upon Earth that we desire besides thee O Lord extend the Riches of thy grace to every one of us in thy dear Son in whom thou art well pleased and turn us from the evil of our ways Lord our Cry is unto thee and our dependance is upon thee thou hast remembred thy People of old and hast remembred us this day thou hast stretched forth thy Almighty Arm in this day of our Visitation and hast shewed us the way of Salvation by Jesus Christ and gathered many into it Powerful Father of Life increase thy little Flock gather the scattered and bring home the lost Sheep of the House of Israel that so a numberless number may be gathered from the four winds say to the North give up and to the South keep not back and bring in thy Sons and thy Daughters from the utmost ends of the Earth And Lord God of Life that which kinders the prosperity of thy work and the spreading of thy Truth and Gospel of thy Dear Son remove it and take it out of the way and put an end to War and Blood shed in thine own time and in thine own way and create Peace on Earth and in thy Churches and let thy Jerusalem be made the praise of the whole Earth and an Eternal Excellency and as the Beauty of all Generations Bring Mankind into the Kingdom of thy dear Son to whom the gathering of the People is to be that so thy name may be glorified and the hearts of thy People opened to honour thy Name for thou alone art worthy of all glory praise and thanksgiving O Lord God of Israel thou hast manifested thy self among thy People in our day that thy Name and Fame may be great in the World and thou hast made thy Gospel to spread from Isle to Isle and from Sea to Sea that so the Earth may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea that the Glory of the Lord and the spreading of his truth may be from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same Lord God of Life and power bring down the Kingdom of Sin and Satan in this Land and other Lands it is the Sin of this Nation that hath brought misery and calamity upon it and will do more and more the Sins of this Nation have justly provoked thee to send down thy Judgments and to pour out thy displeasure upon the Inhabitants of the Land Let thy mercy be now extended to us and Father of Life be intreated to turn away thy wrath that thy Judgments may not be executed upon the Children of Men Powerful God of Life in this day of our Visitation let thy word go forth and thy Gospel be Preached and let thy light arise and thy Grace be extended that brings Salvation through the dear Son of thy Love unto the Children of Men Lord God of Life when shall the day come that the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of thy dear Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ that he may Reign in Righteousness and Rule in Judgment that the Isles may wait for his Law O Powerful God of Israel arise in thy Glory and let thy Splendor break forth powerfully among all People and let them be thine and enter into an everlasting Covenant with them that shall not be broken let there be a removing Iniquity and a doing away Transgression and Sin Lord bring it down and make the Children of Men weary and heavy laden under it and to groan under the burthen of Sin and cry to thee and seek thee while thou maist be found and call upon thee whiist thou art near give us thy presence at this time we pray thee and draw nigh to us and help us to draw nigh to thee and opâ—n our hearts that we may serve thee and worship thee and thy dear Son And Glorious and Infinite God thou hast extended in a large measure thy grace to us that we might serve thee acceptably and that we and all thy People whom thou hast chosen and set apart for thy self may glorifie thee in our Age and Generation that when our days and time come to be at an end we may live with thee in thy Everlasting Kingdom and sound forth Praises and Hallelujah's unto thee for thou O Lord art worthy to receive Blessing and Honour Glory and Power that sittest upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever For all thy Mercies and Blessings in this Day of our Visitation O make us sensible of thy Goodness and Mercy and Loving kindness to our Souls that we may render to thee Thanksgiving and Praise and Honour and Worship for thou alone art worthy who art God over all from Everlasting to Everlasting Blessed for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JOHN BUTCHER At Grace-Church street March 11. 1693. My Friends THE end of our Preaching to you the Principle of the Light within is that you might come to the Knowledge of Christ as he doth appear nigh to you he is come nigh to the Children of Men in our Age that is by his Light Grace Spirit and Truth whereby he doth appear in the hearts of Men and Women Thus our Preaching of him doth agree with his own Testimony I am the Light of the World and he doth exhort all that they should so believe in him Believe in the Light says he that you may be the Children of the Light What is a Child of Light He is such a one as by the Operation of the Power of Christ hath know a being turned turned from what From Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto the Power of the living God And for this we do labour according to our ability which the Lord is pleased to give to us that People may be turned from darkness unto light and the following words are Explanatory from the Power of Satan unto the Power of the Living God so that it doth appear People have been under the Power of Satan the Evil One that is called the Prince of the Power of the Air he hath a Rule and a Government but in whom In the Children of Disobedience Now the Labour of those Ministers that were in the days of old who were the Preachers of the Gospel and Glad Tidings of the Kingdom they being such Ministers as were of Christ's own making their Labour was to turn People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of the Living God that they might be turned from that evil Power and Spirit that Rules and Works in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience who Rebel against the Light that shines in their Hearts and Consciences For the Man of Sin and Worker of Iniquity hath such a power and we all have been in Captivity to him we have all been in Captivity to him we have all been in Bondage to Sin and Satan which God knew and the Apostle takes notice of it saith
he God hath concluded all under Sin we have all been under the Power of the Wicked one For what end hath God concluded all under Sin For what end is it that we might be destroyed No God through Christ the Dear Son of his Love hath extended to you the day of Visitation that you might come to the knowledge of Life and Salvation But wherein may we come to this knowledge it is in that way which God hath ordained even by Christ who is the Way to God Christ Jesus the Eternal Son of God he is the Blessed Mediator and Way to God again What is Gods end in concluding all under Sin was it that he might destroy all the Children of Men that are the Workmanship of his Hands that he hath endued with Rational and Immortal Souls Was it that they might be destroyed No but that he might have mercy upon all Gods end in first Making and Creating of us was that we might Live to his Honour and that we might so live in this World that when we die we might obtain a Life that shall never die and attain to the possession of the Inheritance amongst the Saints in Light which Christ by his precious Blood hath purchased for all them that Love him and give up themselves to be Followers of him Now my Friends the Mercy of God appears so great to all in and through Christ Jesus who is the Light of the World and who is the only Way and as my Friend observed that spake before me we have not another way nor is there any other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved and obtain Eternal Life the Apostle refers this to the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ Well if so be that it is only by the Power of Christ that we must know Salvation where is it that we must attain it How shall we do to be made partakers of it and be saved from thee Wrath of God which shall come-upon the Workers of Iniquity For it 's said the Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God People hope to escape the Wrath to come and Everlasting Misery by Christ whilst they neglect to improve the present time that is afforded to them to obtain Salvation Christ he is come to Redeem us that we may know Redemption by him from what From Sin for Pollution and Defilement by sin is the cause why People notwithstanding all their Names and Profession of Religion still lie under a secret condemnation in their own Hearts If a man should hold such a fair Profession that none could charge him none condemn him yet if he meet with secret condemnation through all should speak well of him if his own Conscience condemn him He would not have any true peace or satisfaction in his own mind for the Testimony of a good Conscience is more to him than all the favour and friendship of the World The light of Christ if you incline your minds to obey it what will be the effect of it This Light or Spirit of Grace and Truth which is all one is sufficient to Save and Deliver you out of the Temptations and Snares of the Wicked one for we may every day while we are here meet with Trials and Temptations of one kind or other What shall a man do that he may be preserved from the evil of the World there are many Provocations and evils that a man meets with in the World How shall he do to be preserved from them Christ hath made Provision for us in his Prayer John 17. 15. to his Father I Pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil Christ will preserve me from the evil of the World when a Temptationis presented before me I shall overcome it if I obey the Light of Christ which will shine upon me and shew me that this must be done and that I must leave the other undone In my own Conscience there is something will tell me this thing is evil and I ought not to do it when this Power of Christ comes to be close with For it is an appearance of Love Grace and Mercy but if I do oppose and withstand this Grace and Mercy I may miss of that Power and Strength which is sufficient to overcome and so be overcome by the Temptation The Apostle John tells us As many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name So that it s they that do Receive Christ and Love his Light and Spirit so as to be led by it that come to know this Power of Christ and thereby an overcoming But if People slight and reject the Grace and Mercy tendered to them hereupon comes that Sentence pronounced by the Prophet Thy Destruction is of thy Self A man may destroy his own Soul by giving way to that which is evil and rejecting that which is good Therefore My Friends Close with that Power which inclines you to that which is good if I mind it and make trial of it I shall find that within me which will incline me to that which is good Though I may find sometimes a corrupt inclination in me to that which is evil yet there is something also that will incline me to do what is required of me why should I reject that which is good Try all things and hold fast that which is good I have tried many things but none will do me so much good as the Grace and Mercy Light and appearance of Christ to me if I mind it and close with it He hath shewed thee O Man what is good saith the Prophet Micah and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The Lord hath shewed you what is his Will be ye doers of it say then to thy self shall I give way to that which tends to my own Ruine How can I do this wickedness and sin against God Shall I join with the Enemy of my Salvation and yield to his Temptations and Dishonour God and Ruine my Immortal Soul God forbid What you know to be contrary to the Will of God take heed of it Cease to do Evil Learn to do well Be followers of that which is good take up the Cross of Christ Deny your Selves and your own Will know a being Crucified to the World by the Cross of Christ and the World Crucified to you Thus as I said before This is the end of our Preaching to you that noble Principle of the Light within that you might come to the Knowledg of Christ as he doth appear nigh to you and will lead you by his Spirit into all Truth and incline you to that which is good and preserve you from that which is evil when you are tempted to it Why should I join with the Devil that dark Spirit that would draw me to
all Sin from all unrighteousness and from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit That so the end of the Labour Travel and Testimonies of all the Faithful Messengers and Servants whom the Lord hath raised up in this our Day and sent to turn Men from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan to the power of God that their Labour and Travel I say may not be in Vain that we may all come to believe in the Light that we may be Children of the Light and of the Day that so we may come to walk in the Light And then my Friends we shall all come to be brought into an Heavenly Fellowship If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ the Dear Son of God cleanseth us from all Sins And this is a Work that will be profitable for all to know seeing no unclean thing shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God Friends Our Justification that is indeed in and through and by the Lord Jesus Christ for his sake not our own Any thing that we have done or can do will not have a tendency to make our Peace with God seeing that we can do nothing our selves that is aceeptable and well pleasing to God Therefore we cannot in the least as hath been unjustly charged upon us diseteem or put a light esteem on what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us in his own Person without us nor upon what by his own Power and Spirit he hath wrought in our Hearts But we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ both as to his outward Appearance as he was God manifest in the Flesh and also in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance in our Souls We believe in him that hath appeared by his Light and Grace and Truth in our Hearts and we know the Effectual Working and Operation of his Divine Power to Sanctifie and Cleanse and Purifie our Souls And thereby we come to have a real sense of the benefit and Advantage that the Souls of the Children of Men have in and by Death and Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Till People come to believe in his Spiritual Appearance by his Light and Grace and truth in their Hearts and to receive him and entertain him and let him have a place in their Souls that he by his Power may purge away Sin and Transgression While Men remain Rebellious and stubborn and will not let him in when he stands and knocks at the Door of their Hearts that he may come in and sup with them and they with him When Men Rebel against his Heavenly light within them and turn away from his Divine Grace and Holy Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantoness Lasciviousness and run into Uncleaness Drunkenness Pride Envy Malice and bitterness and into those things that are abominable and Evil in the sight of the Lord These men have no real Advantage or beneby the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Satisfaction and Attonement he hath made for our Sins by that one Offering and Sacrifice of himself and they do not truly know the blessed end and design of his Appearance and coming into the World For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that be might destroy the Works of the Devil that he might finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in Everlasting Righteousness My Friends the end of the Working of the Invisible Power and Spirit of Christ is that he may have a place in all your Hearts and that you may entertain him For the Lord will draw a Line of Judgment upon all that go under a Profession of Christianity and own what the Lord Jesus Christ did without them but will not receive him entertain him and believe in him as he doth spiritually Appear and shine in into their Hearts by hiâ— Divine Light Grace and Spirit My Friends Remember the sore Judgments Miseries Calamities and distress that came upon the Jews because of their rejecting Christ in his outward Appearance in that prepared Body in which he came to do his Fathers will They would not own him in his Bodily Appearance but rejected him and set him at nought they Crowned him with Thorns and Crucified the Lord of Life and Glory He said unto them except ye believe that I am he â—â— shall dye in your Sins And if ye dye in your Sins whether I go you cannot come And thus he spake to Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem Thou that killest the Prophets and Stonest them which are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Behold your House is left unto yoâ— Desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. He tells them of the Calamity and distress that should come upon them and overtake them and so it came pass because they rejected the Love of God which in Christ Jesus was extended to them when he would have gathered them and brought them into a state of Reconciliation and peace with the Living God but they would not So now my Friends In this day of Christs Inward and Spiritual Appearance you have had the Testimonies of those that have been sent to you in the Name and Power and Spirit of the Living God and yet many will not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ nor receive him Inwardly and Spiritually appearing in their Hearts nor give way to him nor wait and attend upon him to do that work in them and for them which they cannot do for themselves What work is that The Work of Sanctification For none come to be Justified freely by the Grace of God through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Rom. 3. 24. but they are also Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and made partakers of the Divine Nature So that is absolutely necessary for us to know Christs Power and Spirit to renew and sanctifie our Souls and purifie and cleanse us When we come to believe in the Inward and Spiritual Appearance of Christ and to know the Work of Sanctification we cannot have a slight esteem of nor dis-believe or undervalue what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done with us in his Person For we shall come to find the Benefit Gain Advantage and profit of it redounding to our Souls through that one offering when he offered himself through the Eternal Spirit as a Lamb without spot He offered himfelf once for all and we have the benefit of it when we come to receive him live in Obedience to him and Answer his requirings and walk in the Spirit And then as the Apostle saith If we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh for all that is in the World the Lust
of their ways this is a sign that God is waiting to be gracious He may visit a People and Nation with Chastisements and Judgments yet I am sensible it is for his Peoples sake even a Remnant that he hath gathered out of the empty Professions and Forms that are in the World that the Lord is still waiting to be Gracious and extending his Patience and Long-suffering that he may convince them humble them and overcome them with his Love and when he corrects and punisheth yet he hath Reserves of Mercy for them if they will repent and turn from Sin and humble themselves under the mighty hands of God that he may in due time exalt them and bring them from under the weight of their Iniquities and the guilt of their transgressions that they may receive mercy for his Name 's sake and for his dear Son's sake This is the Breathing and the Travel of the Souls of a Remnant and we may truly say the Lord hath left a Seed a small Remnant that look to him and trust in him though a People and Nation have sinned against the Lord who otherwise had been as Sodom and Gommorrah if God had not left us a Seed yet for the sake of a little Seed even for the sake of the Worm Jacob that wrestled with him by Prayer and Supplication the Lord hath spared many and waited to be Gracious to them they are truly a People that are a Praying People that have the Advantage of all others yet I do not condemn all forms of Profession there are some that have a secret sincerity and a fear of God and a desire after the Lord that are as Sheep scattered upon the barren Mountains that yet the Lord will gather there are those that have a secret longing and thirsting after the living God that desire to know the things that belong to their Peace There are other Sheep of Christ which are not of this Fold them also will he bring home that they may know where the Green Pastures are and be led by the still waters and find relief and refreshment from the Lord. Therefore all those that the Lord hath gathered and preserved and kept to this moment and helped them and supplied them and continued his mercy to them should be thankful and sensible of his loving kindness that by an Invisible Power hath given them comfort and refreshment while they have been waiting on him let their minds and hearts be still fixed upon the Lord and staid on him and he will preserve them in quientness and peace and they shall know he will shew his Providence with them that their Bread may be sure and their Waters may not fail the Lord will preserve them to the end of their Days in humility and lowlyness wherein they may be capable of Instruction and by his Holy Spirit he will lead them in the way they should walk those that come unto the Lord with weeping and supplication the Lord he will lead them by the Rivers of Water in a plain way where they shall not stumble The Lord our God hath prepared a Sacrifice and he will accept that Sacrifice which is of his own preparing and this I say to a Remnant is a manifest token of his Love God Almighty Preserve you and bless the labours of his Servants among you who labour in the Word and Doctrine and in the Gospel of your Salvation whilst they are among you that you may know the Goodness of the Lord that waiteth to be gracious and have renewed experiences of his Love and observe for your encouragement the tender care he is pleased to manifest towards his Heritage both in this and other places We have great cause humbly to be thankful to our God for what favours we enjoy and to be diligent to make the best Improvement we can of all the Seasons of Grace and opportunities for Working out our own Salvation which the Lord is pleased in his abundant mercy to afford unto us His Prayer after Sermon GLorious and Blessed God who art the God of all Grace and Mercy and of all our helps and Preservations unto this moment thou hast been with us unto this Day we have had thy Gracious presence with us even in the needful time Thou hast gathered us to be a peculiar People unto thee thy presence is the very Life of our meetings and the Beauty and Glory of our Assemblies wherewith from time to time thou hast succoured and relieved and revived thy People whose Eyes have been towards thee and whose expectations have been from thee to be supplied and saved by thy bountiful band those Living Divine and Heavenly supplies wherewith thou hast from time to time Relieved thy People the poor and needy those whose Souls are bowed down in deep Humility in thy sight and presence so that Powerful Father of Life we have great cause to remember thee in thy ways We have cause to fear thee O Lord and to think upon thy Name We desire to wait upon thee and cry to thee and breath after thee and trust in thee We bless thee for the continuance of thy Love and Goodness for thy renewed blessings and multiplied favours we have abundant cause to bless and praise and honour thee O Lord to magnifie thy great and excellent name for thy Love and great Goodness for making bare thy mighty Arm and stretching it forth to help the helpless and to relieve and support the poor and needy whose trust is in thee whose confidence thou hast raised up by thy Power to stand in thy Presence O Righteous Powerful Father of Life Gather thy People more and more into an inward sense and feeling and experience of thy Power and Goodness that their Hearts may be engaged to thy self to walk before thee in an Holy Awe and reverence and with such Sincerity Humility Lowlyness and tenderness of Heart as becomes those that have the enjoyment of thy Presence and as becomes our solemn meeting and appearing before thee from time to time that all thy People who are called by thy Grace who are convinced and persuaded of thy blessed truth may be truly and livingly awakened and stirred up into a sense of thy Glorious Power that they may know what it is to appear before thee and how they ought to come before thee the most glorious and most high and holy God who inhabitest Eternity who dwellest in the highest Heavens and yet hast a place in the lowest Hearts in the Hearts of those that with a true Reverence and holy fear desire to worship thee with such a frame of Spirit and temper of mind and heart as thou requirest in all them that approach thy Presence We beg the influence of thy Grace and Divine Spirit that we may be thereby comforted and refreshed and uouchsafe unto us O Lord such sweet incomes of thy Love and such renewings of thy blessing as may settle and establish our minds and hearts in a sense of thy Goodness and
of thy power and presence that we may not be shaken in our minds nor weakned in Faith and Confidence in thee by any Temptation what soever That Lord God Eternal the Hearts of thy People may be fixed trusting in thee and in thy blessed Name and Power and find safety and preservation That all thy people every where may be sensible that thou art their dwelling place as thou hast been in all Generations And so Lord God Eternal let them dwell in thee and do thou dwell in them and say this is my habitation for I have desired it That Blessed Father of Life they may be sensible of thy Love in it that no Calamities or disiresses nor Sword nor Famine nor Necessities nor Afflictions nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come may be able to seperate them from thy love in Christ Jesus O Lord thy People may say to thee as Israel said of old if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up Quick when their wrath was kindled against us then the Waters had overwhelmed us and the siream had gone over our Soul Our help is in the Name of thee O Lord that made Heaven and Earth Thy Name and thy Power and thy mighty Arm hath appeared for us and compassed us about Thou hast surrounded thy people with thy favour as with a shield and hast preserved them for the praise and the honour of thy Name and the exaltation of thy Holy Truth And the Confidence and trust of a little Remnant is that thou wilt still be with them for their Confidence is in thy Name which is a strong Tower and their dependance upon thee Thou wilt not cut off a people which thon hast Appointed for thy praise thou wilt not not destroy them but surround them with thy Mercy and Salvation as with Walls and Bullwarks about them This is the Belief and Confidence that thou hast raised in the Hearts of a Remnant Therefore O Lord we have cause to wait upon thee and continually to trust in thee and breath and cry unto thee for thy whole Heritage for all them whom thou hast gathered by the Arm of thy Power that they may may be preserved faithful to the end of their Days that they may be saved from the Evils and Pollutions and Corruptions of the World that they may be Obedient to thy Call and to thy Heavenly Counsel that they may come to wait upon thee and harken to thy Voice as those that are willing to obey and not to touch any Unclean thing but being sensible of thy goodness thou wilt turn away thy wrath from them that turn from their Provocations For this end thou hast raised desires and breathings and begotten a Travel in the Souls of a Remnant of the Sons and Daughters of Men particularly for the Land of our Nativity We pray both for High and Low Rich and Poor Rulers and People that by thy Powerful Visitation they may be excited to seek the Lord and to wait upon thee and walk in thy humility in thy sight and presence that they may desire none in Heaven but thee and none upon Earth in Comparison of thee Work an effectual deliverance and Salvation for us both inward and ontward that our Confidence may not be in â—ny thing below thy self Let every one of us have an Understanding and an Eye opened for the light of truth that we may look unto thee and expect Salvation from thee by Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer Remember all thy People here and elsewhere that are recommended to thee keep them in a sense of thy ower and in humility before thee that they may receive Comfort and Wisdom and Instruction from thee and do thou graciously establish their goings and keep them in the way wherein they are to walk the way of Truth and Righteousness Life and Peace Be thou known in the Assemblies of all thy People and revive and strengthen them And be with all thy People in their respective Families that they may be engaged to serve thee and fear thee in sincerity and humility and call upon thy Name that thou Lord God Everlasting mayst take care of them and thy special Providence may watch over them and let the Angels of thy presence pitch their Tents about all them that fear thy Name Blessed and Everlasting Father of Mercies dwell among us hide and secure us under the shaddow of thy Wings that we may enjoy Communion with thee through Jesus Christ thy Dearly Beloved Son and our alone Saviour and offer up living Sacrifices of praise and Thanks giving unto thee the God of all our Mercies Blessings and Deliverances for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. FRANCIS CAMFIELD At Grace-Church street May the 14. 1693. MY Friends You have often heard by the Servants of the Lord that have given Testimony to Jesus the only and alone Saviour you have often heard the Report and the Report is true That there is no Name under Heaven by which any man can be saved but the Name of Jesus And you have oftentimes read also in the Holy Scripture of this Jesus the only and alone Saviour all the Holy Prophets gave Testimony that he should come and when he was come all the Holy Apostles and Ministers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they gave Testimony that he was come and they were made able Ministers of the New Testament and their great business was as Instruments in the hands of the Great God to turn men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified you know the Scripture speaks plentifully after this manner I hope there are none here but have believed the Testimonies that have been given but the great thing is for every one to come to a Consideration of this Since you have believed the Report that which is every ones concern now is to examine themselves whether or no they are really turned from Darkness to the Heavenly Light None come to be turned from Darkness to Light but they come to know Repentance from Dead Works and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ And as every one comes to know this they come to know what it is to lay a good Foundation This was the Foundation the Primitive Christians laid as you may Remember the Exhortation of the Apostle in the Sixth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on unto Perfection not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from dead Works and of Faith towards God Thus you see he presseth them to go on to Perfection that is the business of every one of you that believe in the Name of Jesus that you keep walking
the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh Friends you see the Foolish Virgins came when it was too late therefore prize your Day and keep your Watch I cannot but Admire the Mercy of God that hath extended a Day of Grace and favour to us God hath not only striven for a little time but hath continued striving Take heed that you harden nor your Hearts in this Day of your Visitation least it be said to to thee The Harvest is past and the Summer is ended and thou not saved Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure While it is the good pleasure of God to work upon thy Heart give up thy self in Holy Obedience to him even while the good Spirit of God moveth upon the face of the Waters The Day of your Visitation is not yet over yield up your selves to the striving of Gods Spirit that you may be found a willing People in the Day of his Power There is Balm in Gilead there is a Physician of Value there Prize the Love and Mercy and forbearance and long suffering of God and bless God that hath not cut thee off in thy Sin and in the midst of thy Iniquites and that thou hast not thy Portion with Hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth His Prayer after Sermon Most Blessed and Holy Lord God thou art full of Grace thou art the same yesterday thou art the same to day and thou remainest the same unchangeable God for ever unchangeable in thy Nature and unchangeable in thy Love Thou hast not said to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my Face in vain Where thy People have been gathered there thy Presence hath been Where two or three have met together in thy Name thou hast been in the midst of them thou hast not been wanting to us when we have called upon thee but hast been a present help unto us in the needful time when we have been under Tryals and Exercises and when Troubles and Temptations have come upon us like a Flood thou hast been with us in all our Conflicts and covered our Heads in the Day of Battle and stood by us and preserved us by thy Almighty Arm. Thou art a Gracious and Merciful God and hast regard to the Work of thy hands We commit our Souls to thee as into the hands of a Faithful Creatour We pray thee watch over us and go a long with us and when we are â— parated from one another Let us not be separed from thee Everlasting God of Glory let thy presence be with us and accompany us and lead us into the way wherein thou wouldest have us to walk and enlarge every one of our â—eaâ—â—s â—o follow hard after thee O Infinite Everlasting God of Glory Prosper thy Servants in tâ—â—r Labours and Travel to whom thou hast given any abilities to speak in thy Name that they may declare thy truth as it is in Jesus and deliver the whole Counsel of God to thy People O Sanctifie those Mercies thou hast vouchsafed to us at this time and the blessed priviledge we have had in meeting together to be partakers of thy Grace and Favour We thank thee for thy unspeakable Love in giving thy Beloved Son to die for us and to Redeem us from all Iniquity We desire to Magnifie and bless thy Name that thou hast drawn near to us when we have drawn near to thee and that thou hast beautified our Assemblies with thy Living Presence We desire in all Humility to Walk before thee with a single Heart and an upright Mind and that we may give thee for all thy Mercies and Blessings through the Son of thy Love the Lord Jesus Christ Praise Honour and Glory and Thanks giving not only at this time but so Ever and Ever for thou alone O Lord art Worthy who art God over all Blessed for ever more Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. WILLIAM PENN Upon occasion of the Death of Mrs. Rebecca Travers an Aged Servant of God June 19 1688. TIMES and Seasons pass away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever And it is that which hath been the Root of Life to the Heritage of God in all Ages and Generations that from whence their Joy and Hope always sprung that in which their Faith was finished It was their Alpha and it was their Omega In this the Righteous begun and set forth and by this they were preserved in their Heavenly Race till they came to their great end the prize of their High Calling the Heaven of Everlasting Rest after all the Storms and Tempests of time It was this they had their Eye to in the beginning and it was their Joy that opened in the Eternal Word by which they were Quickned and Revived and that caused them to endure to the end without fainting and you shall likewise by patient continuance in well doing in due time Reap if you faint not It was the Word of God to the Children of God of Old and it is his Word in this Day to us you shall Reap if you faint not Blessed are you that are called into the Vineyard you shall have an Everlasting Harvest If you faint not now you shall Reap then What shall you Reap Vanity and Vexation of Spirit and disappointment No you shall Reap Glory Honor Immortality and Eternal Life So Friends though every Day we have Renewed occasions of remembring our latter end yet there is that which never shall have end hath dawned unto us which hath been presented to our View in this glorious day of our Visitation if we lift up our Eyes to it and have regard to it in our rising up and lying down in our going out and coming in and in all we put our hands unto and if we place our Interests and Portion therein then our minds will be established and we shall not be ashamed now nor blush before the Lord hereafter If our Hearts condemn us not we shall have boldness before God So shall all Travellers that have regard to the Word of Truth while they are in their Heavenly Pilgrimage They set their Faces Sion ward and go on not Fainting not Doubting not desponding they have an Eye to the Lord Jesus Christ and have their Hearts kept by that Word that abides for ever Their Belief and Hope is beyond Time fixed upon that which God hath owned to be his Word before the World was and shall be when Time and this World shall be no more The outward Garment which shall be worn while it last shall then be put off Blessed are they that know the White Linnen that which is whole and all of a piece that God giveth to his Children that Love the Lord Jesus in Sincerity who is the Resurrection and the Life He that comes to know and experience this The Second Dâ—ath shall have no Power over him Now this change is not only in