would find out something by which it might be done Others are willing enough to continue in Sin and Drunkeness Whoredom Lying and Hypocrisie these are a sort of Fools that make a mock of Sin and that swim in the stream of pleasure and what care they so long as they make a profession of Christianity But I am speaking of a People that are strugling under their corruptions that would mortifie Sin and serve God in Holiness and Righteousness and do Gods will on Earth as it is done in Heaven and do it not in form but would have power to do it And they try several ways to have it done it is not done many have been at this work till Gray Hairs are upon their Heads and it is not done Now God hath given Christ to make Reconciliation now how can we that have the Love of God extended to us But extend our Good-will to our Friends and signifie to them that all the travel and pains they are at and all the Prayers they make that all will do nothing till they have their Faith fixt upon Jesus that is able to save and deliver them and save to the uttermost all that come to God by him But here some will object and say It is true what you say But is it needful to preach such Doctrines to us for we all believe in Christ that is the only Mediator and Saviour We know that Christ Jesus is the only Mediator and that unless he Commend us to God we cannot be Accepted of him This is our General Doctrine therefore what need it be urged and pressed upon us that are come into the the Faith already Let me search into the matter it is of greater concernment than to search into a Bargain of Worldly things men would fain have others open and discover to them wherein they may be Cheated to prevent their being Imposed on in a wordly bargain I hope then they will hearken to know how and wherein they may be deceived by themselves and deceived by others in matters of Eternal concernment There are no Protestants but they reject any Mediator but Jesus Christ and believe that no Mediator can Reconcile them to God but Christ alone and they say he is the Object of their Faith I would ask them this Question Whether they believe in Christ at a distance or as present really present with them If their Faith be Historical and at a Distance that they believe in Christ as one born of the Virgin Mary and was Crucified and Dead before they were born and Arose again and Ascended into Heaven and is set at the right hand of God if the reason of my belief be I have heard of this Relation of Christ Or whether the reason be because by his Spirit he hath visited me in this Age The one is I believe because good men have told me so but the other is I believe because by this Spirit he hath promised to send to lead me into all truth he hath visited me Now whether I am aware of such a Spiritual visitation by this quickning Spirit which is the Lord from Heaven and not only the Lord in Heaven Whether I am aware of such a quickning Power and Vertue which I have received upon my Spirit that he is not only at the right hand of God on high in Heaven but that now he is come to knock at the door of my heart and hath raised in me a Life as opposite to sin as his was Now if I be aware of a secret touch of his quickning vertue upon my Soul whereby he hath begotten me into a Life opposite to sin so that if sin remains it remains as a Burthen and Oppression upon me so that I am a sufferer forasmuch as I am quickned and made sensible of a better life of a godly Life I would fain be at it and live in it but Iniquity Lust and Corruption lies in the way He that hath quickned me so far as to bring me to a sense of the Burthen of sin my Faith tells me he will take the Burthen off else my faith will do me no good if that Corruption still prevail upon me if my Faith tells me this it will tell the wickedest Man in the World as much But if my faith tells me I am a sinner and my sin consists of this and the other evil thing I do and am inclined to do it tells me again that he that hath quickned me and brought me to a sense of sin he can take the burthen off from me Here now is a true Faith that begins in Conviction and ends in true Conversion this is the word of Faith which was delivered to the Saints and which we are to Preach They said of Oâ—d that the word of Faith which they had to Preach was that which was nigh in their mouth that they might heaâ— it and do it I have something nigh that reproves me for sin if I be Obedient to it then Faith giveth me victory over that which is sinful for which the word reproveth me and as I see Faith gives me victory over any Corruption which I have been strugling under Here I am incouraged to fix my Faith upon him that hath thus quickned me So that this is the difference between Faith in Christ at a distance and Faith that quickneth me by Gods Spirit that Spirit which hath been so much slighted in our days by the highest Notionists in our Age they have supposed it to be a meer fiction some have mocked and derided and others have been discouraged to speak of the Spirit of Christ and his operations upon the Soul some have declared it both in the Press and Pulpit that they have had no experience of the touches of Gods Spirit upon their Souls But our experience hath brought us to another degree of knowledge We know and you may know if you please and that before you sleep that there is a way opened God hath made a way for his Spirit to reach the Spirits of men to signifie immediately to their Spirits without means herein thou dost wrong and herein thou mayest have life and seek after it Now the Spiritth at thus worketh is the Spirit of Christ the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son that Voice in Man that tells them they might believe and be saved When he comes saith Christ He will lead you into all truth How shall the World know this is he He shall convince them of sin If there be any convincement that ariseth in Man of this and the other sin it must be from the way the holy Spirit hath upon their Spirits he hath a way to speak to men and every one that is a Lover of their own Souls are bound to hearken unto that voice In the latter days saith the Lord When I shall raise a Prophet in the midst of you whosoever will not hear that Prophet shall be cut off All Commentators agree on this Text that that
Affronts and Love him as himself Love thy Neighbour that is every body that there may be a Good-will for all People throughout the whole Race of of Mankind Peace on Earth Good-will towards Men This is the Fruit of the Gospel Christian Words will not make the Christian Religion there must be a Christian Life But where shall we find that or seek for it I know not I have nothing to do to Judge any body but there is one that Judgeth who it is that Liveth the Christian Life and who doth not Who is this What a one is this The Head of the Christian Church Why is he here Yes the Head of the Christian Church is here and he speaks and gives Sentence If you have an Ear you may hear him and if you will turn your Mind inward for he is an Inward Minister every one of you if you will turn your Minds inward he will tell you whether you Live a Christian Life and what a Life it is you Live If there be a Drunkard here let him ask whether his Life be a Christian Life will a man go away Ignorant from this place and have no Answer If there be a Drunkard here let him ask inwardly in his own Bosom Lord is my Life a Christian Life I dare affirm on Gods behalf he will have an Answer No thy Life is not a Christian Life but a Shameful Beastly Life a Brutish one Who told you that the Head of Christians Christ Jesus is present Christ Jesus is he present how came he here He is Ascended up into Heaven such a Day say they How came he here Let him be Ascended up into Heaven yet he is not so Ascended into Heaven as not to be here also how should he fufil his Promise if he be Circumscribed in Heaven or Earth How should he make good his Promise if when Two or Three are met together in his Name he is not in the midst of them Here are now many more than Two or Three met together in the Name of Christ and that hope for Acceptance with God through the Mediator Christ Jesus if you think that here are Two or Three met together in the Name of Christ it follows that Christ is in the midst of them I know not what you may enjoy some may possibly say I do not find any such Presence of Christ I hear of the Presence of Christ in the Sacrament and I have heard talk of the Presence of Christ at a Meeting but I have been at many a Meeting and I never found such a Presence of Christ Can you Read the Scripture Yes I can Read the Scripture as well as you but that cannot give me a sense of it I do Read the Scripture and Believe it but what signifies my Reading the Scripture concerning the Presence of Christ If I have not the sense of it I have been at many a Meeting but never had the sense of such a Divine Presence as you talk of nor it may be at the Sacrament neither What is the reason thou hast no sense of it If thou wilt take my Counsel and turn thy mind inward and enquire whether the thing I speak of be true whether there be such a Voice as I speak of That will tell thee what thy State is if thou wilt be true to thy self thou mayest know the Divine Presence and thou mayest hear Christ speak The Soul hath got Eyes and Ears as well as the Body What Eyes doth the Apostle mean when he saith The God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them that Believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them If the Soul hath Eyes and Ears as well as the Body it can Hear and See as the Body As the Bodily Eye can See Visible things so the Eye of the Soul can See things that are Invisible and Heavenly you can hear my Voice outwardly and you may hear the Voice of Christ inwardly I have known some that have been afraid to hear ill of themselves that they would not enquire some have been so guilty in their own Consciences that they have been afraid of hearing ill that they would not enquire about themselves So it is inwardly some have been Consciouâ— that their Life and Conversation is nought that their Life is a Sinful Life that they dare not put it to the Question It would cettainly have been told them thy Life is not a Christian Life thou must mend thy Life before ever thou comest to have Peace with God If this should be thy Portion and mine that upon search we should find our condition bad what harm is it I would put one Question to thee be serious in Considering of it We are all Children of Wrath by Nature none of us differ about that and that unless we be born again we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The Question is whether I am one of those or no Suppose upon enquiry it be discovered to me that I am not it is bad enough This is hard but not so hard as it is true this is the thing which I would have you Consider Am not I in a better case to know that I am in a Natural state than to go on and perish to Eternity As long as there is Life there is Hope as long as a man is upon the Earth and taking care for his Soul and enquiring about the State of his Immortal Soul If my Soul is not in a good condition Is it not better for one to know it and to seek for a cure For there is no greater Infirmity and Infelicity can be upon a Man than to have some occult and hidden Disease that he cannot be made sensible of for this wasts and spoils him and he cannot be persuaded to look out for a Remedy So it is inwardly if a Man be Ignorant of his condition and go on to his Dying Day and Hour and not seek after a Remedy this Man perisheth without all peradventure When you are in this enquiry be content to be controlled be willing to have the Truth spoken though it be against your selves I might instance in divers things that I have spoken of If a man be satisfied that his Life is not a Christian Life I say if the Swearer or Lyar if the Proud Person or the Effeminate as soon as they come to be satisfied that their Life is not a Christian Life that they now Live what will this man expect What Counsel should we give him and what Counsel should he take I will go on in the way that I am in what after thou knowest thy Life is not a Christian Life God forbid Wilt thou go on and perpetrate Sin upon Sin and heap up Wrath against the day of Wrath I am a Sinner my Life is Unchristian I make account to Live in Sin and die in Sin Is this good Policy Consider another Text which our Lord spake If ye die
Judgment if they are but willing upon all their own Ways A Man or Woman may know in every word they speak in every Action they do whether they speak and do according to the Truth or whether they are justified by the Truth in what they speak and do I tell you my Friends this is no small mercy that Mankind hath obtained at the Hands of his Maker that he is brought into a Capacity of not acting blind-fold but that he may see his way and his own Inclinations and pass Judgment upon them whether they are good or evil whether they will stand justified in the sight of his Maker or whether they will be Condemned I Confess the vail of Ignorance that is come over the Sons and Daughters of Men through Sin Transgression and Rebellion is very great And I may say as the Apostle said sometime you were darkness and what can Darkness see What can darkness discover The Lord our God that made us hath not left us in that State of Darkness Blindness and Ignorance but through the Riches of his Mercy and goodness hath found out a way to command that Light should shine out of Darkness into Peoples Hearts for all that the Devil did to darken Man to alienate and estrange him from his Maker The same Almighty Power that said in the Creation Let there be Light and it was so he hath shined into our Hearts and the way by which he hath done so is through the Mediator through Jesus Christ the Redeemer in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells He hath received Power from his Father not only to be Light and Salvation but to impart and Communicate of that Divine Light unto them even unto every one that cometh into the World that so by means thereof they may be delivered from their Darkness and Ignorance of the mind of God that they were lyable to in the Fall and might be restored through the Mediator to a Capacity of Judging of their own state as the Lord Judgeth and of their own Actions and of their own words and ways and Inclinations This is the Standard which God hath pitched in every one of your Bosoms for the Tryal of your selves either for Justification or Condemnation of every Word and Action Now to make every one sensible of the greatness of this blessing Consider it is not only given to augment and to encrease Knowledge but it is given on purpose to allure and perswade Men into a likeing of Truth into a Love of Truth The Apostle esteemed it a wonderful mercy that came by Christ he hath sent him to bless us in turning every one of us from the Evil of his ways so that here is a Capacity that the Sons and Daughters of Men have through the Mediator of being turned from the Evil of their ways and doings to that which is well pleasing to God The next work after God hath wrought thuâ— mercifully for the Sons and Daughters of Men is that they would be good to themselves and merciful to themselves and take pity of themselves by a due Improvement of the Grace and Mercy and kindness of God that he hath bestowed freely upon them and in bringing all their Dâ—eds to that Standard all their words and Actions to that Rule that so whatsoever they be or how many so ever if they do not answer that Standard and Rule they may deny withstand and resist them that so they may keep out of Condemnation For the Apostle declares it plainly without scruple There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus If he had said to them that profess Christ Jesus there had been a large Latitude especially for these Nations but the Words are limitted and you will find them so that is to them that are in Christ Jesus and as if he should say that you may know rightly whom I mean I mean such as walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit They that are in Christ walk after his Spirit for they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his but they that are his walk after the Spirit the Spirit of Truth and there is no Condemnation to them It is not only the Scriptures that Ratify and confirm this Doctrine but you your selves are all living witnesses of the Truth of this that so far as you do act and speak in Obedience to the Principle of Truth that God hath Planted in you you feel no Condemnation upon you Such a thing I did at such a time and I had no Condemnation Why so Because I did it in Obedience and Subjection to that measure of Grace that God set up in me and such a thing I did for which I was Condemned why so Bâ—cause I did it according to the Inclination of my own Corrupt mind and in Contradiction to the truth that opened in me My Friends I would have you in point of the Doctrine of Christianity to be the better for what you Read and hear it is possible for me to Preach the Truth and you may believe what I say and you may Read the Holy Scriptures and have the belief of what you Read but if you come to a sensible feeling of the fulfilling of the things you hear you will give a greater Seal to the Truth of the Doctrine than by all you have Read and heard and you will grow wise to Salvation by trying and experiencing the effect of every thing you understand And not like the Carnal Men of this World that have not Faith that mind only their Worldly Profits and Pleasures such are Earthly Sensual Devilish but I would judge of Actions and Words according to truth and according to the effâ—ct I find in me I did such a thing and I had peace in the doing of it I feel no Reproach no Condemnation upon me here is a way for People to grow up in the Life of Christianity to keep to the Standard of Truth for whether Men will or no they must do it at last and may now if they please make a Tryal of their Words and Actions As for the most part of you you are got past Pilate Pilate could make that enquiry What is Truth saith he And I confess it is not long ago it is within the Memory of Man that a more serious and better sort of People were confounded with the Darkness and Ignorance of those times that they were ready to cry out What is Truth And where is Truth Their Eyes were so blinded and things were so jumbled and confused by the Disputations that Men Raised they made things so dark that People could not see their way but God who hath commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath brought a Glorious Day that hath dissipated and scattered and driven away a great deal of that Fogg and Mist that did overspread Mens minds As many as have sincerely sought the Truth in the inward parts they have found a Divine Principle of Truth that hath a self
evidencing quality in it self to convince the Minds and Consciences of the Sons and Daughters of Men that it is the Truth And to this the Lord hath brought most of you to be sensible of something that is Truth in it self There are many things that are true in the Words of them many true Expressions but there is Truth in it self the Essential Truth of God which as it is in God is Everlasting and Eternal and will stand over all Errour Falshood and Deceit as the Truth is in Christ Jesus it is a Standard and Rule for Men to act by He hath given it to the Sons and Daughters of Mâ—n and as it appears in them it is either a Judge to Condemn them or a Saviour to save them from their Sins and so to justifie them Now that which concerns us is to find out that measure of Truth or manifestation of Truth or Principle of Truth which it hath pleased God to reveal in our selves And whosoever will turn their minds a little while inward into the serious search and Consideration how the Lord hath dealt with them they will find they are not quite destitute of Truth One that makes it his practice to Lye Cheat and Cozen or one that is a Lyar is not utterly destitute of Truth for there is a Principle of Truth in him that doth Check him and Reprove him for his Theft Lying and Falshood and he lives under Condemnation in himself He cannot draw near to the God of Truth upon any occasion but his Lying and Falshood stands in his way Now if so be that this Lyar be made sensible of a Principle of Truth in him do but bring his Words and actions to the Truth so much of it as he knows will make him leave Lying and Dâ—ceiving and he must Practise Truth to escape Condemnation and if he will but lâ—ave Lying and Falshood and live in the Truth and speak the Truth to his Neighbour he will find another State Condition and frame in his Soul than there was before He is now more at Peace and hath a Clear and Serene way to come to God by Prayer and for pouring out his Supplication which he had not before for he had barred up his own way by his Sin which lay continually at the Door If thou dost not well Sin lies at the Door saith God to Cain so when you do Evil you cannot but know it when you are Drunk or Swear or tell a Lye and deceive your Neighbour and carry on the design of sinful profit thou knowest it whether Men know it or no and God that made thee knoweth it and there thy Sin lies at the door and blocks and bars thee out that thou canst not offer thy Prayers to God with that clearness as if thou hadst spoken the Truth so that it highly concerns every one of us to be waiting upon God for the discovery of his Truth to us and then we must Embrace Adhere and join to the Truth as our chiefest good But some will say this Adhering and joining to the Truth is a hard Lesson It is pretty easie to find out a Principle of Truth that standeth against and opposeth all manner of Evil. Very few now a days will deny a setled Principle of Truth in every Man that judgeth Falshood and Condemneth decâ—it and witnesseth against it in others and in themselves But this same joining and Adhering to it that cannot be done without a Cross to a Carnal mind Now if the Cross of Christ be not taken up there is no good Christianity among us where this is neglected it spots and stains the Profession of Christianity because it is so directly opposite to the Doctrine of Christ He that will be my Disciple must it is not he may if he will but He must take up the Cross of Christ and follow Him There were a sort of People that were never like to be made Christians that would be exempt from taking up a daily Cross therefore he presseth it upon them to deny themselves and take up his Cross and follow him No man is like to live a Christian Life without taking up a Daily Cross This I cannot do saith one I know how to carry my self among Christians with Seriousness Sobriety and Watchfulness without shaming my Profession but I cannot deny my self I cannot contradict my own Will This is that which keeps a man from leading a Christian Life Then he cannot deny himself and take up his daily Cross Now it is come to this now a days when a Light is broke forth and Men have a Principle of Truth in their own Hearts It comes to this saith one I ought to be Holy in all manner of Conversation and to be Watchful over my Words and have my Conversation Honest and Just without Deceit See what a deal I know yet I can never Live this Life for all I know it so well I cannot take up a daily Cross which is so much against the contrary inclinations working in me Then the Question I put to my self is Shall I take up a Cross or no Here it comes to the point with every Man or Woman after they come to the knowledge of this Standard of Truth If the World would but come to this Rule and Standard there would be no more Cheating Couzening no more Fraud Deceit nor Emulation nor War and Bloodshed if Men would but in every thing they do answer the Principle of Truth in themselves they would put the Question to themselves Shall I take up a daily Cross or no Shall I deny my self those Pleasures that my Conscience doth condemn And those ungodly gains that I seek after by Falshood by Lying Prevaricating and Departing from the Truth shall I do this that I may be Rich and Great in the World You know what I say many of you and have put this Question to your selves and some have made a good Answer to it I will take up my daily Cross by the Grace of God this Standard of Truth shall be the Rule of my Words and actions to my Dying-day They that have learned this Lesson and obtained peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ that have not only made a Resolution but performed it in Act and Deed by the Power of Christs Cross they will be Purified and Sanctified and Washed from their Old Conversations and Have their Conversation in Heaven that is Live after a Heavenly manner Live a Godly Life here upon Earth when they have come to this Resolution and also to the Practice of it I would desire and it is my Labour that you that hear me this Day that are aware of what I am speaking viz. The Standard of Truth The Principle of Truth that unerring Guide which is placed in the Conscience of every Man that Justifieth or Condemneth his Actions and Words You that come to be aware of this that you may all come to this Godly Resolution in your selves I would have this Dispute carryed
that he may make it Workman like He will say if I let my Rule alone and not make use of it but work as I please and trust to mine Eye no wonder if I make bad work and what I build fall down again and tumble about mine Ears You to whom God hath given the Standard of Truth as a rule and measure to Govern your Thoughts Words and Actions by Let every thing be tryed with it before you Die and leave this World If you do so and make this your daily practice then ask your selves and you will be able to tell your selves and tell me and say I have now obtained more hopes of Gods Favour and a greater sense of his Love and goodness to me than ever I had before The Apostle doth exhort us to Walk Circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise Redeeming the time We have spent a great deal of time in vain let us now be Wise and Improve our time for our Eternal Advantage let us walk Circumpectly that is look round about us Consider our ways and try all our Thoughts Words and Actions by the Standard of Truth To Day My Friends while it is called to Day hear the Voice of God and harden not your Hearts and receive that Heavenly Counsel that is tendered to you that you may be partakers of the Inheritance among the Saints in Light His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Eternal Father Thou hast brought forth thy Glorious Name and Revealed thy Power and thy Mighty Arm and thou hast caused a Remnant to bow and Worship at thy Appearance Thou art Wonderful Thy Majesty is Great they that do behold thee will with Reverence Worship before thee Thy Power is gone forth and hath reached the Hearts of thy People Thou hast humbled them and subjected them to thy Divine Almighty Power that they might appear in the Earth to the Praise and Glory of thy great Name And O Lord as thou hast begun a great Work in the Earth so thou hast committed this Work to thy Servants and Children that bear thy Name among the Sons of Men that they should shew forth thy Rightousness among the Inhabitants of the Earth and our Souls have said many a time Who is sufficient for these things All our fitness and sufficiency our meetness and preparation is from thee Do thou Reveal thy Power and make bare thy Almighty Arm. We have found thy Presence from day to day and thou hast upheld them that know thy Love O Gracious God of Life herein we have encouragement to go on in the Work which thou hast called us to hereby we are enabled to Worship before thee and to offer up living Praises unto thy great Name for that Refreshment and consolation which thou hast Ministred unto thy People And O living Father We have never waited on the in vain whensoever we have met together in thy Name We have found thy Divine Presence and the opening of the Treasures of thy Love of thy Wisdom and of thy Favour to thy Children So that from day to day and even at this day thou rememberest thy People and thou givest them fresh occasion to draw nigh to thee and receive their daily nourishment and strength from the operation of thy Power O living God of Life gather up the Hearts of thy People more and more and draw them into a nearness to thy self that their Understandings may be moâ—e and more opened to discern thy Will and subject themselves to thy Wisdom that every Thought that is exalted against thy Divine Power and living Voice in their own Consciences may be brought down that so all the Nations of the Earth may bow before thee that so thy Truth may Reign and thy Power may be exalted and the Righteousness which thou hast Revealed may shine forth more and more in the Brightness and Glory of it and enlighten those that are afar off that they may be brought to seek after God And Lâ—vâ—ng God of Life let thâ—se that are bowed down under the Weight of Sin be supported and raised up and those that are weary and Heavy Laden let them have rest to their Souls Powerful God of Life keep thy People in a fresh and living Sence of thy love and of thy Heavenly Vertue by which thou nourishest thy Children and satisfiest them from day to day Not only when they are met together but when they are separated from one another let thy People be preserved from the Evil of the World while they are in it and let thy Wisdom and Power give them Victory over it that thou mayest have the Glory of all thy Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to them For thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon V. The great Duty of Remembring our Creatour Preached at Devonshire-House April 6. 1692. THERE is only One Living and True God Creatour of Heaven and Earth whom we are obliged to serve and Worship I have so much Charity as to believe there are none among us but will own and Acknowledge this And my Soul wisheth that this Obligation did always rest upon every ones mind that they might Remember their Creatour that hath given us all Life and Breath and continued all our blessings to us that so every one might apply their Hearts unto that Universal Duty that we are all convinced of And they that are thus imployed and exercised they are considering how and after what manner they may quit and discharge their Duty and perform the Obligation that lies upon them so that it may be accepted at the hands of God I speak now of those that are considerate not of those that go on in a Form of Religion and matter not nor Regard whether they are accepted of God or no but all that are Conscientious towards God they are desirous to serve God and Worship him so as they may be acceptable to him so to perform duties that they may receive their reward and that Encouragement that God in all Ages hath discovered and made manifest to be in his Purpose towards them that truly serve him When People come to this Consideration how they may serve God aright and worship him acceptably the Lord is nigh unto them to instruct them to teach them and guide them in that way that is Everlasting And blessed be his Holy Name a great many in our days have met with this Divine Teaching and Instruction and are taught in this Age as in former Ages to Understand the Worship of God that he requires that is in Spirit and Truth and do find that the Father doth seek such Worshippers and where he finds them he rewards them And they have an Answer of Peace in their Bosoms and they are encouraged to go on in the Worship and service of God to the end of their days And it is a great mercy and benefit a great blessing that God hath bestowed upon a Remnant so opened their Understandings to let them see and know
to the Sate and Frame of the Mind of a Man or Woman that they serve God with whether it be with sincerity and uprightness of mind and with breathing desires that They may know the good and acceptable Will of God and what is well-pleasing in his sight And that they might perform that which is according to his Heavenly will Where this sincerity is where this cry of the Soul is the Lord hath regard to it but where Peoples Religion is only to bear up a Profession and hold up an external Fellowship and Communion one with another when this sincerity is wanting the Lord abhors their Worship it is an abomination to God and no benefit or advantage to themselves It is not for the glory of God that they make a Profession but for some design to themselves and so they become abominable This was the state of Israel of old and it is the state of a great many now that think they do great matters if they conform so far to the Truth as that outwardly they may not be charged with a Lie but that they are of such a Society it is well if some would come so far as to maintain their Society with Gods People and their external Profession but if they have not regard to Truth in their own Consciences what is their Profession worth What will all thy Unity with them signifie If there be a breach between God and thine own Soul who can heal that breach What will their Profession signifie and amount to at last But Go you cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And all the reason to be rendred for it is this Depart from me Ye are workers of Iniquity He did not say in that sentence ye are Lyars you never Prophecyed in my Name and I never preached in your Streets but allowing what they said to be Truth that they had made a Profession and held Communion with other Christians allowing these things yet notwithstanding it is Go ye cursed and the reason of that Sentence is You are workers of Iniquity Let the dread of the God of Heaven rest upon you My Friends it is another thing to make a Profession of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth than most are aware Let every one that Names the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity What is Iniquity It is all things that a Man or Woman doth to gratifie their own wills contrary to the will of God that is Iniquity Where had all Men Liberty Where had Adam and his Sons their Liberty to fulfil their own wills and to contradict the will of God Yet nothing is more common in Nations Countries and Families than for People to assume a Liberty to perform and fulfil their own will and to bring about their own Interest Designs and Contrivances though at the same time they are convinced that it is contrary to the will of God Where this Liberty is taken there Iniquity is wrought that is Iniquity which is unjust that which is committed against him upon whom we have all our dependance every moment for Life and Breath for Food and Raiment and every thing we enjoy we have a dependance upon that God that made us yet vain Men and Women assume a Liberty of gratifying their own Wills and setting up for the Flesh You may remember that passage of the good Apostle when he saw some Libertine Professors of Christianity grow loose and careless it is well they thought that they did acknowledge God in their Meetings and Worship but as to the Affairs of the World they had forgotten that God was concerned in those things the Apostle takes notice of such a Libertine looseness Go to now you that say to Day or to Morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain Whereas you know not what shall be on the Morrow For what is your Life It is even a Vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away For that you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that You ought to live in subjection to him that made you you ought to have regard to Gods honour in whatsoever you do Whether you Eat or Drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God Is not this Scripture Is not this found amongst the Apostles Writings Do not we hold the Name of Christians which was given to them at Antioch Yea we are called Christians and these writings of the Apostle are holy writings and what then is the matter that we take so little notice of them That men do not apply these wholesome Exhortations to the particularities of of their Conversation but that they go from Countrey to Countrey and from one place to another and do what they please without having any regard to give their subjection to to the Great God This Loosness hath brought into the minds of some such a Liberty that they live without God in the World when they go sometimes to Religious Meetings and when they hear the Name of God mentioned it may be there come a little awe upon their minds and they have some regard to that God that gave them Breath and being for the present But if there be not Religion if there be not a Tie Religion signifies a Tie a being bound to God if men be not bound and tied to God by that which is made known to them every one will desire that which is good in their own Eyes Therefore it is necessary for you my Friends above all People you that are come to your measure of the Ministration of the Spirit and know it what it doth speak Such a thing I did this Morning and I am reproved for it Such a thing I did well and I am Justified and warranted in the doing of it Thus it is when a thing is well or ill done Sometimes some Men Act two or three Days together and never bring their Actions to the rule that is like a Man that is building and never minds his rule so what he builds up Tumbles down again upon his Head You know there is something in you that hath a speaking Voice an Infallible Voice and gives Judgment on your Actions and passeth a sentence either of Justification or Condemnation upon you If you would live so as to answer God in what you do you need not fear answering Men I do not fear answering Men in all I do or speak if I do but answer mine own Conscience I fear no Man though they be of another perswasion in their Judgment opposite to me if I keep peace in mine own Conscience I shall answer the principle of Truth in my adversaries Consciences though they hate me and despise me and seek occasion against me if my Actions answer the Truth of God in my own Heart they will answer the Truth in any Mans Heart This makes a Man as bold as a Lion When the People