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
they would give more reverence and respect to it It is this that brings those that Preach Christ to Preach him in those terms and under those Denominations that he is nigh them We do not doubt of Christs being born of a Virgin in the Land of Canaan and that he wrought Miracles and Preached many Godly Sermons and that he was Crucified Dead and Buried and Rose again from the Dead for these things are certainly true we would have him our Saviour in this Age we would have a nearer knowledge of him and a sense and feeling of the virtue of that Power by which he saved them that lived in former Ages He is not a Christ and a Saviour of one Age only but of all Ages to this Day from Adam to the last Man that shall live upon the Earth That Age and Generation that knoweth not Christ will not be saved by him if there be any Age wherein he is not known There is no other Name under Heaven by which you can be saved if you ask where is this Saviour Say not in thy Heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall Descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach He is nigh thy Soul he is the Lord of Life and a Quickenning Spirit If I know that Quickening Spirit after this I know the Lord Christ when he comes to work in me by his Power changing my Heart and translating me from Death to Life then I know the true Christ God hath manifested in all Ages that it is the Duty of People to come to the knowledge of the Son of God for he hath sent forth his Spirit for to teach us and to lead us into all truth For when Christ was with his Disciples he told them that he would pray the Father and he should send the Spirit the Comforter and when he came he would be known by his Divine and Inward Teachings and Operations guiding and leading them into all Truth that was his work to them But what shall other Folks do He will be made known to others too When he comes He shall convince the World of Sin So that his work to his Disciples was to lead them into all Truth and his work to the Woâ—ld is to convince the World of Sin Who will deny but that there is a Spirit in our Age as well as in other Ages that will convince men of Sin Is this the Spirit of God that convinceth the World of Sin or is it the Spirit of the QUAKERS only When People come to consider really and truly how they may serve God aright they will find there is no serving God aright unless they come to Christ the Mediator that in and by him they may put up suppplications to God and through him they may expect at the hands of God Peace and comfort and there is no other way nor never will be The Jews they had another way they had an outward way of serving God this stood in divers Offerings Sacrifices Washings and Observations this was a way of worship of Gods own institution to that People but what came of it When the Apostle came to grasp it he said The commers thereunto were not made perfect What were the transgressors of it then They that would sin on and continue in sin and not bring a Goat or a Ram or other Oblation they that did observe it and came up to the point of the Law they did bring their Offering when they were convinced of their Sin If a man sinned he was to bring a Hee Goat and to bring it to the Door of the Tabernacle but when he sinned the conscience of sin the guilt of sin remained upon him For it was impossible saith the Apostle that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away the Sin For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the Unclean Sanctifieth to the Purifying of the Flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit Offered himself without spot to God Purge your Consciences from Dead works to serve the Living God When there is no hope of attonement and reconciliation with God by all those offerings under the Law he tells you of one offering of the Son of God himself through the Eternal Spirit by which he became a a Propitiation for thus will it do If I believe that Christ offered an Holy Offering to the Father for my sins I believe he offered his Body and that through the Eternal Spirit that he might be a propitiation for sin and take away sin and have Power over Sin and Death and conquer Death and Darkness the Apostle drives the matter farther you must come to the inward Work of this outward Offering this Eternal Offering that was in due time Offered to God you must come to know the Operation of it by the sprinkling of the Heart from an evil Conscience so that there was to be an Applicatory Faith for the offering of that The way to a Saviour was not made by Man no more than the way of Salvation by Christ was found out by Man No more than the Application of the benefits is effected by man Where it pleaseth God to call a People by his Grace he calleth them to his Son not by this and the other Form No man cometh to me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him The first thing that a Man or Woman comes to be aware of is the secret sense and feeling of the Lords Divine Power upon the Heart to seek Christ Jesus As soon as they feel this and embrace it this will be a Token of the Love of God I hope all this Congregation will acknowledge that they have sometimes felt his drawings and that they have not embraced and closed with them so well as they ought When the People are aware of these drawings Inwardly to Holiness and Righteousness and are sensible that they should with care and intention close with them for the good of their Poor Souls and that it concerns them to be happy in the other World that World that is to come and therefore resolve to be led by these drawings of the Spirit of God these are not weeds that grow in the Field Naturally These are sparks of Divine Fire kindled in the Hearts of Men by God himself No Man comes unto God till God cometh to him and touches him and gives him sense and motion these are the motions and stirrings of Gods Holy Power in the hearts of many that are wicked and Abominable Yet the Lord doth not despise the work of his own hands but reacheth to such When the Lord meets with these that Despise not but highly Prize this wonderful Grace and Close with it and are Glad of it such a one
goodness and receive of thy blessings that so every one may be sensible that thâ—u art at the least knocking at the door of their hearts that thou mightest have an entrance and bow the hearts and wills of all to receive what thou givest and hast to offer to receive the word of Life by which thou art quickning them And kindle holy desires after thy self that every one may receive thy truth in the love of it That so blessed God of Life thy glorious work of Redemption may be carryed on and we may all feel it carryed on upon our Souls Hear thy poor People that are crying unto thee the God of Gods in Zion that are sensible of their weakness and feebleness and how unable they are to overcome the Enemies of their Soul Arise in thy power O Lord and these Enemies shall be scattered Let the Souls of thy People be raised from the Dust and delivered fâ—om their Sin that they may rejoice and pâ—aise thy name for their deliverance Righteous God of Life our Eyes are unto thee to set forth thy glory for th u hast made bare thine Arm for the Salvation of the poor and needy Souls and thou hast been stretching forth the cords of thy Love to gather them that were scattered and hast been bringing home to thee those that were hurried away in a dark and cloudy day Thou hast made us sensible of thy operations and hast constrained thy Servants to labour in the Word and Doctrine for the gathering of such home that so they and we may enter into thy holy Covenant and may sound forth thy praises to the Ages and Generations to come That so Holy God of Life and Love thou that hast saved us with a marvelous salvation mayest receive for all thy mercies and blessings to thy Children Praises Glory Honour and Thanksgiving for thou alone art worthy who art God over all blessed for Ever Amen Sermon II. Heart Preparation for Receiving the Gospel Preached at Devonshire-House Feb. 12. 1687. IT is in my heart at this time to desire that every ones heart were prepared to be made partakers of the blessings of the Gospel For there is a certain Preparation that every one must witness in themselves ere they are capable of receiving Divine blessings For in all Ages of the World the Blessings of the Lord have been manifold and his Arm hath been always stretched out in all Ages to the Sons and Daughters of Men sensible of the Love he hath unto them and where these tenders of the Love of God have met with prepared hearts they have received it to their Eternal well-fare But this hath been the Lamentation that hath been taken up upon the greatest part of mankind that they have not been prepared to receive the Love of God their hearts and minds have been so filled with the Love of visible things and carnal objects that they have not been truly sensible of the Riches of Grace and Mercy and Love of God unto them Now it was said of old by the Prophet That the Preparation of the Heart is of the Lord and there is somâ—thing that belongs to us on our part that we might attain to this this Preparation that we might be brought in to this Spiritual frame of mind and that is by returning to the Lord that People might think upon his Name and have regard to his Appearance And although this is not the work of Nature for by Nature the minds of People are abroad and they are crying out as the Psalmist speaks Who will shew us any good Yet to help that defect the Lord hath been pleased to send forth his Grace and his Truth and to call unto the Sons and Daughters of Men that they might seek after him that they might Seek the Lord while he is to be found and they that do hearken unto his voice they will readily confess that there is nothing doth so well satisfie an Immortal Soul as to be gathered into fellowship with its Maker And that at one time or other it is the desire of all Men and Women that they might attain Peace with the Lord and they know there is no Peace to the wicked and they know wickedness will remain until it is abolished and destroyed and they know that it is not in their Power to destroy it and therefore of necessity there must be a waiting upon the Lord who is Almighty that he may reveal his Power in our weakness And they that are thus Prepared in their Minds for them to meet religiously together with expectation unto God that he according to his promise will appear and will reveal his Arm and do in them and for them that which they cannot do for themselves this is a fit occasion for People to meet together and thus many times to have their expectation to God and say Lord thou knowest my weakness and thou knowest the enemies I have to deal withal thou knowest I am not able to overcome them Therefore we are now met together in the Presence of the Lord to wait to receive at his hands that Power that Life that Vertue by which we may be made more than Conquerours Such a Religious Meeting thus gathered together hath a Promise I will be in the midst of them saith the Lord and therefore having a promise we may reasonably expect that we shall be made partakers of the living Virtue and Power by which we may do that which of our selves we cannot do And I say Friends it is my Souls desire that you were all thus qualified that every one had an evidence in himself of this right Preparedness for where the Eye is abroad upon any visible thing that it seeks satisfaction in any thing below the Lord himself it will wear away and wax old All those Objects that People fix their minds upon they will wax old but they whose desires and the breathings of their Souls is that they may grow into Acquaintance with their Maker this will never wax old When Peoples minds are fixed as the People of the Lord of old were When they made a comparison between the state of their minds and the minds of others and signified it in these words They are saying They are crying that is they that are of the World Who will shew us any good But we for our parts our cry is Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us and we will be more glad of that than thâ—y can be with all the increase of Corn and Wine and Oil. Now they that feel in themselves the reason of their Meeting together is to enjoy the Light of Gods Countenance and to partake of the blessings of God they have their expectation to God their minds are retired into God But knowing right well that if the Tongues of Men and Angels are moved to declare the Heavenly and Divine Mysteries of the Kingdom of God they cannot be Edified or benefited by them without the Divine help and assistance of
is much strife and opposition in that way If I have a mind to speak a Vain word I am Limitted if I have a desire to wrong my Neighbour and cheat and defraud him I am Limitted I am not to do it that belongs to the Broad way if a Man will seek after the Lord and walk in the way of Holiness and Righteousness the end whereof is Peace he will find it is a Narrow way wherein he cannot enjoy his own will such a one must be a David who said I behaved my self as a weaned Child that is as one that is affraid to be Beaten But thou wilt be ready to say I am a Man and not a Child I am come now to be a Man a Man of Parts I have seen much and read much and would you have me become a Child What a great Man was David If you speak of a Man he was a Man of Dignity and Honour a Man of Valour and Experience yet when he speaks with respect to the frame of his mind before the Lord he saith he behaved himself as a weaned Child as one that feared to be beaten feared to commit an Offence He feared the Rod of his God upon him he feared Judgment would come upon him he feared something of Judgment upon his Conscience David was an Old Testament Man but he had regard to that which never waxeth old but is the same in all times new and old Alpha and Omega Christ Jesus was his leader before he was born of the Virgin Mary his Word was a Light to his Feet and a Lanthorn to his Paths David had Acquaintance with God who did lift up the Light of his Countenance upon him And when Christ himself came to Preach upon Earth he saith himself Every one that comes into the Kingdom of God must become a little Child He must become as a little Child in Simplicity and Subjection he must be under Government he must become like a little Child or he must in no wise enter the Kingdom of Heaven They must not think to enter into Christs Kingdom because they are Men Men of Parts Men of Courage Men of Understanding Learned Doctors that are Masters of Liberal Arts and Sciences These may help to make them Men but they must be Children all their Wit and Parts and Manhood Courage and Valour will do them no good for little Children Babes and Sucklings may understand more than they of Divine Misteries and have greater Communion and Entercourse between God and their souls than they so that whosoever enters into Christs Kingdom must become like little Children So that here is a way provided by Jesus Christ for Man to come again into the favour of God which is by Christ alone not by any thing that a Man can do Christ must be their leader and their Counsellour he alone can give them the true knowledg of God No Man can know the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son reveals him Men can never attain to the saving knowledg of God by study and by Disputation and reading Books and Commentators and Observators of matters of Religion Time would fail me to speak of the multitude of Books that have been written about the Knowledg of God You must come to Christ for Divine Knowledg Theology the Knowledg of God and Divine and Heavenly things is from Christ he shall have this Divine Knowledg be he never so simple that comes unto Chist for it he cannot have it any other way for God hath ordained this way saith God he shall have it of my Son who is the Reconciler the Mediatour between God and Man he shall be beholding to Christ for all All Mens own works and labours will not Justify and save them for God hath Committed the whole work of Salvation to Christ One would think it should be no great matter for Men to lay aside their own works and Duties and submit to Christ but I tell you it is very hard and I found it hard my self Men think by reading and Learning and hearing this and the other Mans Notions and Opinions they may be edified and proffited and come to the true knowledg of God but while they are waiting upon God in the way he hath appointed they may receive knowledg from Christ and be more certain and Infallible in what they do know than by consulting all the wise Men and learned Doctors in the World For no Man knows all at once and no Man knows all things neither it is not a thing necessary that a Man should know all things in relation to God for as he is in himself he is incomprehensible For no Man knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son shall Reveal him Yet that which he knows of God he may know it as certain and Infallible Suppose a Man know nothing of God but that he is the searcher of Hearts and the trier of the Reins There are many have read this and say they know it that yet doubt whether there be a God or no But when God comes within them and convinceth them of Sin and searcheth them and brings Judgment upon them for what they have done then they know Infallibly that God is the searcher of Hearts This is not Mans work this is the work of God if I find God doth approach my Spirit I know it is Gods work I have now got some knowledg of God how came I by it who gave it me No body but he that hath all Knowledg he that was with the Father from the beginning and was Glorified with the Father before the World began he gave me this Knowledg and how did he give it thee By this Spirit for he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into my Heart and that Spirit of Christ searches the Heart and tryes the Reins He tells me this is Evil that thou hast done this is that which God that made thee hath against thee this thou must forsake and this thou must Repent of here I have an Infallibility of what I know but I cannot get Rid of my Evil. Now if I can believe in that Power by which my Heart is search'd and trust in him that hath begun to deal with me then his work is not only to Reveal his Light to convince me but to put forth his Power to convert me so that by the Power of that truth by which my Heart is search'd I come to be converted and turned from my Sin and break off from it and when I am broken off from it I am sure and have a certainty that it is so that I am broken off from such a Sin and that my Heart is turned against it I am sure that now I hate it and detest it and that God hath turned my Inclination another way I am sure this is Gods work I can witness this Infallibly that something is now done in order to my Redemption But there is something yet Remaining to be done What
his Neighbour the party loseth by it and the Devil reioyceth at it Thus we know the Life of Righteousness is brought forth through the Spirit of Truth and outshines all and will reach Gods witness in them that are afar off and bring them near and happy and blessed are they that are found in this Divine work conforming their Lives and Conversations according to the new Creature Peace be upon them And upon the whole Israel of God There is a Minister that abides with you that goes home with you it is his Testimony that you must stand or fall by If any one should be a false Professor and be cryed up if he be not sincere he hath not Peace though he flutter a while and makes a shew the Worm of guilt Gnaws him and Torments him such as these have not Peace with God nor fellowship with the Church Though they seem to be a live yet they are Dead as it was with the Churches in Asia they had a name to live yet they were Dead though they have an empty Name such a one is a living Man or Woman are esteemed Friends to the Church but though they are commended and cryed up and have a Name to live yet they are Dead there are a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments they walk with me in White saith Christ for they are worthy I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art Dead See what Christ the Bright Morning Star could do he could look into a Meeting and see whether few or many had only a name to Live or were really alive if they were Dead as to Sincerity and Truth though they had been among the Church they would help to break it down but not to build it up You that have his Divine life still stirring in you and feel the operation that first quickened you to God prize this principle of the Divine life above all What is there can rob you of it Value not the Friendship of the World Alas What can it Amount to Count it as Dung in comparison of Christ Jesus look upon all things with a sound Eye Peace with God is of that concerment that you cannot be happy here or hereafter without it the Friendship of the World I can be without and the customes and fashions of the World I can be without I can spare these things but the Favour of God I cannot be without and growth in Grace and the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a sincere Profession of the Gospel I cannot be without these things My Friends though you do not make a shew and Flutter in the World as some others do yet your glory is within they that are living Members of this Divine body the glory and beauty and brightness of such appears in the sight of God If you grow in grace you will be a Comfort one to another and as the Apostle speaks You are our Epistle written in our Hearts knâ—wn and read of all Men. The Lord preserve and keep you simple keep you in all Sincerity in that Truth that hath wrought in your own hearts that you may have acquaintance with your teacher that he may not be driven into corners for you may do it and stop his mouth and silence him too If you let your Perverse will Rule you may slay the Just but there will come a Day of his Rising then down go you Whatsoever Men may get by it at present when Truth riseth when the just one that was slain hath a Resurrection in them then most certain down they go While you have an opportunity in your Hands and an Interest in the Covenant of Life walk with God according to the Counsel and Dictates of his Holy Spirit that you may be brought to an heavenly Fellowship and to partake of the Good things that God hath prepared for his Children My Friends Pray prize your seasons let no Day slip for fear you may miss a Day at last wait upon the Lord and let his fear and a Holy awe be always upon your Hearts Then peace will be upon you and there will be acceptance of all that you do Mark the Perfect Man and behold the upright for the End of that Man is peace when he can reflect upon his past Life and say I have walked before the Lord with a perfect Heart and done that which is good and well pleasing in his sight and have not turned aside to the right Hand or to the left but the standard of Truth hath been the guide of all my Spiritual and Temporal Actions If truth hath been thy guid here then Truth shall be thy Portion hereafter If Truth guide thee in thy way then thou shall rejoyce with the Saints and receive an Inheritance with the People of God and enjoy that glory and felicity which God hath prepared for them that Love him His Prayer after Sermon EVerlasting Glorious Eternal God of Life whose kingdom ruleth over all thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom a Glorious and Blessed Day hath dawned wherein thou art making thy self known to the Sons and Daughter of Men and thou hast opened an Eye in a Remnant which the God of this World had blinded to see the Glory of it For though we have lived without God in the World yet thou art near to us and thou hast called us to Repentance and inspired our Souls with a desire to thee and to the Remembrance of thy name Praises and Everlastings Thanksgivings belong unto thee who art the Author of our Salvation who hast reached out thy Hand and laid hold upon us and sought us out when we sought thee not and hast made known thy Power and love for our Redemption and Salvation and thou wilt make it known more and more to every upright and sincere mind O Powerful Father of Life how hath thy Power and Goodness been Revealed on our behalf for thine own Name sake Thou hast stood by us in all our Tryals and Exercises and we have â—ound thee a God nigh at Hand and thou hast brought a Remnant to desire nothing so much as the Injoyment of thy Presence thou hast brought them to be sensible that without thee they can do nothing therefore in all our Assemblies and Meetings we desire to be Acquainted with thy Power to hear thy Word which speaks Life to our Souls by which we may live And Dear and Powerful Father the Continuation of thy goodness among us doth greatly engage the Hearts of thy Children to offer up Praises and Thanksgivings to thee Thou hast inclined the Minds and Hearts of thy People to wait upon Thee and hast opened their understandings to receive thy Heavenly Truth and those rich and Heavenly treasures which thou offerest them and hast provided a Cup of Salvation to refresh the Poor and needy Soul O Living God of Life reach forth thy Hand to support and save those that are Breathing after thee that are sensible