upon the Lord to see all that brought to pass which you have believed For I take notice by the Eye that God hath opened in me by which he hath made me to take care of his Flock and sometime put his word in my mouth that I might speak a word in due season I say by this Eye I take notice of many that have received this precious Faith and thereby have believed thereby have believed the great and high state their Faith reacheth so far they know that Power is able to bring them into a perfect Dominion over their Lusts and Passions and Corruptions and over the Spirit of the World over Pride over Anger over all things that are opposite to the Divine Life their Faith is as sound as we can Preach it in respect of the extent of it but their Faith hath not reached thus far in its operation upon their hearts they have not had the power going on to accomplish and fulfill that which remains Are there not some here and there that are settled in the belief of the Truth but are got into an ease from the Labour of the truth but if I be sound in the Faith my Understanding is opened I do not only believe this matter but have inward Evidence and Demonstration that I am certain past all doubt and question of it that the Lord reveals the power in them that believe that purifies them and makes them every whit clean and here I have a Fellowship and Communion with them that preach and them that believe But my Friends all this will not give you Communion with God though there is Communion with the Church of God with respect to Men who are come into one Faith and Doctrine yet for fellowship with God it stands in a life beyond all Doctrines and beyond all words and expressions therefore your business and mine and every one that we first undertook when our faces were first turned to God that we may be followers of Christ in the Regeneration For many may be firm in point of Doctrine and yet may not follow Christ Jesus Many hold the Truth but do not hold it in Righteousness but unrighteousness Now my Friends have a care your Religion and your Souls Eternal Welfare are concerned This Doctrine I leave you in Charge in the name of the Lord God Flatter not your selves never a one of you because of the soundness of your belief but look for soundness of heart and for a right Spirit to be created in you a Spirit that can no way endure any thing that the light of Christ hath made manifest to be evil if it be Truth you own then Exercise Faith upon it and whatsoever Sin or Temptation assaults you say I shall overcome in the Name of the Lord Jehovah I shall bring thee under be what Lust Passion or Corruption soever thou wilt in the name of the Lord I shall overcome thee and bring thee under Travel on in the Faith committed to you and you will be more than Conquerors you will not only grow into external Fellowship with the people of God in the sight of Men but into fellowship with the Church of the first born whose names are written in Heaven and your Communion will not be in Words and Doctrine and Principles of Faith But your Communion will be with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and so in all your Meetings together the joy of the Lord will be your strength and the joy of his great Salvation your Covering and he will manifest his gracious Presence with you and that Power which hath kept you to this day from your Childhood and preserved you in all your Battels and Conflicts with the World and strengthned and encouraged you when you sometimes went sorrowing and mourning night and day and fearing lest you should not overcome your Adversaries that Power that hath kept you hitherto will do greater things for you than you have yet been Witnesses of Therefore Dear Friends this I would leave with you there is nothing will keep you and me in that little time that remains to us here to spend on Earth but that which will keep us in the exercise of Faith towards God and his Son Jesus Christ who is able to save us to the uttermost let us wait to see the power of God for Sanctification and Holiness that will reach as far as saving us from our Sins This hath been the greatest reproach that ever our Adversaries have thrown upon us that there are some among us that talk of believing in the power of God and talk of an ability for overcoming their sins and living a Holy life and living without sin while they themselves live in it This is the greatest reproach that ever our Adversaries have thrown upon us Whosoever have been the cause of this reproach God will require it of them for the Lord is jealous of his Name and Glory and he will have the Praise and Honour that is due to his Great Name for working in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure saith the Apostle though I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified When you come so far as that that you cannot charge your selves then the Lord will not charge you but take heed that therein you place not your Justification hereby you are not justified Therefore have an eye to Jesus the Author and the Finisher of your Faith He begins the work of Faith and he will carry it on until he be the finisher of it and the justifier of you he is the Mediator of the New Covenant that alone justifies the Children of God depend not upon your own Holiness and Righteousness for justification keep your eye to Jesus the Author of your Faith who will also be the finisher of it keep your hearts with all diligence and walk humbly with God watching lest your Adversary that you have overcome prevail against you By going from the Power there is no safety for the Flock but only while they keep in the Shepherds Fold be faithful and keep your selves in the love of God and he will be present with you and keep you to be his Witnesses to the end of your days and will raise up another Generation to be Witnesses to his Power when he hath taken you to himself To that Mighty Power of God I commit you for preserving of you in humility of Mind and Soul and my Prayer for you shall be that you may go on and make a progress in the good ways of the Lord until his Work be finished in you His Prayer after Sermon HOly and Powerful God of Life who art the Creator of us all in whom we live and move and have our being thou hast made us all for the purpose of thy Praise and Glory that we might serve thee in the Land of the Living among the Sons and Daughters of Men and not only so but thou hast given us thy Holy Spirit as thou
so you and I are these Trees 'till we have something good in our selves we cannot bring forth good Fruit. Therefore you must have respect to the Principle of Sanctification in your own hearts and turn you to what you may feel an experience of in your selves some Principle of Grace and Light in your hearts that can distinguish between good thoughts and evil thoughts Is this good for me to do I will go on in it with faith and courage but if it be evil I will not touch with it though there be profit and pleasure to allure and draw me to it I will not touch with it though I might gain the World by it Here is Christianity with Life and Soul in it we have been scandalized as if we Preached up Errour for Justification We say there is no Justification without Sanctification so you that know the Power live it and you that desire to know turn your minds to the Light and Grace of God and you will feel the Power that will oppose Sin in its Motion and it will never trouble you in its Action and Workings If I would not do ill to my Neighbour and I judge such a Motion when it is suggested it will never troâ—ble my Conscience because when the Devil moâ—â—d me to it I rejected it I would not follow him It is no Sin to be tempted for our Saviour that was perfectly Holy and free from all Sin was yet tempted he had motions in his mind but he withstood them and resisted the Devil in all his Temptations Christ was tempted that he might be able to succour us when we are tempted and he will do it for all those that wait for him Therefore Friends trust in the Name of the Lord and you shall feel the stirrings of that Power that Hath called you out of darkness into the Marvellous light of the Sun of Righteousness wherein you live and which will shine to his Immortal Glory and Praise and the Everlasting comfort of your Immoral Souls Sermon III. The Spirit of Christ the only True Guide Preached at Grace-Church-Street October 29. 1690. YOU that are met together in the name of the Lord and have your expectation from God and are really waiting to receive a blessing from his Bountiful hand you are they to whom the Lord will communicate the good things of his kingdom and instruct you in the Divine knowledge which the wisdom of this World cannot find out you shall have your portion in the blessings prepared for you and laid up in Christ for you to be handed forth to you from Day to Day for your support And hereby you have been preserved kept alive unto this Day You have received your Nourishment Divine and Spiritual Refreshment always in the presence of God when you have been out of his Presence you have met with troubles and darkness hath Gendered upon your Minds and Vailed and Clouded your Understandings that you have been sometimes in danger to lose your way until you have returned again unto the Great Shepherd and Overseer of your Souls by whom you have had Access unto God You that have had these experiences O! Let your Hearts and Souls be engaged to continue together in one Heart and one Mind serving the Lord and waiting upon him for something that may do you good that may strengthen you and confirm you in the present Truth For there are a great many that are convinced that do yet want establishment there are a great many that know the Truth yet cannot be brought to abide in it but are sometimes drawn out of it and then they meet with trouble in their minds and Distress and Anguish lays hold upon them and they do not enjoy that Tranquility and Peace and that Inward Joy which they believe others do enjoy â—t the same time and which they might have enjoyed if they had abode stedfast in the Truth Now what is it that will establish such a one but their waiting upon God to receive Power from him to resist the Temptations and the manifold Wiles and Snares of their Souls Enemy whereby they are daily in danger to be drawn away from God drawn out of the way You know Friends how the Lord brought us into this Exercise of waiting upon him by making us sensible that there was none could help us but him Teachers we have always had and Men that have spoken of God spoken of his Power and spoken of his Wisdom but how to dwell in that Power and stand established in it as at all times to resist the Power of the wicked one this is that which no man can help us to and upon this account it was that the Lords People were fain to cleave close to him and by Faith to have their dependance upon him and cry in their Souls Lord unless thou establish me I shall never be established The confirming power that stayes and settles their minds upon the Lord it comes from him it is handed to us through the Lord Jesus Christ whom we have believed in they that kept their Faith in him have had longings and breathings of Soul that they might receive some Divine blessing by him through him So that they that meet together in this mind they feel a settlement in the Truth as it is manifested and revealed in them and goes down into thâ— deep where Unity is known where they are of one mind and the Soul is made capable of putting forth strong Cries to God and Living Breathings Prayers to God that he will teach them how they shall profit how they shall grow how they shall serve him and honour him in their Day that he will reveal his Power in them to expel any Darkness or Vail that hath been gathered upon their minds that doth hinder them from beholding so much glory and excellency in the Truth and in the Ways of God as at sometime they have beheld And so these are Travellers that are Travelling with the Lord in Faith to receive a blessing at his hands Their minds are not left to this or that or the other man or to meer words or visible things but they feel the word of Truth answering the Truth in themselves and they receive comfort and benefit because they find a blessing to arise in them These words reach my Soul these administer help to me and I am comforted in them because I find those works working in me or wrought in me For Alas my Friends you know many of you some hear the word and the Declarations in the Word are but sounds unto them that have no experience of the work that is signified by the word so many such people do hear the lovely sound and they are affected many times to hear talk of the work of Regeneration and of the enjoyments of Gods people and how they are born up in all their Tryals by an inward and divine Power and how they are always kept alive to God and preserved in his
his Life and great Miracles and of the great love he had to Mankind by which he laid down his Life for them We have been Conversing with Christ as to his Fleshly manifestation but consider whether there doth not till now remain an empty place in our Souls something that is not sufficed and satisfied What would you have Have you not Scripture Read you not there of the Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ I would still have something more for that will not suffice me I would have Pardon of Sin and my Peace with God and the Light of his Countenance lifted up upon me and further manifestations of Christ to my Soul We can never see the Glory of God but in the face of Jesus Christ This is the discovery that Christ makes to the Soul that believeth in him this is that which gives satisfaction A Christians Work is to be Conversing with him and exercising his mind under the gathering and â—â—â—ching of him that can lead him to the Father none but Christ can do thaâ— lead them to the Father and shew 〈◊〉 the Father and he hath in our day revealâ—â— himself and made himself manifest by his Spirit that Spirit by which we come to know his Holy Teaching Reproof and Instruction daily discovered in our Souls the Spirit is our Guide that Spirit we are led by and are to walk in Let men go under what form and denomination they will They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his until they come to be guided by his Spirit People are not led into Sin by the Spirit of Christ they will tell you these are the Devils Temptations and the Frailty of our Nature and the Corruption of our Hearts by which we are led into Sin it is not the Spirit of Christ It would be a horrid thing for men to say that the Spirit of Christ led them into Sin there are few or none so wicked as to say so The business we are to do in the World is to obey the will of God and where the understandings of Men are so illuminated that they are satisfied in their minds that God hath been pleased to give them a manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal All those that have this Spirit of Christ are directed by it to do the Will of God and to deny their own Wills and the Will of others that would draw them from their Duty that they owe to God in their Generation It is an excellent state and condition for a man to be guided by the Spirit and to be brought under the Government of Christ who is The Way the Truth and the Life So that they that come under his Government are directed and Pointed out every day to do the will of God This thou must do and God will be pleased with thee and this thou maist not do for if thou do it the Lord will be angry with thee it is Sin against God So that we have a Heavenly advantage to be taught of God by his Spirit to have the Divine and Daily teaching of the Spirit of God revealed in us if we are at a loss or make a question or dispute about a matter the Spirit will lead us into all Truth if we give up our selves to his Guidance and Teaching This hath been our desire labour many years not to draw People to observe what we say for who can direct another Man in all things relating to the Service of God If we were never so certain our selves we cannot convey certainty and infallibility upon all occasions to another if we should speak never so much and be never so much conversant with them Therefore our work is that all People in all things relating to their Souls might have recourse continually to the infallible Teacher and Guide which God through Jesus Christ hath made known to them If People be ruled by this they cannot but live in Unity and Love one another they will not fall into malice contention and hatred one against another It is impossible for Nations to make War and Destroy one another if they would be guided by the unerring Spirit of Christ for how should it contradict it self For how can any thing that agrees with the Standard of Truth which Christ hath set up act in contradiction to it for nothing is Truth but what concurs with it therefore it must needs agree with it self If we be directed by the Spirit we shall call that good which is really good and that evil which is so If there be thousands directed by the Spirit of Christ which leads into all Truth that which is good to one is so to all and that which is evil to one is so to all We must first know what is good and then receive power to do it If we come to be instructed by the unerring Spirit To know what is the good and accepâ—able will of God We shall receive daily power from him to do the will of God we shall all speak the same thing and be of the same mind and live in Love and Unity There is no evil wilfully done against God where the Spirit of Christ the Gospel Spirit comes to prevail upon us it will bring us to a peaceableness of Spirit to live in Love and Unity And the great work we have in the World will be to do the good and acceptable Will of God both with respect to our solemn Worship of God and our Duties towards our Neighbour then there will be Tranquility Peace and Joy and Comfort to all the Churches of Christ that are under his Government And it is given to the Sons and Daughters of Men every where when they come under the Yoke of Christ and take up a Daily Cross and live in Self Denyal this will bring Peace and Concord among them Many will come to our Meetings and spend a little time to hear what we say We exhort them to give up themselves to the peaceable Government of the Spirit of Christ that will finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring into the Soul where Sin reigned Everlasting Righteousness Where there is a great deal of Pride Malice and Envy the Spirit of Christ will root it up and all that evil that the Enemy hath Planted in men he will pluck it up and bring in Everlasting Righteousness and Plant Love in the same Soul and establish and settle it such a one will have more Joy Pleasure and Delight under the Government of the Spirit of Christ in one day than any one can have that is governed by the Evil Spirit in a thousand days You say the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withall what profit shall we get How doth it appear that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withal Because there is that Life and Grace stirring in the heart that makes it profitable and Truth doth so prevail that it makes us to
their subjection to the Divine Power that hath opened their Understandings when they come into the World again they are ensnared and entangled and many times for want of watchfulness through a looseness of mind and unruliness of their tongue they run into anger and passion and this grieves the Holy Spirit of God And how should you come to God through the Mediatour when you grieve his Spirit and quench the motions of it These things have been hurtful to many that for their time might have been Pillars in the House of God Take heed of this and let the goodness of God dwell upon your minds that you may feel and experience the inward administrations of it there are many that are much affected with the outward Ministry and are very desirous to hear the Servants of God declare the things that God hath wrought for them and in them and the wonderful things that God hath opened to them yet when you have heard all that Men can say about it if the Divine Ministry of the word of God doth not make powerful impressions upon you and sanctify and renew your Souls the outward Ministry of the Word will do you no good Now that you may be established in the truth that you have been taught this Testimony ariseth in me to desire every one to heed and attend to the manifestation of this Life of Jesus in your selves Whatsoever God hath bestowed upon me or another you may perish for all that and I am not the better for what God hath bestowed upon you but may perish notwithstanding but that God hath manifested Eternal Life to my Soul let that be every ones Center this will make you holy and blameless and preserve you in every State and in the hour of Temptation and in the midst of Snares this will be a Bulwark to you this will 〈◊〉 as the Walls of Sion which is the Salvation of the Lord. That so you may be preserved sensible of the goodness of the Lord That Grace Mercy and Peace may be multiplied in your bosoms this will make you dear and affectionate one to another Though there may be an external Fellowship among those that Preach and profess the same Doctrine yet when they break off from that when once Men depart from the power of truth they grow stubborn and rebellious but when Men come to be gathered into the inward Fellowship that stands not in terms and words but in the Revelation of Christ and in the Participation of his vertue and goodness the more you are united in this the more you are Knit one to another and become one and useful and helpful one to another The Lord vouchsafe to every one of you a tast of his goodness and you will prefer it above all that the Devil and his Instruments can present but if you retire more into this Heavenly and Divine Life of Jesus you will feel and enjoy more Peace and Satisfaction and true Consolation in your Souls than I or any Man in the World can tell you of Sermon VI. The Kingdom of God within Preached at Grace Church Street July 26. 1691. YOU have read and heard much concerning the Day of the Lord as a Great and Notable Day many of you are now Living Witnesses that the Great and Notable Day of the Lord is coming in which the Accomplishment of Great and Notable Things the Mighty Works of God which have been Prophesied of may be lawfully expected It is the work of every Christian to wait upon the Lord in the light of this Day and to be acquainted with the Works of the Lord both inwardly and outwardly for the Day of the Lord is a Day of Power and that Power of God worketh wonderful things and if we are not kept in the light of that Day the Lord may work great things and we not know â—t we shall be looked upon as careless and negligent Witnesses of the Works of the Lord as those that do not regard them If you would be Faithful Witnesses you must have regard to the Works of the Lord â—nd the Operation of his hands One that â—s minded to be a Faithful Witness he will â—ake notice of what is said and done you â—re called to be Witnesses of the Works of â—he Lord Jesus Christ and of his doings â—ou must stand where you may hear and see â—nd understand what the Lord is about â—o do at this time In your Testimony and Witness-bearing â—he greatest thing we have to expect in this Day of the Lord is that God will set up â—he Kingdom of his Son Christ Jesus and â—nto this all the Prophets did bear witness â—n their time and now it is our turn to bear witness of it by sensible and living expeâ—iences of the accomplishment of those things â—hat they Prophesied of that the Lord will â—et up the Kingdom of Christ and bring â—own and lay wast the Kingdom of Antiâ—hrist This our Saviour taught his Disciples â—o pray for Sixteen Hundred Years ago that the Kingdom of God might come and all the true Disciples of Christ ever since have prayed for the coming of his Kingdom and many of them have seen the coming of it and rejoyced and others have died in the Faith of it and have been gathered into the Kingdom of Heaven But my Friends that which chiefly concerns us at this Day is to behold the Kingdom of Christ the Eternal Son of God within us to go forward and prosper and the Kingdom of Antichrist suppressed and destroyed and utterly laid wast and this is wrought two ways 1. inwardly 2. outwardly First inwardly there is a greater inclination in the minds of People to look more at the operation of Gods power in this great work outwardly than to look at it inwardly but unto that there must be a daily Cross taken up and it is my business at this time to tell you in the Name of the Lord that your Duty and mine is to turn our minds to the working of the Power of God in our selves and to see that other Kingdom of the Man of Sin weakned and brought down within us and the Kingdom of the Son of God set up within us then there is no fear but he will carry on his work outwardly and we shall see as much of that work as belongs to our Generation but the great Matter and chief Concernment of you and me is to see the Kingdom of God set up within us which stands in Holiness and Righteousness our business is to wait till we see the Righteousness of this Kingdom set up within us in our Hearts and Souls and to have a real change made We all know and we must confess that we have been subject to the Man of Sin whatsoever we are now We have seen the Reign and Government the Rage and Tyranny of the Wicked one that hath led us into Rebellion and Disobedience to the Lord our Maker how do we like that Government to be Ruled by the
Christ God hath given unto you For if a man prize and esteem the Truth never so much and suffer never so much for it and Love the Minister never so much if he keep not a Familiar Converse with the Truth notwithstanding all his Profession of Love to the Truths of the Gospel and the Preachers of it he will Reproach it Though he Profess and say I love thee I love thee though he hath suffered much in the way yet if he love not the Truth in his own Heart and desire not to feel the excellency and the vertue of it that man will certainly dishonour the Truth and grieve the Holy Spirit of God We warn you to take heed to your Way and to your Feet in your Christian walk that you may come to have an Abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God Pray to God that the work of Regeneration may be wrought upon you that you may be born into another seed and partake of the Divine Nature Then though the Devil assault you he cannot overcome you he will find nothing in you whereby to betray you into his hands when that change iâ— wrought and when God hath made an alteration and hath brought you out of the Love of the World and the Love of Earthly things And set your Affections on things above where Christ sits at the Right Hand of God Now you can say here comes a Temptation with this instrument and the other instrument and the Devil layes things before me that he would have me to do but I have no inclination to it I have no mind to be sucking at the Worlds breasts but my mind is set upon this that I may reach acquaintance with God Who will be a present help unto me and tread Satan under my Feet There is need of your continual care and vigilancy and that you Watch and Pray that you may not enter into Temptation It is not so easie a thing for a Man or Woman while they are in this World to do any thing without Sin but God hath called you to a Holy Profession which is that you should do all you can do to do every thing you do without Sin For whether you Eat or Drink or whatsoever you do you should do all to the glory of God Here is your Profession but where is the Life of it It is only The Children of God that are led by the Spirit of God This Spirit we would have in you and we would have all you That have received Christ Jesus the Lord to walk in him as you have received him Then you shall be kept undefiled in the Way and delivered from Temptation To this end you must be still waiting upon the Lord that you may have acquaintance with him from Day to Day you are in the World but you should not be of the World The Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ to his Heavenly Father for his Disciples was not that he should Take them out of the World but keep them from the Evil. Merchants Tradesmen and Shop-keepers have always something to do in the World but they should Pray earnestly that they may Be kept from the Evil of the World There is nothing can be done in the World but there is evil in it which we shall be overcome by if we do not keep our watch In the Government of a Family there are occasions and provocations given men to be Passionate and Furious many occasions are offered to Men and Women but we should not be transported and overcome Our Profession obliges us that when a Child or a Servant gives a provocation we are not to behave our selves unseemly and unbecoming our Holy Profession for it is not in their Power nor in the Devils Power neither to kindle your Wrath and Anger into a Flame If you be upon your watch and wait upon the Lord he will give you Wisdom and Strength to stand against all Temptations whatsoever and To order your Conversation according to the will of God and as becomes the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ In Merchandize and Buying and Selling there are Snares and there is evil we may run into but here is our comfort and joy there is no coertion we cannot be forced to Sin the Devil can only lay a temptation before me if thou wilt tell a lye equivocate dissemble here is an advantage for thee but the Devil with all his subtilty power and allurements cannot say thou shalt run into this Sin and be overcome by this Tempation for though of our selves we can do nothing yet in the name and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ we can do all things we can do that which is just and stand over the Temptation and trample upon it and not be overcome of evil but overcome evil with good When we have bought and sold we may look back upon what we have done with pure Minds and clean Consciences in the sight of God and we may come off Victors and more than Conquerors over Temptations through Christ that hath loved us The more a Christian keeps himself unspotted and the more watchful he is in his walking he may go on from day to day and see the snares of the Devil that lies in this Vanity and the other Vanity and Temptation and escape it I would I could say of some of you that when the Devil laid a snare before you you did not run into it when you saw it I have known some that have had understanding enough that they need not to be told where the snare of the Devil lies yet so it hath been the Devil and their own hearts lusts have agrâ—ed together and they have run into the Snare This is from the Old Confederacy that Men have with Gods Enemy you are my Friends saith Christ if ye do whatsoever I command you if you are the Friends of Christ you will be his Subjects and yield Obedience to him When he shews them a Snare they will keep out of it this is the proof of a true Christian that he will be true in a time of Trial and will trust in that Divine Power that keeps him out of the Snare One thing more I would say that Divine Fellowship that you have with Christ Jâ—sus it consists in holiness of Life and Conversation and the exercise of a good Conscience towards God and towards Men. It is in vain to tell me that you will walk in Unity with the Truth unless you have Unity with the Truth in your own hearts you cannot deceive the Lord nor long deceive his People neither Here is the Fellowship that you are to live in all your days to live in Fellowship with the People of God and Communion of Saints can the Saints have Communion in any thing but Holiness and Holiness is a Blessed Sacred thing it becomes the House of God for ever they that are Saints are sanctified and made holy and he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one
a kind of knowledge and understanding of their Duty whether they do it or no And this knowledge and this understanding that God doth give them makes them capable to pass a right judgment upon their own state They will not call it a good state if it be an evil state and they will not call it an evil state if it be a good one They know it is good by the principle of Truth in their judgment Therefore since there are so many uncertainties in the World and that men are so apt to take hold of an uncertain way of judging and determining even in matters relating to their Souls There is a greater aptness in People to take hold of uncertaâ—nt es in judging about the matters of their Souls than in those things that relate to their Bodies Seeing People are so liable to it it can do none of us harm to exhort one another and move and stir up one another to make a calculation of their state by something that will not deceive There are abundance deceived in this Countrey as well as other Countreys we shall not need to go into forreign parts to find People deceived and deluded It will not be amiss to say the Drunkard the Swearer and the Lyar and the Oppressor the Proud the Malicious are deceived If they were not so they would never be overcome by the wicked One the Author of all evil he hath deceived them in that they should think to go on in these things and cry peace peace to one another and in their own Souls this is a great Delusion and the Devil is the great Deluder that they are deluded by And it would be worth the while to find out that which should make a man think himself in a happy state and hope to enjoy Eternal Life with God and Christ while he goes on in Sin and Iniquity it would be worth the while to find out the Delusion There is nothing so proper to turn every one to the Grace of God as To search their own Hearts and try their Ways This is that which will discover their thoughts and make them known to themselves this is Gods Grace and Gift to men while they are yet sinners and disobedient he doth not with-hold his Grace but gives his Grace and Light and Truth Even to the Rebellious He giveth Gifts to men even to the Rebellious that he might have a Place and dwelling among them that they might know there is a God That searches the Heart and tries the Reynes and judgeth all Unrighteousness If God hath given thee so much Grace that he might have a dwelling in thy Heart Should not that restrain thee from Sin That the Devil by his Temptations might not defile thee and unfit thee for the Kingdom of God When the Lord comes to search the Heart it is in order to the purging of it and the taking away of Iniquity and Sin that would unfit thee for his Kingdom This is a better Way and more excellent than Living to the Flesh and fulfilling the Lusts thereof Let People live never so much to their own Corrupt Wills in Pride and Wantonness and Looseness and the Vanity of their Minds they will not find so much true satisfaction and delight as in living a Holy Life living in the fear of God and avoiding Sin and keeping themselves from the Temptations and Snares of the Devil This is a more excellent Way and it is our work and business to declare to People this more excellent Way which all one time or other will confess This is Irksome will some say this will abate my Pleasure and Delights in the World and spoil my Secular Interest if it were not for this reason they would grant it were better to Live a Holy Life and to Live in the Fear of God than Live in the Service of the Devil their carnal Interest lies in the way and â—â—igâ—â—â—own the Scale but it is because thou joinesâ— with it otherwise the Devil and all the Pâ—wers of Hell could not weigh it down Iâ— Pâ—ople would consider these things seriously they would say it is better to serve God that made them and gave them Life and Breath and Being than him that would destroy them And then when they meet with the Pleasures and Delights of the World that the Devil lays before them they would never weigh down the scale against a Divine Reason if thou wilt give thy Heart to it and seriously consider it it will weigh down the scale against all Temptations tâ— live in Sin and Pleasure and Jollity Iâ— thou wilt but joyn with this Divine Reasoâ— that tells thee these Carnal Pleasures and Enjoyments are not necessary for thy Soul but it is necessary to live a Holy Heavenly Life and to serve the Lord that gave thee Life and Breath and all Things that hath vouchsafed thee manifold Preservations If thou wilt but joyn with the Divine Reason and hearken to that which opens thâ— Truth in thy own Heart all the Devâ—â— can do cannot make thee serve him foâ— the Devil hath no Coercion no Power tâ— force thee to commit Sin he cannot makâ— a man to work wickedness against his Will He must first cloud the Understanding anâ— work upon the Will and allure and intiâ—â— the Affections by Earthly things So thoâ— canst not be forced by the Devil againâ—â— thy will to yield to his Temptations tâ— commit any Sin but thou must say I wiâ— do it I confess when the understanding is brâ—bed and the will allured and seduced by thâ— Devils Temptations there is no withstanding them But on the other hand if meâ— would give up themselves to the Power oâ— God they would have Divine assistance anâ— joyning with that Power they should Be more than Conquerours Therefore we cannot but be encouraged to keep in the way of the Lord and have acquaintance with the Power of God which will preserve you and give you victory over all the Temptations and Assaults of the Devil and without this Power you cannot overcome but if you have the assistance of this Power nothing will be too hard for you When you are in straits and in a helpless condition you say sometimes and are ready to cry out I shall not overcome my Spiritual Enemies I shall never get victory over Sin and the World and the Flesh and the Devil I shall never be able to withstand his Temptations but they will prevail over me all my days No wonder you make this conclusion when you have parted with your Trust and Dependance on that Power that is able to overcome the Devil and baffle him in your Thoughts Words and Deeds You may be ready to say alas of my self I can do nothing I am not able of my Self so much as to think a good Thought yet by Divine Assistance I do many times think good thoughts In me that is in my Flesh there dwells nothing that is good Not in my Flesh abstractly separate from the Power
to God without the divine assistance of that Power that did beget them and alas the least they have sustained hath been that they have fallen into Evil and they have defiled their Way and run into Temptations though it hath pleased the Lord whose Mercy is Infinite to pull them many times back again out of the snare which they were fallen into and to take them up again and to wash them and cleanse them and purifie them and set their Feet on a sure place This was more than they deserved but his Mercy and Goodness and Tenderness is over all his Works This he hath wrought for many a one and not only once but many times it is hard venturing it had been better if such a one had never fallen or that their Foot-steps had never slid from the ways of the Lord than after they are fallen to be renewed again by Repentance It hath caused sore Judgment and Condemnation and Anxiety of Spirit And they have given their old Enemy an advantage to whisper in their Ears Thou hast lost thy ground thy Sins are gone over thy Head and thou shalt never find Repentance These are the Words of the Wicked one who seeks occasion against us and through our carelesness and not being watchful we put an advantage into his Hand Now seeing you know he is vigilant and seeks occasion that he may turn you out of your Way before you attain to the end of it you ough◠to be vigilant to keep occasions from him But some may say how may I keep occasions and advantages from the Enemy 〈◊〉 I answer the way hath been often told you and I dare say most of you have tryed it and found it to be true that so long a◠you have remained in a watchful State and Posture and have had your minds exercised by the Grace of God by which you wer◠convinced of your Sin and by which you◠Duty was manifested to you So long you gave the Enemy of your Souls no occasion but the Truth preserved you wherein you trusted and wherein you hoped and waited for the vertue and power of it Did you find want of ability then Did the Enemy prevail then He did not cease to Tempt when you was in the most watchful State of a Christian the Devil did not the◠cease to tempt you but you found in you a power that resisted him and said Get thee behind me Satan So long as you are upon your watch so far as you keep your mind fixed upon the Divine Power so long you are in a sure place and whosoever turns aside from this they suffer great harm and prejudice and if ever they be restored again it is with loss and damage and sore exercise and if they be not restored they are lost to all Eternity Then it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them And then they said within themselves this must be the way Sirs these things pertain to your Everlasting welfare I speak to you as to a People that God hath abundantly Loved and it hath been far beyond any thing of desert He hath made known his ways to you the Lord may say concerning you of this City as of old What could I have done more for my Vineyard that I have not done So he may say concerning you What could I have done more to make them a grown People a holy People an intire People that They may bear my Name and walk before me in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of their Lives What should hav◠been done more for them But this is an Exercise to us whom God hath blessed and set as watchmen to behold and see the state of his People and to fee◠and bear the burthens that are to be born and this is the great burden that after al◠that God hath done and that we do in the hands of God all that is necessary for the welfare of the People Yet here are some that turn aside and here are some that have defiled their way and we testifie in the name of the Lord that whosoever walks in a defiled Way shall never come to an undefiled Rest therefore that you do not attain to that undefiled Rest it is because ye have been defiled Seeing the Holy conversation of the People of God is the effect of the working of his own Power and Spirit Here comes the Rest by and through a Mediator even Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the Mediator between God and Man and the Leader of all his People in the way of Holiness and Righteousness which he hath made manifest to them that believe and obey the Power And He hath purchased Eternal Salvation for all that Believe and Obey the Gospel But the Transgressors do not obey the Gospel the Spirit of Christ doth not lead you to Transgression and the Power and Light that comes from Christ doth not lead you to Pride Vanity Envy and Bitterness Where-ever these things are led into there is another Spirit and that other Spirit hath another tendency and it leads into the wrath of God And my Friends this is that which my Soul desireth at your hands and it is for your good and advantage it is my Duty to discharge my Conscience and to speak plainly as the Lord shall give me utterance to warn you that you abide in the Truth for if so be you be not saved but will turn aside after your own Hearts Lusts after your Pride and the Vanity of the World and the Lusts thereof you may blame your selves and your Iniquity will be your Ruine We that have given up our selves to God for your sakes and for the Churches sake we speak these things which we have Learned of God and we earnestly press you that are convinced that you walk in the Truth which you have believed There is no great need of more knowledge and of the Vision of Heavenly and Divine things for abundance of you have seen more of the things of God than ever you have travelled and come up unto I would to God that every one of you that are convinced would come up To the measure of the knowledge you have received O! that you would answer the Lords Power in opening and discovering his Mind and Will concerning your Travel and the things that belong to your Everlasting Peace that your footsteps may be directed thereby If you will walk in this undefiled way you may lie down at Night and rise in the Morning with Peace and in the favour of the Lord and have the answer of a good Conscience in his sight The means that must help and conduct us in this way must be that familiar Converse that the Soul must have with something greater then it self the Familiar Converse that the Soul must have with the Divine Power with that manifestation of Divine Light and Grace which through Jesus