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 neceâsity 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 Mysâery of Christ Jesus and discovering to us
among us that came in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh We must believe in him as the true Light that lighteth every Man which cometh into the World There is a Sufficiency in this Light which is the Light of Life and the Arm of God's Salvation But the Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart saith the Apostle That is the Word of Faith which we preach that we might hear it and obey it And 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 Here is the Means of Salvation the powerful Working of Faith in thy Heart and that is the Light within the Spirit within It is the Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ that worketh this Living Faith in thy Heart This Faith in Christ Crucified when thou shalt be assured of Eternal Life in him of Eternal Salvation by him This Work of Faith with Power is wrought by Christ in all that believe on his Name He is the Dispenser of it This is the Word of Faith which we preach if thou shalt confess Christ with thy Mouth and believe in thy Heart that God raised Christ from the Dead who died for our Sjns and rose again for our Justification and ascended into Heaven and sitteth at thâ Right-Hand of God and liveth for ever to make Intercession for us By this Living Faith in the Lord Jesus which worketh by Love which constraineth thee to live to him that died for thee thou shalt escape the Wrath to come and obtain Eternal Salvation by means of this Living Justifying Faith thou maist receive the Spirit of Adoption and call God Father Christ Jesus is become now thy High Priest and Elder Brother and thou maist walk by Faith in the narrow way that leads to Eternal Life And if thou hast received Christ Jesus the Lord then walk in him and follow his Example who was Holy Harmless and Undefiled and separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens by Faith in Christ thou shalt overcome the world and obtain Victory over thy Sins and Lusts And if we be once united to Christ by a Living Faith he will be a Light and a Leader to us and as a Pillar of a Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night as he was to the Israelites when he conducted them out of the Land of Egypt through the Red Sea and the Wilderness and brought them safe into the Land of of Canaan a Land flowing with Milk and Hony O the Showers of Mercy that come from this Heavenly Cloud and fall down upon the believing Soul Who can declare the Showers of heavenly Joy and Consolation that are poured down upon those that are Childreâ of Light that walk in the Light and have the Light of God's Countenance lifted up upon them O thou poor distressed sorrowful Soul that art clouded and at a distance from the Lord that art cast down and disquieted having all thy Sins set in order before thee thou art greatly afflicted and almost overwhelmed with Grief when thou remembrest how thou hast transgressed the righteous Law of God and sinned against the tender Love and Compassion of thy Heavenly Father that waiteth to be gracious rely upon his Grace and Mercy and pardoning Love and he will subdue thy Lusts and Corruptions and speak Peace unto thy disconsolate Soul If he appear unto thee as unto his Servant Moses in a Flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush when the Bush burned with Fire and was not consumed If God appear terrible to thee as a Flame of Fire it is not to consume thee but to burn up and destroy thy Sins and Lusts which would destroy thy Soul When he appears as a consuming Fire he will purifie and refine thee from thy Dross and only burn up the combustible Matter in thee And when he appears as a Cloud to thee thou shalt feel Divine Showers of Joy and Refreshment to thy Soul which will make thee as a watered Garden to be green and flourishing Here is the Baptism of the Cloud of which the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 10.1 Moreover Brethen I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea ând were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea When the Lord shall suddenly come into his Temple saith the Prophet Malachy even the Messenger of the Covenant who may abide the Day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners Fire and like Fullers Soap and he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver Here is a Refiner and Purifier indeed When he hath refined thee with Fire he will then water thee and cleanse thee and make the Cloud thou art under drop down divine Dews of Refreshing upon thy disconsolate Soul and he will lead thee in the way as he did Israel of old by the Pillar of Fire and of a Cloud both by Day and by Night so he will shine into thy Mind by the Light of his Dear Son When the Children of Israel were marching out of Egypt they were in a great strait Pharoah and his Host pursued after them to destroy them they saw no way to escape they must unavoidably go into the Sea or fall into their Enemies Hânds Then the Lord appeared to deliver them by a mighty Arm of Power when the Egyptians pursued after them all the Horses and Chariots of Pharaoh and his Horsmen and his Army and overtook them encamping by the Sea And when Pharaoh drew nigh the Children of Israel lift up their Eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraiâ and cryed out unto the Lord and they said unto Moses Because there were no Graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the Wilderness wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us out of Egypt And Moses said unto the People fear ye not stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you this Day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to Day ye shall see them again no more for ever So when thy Soul is brought into great Straits then stand still in a pure Resignation to the will of God and he will deliver thy Soul wait upon him and be resigned up to him and he will work Deliverance for thee from Time to Time when thou art in great Straits and Troubles and afflicted and distressed and seest nothing but a Sea of Trouble before thee that thou must pass through thy Faith
c. Look therefore unto Jesus how shall I look unto him Look unto him by Faith believe that he is an Advocate an Intercessor and Mediator and a Propitiation for thy sins This will give thee an entrance and admission into his Presence again and thou wilt have the Springs of Life that were stopped opened again the Wells of Salvation opened and thou wilt come to know Joy and Consolation again and then thou wilt declare what God by this living Faith hath wrought for thee when thou comest to know the overcoming of Unbelief If thou hast this living Faith thou canst say to this corrupt Tree of Unbelief that is grounded and rooted in thee be thou plucked up and it shall be so If thou hast Faith as a Grain of Mustard-seed a very small seed thou shalt say to this Mountain Be thou removed and it shall be so and to thiâ Sicamore-tree Be thou plucked up and planted in the midst of the Sea and it shall be done O this living Faith this Faith unfeigned it works by Love and Charity which the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.5 Is the end of the Commandment out of a pure Heart and good Conscience This pure divine Faith doth witness the overcoming of Unbelief and it is more precious than Gold that perishes and will be found to Praise Glory and Honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ. This Faith will endure all Temptations Tryals Afflictions Buffetings O this pure living Faith that is wrought by God's powerful Word and declared by the Light within by the Arm of God's Salvation it doth do the Work that is appointed for it to do The Hand cannot do any thing without the Body or the Head no more will this Arm of God's Salvation within work without the power of the Man Christ Jesus that is the Giver of it nor without his Death and Sufferings but it is all-sufficient to save us with them with his Death and Sufferings Resurrection Ascention Mediation and Intercession Look not only to the Light within but look unto Jesus the Dispenser of it It pleased the Father that in his blessed Son Jesus Christ should all fulness dwell The fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in him of his fulness we all received and Grace for Grace A Brief DECLARATION OF Thomas Budd AT The Close of a Meeting in Harp-lane October 14th 1694. Rom. 10.6 7 8 9 10 Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart That is the word of Faith which we preach That 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 For with the heart Man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation IT is not a bare litteral traditional or historical Faith or Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that he was raised from the Dead will save us but we must know a living Faith wrought in our Hearts by the living Word ãâã God that Word that is nigh that is in oâ Hearts and in our Mouth we must know thâ operation of the living Word of God to worâ Faith in our Hearts in the Man Christ Jesuâ This Faith must be wrought in our Hearts bâ the living Word and by the Spirit of Chrisâ by the same Power that raised up Christ froâ the dead It is not a bare historical Faith or Knowledge that will save us but we must have living Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we muâ believe in him that he died for our Sins anâ rose again for our Justification and that he ascended into Heaven and sate down at the righâ Hand of the Majesty on high and that thâ Heavens received him and will retain him until the time of the restitution of all things according to the Testimony of the Angels aâ his Ascension into Heaven Act. 1.9 10. It iâ said That while the Disciples beheld he was takeâ up and a Cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards Heaveâ as he went up behold two Men stood by them iâ white Apparel which also said Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven The Apostle saith The Heavens have received him till the time of the Restitution of all things he will come again and restore all things and raise the dead to life He will open the Graves and cause the Dead to come forth then he will come to be glorified ãâã his Saints and to be admired in all âem that believe in all them that âelieve the divine Promises and that put âheir Trust in him He will be glorified in all âhat believe in him and expect Salvation by âim Then Believers shall be restored to their ârimitive State and to a greater dignity and âlory than Adam enjoyed in Paradice when âe was created in the Image of God That âost Image shall be restored again when the Lord Jesus himself shall descend from Heaven with a Shout and with the Voice of the Archângel and with the Trump of God and the Dead in Christ shall rise first they shall have âhe preference For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive but every Man in his own order Christ the first Fruits afterward âhey that are Christ's at his coming then he will change our vile Body that it may be fashiâned like unto his glorious Body according to the Workings whereby he is able even to subdue all âhings unto himself to the Bodies of the Saints A SERMON Preached by George Keith At Devonshire-house June 17. 1694. Rom. 10.6 7 8 But the Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above Or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart That is the Word of Faith which we Preach THE Apostle Paul by the Wisdom given him of God preached Salvation by Christ Jesus both within us and without us This is the true Gospel of Salvation the true Gospel-Doctrin which Christ Jesus himself preached and all the holy Prophets Evangelists and Apostles they preached Salvation by Jesus Christ by the Knowledge of him without dividing him It is not our Principle to divide these Christ within us and Christ without us but to join them I have fully preached âsaith the Apostle the Gospel of Christ Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above But we may know
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
for Life and Salvation I would never speak a Word to diminish âr lessen the great Work of Faith but we may easily see the Vanity and falsness and unprofitableness of that Faith that abounds in the World The vain Person 's Faith the worldly and covetous Man's Faith and the proud Man's Faith which greatly abounds in Christendom 3 Men say they believe in Christ and yet Covetousness earthly-mindedness Pride of Spirit and Envy and Malice and Strife and Contention abound among us I say If Faith had but room and Place in the Hearts of People here in Christendom the Lord grant that Time may come it would then remove these Mountains and had it taken Place it would have removed them long ago If any shall ask me What Time I will prefix or allow that this little Grain of Faith will remove all those Mountains of Sin and Unbelief and Unrighteousness and the Powers of Darkness that are in Peoples Hearts I answer No time is to be prefixed for the effecting of this wait the Lord's time for his time is the best time If thou desirest to make this time short then improve that little measure of Grace bestowed upon thee that little Grain of Mustard-seed pray with it and give Thanks to God for it pray with all the strength and ability that the Lord hath already given thee There is none of us to whom some measure of Grace and Held is not given there is no ground to complain that ânough is not given but our Complaint should be That we have not made use of that Hâ that is given us Do not despise the Dayâ small things Who art thou that despisest ãâã day of small things Do not despise a litâââ Grace a little Help that God hath given ãâã thee let us make use of that little Strengââ we have and God will give us more and ãâã will do it in due time in his own time whâââ is the best time I may be bold to say The time shall nââ be long if thou wilt do thy utmost Endeavouââ the time will not be long before the Lord râmove these Mountains of Sin and Unbelieâ and of the Powers of Darkness and give thâ the sense of his Love and Mercy and refresâment from his Presence then all those Cloud shall be scattered and vanish away whiââ formerly interposed between the Presence ãâã God and thy ãâã I shall next ââme to shew how Paul preached Christ 1 C 1.23 24. We preach Chriââ crucified saith he unto the Jews a Stumbling block and unto the Greeks Foolishness but untâ them which are called both Jews and Greekâ Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom oâ God This Power and Wisdom of God diâ dwell in Christ in all Fulness and out of thaâ Fulness he distributes to every one a suitable measure Eph. 4.7 saith the Apostle Paul But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended on high he leââ Captivity Captive he received Gifts for Meâ yea for the Rebellious also that the Lord Goâ might dwell among them or inhabit them âs the Word signifies I come not here to shew my self skilful in Hebrew Greek and Latin I hope it is no Ofâence to tell you of a better Translation of a âlace of Scripture as in the Margent of your âibles I come not hither to speak Hebrew âreek and Latin and to shew my Skill in seâeral parts of Learning and Philosophy after âhe Rudiments of the World as one vainly âuft up by a fleshly Mind I relinquished it ââove thirty Years ago I never reckoned âmane Learning a necessary Qualification to âake a Man meet to be a Preacher of the Gospel of Christ There is needful another Quaâification for the preaching of Christ and him âucified preaching his Cross which is a Stumbling-block to some and Foolishness to others but unto them that are sâââd it is Christ âhe Power of God and the Wââdom of God âorasmuch as the Fulness dwellâ in him and âorasmuch as we receive our several Measures one after another and we receive them by him and through him and from him Christ is the Author or Beginner of our Faith and the Finisher of it he is the Light of every Man âhat comes into the World a common Illumiâation is given to all There are some that say That Lam gone from âny ancient Testimony to the Light within they have not said it to my Face though they insinuate and whisper against me I am bold not in mine own Ability and Strength but in âhe Lord to say None can justly charge me that I am gone from my ancient Testimony tâ the Sufficiency of the Light within that therâ is a Sufficiency in the least measure of it to profit withal tho' it be never so little if Meâ labour to improve it God will not be wanting to give more I am yet to learn that there ever were any among our Friends in former Days or of thosâ that are newly risen up among us will sayâ Any have received so much that they need noâ depend upon the Lord for more as if thaâ was sufficient for all time to come we havâ already received We are to pray for ouâ daily Bread we are to pray for daily Supplies of the Spirit Lord give us more of thy Spirit and multiply thy Mercies and Blessings upon us saith the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace and Peace be multiplied to you through the Knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. But to proceed and speak a little further concerning that Doctrin which Paul and Silas preached to the Jailor and his Houshold Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House I did not study a Text before I came hither I did not know what I should speak but waiting for the pure Motion of the Lord that Scripture was brought before me and a sweet Motion was upon my Spirit and yet continues with me Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Observe here that Paul nor Silas doth not say That he must witness Regeneration or Sanctification before he doth believe in the âord Jesus Christ He doth not say Thou âust have a pure Conscience before thou dost âeceive the Mystery of Faith which is a Doâtrin that some hold that a pure Conscience âust be witnessed before Faith Tho' the âords are true Faith is held in a pure Consciâce But we must not say That the Conscience ââst be first pure and then Faith will be giân to a pure Conscience Faith and a pure âonscience go together I have experience of ãâ¦ã âlessed be God â have known a defiled Coââââence and now âo God's Praise I speaâ ãâã I know in some âeasure a purified Conscience My Consciânce was not purified before I did receive the Faith of Christ the very same moment that â received a measure of this pure Faith this âure Faith purified my Conscience
with Joy and the Wicked shall see him with Horror and they would be glad that the Mountains would fall upon them and hide them from his Presence but the Saints shall see their Saviour with comfort and rejoice to hear him pronounce that blessed Sentence that sweet and loving Invitation which will transport them into an Extacy of joyful Admiration Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Therefore Friends I beseech you unless you would rush upon that Rock that will be too strong for the stoutest of you embrace the necessary Doctrin of Christ crucified by whom alone you can obtain Salvation and escape that Wrath that is to come that will certainly fall upon those that make light of Christ and what he hath done and suffered for them Do not discourage me in my Labours a necessity is laid upon me to preach Christ and him crucified and a right Faith in him if any shall put this Question of the Jailor What shall I do to be saved My Answer is that of the Apostle Paul and Silas Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Say not in thine Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach that 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 for with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation But that is not all there must be Obedience and we must express our love to Christ by keeping his Commandments for He is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him If any shall reject this Doctrin and Faith in Christ crucified and say It will do me no good I can tell them from mine own Experience That the Lord hath wrought it in my Heart blessed be his Name and I find the purifying Nature of it Let it not be said That all Christendom or all England have this Faith which I preach for the generality of Men and Women have only a literal an historical and traditional Faith they believe only because they have it sounded in their Ears or read it in the Bible that Christ died for Sinners to reconcile us to God and purchase Salvation for us And tho' as I have oft declared I have that Charity that God has a Remnant in all Professions in Christendom that have some measure of the true Faith If it be a right saving justifying Faith it must be wrought in us by the mighty power of God Your Faith stands not in any Man's Words tho' never so good but in the Power of God Your Faith muââ not be grounded upon any Man's Testimony He that believeth saith the Apostle hath thâ Witness in himself and the Spirit of God beareth witness with our Spirits that we are thâ Children of God and witnesseth the great lovâ of God that gave his only begotten Son to die for us and the love of Christ that gave himself for us and took our Nature and Sins upon him and became a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us saith the Apostle from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree he hath also once suffered for Sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God being put to Death in the Flesh but quickened by the Spirit If all England had a right Belief a right Faith and Persuasion of the Love of God that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all and of the love of his Son Jesus Christ who gave himself for uâ this would melt their Hearts and draw âhem effectually to the love of God and Christ and constrain them not only to love the Lord Jesus but to live to him that died for them This Faith in a crucified Jesus is a Faith that worketh by Love and Love is the fulfilling of the Law and will make you have respect to all God's Commandments and if this divine Love reign and rule in our Hearts it will be the most delightful Exercise of our Lives to do the Will of God If all Christendom had a right Belief of the Love of God that gave his Son to die for us and did live in a sense of the love of Christ that was crucified and gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour this Love would captivate and overcome them and melt their Hearts before the Lord. My Friends the power and efficacy of this Faith and Love is that blessed be the Lord which I know from Experience and from a deep sense of this Love of God shed abroad upon my Heart by the Holy Ghost which is given to me and hath opened to me the Mystery of that infinite love and grace of God in the VVork of Man's Redemption by Jesus Christ wherein the Power Mercy Wisdom Justice Truth and Holiness of God are wonderfully displayed to our unspeakable Joy and his everlasting Glory A SERMON Preached by George Keith At Devonshire-house August 26. 1694. John 15.1 2 5. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman IN these VVords there is a great nearness and unity held forth by the Lord Jesus Christ between himself and his People that do believe in him In the 5th Verse he saith I am the Vine ye are the Branches VVhat Ye is this All Men and VVomen upon the Face of the Earth No who then Only them that believe in him These are Branches ingrafted into this Vine abiding in this Vine and bringing forth Fruit from the Sap and Moisture that this Vine affords they only that believe in him derive vital influence from him By Faith we are ingrafted into Christ the ârue Vine and united to him true Faith is of ân uniting Nature No sooner are true Beâievers united to Christ by a true Faith but instantly and immediately they find a divine Sap and Vertue flowing from Christ into their Souls which will make them fruitful I am the 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 it that it may bring forth more Fruit. True and sound Believers that are really united to Christ will become fruitful in every good Word and Work and abound in all the Fruits of the Spirit mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 5.2 But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law Now from this it evidently appears that that Faith which generally abounds
âou feel his Life Power and Spirit in you to âead you in the way of Obedience You may die in Peace and with great Joy and Satisfaction you may die with great Courage and commit your Bodies to the Grave and with âulness of Assurance commit your departing Souls to the Lord Jesus to be received into his Bosom and to have an abundant entrance ânto his everlasting Kingdom All the deceaâed Saints tho' they have a greater Injoyment of God and Christ than we have now or thâââhey had when tabernacled in a mortal Body âet they wait and long for the Reward which âhey shall receive at the Resurrection of the Dead then is the full Possession the joyful Harvest which our Saviour hath told us of When thou makest a Feast invite not thy Friends âr the Rich that will invite thee again but the Poor and Needy that cannot recompence thee How few make such Feasts This was our Saviours Counsel and Advice Luke 14.12 13. When thou makest a Dinner or a Supper call âot thy Friends nor thy Brethren neither thy Kinsmen nor thy rich Neighbours lest they alsâ bid thee again and Recompence be made to theâ But when thou makest a Feast call the Poor the Maimed the Lame and the Blind anâ thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompencâ thee for thou shalt be recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just. When is the Resurrection of the Dead when Men and Women die ãâã No when a good Man and Woman die they certainly go into Paradice there is a great fruition of the Lord's Presence and oâ his Love and Life that they then receive anâ enjoy But that is not the Resurrection oâ the Dead Many were raised from the Deaâ before Christ died but this is not the generaâ Resurrection of the Dead And our Saviouâ himself raised Lazarus and the Widow's Son this is not the Resurrection of the Dead Buâ now Christ is risen from the Dead saith thâ Apostle and become the first Fruits of them thaâ sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 tho' some were raised from the Dead before Christ's Death and Resurrection yet none of them went bodily to Heaven but Christ himself As in Adam aâ die even so in Christ shall all be made alive but every Man in his own Order Christ thâ first Fruits afterwards they that are Christs aâ his coming then cometh the end Friends I hope in this manner of Doctriââ my Testimony is acceptable to some I warâ you let none despise it I hope in God thaâ this Doctrin of the Resurrection is acceptablâ to many if the holy Scriptures have Weighâ and Authority and Credit with you as I hopâ they have with all here present then the Faith of the Resurrection of the Dead and the Faith of our own Resurrection and of Christ's Resurrection will be of Credit with you which is such an important Matter that all Preaching is vain without it and our Faith vain without it If you have not a true Belief of the Resurrection of the Dead you are yet in your Sins Pretend what you will of divine Injoyments if you have not a Belief of the Resurrection of the Dead I say you are yet in your Sins and your Faith is vain I prove this from the Testimony of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 15.14 But if there be no Resurrection of the Dead then is Christ not risen and if Christ be not risen then is our Preaching vain and your faith is also vain yea and we are found salse Witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if so be that the Dead arise not for if the Dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins 1 Cor. 15.16 17. Some ignorantly imagine that the Apostle Paul speaks of an inward Rising and of the new Birth as the new Birth is a most necessary preparation for a glorious Resurrection that better Resurrection but that is a great Mistake to say the Apostle speaks here of the new Birth for he is speaking of raising the Body out of the Grave He speaks of the same that Christ spake John 5.28 Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall âear his Voice aââ shall come forth they that have done good unââ the Resurrection of Life and they that haââ done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnatioâ The Resurrection of the Just is a comfortablâ Resurrection but that of the Unjust is ãâã dreadful Resurrection 2 Cor. 5.10 For ãâã must all appear before the Judgment-seat Christ that every one may receive the thinâ done in his Body according to that he haâ done whether it be good or bad You maâ take notice of those Words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.14 If there be no Resurrection ãâã the Dead then is Christ not risen and if Chriââ be not risen then is our Preaching vain anâ your Faith is also vain These Words are linked together like sâ many Links making a strong Chain that can not be broken The Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Unjust are linked witâ Christ's Resurrection and Christ's Resurrection is linked with the Faith of it and thâ Faith of it linked with the Preaching of it they that have not the true Faith of Christ Resurrection and of the Resurrection of thâ Dead are yet in their Sins and let them pretend never so much to the Faith of Chriââ within if they have not the Faith of Chriââ without them they are yet in their Sins Take not things upon my Credit but searcâ the Scriptures I hope the holy Scriptures havâ Credit Esteem and Authority with you Leâ me once more caution you to take thing rightly that you may not mistake me I say that a bare historical Belief of the Resurrection of the Dead or of the Resurrection of Christ will not prove a Man not to be dead ân his sins but if we do really believe the Resurrection of the Dead and Christ's Resurâection if we believe these great Truths and âf our Faith be from an inward Work of the Spirit of God upon our Hearts this Belief will lay a Constraint upon us to live unto Christ that died for us and to have our Hearts in Heaven and our Conversation in Heaven If you are risen with Chrict saith the Apostle then seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God and set your Affectons on things above and nor on things on the Earth What are those things above that we are to set our Hearts and Affections upon And what is it to set our Affections upon things above To set our Affections on things above it is to have our Thoughts and Meditations exercised after this manner Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee There is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Lord my Desire is only unto thee and to the
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
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 ââth made us free from the Law of Sin and Dââth for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likânesâ of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh tâât thââighteousness of the Law might be fulââââ 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.
us to do it we should be at a great loss and disadvantage But God is so full of Grace and Bounty blessed be his Name that he giveth us both Wisdom to know his Will and Power to fulfil it Therefore the Spirit of God which was promised to rest upon Christ the Root and Stem of Jesse God promised that the Spirit should rest upon him and that a measure of it should be given to all the Members of that Body whereof he is the Noble and Holy Head he giveth it in one measure to one in another measure to another and in a suitable measure to all according to every ones Capacity to some more and some less as in the âistribution of Talents he giveth to every âne according to their ability The state and âondition of Men with respect to Spiritual ând Divine gifts they are like the Capacity âf Vessels some of a lesser and some of a greater quantity There are Cups and Flaggons and Barrels and other Vessels that contain greater and lesser quantities So for Vessels of the Sanctuary Vessels of the Lords House there are Cups and Flaggons and other Vessels A Cup is not capable of holding so much as a Flaggon nor will a Flaggon contain so much as a Barrel or Firkin herein appears the Wisdom of God in that he gives to every one according to their Capacity so that none have reason to repine and murmure and say Lord thou hast not given enough to me Grudge not at the gifts of God to others but consider that though God hath given thee but a little he hath given thee what is fit for thee to receive if he had given thee more there might have been more danger to thy Soul if thy Cup run over there is more than it is capable to receive and therefore God gives that measure to thee that is fittest for thee God gives to every Man and Woman a measure of his Grace which was purchased for them by the Son of his Love the Lord Jesus Christ by what he hath done and suffered even by his Obedience to the Death The Spirit of God which rests upon his dear Son Christ Jesus is said to be the Spirit of Might Isa 11.1 2. And there shall come forth a roâ out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots And the Spirit of the Lorâ shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom anâ understanding the Spirit of councel and might the Spirit of knowledg and of the seat of the Lord Here is a Spirit of might as well as a Spirit of VVisdom and Understanding here is I say a Spirit of might and of the fear of the Lord. The Holy Scripture saith perfect love casteth out fear what fear is it that it casteth out Slavish fear but Filial fear Evangelical fear perfect Love casteth not out for this Love and fear are Twins they are Inseparable they are of one kind of one nature our Lord Jesus Christ himself was filled with this Holy Spirit of fear it is said Hebr. 5.7 Who in the Days of his Flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared Isa 11.3 The Spirit of the Lord saith the Prophet shall rest upon him c. The Spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shall not judge after the sight of his Eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his Ears but with righteousness shall he judge the Poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ sincerely and truly by this belief we shall receive VVisdom and Power sufficiency of it plenty of it one measure and degree after another we shall have the Spirit of God to teach âs and counsel us what we ought to do what âs our Duty to God to our Neighbour and âo our selves and all that is required of us in order to our Eternal Happiness and Salvation which is given by Christ Jesus and also Power to do what we ought to do and also Power to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ There are some have made such an Objection as this and I have sometimes made it my self in my own Thoughts O! say some we want a Power to believe we find it very difficult to believe It is good to be thus sensible of thy own Inability and it is good to be perswaded that it is not so easie a thing to believe as many hold it to be The generality of Christians here in Christendom they think it to be an easie thing to believe It is impossible for any Man or Woman rightly and truly and sincerely to believe in God or in Christ with the least Measure of true saving Faith unless the mighty Power of God work this Faith in us And this Faith begins in a very small beginning it is first sown in the Heart of Man or Woman as a grain of Mustard-seed he that soweth it will make it to grow he is not like an unskilful Husbandman that begins to plant or build and is not able to go through with it the Lord is wise and Powerful he will go through with his Work if thou dost not by the Obstinacy Subbornness and Carelesness of thine own Heart hinder it the Lord will carry on this Work of Faith by his mighty Power And if you have Faith but as Grain of Mustard-Seed you shall say to thâ Mountain Be removed and it shall be removed This Faith is witnessed by a Blessed Remnant that know the removing of Mountains not earthly Mountains but all those inward Letts Impediments and Hindrances that thâ poor Soul feels within it self even Mountainâ of Sin and of the Powers of Darkness thaâ stand between God and their Souls which intercept the Light of his Countenance from shining on them they would get near to the Lord they follow hard after him The Lord lifts up the Light of his Countenance in some lesser degree upon them which is like a little Beam of Light coming through a Cranny they have not that full and satisfactory Enjoyment of the Lord that they desire Act Faith upon the Lord 's Almighty Power that hath given thee a little Grain of Faith a small measure of it and in due Time thy Faith shall be strengthned and be able to remove all those Mountains of Sin and of the Powers of Darkness that are in thy Heart I say it hath often been an Objection to me O! I would fain believe I want Power to believe and I bless the Lord that let me see that I was not able of my self to believe that I had no might or Ability of my self to act Faith the Lord was pleased by the shining of his blessed Light into my Heart to enable me to act Faith and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
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 Lovâ is wanting among Men and true Faith is also wanting But there are a Remnant that have truâ Faith that worketh by Love but this noble Faith and Love and the rest of the Fruits oâ the Spirit are greatly wanting amongst the generality of the Professors of Christianity Iâ 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 ãâã 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 werâ 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 thâ 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
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 ââom Christ into your Souls And would you now nothing of dryness barrenness nor unââuitfulness then live by the Faith of the Son âf God and exercise your Faith upon Christ âontinually It is not enough to have Faith âe by you as a Man hath an Instrument lying ây and he doth not use it But know the Use and Exercise of Faith you must know âhe daily Operation of Faith elsâ you cannot âeceive continual Sap flowing ãâã you from Christ the heavenly Vine Gââ 2.20 I am ârucified with Christ saith the Apostle neverâheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me ând the Life which I now live in the Flesh I âive by the Faith of the Son of God who loved âne and gave himself for me There is no âiving but by the Faith of the Son of God Rom. 1.16.17 I am not ashamed of the Gospel âf 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 Faiââ 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 âhe Son of Man God hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World by the Man Christ Jesus whereof he hath given Assurance âo all Men in that he hath raised him from âhe 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 âhe last Day Yes Christ shall judge all Men at the last Day both by his Light in their Hearts and âs he is the Man Christ now if any think ââat 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 hââ Temple that Body remains in Being and wiââ 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 whereââ 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 liââ him now for we expect no Purgatory aftââ this Life therefore defer it not He that haâ this Hope saith the Apostle purifyeth himseââ even as he is pure My Friends I expect no cleansing after thâ Life I expect all my cleansing here to ãâã cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh aâ Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of Gââ 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 ãâã Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit This âlessed Martyr Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and âaw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the âight Hand of God and when they were stonâng him to Death he kneeled down and cried with a loud Voice Lord lay not this Sin to âheir Charge and when he had said this he âell asleep Friends you that have a Life of Faith and âeel Christ dwelling in your Hearts by Faith
remembrance of thy Name I am travelling through the Wilderness of this World this is the place of my Pilgrimage I am here in a strange Land I am passing through this Wilderness this Country that is earthly but I desire a better Country that is an heavenly Lord I am coming to thee and to be with thee and to enjoy fulness of Felicity with thee That which I have now is but an earnest and fore-taste of Heaven that divine Refreshment which I have now from thy Presence O Lord it is very sweet unto my Soul that followeth hard after thee and even faints and longs for thy Salvation Lord my Soul is satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness when thou drawest nigh to me and liftest up the Light of thy Countenance upon me this puts Gladness into my Heart more than in the time that worldly Men have their Corn and Wine encreased But what is all this in comparison of Heaven and the full Fruition of thee and that fulness of Joy and Rivers of Pleasures at thy right Hand for evermore I would not diminish those divine and spiritual Enjoyments and sweet refreshing Consolations which the Lord is pleased many times to vouchsafe to his People here they have large Enjoyments of the Lord's Presence and sweet Communion with him but all this is but a fore-taste and earnest of what is to come Therefore setting our Affections on things above is to be exercising our Faith our Hope and Meditations upon that Felicity which we shall enjoy after this Life I would not have any set their Imaginations on work so as to form Ideas in their Minds what sort of place Heaven is for those thoughts and conceptions that will profit you the Spirit of the Lord must give them to you and so help you to contemplate and meditate upon the joy and Glory of Heaven If ever you have any real benefit and advantage by the Exercise of your Thoughts it must be through the help and assistance of the Holy Spirit you can have no profitable Meditation concerning God and Christ and Heaven and Judgment to come except the Spirit of the Lord doth work in your Hearts and form your Thoughts and excite your desires and raise your affections to a spiritual and lively Exercise Friends you must labour to come to a Holy silence and stilness in your waiting upon the Lord and to deny your selves and take up the Cross of Christ and give up your selves intirely to the leadings of his Spirit and suppress the natural workings and actings of your own Spirits and let every Thought and Imagination be brought into subjection and into a Holy Captivity to the Lord Jesus Christ in your Meditations on God and Heaven and Glory in the VVorld to come these Thoughts must be given you by the Spirit of God you must form and frame and work them together with the Spirit The Life of a true Christian is to live above to have his conversation in Heaven and to look beyond all present Enjoyments unto that which is to come unto fruitions that are future and Everlasting The Apostle according to the VVisdom given him of God hath given us an excellent definition of Faith Hebr. 11.1 Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Hope looks to that which is future which is not presently enjoyed Rom. 8.24 saith thâ Apostle We are saved by Hope but Hope thâ is seen is not Hope for what a Man seeth wâ doth he yet hope for it But if we hope for thâ we see not then do we with patience wait fâ it If any one say that this Doctrine drawes ãâã from the present enjoyment from the gift oâ God in our selves to look to that which is beyond the grave I say it doth not Truâ hope centers you in that which is the preseââ measure and confirms and establishes you iâ it it is the present measure that worketh truâ hope in us a present measure of the gift oâ God of the Grace and Spirit of God the effecâ of Grace cannot lead us from Grace thereforâ it is great weakness for any thus to argue ãâã am afraid my meditation will carry me from mâ present measure I tell thee the Thoughts anâ meditations that work in the Heart of a truâ Christian that carry him beyond present enjoyments to those that are future will noâ hinder the present measure of Grace received Let me add this one word further the mistery that hath been told us the Mystery that hath been hid from Ages and Generations which is Christ in us who is the hope of glory may we not say Christ in us is our glory and Christ in us is our Enjoyment VVe may say if we are true Believers Christ in me is Joy and Sweetness to my Soul and delight and satisfaction to my Soul beyond all the transient Joys and pleasures of this VVorld If I had the possession of them and were Master of them Christ within affords me that âatisfaction and content that peace and joy that surpasseth all worldly Pleasures Christ within us is our hope of Glory but the present measure of Christ within is not our full possession of Glory I own it that Christ and his Grace is in every Saint and Grace is Glory begun it is the earnest and first Fruits of Glory The Apostle calls Christ within the Hope of Glory not the full possession of it Christ within leads us to that which is beyond the Grave and beyond Time which is to be enjoyed in a glorious Eternity The Apostle Paul tells us Tit. 2.11 12 13. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works When is the time of the appearance of this blessed Hope At the glorious appearing of the great God who is both God and Man and our Saviour When is that At the Resurrection of the Dead when all Nations shall stand before the Son of Man the Good and Bad the Just and the Unjust together What this glorious Appearing will be iâ beyond the power and ability of any Man tâ demonstrate but there is one thing I shalâ mention which will make it a most glorious Appearing that all the unjust Judgments that have been passed against just Men against the Saints and People of God shall be reversed this will be very glorious and God will then before Men and Angels justify his righteous and faithful Servants that have been unjustly condemned by Popes Bishops and general Councils and Synods Thus our blessed Lord himself was unjustly condemned and charged with Blasphemy as you may read in the Evangelist Mark 14.62 The High-priest
asked our Saviour and said unto him Art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed And Jesus said I am And ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right Hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Then the High-priest rent his Cloths and saith What need we any further Witnesses Ye have heard the Blasphemy what think ye And they all condemned him to be guilty of Death A wonderful thing that Innocence it self should be condemned as Guilty and that the supream and righteous Judge of the World should have such an unrighteous Sentence passed against him and be crucified and slain by those he came to save and that for their sakes endured the pains of Death to purchase for them eternal Life He was made a Curse that they might inherit the Blessing When Pilate would have released Christ they cried Not this Man but Barrabas As they have treated the glorious Head of the Church so they have dealt with his Members this godly Man and the other godly Man have been reproached persecuted and put to Death for the sake of Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith the great Captain of our Salvation who was made perfect thro' Sufferings If we suffer with him we shall reign with him at the Day of hâs glorious Appearing and it will be a glorious Appearing indeed to them that look and long for it The new Covenant open'd IN A SERMON Preached by George Keith AT Harp-lane near Towerstreet London Sept. 2d 1694. Jeremiah xxxi 31 c. Behold the Days come saith the Lord That I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the Day that I took them by the Hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband to them saith the Lord But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel After those Days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their ãâ¦ã write it in thâââ Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord For they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their Sin no more THERE are diverse great and weighty things needful here to be opened for there are many Persons are very apt to mistake that have not a right Understanding of the Nature of the New Covenant and they make a great jumble and confusion between that common universal Illumination extended to all Mankind even the most barbarous Nations where the Gospel never came by any outward Ministry and that Illumination which is proper and peculiar to the new Covenant The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles to whom Christ was not outwardly preached and where his Name and Fame and the Sound of him was not come he writes thus Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without Excuse And again the Apostle speaking of the Dispensation of God that the Gentiles were under who had not a Law outwardââ delivered to them Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts their Conscience also bearing Witness and their Thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Here is Writing of the Law upon the Hearts of the Gentiles and to be sure God wrote this Law But with what Pen you may say did he write it You may read in John 1.1 2 3 4. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. Here is the Pen God's Light is this Pen God hath written his Law upon the Hearts of all Men both Jews and Gentiles Believers and Unbelievers for both Writings are God's Writings they are written by the Hand of God the Finger of God or with the Spirit of God But you may say What is the difference between these two Writings What is the difference between that Illumination which is common to all Mankind and that which is proper and peculiar to the new Covenant I answer the Differences and Distinctions may be branched forth into divers weighty particulars more than at present I shall have time to mention but I shall speak of some of the chief of them First The Law of God is universally writâen upon the Hearts of all Men but it doth not make a Change upon them so as to sofâen their Hearts We read of two Sorts of Hearts in the Holy Scripture Hearts of Stone ând Hearts of Flesh God hath promised to âake away the Heart of Stone and to give ân Heart of Flesh This universal Law of God is written upon the Hearts of all Men âpon the Hearts of the Wicked and Disobeâient Let wicked Men do their worst and ândeavour never so much with all their wickedness and filthiness to obliterate and âlot out the Law of God that is written âpon their Hearts they cannot do it it remains to judge them and will judge them ând leave them without Excuse But the Law âf the New Covenant is written upon a Heart âf Flesh It is written upon the Hearts of âone but those that are the People of God âhat are true Israelites upon them that are âews inwardly in the Spirit not in the Letâer whose Praise is not of Men but of God This is one great difference between that Illumination that is common to all Mankind and âhat which is proper and peculiar to the new Covenant Secondly The Law of God as he writes ât upon the Hearts of all Men. It is his Law âs he is the great Creator and Maker and Lord of Heaven and Earth All ought to be subject to his Law as he is their Maker aâ they are obliged to serve him reverence hiâ fear him and obey him and hereupon heâ every Man and Woman's Teacher Hoâ As he is the great Creator and Maker aâ Lord of Heaven and Earth And here tâ Relation between God and Men and Womââ is that which is between a Master or Lord aââ a Servant But now the Law of the neâ Covenant it is the Law of a Parent towaââ his Children now this far exceeds the otheâ and God's Teachings here are fatherly Teacâings they are God's Teachings as he is Father to his People and as they are his
Chiâdren So that God's People that are undââ 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 Seâvants and Sons and Daughters and yoâ know there is a greater Nearness and Affectâon between a Man and his Sons and Daugâters than between him and his Servants Master of a Family loves his Children bettâ than he loves his Servants so on the othââ 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 meâcenary 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 exceâlent Being and there is none like or equal ânto thee in Heaven or on Earth I love thee âecause thou hast given me a Heart to love âee 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 âervants is a mercenary Love and their Fear ãâã a servile Fear a Fear of Punishment The âove of God's Children is a filial Love a âee and generous Affection a Love whereby âhe Soul is changed and brought under the New Covenant a Love to God for his own âake not only for his Blessings and for his Gifts but chiefly and principally for himself âot only because they believe that when they âlie they shall go to Heaven and that because Heaven is a blessed Place and that therefore âhey are glad they have such a Place to go to but they love God above Heaven who is betâer to them than Heaven it self and they can âay with David Psalm 73.25 Lord whom âave I in Heaven but thee and there is none âpon 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 pecuâiar to those under the New Covenant may âppear 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 Duây to him in a general way but God teacheth his People under the New Covenant by râvealing and making known to them clearâ and distinctly Christ Jesus the Mediator ãâã the New Covenant God giveth them tââ Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God ãâã the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Goâ maketh known to his People this great Mâstery of Christ as he is the Mediator betweââ God and them So we read in the Epistle ãâã the Hebrews Heb. 12.22 But ye are comâ unto Mount Zion and to the City of the liâing God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an iânumerable Company of Angels to the generââ Assembly and Church of the First-born whicââ 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 Câvenant 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 Jesââ 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 âannot be seen with bodily Eyes for he is a âpirit and invisible yet there is a coming to God Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must âelieve that he is We have now no Opporâunity 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 âome 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 waterâeth 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
of the Apostle Peter Pet. 1.1 8. Whom having not seen ye Love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Joy unspeakaâle and full of Glory These words Import âhat though now ye see not the Man Christ âesus yet the time will come when you shall see him that is when he shall appear in his Glory at the great Day of Judgment when âhe Nations shall stand before him then they shall certainly see him though now they see him not and then Believers shall rejoyce with âoy unspeakable and full of Glory I say Faith is a very great mystery in that it joyns the Souls of them that truly believe in him to Christ now in heaven Believers do not rejoyce Imaginarily but really True Faith is incomparably a more excellent thing than Imagination is Faith joyneth us to Christ it knitteth us to him and giveth us access unto God by him Remember what our Lord said to Thomas after he arose from the Dead when he appeared to his Disciples the Doors being shut the eleven had seen Christ before when Thomas was not present he would not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to them John 20. When the other Disciples told him we have seen the Lord. He said unto them except I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe And after eight Days again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you then saith he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be Faithless but believing And Thomas answeâed and said unto him my Lord and my Gââ Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hâ seen me thou hast believed Blessed are they thâ have not seen and yet have believed O my Friends these VVords are preciouâ my Heart is touched and tendered with theâ Blessed are they that have not seen yet haâ believed we have not seen him risen from thâ Dead he appeared not to us as to them and ãâã he appeared to Paul outwardly this is oâ case you are blessed if ye believe in him whoâ ye have not seen in the Lord Jesus Christ ãâã the Man Christ Jesus and if they are Blesseâ that have not seen yet have believed then follows by the Rule of contraries that theâ were not blessed who did not believe in hiâ though they saw him and heard him Preach I cannot say it is a Sin in them not to bâlieve in the Lord Jesus Christ who have nâ heard him Preached to them outwardly nor Inwardly who have not heard of his Death Burial Resurrection and Ascension and sittinâ at the Right-Hand of God I cannot say ãâã is a Sin in them not to believe who nevââ heard of those things but those that have haâ this Doctrine preached and also read in thâ Holy Scriptures and yet do not believe Chrisâ risen from the Dead that do not believe Chrisâ died for their Sins nor believe that he is gonâ to Heaven and liveth for ever to make intercession for us It is so great a Sin not to believe Christs Incarnation Death and Resurrection when it is preached that they bring a Curse upon themselves that believe not this Doctrin after it is plainly preached to them I do say it and am ready to prove what I say They that have an opportunity to hear this Doctrin preached and read it they have an obligation lying upon them to believe it not because of the outward Testimony barely for where-ever the Scriptures come and are read and preached there is an inward Witness and Testimony goes along with the outward Testimony and it cannot be supposed that the inward Testimony of God's holy Spirit will be wanting to them that enjoy the preaching of the Gospel of Christ to enable them to believe It is Unbelief that brings Men under the Curse and makes them guilty before God Our Saviour told the Jews Except you believe that I am he ye shall die in your Sins O this is most dreadful and whither I go ye cannot come It is not a bare literal traditional or historical Faith or Belief in Christ that I preach to the People which is a Faith of no Value or Worth for Hypocrites have this Faith but that Faith which I preach it is a living Faith wrought by the mighty Power of the Spirit of Christ accompanying the outward Teaching It is a living Faith a fruitful Faith and where-ever this Faith is Love is it is never without Love for Faith Hope and Love always go together and all the Fruits of the Spirit all evangelical Vertues Humility Meekness Temperance and Patience so that they that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ they have a Faith that worketh by Love Love to God and Man That Faith that they have in them is a pious devout religious consciencious Faith and this Faith is accompanied with a Desire that every one might partake of the like precious Faith Every one thaâ hath it they feel an earnest Travel and concern upon their Spirits that all might be partakers of it they are zealous for the Faith of Christ's Doctrine for by the Faith of Christ's Doctrine we have the Faith of Christ himself So that I do not understand for my part how people can have the Faith of Christ that have not the Faith of his Doctrine A Man or Woman may have a measure of the true Faith of Christ and be short in some matter of Doctrine that is not fundamental they may be wanting in some measure but it were better that there was nothing wanting if possible I long to see you saith the Apostle Rom. 1.11 compared with 1 Thess 3.10 that I may perfect what is lacking in your Faith He did suppose those that were partakers of the Faith of Christ might have something lacking in their Faith that might be supplied to them Christ's Doctrine as it is powerfully preached hath this Service in it to help a Man to lay hold on Christ by Faith as you know we can more easily lay hold upon a Man that is cloathed than upon one that is naked we can more easily lay hold upon Christ by laying hold upon his Doctrine and upon his precious Promises the Promise of Remission of Sin and of his Holy Spirit John 7.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water These are exceeding great and precious Promises by which we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature I can tell you something of mine own Experience I was enabled to lay hold on Christ by laying hold on the Promise of Christ Christ comes cloathed with the precious Promises to believe the Promise of Salvation through Christ Jesus the Promise of Remission of
revealed by the Spirit of God and the first Fruits and Earnest are given to the People of God here in this World the full enjoyment whereof is reserved for the next Life Now the first Fruits and Earnest are of the same nature and kind with the full Harvest in Glory If thou be a true Believer thou enjoyest a measure of the same Delight and Pleasure in Communion with God on Earth that the glorified Saints do enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity O the inward sweetness delight and satisfaction that the Soul of every true Believer enjoys in God in this Life it is of the same nature and kind that the Saints shall enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity this first Fruits and Earnest is but little in comparison of the full Harvest that is to come Those that are the People of God that have experienced God's Teaching know that which is beyond all the Teachings of the best of Men as the taste of Hony is beyond all Reports of it the Joys and Comforts of God's holy Spirit are beyond all that can be declared and expressed by Man concerning these things Whatsoever God's Servants have declared and reported concerning the great things that God hath promised to them that love him the Knowledge and Taste and Experience of God's People goes beyond it Yet this makes not void the outward Testimony and Teaching of holy Men for so far as any holy Man has greater Experience than I and a greater experimental Knowledge of God he is sit to teach me further than I at present know for the Children of God are gradually taught under the new Covenant None have Forgiveness of Sin vouchsafed to them but those that come under God's Teaching they believe not because of Man's Testimony only because Paul taught so and Peter taught so and James and John taught so but as they said to the Samaritan-woman John 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy Saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World Those that are thus taught of God know the Truth and love the Truth as it is in Jesus they have heard himself preach he is not bodily present but he is present by his Spirit the Voice of the Spirit of Christ is the Voice of Christ and the Voice of God the Father you that hear the Voice of the Spirit in your Hearts you hear the Voice of the Father and the Son they that are taught of God they hear the Voice of God the Father Son and holy Ghost There is one thing further upon my Heart which I shall deliver as the Lord shall be pleased to enable me in a few Words concerning the new Covenant I hope you all know thus much that the nature of a Covenant is mutual it binds and obligeth both Parties so doth God's Covenant who ever comes under God's Covenant As God obligeth himself to be their Father and their God anâ their Husband thy Maker is thy Husband So God's People that come under this Covenant are engaged unto God and God expects and requires that they should be faithful unto him And certainly God expectâ and requires of every one in order to their coming into Covenant that they give up their Hearts and Souls to him and to take the Lord for their God We must dedicate our selves to his glory and service and say Lord thou shalt be my God I will have no other God but thee no other Lord or Master but thee Other Lords have had dominion over us but now we will make mention of thy Name only Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel Is this only an outward Book an outward Writing and Subscription No that is but little to be accounted of thou must write with thy Soul thou must write with thy Heart There is a Bond between the Lord and thee and thou bindest thy self to him and it is written in thy Heart The Lord shall be my God Thus David engaged himself to the Lord Psal 119.94 Lord I am thine save me and he takes the Lord for his Portion Thou art my Portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy Word How can you say That the Lord is your God unless you are his by Covenant God's Covenant hath a mutual stipulation or obligation there is a mutual engaging and promising The Lord promiseth to be our God and Father and Husband and our Preserver to be all in all to us and we promise to be his People to love him and serve him and obey him So my Friends I now commend you to the Lord and commend those things to you that I have declared at this present time I commit them to the Witness of God in all your Consciences I commit you to God and the Word of his Grace to open your Understandings that you may be inlightned to know him who is the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent which is Life eternal and that you may feel his mighty power to make impression upon your Hearts by those things that I have been testifying and declaring among you the Lord alone can teach you to Profit and make those great and precious Promises that have now sounded in your Ears to have a due impression upon your Hearts and to become effectual through the mighty Power of his blessed Spirit for the Salvation of your immortal Souls A SERMON Preached by George Keith At Harp-Lane London Septemb. 30th 1694. Cor xiii 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Or as it may be better translated Vnless ye be unapproved disapproved or without a proof THis is a seasonable Exhortation of the Apostle Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith c. know ye not your own selves c. how that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates saith our Translation ' It were sad indeed if all they were Reprobates that know not Christ within them God forbid for there are thousands that know not that Christ is in them they have not that Knowledge Understanding Proof and Experience yet they are not Reprobate But who then are Reprobates may some say They are Reprobates of whom we may truly say God hath wholly left them utterly left them and ceaseth to be a Reprover to them and their Day of Mercy is expired the Day of God's Visitation and the striving of his Spirit is at an End towards them These are properly said to be Reprobates yet those that are not yet in Christ and know not that Chtist is in them so long as they are capable of Repentance and Conversion and of being turned to God and the Day of his Visitation being not yet expired it cannot
and Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ it is not the true Doctrin of the Gospel of Christ to preach Pardon of Sin and Justification through the Obedience that any Man or Woman can perform to or by the Light within the Spirit of God within or any inward Principle without Faith in the Man Christ Jesus It is by Faith in him that we witness Peace with God Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 It is not in my Heart to go into Niceties to answer that Question that hath more of Nicity than of Necessity in it Whether we are justified by Faith or by Faith and Works viz. by such Works as accompany Faith and go along with Faith and that flow from Faith as the effects of it We cannot be justified whatever any may âirm without Faith in Christ crucified and âhoever preach that we may be justified by ây Works that we can perform any obediânce to Christ within or without without âith in Christ crucified they preach another âospel and pervert the Gospel of Christ âal 1.8 But though we or an Angel from âeaven saith the Apostle preach any other âospel unto you than that which we have preachââ unto you let him be accursed Now they preach another Gospel that preach âustification and Remission of Sins by our own âorks and Obedience without Faith in Christ crucified The Apostle James saith âdeed Jam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our âather justified when he offered Isaac his Son âpon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought âith his Works and by Works was Faith âade perfect And the Scripture was fulfilââd which saith Abraham believed God ââd it was imputeâ to him for Righteousness ââd he was called the Friend of God And it is âid concerning Rahab Was not Rahab the âarlot justified by Works when she had receiâed the Messengers and had sent them out anoâher way Josh 2.15 She let them down by a âord through the Window and she said unto âhem Get ye to the Mountains lest the Pursuârs meet you And the Spyes said unto her âehold when we come into the Land thou shalt âind this Line of Scarlet-Thred in the Window âich thou didst let us down by c. The âcarlet-Thred did typify and represent and shadow out the Blood of Christ by which shâ should be saved she hid the Spyes and thâ was a good Work her Faith that saved heâ was as the Scarlet-Thred dipt and dyed iâ the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from alâ Sin So these Works were not without Faith but did accompany it and were the real Fruiâ of it I have told you that the Object of Faitâ is God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son both in his inward and outward coming anâ appearance and as he is yet to come again and appear without us at the end of thâ World at the great day of Judgment and also the holy Spirit Now to open to you briefly one Scripture John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name The Exposition that some have given of this is the receiving of Christ inwardly that is so far good But that dotââot comprehend the whole sense and meaning of the Words To receive him and believe on him is not only to receive his Light and Power and Spirit in our Hearts but to receive him as he died for us and shed his precious Blood for us and became both a Priest and Sacrifice for us and offered himself through the Eternal Spirit without spot to God We must believe thâ worth and value of that Sacrifice to expiatâ our Sins and to make attonement for us â so that by Christ's Sacrifice and offering oâ himself the justice of God haâh satisfactioâ made to it as fully as if we our selves had sufââred and made full satisfaction So that to ââceive Christ is not to receive him only in ââs inward Appearance but in his priestly Ofââce as he died upon the Cross and shed his ârecious Blood for us I have said it divers times and it is in my Heart to say it again That Christ offered the Gift of his Manhood upon the Altar of his Godhead that sanctified it and made it so âighly valuable and acceptable How will âou prove this some might say This may âell be proved out of the holy Scripture Heb. 13.14 For if the Blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling âhe Vnclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the âlesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ âho through the Eternal Spirit offered himself ââthout spot to God purge your Consciences âim dead Works âo serve the living God The ââârnal Spirit ãâã the eternal Power and Godâead is the Altar tâââ is greater than the Gift ââd the Altar which sanctifieth the Gift and âhich was that that gave value and merit to âs precious Blood and to what his Body and âoul suffered here I say is the Gift upon ââe Altar and the Altar sanctifieth the Gift ãâã Christ had been Man only then his Death ââd Sufferings and his precious Blood had ât been of that great worth and value to exââte our Sin and make Attonement for us ââd reconcile us to God God hath had reââd to this in all Ages God looks favourable âon us only through Christ our great Mediator and High-priest Christ's Blood is of meritorious Efficacy in all Ages since it was shed and before it was shed And as Christ is the Object of our Faith so is the Doctrin of Christ in all the parts of it in a secondary sense but more especially as it respects the Promises of Salvation and his Commandments these two the Promises of Christ and the Commands of Christ if we believe his Promises we believe his Precepts and obey them We are pardoned and sanctified and justified freely and all boasting is excluded If we believe in Christ we believe in his Person and we believe his Doctrin his Promises and all that is written That through the comfort of the Scriptures we might have Hope I will by a Similitude express and represent to you of what great use the Promises are unto us as I have found by experience blessed be God that the great and precious Promises of our Lord Jesus Christ and hiâ sweet Invitations and Calls that are recorded in the holy Scripture are a mighty help to us in laying hold upon Christ We cannot take hold of a Man so well when he is naked as when he is clothed It is not so easy foâ us to lay hold on Christ naked as when he iâ preached in the Gospel and as when he iâ clothed as it were with the precious Promâses It is very hard for us to lay hold oâ Christ and embrace him and come to him without a Promise The Apostle Peter holâing forth this great Mystery tells us 2 Pet. 1. â Whereby are given to
manner Am I one that hath lived as without God in the World and walked after the imaginations of my own Heart And do I find my Conscience reproving me in my sinful course and requiring me to forsake it Let it be thy Souls care and concern to leave off sinning against God for the time will come when God's Patience and Long-suffering towards thee will cease and come to an end this is the day of God's Visitation The Lord affords thee a day of Grace wherein he is pleased to call upon thee to turn and live Ezek. 33.11 Thus saith the Lord by the Prophet Say unto them As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel God's love is universal to all the Sons and Daughters of Men. God hath so loved the World all Meâ rhe worst of Men that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shouââ not perish but have everlasting Life for Gâ sent not his Son into the World to condemn thâ World but that the World through him mighâ be saved We know there is Election and Reprobation but where is the Election It is in Christ of them that come to believe in Christ they that do not believe in the Lord Jesus Chrisâ are in a reprobate State The Lord hath not reprobated any from Eternity but for Sin and final Impenitency he hath not appointed any to Destruction The Lord hath been so abundantly merciful and gracious as to afford a way and means whereby all may come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved I do not say that all shall be saved for they will not come to Christ that they might have Life and therefore their destruction is of themselves God hath appointed a way whereby all Men may obtain eternal Salvation What is that way That they believe on him whom God hath sent This is Life Eternal to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 Let every one of us be sensible of the great love of God to us we have all great cause to say That the Lord hath been merciful to us in that the day of our Visitation is continued The Lord hath sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ in his spiritual Appearance as he appeared sometimes in his prepared Body and was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem ând he is ascended into Heaven into the preâence of God and liveth for ever to make ântercession for us Let it be our care to âorsake our evil Ways and turn to the Lord who is pleased to hold out the Scepter of Mercy to us The Invitation is That we will come unto Christ whom God hath exalted to be â Prince and a Saviour to give us repentance ând remission of sins Luke 13.1 2. We read in the New Testament That when some told our Saviour of the Galileans whose Blood Pilate had mingled with the Sacrifices Jesus answering said unto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were Sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish Or those eighteen upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell and slew them think ye that they were Sinners above all that dwell in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish And again John 8.21 Our Saviour tells the Jews I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your s ns whither I go ye cannot come These are searching Doctrins and should put us upon a Proving all things and holding fast that which is good that we may believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and have an âbundant entrance into his everlasting Kingâom My Friends I desire that you may all be in â good state and condition and keep close to the gift of God and the measure of Grace given to you and prove all things that are oâ a religious Concern and so come to be Christians indeed Israelites indeed like Nathaniel in whom there is no Guile that you may set a Watch before the Door of your Lips Saith the Apostle James If any Man among you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart this this Man's Religion is vain Jam. 1.26 You must watch over your Words and be true in your Words that your Religion may not be in vain that when you prove all things you may hold fast that which is good If I should put the Question to the most ignorant Man or Woman among us Friend What dost thou think hast thou a Soul to be saved What dost thou think will become of thee Such a one would answer I have a Soul that may be saved But I would put the Question further What assurance hast thou that thou shalt be saved I am in some doubt I have not assurance of my Salvation but I hope to be saved Then I might ask again Why hast thou not Assurance of Salvation there is something that is the cause of it My Sin saith such a one lies at the Door there is something within that will let thee know that it is some allowed Sin or Iniquity that thou livest in There is an awakened Conscience the gift that God hath given to Men that will reprove Men for Sin though sometimes they may get over it yet sometimes or other there will be an awakening of Conscience that will make them cry out and say Lord I am a sinful Man â am not fit to die I am not prepared for my âatter end So David cried out Lord cleanse âe from my secret sins What is it that keeps Men in doubt of their Salvation but some secret sin or other When a Man comes to be awakened and the Book of Conscience is opened and a Man readeth therein that he hath done this and the other evil thing lived âo and so Then humble thy self under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt thee in due time and speak Peace to thy Soul If thou wilt prove all things and hold fast that which is good live according to what thou knowest to be the mind of God if thy own Conscience condemn thee God is greater than thy Conscience and knoweth all things We must direct Men to look to the Witness of God in their own Souls Thus saith the Psalmist Psal 4.4 Stand in Awe and sin not commune with your own hearts upon your Bed and be still If you will come to consider your Ways and commune with your own Hearts you may know how it is with you the Lord hath lengthened out your time a little longer therefore he would have you come to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of Life and be concerned for the Salvation of your Immortal Souls Ask your self this Question Am I fit to
O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death I have formerly been greatly troubled and distressed because I wanted a certainty of the Remission of my sins that are past now I am as much troubled and disquieted and my Soul is cast down within me because I have not Power over my present sins alas I have not power to fight the Lambs Battles and to overcome my Spiritual Enemies when I am engaged in the Holy warfare under the Captain of my Salvation who was made perfect through sufferings and he hath only made a promise to him that overcometh I have not yet obtained the Victory He that overcometh saith Christ the same shall be clothed in white rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Holy Angels Rev. 3.5 12. Him âhat overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of God and he shall go no more out and I âill write upon him the Name of my God and âhe Name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven ârom my God and I will write upon him my âew Name Thou complainest of want of power to overcome thy Spiritual Enimies ârt thou one that longest to overcome then I âope the controversy is at an end do not say â shall carry this Body of sin and Death to the Grave with me but wait to be made a parâaker of Christs Prayer John 17.15 17. I pray âot that thou shouldst take them out of the World âut keep them from the evil Sanctify them brough thy Truth thy word is Truth Wait for Sanctification and to receive power according to that antient lesson John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them âhat believe on his Name Dost thou believe âhat Christ is endued with all power in Heaven and Earth that he may give power to his People and save them from their sins and to be a defender of their Faith now he is in Heaven as certainly as on the Eearth he offerâd himself a sacrifice upon the Cross and beâame a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World then doubt not but thou shall have âower over thy sins and be more than Conqueâour through him that hath loved thee I will tell thee that Lesson which I haâ learned in the School of Christ that is to wââ to be endued with Power from on high anâ the desire of thy Soul shall be satisfied and thâ waiting will not be in vain when thou waiâest upon God that waiteth to be gracious But thou further complainest I want strengtâ where my weakness is and my weakness ãâã inward I want assistance where my enemâ comes to assault me and that is within me Every one that belongs to Christ Jesus is ãâã some measure made sensible of sin and is waiting to be delivered from it Therefore as said Christ gave his life a Ransom for many to be testified in due time Let me be waiting for Power to become a child of God Thou hast Power thou sayest to stand and to keep thy self from falling thou hast power to keep thy self from Drunkenness anâ Uncleanness and other gross sins but dosâ thou wait upon the Lord for power over thy Thoughts and dost thou say as it is in the Prophet How long shall these vain Thoughts lodge within me We have a good Lesson from the Apostle in this case Ephes 6.10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might puâ on the whole Armour of God that ye may bâ able to stand against the wiles of the Devil foâ we wrestle not against flesh and blood but againsâ Principalities and Powers against the Rulers oâ the darkness of this World against spirituaâ Wickedness in high Places O that all the precious Truths that are delivered to you may be mixed with Faith in them that preach it and hear it Wherefore âe unto you the whole armour of God that ye ây be able to withstand in the evil day and âoing done all to stand Stand therefore havââg your loins girt about with truth and havââg on the breast-plate of righteousness âd your feet shod with the preparation ãâã the gospel of peace above all ânâââg the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be ââle to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked ââd take the helmet of salvation and the sword ãâã the spirit which is the word of God prayââg always with all prayer and supplication in ãâã spirit Take unto you the sword of the ââirit that you may put to flight the armies ãâã the aliens Those strange and troublesome ââings those vain thoughts that would alieâate my heart and my affections from God âhat sort of weapons must we use Our âeapons are not carnal but spiritual and mighty âhrough God for the pulling down of strong âolds of the man of sin and the bringing into âaptivity every thought to the obedience of Christ O mind these things in good earnest and âhey will turn to your spiritual advantage âf it please the Holy Ghost to touch the Preachâr's Tongue with a coal from the Altar he may âop a word of exhortation which will be ââarper than a sword and may pierce thy ââart Heb. 4.12 The word of God is quick ând powerful and sharper than any two-edged âword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentiââ the hearts All Scripture saith the Aposâââ is given by inspiration of God and is profitâ for doctrine for reproof for correction for ââstruction in righteousness that the Man of ãâã may be perfect throughly furnished unto ãâã good works Some have unadvisedly said That we dâ the divine authority of the Holy Scripturâ which we so highly esteem and can say wâ the Apostle We are not ashamed of the Gosâââ of Christ for it is the power of God to salââtion If any among us shall deny the Hâ Scriptures to be of Divine Inspiration ãâã them bear the just reproach of it It is commendation given to the Church in Pââladelphia Thou hast a little strength and hâ kept my word and hast not denied my namâ But now concerning the sword of the spiriâ which is the word of God I need not sâ much about it unto you you know the woââ is nigh you in your mouth and in your Heart Many among us have known the word ãâã God powerful upon our Hearts awakeninâ us to consider our eternal State Many yeaâ years ago People marvelled at us saying What ails this People that they are so nice anâ scrupulous and will not do what others do They will not be chearful and merry and gâ to Masks and Plays they are cast down anâ afflicted and weep and lament and moutâ for their sin before the Lord and are greatlâ
astonished what is the matter They find thâ word of God quick and powerful and sharpeâ than a two-edged Sword and it hath âunded and pierced them they had rather â touched with a naked Sword and receive â Wound in their Bodies than feel that Anâish in their Souls when the Sword of the ââirit the word of the Lord hath reached ââeir Hearts then they cry out Have pity on ãâã have pity on me for the hand of the Lord ââh touched me The Word of the Lord is âick and powerful and sharper than a two-âged Sword thou wilt find it like the Sword ãâã Gideon against thy spiritual Enemies When the Children of Israel were greatly âpoverished because of the Midianites they âed unto the Lord The Angel of the Lord âeared to Gideon as he was threshing Wheat ãâã the Wine-press to hide it from the Midiaââtes and the Angel said unto him The Lord ãâã with thee thou mighty man of valour Judg. â 14. And it is said The Lord looked upon ân and said unto him Go in thy might and ââu shalt save Israel from the hands of the ââdianites have I not sent thee And he said ãâã my Lord wherewith shall I save Israel ââhold my Family is poor in Manasseh and I ãâã the least in my Father's House And the ârd said unto him Surely I will be with thee âd thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man ââdeon desires a Sign he put a fleece of Wool âon the Floor and the Dew was upon the âeece and it was dry upon all the Earth âsides And Gideon said unto God Let not thine Anâ be hot against me and I will speak but this once let me prove I pray thee this once with ãâã Fleece let it now be dry only upon the Fleâ and upon all the Ground let there be Dew ãâã God did so that Night and gave him a certâ Token and Assurance that he would vouchsafe ãâã presence with him Gideon levies an Army thirty thousand And the Lord said to Gideââ the People that are with thee are too many ãâã me to give the Midianites into their hands ãâã Israel vaunt themselves against me sayinâ Mine own hand hath saved me And there ãâã turned of the People two and twenty thousanâ and there remained ten thousand And the Loâ said the People are yet too many bring thâ down to the Water And they bowed down their Knees to drink Water only three hundrââ Men lapped Water with their Tongues as ãâã Dog lappeth By these saith the Lord I wâ save you And the Lord said to Gideon ãâã down to the Host of Midian for I have delâvered it into thy hand but if thou fearest ãâã go down go with Pharoah thy servant and thâ shalt hear what they say and afterward shâ thine hand be strengthened And when Gideââ was come near to the Midianites that lay alonâ in the Valley like Grashoppers for Multitude and their Camels were without number like thâ sand of the Sea-side And behold there was â man that told a Dream unto his Fellow sayinâ Behold I dreamed a Dream and lo a Cake ãâã Barley-bread tumbled into the Host of Midiaâ and came unto a Tent and smote it that it feâ and overturned it that the Tent lay alone Anâ his Fellow answered and said This is nothing elsâ save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash a man ãâã Israel for into his hand hath God delivered âidian and all the Host. And when Gideon âard the telling of the Dream and the interâretation of it he worshipped and returned inâo the Host of Israel and said Arise the Lord âath delivered them into our hands And he ââvided the three hundred men into three Comâânies and he put a Trumpet into every man's and with empty Pitchers and Lamps within âhe Pitchers And the three Companies blew âhe Trumpets and brake the Pichers and âeld the Lamps in their left hands and the ârumpets in their right hands to blow withal ând they cried The sword of the Lord and of Gideon And they stood every man in his place âound about the Camp and all the Host of Miâian ran and cried and fled and the Lord set âvery Man's sword against his Fellow even âhroughout all the Host of Midian and they âestroyed one another These things are written for our Learning âhat through patience and the comfort of the âcriptures we might have hope so that thou âhat complainest of thy Weakness and want of âower thou shall be strengthened with all might and by the sword of the Spirit the word of God thou shalt prevail and put to âlight the Armies of the Aliens and say with âhe Apostle Thanks be to God that giveth us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ And with Zacharias Luk. 1.67 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemâd his People and raised up a Horn of salvation for us And say as the Psalmist Praise ye the Lord praise God in his Sanctuary praise him in the Firmament of his Power praise him for his mighty Acts praise him according to his excellent Greatness let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. And as Moses praised God in his Song after the deliverance at the Red Sea I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea The Lord is my Strength and Song he is become my Salvation he is my God and I will prepare him an Habitation my Father's God and I will exalt him who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods Who is like thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing Wonders But some will object and say Notwithstanding all the strength and power the Lord giveth his People here is a great Allay We have a subtle Adversary to deal with the Devil that old Serpent he beguiled our first Parents in Paradice in a state of Innocence He is the Prince of the power of the Air and a roaring Lion going about continually seeking whom he may devour I answer This Talk is begun to be laid aside when thou feelest the power of God and thou maist encourage thy self in this that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World When the strong Man armed keeps the House his Goods are in peace but when a stronger than he comes to dispossess him he spoils him of his Goods When once you come to be acquainted with the power of God working mightily within you you will say The beloved of my Soul is come and hath strengthened me with all might in my inward Man and enabled mâ to overcome the Enemy The Son of God is come and hath given us an Understanding that we may know him that is true This is very comfortable Here is light sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in Heart But methinks I hear another sound in another Soul speaking after this manner I have believed unto remission of Sins and in my waiting upon