrifice and it is offered up by the fire of the Spirit sanctified by the Holy Ghost The world doth not know praise yea there may be many true Saints that yet do not know that which is their life for this same life of the Divine Nature doth not presently discover it self We grow up in this spiritual life by degrees as we do in the natural life T is impossible to offer this sacrifice but in the Spirit but by Jesus Christ By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually There is no man can praise God but by Jesus Christ To offer by Jesus Christ is to offer in the Spirit of Jesus Christ in the power of Jesus Christ in the life of Jesus Christ in the light of Jesus Christ and when we shall see and understand what it is to praise that t is an offering up of our selves unto God a freewil offering then we shall easily grant that this cannot be but by Iesus Christ There is nothing in us but enmitie unto God we have no sacrifice but for the Devil and for hell T is by Jesus Christ that we offer unto God let us look whether our praise and thanksgiving do come by Iesus Christ or no if we cannot see Iesus Christ with us and his Spirit leading us let us be sensible of it and abhor our selves in all we do and let us wait when he will come forth and lead us into the presence of God when his power shall be manifested in us when we shall see and know that we walk in the light as God is in the light T is time to be looking after power and life we have been long in a languishing Religion the workings of the heart the prayers the sighs and groans of the Saints after Jesus Christ tell us he is at the door T is time we should be weary of a profession and of a Religion which we cannot make forth to the world and sometimes cannot make forth to our selves Shall we not wait for the time when we may make it out that we are of God and walk with God by shewing forth the light of God the life of God the power of God the praises of God and the wonders of God surely we are called to shew forth his praises Now is Christ buried in us he is covered in us he walks in our rags and dirt and filthy garments how should we wait till that voyce comes forth Take away his filthy garments from him By him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually And that is the next thing we are to take notice of Continually God will bring his sanctified ones by Jesus Christ into a continual thanksgiving and praise to his name There is a continual offering up of the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto God by real Saints by true born Christians It is a continual work though they are not always sensible of it the new man is always in it he is of God and he is only for God Every true Saint shall do it manifestly shall do it sensibly Continual praise and thanksgiving unto God this is that that we are sanctified unto by Jesus Christ he hath made us Kings and Priests unto God Priests to offer up spiritual sacrifice The sacrifices and offerings in the Temple were continual the Priests did stand and watch by night in the house of the Lord you that by night stand in the house of the Lord. By him let us offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually There is nothing is called for in the new Testament but it is done all his Commandments are Promises It is the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus this is the new Testament The higher and greater the commands are the better it is for it tells us what God hath done for us and what he will bring forth in us There is that in us in a seed which he is calling up T is a pitiful thing for a spiritual man to complain of the height and weight of any Commandment for God enjoyns us nothing but what he will bring us up to for he shall work all our works in us and so ordain peace for us All the Commandments and Exhortations of the Gospel are the Saints glory for God will bring us up to every one of them By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Flesh and Blood will say a heavy task a hard saying the Spiritual man he saith Let us go up at once God will do it as Caleb saith Thou hast the words of eternal life saith Peter whither shall we go Thou wilt bring forth all in us Let us offer up the sacrifice of praise continually A Saints work is continual offering up himself to God It is the work of the new man of the spiritual man Behold I am thy servant it is the work of Christ in us the breathing of his soul to God It is written in the volumn of the book Lo I come to do thy will Sanctification by Jesus Christ is that we should be holy and alway the Lords This is the sacrifice of praise continual self-denial continual dependance upon God continual readiness to suffer and do his will continual acknowledgement of his love continual setting forth his praise and glory continual holding forth his vertues and his praises A true Saint a true born Christian is a house of prayer You also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God c. 1 Pet. 2. Now some weak Christians that do not know their own estate that do not know that seed that is in them will be making objections against this How can this be as Nicodemus said when Christ told him of a mans being born again So in like manner when they are called upon to be in continual thanksgiving and praise as here it s said By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually How can this be saith a worldly man how can this be saith a weak Christian who is in great part worldly and carnal What continual praising and what in all estates in all conditions and what shall I never pray must I always praise when shall I pray Why he that bids thee praise continually bids thee also pray continually The Apostle decides this Controversie in the fourth of the Philippians Let your requests be made known unto God with thanksgiving pray continually and praise continually What shall we never read shall we never hear shall we never work sleep eat drink yes but all with thanksgiving Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God If you know
when the people undertook to obey it the Lord pittied them O that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey me It was a manifestation to discover sinfulness and weakness death and the curse and so to usher in a manifestation of life and power But now ye are come to the Gospel state ye are come to Mount-Sion ye are come where God dwells ye are come into a comforting and chearing presence ye are come to the Mount that may be touched without fear or terror It may be touched There are spiritual senses as 1 Joh. 1. 1. That which we have heard which we hame seen which our hands have handled of the word of life that declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and so it s the Mount that may be touched We are come to the City of the living God We are come where God dwells we are come to communion with God and one with another in the spirit we are come where God is in the midst of his people He hath quickned us who were dead in sins and set us down in heavenly places in the heavenly Jerusalem If we are come to the heavenly Jerusalem we are past the wilderness we are come to our rest There remaineth a rest to the people of God and that 's the heavenly Jerusalem of which the earthly Jerusalem and Canaan were but a Type This heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all And to an innumerable company of Angels Not onely to be administred unto by Angels as under the legal dispensation but to administer unto Angels for to them is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God And to the general Assembly and the Church of the first-born We are come to the General Assembly we are above particular Churches though we walk in them yet we are not bound to them nor bound in them We are come to the Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven We are come to those that are in Christ that partake of the divine nature in which God lives and acts and whom God fills who are born of the spirit who are sons and heirs together with Christ Who are written in Heaven There was a first-born written in earth in the letter in flesh Let Israel my son go for he is my first-born said God to Pharoah but this was after the flesh We are come to God the Judge of all We have boldness towards God We are above the judgement of men yea above the judgement of our own Consciences It is a very small thing to me saith the Apostle to the Corinthians to be judged by you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine own self 1 Cor. 4. 3. We are passed from death to life and we are come to God the Judge of all we can stand before God the Iudge of all We are come to the spirits of just men made perfect We are come to see and to acknowledge the spiritual and divine nature whereof through exceeding great and precious promises we are made partakers we are come to see and to be the spiritual man the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness we are come to the holy one born of the Holy Ghost to Christ formed in us who is not tainted with any pollution who sinneth not nor can he commit sin Though he dwell among devils and death yet he partakes not of their filth and guilt but shall overcome and destroy them all And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to Iesus to the truth as it is in Iesus to the power and wisdom of God which is Iesus we have the Law written in our hearts We are come to Iesus instead of Moses who is the Mediator of a better Covenant If we be Christians indeed we are not come to a Law that hath onely a sound of words written on stone but we are come to a Law written in our hearts we are come to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to the efficacy of his mediation And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel The blood of sprinkling It is an allusion taken from those sprinklings under the Law all which pointed to this We are not come â—â— corruptible blood we are come to the blood of sprinkling that is incorruptible That speaks better things c. It speaks and what doth it say It makes intercession for us it makes intercession in us and the Lord he is with us by a word of power speaking and commanding sin and death Satan and Hell out of our souls This is the Doctrine The glorious state which is the true Gospel state it is the state of every true Believer though it may be many do not know it it is a state in the spirit and it is revealed by the spirit This is the Gospel state and therefore if you profess the Gospel do not sit down below it Let us all be making to it let us not stay at Mount-Sinai but let us pass on to Mount Sion Let every one of us look whereabouts we are whether we be under a spirit of fear if we be this is Mount-Sinai or whether we be under a spirit of love of power and of a sound minde if we be this is Mount-Sion Are we in earthly or in heavenly places Take notice that there are three states 1. One is in Egypt under the bondage of sin Satan death and hell 2. Another is leading out of Egypt in the wilderness at Mount-Sinai leading up to Adams perfection to a perfection in nature but there is no resting here This is but a shadow Christ in the flesh came in this natural perfection but he dyed to it and in it and rose again to the life of God 3. A third state is the spirits of just men made perfect Here is rest and stability Here is the kingdom of God do not sit down below this for if you do you sit down at best in natural Reason in a shadow in a lye Some sit down in the filth of nature but do not ye sit down no not in the excellency and perfection of nature Look to the high calling of God in Christ Iesus unto which ye are called But I pass over from the Doctrine and come to the Vse which the Apostle makes in ver 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven God speaks once and twice and we hear him not God is continually speaking He speaks in every creature he speaks in every providence he speaks in every administration do you know his voice He speaks on earth and he speaks from heaven See that ye refuse not him that speaketh God speaks from
earth if I have told you earthly things and ye believe not saith Christ how will ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things There are higher and there are lower administrations wherein God appears Are we acquainted with them Do we know them God speaks on earth from Mount-Sinai and he speaks from heaven at Mount-Sion he spake from Mount-Sinai and he was refused yet there was a shew of entertaining All that the Lord saith unto us will we do but O said the Lord that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey my voice They said they would obey but their hearts turned back again to Egypt God speaks on earth and who doth hear who doth not refuse he speaks with a loud voice on earth he manifests his glory and every one seems to hear seems to stoop and bow before him but they are all lyars God speaks from heaven he speaks in the spirit he speaks in a low and still voice as it were afar off in a far Country and from this far Country he sends to his Subjects to see if they will own him but they say We will not have this man to reign over us God comes in a full manifestation of himself and then every knee stoops and bows to him some sincerely others feignedly and lyingly as it is said Thine enemies shall be found lyars When God shall make us Mount-Sion when he shall awaken the spiritual man when he shall quicken the new man that lieth as it were dead in us then we shall hear then we shall obey There is nothing so much concerns us as to know the voyce of God to hear him speak My sheep hear my voyce and the voyce of a stranger they will not hear John 10. God speaks and God gives an ear to hear him speak He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened then said I Lo I come in the volumn of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will Psal 40. 6 7. God is speaking and the Devil is speaking happy are they whose ears God hath opened that can distinguish that know the voyce of God from the voyce of a stranger See that ye refuse not him that speaks There is nothing in man but what refuseth to hear God speak but what refuseth God himself whether he speaks from earth or from heaven That man doth hear God speak that doth know the voyce of God it is the spiritual man the new man that is born of the Spirit The carnal man the natural man cannot possibly hear God speak he refuseth God The wisdom that is in him is enmity to God He is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be But they that will not know his voyce they shall know it They that will not yield to it shall be broken by it it is a terrible voyce When he shall come and speak from heaven those whose hearts are not brought to a compliance with him shall be destroyed by his presence He will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that obey not the Gospel Next we may take notice of the effects of this voyce whose voyce then shook the earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth only but heaven also When you meet with shakings and violent motions then know what the matter is Why the Lord is speaking Heaven and earth are shaking at this time Do we see the Lord and hear the Lord We are fallen into shaking times His voyce once shook the earth but now it shakes not only earth but heaven Haggai 2. This Scripture shews what is to be expected the shaking of heaven and earth and then the desire of all nations What is that Why it is Christ he is called the desire of all nations All nations desire him though they do not know him and when he is come he shall fill Sion and Jerusalem he shall fill his Saints and people the City and the house built of living stones shall be filled with Glory he will fill all things Eph. 4. 10. When Christ came forth in flesh there were shakings in heaven and earth When Christ came forth in Spirit upon the Apostles and primitive Christians what a shaking was there then of heaven and earth What strange workings were there in the hearts of men through the light and evidence and demonstration of spirit that went abroad That was the beginning of this last shaking after that God was pleased to draw in and to retire that the wicked one might return again to shew what he was that Antichrist might appear and set up his trade under the name of the Spirit and when the man of sin is fully revealed then the Lord will come forth again and by the Spirit of his mouth and the brightness of his coming will he utterly destroy him and that will be a terrible shaking indeed Yet once more I shake not earth only but heaven This shaking is begun Are we sensible of it What wars and rumors of wars are there What overturnings Let us see whether we be not under the appearance of this shaking shaking of earth shaking of heaven shaking of Forms of Religion of Churches All that is earthly shall be shaken that the earthliness being removed the true body may be brought forth anew in the Spirit How many in these times hove lost their wisdom and their righteousness that they looked upon as great gain was ever such confusion as there is at this day Yet once more I shake not the earth only but heaven It is certain we are come to it but are we sensible of it God is shaking us out of fleshly and formal Religion out of mans Religion and mans Righteousness he is destroying the old man and bringing forth the new man he is destroying the old earth and heaven and bringing forth a new earth and heaven wherein righteousness shall dwell He hath promised saying yet once more This terrible shaking cometh forth in a promise It is a mercy a blessing a deliverance It is the Redemption of the people of God Lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh When Paul and Silas were in Prison and in the Stocks at Midnight there was an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and that became their deliverance How many of the Saints will lie in Prison and in the Stocks at midnight till this earthquake come and shake them out Then shall come the desire of all nations By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation How will God answer us Why saith he I must remove all this corruptible frame I must create a new heaven and a new earth I must shake the Civil Estate and the Religious Estate I must shake off old Adam I must shake out Antichrist Christ must go away in his appearance in flesh that he may return again
it were dead and slain Rev. 5. John saw the Lamb as it had been slain he is as it were slain but he lives all this while and he raigns and rules but there is nothing seen but the Kingdom of Men of Devils of Death of Hell The Lord he is slain he comes forth at times and makes appearances and as he looks up still he is knockt down and the world cries Devil and Blasphemy In all the appearances that hitherto he hath made he hath been slain the Devil hath possessed all the Mountains that ever he raised up the seven Mountains the Whore sits upon them That the Apostle hath Heb. 6. They crucifie afresh the son of God and put him to open shame God makes his appearance and still he is crucified still he is slain whilst he riseth in flesh still he is killed If you ask who it is that kils him His enemies kill him sin and hell his friends kill him therefore Christ saith Father forgive them they know not what they do These are the wounds I have received in the house of my friends He kils himself he gives up his life for that which Pilat and Herod did they did by the determinate Counsel of God Awake O sword against the shepherd that is my fellow I lay down my life of my self and no man takes it from me saith Christ he gives up himself It is the blood of God in us that redeems this earth Thou hast redeemed us by thy blood There is no man shall live but he in whom God is dead in whom he lyeth slain for a while or as it were slain and by this God comes forth in a more glorious Kingdom His Kingdom is more glorious when he comes out of death into it comes upon Death comes upon Hell and all the powers of it God is pleased to make himself enemies that he may appear to be above them God is slain his blood is shed in Christ and Christ in the Saints he suffers still I fill up the sufferings of Christ saith the Apostle Here he dies and here he rises And this it may give us some light and instruction touching sin in the knowledge whereof we are exceeding defective All have sinned that the Apostle saith and sinned the utmost of sin Slain and murdered the Lord of life And think of it what you will you never see sin in a true light till you see your selves murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of glory the Spirit convincing of sin it convinceth of this and this is that that earthly-mindedness doth the earth in us this love of the earth this love of the creature it kils the Lord and buries the Lord it keeps down the Lord. Do you not know saith Iames that the friendship of the world is enmity unto God And you that know God and love God mind what you do whilst you go out after the earth Here is killing the Lord and burying him keeping him down Either we are crucifying God or else we are crucifying the world and the world is crucified unto us one of these two We are crucifying God while we do not look and long for his appearance all living in the earth being at home in the body is crucifying the Lord. The Devil is the god of this world he is a murderer and so are all those that serve this world murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of life The earth buries him the earth covers him the Princes of this world crucifie the Lord of glory You that profess to know the Lord of glory see what you do whilst you are climbing up in the world making after the greatness and the glory thereof the earth hides his blood and covers him here he is buried worldly lusts fleshly lusts these kill and flay and bury God in you keep down Christ in you This is the reason why the world makes so little account of God and makes no more of God then a fancy they have slain him and they have buried him and they raign but he will rise and then wo to the inhabitants of the earth The Devil is come among you and then you shall see the Devil the Devil is among you but you do not see him then you shall be delivered up to him It is a comfort to them that they cannot see God that their souls long after him and they love him but they cannot see him Why He is not discovered where he is he lyeth dead a great while He lyeth dead in the hearts and souls of his People And it should make us beware of passing judgement upon any That they are not the Lords and the Lord is not in them because he is not at present manifested he lyeth dead there is his blood and it may quicken though it be now as dead And it should make us very wary of judging any persons those that walk in the greatest opposition unto God God may lie dead in them and when he rises in them that shall suffer for him that did before persecute him and whosoever he be that lives he hath seen God dead in him and now he is raised This is indeed the conversion of a sinner it is the quickening of Christ in the heart He is dead in the earth here is his blood and he will rise up the earth shall discover her blood shall no longer hide her slain he will come out of his place he hath come forth in many appearances and hath been killed again but he will come forth in his own body and he will stand in the earth and rising from the dead he dies no more death hath no more dominion over him and he coming out of the grave will bring forth all his with him of which we had a type in the coming of the people of God out of Aegypt and out of Babylon they brought forth all the riches out of Aegypt returned with all the vessels out of Babylon When God brings us forth out of death and hell he will bring us forth with all the goods and all the riches that death and hell have robbed us of The earth shall no longer cover his blood And it cannot be it is impossible he should see corruption it is his blood and therefore must recover it is the Lamb but as it were slain he rules still he rules amidst his enemies he rules in death in hell but is covered is not seen He shall live and his people shall live with him And look we into our hearts what we find of the death of Christ of the resurrection of Christ of fellowship with him in his sufferings and the power of his resurrection This is that Pauls heart did beat upon Phil. 3. 10. We know him and the power of his death and fellowship of his sufferings Look what we know of him and look for his revealing in us When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me Know ye not that Christ is in you Prove your selves whether you be in the faith Christ
returns the life of God in you revives us according to the Divine nature It is the grace of God that brings Salvation that only cures us of distemper and makes us perfect men in Jesus Christ It is Jesus Christ is the only perfect and sound man the wisdom of God and we are sound when he is formed in our hearts brought forth and raised up in us The Apostle attributes this sound mind to the grace of God God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power but of God and of a sound mind The Spirit of Jesus Christ is a spirit of a sound minde While we have not the spirit we are under a cloud we are in a distemper and in weakness even in the purest state of flesh God finds weakness and folly in his Angels he hath not put trust in them There is no sound and perfect state but the state of God all that are born of God are born into that state and he is their wisdom Jesus Christ the wisdom of God and is made so to us of God Of the Prodigal t is said when he came to himself he remembred his fathers house Paul says that he was mad against the Church 1 Tim. I was exceedingly mad how came he changed the grace of God was exceeding abundant towards him which is in Christ Jesus This revived his soul The grace of God that brings Salvation teaches us to live soberly It makes us sober indeed it makes us mad in appearance Paul says he was mad before the grace of God appeared Festus told him he was mad after the grace of God had appeared There is a seeming madness and a seeming sobriety Sobriety is madness unto mad people Mans sobriety is madness unto God and Gods wisdom is folly and madness unto men The spirit of God coming upon the Disciples there 's a multitude that cry these men are full of new Wine they are drunk they spake truer then they were aware of 'T was new Wine indeed they had drank but such wine as they knew not of and that which they look't upon as Drunkenness was true sobriety and they but then came into their wits to a sound mind There was a Spirit of Power and Glory then came upon them and the Spirit of fear it was vanishing away When Christ began to manifest himself his kinred said he was mad They went forth to lay hands on him and said he was mad As the grace of God does appear in us and to us it makes us signs and wonders in Israel It is from the Lord of hosts It takes us off from following our own reason and it leads us in a way that men do not walk in The way of the Spirit is not the way of men it transforms us out of the World and changes us by the renewing of our mind The mad world thinks us mad when we begin to be sober There 's Gods wisdom and mans wisdom mans wisdom is foolishness to God and Gods wisdom is foolishness to man Solomon says of man that folly and madness is in his heart till the wisdom of God come in there is nothing else and he that is in the height of madness his madness is not seen to himself madness is continually there here is madness that he stumbles at God There is no such madness as is discovered by the wise and prudent man when he discourses in matters of Religion There was not such a mad and frantick man to throw fire and arrows of death as Paul when only humane learning led him in the practice of Religion The madness of men appears in calling evil good and good evil in running after shadows and leaving the substance in walking against the very light of their consciences to run into the world when they know the world is but a vain shadow in tempting God when they know he is stronger then they The grace of God makes a man sober And there is this ground for it Reas Because God is the only wise God To the only wise God If God be only wise then every man must be a fool but man will be wise says Job though he be born like a wild asses colt and here he discovers greatest folly Whosoever yields God that title The only wise God he does deny it to himself unless it be in Christ unless it be by grace if the grace of God hath entered it teacheth us to live soberly God hath let Satan enter upon this Creation that mad Spirit that carries us to destruction setting up himself in it and striving with God though he shall never prevail as God breaks in and throws out Satan wisdom comes and madness goes and therefore every one that looks upon himself as sober and would be counted so let him consider whence this sobriety comes hath the grace of God appeared that brings Salvation Is it from God or from man There is not such a mad man as a worldly wise man dealing in Religion The foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men and the wisdom and excellency of men is foolishness to God He takes the wise in their craftiness their light is nothing but darkness whosoever they be that have not the madness of man and flesh discovered to them do not yet know sobriety All that the world calls sobriety and wisdom it will appear but madness in the day of the Lord The wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God what folly is this what do you get by enmity to God Flesh is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be If you be truly wise and sober it is by the grace of God appearing that hath brought Salvation And whosoever is indeed made wise and sober by this grace of God appearing he must look to be accounted mad and foolish True sobriety must needs be accounted madness of those that have it not I and the sons whom thou hast given me are for signs A man instructed by God by a strong hand Noah was lookt on for a mad man and condemned by the world and he that is made sober by God he knows what the sobriety of the world is the world does not know what his sobriety is and he can carry himself boldly before the world in that it counts madness and folly knowing that it will justifie it self and bring confusion on all their wisdom That 's the first The grace of God that brings Salvation appearing is that only that teaches sobriety Secondly The grace of God that brings Salvation appearing is that only that teaches true Righteousness It teaches us to live soberly and righteously Till the grace of God that bringeth Salvation appears we do not know true righteousness all the righteousness that we practise before is but the shew of righteousness Till the new man be brought forth there 's no true holiness but he is created after the Image of God in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4. 24. Paul
was a wise man and a righteous man in his own opinion and the opinion of the great and learned professors of his time but when the grace of God appeared to him he saw he was a mad man and a wicked man he saw he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and he throws away all he accounts it as dung I accounted all dung for Christ that I might be found in him not having my own righteousness that is by the Law but the righteousness of God in Christ the righteousness which is by faith the Lord our righteousness the righteousness of God When that righteousness comes forth all our righteousness that is by the Law appears as an unclean thing as a menstruous cloth in Isa 64. all our righteousness is as menstruous cloths Ther 's no true righteousness but what the grace of God bringing Salvation must help us to There is no man righteous before God in his sight shall no flesh living be justified Ther 's none justified but Christ none blessed but Christ If Abraham were justified by works he had whereof to glory but not before God There 's no glorying of man in his own righteousness No flesh shall glory in his presence only he that is of God to whom Jesus Christ is made wisdom and righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption he can glory in the Lord I know that in me says Paul that is in my flesh dwells nothing that is good It is in vain for God to be our righteousness if the righteousness of man would serve the turn where any man stands up in his own righteousness Christ hath nothing to do with him The whole have no need of the Physitian but the sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In all mans righteousness there 's nothing but man there 's nothing but self the things of man end in man it comes to nothing it reaches not to God There is nothing reaches to God but that that comes from god The righteousness of man how glorious a shew soever it makes is only in worldly and earthly designs That 's evil with him that does any way oppose him in his peace in his quiet in his rest in the flesh The righteousness of man let it come to the highest it is but passive and it is very fickle and inconstant It is a proud righteousness that makes a man swell against God As there is no wisdom but God so there is no righteousness but God he is the only wise he is the only holy God and he is the only righteous God The grace of God appearing bringing Salvation that teacheth us to live righteously and so Salvation is not for righteousness but Salvation is righteousness and righteousness is Salvation And every one that pretends to righteousness should look whether he hath seen that righteousness of God or whether he hath met with the discovery of his own righteousness of the righteousness of man the deceivableness of unrighteousness Till the true and perfect righteousness comes in there is no discovery of the deceivableness of unrighteousness Iniquity walks in a Mysterie and till the Mysterie of God be opened the Mysterie of iniquity does not appear There is a golden cup of Fornication the Whore carries in her hand It is not enough to be delivered from that which man calls evil but from that also man calls righteousness There is as great abomination in that man calls and counts righteousness as there is in any thing he counts evil there is that makes man a fair shew and is glorious to men which is abomination in the sight of God The Jews followed after righteousness but obtained it not because they sought it as it were by the works of the Law We by the Spirit saith the Apostle wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith You that look for righteousness look out for true righteousness Take heed of the deceivableness of unrighteousness man will call evil good and good evil call Satan Christ and Christ Satan If you look for righteousness look for the righteousness of the Spirit look for the righteousness of God Men they call this and that righteousness and look not what is the will of God righteousness is nothing but conformity unto God and to that will of God that is revealed within Christ within is guiding and leading by the Spirit and not only by a Letter not that we should throw away Letter but what is Letter without the Spirit A man watching in mans righteousness may make a very fair shew to the eye even dazel mens eyes but there is no righteousness before God but the righteousness that is of God the righteousness that is of him A man walking in his own righteousness may be very acceptable with men but a man brought out of that into this and walking in the righteousness of the Spirit is lookt on as frantick and fantastical with men For when he walks in Gods righteousness he does not walk by his own will and reason he doth not act himself the Lord must act him and guide him And there is nothing so disfigures a mans face to the World as being acted and guided by the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is wisdom it self yet counted folly with men It leads us in many ways men call folly and madness I and the children whom thou hast given me are for signs and wonders from the Lord of Hosts Abraham could be counted no less then a mad man and Noah no less then an old doating fellow to build a ship in the midst of the land and be knocking 120. years together what do you think this man indured all that while The righteousness of God is conformity to God this Christ is made unto us the grace of God that brings Salvation Thirdly And he is made unto us godliness There is no true Godliness till this grace of God comes that brings Salvation There is a form of Godliness before but where 's the power of it when the grace of God comes bringing Salvation the power of it comes godliness is like God godliness is partaking of the Divine nature as we shewed you in the morning godliness is being guided by the Spirit of God Godliness is working our works in God godliness is God speaking in us and acting in us and we ceasing from our own works There is no man knows godliness but he that is born again of the Spirit and no man that knows godliness that walks only by the outward commandment and Letter and hath it not also by the Spirit There is a worldly sanctuary and there is a house not of that building There is a Law of the Spirit of life that is never without godliness there is Redemption from all iniquity as it follows here in the text Grace and Salvation is all grace brings Salvation and it brings Salvation in bringing Sobriety and Righteousness and Godliness t is grace that does all and here is Salvation Righteousness Sobriety