a Voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it There is a Voice that calls to People in our Days to look behind them for they are out of the way This Prophecy is fulfilled in our Days we cannot turn away from the good ways of God but we may hear a Voice behind us saying thou art sinning against God and breaking the Holy Law of God Now if People return it must be by the Cross I will not return to God saith one I have Pleasure Profit and Honour and whatsoever my Heart can desire in this evil way that I am walking in if I return I shall have nothing but shame and Reproach I shall be undone and ruined and I shall lose the Favour and Friendship of my Friends and Relations I cannot return to God but through a Daily Cross and self Denial What then It 's likelier to be the right way this bearing the Cross Christ tells us If any will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Me. This Voice of Christ calls me to repent and turn from Sin and giveth me a strong Argument that it is true that it is the same way that will bring me back to God by the Mediator It brings its own Evidence with it We need no Argument to prove that it is a right way It is a right way because it is the narrow way It is the right Gate because it is the strait Gate Every body can walk in the broad way with ease without any Cross When People are come thus far that they are convinced of their Duty when they are called to amend their Lives and Conversations to forsake their Sins and turn to the Lord This is the great Question now Have I Power to do this This Question hath stumbled a great many when they have some beginning thoughts of turning to the Lord and at last they have setled themselves in a belief that they cannot do it it is true and nothing truer that Men Convinced of their Sins have not Power to leave their Sins of themselves This is true but not all the Truth to Men that God convinceth of Sin He gives them Power to be made willing to forsake their Sins He hath given Power to all that are in Christ Jesus to believe and become the Sons of God then they have denied ungodliness and Worldly Lusts If they be the Sons of God and live Righteously Soberly and Godly in the World But what shall they do that are sensible they have not Power to forsake their Sin till God is pleased to give them Power Such have nothing to do but to wait upon the Lord for the giving of this Power and then I have a Duty Incumbent to me to Answer this Power The Apostle upon this subject tells us what People are to do for their own Conversion He ascribes the Power of Conversion to Christ Jesus The Prophets and Apostles they tell us there is something for Man to do that is if he hath not Power he is to be willing to receive it The Apostle hath a notable Expression to this purpose He puts them in mind how they used to do by the Devil when they were the Devils servants they did obey his Commands and yielded their Members servants to Unrighteousness How did they yeild They did it Heartily with pleasure and delight thus you did when you did not know the Power of God but now you are come to the knowledge of the Power of God Yield not your Members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Rom. 6.13 Let your Minds and wills and Affections be joyned to that Power which God Visited you with in Love to God give up your Members as Servants unto Righteousness Here is something for Man to do in the Day of Gods Visitation Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power That they may come to that and experience that this shews that they are the People of God But they that are not a willing People are none of Gods People but Gods People are so And I pray God make you all so to be a People willing to be Gods People when he gives you Power and it will not be long before he gives you Power to forsake your Sins to forsake this and the other Foolish Proud and vain Action and fashion he hath made Christ Jesus to be Lord and King and he shall Reign over Death he hath made all things by Christ and he is become the Saviour of all Men but especially of them that believe so that I would have a special Salvation and thou wouldest have it too Christ hath made a way and opened a door for us to be saved that we might have an abundant entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom But I would have a special Salvation that will invest me with the Love of God in my Heart before I die It is to be had only through Christ therefore to him will I come to him must every one come and every Knee bow to his Name and every one must wait to his appearing in the Spirit When Christ appears Truth stirs Now if a Holy Divine Life is in thee it is He if a Principle of Truth stir in thee it is He The same Jesus only in a smaller Manifestation He that is Faithful in a little He will make him Ruler over much This is he that God hath ordained to be the Captain of our Salvation this is that which we Preach in his Name and testifie and declare to all People that there is no other Saviour No deliverance from Death and Hell but by and through him In him there is Reconciliation and that Peace which passeth all Understanding and Power over all those things which have Captivated us and made us disobey our great Lord and Maker Let us wait for the coming of Christ He is our King our Lord and Lawgiver and he will save us This was the cry of his People of Old for the glorious and great Salvation he hath given and the Work he hath wrought Let the Prayers and Supplications of all People that desire Salvation be put up more and more that he will visit the Earth and give Power from above and bring us into that New and Living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh to whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Eternal Father thou hast brought forth thy Glorious Name and revealed thy Powerful and mighty Arm Thou hast caused a Remnant to bow and Worship at thy appearance thou art wonderful O Lord thy Majesty is great and they that behold thy Glorious appearance will bow and with humble Reverence Worship before thee Thy Power is gone forth and hath reached the Hearts of thy People thou hast humbled them and subjected them to
his Neighbour the party loseth by it and the Devil reioyceth at it Thus we know the Life of Righteousness is brought forth through the Spirit of Truth and outshines all and will reach Gods witness in them that are afar off and bring them near and happy and blessed are they that are found in this Divine work conforming their Lives and Conversations according to the new Creature Peace be upon them And upon the whole Israel of God There is a Minister that abides with you that goes home with you it is his Testimony that you must stand or fall by If any one should be a false Professor and be cryed up if he be not sincere he hath not Peace though he flutter a while and makes a shew the Worm of guilt Gnaws him and Torments him such as these have not Peace with God nor fellowship with the Church Though they seem to be a live yet they are Dead as it was with the Churches in Asia they had a name to live yet they were Dead though they have an empty Name such a one is a living Man or Woman are esteemed Friends to the Church but though they are commended and cryed up and have a Name to live yet they are Dead there are a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments they walk with me in White saith Christ for they are worthy I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art Dead See what Christ the Bright Morning Star could do he could look into a Meeting and see whether few or many had only a name to Live or were really alive if they were Dead as to Sincerity and Truth though they had been among the Church they would help to break it down but not to build it up You that have his Divine life still stirring in you and feel the operation that first quickened you to God prize this principle of the Divine life above all What is there can rob you of it Value not the Friendship of the World Alas What can it Amount to Count it as Dung in comparison of Christ Jesus look upon all things with a sound Eye Peace with God is of that concerment that you cannot be happy here or hereafter without it the Friendship of the World I can be without and the customes and fashions of the World I can be without I can spare these things but the Favour of God I cannot be without and growth in Grace and the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a sincere Profession of the Gospel I cannot be without these things My Friends though you do not make a shew and Flutter in the World as some others do yet your glory is within they that are living Members of this Divine body the glory and beauty and brightness of such appears in the sight of God If you grow in grace you will be a Comfort one to another and as the Apostle speaks You are our Epistle written in our Hearts knâ—wn and read of all Men. The Lord preserve and keep you simple keep you in all Sincerity in that Truth that hath wrought in your own hearts that you may have acquaintance with your teacher that he may not be driven into corners for you may do it and stop his mouth and silence him too If you let your Perverse will Rule you may slay the Just but there will come a Day of his Rising then down go you Whatsoever Men may get by it at present when Truth riseth when the just one that was slain hath a Resurrection in them then most certain down they go While you have an opportunity in your Hands and an Interest in the Covenant of Life walk with God according to the Counsel and Dictates of his Holy Spirit that you may be brought to an heavenly Fellowship and to partake of the Good things that God hath prepared for his Children My Friends Pray prize your seasons let no Day slip for fear you may miss a Day at last wait upon the Lord and let his fear and a Holy awe be always upon your Hearts Then peace will be upon you and there will be acceptance of all that you do Mark the Perfect Man and behold the upright for the End of that Man is peace when he can reflect upon his past Life and say I have walked before the Lord with a perfect Heart and done that which is good and well pleasing in his sight and have not turned aside to the right Hand or to the left but the standard of Truth hath been the guide of all my Spiritual and Temporal Actions If truth hath been thy guid here then Truth shall be thy Portion hereafter If Truth guide thee in thy way then thou shall rejoyce with the Saints and receive an Inheritance with the People of God and enjoy that glory and felicity which God hath prepared for them that Love him His Prayer after Sermon EVerlasting Glorious Eternal God of Life whose kingdom ruleth over all thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom a Glorious and Blessed Day hath dawned wherein thou art making thy self known to the Sons and Daughter of Men and thou hast opened an Eye in a Remnant which the God of this World had blinded to see the Glory of it For though we have lived without God in the World yet thou art near to us and thou hast called us to Repentance and inspired our Souls with a desire to thee and to the Remembrance of thy name Praises and Everlastings Thanksgivings belong unto thee who art the Author of our Salvation who hast reached out thy Hand and laid hold upon us and sought us out when we sought thee not and hast made known thy Power and love for our Redemption and Salvation and thou wilt make it known more and more to every upright and sincere mind O Powerful Father of Life how hath thy Power and Goodness been Revealed on our behalf for thine own Name sake Thou hast stood by us in all our Tryals and Exercises and we have â—ound thee a God nigh at Hand and thou hast brought a Remnant to desire nothing so much as the Injoyment of thy Presence thou hast brought them to be sensible that without thee they can do nothing therefore in all our Assemblies and Meetings we desire to be Acquainted with thy Power to hear thy Word which speaks Life to our Souls by which we may live And Dear and Powerful Father the Continuation of thy goodness among us doth greatly engage the Hearts of thy Children to offer up Praises and Thanksgivings to thee Thou hast inclined the Minds and Hearts of thy People to wait upon Thee and hast opened their understandings to receive thy Heavenly Truth and those rich and Heavenly treasures which thou offerest them and hast provided a Cup of Salvation to refresh the Poor and needy Soul O Living God of Life reach forth thy Hand to support and save those that are Breathing after thee that are sensible
SEVERAL SERMONS OR Declarations OF Mr. Stephen Crisp Late of Colchester in Essex Deceased Exactly taken in Characters or Short-hand as they were Delivered by him at the Publick Meeting-Houses of the People called Quakers In Grace-Church-street and Devonshire-House London And now Faithfully Transcribed and Published Together with his Prayer at the end of every Sermon LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693 TO THE READER THough the Writer of these Sermons doth out of modesty decline to Print his name yet he is very willing to give all reasonable satisfaction to any sober Inquirer that he has not in the least altered or imposed upon the Authors sense either in the Taking or Transcribing of them And he does further assure the Reader that he neither is nor ever was one of those People called Quakers but always of another Persuasion Yet being willing according to the Apostles Rule to Try all things he has sometimes been present at their Meetings and having the Art of Short Writing he has Taken many of their Sermons and Prayers from the Mouths of divers of their Preachers and among others those of Mr. Stephen Crisp deceased which upon Review appeared to him as well as to three or four other eminent Persons of another Way to contain so many Gospel â—ruths delivered with such Plainness Zeal and Demonstration and generally agreeable to the known Doctrines of Christianity that it is hoped the Publishing of them may be useful to the World And that the Design and Intent of them may be the more readily comprehended there is a Title given to every Sermon agreeable to the Subject Matter Chiefly Treated of If any desire to be further satisfied by speaking with the Writer they may be gratified therein by applying themselves to the Bookseller Nath. Crouch Sermon I. The Great Mediator of the Everlasting Covenant Preached at Grace-Church-Street April 25. 1688. My Friends HOW should we all admire the workings of the Holy Ghost You may know from your own Experience that all the Operations of the Holy Spirit from the beginning have been in Order to the Cleansing and Purifying and Preparing you for the Kingdom of God This Experience is given to a little Remnant of the the manner of his working that the End Aim and Dâ—sign of all the Operations of his Powâ—r is for our good and in order to our Eternal Happiness Now this is a great ingagement upon the minds of the People of God diligently to wait upon him that they may be opened more and more into the Mystery of Life and Salvation that hath been hid from Ages and Generations and is now revealed by his Spirit And they that are thus exercised with the measure of Grace given unto them they do grow and increase in Holiness and Righteousness by the working thereof and they increase in Knowledge in the great things of his Law and the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Grace that the Eye which God hath opened may discern that the working of his Power in all Ages has been for the Extirpating Rooting out and Destroying of that Root of Iniquity that hath brought forth such a Crop of Sin and Wickedness which was not of his Planting nor of his Creating For from the beginning of the Creation of God unto this day God hath had a singular Love and Favour to the Sons and Daughters of Men as being as I may say the Master-piece or greatest piece of the Creation most nearly related to himself Created in his own Image in Righteousness and Holiness and in that they now are not so but Marred and Spoiled from bearing the Heavenly Image is not the Lords doing but hath been wrought by the Enemy both to God and Man And the Lord continuing his Love unto the Work of his hands hath from Age to Age Revealed and made Known hss Power for the restoring and bringing back again Lost Man Fallen Man Sinful Man to be Reconciled unto him that he might as was intended Enjoy and Possess the Love and Favour of his Maker but there was no possibility found for his Reconciliation with the Holy God but by making him Holy For as the making him Unholy separated him from his Maker So the making of him Holy again would Unite him again unto his Maker So that there must be a way and means for the Reducing of him to his Primitive State before he could enjoy and obtain his Primitive Enjoyments that is the Love and Favour of God And there hath been a General Universal sense upon the Sons and Daughters of Men of this Alienation and Estrangedness from God and they have put themselves upon divers ways and methods to obtain Reconciliation and to try if they could restore themselves and they have found out ways and tryed and proved the Inventions and Imaginations of their own Minds in their fallen Wisdom what they might do to please God and be Reconciled to him We are Sinners and we will Sacrifice we will bring a Sacrifice for our Sins and when they have brought a Sacrifice it hath not been accepted because there hath not been a Mediator known that might Mediate for them with the Lord so that all the Sacrifices they have Offered have never been accepted with him in order to an Attonement and Reconciliation Now only those that have Relation to the Mediator by Faith in him doth he Intercede for that he might present them again to God and this hath been the difference between Sacrificer and Sacrificer from the days of Cain and Abel unto this day Some have had Relation to the Mediator in all their Services and Sacrifices and some have had Relation only to the thing offered and the service performed but they have not in all Ages sped alike They whose Services and Worship was performed to God with a Relation to the Mediator they have found Acceptance and they whose Worship and Service was performed only with a Relation to the thing offered or done that was but their own Act that was but their Will-Worship and that was always turned back again upon them For there is no Name given under Heaven by which any can be saved but only the Name of Jesus Christ that is the Mediator of the New Covenant for the Old one was broken And when Aaron was set up to be an High Priest to God he was appointed to offer Sacrifices for the Sins of the People and they that committed a Sin was appointed by the Law to bring an Hee-Goat of the Flock unto the Door of the Tabernacle and to deliver it to the Priest and he was to make an Offering for the Sin committed after such and such a manner and it was to be an Attonement with God for them So here was seemingly a Reconciliation by a Sacrifice And some saw no farther than the bringing of a Goat and a Ram and the performance of the Priests Office and they counted all was well And others saw farther long before the Apostle
Prophet was no other than Christ Jesus it was not John Baptist nor Paul nor Peter but Christ that was promised to be raised there was such an absolute Command went along with that Prophecy That all should hear him and it had a threatning at the end of it That all that will not hear him shall be cut off Are there not Whoremongers and Drunkards and Lyars that will not hear this Prophet They will not hear him because they love their Sins what becomes of them They are cut off from the enjoyment of the Love and Favour of God And when they did draw nigh to God in Prayer and other Religious exercises it was with them as it was with Cain Sin lies at the Door When they come into a storm at Sea or are Arrested with sickness and Death looks them in the face they would have Peace but there is Distress and Trouble in the Room of it what is the matter wast thou not baptized into the Christian Faith Did not the Minister tell thee That thou art a Child of God and an Inheriter of the Kingdom of Heaven Alas my Sin lies at my Door Oh that I had time to live a better Life What ails thy life Man My Life hath been a Life of Deceit Lust and Vanity Corruption and Hycrisie Did not thy Teacher teach thee that a believer hath no guilt upon him but that all his Sins are pardoned from the day he became a believer This Doctrine will not hold in a storm though it will do in fair Weather when men are swimming in their pleasures it will serve them but when they come to deal with their Maker no Faith will serve them but that which purifies the heart and that which makes a change from the Earthly Image to the Heavenly It were better for you and I and every one of us to take these things into consideration while we have health and strength and while some Sand as I may so speak is in our Glasses to consider what is my Faith What is the Object of it Have I a dependency upon my Duties and Alms and good Deeds They will fail me But if my dependency is upon Christ as a Saviour and a Sanctifyer and my Sanctification is carryed on gradually He that hath begun a good work in me will perfect it And if the reason of my going to Meetings and going into my Closet and bowing my self before the Lord is to keep close to him that carries on the Work of Sanctification he will work all my work in me and for me I cannot expect to live in this World but I shall meet with Temptations the Devil will Tempt me but my Saviour will be nigh me as nigh to me as the Devil can be If I Keep close to him he will keep close to me My Father saith Christ is greater than I and none is able to pluck you out of your Fathers hands I must expect to be tempted For the Adversary the Devil goes about like a Roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour Alas saith one though I have made some progress in the work of Sanctification yet for all that he may one day betray me Am I grown strong enough to resist his Temptations And wise enough to foresee all his Gâ—ns and Traps which he lays to insnare me But I know who can see them and defeat them I have my Faith fixed upon one that can bind the strong Man and cast him out The Life that I now live is not in my own Parts and by my own Understanding and Sence But the Life that I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God This is that Faith that gives me victory the Apostle had a battle for it I have fought the good fight and henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness and not for me only but for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ And that come to have familiarity with Christ with his Spirit and Truth in their Hearts with his Grace and Word though these are several Expressions they all signifie one Immortal seed of Life by which men are United to God It is a Leaven there to Leaven them into the Divine Nature Whenever such a one his Tempted he resists not the Tempter in his own power but he waits to feel the arisings of that Life and Power and Vertue that was in Christ Jesus and is in him still he waits for that power that in the name of Christ he may say Get thee behind me Satan Being fortifyed by Christs Name and armed with his power What is it that a Christian cannot do What Valiant Noble and Wonderful things have they done that have been shielded with this Faith See the Eleventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews All the Repetitions of that Chapter from one end to the other in all of them the Apostle he ascribes all the Valiantness and Couragiousness of those noble Acts to the power of Faith they looked to Jesus before ever the Virgin Mary brought him forth of her body The Prophets did earnestly seek to know those things which the Spirit of Christ that was in them did signifie That there was to be a Prophet before ever the Virgin Mary was born So that Christ was always the Object of a true Believers faith tho' under the Law they had an high Priest and he was placed at the Altar and they had Offerings burnt upon it Yet they had an Eye unto Christ They had an undervaluing of all that their Sacrifices could do for them If thou wouldst have had burnt Offerings saith David I would have given them I would not have with-held them from thine Altar thou shouldest have had enough of them He was bold to say in respect of Acceptance and Reconciliation Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices thou wouldst not a Body hast thou prepared me for it is written in the Volume of the Book I come to do thy Will O God He had an Eye unto Jesus that was to come upon whom help was laid there was a Redeemer that should come from Sion and a Lawgiver from Jerusalem they had an Eye beyond Sacrifices unto Christ In all Ages the People of God they have had the Answer of their Souls which is Reconciliation and the Favour of God they that had this Answer never had it but by Christ No Man can be accepted with God can never have the desire of his Soul Answered in Peace and Reconciliation with God till his Faith be placed on Christ Jesus Neither can any man have Faith in Christ at a distance and thereby be Reconciled unto God but must know his Spirit I must have an experimental knowledge of his Power and Wisdom and this I cannot have without his Spirit Let me believe never so Orthodoxly except I have the Spirit of Christ it will do me no good it will be of no Advantage to me This is the Word that was in my heart as a well
goodness and receive of thy blessings that so every one may be sensible that thâ—u art at the least knocking at the door of their hearts that thou mightest have an entrance and bow the hearts and wills of all to receive what thou givest and hast to offer to receive the word of Life by which thou art quickning them And kindle holy desires after thy self that every one may receive thy truth in the love of it That so blessed God of Life thy glorious work of Redemption may be carryed on and we may all feel it carryed on upon our Souls Hear thy poor People that are crying unto thee the God of Gods in Zion that are sensible of their weakness and feebleness and how unable they are to overcome the Enemies of their Soul Arise in thy power O Lord and these Enemies shall be scattered Let the Souls of thy People be raised from the Dust and delivered fâ—om their Sin that they may rejoice and pâ—aise thy name for their deliverance Righteous God of Life our Eyes are unto thee to set forth thy glory for th u hast made bare thine Arm for the Salvation of the poor and needy Souls and thou hast been stretching forth the cords of thy Love to gather them that were scattered and hast been bringing home to thee those that were hurried away in a dark and cloudy day Thou hast made us sensible of thy operations and hast constrained thy Servants to labour in the Word and Doctrine for the gathering of such home that so they and we may enter into thy holy Covenant and may sound forth thy praises to the Ages and Generations to come That so Holy God of Life and Love thou that hast saved us with a marvelous salvation mayest receive for all thy mercies and blessings to thy Children Praises Glory Honour and Thanksgiving for thou alone art worthy who art God over all blessed for Ever Amen Sermon II. Heart Preparation for Receiving the Gospel Preached at Devonshire-House Feb. 12. 1687. IT is in my heart at this time to desire that every ones heart were prepared to be made partakers of the blessings of the Gospel For there is a certain Preparation that every one must witness in themselves ere they are capable of receiving Divine blessings For in all Ages of the World the Blessings of the Lord have been manifold and his Arm hath been always stretched out in all Ages to the Sons and Daughters of Men sensible of the Love he hath unto them and where these tenders of the Love of God have met with prepared hearts they have received it to their Eternal well-fare But this hath been the Lamentation that hath been taken up upon the greatest part of mankind that they have not been prepared to receive the Love of God their hearts and minds have been so filled with the Love of visible things and carnal objects that they have not been truly sensible of the Riches of Grace and Mercy and Love of God unto them Now it was said of old by the Prophet That the Preparation of the Heart is of the Lord and there is somâ—thing that belongs to us on our part that we might attain to this this Preparation that we might be brought in to this Spiritual frame of mind and that is by returning to the Lord that People might think upon his Name and have regard to his Appearance And although this is not the work of Nature for by Nature the minds of People are abroad and they are crying out as the Psalmist speaks Who will shew us any good Yet to help that defect the Lord hath been pleased to send forth his Grace and his Truth and to call unto the Sons and Daughters of Men that they might seek after him that they might Seek the Lord while he is to be found and they that do hearken unto his voice they will readily confess that there is nothing doth so well satisfie an Immortal Soul as to be gathered into fellowship with its Maker And that at one time or other it is the desire of all Men and Women that they might attain Peace with the Lord and they know there is no Peace to the wicked and they know wickedness will remain until it is abolished and destroyed and they know that it is not in their Power to destroy it and therefore of necessity there must be a waiting upon the Lord who is Almighty that he may reveal his Power in our weakness And they that are thus Prepared in their Minds for them to meet religiously together with expectation unto God that he according to his promise will appear and will reveal his Arm and do in them and for them that which they cannot do for themselves this is a fit occasion for People to meet together and thus many times to have their expectation to God and say Lord thou knowest my weakness and thou knowest the enemies I have to deal withal thou knowest I am not able to overcome them Therefore we are now met together in the Presence of the Lord to wait to receive at his hands that Power that Life that Vertue by which we may be made more than Conquerours Such a Religious Meeting thus gathered together hath a Promise I will be in the midst of them saith the Lord and therefore having a promise we may reasonably expect that we shall be made partakers of the living Virtue and Power by which we may do that which of our selves we cannot do And I say Friends it is my Souls desire that you were all thus qualified that every one had an evidence in himself of this right Preparedness for where the Eye is abroad upon any visible thing that it seeks satisfaction in any thing below the Lord himself it will wear away and wax old All those Objects that People fix their minds upon they will wax old but they whose desires and the breathings of their Souls is that they may grow into Acquaintance with their Maker this will never wax old When Peoples minds are fixed as the People of the Lord of old were When they made a comparison between the state of their minds and the minds of others and signified it in these words They are saying They are crying that is they that are of the World Who will shew us any good But we for our parts our cry is Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us and we will be more glad of that than thâ—y can be with all the increase of Corn and Wine and Oil. Now they that feel in themselves the reason of their Meeting together is to enjoy the Light of Gods Countenance and to partake of the blessings of God they have their expectation to God their minds are retired into God But knowing right well that if the Tongues of Men and Angels are moved to declare the Heavenly and Divine Mysteries of the Kingdom of God they cannot be Edified or benefited by them without the Divine help and assistance of
evidencing quality in it self to convince the Minds and Consciences of the Sons and Daughters of Men that it is the Truth And to this the Lord hath brought most of you to be sensible of something that is Truth in it self There are many things that are true in the Words of them many true Expressions but there is Truth in it self the Essential Truth of God which as it is in God is Everlasting and Eternal and will stand over all Errour Falshood and Deceit as the Truth is in Christ Jesus it is a Standard and Rule for Men to act by He hath given it to the Sons and Daughters of Mâ—n and as it appears in them it is either a Judge to Condemn them or a Saviour to save them from their Sins and so to justifie them Now that which concerns us is to find out that measure of Truth or manifestation of Truth or Principle of Truth which it hath pleased God to reveal in our selves And whosoever will turn their minds a little while inward into the serious search and Consideration how the Lord hath dealt with them they will find they are not quite destitute of Truth One that makes it his practice to Lye Cheat and Cozen or one that is a Lyar is not utterly destitute of Truth for there is a Principle of Truth in him that doth Check him and Reprove him for his Theft Lying and Falshood and he lives under Condemnation in himself He cannot draw near to the God of Truth upon any occasion but his Lying and Falshood stands in his way Now if so be that this Lyar be made sensible of a Principle of Truth in him do but bring his Words and actions to the Truth so much of it as he knows will make him leave Lying and Dâ—ceiving and he must Practise Truth to escape Condemnation and if he will but lâ—ave Lying and Falshood and live in the Truth and speak the Truth to his Neighbour he will find another State Condition and frame in his Soul than there was before He is now more at Peace and hath a Clear and Serene way to come to God by Prayer and for pouring out his Supplication which he had not before for he had barred up his own way by his Sin which lay continually at the Door If thou dost not well Sin lies at the Door saith God to Cain so when you do Evil you cannot but know it when you are Drunk or Swear or tell a Lye and deceive your Neighbour and carry on the design of sinful profit thou knowest it whether Men know it or no and God that made thee knoweth it and there thy Sin lies at the door and blocks and bars thee out that thou canst not offer thy Prayers to God with that clearness as if thou hadst spoken the Truth so that it highly concerns every one of us to be waiting upon God for the discovery of his Truth to us and then we must Embrace Adhere and join to the Truth as our chiefest good But some will say this Adhering and joining to the Truth is a hard Lesson It is pretty easie to find out a Principle of Truth that standeth against and opposeth all manner of Evil. Very few now a days will deny a setled Principle of Truth in every Man that judgeth Falshood and Condemneth decâ—it and witnesseth against it in others and in themselves But this same joining and Adhering to it that cannot be done without a Cross to a Carnal mind Now if the Cross of Christ be not taken up there is no good Christianity among us where this is neglected it spots and stains the Profession of Christianity because it is so directly opposite to the Doctrine of Christ He that will be my Disciple must it is not he may if he will but He must take up the Cross of Christ and follow Him There were a sort of People that were never like to be made Christians that would be exempt from taking up a daily Cross therefore he presseth it upon them to deny themselves and take up his Cross and follow him No man is like to live a Christian Life without taking up a Daily Cross This I cannot do saith one I know how to carry my self among Christians with Seriousness Sobriety and Watchfulness without shaming my Profession but I cannot deny my self I cannot contradict my own Will This is that which keeps a man from leading a Christian Life Then he cannot deny himself and take up his daily Cross Now it is come to this now a days when a Light is broke forth and Men have a Principle of Truth in their own Hearts It comes to this saith one I ought to be Holy in all manner of Conversation and to be Watchful over my Words and have my Conversation Honest and Just without Deceit See what a deal I know yet I can never Live this Life for all I know it so well I cannot take up a daily Cross which is so much against the contrary inclinations working in me Then the Question I put to my self is Shall I take up a Cross or no Here it comes to the point with every Man or Woman after they come to the knowledge of this Standard of Truth If the World would but come to this Rule and Standard there would be no more Cheating Couzening no more Fraud Deceit nor Emulation nor War and Bloodshed if Men would but in every thing they do answer the Principle of Truth in themselves they would put the Question to themselves Shall I take up a daily Cross or no Shall I deny my self those Pleasures that my Conscience doth condemn And those ungodly gains that I seek after by Falshood by Lying Prevaricating and Departing from the Truth shall I do this that I may be Rich and Great in the World You know what I say many of you and have put this Question to your selves and some have made a good Answer to it I will take up my daily Cross by the Grace of God this Standard of Truth shall be the Rule of my Words and actions to my Dying-day They that have learned this Lesson and obtained peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ that have not only made a Resolution but performed it in Act and Deed by the Power of Christs Cross they will be Purified and Sanctified and Washed from their Old Conversations and Have their Conversation in Heaven that is Live after a Heavenly manner Live a Godly Life here upon Earth when they have come to this Resolution and also to the Practice of it I would desire and it is my Labour that you that hear me this Day that are aware of what I am speaking viz. The Standard of Truth The Principle of Truth that unerring Guide which is placed in the Conscience of every Man that Justifieth or Condemneth his Actions and Words You that come to be aware of this that you may all come to this Godly Resolution in your selves I would have this Dispute carryed