The Judgement Set AND The BOOKES Opened RELIGION TRIED whether it be of GOD or of Men. The Lord cometh to visit his Own For the time is come that Judgement must begin at the House of God To separate The Sheep from the Goats and The Precious from the Vile And to discover the Blasphemy of those that say They are Apostles Teachers Alive Rich Jewes but are Found Lyars Deceivers Dead Poore blind naked The Synagogue of Satan In severall Sermons at Alhallows Lumbard-street By JOHN WEBSTER A servant of Christ and his Church Micah 3.5 c. Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my people erre that bite with their teeth and cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they prepare war against him Therefore night shall be upon them that they shall not have A vision c. The Sun shall goe down over the prophets and the Day shall be dark Their Seers shall be ashamed and the Deviners confounded yea they shall All cover their lips for there is no answer of God LONDON Printed for R. Hartford at the Bible and States-Arms in little Brittain and N. Brooks at the Angel in Cornhil 1654. To All those Dear and Pretious Soules that have been Hearers and are in any measure partakers of the power of those Truths delivered in these following Discourses Deare Friends IT was for your sakes that the good pleasure of the Heavenly Father who maketh all things work together for the benefit of those that love him Rom. 8.28 who are called according to his purpose carried me forth and made use of me who am less then a worm and most weak in my selfe yet strengthened through his Almighty power to manifest these things unto you And it was for your sakes that the goodnesse of that Father of all mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 and God of all consolation kept me so long to sojourn amongst you for I can truly say that what I am or have been unto you in the way of Christ it was his good pleasure and grace that made me so for the mutual comfort both of you and me for I cannot do any thing against the truth but for the truth for I am not able to think or say any thing as of my self 2. Cor. 3.5 but my sufficiency is of God and I am able to do all things yet no otherwise but through Christ who strengthens me Phil. 4.13 And therefore it is unto you that I direct and be queath these insuing Discourses who have been Ear-witnesses unto what God gave me a door of utterance to deliver amongst you And I hope in the Lord Jesus Christ that they are not onely written in your papers or table-books but in the fleshly Tables of your Hearts 2 Cor. 3.3 not with the hand of man but with the finger of God And being requested that they might be made publick the Lord led me unto a willingnesse thereunto for these Reasons I shall now declare 1. That you whom God in some measure hath endued with the spirit of discerning and made you to heare the voice of Christ and not the voice of strangers Joh. 10.3 4.5 may judge and beare witness out of what principle these things are spoken whether they proceed from that wisdom which is from above Jam. 3.15.17 that is first pure then peaceable or from that which is from beneath which is earthly sensual and devilish Mat. 11.19 for wisedome is only justified of her Children and of no others for it is Christ in you the hope of glorie who is that quickning spirit Col. 1.27 or spiritual man that judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 yet he himself is judged of none 2. That those who are alienated from the life of Christ Eph. 4.18 through that ignorance that is in them and are The JEW in the Mysterie that alwaies resists the Holy Ghost and as their Fathers did so do they Act. 8.54 55 56 57. may know that though they gnash upon the Saints of God with their teeth cry out with a loud voice stop their ears run upon them with one accord cast them out of the City and stone them yet do those holy ones of God look up steadfastly into Heaven and see and behold the glory of God the Heavens opened and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and do freely cry aloud unto the Lord that he may not lay this sin to their charge 3. That those poor creatures who are wise in their own eyes and think they know someting Pro. 3.7 when they know nothing as they ought to know may behold and see that the stone which is rejected and set at naught by those who think and call themselves Master-builders and would have others to think also so of them Mat. 21.42 is becom'd the head stone in the corner and it is the Lords doing though wonderful in the eyes of men 4. That those who have spoken evil of these Truths accounting them as blaspemous erroneous and heretical may know that according to that way which they call Heresie Act. 24.14 I worship the God of my Fathers And if there be any thing in these Discourses that the wisdom learning or reason of men can overthrow then it is not of God for Mat. 15.13 every plant that the Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out but what is of him must stand And therefore if the wisdom of the Serpent hath any thing to say against any thing herein conteined let it be brought forth for I hope and know that the Lord in me and in all his will defend his own truth so that the gates of Hell shall not be able to prevaile against it Mat. 16.16 and I can truly say the Lord is on my side I will not feare what man can do unto me 5. That the Lord alone may be magnified who hath carried forth my spirit to bear witnesse against all unrighteousnesse of men who withhold the truth of God in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 and that without respect of persons and especially against all those Churches Worships Professions Confessions Opinions Covenants Gatherings Traditions of men observations of Times Idol-Pastors Hirelings false Teachers Forms and such like which are made appointed constituted ordained set up and practiced by men by the carnal wisdom learning wit reason and policy of the world Eph. 4.4 5 6. For I witness One body and One spirit even as I am called in one hope of my calling one Lord One Faith one Baptisme Heb 8.7 one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all And this is the Tabernacle that God hath pitched and not man in which Temple all the Saints are living stones 1 Cor. 3.9 are Gods building Gods workmanship and are all gathered into this body by the spirit and power of God and not by man for by one spirit they are all baptized into one body
if I do not discover my self and make their folly and madnesse and their misery appear they are running on confidently never to return Therefore I will go down and confound their Language I must bring to naught all their works wisdome confidence and inventions that I may save man from destruction Now the work of the Lord is to pull down ruin and destroy all this stately building of mans erecting and to lay it all flat and to let man see that whatever he plants is in vain Every plant which the Father planteth not Mat. 15.13 must be rooted up whatever man hath wrought by his own power and in his own wisdom must be brought to confusion Luk. 21.6 and be made Babel and not a stone left upon a stone Though the Temple which the Sons of men have set up be never so glorious and precious in their beholdings yet all must be destroyed and they and all their works and endeavours all their forms and inventions turned into a ruinous heap Esa 17.1 25.2 And the Lord will not onely say this but he will also do it vers 8. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth and they left off to build the City When men is once convinced of his miserable condition and sees himself and all the sons of men thus deluded and befooled and begins to see that all their confidence is madness and all their works sin Ibid. 64.6 and all their duties as menstruous rags and all their forms and inventions no other but Babel and destruction then and not before they leave off to build this City for then they see themselves as it were swallowed up in death and misery and that their best actions are but dung and drosse and abominable things and that there is no stability in any of the sons of men and this is the Lords work alone this man hath no hand in t is the Lord that saith and doth it Ezek. 22.14 to confound this Language and scattereth men from this building so that they can now no more contribute their wisdome or counsel their strength or endeavours to this City of Confusion Vers 9. Therefore is the Name of it called Babel because the Lord did there confound the Language of all the earth All that is of man from the power wisdome excellency righteousnesse of man let it be never so beautiful and never so esteemed all is meer BABEL but a City a Temple a refuge of confusion And the Lord will scatter and confound every builder therof that is he will commix confound their language they shall be all amazed confounded to behold what the Almighty hath done to see their strong mountains so removed and their strong City of refuge ruined and blown down My Friends so far as the Lord hath declared to me this is the Mystery and the living sense of this portion of Scripture Mat. 11.10 19.12 He that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that hath eyes to see shall see he that can receive it let him The truth and things of God carry light power and demonstration in themselves he that thinks by his own power or by his own wisdom or his own light or his own learning to discover them he is still in darknesse he is to this day raising Babel and the Lord is not yet come down to confound his Language and the truth is hid and sealed up from him Now that I may come to make a little farther application of these things to our selves The first Use let it be this Vse 1 from what hath been spoken we may conclude that all the sons of men the whole race and every particular person is equally in one and the same condition they are all of one masse of one Lump not one wise and another foolish one righteous and another sinful not one earthly and another heavenly not one in light and another in darknesse not one carnal and another spiritual bue the whole earth is of one language They all even the best the righteousest they act nothing but sin and rebellion death and emnity Jer. 2.13 Psal 1413 they are all carnal all departed from the fountain of living waters they are all gone astray and become abominable and not one that doth good no not one every one of the sons of men are under wrath with ALL their works and righteousness every one is no other but a child of hell and a son of perdition and confusion And there is no good that any of them can appropriate or lay the least claim to for there is no wisedome but the wisedome of God nor no righteousnesse but the everlasting righteousnesse of that only ONE and Alsufficient Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ He that sayes there is any good thing in man any righteousnesse wisedome power any endeavours after any good or the like he is no other but a most abominable blasphemer And this conceit and presumption the Lord hath cursed and will confound Mat. 12.33 for can an evil tree bring forth good fruit Either make the tree evil and his fruit evil or else make the tree good and his fruit good can man be evil and wholly evil and yet bring forth any thing that is good or is there any good or any holiness but what is from the fountain of good for any to dare to say otherwise is high blasphemy to God and Jesus Christ to take that which is proper and peculiar to the ever blessed God and to ascribe it to a sinful nothing empty creature for any man to take the Crown from off the head of Jesus Christ and to set it upon his own head and say this is his what greater indignity what higher blasphemy then to say that which is crooked is strait Esa 5 20. Job 38.2 and to call darkness light and evil good Who are these that darken counsel by words without knowledge From what principle think you cometh all the religion of this nature and from whence cometh this kind of teaching That man must be something and MAN must do and HEE must act and HEE must beleeve and HEE must repent and there is something required of him to doe by way of condition or else the grace of God is frustrate Certainly these men are no other but Babel builders they never yet knew the confusion of Languages in themselves they were never yet undone made nothing nor stript of their own power wisedome righteousnesse nor convinced of the vanity and nothingness of all their power and endeavours they never yet saw that these things were alone proper to Jesus Christ but they must work and they must doe and they must act These certainly whatever they say never yet were convinced that man was a lump of sin and weaknesse never yet saw where the bottomless pit is never yet cryed out misery and shame upon themselves but think they have some goodnesse and some power and
1 Cor. 12.13 whether they be Jews or Gentiles and have been all made to drink into one spirit I also bear witness to One Ordinance and One Administrator Mediator Redeemer and Intercessor which is the Lord Jesus Christ blessed for ever Joh. 14.6 who is the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by him and it is HE that is ordained Acts 10.42 to be Judge of quick and dead by the Father and there is no name given under Heaven Acts 4.12 by which men can be saved but the name of Jesus neither is there salvation in any other for there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and there are differences of Administrations 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all And I witness that it is Jesus Christ only by his spirit that makes men Able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter 2 Cor 3.6 but of the Spirit And do all teach and speak in and from the power of that spirit as IT is pleased to give them utterance And therfore all those that claim an Ordination by man or from man that speak from the spirit of the world from wit learning and humane reason who preach for hire Jer. 23.1 Ezek. 34.2 Zach 11.17 Joh. 10.1 and make merchandise of the souls of men I witness they are all Baals Priests and Idol-Shepherds who destroy the Sheep and are Theeves and Robbers who came not in by the door of the Sheepfold but climbed up another way And are the Magitians Sorcerers Inchanters Micah 5.12 Soothsayers Necromancers and Consulters with familiar spirits which the Lord will cut off out of the land 2 Tim. 3.8 9. so that his people shall have no more Soothsayers And as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so doe these resist the Truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith but they shall proceed no farther for their folly shall be manifest to all men as theirs also was woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the errors of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Core Jud. 11.12 13. These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you feeding themselvs without fear Clouds they are without water carried about of winds Trees whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead plucked up by the roots Raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring Stars to whom is reserved the blackness of Darkness for ever And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace Act. 20.32 which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Mind and give heed to that meek stil quiet and silent spirit of the Lord Jesus that is in you which is Pure Holy Innocent Underfiled and Righteous teaching and leading into all truth righteousness and purity like it selfe unto which if you give heed as unto a light shining in a dark place it will preserve and present you spotless and without blame before him whose eys behold no iniquity which that the Lord may fulfil in his due time in you is the Continual prayer of him who is Yours in the bonds of Love in the Lord Jesus Jo. WEBSTER To the Reader THe Author of these ensuing Sermons being cast by providence upon some imployment in the Lords work in this great City was much Carried forth in his ministration to set up the LORD JESVs in the Hearts of men in opposition to all that is of flesh and all that is of man which caused many out of an impatient spirit to distaste the things that were delivered But many that heard him being inwardly acquainted with what was spoken by him were very desirous to have that published for the benefit of all which they themselves had the happinesse to receive from his own mouth apprehending it to be the Bridegroomes voyce in him and therefore savory to them He being now at a great distance from the Presse and not in a capacity of overseeing that which the Transcriber may have failed in the Reader is therfore desired not to mind the manner of delivery but the matter of that which is here presented wherein if single-hearted he will doubtlesse finde a lively Discovery of many sweet Breathings of the spirit of Jesus Christ from One that appeares to have been long inwardly taught of God and that wholy laid aside all those Humane advantages wherewith he was and is plentifully furnished that he might commend his Message unto the hearts and consciences of men Not with enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power Vpon which account and no other what follows is recomended to the perusall of all that desire to benefit by what they read by Him that Teacheth to profit Thine In the service of our most holy Faith JOHN CARDELL JOSHUA SPRIG ROBERT BACON TO THE READER Dear Friends HAving obtained the sight of these ensuing Sermons and read some of the matter therein contained they yeilded such a rellish and savour to my Spirit that I could not choose but set to my Seal that it flowed from that spirit which is both pure peaceable which I do not to praise the person or the matter for to man there is none due and to the matter there is none needful because it is Truth and therefore needs not the shelter approbation or praise of men being in it self able to win praise to it self and to carry forth it self against all the oppositions of men or Devils Here thou shalt not find Terms of Art nor quirks of humane Learning and FALLEN Wisdom though the party through whom it was conveied excel in natural aquirements as much as the most but naked truth declaring it self through an earthen vessel in simplicity and plainnesse of speech evidencing thereby that our faith ought not nay doth not stand in the wisdome of mens words but in the power of God And hereby thou mayest see if thou be not blind in the carnal conceits of thy earthly wisdom as most of the Earthen Saints of our times are what self-denial is wrought in this Creature through which the Eternal Spirit hath breathed forth these ensuing precious truths that he having and enjoying all those humane Excellencies of Learning and knowledge which are so in the worlds account and lookt upon as helps to understand the things of God but used to help those that have them to worldly honour and preferment which indeed is the onely use is made of them and no other whatever is otherwise pretended but He in the height of this wisedom is made to become a fool for Christs sake and is willing to lose all honour dignity and preferment that the world and the wisdome thereof can confer upon him that he may enjoy
all his power wisdom parts righteousnesse and whatever man as man adores All true Saints are brought to see this in experience they see all the world seeking themselves following after the gods that they have made and crying up their Diana they see all the whole earth alwaies and continually crying out Not this man but Barabbas Mat. 27.21 And they know them to be all Theeves and Robbers But these onely come to the light and walk in the light Joh. 10.8 And the light of Christ in them hath discovered that in man is nothing but sin and darkness and misery and condemnation This they really see both within themselves and without themselves that he that would be exalted is in them brought low and he that humbleth himself is exalted Luk. 14.11 Christ in them and to them is all in all and this is their Glory this is their Kingdome this their Pearl for which they have sold all this is their Heaven Then they come to see Mat. 13.46 as the truth is that they have no power wisdom excellency nothing at all but what is to be condemned and that all their works which are accepted are wrought in God Joh. 3.21 1 Cor. 1.30 That Jesus is their Wisdom Rgihteousness Justification Sanctification and Redemption they come to this light and they walk in this light they continually see that Jesus Christ hath all power and wisdom in himself he hath not given any part of his excellencies out of himselfe but whatever is wrought in them is wrought by Him they dare not say I must doe and I must act and I must pray that I may be accepted nor think as others do I must perform the conditions on my part to do Heb. 6.6 and then I shall be accepted All Doctrine of this nature is no other but crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting him to open shame and walking in darknesse Those that preach this Acts 20.29 John 3.31 are those grievous wolves which Paul speaks of Acts 20.29 30. I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them Of your own selvs that is men that hold forth the same doctrine and preach Jesus Christ too and hold him forth for a Saviour yet under that pretence crucifie him and make him as no Christ and his Crosse of no effect But those that are in the light they come to the light and follow this light live in this light that their deeds may be made manifest whether wrought in God or no Then he sees this is the true wisdom from above Jam. 3.17 which is pure peaceable easie to be entreated full of good works 't is not high and stern and subtile and rigid to keep at distance from all but whom they like but they are easie to be entreated meek ready to doe good to all they see no such excellency in houses inheritances money honour praise but for the love of Christ they are not deare to them they know if they have these they are not given to make them great or high or praised among the sonnes of men but that by them Christ in them may make himselfe great That they may be of another spirit then any other naturall man in the world Acts 26.18 shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God Then is their Tongue Touched with a coal from the Altar Esay 6.6 and they must declare Jesus Christ to make him alone glorious powerfull wise mighty eternal c. And then it is no longer they that speake Mark 13.11 but the spirit of their Father that is within them My beloved breathren if men were but come to the sight of this light and were able to stand in it and walk in it They would not goe forth as they doe in their own name and in their own wisdom and power having furnished themselves by their study and by their Books and by their borrowed matter but all this is because they have no light in them How many Speakers be there now in the world and with what confidence doe they come unto you when this spirit from on high never came upon them Pro. 8.34 Luke 24.49 they never yet waited at Wisdoms gates never yet stayed at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father but runne before they are sent and they of themselves have found a way to be furnished they can goe to the Vniversity and there lay the foundation and they can have the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterie and then they can study Authors and they have wisdom and parts and eloquence of their own and thus they come furnished and are as they think able Ministers of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 John 10.1 Alas poore soules Christ cals these no other but thieves and Robbers which come not in at the doore they come not in by him but climb up some other way These have not made Christ the doore and the way for did They but live in the true light they durst not doe thus they durst not speak till he had opened the dore they durst not walk till the fire of the Sanctuary guided them till this cloud of ignorance not knowing themselves nor the work of Christ were taken up else they sit still And I say there would not be so many speakers as there be they would not covet so much to be some body that they may be taken notice of to be wise to be learned to be holy to be sober to be endowed with the gifts of Christ as they would be thought to be All this is but putting new wine into old bottles Luk. 5.37 and both are lost but if this light of God this spirit from on high this fire of the Sanctuary were upon them then this new wine would be put into new bottles and both preserved Oh my brethren it woes my very heart to see how confident and bold men are in their own light and he that will say to the contrary but that 't is the light of God he must be a deceiver and he must be a Schismatick a Familist any thing yea the most odious of all men Oh that these men did but know from whence they speak Oh that they did but know whether they were Moseses or Magicians whether sent from God or the Divel whether from Christ or Antichrist who indeed sit in the Temple of Christ as if sent from Christ Nay let me tell you they come with such deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse with such signes and lying wonders 2 Thes 2.9.10 that they are able to deceive the very Elect of God if it were possible but the truth is t is onely they can discover them t is only the spirit of Christ that can lay them open onely He that hath the true
had or John or any of the Apostles if thou experiment not the same things without question this is the truth and the life whatever the men or the Masters of the Letter or of the City of the Letter say unto you The words that I speak unto you saith our Saviour they are spirit and they are life Joh. 6.63 they are not onely a dead Letter to the ear and to the understanding but they are quickning spirit declaring true death and true life in us The Scripture in every part there of holds forth either evil or good death or life light or darknesse heaven or hell the Temple of God or the Temple of Idols Christ or Belial that is either man in his lost miserable blind dark undone and helish condition or else Christ the Saviour the life the light the glory the happiness the Redeemer of man Now if we have not experience of either of these two in our selves all reading hearing preaching praying sacrificing is in vain 2 Cor. 3.6 and the Scriptures are no other to us but the killing and deadly letter Lastly we will name one more of their Sorceries and Inchantments and so conclude and t is a very great one In that they take upon them the very Office and place of Christ they think themselves and call themselves Teachers and Divines and men must come to them as to the Oracles of God and they are the Priests lips which shall preserve knowledge come to us and hearken to us and we will direct you and teach you what means and what rules and ordinances ye shall use and which is the way to Heaven when as Christ saith plainly call no man Father nor no man Master upon earth for one is your Master and one is your Father Luke 14.11 c. Joh. 6.44 which is in Heaven but he that is greatest among you let him be your servant And whosoever shall exalt himselfe shall be abased and he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted And saith again No man can come to me but by the Father and except the Father draw him And again I am the way the truth and the life And yet they say come to us joyn your selves in fellowship with us and conform to us and walk with us for we have the best means we will shew you the best way we have overlookt and examined all other Church-fellowships and none like ours we are squared according to the primitive pattern and to the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 and the word it self justifies all our rules and our way of worship And they say moreover we have the word of the Lord with us and for us and we have the mind of Christ with us we have a dream and we have a revelation and we have seen a vision when indeed they have seen nothing but have stole the word of the Lord from others and borrowed of their neighbour of this and that Authour and have searched what this man saies or that man writes of such and such points and then come and cry the word of the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken in them nor to them but boast of things without their measure 2 Cor. 10 14 c. 1 Joh. 1.1 speak not the things that they have seen and heard and that their hands have handled of the word of life but as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10. Who seek to commend themselves boasting of other mens labours and experiences and not of their own boasting beyond their line of things not distributed to them 2 Cor. 10. Vers 15. Ezek. 13.6 7. and yet will say The Lord hath spoken and this is the Word of the Lord and yet never found it The Word of the Lord in them or to them neither have they seen any thing nor the Lord hath not spoken unto them And therefore what ever they may say they cannot make it out to the hearts of others but they talk of it at random and by guesse and they say t is so and it must not be questioned for all other received Orthodox men forsooth have said it Are these Prophets think you of the Lords sending have these received the Word at his mouth Ibid. 3.17 No no but they are furnished by their learning and parts and acquirements and so of and from Man And so likewise not onely is the Prophet deluded but the people also for they have joyned themselves with these Prophets and there they will stick and their faith is pind upon their sleeves Oh such a man he is a sound man and he cannot erre and they will heare no where else And so this Prophet as thou takest him to be becomes Thy Pope and thy Holy Father for to him thou givest heed and him thou followest and obeyest And this is the great inchantment in our times when men forsake Jesus Christ the true and only Teacher and depend upon men This is a great mischiefe and a grievious plague but the world is not sensible thereof but blesse themselves in this great evil What say they shall we forsake our Ministers shall we let the Gospell and the preaching of the Word fall to the ground God forbid As though men upheld the Gospel and men could teach the Gospel It is then Gospel to thee when Jesus Christ makes it glad tidings in thy heart and when there is nothing in Heaven and Earth more wellcome to thee and when thou hast forsaken and laid down thy selfe to receive it But till we come to see that there is no other father no other Master but Jesus Christ in all the world in heaven or earth we are certainly inchanted and deluded and are under a spirituall CHARM But be it so Object then what reason is there that we should heare you or receive what you say T is true if I should say otherwise in regard of my selfe Answ I should also be a deluder a lyer and a charmer and a Southsayer I would by no means you should look at me or regard me as if I could doe anything I desire to be no other but as a dead instrument used by the Lord and would not be thought of or esteemed any thing I am no more fit to speak then any of you all if God will speak by you ye may all prophesie one by one as the Apostle saith God forbid that I should think my selfe better then any other Saint of God or think my selfe more honoured by standing in a high place above you the Lord hee knows my heart An hill or a mountain in the field were as fit for me any place I passe not but onely for conveniency of Hearing So the Lord wil but set up himselfe and magnifie his own name which he will doe let my praise my glory lie in the dust and I would be no more stirred and disquieted in spirit with any such thing then a man that is naturally dead And therefore let them look to it Math.
figure there is alwayes something resembled or shadowed out to us besides and beyond the Allegory or Metaphor Therefore by the Plant here mentioned is mean the New Creation or the New Man created in Jesus Christ Eph. 4 24. And there is nothing can thrive or flourish but onely this which is onely planted by God himself every other plant must be rooted up this new man is of God spiritualized like himself of his own nature and it knows and understands the things of God let there be a thousand Religions in the world yet onely that which the Father hath planted and is from Heaven that alone shall stand I would for testimony to this truth refer you to two or three places of Scripture to consider of I will not name nor multiply many for I will not weary you with tumbling over the Letter as the manner of some is neither is it of much use or of any proof or convincement to any but those who have the things themselves made good in them Take that in John 15.1 2. Joh. 15.1 2. There is the same similitude used as is here I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Every branch in me which beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch which beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit So that this shews that Jesus Christ is the onely vine and his father onely minds and husbands this Vine and every branch in it for the root and branches are all but ONE Vine and the Father he alone hath planted it and he dresseth it and waters it and prunes it Jesus Christ in himselfe and members he is the true root of Jesse whom the Lord will establish upon the Throne for ever And t is onely the root of David that hath prevailed Rom. 15.12 Esa 11.10 and no other All other Vines are as a wilde Olive and bear no fruit in him and therefore must be taken away and cut off for except they abide in him they cannot bring forth fruit Without me you can do nothing Joh. 15.4 5. That which is a wild vine or a wild Olive it bears no good fruit therefore men reject it and root it up as good for nothing but to cast into the fire to burn and so doth the Heavenly Husband man reject whatever is wilde and not planted by himself Out of him all the fruit they bring withers and dyes nay they are fruitlesse without they be graffed into him and that they have his spirit and his divine nature that they are members of his body flesh of his flesh bone of his bone Eph. 5.30 So that by this place you may see that the Heavenly Father is the true Husbandman and the onely true plant is Jesus Christ and every one which beareth true fruit they are branches proceeding and growing in and from this root Again look on that place Rom. 6.5 Rom. 6.5 if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection So that still the Scripture carries it along in the person of Christ and not to own any thing or any fruit brought forth by any of the sons of men but as they are rooted and bring forth fruit in him He is the choise and tender VINE which brings forth fruit acceptable to the Heavenly Father He is the tree of life in the City of God spoken of in Revel 21.2 planted by the River bearing twelve manner of fruits Rev. 12.2 and yielding her fruit every moneth and the leaves of this tree are for the healing of the Nations And HEE is the tree spoken of Psal 1.3 He shall be planted by the Rivers of Waters that bringeth forth fruit in his due season whose leaf shall not wither Ps 1 3. and whatsoever he doth shall prosper Every beleever is a mameber of Jesus Christ A plant planted by the Lord in him and none can possibly cause any branch in him to wither all else out of him cannot but wither and dye Ps 92.13.14 So also take notice of that place Psal 92.13 14. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm Tree and shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing Jesus Christ is also that spirituall house which the Heavenly Father hath builded not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens and every Saint is a Spiritual Stone in this spiritual house and these are all beautiful stones being placed in this house These are fruitful Trees being planted there and shall bring forth fruit and shall flourish when they are old and bring forth fruit to eternity One place more shall suffice that in Jer. 17.7 8. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord Jer. 17.7 8. and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the River and shall not see when beat commeth but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yeilding fruit These places are sufficient I need not farther enlarge for they give testimony and witness as far as the Letter can But what is the Letter to that man who hath no Testimony nor Witnesse of the truth thereof in his own heart he can never set his seal to the truth thereof and it can do him no good except it be a word of evidence and he hath a witnesse within it being true in his heart But the mon of the Letter if they hold forth any truth then they heap up Scriptures as they conceive to prove it and think they have done such an act when as if there be not a convincement and a witness thereof within the Letter will never convince men but when the same thing is written in the heart then man closes with it and answers to it and then the Word is as David saith sweeter then the Honey and the Honey-comb Ps 19.10 and more to hbe desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold else t is no other but a dead Letter and then is fulfilled that promise of the New Covenant Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Jer. 31.33 Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers which Covenant they brake But I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall no more teach every one his neighbour and his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest c. And thus I hope there are many here find this truth made good in themselves and will set to their seal that all other plants which the Father hath not planted must be rooted up And if this be so Vse 1 as most certainly it is then
make themselves strong and this was the way to overcome and to live at rest But as sure as the Lord lives before whom I stand This is not the way but the way is for man to be stript 2 Cor. 5.4 made naked that he may be clothed upon to deny a mans selfe and his own life too or else he cannot be my Disciple if thou wert but poore enough and empty enough then Christ would fill thee and make thee rich but the thing is thou art too rich too full and increased with goods and hast need of nothing and knowest not for all thy strong conceits that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked And therefore I counsell thee Rev. 3.17 saith the Lord there to buy of me Gold tried in the fire that thou mayst be made rich and white rayment that thou maist be clothed and that the shame of thy nakednesse doe not appeare and annoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou see If thou be once really convinced and not in words onely that thou hast nothing nor canst doe nothing then thou wilt be willing to hearken to any that will tell thee how thou shalt be made rich and strong Phil. 4.13 and able to doe all things and that is alone by living in the fountaine and sucking sap from the root Jesus Christ by holding the head by which all the body by joynts and bands Col. 2.19 having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God THE ROOTING up of every Plant not Planted by the Heavenly Father Preached at Alhallows Lumbard-street SERMON II. Matth. 15.13 14. But Jesus answered and said Every Plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch FRom hence as God was pleased to go forth with us we have shewed these several things First That there is no plant can stand or grow or thrive but what Jesus Christ himself hath planted Secondly That the plant which he plants is but ONE which is onely himselfe All but himselfe shall be rooted up for himselfe is that plant which the Father hath chosen planted and rooted and himselfe saith I am the true Vine and every plant bearing fruit in him shall be rooted Joh. 15.1 2. Rev. 22.2 and established and bring forth more fruit And this Vine is but ONE and the leaves thereof are appointed for the healing of the Nations and there is no other Thirdly we shewed how t is the Lord alone who plants it and not man All the inventions wisedome and industry of men can do nothing at all either in chusing or planting of the choice Vine neither can they cause it to grow or increase in the least but God the Father is alone the Husbandman He it is that plants it waters it tends it nourishes and cherishes it and the Wisedome Care Power Providence of man hath no hand at all therein Fourthly We have shewed That every Beleever hath no farther an interest in Jesus Christ or in the Kingdom of Heaven and in the Riches and priviledges thereof but as they are ingraffed into this Vine and in this Root neither can they bring forth any fruit but that which is cursed and abominable Then if it be so as most certainly it is that there is no other plant accepted of the Father and that Christ alone is the true Vine and every branch must be ingraffed into him and they can have no nourishment any other way nor in no other root and that all that are in him are his Body and members of him Eph. 5.30 bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh I say if this be truth and truth undeniable then let us hold to this for truth in practice as well as in words and not bring in the devices of the dark and ignorant sons of men that man may chuse this plant by the power of himselfe and by his own wisedom and he may plant Jesus Christ in himself and cleave unto him or at least say others if he be once given in their conceit then man must do his part to water and cherish and nourish this plant and what He judgeth to be a wild branch or a dead joint he may prune and cut it off when as the Heavenly Father hath undertaken that work himself and blind Man shall not undertake his work and go about to prevent his power and wisdome and Allsufficiency in carrying on and nursing up this plant And let us consider seriously of this who it is thaat undertakes this high and Heavenly work certainly t is the Lord t is the the Lord that chuseth it and plants and ingraffs it Alas the best of the sons of men with all their wisdom power and parts Mat. 21.20 are no better then wild Olives nay they are all that Fig-tree to which Christ came and could find nothing but leaves and therefore cursed it and no fruit ever did nor never shall grow on that root Man is also that Earth that the Lord hath cursed which of it selfe can bring forth nothing but bryars and thorns and is rejected Gen. 3.18 Heb. 6.8 and fit for nothing but to be burned And let not flesh and blood be offended in holding forth these things for the earth and all the earthliness thereof shall be burnt up for all its best works are no better and fit for nothing but the fire of hell And consider further if it be so that the Heavenly Father hath taken this work upon himself and quite excluded all other power wisdom help then what hath any of the sons of men to do to undertake to prune to judge to censure to cut off certainly it must not nor cannot be done by any other hand but by his who ingraffs The same hand that ingraffs and plants must onely pluck up For is poor ignorant man fit be to judge in this case If it should be left to man he would pull up the Wheat with the Tares nay such is his ignorance and depravedness that he would take Wheat for Tares and Tares for Wheat and indeed this hath been the misery of all ages men thinking themselves able to judge of truth and the things of God what 's truth and what 's errour although himself was never yet purged nor never freed from his own defilements vain silly and yet proud man who cannot give a reason in the ordinary things of nature nor give a reason of any colour as why the grass is green or why the crow is black or the like which is within his own sphear and compasse and yet so proud conceited and presumptuous is he that he will undertake to Judge of Heavenly things and to sift out errour from truth and root up and plant and doe what he pleaseth But let vain man from this point know he meddles where he hath nothing to
otherwise whatever man may call them they are none of his Ordinances but they most prophanly put their empty cold dull blind and lame sacrifices upon him And hereupon thus thinkst and concludest that He hath been thy Deliverer I say whoever thou art that makest thy duties and thy conformity and indeed thy Ordinances for they are none of his thy support thy comfort thy rest in the least herein thou hast turned from the true deliverer Heb. 10.29 the true Saviour and hast trod him under foot and crucified him and hast made thy self thy God thy Deliverer thy Redeemer thy Saviour And the day of the Lord is comming when these things will be made to appear to thee and wrath will come upon thee unexpectedly even then when thou thinkest thy selfe secure and safe and all is well and when thou thinkest that thy peace is made and wrath is removed and there is no more frowns and storms from the Almighty when indeed thou hast all this while but made a covenant with death and hell Esa 33.8 1 Thes 5.2 and then the day of the Lord shall come upon thee as a thief in the night when thou thinkest all is well and thou mayst sleep securely then will Christ summon thee to Judgment 1 Cor. 15.52 Luk. 18.8 Rev 1.7 Mat. 24.41 and the Trumpet shall sound in thy own breast And when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth No but then all the Tribes of the earth shall wait and lament because of him Even so AMEN Then two shall be grinding at the Mill and two in one Bed the one taken and the other left then he that is on the house top shall not come down to take any thing out of his house for the day of the Lord shall surprize them on a suddain and as a thief cometh when no man expects him and as our Saviour saith of his doctrine so do I of these things he that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that hath eyes to see let him see and he that hath an heart let him read and understand Mark 4.9 I know Beloved men talk much of what they should doe as if they were so willing to do any thing Christ commanded but really and in truth what do all these men that seem to be so much for doing I say what do they doe doe they not in all these doe quite contrary to what they should doe If Christ hath smitten them then He alone can heal them and yet they will be healing themselves and delivering themselves when they should be seeking to Jesus Christ and looking to him and waiting upon him for deliverance And the way to be delivered is not to run to this man and tother Minister and hang upon this mans preaching and tother mans counsel no but thou wouldest see that all mans preaching and teaching and counsel is in vaine and that there is no other way nor no other Deliverer but only Jesus Christ thou wouldest not be tyed to this man or the other but thou wouldest say of all even of the wisest the gravest the soberest miserable comforters are ye all But thy trouble and thy guilt and thy sting within thee would make thee hearken when Iesus Christ would qualifie thy conscience and draw forth thy sting and quench the burning of Hell fire within thee so thou mightest but hear the voice of Christ If thou beest wounded for any tydings of Christ Amos 8.11 12. thou wouldest run from country to country from land to land and from sea to sea to hear the word of the Lord for thou wouldest see that in all men there is a famine Amos 8.11 12. not of bread but of the word of the Lord for Christ only gives forth his word he is the bread of life Joh. 6.51 the true bread which commeth down from Heaven t is not Moses nor any man can give this bread but only Our heavenly Father And when thou hast done all that is commanded thee yet thou must not rest in thy doing nor in thy using means nor in thy praying but stil in all must count thy self but an unptofitable servant Luke 17.10 Thou must not sit down and say I have done my part I have prayd and heard and walkt strictly and joyn'd my selfe to the best reformed Church Alas if thou rest in these things and thinkst now I have done well and it shall be wel with me all this praying and doing Christ calls vain babbling Mat. 6.7 and vain repetitions which is but to doe like the Heathen who think to be heard for their many words and much babbling all this thy doing which thou keepest such a stir about Esay 5.20 is no other then calling darknesse light and evil good And when thou goest out to look for any Minister or servant of Jesus to heale thy wounds take heed of the Idol-shepheards Jer. 6.14 which wil prophesie peace when there is no peace to speak deliverance when Christ hath not bid them for none can heale thee but he that hath wounded thee Ezek. 13.11 And so for any other who prophesie lyes and dawb with untempered morter who say to thee goe thou and repent and believe on Jesus Christ and thy sins shal be forgiven thee know this is not the way neither are they true Prophets for repentance and faith is alone Gods gift and his work And if he be a true messenger of the Lords sending all he can say is I am but an instrument I cannot give nor help thee to repentance nor faith neither can I direct thee to get them but only by waiting on Jesus Christ who alone is the Giver I am but the forerunner to the Bridegroom I have nothing to give nor I cannot direct thee where to get that thou seekest before he comes or before his pleasure is to bestow it whoever he be that undertakes to be any other but a Messenger as John Baptist was crying I am not he but I am the voice of one crying Mark 1.7 8. Prepare ye the way of the Lord I baptize with water but he that commeth after me is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost He cries there is no Teacher but Jesus Christ no Prophet but he we have nothing to give there is no riches but His. Examine thy self how thou staiest thy heart what quiets thy conscience hast thou it from man or from Christ hast thou found that all thy runnings too and again from this man and to the other hath done thee any good but thou hast found that let man say what he could yet stil thy trouble continued and thou couldst rest in nothing below Christ I have known some that by running hither and thither they have for a time for a yeere or two or more somwhat allayed the rage of conscience being directed to outward conformity and getting of repentance and taking up constancy in this and