Sin of Justification of Peace with God and of eternal Life and Happiness as Christ was held forth in the Promise we lay hold on Christ as his Doctrine is preached As we lay hold on a Man by taking hold of his Cloaths or a Lap or Skirt of his Garment so we lay hold on Christ by the precious things testified of him So that there is a great difference between common Illumination given to all Mankind and that special Illumination which is proper to Believers and whatsoever other Differences there are may be reduced to these three But though the common and special Illumination be differing yet they both come from one Fountain and Root God Christ and the Spirit according to 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. And the common Illumination is of a saving tendency by way of introduction and preparation to the other But some may put the Question and say Of what Use is this common Illumination if it belong not to the new Covenant then of what use is it to us I answer it is of great use it is of the same use with the Law it is as a School-master to bring us unto Christ to point us unto Christ This common Illumination is like John the Baptist his Ministry and Baptism he was sent before to prepare the Way of the Lord. This common Illumination prepares Men and Women for Christ it will make them sensible that they are miserable Sinners miserable Offenders and Transgressors and that God is angry with them and that they deserve to die and that the Wages of Sin is Death they having sinned Death is their Wages I say this is of great Service to People to be thus far convinced that they are Sinners and that they need an Advocate and Mediator to come between God and them because they have offended him If we had offended a great Man we would be glad for some who had Interest in him and great favour and friendship to speak for us If we had offended the King and committed Treason would not we be glad of some Person that hath a great Interest in the King's favour to intercede for us If the King had a Son would not we be glad that he should mediate for us and interpose between us and the Wrath of the King and turn away his Indignation and make Reconciliation for us Would not we be glad that the King's Son should obtain a Pardon for us and restor◠us to the King's favour We have offended the King of Kings and the supream Lord of Heaven and Earth so that we need a great Mediator we need one to make our Peace and purchase Pardon and Salvation for us God hath laid help upon one that is mighty he hath given his dear Son Christ Jesus to be the great Mediator between God and Man to be the great Peace-maker and Reconciler and the Saviour of Sinners But it should not be thought that Christ hath greater tenderness and love for us than God the Father Who so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life And now in the next place there is another thing that is weighty upon my Spirit and it is of great concernment and that is to answer this Question Question How doth God do this great Work of putting his Law in our inward Parts and writing his Law in our Hearts Doth he do it without all outward Means Helps and Instruments I answer In God's ordinary way he doth this great VVork by outward Means Helps and Instruments tho' he can do it without them It may suffice us that God hath vouchsafed to us these outward Means and Helps of Instruction in the Preaching of the Gospel and in our Reading of the holy Scriptures It pleaseth the Lord by the mighty working of his 〈…〉 it to go along with the outward Ministry of the VVord and to make impression upon us and to write his Law in our Hearts this Law of the New Covenant This I testify from mine own Experience and I doubt not but divers here can witness the like to have been their Experience that God hath by the mighty power and operation of his holy Spirit accompanying the outward means and helps of Instruction made impression upon them and written his Law upon their Hearts This Law of the New Covenant here expressed in the singular Number is sometimes stiled Laws in the plural Number When it is stiled Law in the singular Number it signifies a Body of divine Laws consisting of many parts I will put my Law in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Now the Laws and Precepts of God which he gave to his People the twelve Tribes of Israel some have computed their number to be above six hundred Laws many of which were typical and ceremonial How do these typical and ceremonial Laws which were given to them bind us that live under the Gospel Do they oblige us now I answer they do not bind us as to the typical and ceremonial part but they bind us as to the spiritual part as they have a spiritual and moral signification as the Law of the Sabbaths and Sacrifices and New Moons c. they bind us not as to the ceremonial part but as they have a spiritual and moral signification in them I shall now proceed to some few things that remain In the new Covenant God hath promised to his People To blot out their Iniquities and to remember their Sins no more The Law of the first Covenant doth not admit of Pardon of Sin The Soul that sinneth shall die but the new Covenant hath Pardon of Sin through the Mediator Christ Jesus upon the account of shedding his Blood for us This is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of Sins Mat. 26.28 Why doth not he say for Remission of the sins of all He died for all and shed his Blood for all but it is only effectual to those that believe in him Pray observe with me this weighty Matter of Doctrin which is this None hath his Sins blotted out but as he comes to God's Teachings the Father's Teachings but as he comes to be taught of God over and above all Mens Teaching whatsoever every one that is taught of God doth know more of God more of his Love more of his divine Grace more of his Power more of divine Enjoyment those that are taught of God know more of a divine Sweetness and Enjoyment and of Comfort than can be had by the Teachings of Man or in the Bible it self according to that Expression of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The full fruition of these things is reserved to the World to come but the deep things of God are
That Jesus Christ in the fulness of Time died for our Sins and became an Offering and a Sacrifice to reconcile us to God by dying and shedding his precious Blood for us So this Word within us is put into us he hath put into us the Word of Reconciliation Christ is the great Sacrifice of Attonement the great Reconciling Sacrifice and by his Spirit he applies the Vertue and efficacy of his Death and Sufferings to us Christ being risen from the Dead we are not ashamed to own it we are not ashamed to confess it with our Mouths For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation for the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine Heart that God hath raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved The Brain and Head Belief will not do it is the Word of Faith in the Heart that begets this Belief in us If the Lord shall hereafter be pleased to give me further Opportunity I shall shew you what Salvation is in the full extent of it It is not only from Sin and Wrath and the Anger and Displeasure of God but it is a Salvation from all the Consequences and effects of it It is a Salvation from Ignorance and Error and from Darkness of Understanding It is a Recovering of us from a State of Sin and Misery and a Restoring of us to a higher Dignity and Felicity than that Primitive State which Adam was created in to whom God gave Dominion over all the Works of his Hands We are saved gradually we obtain Victory by degrees and Dominion over Sin and Power over all our Spiritual Enemies This is a great Salvation indeed we are saved by Faith and saved by Hope There is a Time coming when there shall be no more Sorrow Sickness Pains Aches Miseries Afflictions Agonies or Death but Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life The great Necessity of Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as he is both God and Man in order to Salvation Held forth in a Declaration or Sermon Delivered by GEORGE KEITH At Grace-church-street August 22. 1694. Acts 16.30 31. Sirs what must I do to be saved Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shat be saved and thy House I Shall not spend much time about the word Sirs which in the Greek signifies Lords which is the Title that the Jailer here gives to Paul and Silas He was struck with fear and terror in his Conscience and was under much horror and consternation when by the mighty Power of God he was convinced of his Sin and danger of falling short of Salvation We read That at Midnight after Paul and Silas had many Stripes laid upon them and were cast into the inner Prison and their Feet made fast in the Stocks they prayed and sung Praises to God and the Prisoners heard them And it is said That suddenly there was a great Earthquake so that the Foundations of the Prison were shaken and immediately all the Doors were opened and every ones Bands were loosed Being in such fear and consternation no wonder that the Keeper of the Prison gives to Paul and Silas those high Titles of Sirs or Lords What shall I do to be saved Not that they desired those Titles or accepted those Titles which the Jailer gave to them For Paul saith There is but one Lord not Lord Paul and Lord Silas not Lord Timothy and Lord Titus To shew his Honour and Esteem of their Persons and of their Advice and Counsel in his distressed condition he cries out Sirs or Lords What must I do to be saved Which will not justify such Titles But notwithstanding the Query was seasonable and proper and is so to every awakened Conscience that is struck with a deep sense of the need of a Saviour and want of Salvation What must I do to be saved Now the Answer is very short but full and comprehensive Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House It must not be supposed or thought that this was all they spake or the whole they preached to him and to those that were in his House but this was the matter and the sum of their Exhortation and Counsel tho' they might enlarge in many Words We do not read that they went to Bed all that Night they had a sweet time together until the next Morning when they parted being discharged from their Imprisonment For the Magistrates that sent them to Prison came and besought them and brought them out and desired them to depart out of the City Without question there was much Discourse and Conference passed between them but the chief material thing which Paul and Silas preached to the Jailer and his Family was Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House It is not to be understood that his House and Family Wife Children and Servants should be saved by his Faith alone no every Man and Woman are to be saved by their own Faith The Just shall live by his Faith not by another Mans Faith but by his own Faith The Words imply so much Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House If they believe also you shall all be saved if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Now some say Was there not need of some Preparation before the Preaching of Faith Here was an excellent Preparation the Mans Conscience was mightily awakened with the sense of his lost and undone state and condition What needed he to ask for Salvation if not sensible of his lost and undone condition So indeed here was a good Preparation and such a Preparation is necessary to have the Conscience awakened through a deep and inward sense of sin and of the wrath of God that was due because of sin this Preparation is necessary to Faith The Whole saith our blessed Lord need not a Physician but they that are sick And I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Who are these Righteous that Christ did not come to call to Repentance Did Christ find any Righteous Are there any found Righteous before they be called No there is none Righteous till God first visits them by his mighty Power What is the sense of these Words I came not to call the Righteous It is those that are Righteous in their own Sight in their own Eyes those that have their own Righteousness a humane Righteousness a legal Righteousness such are not Righteous in the sight of God they have need of Christ as much as others They that rely upon their own Righteousness a humane or legal Righteousness they see not the want they have of Christ Jesus the great Physician of Souls It is certainly so before ever Christ Jesus can be welcomed as the Souls Physician and Saviour before he can be welcomed embraced and received
as a High Priest and Propitiation for Sin as an Advocate as an Intercessor and as the Attonement we must see our absolute need of him in order to our obtaining Eternal Salvation Christ is both the Priest and the Sacrifice the Priest that offers and the Attonement that is offered O glorious Mystery that he who is our great high Priest should offer himself The Priests under the Law offered other things â—s the Body and Blood of a Beast but Christ offered himself he gave himself a Ransom for us he offered his own Blood his own Life he made his Soul an Offering for Sin he offered himself Soul and Body a compleat Offering not his Body only but his Soul and Body also he offered himself through the eternal Spirit Before Christ can be thus embraced and sought after as a Hiding-place there must be a Preparation going before And it is prophesied of him A Man shall be a Hiding-place the Man Christ Jesus No Man but he can be a Hiding-place from the Storm and Tempest And as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land And it is prophesied of him again He shall be our Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land What Man is this And who is this Assyrian It is an Allegory or Metaphor The King of Assyria you know invaded the Land and carried away the ten Tribes The King of Assyria by way of Metaphor or Allegory is he that seeks to destroy our Souls and make havock of them Christ shall be our Peace When the Assyrian comes into our Land to spoil us and destroy us the Man Christ Jesus shall be our Defence How through Faith in him he shall be our Hiding-place and our Defence and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land We must fly unto him by Faith and our Faith must not stand in the wisdom of the words of Men but in the power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Foundation he is the true Ground and sure Footing for every one of our Faith The mighty Power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ opening and revealing to our Souls the great Mysteries of our Salvation Christ is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God The Jews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Doth Paul preach two Christs No by no means neither Prophet Apostle or Evangelist preach two Christs as if Christ within were one Christ and Christ without another Christ The Man Christ Jesus that died a painful and shameful Death upon the Cross in whom all Fulness dwells the Fulness of the Godhead bodily he is the living powerful eternal Word that had the Spirit without measure which is in measure in us he is but one Christ one compleat and intire Christ But some may say Why doth the Apostle Paul call Christ the Power of God and the wisdom of God I answer plainly because the fulness of the divine power and wisdom dwelt in Christ and dwells in him so that through our Faith in him we receive such a measure of the divine wisdom and power as we need in order to have the work of our Salvation wrough out to have it begun carried on and finish'd There are two things that we greatly need that we absolutely and indispensibly need Wisdom and Power We need a measure of God's Wisdom of heavenly and divine Wisdom to make known to us the whole Will Counsel and Mind of God for our Salvation for all that we can read in the holy Scriptures and other good Books and all that we have preached to us from time to time can never suffice to give us the true Knowledge of the will and mind of God in order to our Salvation unless we be supplied with divine Wisdom from above unless we be inwardly inspired endued and inlightned with the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge from God and Christ Jesus We need a measure of the divine Spirit and of the divine Wisdom to teach and instruct us concerning the Mind and Will and Counsel of God concerning our Salvation not by Piece-meal and in Parts but we must know the whole Mind and Counsel of God as much as is needful to our Salvation to have it wrought in us David was sensible of this when he thus prayed Teach me to do thy Will O God teach me thy Judgments Psal 119.108 And teach me thy Statutes vers 64. teach me by thy good Spirit But some there are that are ignorant and self-conceited which are ready to say What need we pray after this manner Did not David know God's Precepts and Statutes He had them upon his Memory and upon his Heart But for all the knowledge that he had of God's Precepts yet he needed further to be taught and instructed in the depth of the Mystery of divine Wisdom and Knowledge therefore in respect of the Commandments and Statutes of God he prays Lord teach me thy Precepts teach me thy Statutes and Testimonies and Judgments We need the Teachings of the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation The Apostle prays thus for the Ephesians 1 chapter 17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him The eyes of our understandings being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right Hand in the Heavenly places We need a measure of the Divine Wisdom that dwels in all fullness in Christ He that was Crucified and buryed rose again and Ascended into Heaven and is now there in that prepared Body wonderfully Glorified but not another Body it â— the same Body but now impassible not subject to suffering or Bodily weaknesses aâ— Hunger Thirst Sleep or Wearyness hiâ— Body is not now passible or obnoxious to any kind of Suffering Secondly Another thing we greatly need is Power these two Wisdom and Power do in a manner comprehend and contain all our needs We want the Instruction of Divine Wisdom to give us understanding and knowledge to know the Mind of God to know the whole Will and Counsel of God to know our Duty to God and what the Lord requires of us and what the Lord Christ requires of us in order to our Eternal Happyness And then we want Power as well as Wisdom if God should give us Wisdom and Understanding and Councel to know what we ought to do and withhold Power from
in Christendom is not the true Faith Why Because they have not these Fruits Love is a Fruit of the Spirit where is Love amongst them Where Love is there will not be Backbiting Heartburnings Jealousies Surmises and uncharitable judging one another No where Love is these things will not be but Love Joy and Peace Peace with God and Peace with one another and nothing but Peace and good will even towards all Then our Swords will be beaten into Plowshears and our Spears into Pruning-hooks and Men will learn War no more That there is so much strife and contention in Christendom it is because true Lov◠is wanting among Men and true Faith is also wanting But there are a Remnant that have tru◠Faith that worketh by Love but this noble Faith and Love and the rest of the Fruits o◠the Spirit are greatly wanting amongst the generality of the Professors of Christianity I◠is by Faith that we come to be ingrafted into Christ the true Vine and abide in him and bring forth much Fruit. It is by unbelief that Men are severed from Christ and not abiding in him they are cast forth as Branches that are withered and then cast into the Fire and burned O great is the hurt of unbelief and great is the benefit of true Faith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Eph. 4.10 11. saith the Apostle Christ when he Ascended upon high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto Men. He that first descended into the lower parts of the Earth is the same that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Faith and the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every Wind of Doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning craftyness whereby they lie 〈◊〉 wait to deceiave Hence observe the manner of the Speech and Phrase used by the Holy Ghost all these are for edifying the Body of Christ till we come unto the unity of the Faith and knowledg of the Son of God to a perfect Man All Believers make up one perfect Man where Christ is the Head and Believers are the Members Let thy progress be never so great thou canst not come to equality with Christ he hath the fulness of the God-head dwelling in him Bodily we can come only to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ now the greatest and higest measure is but a measure Consider what is Written Rom. 11.24 The Jews that were natural branches were cut off from Christ the good Olive Tree through unbelief What was their unbelief They did not believe in Christ Jesus the Son of Man they did not believe in him that was born of a Virgin to be the Prophet that God promised to his People they did not believe the Man Christ Jesus to be the true Messiah that God had promised to send to put an end to the Types and Figures and shadows of the Law and to their new Moons and solemn Feasts and to Circumcision and to the Passover and to put an end to the offering up of outward Sacrifices and the shedding of the Blood of the Sacrifices that so their Sins might be forgiven them for without shedding of Blood there is no Remission It was not the Blood of Beasts that wer◠offered in Sacrifice could take away Sin Why Because these were only Representations and Symbols to help the People's weakness and to present Christ to their Eyes and suited to their weak State which is compared to the state of a Child This was the Reason they received not Christ outwardly and the Unbelief of the Jews was great in that because they did not receive Christ into their Hearts in his Spiritual Appearance but they received him neither inwardly nor outwardly Whosoever reject Christ outwardly they reject him inwardly and whosoever receive Christ inwardly and sincerely they also receive him outwardly to be the great Sacrifice for their Sins they own his priestly Office for the Remission of Sins through the Blood of the Covenant they do admire the wonderful Design and Contrivance of the Wisdom of God in the great Work of Man's Redemption they adore and admire the Mercy and Love of God his Power and Justice Holiness Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness and Truth in that glorious Contrivance that he should send his Dear Son to die for the Sins of Men and take our Nature and Sin upon him and be made a Curse for us and take the Curse from us and to be made Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He was wounded for our Transgressions bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness He was made Sin for us saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. How was Christ made Sin for us Sin that is a Sin-offering He became an Offering for Sin They that are Branches in the true Vine and grafted into Christ receive heavenly Sap and Moisture from him We must believe that Christ died for our Sins we must believe that he was made a Curse for us and that he shed his Blood for the Remission of our Sins We must believe this weighty Testimony This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to die for Sinners and to shed his Blood for Sinners as well as inwardly to appear in the Hearts of Sinners A Work that was a most necessary Work for the Redeeming Renewing Sanctifying and Cleansing of us from all Sins So my Friends true Faith in Christ receives him with all his Benefits receives him both in his outward and bodily Appearance as manifest in the Flesh and also in his Spiritual Appearance and coming into our Hearts and by true Faith in him we come to be ingrafted into him and receive Sap and Moisture and heavenly Influence from him who is the true generous and Noble Vine Our blessed Lord here holds forth a wonderful Mystery in these few Words I am th◠true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away and every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth
Chiâ—dren So that God's People that are undâ—â— this New Covenant they have access to Goâ— as Children to a Father they come with a hoâ— Boldness and Freedom into his Presence Master of a Family hath in his House both Seâ—vants and Sons and Daughters and yoâ— know there is a greater Nearness and Affectâ—on between a Man and his Sons and Daugâ—ters than between him and his Servants Master of a Family loves his Children bettâ— than he loves his Servants so on the othâ—â— hand Children if they be dutiful love theâ— Parents with a purer Affection with a moâ— free kind generous and noble Affection thaâ— they that are Servants love their Masters The Love of a Servant towards God is meâ—cenary and for the Reward but the Love oâ— God's Children is a free and filial Affection they say unto God Lord I love thee for thâ— self because thou art good and the most exceâ—lent Being and there is none like or equal â—nto thee in Heaven or on Earth I love thee â—ecause thou hast given me a Heart to love â—ee thou hast made me partake of a Child's Nature thou hast given me the Heart of a Child that I might love thee My Friends the Love of those that are â—ervants is a mercenary Love and their Fear 〈◊〉 a servile Fear a Fear of Punishment The â—ove of God's Children is a filial Love a â—ee and generous Affection a Love whereby â—he Soul is changed and brought under the New Covenant a Love to God for his own â—ake not only for his Blessings and for his Gifts but chiefly and principally for himself â—ot only because they believe that when they â—lie they shall go to Heaven and that because Heaven is a blessed Place and that therefore â—hey are glad they have such a Place to go to but they love God above Heaven who is betâ—er to them than Heaven it self and they can â—ay with David Psalm 73.25 Lord whom â—ave I in Heaven but thee and there is none â—pon Earth that I desire besides thee Thirdly Another difference between that common Illumination which is common to all Mankind and that which is special and pecuâ—iar to those under the New Covenant may â—ppear in his Teaching them God teacheth Sinners saith the Psalmist Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach Sinners in the way God by his universal Illumination teacheth Men many things concerning himself and their Duâ—y to him in a general way but God teacheth his People under the New Covenant by râ—vealing and making known to them clearâ— and distinctly Christ Jesus the Mediator 〈◊〉 the New Covenant God giveth them tâ—â— Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God 〈◊〉 the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Goâ— maketh known to his People this great Mâ—stery of Christ as he is the Mediator betweâ—â— God and them So we read in the Epistle 〈◊〉 the Hebrews Heb. 12.22 But ye are comâ— unto Mount Zion and to the City of the liâ—ing God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an iâ—numerable Company of Angels to the generâ—â— Assembly and Church of the First-born whicâ—â— are written in Heaven and to God the Judgâ— of all and the Spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Câ—venant and to the Blood of Sprinkling thâ— speaketh better things than that of Abel Theâ— is no approaching to God but through thâ— Man Christ Jesus But you may say How shall they comâ— unto God by the Man Christ Jesus the Mediator that never saw him with their bodilâ— Eyes nor never heard him with their Bodilâ— Ears How then can they come unto Jesâ—â— the Mediator of the New Covenant who they have neither thus heard nor seen Blessed be God that hath given thousand and ten thousands and hundreds of thousand to understand this great Mystery of cominâ— to God by the Man Christ Jesus whom the never saw with their Bodily Eyes nor hearâ— with their Bodily Ears The like Objectioâ— may be made against coming to God who â—annot be seen with bodily Eyes for he is a â—pirit and invisible yet there is a coming to God Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must â—elieve that he is We have now no Opporâ—unity nor occasion of seeing Christ with bodily Eyes or hearing him with our bodily Ears yet we may come to him by Faith Who worketh this Faith God's blessed Spirit When is it wrought and where and how is it wrought It is wrought in God's ordinary way by Preaching when Christ is preached by those that he hath qualified and fitted by his blessed Spirit when he is thus preached by the Power of his own Holy Spirit Faith is wrought in the Hearts of those that hear not of all for some believe the Gospel and â—ome believe not Thus it hath been all-a-long where-ever the Gospel hath been preached some believe and others do not believe I say the Word of the Gospel as it is preached and complied with it is like Rain and Snow that falls upon the Earth it returneth not in vain but hath a Service though it make not all the Parts of the Earth fruitful all Places are not alike fruitful some remain barren still Thus saith the Lord by the Prophet Isa 55.10 11. For as the Rain cometh down and the Snow from Heaven and returneth not thither but waterâ—eth the Earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Eater so shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my Mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplishâ— that which I please and it shall prosper in thâ— thing whereto I sent it When the Gospel is preached in any Congregation in any City Town Country or Nation it cannot be expected that all should be converted it cannot be expected that the good seed should fall every where in good Ground No it may be one part is good Ground but where the seed is sown according to Christs Parable of the sower Mat. 13.3 4 5. Some seeds fell by the way side and the Fowls came and devoured them up some fell upon stony places where they had not much Earth c. And when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had not root they withered away and some fell among Thorns and the Thorns sprung up and choked them but others fell into good Ground and brought forth Fruit. Blessed be God that hath taught us this great Mystery of coming unto God by Christ Jesus the Mediatour whom we have not seen with Bodily Eyes nor heard with Bodily Ears VVe have access to God by him and we have access to the Mediatour by his precious Blood and by his Blessed Spirit And Faith is a great mystery it well deserves to be called the mystery of Faith and the mystery of it is this it joyns Believing Souls to God through the Man Christ and to the Man Christ whom they have not seen with Bodily Eyes according to those words
be said that they are Reprobates But now as to the principal Subject Matter that is before me it is this That it is the Duty of every one that professeth himself to be a true Christian to examine himself whether he hath the true Faith of Christ or whether he be in the true Faith It is all one to have the Faith to be in us or for us to be in it It is one and the same thing I say we are in the Faith as well as it is in us I say too many deceive themselves many think they have the Faith or are in the Faith which have it not and are not in it This is great folly in Men and a most dangerous deceit to be deceived in this Case Which of us all would be willing to be deceived in Mony We are all very unwilling to take counterfeit Mony of Brass Silver or Gold and if we be deceived here the deceit may be an outward damage to us But this is nothing comparatively to the deceit of a counterfeit Faith When Men shall deceive themselves to their dying moment and fancy they have true Faith when they have it not they that die wanting the true Faith they die in their Sins If ye believe not saith our Lord Christ that I am he ye shall die in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come Therefore examine your selves and examine effectually that ye may know whether ye have the true Faith and be in it It is in my Heart at this Time in a few Words to open this to you I have been often upon this Subject therefore I shall not now enlarge upon it Now in opening to you the true Nature of Faith first I will tell you what it is not that denominates a Man or Woman to be a ture Christian I shall God willing and assisting me first tell you what true Faith is not and then I shall tell you what it is I. It is not a bare historical literal or traditional Faith of God and Christ You say you believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and believe these great Truths as they are declared and recorded in the Holy Scriptures and you hear them preached to you by one Minister and another and because you read them in the Holy Scriptuers which good Men in all Ages have always had a great Esteem and Veneration for ever since they were written and therefore you believe this is the ground of your Faith the foundation of it and you know no other foundation but this O this is not enough for thousands have this Faith which have not the true Faith So much negatively what this Faith is not II. To speak something positively and affirmatively what this Faith is and how it is wrought First of all I say unto you that it is a supernatural thing the other Faith is but natural or human That Faith that is wrought in Men and Women only by an outward Testimony let it be never so true only because they hear it preached or read it or because holy and godly Men say these things are true you believe them because of an outward Testimony all this is but natural But a true saving justifying Faith that by which we are justified and saved and by which Christ cometh to dwell in our Hearts that Faith by which we overcome the World and come to be Children of God it is a supernatural Work an effect of God's mighty Power that Power which raised Christ from the dead That Power must quicken a Man that is naturally dead in Sins and Trespasses and work in him a true Faith a divine Faith the which Faith is wrought instrumentally by outward Preaching and Hearing in God's ordinary way Now to open a little further to you the Nature of this true Faith we must consider it both with respect to the Object of it and the Subject of it that is the Seat of it whether it be placed only in the Understanding Whether it be only an Assent in the Understanding That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners And that God gave his Son to die for us that we might live through him Now first as to the Object of Faith What is it that we look to That our Faith hath a regard to What is it that we do believe in Is it in God the Father only or also in his dear Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit Now here is a right belief in Christ We believe in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he hath given his dear Son for us and to us and none have a right Belief in Christ the Eternal Son of God but they that believe he is both God and Man and believe that the Word was made Flesh and took our Flesh in the fulness of Time and came in a prepared Body and put an end to all the Offerings and Sacrifices under the Law which were Types and Figures of his offering up his Body upon the Cross Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him saith the Prophet he hath put him to Grief When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for Sin c. He shall see the Travel of his Soul and shall be satisfied Our Lord Jesus Christ became a compleat Priest and Sacrifice both in his Soul and Body He offered himself both in his Soul and Body as a Sacrifice for Sin and both these must be effected by Faith in Christ viz. Justification and Sanctification Justification is attributed to Faith instrumentally and Sanctification also is attributed to Faith in the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all Sin True Faith respects for its Object Christ as he is both God and Man as the Eternal Word took Flesh not the nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham It respects Christ inwardly and it doth respect his outward coming and appearance in a two-fold Sense 1. As he came and is already come in a state of Humiliation and Suffering And 2. It respects him as he is without us glorified and exalted in Heaven at the Right-hand of the Majesty on high God hath appointed him to be Judge of the World all Nations shall stand before him and every Eye shall see him and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divides his Sheep from the Goats the Sentence will pass and be pronounced outwardly by the Man Christ Jesus I do not deny but that there is also a Judgment within in the Conscience But now there is a weighty Matter or Point before me to insist upon and that is this That as Christ within us and Christ without us is but one Christ so the true Faith in Christ respects both Christ without us and Christ within us and the Faith of Christ within us and of Christ without us is but one Faith as Christ is but one that suffered for us and was nailed to the Cross and Christ within us so Faith in Christ within us and without us is
but one This is the Improvement that I would have you make oâ— this Doctrine That no Man can have thâ— true Faith of Christ without him unless hâ— hath the Faith of Christ within him This 〈◊〉 declare to you as if they were my last words That true saving Faith respects Christ both inwardly and outwardly the one cannot bâ— without the other for if one could be without the other then there must be necessarily two Faiths If I might have the true Faith of Christ without me and not the Faith oâ— Christ witin me then one might be separated from the other whereas they are but one Faith and one of them cannot be without the other Whoever hath the Faith of Christ without them and hath not at the same time the Faith of Christ within it is but a hear-say and traditional Faith The true Faith of Christ without us whereby we believe he was born of the Virgin Mary and is the Saviour of the World This true Faith is a supernatural thing and cannot be without the Faith of Christ within Dear Friends and People I beseech you to weigh and consider these things well for they are of great weight there are some that say this Faith needs not be Preached for all Christendom hath it and all the Ministers of the several perswasions Preach this Faith a strange Argument that this true Faith of Christ without us must not be Preached in our Meetings because it is Preached in all other Religious Assemblies and Meetings in Christendome There are some that say that this Faith of Christ Crucifyed is not necessary to Salvation â—â—e Beliefe that Christ Died and rose again the â—â—ird Day and Ascended into Heaven and â—tteth at the Right Hand of God and liveth â—or ever to make intercession for us they say â—hat this Faith is not at all necessary to our â—anctification and Salvation We have some â—f us divers times heard this Text of Scripture â—cited and brought out but not explained but â—ather shut up than opened God knows 1 John â—1 7 But if we walk in the Light as he is in â—he Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth â—s from all Sin â—hen they go about to explain this they 〈◊〉 that the Blood is the life and the life is 〈◊〉 light and the light is within so that by 〈◊〉 means the minds of the People are taken 〈◊〉 â—â—om the merit efficacy and great benefit of the precious Blood of the dear Son of God Therefore you that believe that the Son of God shed his most precious Blood for the Remission of Sin that the wrath of God might pass over us as the sprinkling of the Blood of the Lamb upon the Lintel and the two side Posts was to signify to the Israelites that the Lord would pass over the Door and not suffer the Destroying Angel to come in unto their Houses the signification of it is that we are in great danger of the wrath of God and of Destruction falling upon us if we be not sprinkled with the Blood of the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World Faith is the Hand whereby we take thâ— Blood of Christ and sprinkle it upon us and thâ— vertue and merit of it together with his Obedience The great thing that the Father designed in the shedding the Blood of his Son was his Obedience and Submission He humbled himself and became obedient unto Deatâ— even the Death of the Cross It is not his Obedience without the Blood nor the Blood with out his Obedience that was so well pleasinâ— to God as to make our Peace and Reconcâ—liation and procure the Pâ—â—â—on of our Sins anâ— the Acceptation of our Persons but it waâ— the Blood of Christ scaling his Obedience anâ— even the humbling of â—imâ—â—lf to the Death oâ— the Cross both togetheâ—â—â—â—t made attonemenâ— for us Let us therefore 〈◊〉 â—nto Christ that waâ— wounded for our trâ—nâ—â—ressions and let us take Sanctuary in his Death and hide our selves in his Wounds in the Clefts of that Rock of ouâ— Salvation where we can be safe from the indignation of the Almighty There now comes to my Mind that comfortable passage of Scripture Gen. 9.11 12 13. Which I have often thought of with great melting and brokenness of Heart and with no less Comfort and Refreshment The Lord said to Noah I will establish my Covenant with you neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the Waters of a Flood neither shall there any more be a Flood to destroy the Earth And God said this is the Token of the Covenant which I make between me and you and every living Creature that is with you for perpetual Generations 〈◊〉 set my Bow in the Cloud and it shall be for 〈◊〉 token of a Covenant between me and the Earth â—nd it shall come to pass when I bring a Cloud â—er the Earth that the Bow shall be seen in 〈◊〉 Cloud and I will remember my Covenant â—hich is between me and you c. And the Bow â—all be in the Cloud and I will look upon it that 〈◊〉 nay remember the Everlasting Covenant between â—od and every living Creature of all Flesh that is â—pon the Earth The Rainbow was a Type and Figure of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as I could â—pen at greater length than the time will â—low me see Revel 4.3.10.1 The Rainâ—ow is made of the Beams of the Sun and a Cloud when the Cloud is dissolved in Rain The Rainbow typifyes God and Man As the Rainbow is made up of the Sunbeams and â—he Rayes of the Sun united with the Water â—f a Cloud this figures out to us the Glorious union of Christs Godhead and Manhood The sweet variety of lively Colours appearing in the Rainbow can any thing be more pleasaâ—â— and delightful to our sight this signifyes and represents the manifold various Gifts and Graces of Christ and which God through Christ liberally bestows upon his Children having all fullness in himself I have set my Bow in the Cloud and it shall he for the token of a Covenant c. And I will Establish my Covenant with you neither shall all Flesh be cut off any more by the Waters of a Flood neither shall there any more be a Flood to destroy the Earth If God did not look upon his deaâ— Son Jesus Christ typified by the Rainbow â— Cloud and Deluge of Wrath would break ouâ— upon us to our Ruin and drown us in Perdition As when God looks upon the Rainbow he doth remember his Covenant sâ— when he looks upon his dear Son our greaâ— Mediator and Redeemer the Mediator of thâ— new and everlasting Covenant he extendâ— his Mercy and Patience and long Suffering and the Riches of his Goodness towards us that the Cloud of his Wrath and Vengeance may not break out in a Deluge upon us and destroy us Now to speak something briefly of Justification by Faith
his coming down spiritually that we may witness and enjoy a further measure of him and of his spiritual and heavenly Presence and wait for his coming to us O saith David when shall thy Word come unto me How sweet are thy Words unto my taste yea sweeter than Hony to my Mouth He waited that the Word of God might come unto him Send forth thy Light and thy Truth send it forth from thy Zion from above from thy holy Hill from thy Dwelling-place above in Heaven Send forth thy Light and thy Truth that it may guide me to thy holy Habitation thy holy Hill of Zion He waited more and more for it These Words were first of all spoken by Moses Deut. 11.12 For this Commandment which I command thee this Day it is not hidden from thee neither is it afar of It is not in Heaven that thou should say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us That we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou maist do it This is the Word of Faith the Word of Life and Reconciliation the powerful Word of God that is within as a Hammer and a Sword and as Fire it breaks and melts the Heart and is helpful to every good Thing The Tribes of Israel had it This Word which I command thee this Day This Word of Righteousness and Salvation every Man and Woman hath it in all Ages and Generations blessed be the Lord it is more abundantly revealed now than in former Ages and Generations yet Moses saith This Commandment which I command you it is not hid from you But this Mystery of Christ was hid from Ages and Generations It is said to be hid because it was not so plentifully revealed as in latter Ages yet it was not so hid always but something of it was known in darkest Times Moses might well say to the Children of Israel It is not hidden from thee neither is it far off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to Heaven that is to say to bring down Christ from above to bring him down to appear in a Body of Flesh he was not then come in the Flesh yet was expected in many Ages Moses and all the Holy Prophets and Holy Men of God they were contented with a Spiritual Sight of him they waited and prayed for his Coming yet he was not manifested in the Flesh in their Days and Generation they died in the Faith that Christ should come into the World in the fulness of Time and they obtained Remission of Sins for hiâ— sake Who hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us and died the accursed Death of the Cross that our Sins might be forgiven and that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith Before the coming of Christ God's Israel of old offered Sacrifices of Rams Bullocks and Goats not that they believed there was any Vertue in the Blood of those Sacrifices to take away Sin but this was a Testimony of their Thankfulness to God And so likewise it helped their Faith as a Symbol to preach Christ to them and their Posterity That in the fulness of Time Christ should descend from Heaven and take a Body of Flesh Gal. 4.4 The Apostle tells us But when the fulness of Time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Rom. 8.3 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus â—â—th made us free from the Law of Sin and Dâ—â—th for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likâ—nesâ— of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh tâ—â—t thâ—â—ighteousness of the Law might be fulâ—â—â—â— in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Christ was a Sacrifice for Sin he came to finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in everlasting Righteousness Now it was in the fulness of Time thaâ— Christ should descend from Heaven and comâ— in the Form of a Servant and die for ouâ— Sins and rise again for our Justification Before Christ died and rose again from the Dead this Prophecy of Moses was not fulfilled Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring down Christ to us or who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it to us before Christ died and rose again from the Dead He wenâ— over Lakes and Seas Here is a Prophecy given forth by the Spirit of God in Moses hiâ— Time and now fulfilled Christ went abouâ— doing good He went about by Land anâ— by Sea to do good unto People Sometimes he preached aboard a little Ship and sometimes on the Land He travelled both by Sea and Land and went about doing good and healeâ— all manner of Diseases for God was with him And that was the Time and Age of which Moses gave forth this Prophecy That Christ should die and rise again from the Dead and go over the Seas And the Apostle Paul was guided by the same Spirit when he wrote these Words Rom. 10.6 7. Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shaâ— descend into the Deep that is to bring up Chrisâ— again from the Dead the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thine Heart thaâ— is the Word of Faith which we preach This was declared and fulfilled in the Apostles Days Christ had descended into the lower parts of the Earth died and rose again and was ascended into Heaven This is the Word of Faith that we Preach I shall insist further upon this God willing if I have an Opportunity renewed to me If you have a right Faith and Belief that Christ died for you you will believe it was for us and not for himself he suffered the Death of the Cross he was cut off for our Sins not for his own he shed his precious Blood for our Sins not for his own he offered not a Sacrifice as other Priests did first for his own Sins and then for the Sins of the People for he had no sins of his own If you have fixed your Faith upon this and if you have a living Faith in your Heart iâ— will open to you and give you the Comfort of it I say It is a Lamentation and may be for a Lamentation that the true Faith of it is so little preached in Christendom Therefore Christendom is as a Wilderness which might have been as the Garden of the Lord.
This Faith comes from this Living Fountain this Living Root and Foundation Christ within the Hope of Glory This would make Christendom as the Garden of Eden and the Paradice of God but Christendom is now become a barren Wilderness there is little true Faith found among them The Lord hath some even a remnant that love and fear him and that are near and dear to him that have a True and Living Faith in the Lord Jesus but they are as a Cluster of Grapes in a barren Wilderness but the rest are as a Thorn-Hedge My Friends Is Christ ascended into Heaven Let us by Faith ascend and dwell with Christ in Heaven let our Faith ascend to Christ in Heaven and let our Meditation ascend to Christ in Heaven and let our Hearts and our Affections ascend to Christ in Heaven while we are in the Body and in the Wilderness of this World yet in our Minds and Affections let us be with Christ in Heaven and let us witness with the Apostle That our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the Working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself They looked for the last Appearance of his glorified Body and they looked for his daily coming into their Hearts I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you How will he come unto them By daily renewed Incomes of his Spiritual Life and Light and Divine Power He knew they would have but little Meetings at first yet he encourageth these little Meetings Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them It is not limited to a great number the Promise is to Two or three as well as to an hundred or many hundreds If a Man be in his House alone or if he be on the Top of a Mountain or by the Side of a River in Prayer if he be a true Disciple of Christ and takes up his Cross and follows him he shall find the Holy Spirit present with him If a Man love me saith Christ he will keep my Words John 14.23 and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him So that here is a daily coming From whence From Heaven Here is a daily Coming from Heaven of Christ's Descending from Heaven The Father Son and Holy Spirit will come from Heaven to a true Believer and make their abode with him We must not understand this coming so grosly as if the Father Son and Holy Spirit should leave Heaven and come and dwell with the Sons of Men. What is this coming then It is the Heavenly Influences the Heavenly Powers and Heavenly Vertues like Heavenly Rains the Heavenly Gifts and Manifestations of the Lord Jesus by his Blessed Spirit in our Hearts So then Friends I beseech you observe these following Words which are of the like Import and concern to every one of us The Word is nigh thee this is the Command saith Moses which I command thee this Day this Word is not hidden from thee neither is far off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it How may we be sure it is God's Command as well as the most known and revealed Truth It was a Command to them I say to them to believe that Christ was to come in the Flesh they were to obey that Commandment the Word of Christ in their Hearts the word of Faith the word of Righteousness the word of Reconciliation to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was to die for Sinners In the Time of the Law and before the Time of the Law they were to believe that Christ was to come and die for them and shed his Blood for them Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Now from the beginning of the World all that long Trace of Time between Adam and Moses for about Four thousand Years they lived by that Faith they hoped for Christ's Coming and had got an infallible Assurance that God would forgive them their Sins and receive them graciously into his Hands when they should come to die and go out of this earthly Tabernacle of the Body and give them an abundant Entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom the Paradise above But why is this Word called the Commandment in the singular Number I will tell you because one Word not many is comprehensive of all God's Commandments be acquainted with this word in thy Heart and it will learn thee all God's Commandments It will teach you all that can be preached from the Holy Scriptures This Word of God that is in your Hearts is comprehensive of all Then you will object and say What need I have any outward Preaching I will sit at home and only mind the Light within the Word that is nigh and in my Heart No that is a great Mistake to say there is no need of outward Preaching many things are greatly profitable that are not of absolute necessity I do not say the Bible is of such absolute neceâ—sity that if Men should take the Bible from us we must perish for want of it God forbid If we should be banished into Turky and they should be so cruel as to take our Bibles from us as they do other Goods and think to bring us over to their Religion this word of Faith in our Hearts will bring to our Remembrance what is written in the Holy Scriptures so that the Bible is a necessary and profitable outward Help but not of such absolute Necessity that we must be undone for ever and perish without it This word of Life that is in thy Heart will preserve thee from perishing eternally O be acquainted with it If a Time should come that there should be no Meetings no outwatd Preaching or Hearing or that we should be shut up in Prison and see the Face of Man no more yet this word of God in our Hearts will teach us and witness the love of God to us in our dying Moments and we shall feel our departing Souls in the Hands of the Lord and may say with our Redeemer Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit O what Joy will this be to us in a dying Hour Now what is it that gives this Knowledge Understanding and Assurance to us The word of Faith in the Heart It may well be called the word of Faith An hypocritical Faith is a Faith without Charity Love and Obedience All Faith is false that is not grounded upon this Word of God it is needful to be preached this inward Word this Word of God within how doth it reconcile us to God It reconcileth us to God by opening of the Mysâ—ery of Christ Jesus and discovering to us
the Son the Father gives Life to the Son and the Son giveth Life unto Believers the Son is continually receiving from the Father and we are continually receiving from the Son through the Exercise of our Faith Would you know and feel an heavenly Vertue and Sap and vital Influence flowing â—â—om Christ into your Souls And would you now nothing of dryness barrenness nor unâ—â—uitfulness then live by the Faith of the Son â—f God and exercise your Faith upon Christ â—ontinually It is not enough to have Faith â—e by you as a Man hath an Instrument lying â—y and he doth not use it But know the Use and Exercise of Faith you must know â—he daily Operation of Faith elsâ— you cannot â—eceive continual Sap flowing 〈◊〉 you from Christ the heavenly Vine Gâ—â— 2.20 I am â—rucified with Christ saith the Apostle neverâ—heless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me â—nd the Life which I now live in the Flesh I â—ive by the Faith of the Son of God who loved â—ne and gave himself for me There is no â—iving but by the Faith of the Son of God Rom. 1.16.17 I am not ashamed of the Gospel â—f Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written Hab. 2.4 the Just shall live by his Faith Every Man and Woman are to live by their own Faith It is not the Faith and Holiness of another will serve our turn every one must have Faith of his own which is the Gift of God I once more warn you against that Faith that is only literal traditional and historical for that is not the Faith that will justifie and save you that is not the Faith which I preach I am much abused wronged and traduced by some that say I preach an unprofitable Faith and that the Faiâ—â— which I preach all England hath it and aâ— Christendom hath it If they had it wâ— should see the Fruits of it Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness and Temperance these are the Fruit of the Spirit and Concomitants of true Faith The Faith which I preach is indispensibly necessary to every one that expects Salvation and to live with God and Christ in Heaveâ— for ever It is a Faith that is wrought by thâ— mighty Power of God the powerful word oâ— God in the Heart Heb. 4.12 The Word oâ— God is quick and powerful sharper than anâ— two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joyntâ— and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughtâ— and Intents of the Heart This Faith comeâ— from an inward Root this Root is the Lighâ— within the Power of God the Spirit of God within O how many thousands in Christendom have risen up against this Testimony Blessed be God that gave me a share in this Testimony there is a living Testimony that remains in my Mouth and Heart to this Day that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us performed the Office of an High Priest for us and upon the account of his precious Blood we receive Remission of Sins All this is by Faith in Christ we witness to his prophetical Office he is the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church and People and we witness to his Kingly Office he rules and governs in our Hearts by his Holy Spirit This Faith is not universally preached and known in all Christendom in the Root of it which is Christ within the Light within that Christ in his prepared Body did the Will of God and suffered Death for us This Faith whereby I believe Christ died for me and makes Intercession for me the Root of it is the Light within and Christ within Is this the Doctrine that is believed and professed all over Christendom No by no means This Faith I can prove out of our Friends Writings in Print that it respects Christ whole and entire Every true Exercise of Faith doth respect Christ as he is both God and Man It respects him as he came in the Flesh died and suffered for us in the Flesh and as he rose again from the Dead and ascended into Heaven and now appears in the Presence of God for us and as he will come again to judge the world as he is â—he Son of Man God hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World by the Man Christ Jesus whereof he hath given Assurance â—o all Men in that he hath raised him from â—he Dead Some will be ready to say Shall not the Light within judge all Men Shall not the words which Christ hath spoken judge us at â—he last Day Yes Christ shall judge all Men at the last Day both by his Light in their Hearts and â—s he is the Man Christ now if any think â—â—at the Light within is the Man Christ Jesus and nothing else and exclude the Person oâ— Christ the same Person that was crucified anâ— died for us and was buried This would bâ— a great Error and a contradiction to thâ— fundamental Principles of the Christian Faith I say that blessed Body which God prepareâ— for his dear Son to tabernacle in to be hâ—â— Temple that Body remains in Being and wiâ—â— remain a glorious Body to all Eternity Thâ— Apostle tells us Phil. 3.20 That our meaâ— and vile Bodies shall be made like unto Christâ— glorious Body For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change ouâ— vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto hâ— glorious Body according to the working whereâ—â— he is able to subdue all things unto himself It will be the Happiness of the Saints thâ— they shall be made like unto Christ both iâ— Soul and Body We shall be made more likâ— to Christ in our Souls and Spirits then anâ— we must be cleansed from Sin and made liâ—â— him now for we expect no Purgatory aftâ—â— this Life therefore defer it not He that haâ— this Hope saith the Apostle purifyeth himseâ—â— even as he is pure My Friends I expect no cleansing after thâ— Life I expect all my cleansing here to 〈◊〉 cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh aâ— Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of Gâ—â— that so when I come to die I may be receivâ— into the Bosom of Christ that I may have measure of that holy Confidence to pray 〈◊〉 Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit This â—lessed Martyr Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and â—aw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the â—ight Hand of God and when they were stonâ—ng him to Death he kneeled down and cried with a loud Voice Lord lay not this Sin to â—heir Charge and when he had said this he â—ell asleep Friends you that have a Life of Faith and â—eel Christ dwelling in your Hearts by Faith
admire and highly esteem for their profound learning and excellent parts There are places for publick Meetings and solemn Worship and Preaching almost in every Corner of your Populous City and there stands a Pracher with the Bible in his Hand and he calls upon his Auditors to give their reverend and serious attention and harken to the Word of the Lord And the People likewise have their Books in their Hands and observe the Scriptures he Quotes and turn down a Leaf that they may find them when they come home and go away admiring the Sermon and the wisdom and learning of the Preacher and say he is an excellent Man But Alas too few do make it their work to apply the great Truths of the Gospel to their Hearts or so hear as the Prophet speaks That their Souls may live Though I have not a Book in my Hands while I am Preaching to you yet I do highly esteem and Reverence the Holy Scriptures of Truth and I do often at other times take the Bible in my Hands and seriously read it and pray to God to help me to â— right understanding of it that I may rightlâ— divide the Word of Truth and declare unto you the whole Counsel of God and open the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the great things belonging to your everlasting Peace and how Christ saves his People from their Sins from the condemning Power and the concommanding Power of them Sin shall not have Dominion over you saith the Apostle for ye are not under the law but grace Rom. 6.22 And being now made free from Sin and become Sorvants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life for the wages of Sin is Death but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We that Preach the Gospel should imitate the Apostle who used all his skill and utmost diligence by all his Preaching to bring Men to Spirituality Heavenly Mindedness and to a conformity to the Life of Christ God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things c. Who being the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power when he had by himself purged our Sins sat down on the right Hand of the Majesty on high Thus he begins his Epistle to the believing Hebrews and tells them what Christ had done for them and offers to them then he chargeth them to give the more earnest heed to the things that they have heard lest at any time they should let them slip for saith he How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation And in the close of his Epistle he tells them That they are not come to Mount Sinai that burned with fire nor unto blackness and Darkness and Tempest c. But ye are come unto Mount Sion the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an Innumerable Company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judg of all and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel It is the end and design of our Preaching the Gospel to bring Men to the saving knowledg of Christ and him Crucified and to turn them from the Power of Satan to the Power of God There is a complaint of some that are Preachers in this City and other places and I fear there is too much cause for it that they only Preach Christ within and the Light within but do not make mention of the Death and sufferings of Christ and the benefits that come to believers by his Sacrifice and satisfaction for he that knew no Sin was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him and he was wounded for our Transgressions bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Without controversy saith the Apostle great is the Mistery of godliness God was Manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory The Prophets spake of Christs coming in our nature and being manifest in Flesh in that Body prepared for him to do the will of God And Abraham the Father of the Faithful rejoyced to see his Day and was glad great things were foretold of him before his coming and great Titles given to him Isa 9.6 For unto us a Child is born and unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace In the fulness of time when he came into the World Luke 1 8. The Angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds abiding in the Field and keeping Watch over their Flock by Night and the glory of the Lord shone round abouâ— them and they were sore afraid And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring good tidings of great joy which shall be to all People for unto you is born this Day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace good will towards Men. I have many times been astonished when I have considered the wonderful Condescention of the Eternal Son of God who being in the form of God thought it not Robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross I have searched solemnly into this Mystery for my satisfaction with respect to his bodily and outward appearance and I have thought with my self God hath been pleased in his most wonderful kindness and compassion to condescend to our weakness and infirmity and help our unbelief and lest People should be ready to question Gods Veracity and not believe what is reported by the Angel concerning Christ and Salvation to be obtained by his Death and sufferings and what was foretold by the Prophets God sent his Son into the World that Men might see him Face to Face and hear him Preach to them with his own Mouth who had Grace poured into his Lips that they might be convinced and converted by his heavenly Doctrin who had the words of Eternal Life for such Majesty and Power appeared in his Preaching that many which heard him were stricken with wonder and said Never Man spake like this
from a State of Purity and Holiness which once they were possessors of and are come to be like the Prodigal Son who received his Portion from his Father and took his Journy into a far Country and there wasted his substance with riotous living O how glad should my Soul be that some of these Prodigals might be awakened that they might remember from whence they are fallen and call to mind how it was with them when they were in their Father's House when they were fed at their Fathers Table O my Soul is grieved with a Sense of their woful condition in a sense of that Famin of the Word of the Lord that is come over them in a Sense of that darkness and deadness and barrenness that is come over their immortal Souls O! that they might be awakened by the Power and Spirit of the Lord that they might come to themselves as the prodigal Son did when he had spent all and when there arose a mighty Famine in that Land and he began to be in want and went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Country who sent him into the Fields to feed Swine and he would fain have filled his Belly with the Husks that the Swine did Eat and no man gave unto him It is not Husks that will satisfy thy hungry Soul when once thou art convinced and awakened to consider thy miserable condition it is not an empty talk of Religion which is but as Husks and cannot satisfy thy Hungry Soul If thou art awakened and come to thy self thou wilt repent and mourn for thy Sin and lament and grieve and mourn over him whom thou hast pierced by thy transgressions then thou wilt take up a Resolution with the Prodigal who when he came to himself he said How many hired Servants of my Fathers have Bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise saith he and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants Say to thy heavenly Father in thy humble Confession of Sin Lord I have been a Prodigal I have wasted thy heavenly Treasure I have spent and trifled away my precious Time in a strange land and have fed among Swinish Sinners I cannot fill my belly with these Husks Now I remember the plenty of my Fathers House where I had Bread enough and to spare I will return and humble my self before my Father I will confess my sin and Folly unto my compassionate Father it may be he will be kind and merciful and gracious to me When good Desires were raised in the Heart of the returning Prodigal when he arose and came to his Father when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his Neck and kissed him then he humbled himself before his Father and said Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I have spent that portion thou gavest me among Harlots in riotous living If thou returnest as the Prodigal did and if thou addressest thy self to thy heavenly Father as a true Mourner with a sincere repentance never to be repented of if thou settest thy self in good earnest to seek the Lord early and late thou shalt find him to thy Souls satisfaction For so the Prodigal returning to his Father and making these acknowledgments to his Father it moved his compassion and fatherly Bowels His father did not chide him and upbraid him but fell on his neck and kissed him And he said unto his Servants Bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his Hand and Shooes on his Feet and bring hither the fatted Calf and Kill it and let us eat and be merry for this my Son was dead and is alive again and he was lost and is found This was the joyful Entertainment that the returning Prodigal found with his indulgent Father so when we return to God our Heavenly Father by true repentance he will receive us into favour for the sake of his well-beloved Son in whom he is well pleased We shall be stript of our filthy Garments and be cloathed with the Garment of Salvation rhe Robe of Christs Righteousness and be found in him not having our own Righteousness and we shall be feasted with the fatted Calf we shall by faith feed upon the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that was slain and Sacrificed for us His Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood is Drink indeed Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood saith our Lord Jesus Christ hath Eternal Life John 6.51 There is a feast of Fat things and of Wine upon the Lees well refined Thus true Penitent and returning Prodigals shall be entertained and welcomed to their Father's House he will take them into his Banqueting-House and his Banner on them shall be Love and he will speak kindly and comfortably to them Eat O Friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved thus he will speak to us that our Joy may remain in us and that our Joy may be full that we may rejoyce in Christ Jesus and be eternally satisfied in the love of God in whose presence is fulness of Joy Joy unspeakable and full of glory A SERMON Preached by Thomas Budd At Harp-Lane November 4. 1694. John 14.1.2 Let not your Heart be oroubled ye believo in God believe also in me THe Disciples were greatly afflicted when our Saviour told them He must go away and that he must suffer at Jerusalem They being cast down and very sad and sorrowful at the thoughts of his Departure he speaks comfortably to them and bids them Believe in him ye believe in God believe also in me They had a Faith in God they believed in God they believed in the Light which came from God with which they were enlightened yet nevertheless the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ his Resurrection from the Dead and his Ascension into Heaven was not then so clearly and fully discovered unto them as afterward it was made known And it appears That it was not enough for them only to believe in God but he bids them believe in him also And he told them that he did go to prepare a place for them And if I go saith he to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also In my Fathers House are many Mansions where I am there ye shall be also O glorious promise indeed who can declare the large extent of it and the greatness of his Love That he should love them so intirely as to die for the Love of them as to die for their sakes and lay down his Life for them and as their High-Priest become a Sacrifice The High-Priests under the Law offered the Bodies of