Christ is given me both in heaven and in earth The Father comes forth in Christ and Christ comes forth in the Saints Christ comes forth in the flesh lower then the Angels He makes him lower then the Angels he comes forth as a servant while the son is under age he is kept as a servant he is made of a woman made under the Law at last the Father comes to own him as his son and Christ owns him as his Father When the time appointed of the Father comes he sends his spirit into our hearts saying 'T is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom Christ hath the keys of hell and death and he exercises these keys in his Saints We at present do not know how he exercises these but we shall know how when we feel the want of them when we see our weakness and darkness and mourn after the Lord. God hath suffered the devil hell and sin to be a kinde of Cloak and covering upon himself but when he pleaseth he will come forth and command them The Saints need not the worlds power and force to go to the world for power is to go to the devil for power The Saints have power with God and therefore must needs have power over Satan And this power the Saints obtain by mourning as the Apostle hath it in the second verse Ye ought rather to have mourned Iacob wept and made supplication wrastled with God and so prevailed The Saints indeed they are great persons but few there are that know themselves We are the sons of God but the world doth not know us God hath brought forth himself and brought forth Christ in his Saints and people but that was but a first fruits to shew what he will do fully He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in them that believe The spirit of God was withdrawn that the man of sin might appear This is that believers should do they should be looking after this power the power of the Lord Jesus What a poor thing it is to spend our time in an outward powerless profession onely If we are Christians and of Iesus Christ we cannot do so The kingdom of God is not in word but in power Do we profess Christ Where is the power of the Lord Iesus Why do lusts and corruptions reign in our hearts Why have Satan and the world such power over us Where is the power of the Lord Jesus Where is the spirit of Eliah as Elisha said when he had seen his master taken up into heaven and had received his mantle and had a promise of a doubling of that spirit Christ is taken up into Heaven He hath told us greater works then he did in that flesh should we do in his Spirit Where is that spirit Where is that power by which devils were made to tremble and submit to him 'T is time we should begin to know our selves that we are of God that we are the Temple of God the body of the Lord that we are the fulness of Christ and that in us he will manifest himself and 't is that we should look for We should be weary of a formal outward languishing profession and so bringing forth the Lord Jesus we shall make his name known O that thou wouldst bow the Heavens that thou would'st come down and make thy name known that Hell and Death and Satan and all the powers of darkness might melt before thee Resist the devil saith James and he will flie from you What is that power by which the devil is resisted 'T is the power of Christ the power of the Lord Jesus is with his people though not yet manifested we should wait for it and not rest contented with the name but look after power to command hell and death those that have commanded us We are comforting our selves that Christ hath done this for us 'T is true he hath done this for us he will do it in us The Apostle bids us stand to it in Eph. 6. You wrastle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers therefore put on the whole armour of God If you be true Israel you are able to deal with God and then the devil and the world are not able to stand against you Do you believe this Then wait for it The next thing I shall commend unto you is this That we must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. And if this stick in your stomacks and will not go down let me offer it to you in an old expression of Divinity as they call it that is That God leads his people to Heaven by Hell We must be delivered to Satan if ever we will be delivered from Satan Satan hath carryed all the seed of God captive in the flesh 'T is under the law of sin sin and death hath captivated the whole seed of God here this seed lieth as it were dead in a swound and in this state we dream of nothing but life and happiness great enjoyments when we are captives to Satan at his pleasure God he quickens this same seed this divine nature and then they see where they are see how they were deceived what a fools Paradise they were in then they have no rest till they be delivered This is to be delivered from Satan to see that we are in Satans power So it comes to this That there must be a discovery of our state under the power of darkness before we be delivered from it Deliver him unto Satan destroy him that he may be delivered destroy him that he may be saved kill him that he may be made alive convince him of sin then of righteousness Deliver him unto Satan is quicken him and enlighten him that he may see where he is in Satans power And whereas before there was peace when the strong man kept the house it was because he did not see Satan but now he sees him there is nothing but trouble there is no rest till he be delivered This is nothing but what the Apostle saith you hath he quickened that were dead in trespasses and sins Dead in trespasses and sins here is the seed of God under the power of Satan The spirit quickned sees whereabouts it is sees that it is in hell among devils lusts death and flames and it cannot abide here The Prodigal came to himself that was the quickning of this divine seed he was well enough before at the swine-trough till he comes to himself O then he cannot endure it he cannot live here any longer We must be delivered to Satan before we can be delivered from Satan And the ground and reason of this lieth thus God hath let all his seed fall under the hands and power of death and Satan and he would never suffer this state unless he meant they should be sensible of it unless he did
no unless the spirit of God declare it to you let me tell it you a hundred times you can never know it But Paul would try whether they might know it or no whether God would let them into the secrets of his kingdom There is this ingenuity in them that is not to be found in many Professors the devil hath that power in their hearts they must not hear any new thing for why they may be misled Thus the devil keeps them bound to him and under pretence of taking heed of error keeps them from the truth Verse 20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears we would know therefore what these things mean If ever we mean to be built up in the knowledge of God we must look to hear of new things but let 's not receve them suddenly yet not throw them out of dores Be not forgetful to entertain strangers we know no other guide but the spirit there is not any Minister in the world that is our guide or any company of Ministers but the spirit if he speaks in them and by them we have but one Master that is Christ Verse 21. For all the Athenians and Strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing This To tell or to hear some new thing was not going about and asking what news how is it with the state but they were searching into the secrets of nature every one was improving their studies and were communicating one to another what any had found out and thus they improved their time Verse 22 and 23. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill and said Ye men of Athens I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious for as I passed by and beheld your devotions I found an Altar with this inscription To the unknown God whom therefore ye ignorantly worship him declare I unto you The Apostle doth not dispute with them in any point of their Philosophy but goes to their devotion he takes occasion thence to deliver himself concerning Jesus the Resurrection so he dealeth with them according to their principles When he hath to do with the Jews then he disputes out of the Scripture when he hath to do with these Greeks that did not own the Scriptures he deals with them by principles of their own first of all he charges them with superstition You are led without rule you can give no accompt for what you do and it appears by your own confession your own hand for as I passed by c. See whether the light and learning of these men had broughr them even to shew that they were at a loss concerning God Ask ignorant carnal people whether they know God or no they will take upon them to know him But here are men improving their light by studying and it may be when they first entered upon the search of knowledge they might think that they did know God but after some time spent therein they saw they did not That is it that all our wading in studies doth bring us into concerning God to discover our ignorance and I look upon it as a kinde of ingenuity to profess truly as they did here they did acknowledge a God but did not know him I found an Altar c. There is no man but worships an unknown God unless Jesus Christ be his Altar There is no Altar but Jesus Christ can bear this inscription in truth To the known God There is no knowledge of God but in Jesus Christ When the Son declares him then he is the known God Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship him declare I unto you So Paul by degrees brings them unto Jesus Christ Verse 24 and 25. God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things q. d. You are mistaken in this God as if he stood in need of somewhat therefore you build Temples to him and make Offerings to him This is that simple people think that God needs them and is much beholding to them for the service they do him what saith the Apostle he giveth to all life and breath and all things Therefore he receiveth nothing from the creature as of need Verse 26. And hath made of one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation God the onely wise God that made all things hath so brought forth all things and brought forth man in this Creation that man should be quickly at the end of his travel that so he might begin to seek after God That 's the Apostles scope and Argument here He hath made of one blood all Nations and determined c. That they should seek the Lord c. ver 27. God hath made the earth and brought forth man Man when he comes forth in the earth makes after earth there he is planting and building and purchasing but God hath bounded his time he shall continue so long and no longer and God hath bounded his habitation he shall go so far and no further and what is the design of God in this but that man being at an end here in this Creation should look after him that made all things that he should seek the Lord. This is that the creature saith to man when he is searching after it greedily pursuing it earnestly Surely thou art out in thy pursuit thou dost not seek that thou shouldest seek thou art at an end here as to thy self So the very creature speaks to man to seek the Lord. Thou wouldst have rest here thou wouldst have satisfaction here but thou seest how much thou mayst have thy days here wil run to an end that which thou hast got thou knowest not who shall gather and God hath bounded thee that thou shalt get so much and no more that so thou mightest seek the Lord. So the Apostle here Verse 27. That they should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him though he be not far from every one of us Man reaching after these things at last sees vanity in them I must seek the Lord if happily I may feel after him in a dark state and condition Thus God begins to quicken his people by shewing them an end in the world then they begin to feel after God to grope after him where is he who is he There is no rest in this Creation Verse 28. For in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own Poets have said For we are also his off-spring For in him c. He is about us he is in us there 's not a finger stirs but 't is in his power not a thought moves but 't is in him
earth if I have told you earthly things and ye believe not saith Christ how will ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things There are higher and there are lower administrations wherein God appears Are we acquainted with them Do we know them God speaks on earth from Mount-Sinai and he speaks from heaven at Mount-Sion he spake from Mount-Sinai and he was refused yet there was a shew of entertaining All that the Lord saith unto us will we do but O said the Lord that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey my voice They said they would obey but their hearts turned back again to Egypt God speaks on earth and who doth hear who doth not refuse he speaks with a loud voice on earth he manifests his glory and every one seems to hear seems to stoop and bow before him but they are all lyars God speaks from heaven he speaks in the spirit he speaks in a low and still voice as it were afar off in a far Country and from this far Country he sends to his Subjects to see if they will own him but they say We will not have this man to reign over us God comes in a full manifestation of himself and then every knee stoops and bows to him some sincerely others feignedly and lyingly as it is said Thine enemies shall be found lyars When God shall make us Mount-Sion when he shall awaken the spiritual man when he shall quicken the new man that lieth as it were dead in us then we shall hear then we shall obey There is nothing so much concerns us as to know the voyce of God to hear him speak My sheep hear my voyce and the voyce of a stranger they will not hear John 10. God speaks and God gives an ear to hear him speak He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened then said I Lo I come in the volumn of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will Psal 40. 6 7. God is speaking and the Devil is speaking happy are they whose ears God hath opened that can distinguish that know the voyce of God from the voyce of a stranger See that ye refuse not him that speaks There is nothing in man but what refuseth to hear God speak but what refuseth God himself whether he speaks from earth or from heaven That man doth hear God speak that doth know the voyce of God it is the spiritual man the new man that is born of the Spirit The carnal man the natural man cannot possibly hear God speak he refuseth God The wisdom that is in him is enmity to God He is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be But they that will not know his voyce they shall know it They that will not yield to it shall be broken by it it is a terrible voyce When he shall come and speak from heaven those whose hearts are not brought to a compliance with him shall be destroyed by his presence He will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that obey not the Gospel Next we may take notice of the effects of this voyce whose voyce then shook the earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth only but heaven also When you meet with shakings and violent motions then know what the matter is Why the Lord is speaking Heaven and earth are shaking at this time Do we see the Lord and hear the Lord We are fallen into shaking times His voyce once shook the earth but now it shakes not only earth but heaven Haggai 2. This Scripture shews what is to be expected the shaking of heaven and earth and then the desire of all nations What is that Why it is Christ he is called the desire of all nations All nations desire him though they do not know him and when he is come he shall fill Sion and Jerusalem he shall fill his Saints and people the City and the house built of living stones shall be filled with Glory he will fill all things Eph. 4. 10. When Christ came forth in flesh there were shakings in heaven and earth When Christ came forth in Spirit upon the Apostles and primitive Christians what a shaking was there then of heaven and earth What strange workings were there in the hearts of men through the light and evidence and demonstration of spirit that went abroad That was the beginning of this last shaking after that God was pleased to draw in and to retire that the wicked one might return again to shew what he was that Antichrist might appear and set up his trade under the name of the Spirit and when the man of sin is fully revealed then the Lord will come forth again and by the Spirit of his mouth and the brightness of his coming will he utterly destroy him and that will be a terrible shaking indeed Yet once more I shake not earth only but heaven This shaking is begun Are we sensible of it What wars and rumors of wars are there What overturnings Let us see whether we be not under the appearance of this shaking shaking of earth shaking of heaven shaking of Forms of Religion of Churches All that is earthly shall be shaken that the earthliness being removed the true body may be brought forth anew in the Spirit How many in these times hove lost their wisdom and their righteousness that they looked upon as great gain was ever such confusion as there is at this day Yet once more I shake not the earth only but heaven It is certain we are come to it but are we sensible of it God is shaking us out of fleshly and formal Religion out of mans Religion and mans Righteousness he is destroying the old man and bringing forth the new man he is destroying the old earth and heaven and bringing forth a new earth and heaven wherein righteousness shall dwell He hath promised saying yet once more This terrible shaking cometh forth in a promise It is a mercy a blessing a deliverance It is the Redemption of the people of God Lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh When Paul and Silas were in Prison and in the Stocks at Midnight there was an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and that became their deliverance How many of the Saints will lie in Prison and in the Stocks at midnight till this earthquake come and shake them out Then shall come the desire of all nations By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation How will God answer us Why saith he I must remove all this corruptible frame I must create a new heaven and a new earth I must shake the Civil Estate and the Religious Estate I must shake off old Adam I must shake out Antichrist Christ must go away in his appearance in flesh that he may return again
of Eliah There is the promise of a double spirit greater things shall they do that believe in me Where is this double spirit surely God is awaking us to be looking after it We have heard of Christians of a tall stature that have been gyants to us and we like Pygmies unto them and we have precious promises that hold forth a more glorious manifestation of God a full and everlasting presence of God let us be looking out of our darkness and weakness unto this Let us not be content that Paul should be able to do all things through Christ that strengthens him and we able to do nothing Let it trouble us that Paul should not be under the power of any thing and we under the power of so many things let it stir us that Paul should triumph over principalities and powers and see himself more then a Conqueror and we lie groveling under a spirit of fear When God hath once discovered to us how low his appearing is in us and how little we go forth by him we shall be stirred up to look for a higher appearance and when we shall hear and read what the men of God have said The light was manifest we have seen it we have handled it with our hands our eys have looked upon it surely our hearts will burn within us we shall have no rest till he come forth in us Our fouls will breath nothing else but this O that thou wouldst bow the Heavens and come down O that thou wouldst make thy way known to thy adversaries We shall be weary of walking in a weak dull Religion we shall se what a reproach we are that bear the name of Christ and can shew forth nothing of the power of Christ Carnal profession in Religion seeks ways to make out it self by helping Christ to worldly strength and worldly honour and worldly wisdom but they that are Christs indeed will take heed of this Antichrist Be sensible that Christ is a child in us and weak in us can hardly speak in us can hardly stir in us that we lie in the dust till he be grown up in us that we sit in darkness till the Lord be our light We know that there is a Ministery will come forth that will have no need of such weapons therefore we will never seek to honour Christ and set up Christ with the civil Magistrates sword we will never seek to put the civil sword into his hand we will never seek to dress him forth with mans wisdom we will lie in the dust till he comes forth in us in his own power and wisdome and glory We should then mourn after the Lord. When once the people did mourn after the Lord the Lord was presently with them The Lord tells his people by Jeremy that the time of their captivity should be in Babylon seventy yeers and then saith he you shall praise me then you shall seek my face We have been in Babylon and are in Babylon mourning after the Lord and begin to feel our captivity and are sensible of our weakness is not the man of sin revealed now let the Lord be revealed to consume this man of sin to consume him inwardly to consume him in all the world Come and take thy kingdom and take thy power Where will God appear and set up his glory is it not in his Saints he will be glorious in his Saints he will be admired in all them that believe Awake and rise up you that sit in the dust Let 's not be contented with forms and professions and names and Titles let us look after power let us go forth by Christ indeed let us be looking where the power of Christ is and where the grace of Christ is Christ hath said Whatever you ask in my name it shall be given you How many things do we ask and they are not given us how do we ask in the name of Christ then If we consider our selves in all we have yet attained we shall scarce see any thing we can call Prayer we never knew how to pray yet When did we go forth by Jesus Christ By him let us offer the sacrifice of Praise to God and by him we shall do it continually SERMON II. HEB. 13. 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name BY him By whom by Jesus who that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the camp Let us go forth to him without the Camp bearing his reproach And by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Our Sanctification by Christ is our giving up our selves a sacrifice to God It is our going out of the glory of the world out of the honor the reputation and all the accommodations of the world unto Christ who who is gone before us out of all To be a Christian is at least to be brought to this in full purpose of heart Abraham was the father of the faithful who because he trusted in God forsook his Countrey Kindred and Fathers house He that will be my Disciple saith Christ let him take up his cross else he is unworthy of me This is to be sanctified unto God to be no more the worlds nor the fleshes nor our own but the Lords You must be a curse to the world if you will be a blessing to God We have not rightly understood Christs being made a curse for us we have thought we might be excused from the curse but we must be made a curse with him and by going into this curse we remove from that curse we are under as unto God Let us go forth unto him bearing his reproach And you shall lose nothing by it You have here no continuing City you are making unto a continuing City through reproach You must go out of the Camp out of the City if you will finde a continuing City you shall not go out in haste or in fear you shall not go out sorrowing or mourning you shall not go forth looking back O what a City have I left what goods what name have I left If Christ lead you forth you shall go forth with praise and thanksgiving When Christ went forth he had joy set before him and for that he endured the cross and despised the shame Let us by him offer the sacrifice of praise to God The Altar of God which is Jesus Christ unto the true Worshippers gives them the fat it gives them the sweet that they rejoyce before the Lord they bless the Lord they are filled with his loving kindeness they are filled with his goodness they eat and drink that meat the world doth not know they praise him And Christian praise is not a word-business God I thank thee c. as the Pharisee said it is a giving up our selves I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye offer up your bodies a living sacrifice A
sweet here 's a sacrifice indeed be fill'd with the spirit singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. That same Praise and fruit of the lips that hath not a root in the heart continues not but what saith the Text Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually There is a seed in the stony ground that comes up fast There are that speak good words and goodly words Let the Lord be glorified Your brethren that hate you said let the Lord be glorified yet no continual sacrifice this fruit will be quickly blasted He that is a Lyar wants a good Memory Nothing that is violent is perpetual No worship of God continues but that which is made natural to us We may come forth and act parts but there will be discovery of what is in the bottom and though we hold forth God sometimes to others the devil will shew his head James met with such Can a fountain send forth sweet water and bitter Can a fig-tree bear figs â—nd thorns Can there be blessing and cursing Every one that pretends to Christ let them look what they have by Christ By him let us offer c. If you are sanctified by him you are made willing to go forth to him in his reproach If you are made willing to go forth to him in his reproach you will be no reproachers If you be made willing to bear the strife of tongues and filth of tongues and dirt of tongues you will keep your tongues from casting dirt or filth on any When the Grace of Christ is manifested to a soul there is a discovery of all the filth it lay in and out of which it is recovered And there is a sense of it goes along with it such a one was I foolish disobedient Now I le speak evil of no man There is nothing these times call for more in way of admonition then that which concerns the tongue Look to your tongues they are slippery members in slippery places and he is a perfect man that doth not offend in his tongue If we will judge of our selves there is as much evidence will come in by the tongue as by any thing By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Look how we carry our tongues If the Law of God be in our hearts there will be wisdom in our tongues Nothing will bewray us and discover us like our speech There is nothing that we need to be warned of and call'd out of more then strife of tongues If our tongues were set to love as they are to foment hatred and division we should have more peace then we have Who is it that looks upon himself as call'd to inherit a blessing Refrain thy tongue from evil saith Peter Therefore when you are reproached reproach not again when you are defamed do you bless this is the Law of God If you will profess Christ hold forth the Law of Christ and wait for this Law in the spirit of life Wait for Christ to come forth in your tongues to be the salt to season your hearts and so from your hearts to season every part of you to make your tongue the glory of God To make it your Lute and Harp to set forth his praises Look when God will restore a pure language O that God would set our hearts to learn a pure language How shall we learn a pure language Come into love come into Christ and be learning to bear evil language whisperings and backbitings and surmisings and evil reports and defamations and take up all the dirt and filth that men will throw upon you and do not thou throw any spot upon any but bless and love and overcome evil with good and heap coales of fire upon their heads This is the spirit of the Gospel And let us at last begin to live Gospel We have talked of Gospel a long while let us once see it where is it let us labour to bring it forth to be as Christ he made no noise his voice was not heard he went about doing good saving healing with humble comforting words Doing good Let us learn this let us wait for his spirit the spirit of the Gospel and that is the spirit of light The Gospell-Believers motion from Mount SINAI to Mount SION HEB. 12. 18. to the end of the chapter For ye are not come unto the Mount that might be touched and that which burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a word which they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more But ye are come to Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general Assembly and the Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. THe Apostle in this Epistle shews that all Legal administrations were but a passage things that God did lead his people through and which they shall leave behind them being but shadows of good things to come and not the very image And then he shews where these things do land us whether they do deliver us up where we set foot when we are passed through them We are come unto Mount-Sion For we are not come unto the Mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness but ye are come to Mount-Sion c. The former administration hath brought us hither It was a School-master unto Christ Now we by the spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith In ver 12. The Apostle is calling Christians unto cheerfulness Lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees by shewing that we are not under a weak administration but under one that is strong and mighty Ye are no more servants but sons Ye are come to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God to the joy and strength of God The joy of the Lord shall be your strength therefore lift up the hands that hang down No more weakness now ye are come to a kingdom that cannot be moved So this piece of Scripture sets before us a true Gospel-state would you know a true Gospel-state what it is why here it is set down negatively and affirmatively It is not that but it is this 1. First it s set down Negatively ver 18. Ye are not come to the Mount that might be touched This is not the Gospel-state this administration is terror fear and bondage 2 Secondly it s set down affirmatively ver 28. But ye are come to Mount-Sion Not to that but to this Not to Mount-Sinai but to Mount-Sion But ye are come
to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God to an innumerable company of Angels c. Here is the Gospel-state here is the glory of Jesus Christ the glory of God that the Gospel brings us to brings forth in us Are we come hither or no There are some come to it that do not know it There are many of us heirs but we live in bondage we live like servants we know no better portion then Mount-Sinai though of right our portion be Mount-Sion Let us wait till the spirit of God shew unto us the things that are freely given to us of God This glorious state is nothing else but the state of the spirit which we are waiting for We are come unto Mount-Sion the City of the living God Christs work is to bring us to God and so we are no more strangers but fellow-Citizens with the Saints we are set down with Christ in heavenly places we are set down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God We are set down in the same glory that the Apostles and Prophets are set down in we are fellow-Citizens with the Saints and with the General Assembly and Church of the first-born See your glory Christians if you be Christians indeed If you be in the spirit and not in the letter onely If you be free-born if you be born after the spirit and not after the flesh see your glory In the words read you may see a Doctrine and a Use 1 A Doctrine propounded which holds forth the glorious state of Believers It is that which eye hath not seen ear hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what it is but God hath revealed the same to us by his spirit It is in the letter and now our business is that it may be revealed to us by the spirit It may be the fathers good pleasure and his time now to bring forth the inheritance to some that hear me this day that hitherto have been kept under Tutors and Governours little better then servants This we are to try now how God will be with us to take away the vail and reveal our inheritance to us The Doctrine begins at the 18 ver and reacheth to the 25 ver At the 25 ver there begins the Use the Application which is an exhortation 2. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. Do not turn away from him that speaketh life and glory Turn not away from him that calleth you to sit down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Apostle useth divers Arguments to enforce the exhortation First He that speaks doth not speak from earth but from heaven Secondly from the danger of refusing to hear If they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Thirdly the Apostle shews the effect of this voice ver 26. Whose voice then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not onely the earth but also heaven And the evidence the Apostle brings for this is from a Scripture taken out of the prophesie of Haggai Hag. 1. 6 7. The word that was spoken on earth shook the earth The word that is spoken from heaven shakes earth and heaven also Then the Apostle interprets this word yet once more ver 27. It signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain In ver 28. he further enforceth his exhortation from the advantage that the Saints have by this change Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear In the former administration there was not grace to serve God acceptably in this there is that was leading to bondage this to a kingdom The Apostle concludes with this Argument For our God is a consuming fire of which more hereafter I shall speak of these particulars as time shall give leave Here you see a Gospel state what it is it is a strong state a glorious state a state that cannot be moved a kingdom that cannot be shaken it is strong and it is sweet There was a weak state and that was full of terrour The Law was weak through the flesh It was a weak state a shaking Mountain a Mountain not to be touched If so much as a beast touch the Mountain it was to be stoned or thrust through with a dart That was weak and terrible but ye are come to that which is strong and gracious Ye are come to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God The glorious state of believers is held forth here from the 18 verse to the 25. Our business will be to run over the particulars with some short explication and to set before you one or two parallel Scriptures that hold forth the same things though not so fully and particularly The first Scripture is Eph. 2. 5 6. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And ver 17 and 18. of that chapter And came and preached peace to you which were afar of and to them that were nigh ver 19 20 21 22. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles c. Ye that are Believers are come to Mount-Sion and ye are built up a spiritual house fitly framed together an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit The other Scripture is 2 Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind We are not come to the Mount that might not be touched and to blackness and darkness No God hath poured out another spirit upon us of power of love and a sound mind Ye are come to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to God the judge of all Now let us briefly run over the words as they lie before us Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched It might be touched and it might not be touched It might be touched but not without danger of death It might not be touched There was such a terrible manifestation that there was no coming to it It was an administration of distance from God It had a spirit of fear that gendred unto bondage There was a terrible manifestation There was blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a word Nothing but an outward command a word that could not be obeyed and
when the people undertook to obey it the Lord pittied them O that there were such an heart in this people that they would obey me It was a manifestation to discover sinfulness and weakness death and the curse and so to usher in a manifestation of life and power But now ye are come to the Gospel state ye are come to Mount-Sion ye are come where God dwells ye are come into a comforting and chearing presence ye are come to the Mount that may be touched without fear or terror It may be touched There are spiritual senses as 1 Joh. 1. 1. That which we have heard which we hame seen which our hands have handled of the word of life that declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and so it s the Mount that may be touched We are come to the City of the living God We are come where God dwells we are come to communion with God and one with another in the spirit we are come where God is in the midst of his people He hath quickned us who were dead in sins and set us down in heavenly places in the heavenly Jerusalem If we are come to the heavenly Jerusalem we are past the wilderness we are come to our rest There remaineth a rest to the people of God and that 's the heavenly Jerusalem of which the earthly Jerusalem and Canaan were but a Type This heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all And to an innumerable company of Angels Not onely to be administred unto by Angels as under the legal dispensation but to administer unto Angels for to them is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God And to the general Assembly and the Church of the first-born We are come to the General Assembly we are above particular Churches though we walk in them yet we are not bound to them nor bound in them We are come to the Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven We are come to those that are in Christ that partake of the divine nature in which God lives and acts and whom God fills who are born of the spirit who are sons and heirs together with Christ Who are written in Heaven There was a first-born written in earth in the letter in flesh Let Israel my son go for he is my first-born said God to Pharoah but this was after the flesh We are come to God the Judge of all We have boldness towards God We are above the judgement of men yea above the judgement of our own Consciences It is a very small thing to me saith the Apostle to the Corinthians to be judged by you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine own self 1 Cor. 4. 3. We are passed from death to life and we are come to God the Judge of all we can stand before God the Iudge of all We are come to the spirits of just men made perfect We are come to see and to acknowledge the spiritual and divine nature whereof through exceeding great and precious promises we are made partakers we are come to see and to be the spiritual man the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness we are come to the holy one born of the Holy Ghost to Christ formed in us who is not tainted with any pollution who sinneth not nor can he commit sin Though he dwell among devils and death yet he partakes not of their filth and guilt but shall overcome and destroy them all And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to Iesus to the truth as it is in Iesus to the power and wisdom of God which is Iesus we have the Law written in our hearts We are come to Iesus instead of Moses who is the Mediator of a better Covenant If we be Christians indeed we are not come to a Law that hath onely a sound of words written on stone but we are come to a Law written in our hearts we are come to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant We are come to the efficacy of his mediation And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel The blood of sprinkling It is an allusion taken from those sprinklings under the Law all which pointed to this We are not come â—â— corruptible blood we are come to the blood of sprinkling that is incorruptible That speaks better things c. It speaks and what doth it say It makes intercession for us it makes intercession in us and the Lord he is with us by a word of power speaking and commanding sin and death Satan and Hell out of our souls This is the Doctrine The glorious state which is the true Gospel state it is the state of every true Believer though it may be many do not know it it is a state in the spirit and it is revealed by the spirit This is the Gospel state and therefore if you profess the Gospel do not sit down below it Let us all be making to it let us not stay at Mount-Sinai but let us pass on to Mount Sion Let every one of us look whereabouts we are whether we be under a spirit of fear if we be this is Mount-Sinai or whether we be under a spirit of love of power and of a sound minde if we be this is Mount-Sion Are we in earthly or in heavenly places Take notice that there are three states 1. One is in Egypt under the bondage of sin Satan death and hell 2. Another is leading out of Egypt in the wilderness at Mount-Sinai leading up to Adams perfection to a perfection in nature but there is no resting here This is but a shadow Christ in the flesh came in this natural perfection but he dyed to it and in it and rose again to the life of God 3. A third state is the spirits of just men made perfect Here is rest and stability Here is the kingdom of God do not sit down below this for if you do you sit down at best in natural Reason in a shadow in a lye Some sit down in the filth of nature but do not ye sit down no not in the excellency and perfection of nature Look to the high calling of God in Christ Iesus unto which ye are called But I pass over from the Doctrine and come to the Vse which the Apostle makes in ver 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven God speaks once and twice and we hear him not God is continually speaking He speaks in every creature he speaks in every providence he speaks in every administration do you know his voice He speaks on earth and he speaks from heaven See that ye refuse not him that speaketh God speaks from
upon him as intending this natural body so they betake themselves to fasting whipping themselves such bitter doings but it s the body of sin and the body of death where lust doth war War against whom Against the soul saith Peter I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul war against the Spirit the flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5. as the spirit lusts against the flesh They war against God and the Spirit and God against them there is Satan death and sin in these lusts the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God the friendship of the world is enmity to God it wars against God This is that James saith in Verse 4. from this Text Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God c. These lusts do war against God they are the bryars and thorns that are set in battel against God as it is in Isa 27. 4. Who will set the bryars and thorns against me in battel I le go through them and burn them together Lusts they war against God God comes forth in his appearances these oppose him God appears in a Law why Lust stands up in a Law I must have this I must have that says Lust God he calls he would have the heart and he would have love and he would have righteousness Lust says I must have it It wars against God and think you what Lust shall get by this warfare against the great God That you shall see here in the second ver Ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not And so Lust is miserably disappointed Lust wars and fights and kills and it does not onely war and fight and kill but it preys too Lust will be Religious Lust will murther and devour and commit all outrages and it will be as civil and as Religious as any in the outward shew Ye ask too and yet ye have not and so here 's nothing but disappointment in Lust in going out to the world ye fight and war and ye have not Ye have not what ye would have ye have not enough Disappointment in respect of Satisfaction and Rest that is the lot of Lust of all desires going out from God going out to the creature go out to any thing but God ye shall never have it Ye shall have this thing ye shall have the other thing but ye shall never be happy and the thing ye seek is happiness Every man seeks it Lust calls for this thing and the other thing ye may have the thing but ye shall never be happy He sends leanness into your souls he gave them their desires and sent leanness withal into their souls There are two things that cause the disappointment of worldly and fleshly Lust The one is that it wars with God which is Omnipotent Lust crucifies him The other is because it seeks satisfaction and rest in those things that cannot afford it and so t is like the grave and hell still it cries give give It desires shadows it clasps about them it cannot desire God It desires nothing but to kill him It would kill him that is onely desirable that is onely life and onely happiness How happy are they in whom God is killing Lust How miserable are they that are serving their Lusts when will be an end of this drudgery While ye are walking on in your Lusts you 'l set upon any thing If you can't move heaven you 'l see if you can move hell You 'l try if you can get it by Prayer if you cannot you 'l get it by fighting but you shall have it neither way You do but kill your selves all the while You war against the soul you war against God and man and must needs war against your soul While that Lust lives it brings nothing but torment It s a very hell unto a man It s the very devil therefore when James prescribes the remedy he says Resist the devil and he will flie from you Serving lust is serving the devil Its drudging in hell You 'l ever be poor you 'l never be rich you 'l be drudges while you live or else be thieves and murtherers you 'l fight and war ye kill and yet ye have not God says that hee 'l famish all the Gods of the Heathen this Lust is the great God famish this and they are all famish'd and God will famish this and what will you be famish'd with it O awake rather that it may be slain you will suffer continually while you live in it whiles you are led by it it will be with you as with a man that hath a dogs stomack it will never be satisfied like one who hath a wolf in his body it will eat him and devour him there is no satisfying him Who is it that would live in peace and not in torment if you will live in peace give up your lusts submit your selves to God let him dispose of you as James expresses in that which follows Turn to God and desire nothing but him all desires and prayings which are not after God they are only stretchings out and inlargings of heart and there is nothing but filling with wind nothing but emptying it self O that God would come in and destroy all these hungry dogs and all these greedy hell-hounds these same lusts and devils You lust and have not you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye war and fight and have not Here 's the progress of your lust it comes to fighting The devil is a murtherer lust is angry even unto death if it cannot have what it would have it throws firebrands and arrows t is hungry and it breaks stone walls much more through flesh walls Ye lust and ye kill whom doth it kill why it kills man 't will make you kill your neighbors Ahab for the liking he took to Naboths vineyard must have the vineyard he is sick he could not live without it here was the lust of Covetousness David must not live because he was better then Saul here 's the lust of envy Saul he 'l kill him Vriah must not live because he had an handsome wife here 's lust in David Mordecai must not live because he will not stand up to Haman a pair of gallows is built for him here 's the lust of pride it hunts for the precious life of his neighbor ye kill one another and ye kill your selves O I pitty you Lust wars against the soul it sucks the very blood of body and soul it blinds mens eyes that they do not see it and these Lusts they kill one another squable one with another there is contention among Lusts which should have the mastery and as fishes in the Sea the greater devour the smaller so it is here and many a man blesses himself in a fools Paradise is overcome while he thinks he is Conquerour Ye kill But whom do these Lusts kill They kill
and Godliness There 's the life of man and the life of beasts and the life of Devils and there is the life of God when the grace of God that brings Salvation appears And now for the time and place where this lesson is taught and where this Sobriety and righteousness and godliness is brought forth in this present World a little of the time and I have done In this present World In this place in this time the World the present World the mad World the unrighteous World the ungodly World the World that lies in the wicked one in the power of the wicked one in this time of darkness and hour of temptation in this Kingdom of the World and Kingdom of Satan God he hath let Satan possess himself of this World and of this Creation and God is here trampled upon and oppressed by Satan and his Instruments and he lies under foot as madness and unrighteousness as filthiness and the Devil and the World they stand up and boast of sobriety and godliness they stand in the power of the Creature and the glory of God is shut up in his Servants Notwithstanding all this power and rage he appears in his servants in this present World He teaches us to oppose and confront and adjudge the World and the wickedness of it I have made thee a fenced City and a wall of brass says God against the princes of Judah The grace of God enables a man where it appears he fears not faces he fears not Hell he sees him that is invisible Moses feared not Pharaoh It sets us above all scorn and all reproaches in this present World We must needs be signs and wonders signs to be spoken against we are contented to be so we can bear it The grace of God that brings Salvation teaches us so Persecution comes and troubles come we can take up our Cross and we can follow Christ This sobriety which the grace of God teaches and this godliness and righteousness exceedingly enables a man to be contented to be scornd and spit on My life is not dear to me says the Apostle that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministry I have received Endure the afflictions of the World says Paul to Timothy by the power of God And when the grace of God hath broken forth and I have seen him that is invisible what 's this World when God hath set it up only to make a fool of it God uses the Devil and wicked men and enemies to make fools of them and we see God standing behind then what cause is there to fear in this present world under their very nose to their face to their teeth The grace of God teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily God out of the mouths of babes and sucklings ordains strength God suffers himself to be brought into a very seed by the Devil and the World and thence he rises up and the lower he suffers himself to be brought the more glorious is he in the Conquest The Kingdom of heaven comes to be like a grain of mustardseed it is a very little seed and it is hid in the earth a little leaven is hid in three measures of meal that nothing is seen but the power of darkness the Kingdom of Satan and sin this little grain of mustardseed springs up and though all the power of the World rise against it it prevails and is glorious Here 's two or thre things I would but hint at by way of application Vse 1. The grace of God teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily in this World First of all this shews how much out they are that think to carry Religion so that they 'l sleep in a whole skin will carry it like a Talent bound in a napkin The grace of God teaches us to live soberly in this present World 'T is as possible to carry fire about us and not to be burnt If it be true Religion it will be burning Is that Religion that lies under fleshly lusts and worldly lusts From the Devil it came and to him it must go it hath his life in it God is not in it but one that is truly Religious he may for a time think of hiding and concealing himsel as Nicodemus came to Jesus by night but where godliness is in truth it will he like new wine that will vent or break the vessel God hath not given light to put under a bushel but to set on a candlestick 2. Again There are many professing Religion that excuse themselves that the times are evil and therefore they cannot do this or that If the grace of God hath taught thee it shall teach thee in evil times to appear soberly and righteously There is a love grows cold as iniquity abounds this is not the love of God that like fire grows hotter in the coldest weather God had Saints in Nero's house he had them in Sodom and they shined there and appeared there and opposed this world this present World 3. And again Some are putting off this day This is for heaven say they this is not for the present It seems grace and Salvation is not come to such they that are not here in heaven will never be in heaven One Scripture that may conclude us in this is No man ascended into heaven but he that came down from heaven If ye are not in heaven while ye are in the world you 'l never be in heaven The grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared Heaven hath appeared to you and heaven is in you you are in heaven and that same heaven shall be interpreted into you and an entrance shall be given more abundantly If you say this is a hard Saying to live soberly righteously and godlily to convince the world to challenge the world to dare the world what a life must we live what suffering must we meet with You are appointed thereunto God hath given us another hope a blessed hope that is that follows Looking for that blessed hope at the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ The grace of God that brings Salvation it will be a strong help to you even in persecution for the joy that is set before us we shall bear up against all the persecutions we meet with in the world under all reproaches all burdens under all scoffs and sufferings The grace of God brings Salvation Let the world do what they can do let hell do what it can do I 'le be a sanctuary to them says God The grace of God teaches us to live soberly and righteously in this present world even in the midst of enemies It lifts up our heads even here before men and enables us to judge the world and condemn the world and so shall all do that are heirs of that righteousness which is by faith And thus much for this time FINIS The Authors last Testimony The brief heads of a Sermon Preached by Mr. Goad at Mr. Wallis his Funeral
sufferings if that by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead mans light is darkness and his wisdom is enmity The great lesson of the Gospel is self-denyal the state that the Gospel calls us unto is the state of the Resurrection it is a going out of the flesh into the spirit The business of the Gospel is not to save our selves but to lose our selves and in losing our selves we shall save our selves This is a riddle and a mystery and they that know not a spiritual life the life of God know not what to make of it I do not my own will and I know my judgement is just because I do not my own will but the will of him that sent me Let every one that professeth the Gospel consider whether he walks by this rule whether he seeks righteousness by going out of himself into Christ or whether he seeks it in himself whether he seeks it in a new creature whether he looks for the new creature that is born of God and brought forth in his Image which is righteousness and true holiness and not counterfeit There is counterfeit holiness counterfeit righteousness the righteousness of man the holiness of man is abominable and filthy in the sight of God I beseech you saith Paul that ye would not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12. He that will be my Disciple let him deny himself You that seek Christ you wait to purpose in the Gospel and you that have Christ you have the Gospel which is the light and life and glory of God Do not rest in a bare profession nor in mans righteousness nor in some poor outward reformation Do not rest in repairing and beautifying old Adam Christ came from God and we are going to God Let us see our estate in Christ For we are chosen in him and we are of him And he is made of God our wisdom c. It is a vain thing to go about the work of repairing to build Jerico to be patching and peicing an old garment to put old wine into new bottels You will but make rents and breaches Adam was only a shadow and type of that which was to come Look after the new man who shall make straight that which is crooked and supply that which is wanting give up your selves to the spiritual man the second man who is the Lord from heaven Be making towards the fellowship of his sufferings and labor to attain the Resurrection from the dead Make to Christ as he is the Resurrection He is righteous indeed that is righteous before God none shall be owned righteous but he his name shall be called the Lord our Righteousness To walk in our own reason and our own light and wisdom to follow mans will and consult with flesh and blood may be applauded by man but we shall have the portion of fools and wicked ones from the Lord Were it not better to be a fool and a wonder and a gazing stock to men then to be abhorred of God We must go forth without the gate bearing our reproach How can it be otherwise but he that hath laid by his own Reason and Will and professeth he is born of God and that God alone shall be his guide shall be accounted a fool and a mad man and out of his witts It is very hard to be sober to God but we must be mad to men I come to the witness the testimony in ver 31. If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true Here is a witness that is received as insufficient There is no witness authentick but the Father He doth not witness of himself nor do of himself and yet he doth do of himself he hath life in himself and he witnesseth of himself and his witness is true If this be a contradiction it is a Scripture contradiction See Joh. 8. 14. Will you say its a Scripture contradiction The Scripture is a contradiction and nonsense to those that judge after the flesh You will not say it of the Scripture but you will say it of them that preach Scripture that they speak contradiction ver 16. Yet if I judge my judgement is true Why For I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me are one If I were alone my witness were not true but the Father and I being one without contradiction the judgement is true Object But how can this be that Christ witnessing of himself his witness should not be true without controversie man witnessing of himself his witness is not true because he is sinfull But Christ was pure there was no guile found in his mouth To this I answer Though he was a pure and a spotless creature yet he had weakness in him and ignorance in him It is said he grew in stature and knowledge Christ never witnessed any thing but what was true but he never brought forth the full truth He was to bring forth himself in his body in a higher way in greater power then he appeared in the flesh He that believes in me greater works shall he do then I do because I go to the Father There are two things required in a witness faithfullness and knowledge There wanted nothing of faithfulness there wanted of knowledge in Christ he grew in knowledge Christ in us doth know all things Therefore be not cast down though thou doest not yet know all things Upon this account it is that John takes off the new man and the spiritual man from sinking into sorrow upon the judgement he passeth on himself He that is in thee is greater then thy heart and knows all things Judge nothing before the time till the Lord come and if Christ in that pure nature was not ripe to pass a judgement wonder not that we cannot do it in this corrupt nature I bear not witness of my self saith Christ I judge not my own self he that judgeth me is the Lord saith Paul If I bear witness of my self my witness is not truth There is an other that bears witness and I know his witness is true And who is this other It is the Father ver 37. The Father himself that hath sent me he beareth witness of me Christ lays by all testimony but this The fathers and all testimony except the Father be in it to give us settlement and assurance fall short For none knows the Son but the Father and he to whom the Father reveals him Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Blessed art thou Simon flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee but my Father He that establisheth you together with us is God There are three witnesses and these are one the Father and the Son and the Spirit And there is nothing more concerns those that profess to know Jesus Christ then to examine how they came to know him whether they have had this knowledge by the teaching of the Father The baptism of Iohn is
it from heaven or from men So your knowledge is it from God or from men have you received it from your good Ministers or from your own reason or light or from the Spirit of the Father It concerns us to consider this Let the world Jeer and Scoff and cry Fancy and Whimsie and what they will There is no true knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by revelation It is that the Apostle prays for That God would give unto you the Spirit rf revelation All the learned in that only Church of the Jews were all blind and did not receive Christ Who were they that received him they were born of God If we speak of Consciences testimony let us remember that it is my conscience bearing me witness in the holyghost This is the witness of the Father in your consciences then the voice of conscience is a glorious voice This is speaking in Christ I speak the truth in Christ I lye not saith Paul my conscience bearing me witness he speak in the Father these three are one and make up one witness that is true When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me c. Look now what your faith stands in stands it in the wisedom of men or the power of God Let every one of us be looking after the power and life of the Father and of Christ that we may see the Father he that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ to Philip. Let us dwell no more in man nor upon man but let us look higher It is written all thy sons shall be taught of God You never come to peace nor rest till you come to God to the Father As the Father appears more clearly to you in Christ so you come to true peace stability and Settlement and till ye come to him ye are like children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine One Sect of men blows this way another Sect blows an other way and so we are tossed up and down till we come to know the Father by the Spirit in Christ We are weary of all Religion and settle nowhere till we come to find the rock to find God till we come to hear him speak that hath the words of eternal life that speaks power and life and not as the Scribes We never come to put off the old man till we come to hear Christ and the truth as it is in him Then we stand firm in all winds that blow and puff This is to hear the Father then we put off the old man Silly women we are weak and foolish creatures till then He that establisheth you is God when shall we cease from man There is another that bears witness of me and his witness is true And when we have his witness it will satisfie And we shall know that his witness is true but the world doth not know him This is satisfaction to Christ that he knows the Father and the Father knows him though the world doth not know him but they shall know him to their destruction and confusion when he comes forth to be revealed and to be glorified in his Saints I know his witness is true I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world Let the world say and think what they will My witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I mind not I esteem not the judgement of the world I know my witness is true There is the rest of the Saints of God Men call you before their judgement seats and you cannot satisfie them They cannot be satisfied but your satisfaction is in God And the world cannot see God yet the Saints can pitty the world in their madness and blindness Now he comes to the testimony of Iohn Ye sent unto John and he bare witness of me but I received not testimony from man Christ humbles himself very low to plead Johns witness He alledges Johns testimony against them They did not own him but they did own John They inquired of John whether he was the Christ John told them plainly he was not the Christ but he pointed them unto Christ yet they receive not Iohns testimony and so Christ makes it a testimony against them This is all that carnal Professors get that do not love the truth by searching out the truth they meet with a testimony against themselves See how low God hath put himself into such a condition that he needeth mans witness He hath withdrawn himself and set up the world While God is in this low state the world sits in judgement and the Devil hath the power But there will be a time when God will come forth without witness And when he appears he will say Bring forth your witnesses and your strong reasons We look what witness God hath among men How few and inconsiderable were the witness that Christ had in respect of the world He sent to John a man that had nothing to commend him according to the flesh Ye have heard of old Simeon he bare witness unto Christ And of Hanna an old woman she bare witness also But look among the Priests and Elders the Scribes and Pharisees Famed Learned and godly men and how few were there among them that bare witness unto Christ How should we long that the witnesses might finish their testimony when the Lord himself will come forth that every eye may see him and all people own him Christ sent unto Iohn but received not testimony from man but these things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye might be saved Here is a people had nothing in their hearts but killing and Christ had nothing in his heart towards them but saving And upon this design did Christ travail all the while he was amongst them There was wheat among the chaff of the world and all his dealing in the world was to gather the Wheat from the chaff There is no testimony worth any thing but where God appears Christ testifies of Iohn that he was a burning and a shining light The face of God shining is day This day dawned in Iohn such witnesses we expect such a Ministry we expect in whom we may see the light and purity of God consuming sin burning up chaff The Ministry of God in John the light of God set up in Iohn was that which made him a burning and shining light Do we know such a Ministry or no It is this only that is to be desired The Ministry of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and fire This is the Ministry we should look after We have too long dwelt in men and languished in mens gifts and parts Wisdom and Elocution Let us be looking after the light and life of God after God in Christ manifested unto us and in us by the Spirit SERMON III. JOHN 5. 30. I can of my self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me TO