against me And seeing the Lord hath given me an opportunity to testifie the truth for the Cause sake wherein I suffer and which the Author of these Sermons did own to his death I hope no inconvenience can arise from this brief Apology thus briefly represented to the little Remnant of the Womans Seed who in these dayes of Hypocrisie and Apostacy keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ One word to my Fellow-prisoners in this glorious Cause from the Word of the Lord and it is a part of those glad tydings which they through Grace may bee abundantly refreshed in the remembrance of as I have been in this long time of Oppression THERE REMAINETH A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. A Sabbatisme so the Word is an holy solemn Rest and it hath reference to the World to come even the state of the Saints in the Thousand years This hath been in all Ages good news to so many as being pilgrims and strangers for the Lords sake in this present evil world have been alwayes hated reproached oppressed persecuted tormented slaughtered by the four great cruel wild Beasts Dan. 7. Oh what a voluminous Martyrology would that be which can comprehend all the cruelties bloody Massacres and despiteful dealings with the Saints of the most High which have been perpetrated upon this earth since Cain slew his brother Abel which can exemplifie in punctual narrations of truth all the Methods Stratagems Pretences and Policies which Persecutors have and will make use of for the suppressing of that spirit which with boldness doth justly contradict them in their wickedness and Abominations It s not a work for a finite creature to undertake none are sufficient Historiographers of these things but the Three who bear Record in Heaven where there is a Book of Remembrance written for those which feared Jehovah and thought upon his Name in their Generations Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God and our Father how sweet is his presence in a prison to his suffering servants Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt And wee from the overflowings of Divine Love have such glorious Incombs that we would not exchange the least of them for all the gold and silver which is coming from the West-Indies to the New Court. As the noble Marquess Galeacius Caracciolus when Golden Temptations were presented Let their money perish with them saith he who account all the gold in the world worth one dayes communion with Jesus Christ in the holy Spirit Dear Brethren in Bonds for the Lords sake How is it with you Have you cheerful lively spirits Do you live in the sense of the love of God shed abroad in your hearts by the holy Spirit which is given to you Doth your faith grow exceedingly Doth your love and zeal abound more and more for the Lord Jesus and his Interest What ripeness and readiness of spirit soul and body do you find to arise to come forth and to march in the honorable Expeditions of the Lamb against the Beast Are you prepared to follow the Lord fully Oh let us for I desire to be of that number let us never give the Lord rest till he burn with fire that Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth together with all her Daughters and until Jerusalem the New Jerusalem be established the praise of all the Earth We cannot but wait and hope till the Spirit cloath 〈◊〉 as it did Amazia 1 Chron. 12.18 that we may speak saying in a mystery Thine are we David and on thy side thou Root of Jessai peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thine Helpers for thy God helpeth thee And I make no Question but â—re it be long there will be a coming to our David day by day to help him untill it become a great Host like the Host of God and so to turn the Kingdom of Saul unto him whose right it is according to the word of the Lord. For do the Kings of the Earth at home or abroad think of setling and establishment at this time of the day Alas poor creatures their glass is almost run out The God of Heaven is numbring their Kingdoms and finishing them The God of Heaven is weighing the new and old Tyranical Monarchies and will find them too light The God of Heaven will work Divisions in their Kingdomes and will give them all to his Son and his Saints It is true their ghostly Fathers and their Court-Chaplines do put this evil day afar off and perswade their Majesties their Highnesses and their Excellencies c. that we are possessed with on evil spirit of Sedition and Emnity against Government but we dare say to our Father who sees in secret and tryes the reins that they Lye and speak not the truth for he knows who knows all things that the desire of our souls is to be under the best Government that ever was or will bee in the world We confess we groan to be delivered from that Bondage which we are in under the Tyrants of the world we would not have the Beast nor any of his Horns to exercise such cruel domination over us as in time past because we had a little reviving from our former yokes by the out-stretched Arm of the Almighty and it was sweet unto us and we long for a full possession wherefore let us oh let us beleeve and the Lord increase our faith that we shall take them captives whose captives we are and we shal rule over our oppressors We shall meet and magnifie the Lord together and those followers of the Lamb who have prayed and wrestled in prayer for us and for the present it will be of use to look into those good works and comfortable words which this servant of the Lord who lived and dyed in the testimony of this truth doth spread before you who purposed to visit you and to incourage your hearts and to strengthen your hands in God yea and to be refreshed by you I mean you who are removed far off and thrust into holes and corners contrary to All Rules of Righteousness But though he purposed Jehovah preverted who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will and it becomes us who remain alive and have through grace received a Kingdom which cannot be shaken to serve the Lord in our Generation acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire And now oh that those precious truths handled by him might through the blessing of the Almighty become spiritual nourishment to us in our captivity The first Kingdom is founded upon the New Covenant Christ Jesus is the onely foundation c. It is good we shouldbe put in remembrance of these things though we do know them and are through the rich supply of the spirit in some measure established in the present truth I might inlarge but I shall not detain you nor the other Readers any longer but
Kingdome shall very shortly begin to break in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes Insomuch that the spirits of many precious ones were revived their minds inlightened Insomuch that methoughts I heard one Disciple that had been ready to faint and quail saying to another Disciple in Jonathans language See I pray you how mine eies have been inlightned because I tasted a little of this Hony This word of the Lord concerning the glorifying of his Son in the sight of all Nations is sweeter than the hony or the hony comb Oh dear hearts you who heard a proof of Christ speaking in him Tell me Did not your hearts wax warm nay did they not burn within you while he spake of those things to you and while he opened to you in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power those Scriptures which do so neerly concern the King of Saints and his Cause at this day His next design was to travel from Prison to Prison where any of the Servants of Christ were shut up and accordingly made an entrance upon that work in coming to this Castle to visit us as not being ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of us his Prisoners 2 Tim. 11.8 but appeared very willing to be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel of the Kingdome according to that measure of the power of God which should be given him even to suffer bonds in the maintenance of that Cause and glorious Truth which formerly had been owned but is now rejected by the General and his Men of War Insomuch that he would in private discourse with some friends declare That a Prison was like to be his portion ere long And no question if he had lived to have inlarged upon the signs of the times and the Spirit of God had come upon him with power the Supreme single Person at his Head-quarters at White-hall with the advice of his Cabinet Councel would after grave and mature deliberation have found it very necessary absolutely necessary to have suspended and silenced such a Preacher as neither knew how to hold his peace nor yet to pipe to the tune of the New Instrument for we must know that this New Monarchy is founded upon NECESSITY Necessity is the Father and Mother Necessity and Policy are the Nurse and the Guardian of this young Government Alas poor creature it was born in a Consumption and besides that hath had many Convulsion fits since it came into the world insomuch that its Friends and Physitians have had much ado to keep life in it at several critical hours since its Nativity And beside we shall find that Maxime true Nullum violentium est perpetuum violent Motions will quickly work Commotions Confusions and Destructions Let none take offence at this Language for I cannot forbear vilifying the Kingdomes of the fourth Beast when my thoughts are upon the magnifying of the Kingdome Power and Glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isa 37.22 And if the Virgin Daughter of Sion without any disparagement to her holy modesty might of old be allowed by God himself to despise the great King of Assyria and to laugh him to scorn I know no reason to the contrary but one of the Lambs followers may without breach of rule in an holy triumph of Faith express contempt of the Kings of the Earth who are all of them the lovers of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth But to return from this digression of Necessity Both Friends and Foes may easily conjecture how warm an incouragement it would have been to all of us to be refreshed with his company in the several Prisons where wee and our Brethren are shut up if it had pleased the Lord to say Amen and so have given the word for the undertaking of his intended spiritual Summer-progress for wee found him to bee indued with such a Spirit and to have so much acquaintance with the Lord and his Word concerning the present oppressed Truth and Work that undoubtedly the Glorious Cause wherein we are ingaged would have been so much the more inquired after and searched into by many of the Saints But the Counsel of the Lord must stand By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher I understood how long since and upon what occasion the Lord had taken him by the hand and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom and glory which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times So that I now plainly discern this in regard his day was to be so short he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time for those Generation-works of his his Books so called together with his knowledge of the times are no question a special product of Providence in this season and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch to look about them that they may not be surprized And for the rendring unexcusable that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders which this Nation swarms with at this day Neither let it seem strange to thee whosoever thou art that readest this that the learned Rabbies and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point for first consider It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings if such Doctrine should be preached by them or imbraced by the people as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall And then secondly It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us such mysteries use to be hidden in their first discoveries at least from the wise and prudent and were revealed unto Babes that so no flesh might glory in his presence Wherefore let no man find fault that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice to prepare the way nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching glorious ministration of it It is true such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times at the 52 page c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily whether those things there discussed be so or no I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men by communicating ere long to publick view if not prevented what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation from under this dark cloud to entertain these Sermons of this Disciple lately deceased taken in short-hand from his lips
because death prevented not perused nor perfected by himself with that respect which is due to the memory of such a servant of Christ whose praise as we hear is in all the Churches throughout Norfolk and Suffolk besides other places where he hath travelled teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Object But many men who favour not my righteous cause will be apt to say This is strange could there not be found another friend of the Authors more acceptable among the people and who should have recommended these his last words and works unto them with more advantage to the cause c. We know that this man is a sinner He is an evil doer or else why is he in Prison undoubtedly he was not put there neither is he kept there for his good deeds It is much he should be made use of in such a work as this for laudari a laudato viro illa illa demum laus est c. Answ 1. I have in some measure learned of Job not to stand upon my terms with the Lord in point of innocency I know it is so as you say Job 9.2 for how should a man be just before God if he will contend with him Vers 15. he cannot answer him one of a thousand Though I were righteous yet would I not answer him but would make my supplication to my Judge 1 Joh. 1.8 And if I say I have no sin I deceive my self and the truth is not in me Ans 2. But as to men I may plead my integrity with a good conscience and say with boldness if things were examined from the bottom from the beginning I make no question in the least but I should be justified by the children of Wisdom I mean not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world who are coming to nought but the wisdom of God in a mystery for they would not judge according to outward appearance but would judge righteous Judgement Their Judgement like the Lords Rom. 2.2 would I am sure be according to truth and not according to interest as the manner of Machiavel and Achitophel was And which is also the Lords mercy I am perswaded to all his imprisoned servants now suffering for the good old cause with me it is a very small thing that I should be either commended or condemned by the men of this old evill world 1 Joh. 5.19 1 Cor. 5. 1 Pet. 4.5 which lieth in wickedness for when we all come to give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead as the Apostle speaks such a sentence will be pronounced and such an exact distribution of Justice will be made that we are sure our subtle proud persecuters will be stript naked and bare of all their Swords and Guns their Gaolors and their Catchpoles and besides all this their Clergy which stands them instead here will not be allowed them in that Court Answ 3. It doth not necessarily follow that because I am a prisoner therefore I must bee an evill doer or a transgressor for we know Joseph was a prisoner and Jeremy and the Apostles were imprisoned yet who will reckon them with transgressors that pretend to be Christs Disciples yea Christ himself was numbered among the greatest Malefactors of that time wherefore let no man be rash to speak evil of persons and things which they have no acquaintance with But to give the Reader a brief account for the present reserving a larger Narrative to a fitter opportunity I have been twice imprisoned by the Man whom the people call His Highness and their Lord Protector The first time there was an Arbitrary Power exercised by him in causing me to be apprehended for giving two general Observations and nine particular Characters of the Little Horn mentioned in Daniel the seventh that day wherein he was proclaimed as they say this should have been preached the week before but by providence I was prevented So that here could be no colour for imprisonment considering I applied it to no person for as I told the people and I spake the truth God had not revealed it to me as yet but the day would declare it to whom properly to apply it And accordingly when I was examined by him as a Prisoner in the Councel Chamber concerning the application of those Characters I told him what I had spoken in the presence and hearing of hundreds concerning this matter but withal I then declared to him in the presence of his Creatures That if the Lord had revealed unto me who it was that the Holy Ghost meant by that Little Horn I would have told the people though I had died for it when I had done And then I added these other words But to deal plainly with you my Lord and to tell you my very heart the reason why I did not apply those Characters unto you at that time was because I thought or judged that you would not persecute the Saints For indeed till then I never knew or heard that he had so done But since that what he hath done and now doth in this kind let the spiritual man who best discerns the difference of things give his judgement Hitherto I know assuredly that I was not in any fault worthy of the least reproof from man much lesse of bonds Besides this there was another material passage which I declare with all faithfulness I perceived by his large Speech that which he fixed upon as matter of Charge was that I was an Enemy to Government and all my quarrel was against Government These were his very words to which I chose to make my defence at large declaring first my manner of education as Paul did for I made his Apology my Pattern and the manner of the Lords putting me into the Ministry 1 Tim. 1.12 And then in the next place I shewed him how I had indeed preached against Episcopal Government and then against the Kings Government and that his Monarchy should be destroyed Then I declared also that I had indeed preached against the Presbyterian Government as set up by the Parliament and against the Assembly or new fashioned Synod of Lords Commons and Clergy-men And lastly against the Parliament but not against that kind of Government which they declared for for that I owned so far as it was a Government for the Commonwealth and the publick good But withall as I declared these things freely concerning my self so I shewed him likewise from point to point how He Himself had pulled down all these Governments one after another First The Prelatical Government next the Kingly then the Presbyteriall after that the long Parliament so finishing this part of my Defence I looked him stedfastly in the face without fear and said in these very words So that my Lord I conclude if I am against Government YOU are against Government and if I have a Quarrel against Government YOU have a Quarrel against
what brave words come out but what the mind of the Spirit is therein the great thing God lookes after is what the Spirit groanes after what the mind of the Spirit is so that all our boldness at the Throne of Grace all our helpe and assistance and our speaking so as to put up such Petitions onely as are the will of God it s all lodg'd up in this blessed promise of the holy Spirit Eightly All our Assurance and Evidence from heaven it s lodg'd up in this promise hath a poore soule any assurance any hope any Evidence O here it s lodg'd the Spirit is our earnest and evidence He hath given us the earnest of his Spirit as the giving one an earnest is an assurance of the bargaine so the Spirit of God is the earnest which assures the Children of God of their glorious Inheritance with the Saints in light The Spirit is called the first fruites the first fruites were the assurance of the harvest 's coming they are the beginnings of the harvest so the Spirit of God in the hearts of Gods children is the first fruits its the seale wherewith the children of God are sealed After ye beleived ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise and grieve not the holy Spirit of God wherewith you are sealed to the day of redemption that comes and seales up heaven to them and glory to them the Spirit comes and witnesses to them and with them that they are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the Chidlren of God He saith before Ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba father As if he should have said we have not the old Covenant spirit the old Testament spirit the spirit of bondage to feare but the glorious new Covenant spirit which helpes us to goe to God and call him father what can be a more glorious witnesse and evidence to a Christian than this yet this spirit alone cannot beare witnes therefore he saith in the next verse The Spirit it selfe beareth witnes with our spirit that is with this glorious Gospel-new-Testament spirit the Spirit of God himselfe comes and witnesseth with this Gospel-spirit with this spirit of Adoption that we are the Children of God this sweete Gospel-spirit that is wrought in us it would not witnesse alone but the Spirit of God comes and puts his seale upon it and saith O this is a true worke of mine a true worke of the father in a child so it beares witnes with our spirit Ninthly The being and the Habit of Grace it s laid up in this promise the Spirit of God its the roote and principle of all grace in the Saints those habits of grace within are but the off-spring of the Spirit in the soule Grace it s not a thing naturall a thing that we bring into the world with us but a thing created and begotten now the creating and begetting principle it s the holy Spirit the Spirit it is that doth create and beget all grace were not the Spirit first given there would be no habits of grace in any all grace in the hearts of the Saints it s from this blessed Spirit and therefore it s laid up in this glorious promise Tenthly All the Acting of every grace it s laid up in this promise also the acting of faith and patience and humiliation and all grace as we have not the principle or habit of grace from our selves but from the blessed Spirit so every act of grace it s from the holy Spirit also as the Lord saith of his Vineyard I will keepe it and water it every moment God keepes his Vineyard and waters it too and he waters it every moment or else it would wither and decay so the Lord keepes us and our grace and waters us every moment else we should decay the Spirit of God it is that comes and waters us and waters all our grace though the soyle be never so good the fruite is not brought forth if there be not dropping from heaven upon it so let the soule be good and the plant of grace in the soule yet if the Spirit doe not come and continually drop upon and water our hearts there will be no fruite brought forth every soule therefore that is able to put forth any grace he hath this from the blessed Spirit O what a wretched thing therefore is it that there should be such a thing in the world as the slighting of this blessed Spirit that any man in the world should slight and contemne this blessed Spirit wherein all our grace is and the acting of every grace lyes in it and it s the exceeding greatnes of the power of the Spirit that makes every grace to act looke upon faith in the first acting it s not wrought by us but by an exceeding great power even the same that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead when he lay under all our sinnes and his Fathers wrath it s that power that workes the first acts of faith that exceeding greatnes of power that helps us to beleive and so it is in all other grace and the people of God doe know that their strength is not in themselves nor their growth in themselves I cannot be holy I cannot walke humbly by any strength of my owne I cannot beleive I cannot love the Saints nor love God or the cause of God by any strength of my own I cannot doe it of my selfe all the acting of my grace its from the blessed Spirit of God Eleventhly All those convictions that are wrought in the soule they are from the Spirit of God all the conviction in the soule whether of sin or of righteousnes it is from the Spirit of God If a poore soule come to be convinc't of sin that he is an unbeleiver it s the Spirit of God must convince the world of sin because they beleive not in Christ if a soule come to see all his righteousness nothing whether it lye in the workes of the Law or in the very acts of beleiving that all is nothing it s the Spirit must convince the soule of righteousnes men run from one peice of righteousnes to another from confession of sin to vowes and promises and thence to Reformation and so to higher things but this doth not convince till the Spirit of God come and convinces the soule and then it saith Lord I am nothing I have nothing I can doe nothing I am empty O that thou wouldest come and fill me with thy holines all that can be done by man and the utmost of reason and parts and the utmost demonstration of truth to the eare can never doe this till the Spirit of the Lord come Twelfthly All those hints of truth those remembrances of truth those bringings of the blessed word and promise of Christ to our mind they are all laid up in this
promise of the Spirit It s the Spirit it s the Spirit that shall bring to your remembrance saith Christ whatsoever I have said unto you The holy Spirit of God comes and makes the soule to remember all the words of the Lord Jesus Christ all the promises in the blessed book of God that concernes our sanctification any peice of it any thing belonging to it or that concernes our consolation or any peice of it or any thing belonging to it they are all lodg'd up in this great and glorious and blessed promise of the Spirit of God as in the promise of the Messiah are lodg'd all the promises of our Justification and every peice of it so in this promise of the Spirit is lodg'd up all the promises of our sanctification consolation Justification flow's out of the one and holines peace and comfort out of the other is it not then a great promise O it s a glorious and most blessed promise I had thought to have shewne you how it is the great New-Testament promise the great promise that we are to looke for under the new Testament but I shall not be able to come to that at this Time The Lord therefore set that upon our hearts and as there is much lodg'd up in this promise so O that our hearts were now all taken with it that we might all looke up unto God for the giving out of this Spirit methinkes none should goe home now and say I will not regard this Spirit I doe not see any thing in this Spirit much lesse that any should goe away and jeere at the Spirit laugh at the Spirit and make a mocke of it O far be it from our soules that any here should doe so but let us every one looke after this Spirit Lord come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule Lord I have been a Rebell an Enemy a wretch an opposer but let thy Spirit come and subdue my Corruption let thy Spirit come downe and bring up my heart to thee O thy Spirit Lord to subdue this wretched distemper in me that have been a mocker and jeerer at thy Spirit Poore soule do'st thou want a word of conviction to be thoroughly convinced before the Lord O say now O Lord send thy Spirit to convince me now O Lord let thy Spirit convince my soule of sin let thy Spirit convince my soule of righteousnes let thy Spirit come and shew me how I have not beleived in Christ how that I have taken up other things besides Christ as my foundation and laid other foundations besides the foundation of God let the Spirit of the Lord come and shew me how many righteousnesses I have set up instead of the Lords righteousnes If the Spirit of God should come to our hearts now not a man or woman here but would goe out and say O I am a poore wretched creature I thought I had had wisdome when I came hither but I goe out a foole and I thought I had had strength when I came hither but I am weakness it selfe and I thought I had had parts and gifts but I am nothing I thought I could have beleived and acted faith upon God but I can doe nothing nothing of my selfe if the Lord come to convince by his Spirit it will be thus indeed There are many legall convictions and men goe away hardened after them and they are ten times worse hast thou man or woman been convinced of that and hast gone away mightily affected and yet can'st thou come againe and sit here and sleepe O beg of the Lord to give out his Spirit to convince thee and to doe all thy workes in thee and for thee hast thou been a long time doubting and seeking what way God will owne what truth God will owne for his truth O labour for the Spirit cry for the Spirit for the teachings of the Spirit beg of the Lord to teach thee by his Spirit spread the promise before the Lord hast thou not said Lord Thy Spirit shall teach us all things and guide us into all truth Here 's thy promise Lord Lord now let me have thy Spirit to reveale thy truth to me and to shew me thy will and when the Spirit comes and teaches us we shall know principles in another way than we did before a Christian can see a cleare evident distinction betwixt those principles he fetches in from reason and those he hath from the Spirit of God enlightening his reason Now wouldest thou depart O beg of the Lord to come and give thee hâ—s Spirit and then being taught by the Spirit of God thou wilt stand to the truth the reason why men are this to day and another thing to morrow it is because they are not taught by the Spirit but their faith is laid in the wisdome of men and they take up things from men and doe beleive a thing because such a wise man speakes it and when a wiser than he comes and speakes otherwise then they will leave that and take up what he saith now saith the Apostle I came not to you with the enticeing word of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith might stand not in the wisdome of man but in the power of God as if he should have said I know how apt you are to take up things in the wisdome of man and not in the light of the Spirit of God but cry out Lord let me have nothing but in the power of God and from thy Spirit upon my heart in the demonstration of thy Spirit this will hold a man will stand to this he will say I did not receive this truth by the light of my reason but by another light hereupon the soule will hold to truth As the Saints in Queene Mary's dayes could not dispute but yet they would dye for the truth they had their principles in the light of the Spirit and in the power of the Spirit Now how many now aday's have their faith founded in the wisdome of men and not in the power of God If God should come and sift men you will never hold if you will not learne of the Spirit but have things onely from your reason How many have spoken gloriously of the truths of the present age and when it comes to some tryall when there comes suffering and their owne Interest calls off to the other side turne their backs upon it that which men have had onely from their reason will not lead them through Temptation if Temptation come that man will give away his truth rather than part with his Interest his honour or profit or the like a man that hath reason will gather up a great deale in the notion but if the Lord doe not teach us by his own Spirit we shall not hold O beg this every heart for himselfe and for all the children of God at this day that we might not
other as yee are Sons there is more worke expected God lookes for more duty and more obedience from the Saints of the new Testament than he did expect from the Saints of the old Testament in the new Testament they have not so much tireing worke they have not so much burdensome worke O but if you looke to the spirituall worke as they come to higher light so God lookes for higher obedience therefore for Moses his ten precepts in the old Testament we have many spirituall precepts in the new the new Testament doth not set us free from holines and obedience but indeed the new Testament calls us to a more strick't holines and a more spirituall obedience ye are called to a higher pitch of holines and obedience under the new Testament and not freed from it the Lord hath set his Saints free from all that that was burdensome and that that was legall obedience under the old Covenant but they are not free from obedience indeed the Saints of the new Testament they are called to a higher pitch of obedience as one that is a son growne the father doth not lay such laws upon him as he doth upon a little Child you must not meddle with this nor doe that nor goe out of the doores nor run in the wet and dirty your selfe c. there are a great many lawes laid upon a child but now when once the son is growne the father lay's no such law's upon him but he doth expect that this growne son should doe him more service than the child there 's not the law 's upon him as was upon the child the son is free but yet notwithstanding here 's more worke call'd for at the hands of the son so it was with the people of God under the old Testament the Apostle tells us they were heires under age and therefore their state was nothing differing from the state of a servant though they were Lord's of all in the appointment of the father and were true heires yet because they were under age they were under such a rigid Governour and Tutor as the old Covenant that held them under the rod of a great many law's but now under the new Testament we are sons and being sons the people of God they should goe out serve God freely with another manner of spirit I doe not say we doe so for truly we are much to short of what we should be the Saints should goe out and worship God with a free spirit we are not set loose from duty 's but we are rather called to do more that in another manner in a free manner with a free spirit as one that is an apprentice he lives in a servile feare of his Master and doth a great deale of worke why now when this man comes to have his freedome doth he doe lesse no he doth more worke but he doth it with a free spirit he doth it with another spirit so it s with the Saints under the old and new Testament they doe more worke under the new Testament but with lesse feare than under the old Testament being delivered out of the hands of their enemies they serve him without feare in holines and righteousnes all their day's Fourthly Another ground and Reason of it may be this God hath greater discovery's of truth for the new Testament times and his people under the new Testament Administration than was for the times of the old Testament under that Administration and therefore the Lord holds forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise under the old Testament the Lord brought forth truth by little and little precept upon precept and line upon line and here a little and there a little God brought forth truth after divers and sundry manners sometimes by way of vision dreames and voice and the like many way 's of Revelation But now under the new Testament God speakes out all his word he hath spoken in these last times by his Son he speakes forth all his mind to us at once now the more truth is spoken out the more need we have of the Spirit to enable us to understand this Truth for it s by the Spirit we are given to understand the truth 's of God as they are held forth in their beauty glory and fulnes and therefore because Christ under the new Testament Administration was to speake out all of truth the whole of truth that the Saints and people of God might be able to apprehend the blessed truths of the new Covenant as they are held forth to them therefore it is necessary that they should have more of the holy Spirit given forth to them under the new Testament Administration Fifthly Because the Saints under the new Testament are to conflict with greater Tryalls and more sore Temptations than Saints of the old and therefore the Lord gives forth mere of the Spirit Though the people of God under the old Testament met with sore Tryalls yet they were not comparable to the sufferings of the Saints under the new Testament the rage of the Heathen and Antichristian powers was greater than ever the world knew before now to beare up the people of God under this sad-black-long day that they were to goe through in suffering they had need of the Spirit therefore God gives forth the Spirit he doth promise that as the great new Testament promise Vse 1. If it be so That the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise Then hence we see what that thing is that all of us should have our eyes and our hearts and our thoughts fixed upon and taken up with O that every soule would be looking for it crying for it Lord give me thy Spirit what ever the soule wants it may goe to God and say Lord give me thy Spirit This is the great promise in which all other promises are lockt up the promise of conviction the promise of strength and life all are rapt up in this why now we should goe to God in a more speciall manner for the performance of this promise Vse 2. O then what spiritualnes is there required of the Saints of the new Testament If in the old Testament Time when the promise of the Spirit was not given forth as the great promise if then spiritualnes was required O how much more is it required of the Saints and people of God under the new Testament if under the Administration of the letter there was required spiritualnes then how much more is it required under that Administration which is the Administration of the Spirit if the Administration of the letter be spirituall and saith to all the Children of God live spiritually under me First Saints now you are under the Administration of the Spirit It doth bespeake us to be spirituall to have spirituall hearts to be spirituall in all our duty 's in all our addresses to God Truly it s not so much the length of our duty 's the multitude of our
Government also The truth is I have much mused upon this Charge of his for of all the men in the world I admired and do still wonder with what face HEE could find fault with me and with what conscience HE could accuse me and impute this as a crime worthy of close imprisonment when he knew in his own soul that he had pulled down whatsoever I had preached down from first to last except his own new Instrument which was not then published to the world neverthelesse to close prison I must go And yet do not know any colour of Reason or of Law for that usage unto this moment neither is it possible I ever should for that imprisonment was contradictory to all principles of Reason Justice and Conscience All that can be said is this he presumed to give the Congregation to whom he was preaching several Characters of the Little Horn upon that very day when the people cried or should have cryed if they did not God save His Highness taking the Lords name in vain after the old mode in King Charles his dayes There hath been also I understand from very many friends who come to visit me in Prison a great noyse at Court from whence it is spread up and down the City and Country that I sunk under him when I was brought before him and had not a word to say for my self and Mr. T. was perswaded I was convinced and would forbear to preach as formerly c. and this his said Secretary will witness this businesse is frequently repeated in my absence being twenty miles off in prison I commend the Master and the Man they would make the Saints my friends beleeve strange things against me when I am far enough out of the hearing But the Lord knows I never was conscious to my self of any thing in that kind neither did I give occasion for any man so to judge and report for the truth is this I was not affraid either of his looks or his threats in the least from first to last neither was I at all convinced by any thing that he said that I have done any evil in the sight of the Lord or of man in whatsoever I preached concerning the Little Horn which as I judge was the cause of mine Imprisonment on his part nevertheless This I must needs say and it is truth When I heard the General speak at such a rate concerning IMPULSES upon occasion of somewhat I had a little before toucht upon magnifying the fruits of such Impulses as came upon his own spirit as all excellent and glorious I began to wonder and thought it somewhat strange to hear such language savouring of self-exaltation but when I heard him vilifie those Impulses which other Saints had experience of judging their Impulses to be from the Devil condemning that spirit by which they spake saying Wee had forsaken the Head Christ and were under the Ministration of evil Angels c. My Countenance I verily beleeve was very much changed because of that great trouble which fell upon my spirit in hearing such words bordering as I then conceived upon Blasphemy Hereupon casting my eyes up towards the wall over against me and shaking my head with much grief of heart to hear him I considered in my self whether I should reply to him concerning those grievous expressions of his or not and even as I was resolving in the negative these words came into my mind or were put into my mind with power Answer him not a word Answer him not a word Whereupon when he had done speaking I kept silence and did not return a word that I can remember from this passage I am apt to think they supposed I was convinced by what had been spoken by him and had nothing more to say for my self and thereupon have spread this untrue report but they were and are deceived in that matter But at the end of three dayes and an half I was set free not making any promise or yeelding to any terms which were propounded to me I supposed they were not able to justifie what they had done for This Imprisonment was contrary to the Law of God and of the Land yea and contrary to his own Oath which he had solemnly taken but five dayes before in the presence of many witnesses and so I have done for the present with my first Imprisonment As for the cause of this second Imprisonment It is as far from my knowledge as the former unless it be for bearing my testimony publickly against the open and notorious Abominations of the times wherein the General and his Army are so involved together with the Parochial Church-men and the Luke-warm Professors that certainly there will overtake them a most sore visitation from the Lord which will destroy their Refuge of lyes and tear their Instruments all to peeces If this be to be vile I will be more vile If I must suffer Persecution Imprisonment and reproach for this the will of the Lord be done I am made more than a Conqueror through him who hath loved mee Shall not I be as bold to plead for the Lamb against the Beast as they are to plead the cause of Antichrist against the Lord Jesus God forbid I was indeed after I was apprehended this second time brought before a Committee of the Council as they called it where they caused to be read in my hearing some passages of a Sermon at Alhallows two dayes before and would have me to answer whether I had spoken those things which some of their Pursevants or sneaking Spies had brought unto them It put me in mind of the persecuting Prelates who laid snares to intray the Servants of God in their faithful preachings to the people I told them I would neither affirm nor deny any thing but when they brought the Accusers and the witnesses face to face I would give them an Answer and so we parted After four or five dayes they sent me to Winsor Castle and here I have been nineteen Months and more and know not when I shall come to a Trial they are a long time methinks in preparing the charge against me surely they are to seek it for I was in prison before their Law was published And where there is no Law there is no transgression Now I would willingly know of such as reproach me as an evil doer and therefore I suffer justly what is my transgression and what is my sin for if I am an Offender as Paul saith or have committed any thing worthy of death I refuse not to dye or otherwise to be punished according to my demerits in case I have transgressed any Law of Righteousness whatsoever Wherefore I humbly conceive that mine Imprisonment doth not render me uncapable of writing to the Lords people and therefore these things not being intended for any but the followers of the Lamb I shall desire them not to condemn me before they find me manifestly convicted of those notorious evils which are reported
is of another kind its comforts are of another kind And this God brings all his to before ever they become fruitfull in a Gospel way for note here it may be the condition of a true childe of God as well as of the hypocrite to build too much upon these foundations yea to be building yeares together upon them and that too after true grace is wrought in his soule Abraham was a true beleiver and yet goes in unto Hagar the old Covenant and thirteene yeares together his heart run's upon her fruit and all his Expectations are from it But note this withall that till God brings a belever to this to make a more direct and Immediate close with Christ in the new Covenant he will be barren as to Gospel fruit Abraham had no fruit from Sarah till God had discovered to him that Hagar's fruit was not the fruit but he must yet looke for fruit from Sarah so a true beleiver will be barren as to Gospel fruit untill he is brought off from all other foundations and made to close with Christ in the new Covenant And indeed I thinke I may say that there never was a beleiver in the world but either before conversion or after he hath been brought under the old Covenant and there hath been a building upon such foundations for it is naturall to a soule under the old Covenant so to doe Quest 6. But when doth God lay Christ as a foundation in the soule is it in the first worke or change that is wrought upon a soule or afterwards Answ There is a twofold worke or change wrought upon many soules I say many because every one doth not passe under this double change First Legall which is a worke or change wrought by the power of the Law or by the Ministry of the letter for so the Apostle calls the Law 2 Cor 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life And I doe here expound the Law by the Ministry of the letter to the end we may not looke upon the Law as containing onely the matter of the ten Commandements and the promises and Threats annexed to these but indeed take the Law at large for the summe of that truth revealed either in the Scriptures of the old or New Testament which containes within it Doctrines Promises Precepts Threats c. so far as this truth comes to a soule and is received onely as a notion as it is the letter a voice of words c. so far it falls short of being Gospel which is a word of Power the Power of God unto Salvation a Ministration of the Spirit and life and is no other but the word of the Law that is a bare word without Power a killing letter to it And whatsoever worke or change is wrought by this word as it comes to the soule onely as an enlightening notion or directing letter discovering to a man his duty state c. or as it comes as a threatening terrifying voice of words driving the soule to that it apprehends to be its duty and making it for feare to seeke after a better state than it sees it selfe to be in for all this the word as its a bare letter or a voice of words may doe I say all this worke or change is no other nor better than a legall worke or change for it is a worke wrought by the Ministry of the letter by a voice of words it is the light of the bare letter and the terror of the voice of words that makes a man in his owne strength fall to working and accordingly the worke brought forth or the change produced hereby seeing it is no other but an act a worke a change performed by the strength of nature and not by the strength of the promise it can be no other but a worke of the flesh a child of the Law or old Covenant as was Ishmael and not of the promise or new Covenant as was Isaac Secondly There is an Evangelicall worke oâ— change which is that worke which is wrought upon the soule by the power of the Spirit in the word cutting the soule off from the dead stock of old Adam and ingraffing it into the living stock of the new Adam Jesus Christ And the very foundation of the worke or change is marriage-union with Christ The Spirit of God in the Word lays hold of a poore soule by an Almighty power and breakes it off from the old stock and in the same Instant ingraffs it into Christ Now by the engraffing there is a union and from this union a communication to the soule of that new sap and life that is in Christ and by virtue of this a glorious work and change is wrought in the soule new fruit new actions appeare in it Now observe the Fathers laying Christ as a foundation is not in the first worke which I call Legal for a soule may have that work as had Ahab Judas Herod Stony Thorny ground c. and yet perish for ever but so cannot any that Christ is the foundation of for if so then could not Christ be a sure foundation as the Prophet calls him Esay 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation a Stone a tryed stone a precious corner Stone a sure foundation But the laying of Christ as a foundation is in this second worke And the beginning of this is our union which is that thing by which we are ingraffed into Christ and so grow and beare fruit upon Christ as the stock or foundation when a soule hath this union from that moment is Christ his foundation but not before for what ever may be found in him or come from him before this union be it sorrow for sin Comfort obedience c. it hath not Christ for a foundation for how can Christ be a foundation to that soule or to any thing in that soule that is not united to him can we say such a thing is a foundation to such a building and yet the building be separate from that thing and standing upon something else not so Quest But the soule may say If there be this double worke and change and Christ is the foundation onely of the latter How shall I know whether the worke upon me be Legal or Evangelical that so I may know whether Christ be my foundation yea or no Ans This is a most difficult Question and the farther I consider it the more doth it beget matter of feare and trembling and the rather because those things which we ordinarily bring forth as evidences of the grace of God within us will not manifest this difference because there is not any one particular worke affection grace that flowes from the Gospel-worke upon a soule but that worke which is onely Legall hath the counterfeit of that worke grace affection c. not but that there
is he may have common light and common assistance which though it is not saving yet it may be such light and such assistance as may be from the Spirit such as he hath not in himselfe light into truth beyond what he can attaine meerely by his reason and aâ—â—â—ance in some dutie beyond what he hath from his owne strength therefore such falling away are said to doe despite to the Spirit of grace Heb 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden underfoote the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace Fourthly He may tast a sweetness in the word of Christ so far as he may say O it is a good word Heb. 6.5 And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come So Mat. 13.20 But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it The seed in Stony places heares the word and with joy receives it But what word is this which makes the heart joy againe why the word of the kingdome ver 10. When any one heareth the word of the kingdome and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his heart this is he which received seed by the wayes side and that is the Gospel word not that of the law Such an effect therefore may the very Gospel word beget in men Fifthly He may as to flashes at sometimes feele something of the joyes that are above his heart may have some kinde of sudden Ravishments with the Joyes of heaven as though they were his Heb 6.5 And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come all this may be in a man who as yet is without union with Christ who as yet hath no more worke upon him than what he hath attained by his owne strength first running in his owne strength to the Law and finding no helpe there may then run in his owne strength to the Gospel and then conceiving because now he is got off from the Law and hath seene the emptines of all his legall trusts rests and hath got some light into Gospel truths and hangs as he thinkes upon Christ and the Covenant of grace onely though yet all this his hanging is but an act of his own a hanging upon the outside of the Arke he judgeth that though his condition was bad before yet now it must needs be good and from this conception of himselfe he is it may be holpen somewhat to reforme finds sweetnes in thoughts of Christ because he thinkes he hath now layd hold on him and Christ must needs be his he hath Joy in hearing Gospel truths and feels at a fit as 't were a kind of heavenly Joyes in himselfe and yet for all this in old â—dam still and the fruite he beares though it seeme glorious comes not from union with Christ as the foundation of all but from union with the old Stocke and hence it comes to passe that in the end all the fruite drops withers rotts goes to decay Hence it is seeing many that attaine all these things fall away in the â—nd that some so boldly stand for and maintaine falling away from â—race for indeed what can be more like grace than the aforesaid things but yet their Position is false and ariseth from the not distinguishing of workes Legall from workes Gospell what ever may be in man by vertue of a legall worke that is a worke wrought in a man either by legall Principles or by legall strength working upon Gospel principles all that a man may fall from because all that may be and the soule not upon the soundation Christ and therefore the building may fall What ever a man comes by either by old Covenant light or by old Covenant strength all that he may loose for the old Covenant is a fading thing 't is such a Covenant as may be broken Heb 8.9 Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. And though God by vertue of that Covenant stands in some kind of relation as I have said to persons under it yet such is the Tenour of that Covenant that if they doe not keepe Covenant but rebell God will cast them off and not regard them for all that and therefore the Apostle for those words in Jeremy although I was an Husband to them reads and I regarded them not Now so much seeming grace may be in a man by vertue of old Covenant light or old Covenant strength acting upon Gospel light and principles that it is the most difficult thing in the world to distinguish it from true grace therefore so many that seemed to have true grace fall away and then men when they see it and finde Caveats in the word to persons going far upon Gospel principles to take heed least they fall away Conclude men may fall away which indeed is false for no soule truly in Christ can ever fall but persons may run thus far and yet still in the Stock of old Adam and such may fall Hence also some conclude falsely free-will not distinguishing betwixt workes flowing from Legall light and strength and that flow from Gospel light and strength To the first man hath a power and by his owne strength doth all and because many goe so farre in that strength which they feele to be their owne as that they thinke themselves to have true grace and to be living members of Christ which as indeed it is not so hence they conclude man hath a power a will in himselfe to receive Christ which is not so man hath a power to repent obey believe in a legall way and he hath a power to lay hold on Christ as tendered in the Covenant of grace in such manner as a man may be saâ—d to hang on the outside of the Arke but a power to receive Christ in Truth so as to be in him this he hath not this is the free gift of God and no person in the world ever can or shall thus receive Christ but he onely to whom it is given Quest But you will say if a man by Legal Principles and Legal strength may goe thus far wherein lyes the difference betwixt the true Saint and this seeming Saint An The maine and essentiall difference ly's here in the roote the one â—nd the other grow's upon The seeming Saint may have many glorious things but the roote upon which all he hath or doth stand's is the old Adam The true Saint perhaps may have fewer and lesse glorious branches than the other but the roote of what he hath or
barke the outside of the Oake hereby he may get as well some sap from Christ whilst he thus hangs upon him in an outward way as may somewhat helpe to make him greene keeping life in him for a time as doth the sap he hath from his owne roote and hereby his life is partly from his owne roote which affords him so much sap as gives him strength to cling to this living Oake and partly from that sap which by clinging to Christ in an outward way he draw's from him Yet because this soule hath not Christ for his roote but what nourishment he getts from him is onely in an outward way by an outward cleaving to him clinging about him to which he is assisted and enabled by that strength that is afforded him from his owne roote the old Adarâ— Hence it comes to passe that at one time or other this cleaving soule which receives not his strength life nourishment from Christ by vertue of a reall union with Christ as his roote but by vertue of an outward cleaving and sucking from Christ doth dye and wither therefore I say a difference there is betwixt clinging to Christ and thereby sucking for a time some sap from him and union clinging is not union neither is the coming of sap that way the same with that sâ—p that comes by vertue of the union of the Tree the sap the Ivie getts is forced from the Oake into it selfe by clinging about it and violent sucking but now the sap that comes from the roote into the Tree that ascends in a naturall way So where union is with Christ as the roote the soules feeles the sap its strength holines c. flowing into it from Christ in a secret yet wonderfull naturall way so that it flow's into it without the soules striving and struggling to force this sap to its selfe but it comes in a naturall way it flow's up secretly and in a manner indiscernably into it the soule begins to feele it selfe full of sap but knowes not how it was filled hardly now this being come into it then it causeth this soule to put forth dayly new branches leaves buds and fruit but where it is otherwise though sap may be had from Christ yet it is but a forced thing a thing extorted by outward clinging and as the Ivie when it s owne roote doth not afford it sufficient sap to make it cling to the Oakes dyes so this soule when it s owne strength the strength received from old Adam by which it clings to Christ in an outward way shall faile it that it can cling no longer it will dye and wither notwithstanding for some time whilst its owne strength served it to cling close it did receive a kinde of life and nourishment from him FINIS The Promise of the Father ACTS 1.4 Waite for the Promise of the Father The whole verse runs thus And being Assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but waite for the promise of the Father which saith he you have heard of me WHat promise is this which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when he is now ascending into heaven doth give a strict and speciall command to his Disciples to looke at and waite for calling and entitling it The promise of the Father To that I answer This promise is no other but the promise of the holy Spirit and that is cleare from the following words which saith he yee have beard of me This promise of the Father that they were now commanded to waite for it was that promise that Christ had been minding them of sometime before Waite for the promise of the Father which yee have heard of me which I told you of and minded you of before now what was that promise that Christ had been minding of his Children of againe and againe not long before this time If we looke into Johns Gospel we shall finde that the promise of the Spirit Christ did againe and againe pitch the faith of his Disciples upon and that Immediatly before his death before he was taken from them John 14.16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you And ver 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy-Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you So againe Chapter 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me So againe Chapter 16.7 8 9.10 verses Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and when he comes he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of Judgement Of sin because they beleive not on me of righteousness because I goe to my Father and yee see me no more Yea this is cleare in the verse following our Text For John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy-Ghost not many dayes hence So that that great promise which Christ had been minding his Children of a little before which he points at here which saith he yee have heard of me it was the promise of the Spirit and it was not the Spirit in that speciall way of working in glorious miracles and interpreting of Tongues and the like but indeed it was the promise of the Spirit in generall for he referr's to that promise of the Spirit which they had heard of him which was as a Comforter as the leader and guider into all truth as a Testifier of the Love of Christ to the soule as a bringer to remembrance of whatsoever Christ had said unto them as a glorifier of Jesus Christ in the hearts of his Children he shall glorifie me so that it lookes to the promise of the Spirit in generall when Christ saith it s that yee have heard of me Quest 1. But why doth Christ call it the promise of the Father doth not Jesus Christ himselfe promise the Spirit doth not Christ say I will send you another Comforter is it not the promise of Jesus Christ himselfe as well as of the Father why doth he then call it the promise of the Father Ans 〈◊〉 Because Christ himselfe as Mediator hath the promise of the Spirit from the Father Isai 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soule delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him c. And it s fulfilled to Christ Isai 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me saith Christ for he hath anointed me to preach
good Tidings c. Jesus Christ himselfe as he stood in our stead doing our worke and acting in our nature so he did receive the promise of the Father himselfe the Spirit and therefore it s called the promise of the Father Secondly In respect of the Antiquitie of it Because the Father had promised it long before this time so it s the promise of the Father Christ had promised the Spirit to his but it was lately and so it was a new promise not many dayes old made but a little before his death but the promise as it was the Fathers promise so it was antient made many hundred yeares before though now to be fulfilled for the Time of the old Testament was the time of the Fathers administration now in this time there were many promises of the Spirit to be afterwards fulfilled as in Joel 2.28 And it shall come to passe afterward that I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your danghters shall Prophesie your old men shall dreame dreames your young men shall see visions Zach 12.10 And I will powre out upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of Grace and of supplications and they shall looâ—e upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely Son and shall be in bitternes for him as one that is in bitternes for his first-borne And therefore this promise as it was the Fathers so it was antient and for the Antiquitie of this promise because it was most antiently the Fathers therefore it may be called the promise of the Father Thirdly It 's the promise of the Father because of the times and seasons of the giving out of this promise for the times and seasons are in the hands of the Father so Christ tells his Disciples in this Chapter But the Father hath kept them in his owne power Fourthly The maine reason is That hereby Christ might strengthen and confirme the faith of his Disciples and Children in waiting for this premise we have need of all that can be to strengthen our faith and therefore Christ calls it the promise of the Father the Disciples might conceive ô is the Father willing we should have the Spirit we know how willing Christ is he hath said he will send us a Comforter we are sure we shall want nothing that Christ can doe for us but is the Fathers heart as free to give out the Spirit when Christ comes to heaven will not the Father hinder it Christ therefore entitles it rather the promise of the Father than his owne as if he should have said doe not thinke poore soules that my Father is unwilling to give out his Spirit that he is an Enemy to your peace comfort Joy or the coming of the Spirit of grace no the Fathers heart is as full and as free as you can conceive mine to be for its the promise of the Father Quest 2. But why doth Christ pitch the faith of his Disciples now at the time of his ascension upon this promise rather than upon any other could he not bid them as well to waite for some other promise as for this Ans 1. Because there was no promise so suitable unto the state and condition that the people of Christ the Disciples of Christ his followers were now come into as this promise no promise is so suitable to a poore soule in the time of Christs absence as the promise of the Spirit Christ had been personally present with his Disciples some time and he had comforted cheered warm'd and quickened them and when his personall presence was to leave them no promise could be so sweete comfortable and acceptable to answer their condition as this promise of the Spirit therefore Christ gives them this promise as most suiting them if any thing could hold them up against the rage of the world and the malice of the Devill now in his absence it would be the promise of the Father therefore it was the most suitable promise Secondly Because this promise it was now in the very nicke of fulfilling The promise was antient but now the very time of fulfilling of it was at hand the time of giving out of more abundance of the Spirit was drawing on now it s the way of God with his Children when the promise is upon the nick of fulfilling then will God be putting on his Children in a more especiall manner to be waiting and seeking and looking up to him even for the fulfilling of that promise Therefore when the seventy yeares Captivity in Babylon was run out then God stirr'd up the heart of Daniel and he falls downe before God and prayes and urges the promise and beleives when the time was even expired when God comes to give forth his promise when the fulfilling time is come then God puts his people upon waiting for it So afterwards when Jerusalem was to be built when the time of fulfilling was come then the Lord wonderfully stirr's up the heart of Nehemiah and he falls downe before the Lord crying O that Jerusalem might be no more a Citty without walls and indeed it s a great argument though not a demonstration to convince men yet its such an argument as carry's much weight in it to the hearts of the Children of God when they are put on in a more speciall manner to waite upon God for the fulfilling of this or that particular promise for the doing of this or that particular worke though the times and seasons are many times hid to us yet they are in the Fathers power and they are all knowne to him and when they draw nigh God doth usually make that worke to run over the heart of his Children and sets them a praying and seeking and beleiving and waiting for that worke and it may be they can hardly tell how it comes to passe that they are so put upon it but it comes from a secret way of Gods dispensation towards his Children when God sees that the worke is ripe and the thing is heare at hand that it may come when his Children are in a waiting posture he will forerun it over the hearts of his Children ere he bring it visibly forth before the world But though this be a real truth yet I doe not take it to be the speciall reason here why Christ doth put them to looke for the fulfilling of this promise rather than any other but the chiefe reason I take to be this Thirdly Because the promise of the Spirit it s the great promise that the Saints and peaple of God in the new Testament dayes are to have their eye fixed upon and are to be found waiting upon God continually for the giving of it forth it s that great promise the Saints are to be looking up to the Father for in the new Testament Times under the old Testament the Saints had a great bundle of promises but there was one great
and leading promise that stood out before all the other promises and that was the coming of the Messiah and unto this promise all the Types shaddowes Ceremonies and services of the Law did looke they ran into this promise so the Saints and people of God in the times of the new Testament have a great and leading promise also but this great promise of the old Testament is no promise to them for it s accomplished Christ hath come and dyed and is risen againe and we looke not for him to come and dye any more to satisfie his Fathers Justice but now there is I say a great and leading promise in the new Testament which the Saints fix their eye upon above all other promises and that is the promise of the Spirit as the Saints under the old Testament look't cheifely to this promise of the Messiah O when will our Messiah come when will the Redeemer come when will Christ come why so the Saints under the new Testament have this as their great expectatior O when will the Spirit come when will the Spirit come down more into our hearts O when shall we be more fill'd with the Spirit and be enabled to walke in the Spirit and to live in the Spirit and have all our teaching from the Spirit and all our strength and life and whatsoever we have from the Spirit this is that that the Saints should have their eye fixed upon under the new Testament and so the Observation at this time shall be this Obser That the promise of the Spirit is the great New Testament promise it 's the great promise that the Children of God in the times of the new Testament are to be looking up to God for the fulfilling and accomplishing of In the prosecution of which point I shall follow this Method all moulds and methods they are but things wherein we are to seeke the edification one of another First I shall shew you That the promise of the Spirit is a great promise Secondly That its the great New Testament â—romise Thirdly Why the Lord held forth his Spirit to his Children as the great promise why he would have them looke more upon that promise than upon any other promise Fourthly I shall apply this blessed truth to our hearts First The promise of the Spirit it 's a great promise a very great promise so it is First If we doe consider The thing promised the gift given by vertue of this promise What can be a greater gift than for God by promise to give himselfe to a poore soule for the Father and Son to give themselves to a poore soule Now the promise of the Spirit it 's the gift of God himselfe the promise of God himselfe we have God giving himselfe by promise the Father giving himselfe and the Son giving himselfe for these three are one where the Spirit is given all are given and where the Spirit comes and dwells there 's the dwelling of the whose the Father Son and Spirit all the blessed Trinity now what a wonderfull gift is here is it not a great promise then Secondly It 's a great promise If we consider the Promise-Maker wee make account of the promises of great men this is a promise made by the greatest in Heaven and earth the Father and the Son are the greatest My sheepe saith Christ heare my voice and I give unto them Eternall life and none shall plucke them out of my Fathers hand and my Father saith he is greater than I Here are the two greatest in heaven the Father and the Son and they make this promise the Spirit proceedeth from both as the gift of either the Father promiseth it and therefore it 's called in the Text the promise of the Father the Son promiseth it John 16.7 Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Thirdly It 's a great promise If we looke to the way or meanes of conveying this promise to the soule The greater and more difficult meanes a man must use to fulfill some promise made to us the greater and higher account we have of his promise the worth of a mercy may sometimes be measured by the meanes through which it is brought about Now doe but looke at the difficulty's this promise comes thorough It comes upon the account of Christs Intercession for it in heaven I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter before this promise can come forth in the fulnes and glory of it Christ must strip himselfe of his glory come downe from heaven to earth be made a reproach dye a cursed death and after this goe up to heaven againe and there pray and plead and all before this promise can be given forth so that it 's a promise that comes through all Christ's doings and sufferings and Intercessions before it can be given out in the fulnes and glory of it I will pray the Father he shall give you another Comforter It 's therefore a great promise Fourthly It 's a great promise If we doe but consider The great things that are laid up in this promise First All our spirituall peace and comfort is laid up in this promise all that inward Joy and peace comfort that a poore soule hath it 's all lodg'd up in this blessed promise hence the Spirit is call'd the Comforter because all our comfort if it be true it comes from him there 's a Joy which men have for a season as that of the Stony ground which men may have by the common working 's of the Spirit but it 's not that comfort and Joy which the Spirit workes in the hearts of the Saints in a speciall way as the comforter all the true Joy and comfort that Saints have they have it in and from this promise hath a soule comfort in a way of sence from the sencible feeling of the gifts and graces and operations of the Spirit of God in his heart This comfort if it be right it comes from the Spirit and so it 's laid up in this promise It 's the Spirit of God that must come and worke in us and that must discover his own workings in us that must worke our grace and make us to feele our grace and make us to know that that which we feele it is grace for if the Spirit of God doe not come in and beare witnesse to what we feele there will be no true comfort that we can have that way have we comfort in a way of faith in hanging upon the generall promise A poore soule finds nothing all is dry and dead and all comfort he had formerly in duty 's and ordinances is gone now he lookes up to the promise and draw's in comfort from God altogether in a way of faith when all is dead within This comfort of faith is also from the Spirit
for the Spirit of God enables us to act this faith we are not able of our selves to put forth the least act of faith the soule cannot when he wants sence put forth the least act of faith but it 's the Spirit of God the exceeding greatnes of the power of the holy Spirit that comes and raises up the power of a poore soule the Spirit of God comes when the poore soule is quivering and shaking and trembling under Temptations and comforts strengthen's stay 's supports refreshes and establishes the heart and the soule so all the comfort peace joy and consolation of the soule it 's from the Spirit it 's all lodg'd up in this promise Secondly All our spirituall light and teaching is from hence it 's the office of the holy Spirit to be the teacher of the Saints He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance he is the Saints Comforter and he is the Saints teacher all our light and teaching it 's laid up in this promise there 's a vast difference betwixt the knowledge men have in their heads which we call notion and that knowledge which men have from the Spirit which the Apostle pray's for and calls the Spirit of Wisdome and of Revelation if we have any true light it 's from the holy Spirit as all outward light by which wee see naturall things it 's from the Sun and if the Sun were out of the firmament there would be no light to see created things so the inward light by which we see things as they are spirituall things all this light is from the holy Spirit and if the Spirit of God doe but withdraw from the heart all it's light is but a heape of darknes so the light of the people of God it 's not in themselves and their knowledge it 's not in themselves sometimes men may beate out knowledge and light by their reason and parts I but there 's another kinde of light in the first of the Cor the 24 and this is from the holy Spirit of God The Spirit of God it is the enlightening principle True reason it 's the light of man but it s as real a truth that the Spirit of God is the light of reason therefore we have a speech in Job There 's a spirit in man but the inspiration is of the Almighty giving him understanding that is there 's a rationall spirit in man that can beate things out in a rationall way that can discover and draw conclusions and Inferences and the like but it must be the Inspiration of the Almighty that must give him understanding a man can have no true light no true knowledge if there be not a light enlightening this light if there be not the Inspiration of the Almighty enlightening his understanding if the spirit of man be not guided by the Spirit of God the Spirit of God enlightens the naturall spirit and the naturall understanding of man there 's a spirit in man but the Inspiration is of the Almighty giving him understanding we have as much need of the light of the Spirit to understand spirituall things as you and I or any other have need of the light of reason to teach and discover to us naturall things If a man had not the light of reason he were a naturall foole and a man cannot make out naturall things but by a naturall light so where the Spirit of God is wanting though a man hath never so much reason yet that man is a spirituall foole and he cannot make out spirituall things without the light of the holy Spirit and it was upon this account the Apostle Paul speakes so gloriously to the Corinthians he went to preach the Gospel to consound the wisdome of the wise Where is the wise and where is the Scribe and the disputer of this world Who can understand the Gospel by the brave witts and quicke apprehensions of the world and the sharpest witts if they could not reach these things where is their wisdome no saith the Apostle this is another manner of wisdome than the world knowes For after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisdome knew not God then it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to save them that beleive The wise men of the world by their owne light reason and parts could never know God God would have the knowledge of himselfe come into his Children in another way though they take up truth in a rationall way as men and doe not lay all upon Impressions and revelations yet they receive these things from God by the teaching of the blessed Spirit of God and that hath demonstration going along with it I preach not in the enticeing words of mans wisdome saith the Apostle but in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and the more we can learne things in the evidence demonstration of the Spirit of God the more light there will be in our reason for the Spirit of God enlightens the spirit of man if a man have a great deale of understanding and be unacquainted with the way of the Spirits teaching he knowes nothing and understands nothing The naturall man understands not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discern'd discern'd by the light of the holy Spirit therefore saith he We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God as if he should have said there are blessed things given us of God glorious things given us of God such things as are worth ten thousand worlds given us of God but how shall we know these things why not by the spirit of the world but by the Spirit of God By this Spirit of God we know the things that are freely given us of God it 's the Spirit of God that enlighten's us Thirdly All our Inward life and motion it s laid up in this promise There 's no motion that can be in our soules which may be called spirituall life or spirituall motion if it be not from the holy and blessed Spirit of God the Spirit of God to the soule of man is as the soule is to his body what is the soule to the body the principle of life and motion if the soule be but out of the body the man is presently but a carkase and there 's no stirring moving breathing or acting so the Spirit of God is to the soule if the Spirit of God be gone from the soule there 's no motion no stirring no acting a living Saint this houre a dead blocke the next houre one that hath a great deale of life from God in this duty is so dead and low as if he had no life at all in the next so the life of the Saints is not in themselves but it s in the Spirit of God and so it s laid up in this promise Fourthly Further All the spirituall strength by which the
soule moves it s all laid up and lodg'd in this great promise the Spirit of God gives forth all the strength the soule hath Eph 3. the latter end We are strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man all the strength or might that a poore soule hath in the inward man it s all from the blessed Spirit of God if a soule hath strength to stand up against Satan truly it s from the Spirit of God The Lord shall tread downe Satan under your feete shortly If the Spirit of God withdraw and leave the soule but an houre Satan will tread him downe and trample upon him but if the soule be a conqueror an overcomer it s by the blessed Spirit all the strength we have whereby we are victors over any Corruptions it s by the blessed Spirit is there the mortification the killing of any corruption in our soules its from this Spirit If ye through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live it s not the worke of our faith it s not in our owne power we may struggle and strive and labour and toile but the least corruption is too strong for the strongest Christian in his owne strength but now the Spirit that mortify's the deeds of the body so have we strength to performe any duty any worke to heare to speake the word of God truly this is not our owne it s of the blessed Spirit for if the Spirit of God doe but leave a poore soule it cannot speake it cannot pray it can doe nothing the strength that acts the people of God it s not from themselves therefore one while they have a heart full of the groanes and breathings of the Spirit and a mouth full of words to spread before God and at another time they have not a groane in their hearts nor a word in their mouths and they may pump and they can bring up nothing this shews the strength of Christians is not from themselves but from the holy Spirit of God therefore a Christian that can at all times command his strength to pray or preach it s to be feared that that is the strength of man and not the strength of God the strength of the creature and not of the Spirit the strength of parts and of old Adam The Lord let 's his Children feele that they have not strength sometimes sometimes they have sometimes they have not that they might live all their whole life onely in dependance upon God what experience had Paul of this I know how to want and I know how to abound and can doe all things but how through Christ that strengtheneth me yet another while Paul could not speake his mouth is shut up therefore pray for me saith Paul to the Saints pray for me that I may have a doore of utterance so we are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing I am nothing saith Paul yet by the grace of God I am that I am all my strength is laid up in the blessed Spirit it s not in my selfe it s the Spirit of God that is our strength so all our strength is laid up in this promise Fifthly All our boldnes to the Throne of grace it s laid up in this promise Can a poore soule goe to God and cry father father Abba father why truly its the Spirit that enables him so to doe Because you are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father and that is the reason why a Saint one time can goe to God and say father father he can speake it out another time he cannot goe and speake out father it is because the Spirit that makes the soule to cry Abba father it s not in the power of the creature but our boldnes with the Father it s the gift of the Spirit of God it s this blessed Spirit of Adoption whereby a man can run to God as a child unto his father Sixthly All our helpe and assistance at the Throne of Grace it s laid up in this promise Wee know not what to pray for Rom 8. as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit maketh Intercession for us with groanes which cannot be uttered its truth a child of God doth not know what he should pray for what he should speak or utter to God or what he should most need but the Spirit of God comes helpes our Infirmities our worke in prayer is not to thinke what we should speake but to lay our selves downe before the Spirit Lord come thou by thy Spirit and mannage all our worke for us we are to spread our selves before the Spirit of God and let the Lord come and speake all in us and the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities with groanes not with words the Spirit helpeth a Christian many times when the soule cannot bring out a word the soule is full of groanings groanings that cannot be uttered groanings that have so much in them that they cannot be uttered the soule many times is put by words and is confounded through fulnes for there is by the holy Spirit of God the representation of a multitude of wants together and of a multitude of mercy's together and the soule would faine breath out all to God and he cannot speak them out all but he sends them up all to God in a groane together therefore saith the Apostle It helpeth our Infirmities with groanes that cannot be uttered a poore gratious soule comes and ly's before God and cannot speake a word O but it sends up a groane to God and though it cannot utter one word to God yet it may send up twenty petitions in one groane Seventhly Our speeding at the Throne of Grace our presenting such things there onely as are the will our father it s from this blessed Spirit When we come to pray of our selves we doe but aske our owne Thoughts and spread our owne wills before God but if we could come and lay our selves alway's under the Spirit of God and be willing alway's to be led and guided by the Spirit of God there would come forth alway's the will of God and not the will of the creature He that searches the heart knowes what the mind of the Spirit is because he makes Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God let the Spirit pray and it shall be the will of God though we are poore creatures and doe not know the will of God yet when the holy Spirit comes and draw's forth the heart it speakes out the will of God O therefore let us come and lye downe under the motions of the Spirit and the guidance of the Spirit He that searcheth the heart knowes what the mind of the Spirit is he doth not looke so much what words and what brave expressions and how these things are utter'd but he know's what the mind of his spirit is when God comes and looks upon his Children he doth not hearken