hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for those that love him That Wisdom and Knowledge that Joy and Peace and Consolation that passeth all understanding He will reveal and Communicate by his Spirit to them that love him and trust in him and rely upon him and receive teaching from him he will feed them with Food in due season he will bring the former and the latter Rain and they shall be as Trees planted by the River of Water and bring forth Fruit in due season and their Leaf shall not Fade or wither This hath been Londons wonder and Englands wonder How comes it to pass that such a Peoples Leaf hath not Withered nor Faded as many have done Our Root was by a River If we had stood in our selves if our dependance and support had been upon Doctrines Tenets and Commandments of Men then our Leaf would have been upon the Ground as well as others but because we have been upon Our Root Christ Jesus that is always Green both in Summer and Winter therefore our Leaf hath not withered to the Praise of God and the Honour of his Name be it spoken He hath preserved us for we have no Power of ouâ— selves no more than others but we trust in God and have received Power from God to stand as witnesses for him We have trusted in the Lord and he hath stood by us and delivered us when we were compassed about with Dangers and Distresses If we continue to trust in him still he will bring us through all our Tryals and Troubles and he will be with us and never leave us nor forsake us if we take him for our God we shall never need any other We read that Senacherib King of Assyria sent Rabshekah to Jerusalem to Hâ—zâ—kiah with a great Army saying What Confidence is this wherein thou trustest and he spake also to the People and cryed with a loud Voice hear you the Words of the Great King of Assyria let not Hezekiah deceive you for he shall not be able to deliver you neither let Hezâ—kiah make you trust in the Lord saying the Lord will deliver us Hezekiah he went and prayed to the Lord saying O Lord of Hosts God of Israel that dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God the God alone of all the Kingdoms of the Earth thou hast made Heaven and Earth incline thine Ear O Lord and hear open thine Eyes O Lord and See and hear all the words of Senacherib which hath sent to Reproach the living God c. And we Read that after he had presented his supplication before the Lord The Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians one hundâ—ed fourscore and five thousand and when they aâ—ose eaâ—ly in the Morning behold they were all Dead Corps Thus you see what came of it aâ— last and thus it hath been in our Day they thâ—t trust in the Lord he will deliver them and they shall never be ashamed nor Confounded but as for all other Gods they that trust in them shall be confounded and covered with shame and they and their Gods will perish together And now my Friends I beseech you all to have respect to this great duty of putting your whole trust in the Lord who is the Living God and he will be always present with you and work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure he will support and preserve you in all your Tryals and sufferings that you may be Vessels of Honour to bear his Name in the Earth and to sound forth his Praise to the following Generations His Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious infinite Powerful Father who hast Created us and given us Life and Breath and lengthened out our time to this Day and hast long waited to be Gracious to us and art still waiting upon the Sons and Daughters of Men holding forth the hand of thy love and offering thy Grace and tendering Salvation unto them and hast brought a Day of Visitation upon the Inhabitants of this City and Nation Glory Praise and Thanksgiving be to thee O Lord that by thy Power hast inclined the Hearts and Consciences of the Sons and Daughters of Men to submit to thee and bowed their Necks to the Blessed and easie Yoke of thy Son Jesus Christ that they may do thy will on Earth as it is done in Heaven They that are Traveling and distressed and Afflicted in their Souls because of their bondage do thou arise living Father and reveal and discover thy Power to them shew them the exceeding greatness of thy Power that they may trust therein and be safe make bare thine Arm for their Salvation Those that are slumbering in their Profession let them be awakened and bring to thine Heavenly Kingdom those that have passed through thy Refining Fire and whom thou hast Cleansed and Sanctified Powerful Father of Life carry on thy work among thy People every where gather them that are scattered and bring back to thy self those that are wandering and out of the way and seeking the living among the Dead Lord teach them and let them hear a Voice behind them and guide them to thy Holy Mountain that they may be brought to the path of Life and to the place which thou hast provided for thy little Flock to meet and Feed together Offering unanimosly the Sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgiving which thou hast ordained and appointed in thine House Blessed and Powerful Father all thy little ones be pleased to surround with thine Almighty Power and where ever they are let them feel thy preserving Hand delivering them from the Evil of the World We pray not that thou should'st take them out of the World but to preserve them from the Defilements and Pollutions of it That a Holy People may serve thee the Holy God and bear thy Holy Name upon their Hearts That that above all may be exalted and magnified and humble Thanksgivings and Praises may be given unto thee through Jesus Christ for all thy love thou hast manifested and for thy abounding mercies and renewed favours which we have received at thy hands to thee living Father through Christ Jesus thy well beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased be all Honour Praise and Dominion rendred by us and all thy People from henceforth and for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon IV. The Standard of Truth Preached at Grace-Church-Street May 29. 1692. THERE is an Universal Standard of Truth that God hath set up over all the Sons and Daughters of Men he hath given the Knowledge of it in and through Jesus Christ he hath dealt it out to them that they may be capable of joyning and adhering to the Truth and to be delivered from Eternal Condemnation This Standard and Measuring Rule is revealed and manifested in every Man and Woman by the Light that shines in their Hearts by which they are able to discern and to give a sound and true
spake or wrote it It was not the Blood of Bulls or Goats nor the Blood of a Ram that could purge away Sin from their Consciences And after the Apostle had opened the Mystery of Divinity who had a Divine and Spiritual Skill in unfolding the Restoration of Mankind he declared plainly that when the Offering was made by Aaron for Sinners even then there remained still a Conscience of Sin for it was not possible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin so that their outward performances and their outward services they did but point out the Mediator they had a pointing finger as it were to the Real True and Everlasting Mediator Christ Jesus who is made a Mediator betwixt God and Man that by and through him man might be again Reconciled to God So that now in these Gospel days wherein God is opening the Mysteries of Life and Salvation to the intent and purpose that the Sons and Daughters of Men might be restored again unto their Primitive Enjoyment of the Favour of God Now in these days it is the Duty of all Christians and of all that are seeking the welfare of their Immortal Souls that they have their Eyes and their Hearts unto Jesus as unto one that is able to Reconcile them unto God To him it is committed to him Wisdom and Power is committed and to him Authority is committed that he should be an Everlasting High Priest and that all the Services and all the Worship and Religious performances that People offer up to God should be in his Name that so by him they might be Recommended to God For none will ever find Acceptance with the Father unless in all their performances they have an Eye unto him So that it comes plainly to pass according to that short and confident Assertion of the Author to the Hebrews That without Faith it is impossible to please God But it is possible to Offer Sacrifices without Faith and possible for People to perform Religious Services without Faith as woful Experience have taught us in our days That many have been exercised in a kind of a Religious Service and Worship that never in their Lives had Faith enough to believe the things that they pray for And they are without Faith For when People Pray to God to send his Holy Spirit into their Hearts that they may keep his Commandments to their Lives End they have not Faith to believe it And when they Pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven This is a Religious performance but I question whether it be done in Faith if not it is but an Increasing in Sin an Addition to Sin Where is the Man that is exercised in praying to God that believeth that ever such a thing is like to come to pass Go where you will in this or the other Nation and Inquire of People about their Faith they believe there is no possibility of Extirpating and Rooting out of Sin while they live upon the Earth therefore all their Prayers for it are vain and their Faith a vain Faith and it is high time in such a day as this when men are Faithless and Unbelieving to preach up the object of Faith the Lord Jesus Christ People are of divers Faiths and of divers Beliefs but we have found by experience that they do them no good they do not bring a thing to pass that of necessity must be brought to pass ere they can be Reconciled to God their Faith doth not cleanse the Heart nor extend so far as to believe that ere they shall be cleansed In all the Worship and Religion that they perform they come not to this Faith that they shall be made clean All that is done is but in sin and uncleanness they cannot bring a clean Sacrifice out of an unclean Vessel And our Lord Jesus Christ saith concerning this Subject An Evil Tree cannot bring forth Good Fruit. But there must be good Fruit brought forth how must we do it Make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good When that Mens vain janglings about Religion and Religious fancies must come to an end Then all that Religion will appear to be in vain and will not answer the end for which it is performed till men believe that it will make the Tree good and cleanse the Heart and Transform men by Renewing the Spirit of their Minds So that Religion it must begin within And it is not our changing our forms of Worship from one form to another and taking up this and the other Opinion that doth change our hearts Sad Experience doth teach us that men may carry over their old Lusts into a new Religion we can carry over our old Inclinations into our new Opinions For though the form of Worship be changed the Heart remaining unchanged and the Lusts unmortified their Religion is in vain let them be of what persuasion they will Now the remedy of this great Calamity that hath overspread all sorts of People for there is no sort of People but there are those among them that are under this great Calamity of holding the profession of Godliness with an Ungodly mind and the profession of Truth with a false and treacherous Spirit Now for the remedying of this there is but one way that all Mens Eyes be brought off from having their Eye unto their Performances and to the Doctrines and Tenents that they hold and do as the Apostle saith Fix their Eye upon Christ and look upon Jesus that is the first thing that must begin our Religion for Christ must be the Alpha of our Religion as well as the Omega of it If I begin not there let me begin where I will I begin wrong Let me begin at the most serious and sound Doctrines and at the most Apostolical Religion If Christ and his Apostles were here upon the Earth if I walked among them if I believed all they said and did I should begin wrong if I did not fix mine Eye upon Jesus Christ that is the taker away of sin and is the sanctifier of the Soul by his Spirit There must be the first beginning and there must be the conclusion he is the Author and the finisher of all true Faith There are Authors of other Faiths Men have different Faiths and their Creeds and Articles And they have exposed and imposed them too but this is the worst of it none of them are right let them be exposed and imposed with never so much force and violence none of these will cleanse the heart but that Faith which is delivered over by Christ Jâ—sus that hath the quality of cleansing and purifying that is the Faith when all is done that will do the work that is it that will save and sanctifie and do the business that all the World is about every one would have a Reconciler with God and Sin rooted out and be as God would have them be this is the publick profession of Christendom at least they
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
the way of being near to God that so People may know whom they Worship for you have Read there have been Worshipers that do worship they know not what As our Saviour said to the Woman of Samaria You worship you know not what We know what we worship so all that are taught of God do know which is the First Lesson of Christianity as the Apostle saith He that cometh to God must first know and believe That he is That is People must first be sensible that there is a God and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him before they can rightly Worship him Now for want of this knowledge the World is scattered and People are divided into a great many sorts of Worships and Fashions and ways of Religions for want of the Knowledge of the true Worship of the True and Living God so that though Men are Universally Convinced that there is a God and that a worship is due to him from every one of us yet People are confounded scattered and divided about the performance of their great Duty And in the Day that the Lord hath visited his People he hath come to Answer this doubt and Question for them it hath been the great Question of the World and is still of many Thousands I know we should Worship God but I know not the way and manner wherein to find acceptance The Lord hath Answered that Question in abundance They that have Ears to hear let them hear what the Spirit saith there is a short Answer to it all Let People profess what Religion they will there is no acceptance with God but through Christ so that if People come to be of this and that and the other Religion and change their Religion never so often and go from one Religion to another If they come not to Christ they come not to him in whom they may find acceptance in him God is well pleased with every one but out of him he is pleased with never a one The great Mistery of Religion it lies in Christ People must come to God by Faith in him for without Faith it is impossible to please God let People perform never so much service and duties all must pass through the hands of the Mediatour before ever their performance will reach unto God or before Peace and Comfort will reach to any Mans Soul Therefore it is the wisest way for every one that would have acceptance with God to come to him in the Name of the great Mediatour People would be glad to have acceptance with God and not to have their services turned back upon them as Cains was every one that will have acceptance with God must come this way there is but one way It is not the way that Men have invented some by their Works and Merits some by their made Faiths and made Beliefs and by divers Articles and Principles holding this Principle and the other Principle but our Lord and Creatour he hath found out one way in his Infinite Wisdom and unspeakable Mercy to Mankind that was for ever lost and could never return to God by all his Sacrifices Offerings and performances he was never able to return into Unity with his Maker If God had not found out a way and the way that God hath found out is by his Beloved Son Jesus Christ God spared not He spared not What He spared not his only begotten Son Why what did he do with him He gave him for the Life of the World in him that God gave there is Life It pleased the Lord that his Son should have Life in him as the Father had Life in himself for Christ was with the Father before the World began in him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. John 11 4. It was no Created Life that Life that is in his Son is not a Created Life but it is Eternal Life and it was given for the Life of the World and that Life is the Light of Men This is the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World so that here is the Dignity of that Life which God hath bestowed upon us we are indued with that Life which was with the Father through Jesus Christ before the World was Let us Consider the Dignity of that Light that we are lighted with The Question is whether we should obey this Light or no It is the Question of every one I am enlightned saith a Man shall I obey it or no If I obey I must take up a Cross and part with my beloved Lust and Corruption No doubt of that we must perswade People to do that before we can bring them to Heaven and happiness and Fellowship with God it must not be by that way they lost it but by the contrary way by which God will bring Men to Happiness again They lost it by Transgression and Sinning against God by this way and means Men came out of the Presence and Favour of God by what way shall they obtain it again Shall it be by committing Iniquity and breaking Gods Law No here is the way that God hath found out to bring poor Man back again to himself by the Suffering and Obedience of his Son Jesus Christ He hath given to him all Power in Heaven and Earth that all should be Subject to him here is a Dignity which Christ hath obtained It comes to the Question with us whether we are inlightned Now we know we are Enlightned God hath bestowed something upon us that Wars and Fights against Sin and Iniquity How came we by it Is it any faculty in Nature No Nature is Corrupted and Defiled because the Carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be yet there is something in me that Answers the pure Law of God that which makes me to hate things that are Reproveable that is Light How came I by it It is not Natural for then it would run Parallel with that Natural Inclination that is in my Soul to lead me further and further from God These are set in opposition one against another the Flâ—sh and the Spirit The Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Here is part of an inward War that you may be all sensible of Now these two Warriors the Flesh and the Spirit make War one against another and one of them is over come It is true there is such a Principle in me that strives against Sin and Corruption How came you by it If you believe the Scriptures I say it is the Life of the Son of God that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Now many that have rejected and despised the Light I believe they did not think at the same time to mock and make a scorn of the Life of Jesus though it was really so but if People came to a true esteem and value of that Light that God hath planted in the Soul
a Voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it There is a Voice that calls to People in our Days to look behind them for they are out of the way This Prophecy is fulfilled in our Days we cannot turn away from the good ways of God but we may hear a Voice behind us saying thou art sinning against God and breaking the Holy Law of God Now if People return it must be by the Cross I will not return to God saith one I have Pleasure Profit and Honour and whatsoever my Heart can desire in this evil way that I am walking in if I return I shall have nothing but shame and Reproach I shall be undone and ruined and I shall lose the Favour and Friendship of my Friends and Relations I cannot return to God but through a Daily Cross and self Denial What then It 's likelier to be the right way this bearing the Cross Christ tells us If any will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Me. This Voice of Christ calls me to repent and turn from Sin and giveth me a strong Argument that it is true that it is the same way that will bring me back to God by the Mediator It brings its own Evidence with it We need no Argument to prove that it is a right way It is a right way because it is the narrow way It is the right Gate because it is the strait Gate Every body can walk in the broad way with ease without any Cross When People are come thus far that they are convinced of their Duty when they are called to amend their Lives and Conversations to forsake their Sins and turn to the Lord This is the great Question now Have I Power to do this This Question hath stumbled a great many when they have some beginning thoughts of turning to the Lord and at last they have setled themselves in a belief that they cannot do it it is true and nothing truer that Men Convinced of their Sins have not Power to leave their Sins of themselves This is true but not all the Truth to Men that God convinceth of Sin He gives them Power to be made willing to forsake their Sins He hath given Power to all that are in Christ Jesus to believe and become the Sons of God then they have denied ungodliness and Worldly Lusts If they be the Sons of God and live Righteously Soberly and Godly in the World But what shall they do that are sensible they have not Power to forsake their Sin till God is pleased to give them Power Such have nothing to do but to wait upon the Lord for the giving of this Power and then I have a Duty Incumbent to me to Answer this Power The Apostle upon this subject tells us what People are to do for their own Conversion He ascribes the Power of Conversion to Christ Jesus The Prophets and Apostles they tell us there is something for Man to do that is if he hath not Power he is to be willing to receive it The Apostle hath a notable Expression to this purpose He puts them in mind how they used to do by the Devil when they were the Devils servants they did obey his Commands and yielded their Members servants to Unrighteousness How did they yeild They did it Heartily with pleasure and delight thus you did when you did not know the Power of God but now you are come to the knowledge of the Power of God Yield not your Members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Rom. 6.13 Let your Minds and wills and Affections be joyned to that Power which God Visited you with in Love to God give up your Members as Servants unto Righteousness Here is something for Man to do in the Day of Gods Visitation Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power That they may come to that and experience that this shews that they are the People of God But they that are not a willing People are none of Gods People but Gods People are so And I pray God make you all so to be a People willing to be Gods People when he gives you Power and it will not be long before he gives you Power to forsake your Sins to forsake this and the other Foolish Proud and vain Action and fashion he hath made Christ Jesus to be Lord and King and he shall Reign over Death he hath made all things by Christ and he is become the Saviour of all Men but especially of them that believe so that I would have a special Salvation and thou wouldest have it too Christ hath made a way and opened a door for us to be saved that we might have an abundant entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom But I would have a special Salvation that will invest me with the Love of God in my Heart before I die It is to be had only through Christ therefore to him will I come to him must every one come and every Knee bow to his Name and every one must wait to his appearing in the Spirit When Christ appears Truth stirs Now if a Holy Divine Life is in thee it is He if a Principle of Truth stir in thee it is He The same Jesus only in a smaller Manifestation He that is Faithful in a little He will make him Ruler over much This is he that God hath ordained to be the Captain of our Salvation this is that which we Preach in his Name and testifie and declare to all People that there is no other Saviour No deliverance from Death and Hell but by and through him In him there is Reconciliation and that Peace which passeth all Understanding and Power over all those things which have Captivated us and made us disobey our great Lord and Maker Let us wait for the coming of Christ He is our King our Lord and Lawgiver and he will save us This was the cry of his People of Old for the glorious and great Salvation he hath given and the Work he hath wrought Let the Prayers and Supplications of all People that desire Salvation be put up more and more that he will visit the Earth and give Power from above and bring us into that New and Living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh to whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Eternal Father thou hast brought forth thy Glorious Name and revealed thy Powerful and mighty Arm Thou hast caused a Remnant to bow and Worship at thy appearance thou art wonderful O Lord thy Majesty is great and they that behold thy Glorious appearance will bow and with humble 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