but he will swallow up their weakness in his glory and here he will exercise his Omnisciency here he will exercise his Omnipotency Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 2. Reject this and reject Scripture as I said before By this union between God and the Saints and Gods manifesting himself in his Saints exercising his kingdom exercising his universal Judicature in them the Saints shall judge the world Do ye not know that ye shall judge the world and judge Angels There is no right judge but the Lord and there is no man that is fit to judge till the Lord be risen in him The spiritual man judgeth all things so far forth as he is spiritual he judgeeth all things so far forth as he is carnal he is not fit to judge any thing The carnal judgement condemns the Spirit passes judgement upon God rejects God The Saints are growing up into the Omnisciency and Omnipotency of God God is now despised in them but God shall be glorified in them God bears their weakness but they shall be cloathed upon with his power Christ is in every Saint and the Father hath committed all judgement unto him who doth not judge by the sight of the eye or the hearing of the ear Isa 11. 4. So Paul did not judge now by the sight of the eye or hearing of the ear that is bodily he neither went by common fame neither did his bodily presence help him to discern the business but he was present in spirit and in the light of God in the wisdom of God in the power of God he did see and did judge I already have judged though absent in body yet present in spirit There is no true judgement that passes upon mens Consciences but by the spirit Men that can only judge by the outward appearance can never judge righteous judgement you cannot judge righteous judgement till you are led within the vail till you see principles till you not onely see what is done but see upon what grounds it is done till you see the root of the matter The Apostle cares not for mans judgement He that judgeth me saith he is the Lord. All the people of God they are Princes they are Kings God hath called us to his own kingdom and to his own glory as the Apostle hath it And therefore Rev. 3. 12. it is said I will write upon them the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God and I will write upon them my new name so God will bring forth his glory in his people Paul expressing what he hath done he calls unto the whole Church to joyn with him and assures them they shal have his assistance his assistance and the power of the Lord Jesus When you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Do you judge as I have done The power of the Lord Jesus will lead you to it and you shall come forth in that power actually to deliver him to Satan You see by the effects this was not bare words this was not a bug-bear But that is it we see in Churches and Congregations among us that take upon them this it hath no effect no power And therefore if they have to deal with a Saint he pities them is sorry for them wishes they had more light if with one that is not a Saint he jeers them he scorns them But here is reality this Incestuous person felt hell in his Conscience saw he was in the power of the devil he was even swallowed up with sorrow Therefore the Apostle calls upon them to relieve him and this is to save him q d. look now if the flesh be destroyed then bring out the spirit and comfort him you ought to relieve him Here you see the power of the Lord Jesus he commands hell and death he commands Satan Take that that is thine and then give up that thou hast nothing to do withal Destroy the flesh deliver up the spirit This makes sport for wicked men to come out with thundring and lightning in the absence of power This should set us to mourn for the spirit How little is the manifestation of the spirit in our own Consciences How much less can we manifest it to others It is then time for us to mourn after the Lord. And if we were come to mourn after him we should soon come to rejoyce with him and make our boast of him SERMON III. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly c. IN the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus In the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of our Lord Iesus This is no vain or idle repetition all business of this nature is done only by the name and the power of Jesus Christ But if you please to make some difference take it thus In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that is owning the Lord Christ professing him calling upon him Wih the pwer of the Lord Iesus Christ that is let not there be a bare mention of him but let there be the power In the power of our Lord Iesus There is much mention of the name of Christ among us taking upon us great things by that name when it is but taking it in vain where no power appears In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when you are gathered together and my spirit What 's this same spirit of Paul That by which he was present as he said before I am present with you in spirit This I look upon as the Divine nature which Paul did partake of the spiritual man born of God in which God doth act God guides and acts his people in this spiritual man flesh is acted by Satan there is the power of Satan and Hell but here is the power of the Lord Jesus in Spirit My spirit that 's the seat of God in a Saint And my spirit with the power of the Lord Iesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan there is the Sentence and Judgement But before we come to that I shall observe two or three things In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ c. First There is no dealing in the Consciences of men neither our own nor others against sin and Satan when they shew their power there in the power and wisdom of man unless we go forth in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ it is to no purpose T is only the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that delivers the Consciences and Hearts of men fron sin and Satan therefore the Apostle saith Iudge nothing before the time till the Lord come Saul was not to fight with the Philistims till Samuel came To go forth against
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
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father saith Christ let us look therefore for an express manifestation of the Father whose express image the Son is God in Christ Now for the works here And first touching Christs working and judging vers 30. I can of my own self do nothing as I hear so I judge and my judgement is just because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me Secondly of the witness and testimony of Christ If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true I can do nothing of my own self The Scripture is pure contradiction unto a carnal man and the spiritual man that speaks according to it is judged by the world to speak contradiction The world is tender to charge the Scripture with it but is bold to charge them that speak from the Scripture I can do nothing of my own self and yet I can do all things Christ hath Two selfs and a Christian hath Two selfs the natural self and the spiritual self There is my self of Adam and my self of God I can do nothing of my self of this creaturely self but of God and in God I can do all things Isa 11. 3. It is said He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his ears There is himself of Adam and himself of God according to the former he judges as he hears according to the latter he judges not by the hearing of the eare The Spirit of the Lord makes him of quick understanding The Lord is my strength and righteousness and my self in the Lord judges and doth things the world shall marvel at I do of my self and I do not of my self I do my own will and I do not my own will Thus there are two selfs It is not I but Christ that lives in me saith the Apostle it is Christ that lives and not I. I can do nothing of my self There is an estate in Christ in which we neither can nor will displease God I can do nothing of my self I cannot do my own will but the will of the Father such an estate there is in Christ and we are all called to the state of Christ Christ in us Christ formed in us risen in us the glory of Christ the glory of the body Christ and his body are not severed the same kingdom and glory is theirs he hath called us into the fellowship of his kingdom and glory God in Christ and Christ in us as God is in Christ so Christ is in believers That which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive hath God prepared for them that love him because I live ye shall live also The Saints life is the life of Christ there is an estate in which we neither can nor will displease the Father It is the state of God that cannot deny himself this is that we are called to the life of God the life of God in Christ This state is not manifested but it is manifesting we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth we are kept by the power of God through Faith to salvation God acting and governing the words that I speak I speak not of my self Christ spake in God and it shall be that all we speak and all we do we shall speak in Christ and do it all in Christ as God is in Christ so Christ is in us Joh. 14. 10. The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works And so Christ in us and when Christ is grown up in us and risen in us and glorified in us there shall none be seen nor heard but Christ There is a state in Adam wherein we can will and do good or evil indifferently there is a corrupt state that neither can will nor do good there is an estate in Christ wherein we cannot we will not displease God This is that we wait for to have Christ thus brought forth in us and we brought forth in him thus perfect I can of my own self do nothing Secondly see here how Christ lives out of himself in God the Father and this is that which Christians do as they are Christians they live out of themselves and they live in Christ They neither do nor will but Christ wills in them It s said Christ pleased not himself He that doth all of himself he doth all to please himself he in whom God doth all he doth all to please God he doth all in the Lord and to the Lord not my will but thy will be done His natural will stood up sometime and would be owned but it was brought to submit Not my will but thy will be done And here it appears who speaks of himself and who speaks not of himself he that seeks himself speaks of himself but he that seeks not his own glory but the glory of him that sent him he speaks not of himself And take notice of this that righteousness so far forth appears in us as we go out of our selves as we lay by our own wills and judgements so far forth we are righteous and just My judgement is just because I seek not my own will but the will of him that sent me we are so far righteous before God whose judgement is according to truth as we go out of our selves and out of our own wills My judgement is just because I seek not my own will He that lays by himself and seeks not his own honour he that goes out of his own Reason and his own will he is a righteous man indeed Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God and in his even Gods wisdom and power he walks and acts and so far forth as we walk in Christ who is the wisdom and power of God we are owned by God to be just and righteous and no further all our own wisdom is folly to God and all our own righteousness is wickedness to God Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption So far forth are we righteous in Gods account as we lay by our own Reason and our own Wills Christ acts in the wisdom and power of God so far forth as we act in Christ we act in the wisdom and power of God and so far we are true and just There is no righteousness nor wisdom but the Lord therefore so far forth as we are found in him we are wise and righteous that I may be found in him saith Paul His own light led him till God was pleased to reveal his son in him and then he saw there was no wisdom or righteousness but in him That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law c. That I may know the power of his death and the fellowship of his
sin when the Lord is not with us it hath this issue nothing but foiling nothing but scorning nothing but reproach and shame With the power of the Lord Iesus To mention the name of the Lord Jesus and not to have the power of the Lord Jesus is nothing but prophaning that name taking it in vain 'T is nothing but a bug-bear All mans power it is on the body it is not on the Conscience It is impossible man should deliver himself or his brother from one error from one sin all that he can do is to restrain and lock up sin all that man can do in matter of error and sin is to bring forth Hypocrisie It is Gods prerogative to fashion hearts and to know hearts Psal 13. He fashioneth their hearts alike and understandeth all their thoughts And this is that God will make all the Churches to know Rev. 2. the latter end All the Churches shall know that I the Lord search the heart and try the reines If the Churches go forth with Carnal weapons to deal with the Devil and sin in their own power they shall know that this is the Lords prerogative It is only he that searches hearts and tries reines They shall find they have done nothing whatever they have seemed to themselves to have done They shall find they have confirmed and settled the Devil in his habitation while they have seemed to throw him out I have the keyes saith Christ of Hell and of death The keys are the power the power of man is not able to conflict with Sathan and Hell Christ hath received all power in Heaven and Earth And Christ manifested in us we shall go forth against principalities and powers and against the Rulers of the darkness of this world with the power of the Lord Jesus The weapons of our warfare are not carnal saith the Apostle but mighty through God The new Testament is the Ministry of the Spirit and so t is an able Ministry God hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit Letter and man and noise of words could never yet scare the Devil This we spake of before taking occasion from the Apostle calling the Corinthians to mourn which doth tell us they had no power of themselves 'T is a professing they had no power We cannot rid our Consciences or Congregations of sin But if we wait power will come in And when we once come out of this delusion of the Devil to see we have no power to see how the Spirit of power hath withdrawn from us and hath been absent a long while we shall begin to mourn after him and he will visit us and then we shall know what power is again We shall know what the Kingdom of God is that is not in word but in power We have hitherto known little of any Kingdom but in word When once we are sensible of this want of power and of this withdrawing of God that the man of sin might be revealed we shall mourn after him till he turn to us again 'T is by the power of the Lord Jesus only This is allowed and granted everywhere as a principle but how little do we act according to our Principles The Spirit of God only can throw out error and sin this is granted But the will of man and the actings of man this shall be called the Spirit of God The pride of man comes forth which is nothing but the Devil the name of the Lord Jesus that is put upon it To walk and act according to that Principle the Spirit of God Not we but the grace of God We live not but Christ in us 'T is looked upon as that which tends to confusion as that which lays by all mans gifts Object 'T is said then what will ye throw off your Ministers your Teachers Sol. The Apostle saith We have but one Master but one teacher that is Christ that is the Spirit Ye have the annointing that teaches you all things and need not any mans teaching 'T is not mans teaching we look after now if we understand ourselves but we look if we can find the name of God the power of God in the speakings of men God holds forth his anointing in man gives us a proof of Christ in man But take mans Ministry and all Ordinances if the Spirit be not there if the anointing be not there they are of man they are nothing So you see it is the power of the Lord Jesus only that rids Consciences and Congregations from sin In the name of the Lord Iesus when you are gathered together with my spirit and the power of the Lord Iesus In the second place take notice of this That the Lord Jesus and his power is in all Saints as well as in Ministers The Apostles Spirit joynes with them when they are gathered together The whole Church men and women the simplest as well as the wisest the weakest as well as the strongest with the power of the Lord Jesus The power of the Lord Jesus goes with you if you censure him and therefore my Spirit shall be with you In the name c. So the power of the Lord Jesus is in every Saint acts there and manifests it self there at the pleasure of the Lord Jesus It is the Spirit that makes Ministers and those Ministers that are made by the Spirit do minister the Spirit And that is ministring the Gospel when we Minister the Spirit But if we have only the Letter of the Gospel we have that that is no better then the Law If we be able Ministers of the New Testament it is in the Spirit I am a Minister of the New Testament so far as the Spirit speaks in me and by me and I would not be owned any further And all my work is to prove if the Spirit of God will go forth into any heart while I speak I know that Paul is nothing and Apollo is nothing If we be a sweet Savour of Christ then we are something In whomsoever the spirit stands up and speaks that person for that time is a Minister a true Minister The Spirit doth not regard Sexes the Spirit regards not Age Learned or unlearned 'T is not Age nor Sex nor any Major part can Minister Spirit but whom the Spirit pleases Obj. The Spirit will not teach by a woman For it is said let not a woman speak in the Church Sol. Where the Spirit doth not teach 't is but a womans teaching So far as we speak and speak not by the Spirit the woman speaks who is commanded silence And my Spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus The Apostles Spirit would own the meanest of the Saints and the power of the Lord Jesus in them There are in whom the Spirit acts and Ministers more constantly and there are in whom he doth Minister occasionally there are whom the Spirit of God hath made Overseers Acts 20. Look to the flock over which the
end of flesh And it must needs be this and nothing else because every Saint while he lives in the flesh is bewitched 'T is the Scriprure expression O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you It is a being born again you cannot see the kingdom of God except you be born again I conclude with this See how it concerns us to wait for the Ministery of the spirit and that is it we should look for in all these meetings and Assemblies Look to meet with the power of the Lord Iesus Satan would deceive us by the knowledge of the letter of the creature we may have a great deal of knowledge and be puffed up with pride and be delivered up to Satan when we have done We should admit of that distinction Letter and Spirit Man and God not that we divide between these but in Man and in Letter look for the Spirit and God The life was manifested we saw it our eyes looked upon it and our hands handled it The discovery of Hell is the destruction of Death and Hell by the power of the Lord Iesus deliver such a one to Satan c. A PARAPHRASE upon the seventeenth of the ACTS ACTS 17. ver 1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iews HEre is the entertainment that the Apostles being Messengers and Ministers of the Spirit had in the world They came to Thessalonica they had passed thorow some places without making any proffer of the Grace of God at Thessalonica there they tarry There was a Synagogue of the Iews The Jews were now scattered from their own place and instead of a Temple and other Ordinances they were content with a Synagogue It was very much like our state now under Antichrist in the rime of the Apostacy There was a Synagogue of the Jews Pauls heart exceedingly went out towards his brethren after the flesh if he might save some of them and yet wheresoever he offered himself to them in that way they were seeking his life and his blood but still he found a number that were of the Election of Grace who did receive Grace though the rest were blinded Verse 2. And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures These Jews had Learning and Knowledge in the Scriptures meerly to oppose the truth the power and the life of the Scriptures Here they hold Paul play in reasoning and disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures the Jews they dispute against Christ by the Scriptures and this is that that all the learning of man doth all his knowledge in the Scriptures doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater knowledge in the Scriptures and the more learning if it be only of man the greater opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit Verse 3. Opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Iesus whom I preach unto you is Christ It is not enough to know that there is a Jesus that hath suffered and is risen but we must come to this Iesus we must know him particularly this is he he in whom dwells the fulness of God he that is the manifestation of God the going forth of God the power and the wisdom of God have you met with him have you seen him-dying and found him rising in you Jesus Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God it is him we preach This is the Jesus whom I preach unto you saith Paul we must not only content our selves with generals and stories but we must come to particulars This is he here he is Till we finde him in our hearts we can finde nothing of his salvation nor of his life Verse 4. And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and of the chief women not a few Some of them believed Paul had a gleaning among his Countrey-men Those that were ordained to eternal life Hath God cast off his people saith he God forbid And consorted with Paul and Silas This is that the Ministry of the Spirit doth it is a Fan that severs it takes out the corn from the chaff that is the work of the Ministry to gather the Saints together to call up that holy seed that lieth in flesh and to make them one with another And of the devout Greeks a great multitude Some of the Jews but of the devout Greeks a great multitude more of the Gentiles then of the Jews And of the chief women not a few Here are Gentiles and women the Jews stand out except a little sprinkling of them but here are Heathens the Gentiles and women the weaker sort in these God appears It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth Here the Jew the Professor that is born after the flesh the carnal Professor he stands out and this we shall see in our days Many come from the east and from the west but these Children of the Kingdom these that are only in an outward profession they shall be cast out the Gentiles come in and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob the wise of the world shall be laid by silly and weak women shall be instructed babes and sucklings shall be fiill'd with strength and the mysteries of the Kingdom shall be hidden from the wise It follows Verse 5. But the Iews which believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the City on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people The Iews were such as owned themselves the people of God they carry the Scriptures they dispute out of the Scriptures and reason with Paul There is a form of godliness but the Devil is in it they are moved with envy that is the Devil Here is a pretence of zeal but envy lieth at the bottom this is that that is the Professors sin There is Gentile and Heathen sin that lieth in open prophaneness in drunkenness in filthiness and uncleanness in theft and murther and the like but here is the Professors sin that lieth in spiritual wickedness as envy malice hatred wrath evil surmisings and the like Many a man blesses himself in this I am not thus and thus no drunkard no adulterer no murtherer but look what thou art in thy heart is envy there then there is murther Every one that Professes God let him search his heart let him not Pharisaically boast he is not as this Publican They took unto them certain lewd fellows c. This is the way of men when reason and light are too hard for them then they make an uproar a clamor they will carry it with a noise and this is a judgement of God upon carnal Professors God leads them forth with evil doers in just judgement
it were dead and slain Rev. 5. John saw the Lamb as it had been slain he is as it were slain but he lives all this while and he raigns and rules but there is nothing seen but the Kingdom of Men of Devils of Death of Hell The Lord he is slain he comes forth at times and makes appearances and as he looks up still he is knockt down and the world cries Devil and Blasphemy In all the appearances that hitherto he hath made he hath been slain the Devil hath possessed all the Mountains that ever he raised up the seven Mountains the Whore sits upon them That the Apostle hath Heb. 6. They crucifie afresh the son of God and put him to open shame God makes his appearance and still he is crucified still he is slain whilst he riseth in flesh still he is killed If you ask who it is that kils him His enemies kill him sin and hell his friends kill him therefore Christ saith Father forgive them they know not what they do These are the wounds I have received in the house of my friends He kils himself he gives up his life for that which Pilat and Herod did they did by the determinate Counsel of God Awake O sword against the shepherd that is my fellow I lay down my life of my self and no man takes it from me saith Christ he gives up himself It is the blood of God in us that redeems this earth Thou hast redeemed us by thy blood There is no man shall live but he in whom God is dead in whom he lyeth slain for a while or as it were slain and by this God comes forth in a more glorious Kingdom His Kingdom is more glorious when he comes out of death into it comes upon Death comes upon Hell and all the powers of it God is pleased to make himself enemies that he may appear to be above them God is slain his blood is shed in Christ and Christ in the Saints he suffers still I fill up the sufferings of Christ saith the Apostle Here he dies and here he rises And this it may give us some light and instruction touching sin in the knowledge whereof we are exceeding defective All have sinned that the Apostle saith and sinned the utmost of sin Slain and murdered the Lord of life And think of it what you will you never see sin in a true light till you see your selves murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of glory the Spirit convincing of sin it convinceth of this and this is that that earthly-mindedness doth the earth in us this love of the earth this love of the creature it kils the Lord and buries the Lord it keeps down the Lord. Do you not know saith Iames that the friendship of the world is enmity unto God And you that know God and love God mind what you do whilst you go out after the earth Here is killing the Lord and burying him keeping him down Either we are crucifying God or else we are crucifying the world and the world is crucified unto us one of these two We are crucifying God while we do not look and long for his appearance all living in the earth being at home in the body is crucifying the Lord. The Devil is the god of this world he is a murderer and so are all those that serve this world murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of life The earth buries him the earth covers him the Princes of this world crucifie the Lord of glory You that profess to know the Lord of glory see what you do whilst you are climbing up in the world making after the greatness and the glory thereof the earth hides his blood and covers him here he is buried worldly lusts fleshly lusts these kill and flay and bury God in you keep down Christ in you This is the reason why the world makes so little account of God and makes no more of God then a fancy they have slain him and they have buried him and they raign but he will rise and then wo to the inhabitants of the earth The Devil is come among you and then you shall see the Devil the Devil is among you but you do not see him then you shall be delivered up to him It is a comfort to them that they cannot see God that their souls long after him and they love him but they cannot see him Why He is not discovered where he is he lyeth dead a great while He lyeth dead in the hearts and souls of his People And it should make us beware of passing judgement upon any That they are not the Lords and the Lord is not in them because he is not at present manifested he lyeth dead there is his blood and it may quicken though it be now as dead And it should make us very wary of judging any persons those that walk in the greatest opposition unto God God may lie dead in them and when he rises in them that shall suffer for him that did before persecute him and whosoever he be that lives he hath seen God dead in him and now he is raised This is indeed the conversion of a sinner it is the quickening of Christ in the heart He is dead in the earth here is his blood and he will rise up the earth shall discover her blood shall no longer hide her slain he will come out of his place he hath come forth in many appearances and hath been killed again but he will come forth in his own body and he will stand in the earth and rising from the dead he dies no more death hath no more dominion over him and he coming out of the grave will bring forth all his with him of which we had a type in the coming of the people of God out of Aegypt and out of Babylon they brought forth all the riches out of Aegypt returned with all the vessels out of Babylon When God brings us forth out of death and hell he will bring us forth with all the goods and all the riches that death and hell have robbed us of The earth shall no longer cover his blood And it cannot be it is impossible he should see corruption it is his blood and therefore must recover it is the Lamb but as it were slain he rules still he rules amidst his enemies he rules in death in hell but is covered is not seen He shall live and his people shall live with him And look we into our hearts what we find of the death of Christ of the resurrection of Christ of fellowship with him in his sufferings and the power of his resurrection This is that Pauls heart did beat upon Phil. 3. 10. We know him and the power of his death and fellowship of his sufferings Look what we know of him and look for his revealing in us When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me Know ye not that Christ is in you Prove your selves whether you be in the faith Christ
in you Christ in you dead Christ in you alive He is alive that was dead then you live Because I live ye shall live also Look if ye know this life You are in him that is true and he in you that is true he is risen and you risen with him ascended with him and set down with him in heavenly places FINIS THE MAJESTY of GRACE OR The Soveraignty of SALVATION SERMON I. TITUS 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. VER 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority Let no man despise thee IN the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle is directing Titus how to carry himself in his Doctrine towards all Sexes and Ages of men But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine That the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in Faith in Charity in Patience The aged women likewise that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness c. Young men exhort to be sober-minded Exhort Servants to be obedient to their Masters c. And here he laies the ground and foundation of it which is an encouragement to Titus to set upon this preaching it should not be in vain For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us c. The grace of God shall teach with thee therefore be thou a Minister of the grace of God be thou bringing forth this grace of God which hath appeared that hath appeared in us and hath appeared in thee Thou hast a Ministry of the Spirit go thou forth in that and bring up men from the grave of ungodliness to the grace of God do thou bring forth that redemption which is come forth in Jesus Christ do thou bring forth Jesus Christ in those to whom thou preachest And what do we unless this grace go with us The grace of God which is also The God of grace unless God be in grace it is such a grace as may be received in vain I laboured more abundantly then they all saith the Apostle yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and in me The grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared Therefore exhort all men and teach all men and make a proof where this grace of God will further appear it hath appeared teaching us see whom it will teach besides I shall speak to the words as they lie in order and as I shall conceive may be most profitable for us The grace of God The kindness of God the favour of God as it is called in the next Chapter After the loving kindness of God appeared c. The grace of God or the God of grace Grace without God will be abused but grace from God and with God is Salvation The grace of God is God in Christ The Scripture that tels us in one place of the grace of God tels us in another place of the God of grace and the grace of God doth give God himself unto his People I am thy exceeding great reward The grace of God that bringeth salvation There is Grace and there is Salvation the Scripture speaks of but grace is not all nor salvation is not all Salvation will not satisfie him that hath the God of grace but he must have glory as well as salvation it will not satisfie an heir of heaven to be safe only but he must have a Kingdom It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom We must take the Scriptures in their extent There is one place speaks only of grace there is another tels us of God One place speaks only of salvation another tels us of glory God will give grace and glory Each single Scripture doth not express the whole mind of God They that will take the Scriptures by pieces and not the whole Scriptures must make account to be deceived The grace of God that brings salvation God in grace brings salvation and is salvation and there is no salvation but where the God of grace is come Gods appearing in his love owning us and manifesting himself to be our portion this is salvation In his favour is life Whosoever doth not believe the wrath of God abides upon him His anger and absence is death and destruction every man is under destruction and death till the grace of God come to him till that appear If you look for salvation where is the grace of God or the God of grace appearing The grace of God is salvation and salvation is the grace of God or the God of grace The grace of God that brings salvation There is grace that doth not bring salvation there is the grace of God in these outward things there is the grace of God in gifts this grace bids us look after salvation this grace leads unto repentance but here is the grace of God that brings salvation and that is salvation it self Here is God in grace come to us here is the grace that turns the heart from the world and sin and hell This is salvation The grace of God that brings salvation There is no salvation by Works there is no salvation by the Law salvation is by the grace of God by that grace that makes us to do the works of God by Gods working in us by Gods taking us into himself All our works are wrought in God It is the Scripture expression The grace of God that brings salvation unto all men The Apostle spake before of aged and young male and female of Servants and Governours teach them all for the grace of God hath appeared to all and for all It is come to every mans door brings salvation to all to all that God doth make any reckoning or account of the holy seed Of others it is said Thou puttest away the wicked like dross Psal 119. There is a generation of men that are in no better esteem with God then those creatures begotten of corruption Thou puttest them away like dross These are the seed of the Serpent You are of your father the Devil and his works will you do It is a poor languishing controversie that in which so many are exercised about Vniversal Redemption Let every man look whether salvation be come to him and whether he hath entertained it and embraced it and if so let him rejoyce Let every man make his Calling and Election sure and let him be a good Minister of this grace of God to others leave disputing and jangling and begin to live By denying ungodliness and worldly lusts live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world And be a pattern and example Make thy self a pattern of good works Let thy light shine before men that they may see thy good works and glorifie thy Father which is in heaven Salvation to all hath appeared Grace ever was but it appears
carried on by degrees Christ he is formed in us but he comes forth as a child and weak at first The Lord he comes and takes possession sits in the throne and throws Satan and sin down but then they are striving to recover themselves again to come into their command rule again The flesh lusteth against the Spirit saith the Apostle Gal. 5. So that you cannot do the things that you would Every thing would live flesh would live When God comes to destroy it it strives and strugles as long as it can God will keep his people in exercise through weakness he will bring them into strength and so his strength shall be perfected And through many foiles and many times being overcome he will bring them at last into a compleat and glorious victory They shall try all the Powers of Hell and Satan and so see That greater is he that is in them then he that is in the World they shall see themselves though often foyl'd more then Conquerors through him that loves them They shall not go forth in haste as the Lord promises in bringing his People out of Babylon and is made true in their bringing forth out of Spiritual Babylon they shall not sneak out or steal out but shall go forth at last as Conquerors and the more foyles they have had the oftner overcome the more glorious will be their conquest Therefore fight the good fight of Faith O ye men of God fight the good fight of Faith You that are quickned with Christ raised up to fear God be not discouraged at those motions that you find in you endeavouring to hale and draw you back to ungodliness and worldly lusts again though they should come with violencc to draw you to that Prison and darkness again And you may wonder a while and say Why am I thus as Rebeccah did when twins were in her womb For t is the same case here the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh As you grow up into the light and knowledge of God you wil be above fears in this matter 't will not at all move you discourage you or dis-hearten you We do not feel death but as life comes in So long as thou stand'st thy ground and wilt not comply though thou dealest with an enemy and there be force upon thee Yet there is no cause why thou should'st be discouraged Here is ungodliness and here are worldly lusts but here is grace to deny them Here is the flesh that lusts against the Spirit but here is the Spirit also that lusts against the flesh When Moses comes the burthens of the Israelites are doubled So when the Spirit comes when righteousness comes when wisdom and Sanctification comes there is a fuller discovery and more busling of Satan and Hell then ever was before Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts They have their motions they do solicite where the grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared But resist them Whom resist ye stedfast in the Faith c. Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Quest What is ungodliness that grace teacheth us to deny Sol. Ungodliness is whatever is not of God whatever is not of the Father the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life This is not of the Father this is ungodliness Godliness is likness unto God t is bringing forth the Divine nature in us By precious promises saith Peter he hath made us partakers of the Divine nature The new man grows up in this sunshine the Spiritual the Heavenly man made after the Image of God in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4. 21. God calls us to be holy as he himself is holy this is godliness God hath predestinated us to be conformable to the Image of his Son He hath given him to us an example that we should follow his steps Christ is the express Image of his fathers person And the design of the Gospel is to bring forth Christ in us My little children of whom I travail in birth till Christ be formed in you This is godliness to bring forth Christ in us God in us We shall be like him saith John 1 Joh. 3. at the beginning We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The grace of God that brings Salvation brings us to be acquainted with God It is the revealing of God in us It is Gods manifesting himself to us with open face So that we are changed into his Image from glory to glory by the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 18. It is Gods becoming our wisdom and righteousness and Sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. ult But observe the manner of the Scriptures speaking in this particular To be led by the Spirit of God So are his Sons Rom. 8. To have our works wrought in God John 3. He comes to the light that his works may be manifested that they are wrought in God to cease from our own works as God did from his Heb. 4. Christ brought forth in us he speaks not of himself he works not of himself the Father speaks and the Father doth the works Joh. 1. 4. 10. Godliness is Godlikeness and when once we are taught Godliness we are taught not to walk as men as the Apostle hath it to the Corinthians Ye are carnal saith he and walk as men We walk in another light in another wisdom in another power in another life when once we are taught Godliness Christ died for us the just for the unjust to bring us unto God as Peter hath it The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness carries us into the life of God into the power of God into the light of the God into glory of God into the Kingdom of God Doth not the Scripture say as much It were grace and Salvation to restore us unto that perfect Image in which Adam was brought forth in flesh But God hath more grace for us and greater Salvation even to bring forth his own life in us to make us Children of the Resurrection The life of Adam as it was in innocency it was a glorious life but it was weak and fading as we see But this life is a life that can never fade 't is strong 't is everlasting ' t is an inheritance immortal undefiled that fadeth not away that sin and death can never conquer Christ rising from the dead he dies no more 'T is the life of God the Scripture speaks of I in them and they in me that they may be perfect in one Because I live you shall live also 'T is not the Image of the earthly man but the Image of the Heavenly man that the grace of God restores us to We come short of the Gospel if we sit down and rest our selves in the righteousnes of man 't is the righteousnesness of God which is the mark that is set before us he hath called us into his own Kingdom and glory The grace of God
at Soper-lane with which he finished his Testimony THe occasion of this meeting I need not to mention We may make it an occasion to speak and hear something which may hold forth our life and his life that is dead for he is but dead to the world and that he was whilst he lived It is not amiss if we look at somewhat else then burying the dead which is to bury death Let the dead bury the dead If you be dead and have not a seed of life in you I have nothing to say to you Whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord Whilst our life is onely in the body and in bodily things we are dead and the seed of God lies buried in us Now to quicken that seed is the work of a true spiritual Ministery Let us see if we can quicken the dead so saith Peter The Gospel was preached to those that were dead and Paul to the same purpose you hath he quickened who were dead in sins and trespasses Christ may lie dead amongst us and the glory of the Father may appear here to raise him up That is our business if we preach the Gospel to preach Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life Where Christ is not in any as good preach to the Corps that lies in the grave as preach to them If there be any children of the Resurrection here either manifested or not manifested to them we speak for the hour is coming and now is that the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God and live Joh. 5. 25. Do we know no grave but such as we have put a Corps in To be at home in the body is to be in a grave absent from the Lord who is our life But to such as have life or a seed of life in them do I address my self and therefore you may please to look upon that Scripture ISAI 25. 6 7 8. And in this mountain shall the Lord of hoasts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of Wine on the Lees of fat things full of marrow of wine on the Lees well refined And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it ANd in this mountain The Lord is this mountain that appeares in the first verse of the chapter Thou art my God and I will exalt thee A Mountain is a thing exalted and we exalt God when we bring him forth in power He lies hid in our weakness we shall bring him forth in his power You are dead and your life lies hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory When he lies no longer hid in our weakness and darkness but comes forth in his own life righteousness and strength then he is our Mountain There is an expression to the same purpose Psal 18. 2. The Lord is my Rock my Fortress my Strength my high Tower c. There are many Mountains many appearances of God in flesh wheresoever God appeares in flesh that is a Mountain When he is pleased to withdraw and give way to the devil then the whore comes and sits upon the seaven Mountains Not that I exclude the common interpretation of the seven Hills but take in this with it But though Satan hath possessed all other Mountains this he shall never possess this is like Mount-Sion that shall never be removed Mount-Sion indeed is but a shadow of this Mountain The woman of Samaria Joh. 4. propounds a question to Christ whether they were to worship in the Samaritan Mountain or at Mount-Sion but she was content to wait for the resolution till the Messias come Sion is the true figure but Christ that reveals the Father is the true Mountain God speaks in figures and parables very much This Mountain That is it that all other Mountans are but Types and Figures of All this world is a Figure and some special parts and pieces thereof are more instituted figures more eminently so where God appears to his people that is a Mountain A Mountain is an exalted thing a great thing and strong thing A Mountain stands in a good Ayre The Mountain of Spices a Mountain gives a pleasant prospect these are the properties of Mountains God will appear in his people in his greatness pleasantness height strength eternity In this mountain shall the Lord make a Feast There is a Mountain that is not to be touched Heb. 12. But ye are come to the Mountain that may be touched Ye shall feast in this Mountain The world shall see the Feast not touch it The natural man knows no Mountain but what is visible This Mountain is to flesh invisible Whilst the Saints do boast of God and have outward helps to lean upon the world looks upon them as such as have some cause why they should boast but when their fleshly helps fail the world jeers them Now flee to the mountain like a bird The eleventh Psalm is an answer to the Worlds jeer I trust in the Lord how say ye to my soul flee as a bird to your mountain When outward props are removed from the Saints Now saith the world where is your Mountain Answ Our Mountain say they standeth firm The Lord is in his Holy Temple The Lord is our Mountain He is all in all to us Whom saith David have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in earth I desire but thee The Lord in his people and the Lords people in him this is their Mountain The Church is called a City on a hill or Mountain which is founded in God We are not come to the mount that may not be touched The Lord is the Mountain and the feast too The Lord the Mountain and the Lord the Feast Nicodemus will say how can this be This is Non-sense To them that are without we speak parables To you saith Christ it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom but to others in parables that seeing they might see and not understand There is a vail upon all faces If this will not go down easily with you the Lord is the Mountain and the Lord is the Feast consider it comes but to this to make the Lord all all in all and the world a shadow of him a vail upon him it is no dishonour to the Lord to make him all if it be a dishonour to the world to make it a shadow to make it nothing let it be so if you cannot bear the worlds dishonour we must take that boldness to give you offence The Mountain and the feast too How so There is bread and there is wine in this feast Christ the