wisher to the Souls of all Men As God hath done good to my Soul So I cannot but wish well to the Souls of others That as he hath found out a way for my Redemption and Salvation so likewise I wish the same for others that are bond-men and bond-women and under the Power of their Corruption Gods work hath been to destroy the Bondage and the Oppression and to destroy the Tyrant that Reigns over the Souls of his People God having made them for his Glory and the Devil hath Stolen them away that they do not that which pleaseth God But God's good pleasure is that all may be Saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth And God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life And he is called The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World He can take away Sin if my Sin do not obstruct my Faith and Confidence in him he will take it away and if he takes that away then he makes the Tree good Nothing hinders us from the injoyment of God but Sin and if Christ will take it away by the blood of his Cross no matter for all the Scorn Contempt Hardship Reproach and Persecution of this World no matter for he hath not deceived us but told us before hand If we will be followers of him and be led by him we must expect these things suffering Reproaches Persecutions Disdain Envy these things come not uncertainly upon us the World loves its own and cannot love them that are not of it but they that are now of the World may be brought to the terms of God and they may not be any longer of the World Christ Prayeth not that his Disciples may be taken out of the World but kept from the evil he prayed for them that did not believe So that Christ is a Mediator for all men and a Propitiation for all men and he is working by his Spirit for the Redemption of all men That to as many as believe in him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God The sum of all is this that we have an opportunity put into our hands we cannot deny it you must all upon search confess that the Grace of God doth often work in your hearts against any Corruption against any Evil Let not this prize be put into our hands in vain as into the hands of fools If I knew that this and that was a sin I would leave it let us be of that mind and we shall soon know it Then say If I knew such a thing to be a sin If I could get a thousand pounds by it I would not do it why should'st thou love sin for profit or pleasure I am sure it is an ill bargain when it is done Whatsoever I am convinced of is a sin I will not it Resolve upon this and there the Grace of God will be at work we shall soon see that we must leave off sinning there is such a thing I must leave God hath set up a Judgment in my mind against it though it bring profit and pleasure away it must go here is a step a following step to follow Christ he that will deny himself will follow Christ My Redeemer shews me this to be an evil I will not do it but follow him and imitate him Here the Soul is led step by step even by Christ the Captain of our Salvation till it is gradually cleansed from sin and reconciled unto God and this can be done by no other means for Prayer and Alms will not do it All that can be done by us will not dot it none can do it but Christ alone that God hath laid help upon that you may all wait for the Divine Operation of his Grace in your hearts that is it which we Labour and Travel for as knowing that God hath wrought wonderfully by it for the Redemption of all those that love him more than they love their pleasures more than they love their sins it must be concluded that following of him and leaving Father and Mother Husband and Wife Children Brethren and Sisters all these things as they stand in competition with him and the Obedience of his Spirit all these must be looked upon as nothing to him Then above all things I must not displease him He can speak Peace and none can take it away and if he take it away none can give it If we follow Christ when this is done then all is done according to the Will of God then the blessing of God descends upon the whole Creation then every man will speak truth to his Neighbour and every man will govern his Family with discretion So God is Glorified and his name comes to be Exalted who is worthy to be Loved Adored and Exalted above all Blessings and Praises to him be Glory who is God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious God of Life and Power and of Everlasting Kindness a God of Long-suffering and Patience else we had not been here at this day Lord we are Monuments of thy Mercy thou hast spared us long and hast called unto us in a day when we turned away our Ear from thee thou hast stretched out thy hand all the day long and thou hast gathered a little Remnant of the lost Sheep of the house of Israel to partake of thy Pastures of Life and now all our Souls have been greatly refreshed and comforted since we come to understand and comprehend with the rest of thy Saints the Height and Length and Breadth and Depth of thy Love which in the Son of thy Love thou hast Revealed to us And blessed Father of Life our Souls do breath and cry unto thee on the behalf of Strangers which are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel that are yet breathing and inquiring after thee And asking the way to Sion O Lord remember them and hear their cry and let their sighing and complaining enter into thine Ears that all they in whom thou hast begun to kindle up holy desires after thee may have them grow into a flame to burn up all their Enmity to thee that so they may be purified by thy judgments and receive of thy Heavenly Grace This is the way which thou hast used with thy Children thou hast commanded them to Worship thee in thy dwelling place thou hast taken them into thy house and fed them with thy finest Wheat refreshed them with thy Loving-kindness and filled them with thy Holy Spirit Dearest God of Love this is the design and purpose of our Meeting together that we may enjoy thy Presence and feel the operation of thy Word and have Communion with thee and thy Son Jesus Christ through thy Holy Spirit the way into Rest and Life is with thee thou canst open and none can shut Lord open the hearts of this People to receive of thy
spake or wrote it It was not the Blood of Bulls or Goats nor the Blood of a Ram that could purge away Sin from their Consciences And after the Apostle had opened the Mystery of Divinity who had a Divine and Spiritual Skill in unfolding the Restoration of Mankind he declared plainly that when the Offering was made by Aaron for Sinners even then there remained still a Conscience of Sin for it was not possible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin so that their outward performances and their outward services they did but point out the Mediator they had a pointing finger as it were to the Real True and Everlasting Mediator Christ Jesus who is made a Mediator betwixt God and Man that by and through him man might be again Reconciled to God So that now in these Gospel days wherein God is opening the Mysteries of Life and Salvation to the intent and purpose that the Sons and Daughters of Men might be restored again unto their Primitive Enjoyment of the Favour of God Now in these days it is the Duty of all Christians and of all that are seeking the welfare of their Immortal Souls that they have their Eyes and their Hearts unto Jesus as unto one that is able to Reconcile them unto God To him it is committed to him Wisdom and Power is committed and to him Authority is committed that he should be an Everlasting High Priest and that all the Services and all the Worship and Religious performances that People offer up to God should be in his Name that so by him they might be Recommended to God For none will ever find Acceptance with the Father unless in all their performances they have an Eye unto him So that it comes plainly to pass according to that short and confident Assertion of the Author to the Hebrews That without Faith it is impossible to please God But it is possible to Offer Sacrifices without Faith and possible for People to perform Religious Services without Faith as woful Experience have taught us in our days That many have been exercised in a kind of a Religious Service and Worship that never in their Lives had Faith enough to believe the things that they pray for And they are without Faith For when People Pray to God to send his Holy Spirit into their Hearts that they may keep his Commandments to their Lives End they have not Faith to believe it And when they Pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven This is a Religious performance but I question whether it be done in Faith if not it is but an Increasing in Sin an Addition to Sin Where is the Man that is exercised in praying to God that believeth that ever such a thing is like to come to pass Go where you will in this or the other Nation and Inquire of People about their Faith they believe there is no possibility of Extirpating and Rooting out of Sin while they live upon the Earth therefore all their Prayers for it are vain and their Faith a vain Faith and it is high time in such a day as this when men are Faithless and Unbelieving to preach up the object of Faith the Lord Jesus Christ People are of divers Faiths and of divers Beliefs but we have found by experience that they do them no good they do not bring a thing to pass that of necessity must be brought to pass ere they can be Reconciled to God their Faith doth not cleanse the Heart nor extend so far as to believe that ere they shall be cleansed In all the Worship and Religion that they perform they come not to this Faith that they shall be made clean All that is done is but in sin and uncleanness they cannot bring a clean Sacrifice out of an unclean Vessel And our Lord Jesus Christ saith concerning this Subject An Evil Tree cannot bring forth Good Fruit. But there must be good Fruit brought forth how must we do it Make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good When that Mens vain janglings about Religion and Religious fancies must come to an end Then all that Religion will appear to be in vain and will not answer the end for which it is performed till men believe that it will make the Tree good and cleanse the Heart and Transform men by Renewing the Spirit of their Minds So that Religion it must begin within And it is not our changing our forms of Worship from one form to another and taking up this and the other Opinion that doth change our hearts Sad Experience doth teach us that men may carry over their old Lusts into a new Religion we can carry over our old Inclinations into our new Opinions For though the form of Worship be changed the Heart remaining unchanged and the Lusts unmortified their Religion is in vain let them be of what persuasion they will Now the remedy of this great Calamity that hath overspread all sorts of People for there is no sort of People but there are those among them that are under this great Calamity of holding the profession of Godliness with an Ungodly mind and the profession of Truth with a false and treacherous Spirit Now for the remedying of this there is but one way that all Mens Eyes be brought off from having their Eye unto their Performances and to the Doctrines and Tenents that they hold and do as the Apostle saith Fix their Eye upon Christ and look upon Jesus that is the first thing that must begin our Religion for Christ must be the Alpha of our Religion as well as the Omega of it If I begin not there let me begin where I will I begin wrong Let me begin at the most serious and sound Doctrines and at the most Apostolical Religion If Christ and his Apostles were here upon the Earth if I walked among them if I believed all they said and did I should begin wrong if I did not fix mine Eye upon Jesus Christ that is the taker away of sin and is the sanctifier of the Soul by his Spirit There must be the first beginning and there must be the conclusion he is the Author and the finisher of all true Faith There are Authors of other Faiths Men have different Faiths and their Creeds and Articles And they have exposed and imposed them too but this is the worst of it none of them are right let them be exposed and imposed with never so much force and violence none of these will cleanse the heart but that Faith which is delivered over by Christ Jâ—sus that hath the quality of cleansing and purifying that is the Faith when all is done that will do the work that is it that will save and sanctifie and do the business that all the World is about every one would have a Reconciler with God and Sin rooted out and be as God would have them be this is the publick profession of Christendom at least they
that he may make it Workman like He will say if I let my Rule alone and not make use of it but work as I please and trust to mine Eye no wonder if I make bad work and what I build fall down again and tumble about mine Ears You to whom God hath given the Standard of Truth as a rule and measure to Govern your Thoughts Words and Actions by Let every thing be tryed with it before you Die and leave this World If you do so and make this your daily practice then ask your selves and you will be able to tell your selves and tell me and say I have now obtained more hopes of Gods Favour and a greater sense of his Love and goodness to me than ever I had before The Apostle doth exhort us to Walk Circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise Redeeming the time We have spent a great deal of time in vain let us now be Wise and Improve our time for our Eternal Advantage let us walk Circumpectly that is look round about us Consider our ways and try all our Thoughts Words and Actions by the Standard of Truth To Day My Friends while it is called to Day hear the Voice of God and harden not your Hearts and receive that Heavenly Counsel that is tendered to you that you may be partakers of the Inheritance among the Saints in Light His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Eternal Father Thou hast brought forth thy Glorious Name and Revealed thy Power and thy Mighty Arm and thou hast caused a Remnant to bow and Worship at thy Appearance Thou art Wonderful Thy Majesty is Great they that do behold thee will with Reverence Worship before thee Thy Power is gone forth and hath reached the Hearts of thy People Thou hast humbled them and subjected them to thy Divine Almighty Power that they might appear in the Earth to the Praise and Glory of thy great Name And O Lord as thou hast begun a great Work in the Earth so thou hast committed this Work to thy Servants and Children that bear thy Name among the Sons of Men that they should shew forth thy Rightousness among the Inhabitants of the Earth and our Souls have said many a time Who is sufficient for these things All our fitness and sufficiency our meetness and preparation is from thee Do thou Reveal thy Power and make bare thy Almighty Arm. We have found thy Presence from day to day and thou hast upheld them that know thy Love O Gracious God of Life herein we have encouragement to go on in the Work which thou hast called us to hereby we are enabled to Worship before thee and to offer up living Praises unto thy great Name for that Refreshment and consolation which thou hast Ministred unto thy People And O living Father We have never waited on the in vain whensoever we have met together in thy Name We have found thy Divine Presence and the opening of the Treasures of thy Love of thy Wisdom and of thy Favour to thy Children So that from day to day and even at this day thou rememberest thy People and thou givest them fresh occasion to draw nigh to thee and receive their daily nourishment and strength from the operation of thy Power O living God of Life gather up the Hearts of thy People more and more and draw them into a nearness to thy self that their Understandings may be moâ—e and more opened to discern thy Will and subject themselves to thy Wisdom that every Thought that is exalted against thy Divine Power and living Voice in their own Consciences may be brought down that so all the Nations of the Earth may bow before thee that so thy Truth may Reign and thy Power may be exalted and the Righteousness which thou hast Revealed may shine forth more and more in the Brightness and Glory of it and enlighten those that are afar off that they may be brought to seek after God And Lâ—vâ—ng God of Life let thâ—se that are bowed down under the Weight of Sin be supported and raised up and those that are weary and Heavy Laden let them have rest to their Souls Powerful God of Life keep thy People in a fresh and living Sence of thy love and of thy Heavenly Vertue by which thou nourishest thy Children and satisfiest them from day to day Not only when they are met together but when they are separated from one another let thy People be preserved from the Evil of the World while they are in it and let thy Wisdom and Power give them Victory over it that thou mayest have the Glory of all thy Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to them For thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon V. The great Duty of Remembring our Creatour Preached at Devonshire-House April 6. 1692. THERE is only One Living and True God Creatour of Heaven and Earth whom we are obliged to serve and Worship I have so much Charity as to believe there are none among us but will own and Acknowledge this And my Soul wisheth that this Obligation did always rest upon every ones mind that they might Remember their Creatour that hath given us all Life and Breath and continued all our blessings to us that so every one might apply their Hearts unto that Universal Duty that we are all convinced of And they that are thus imployed and exercised they are considering how and after what manner they may quit and discharge their Duty and perform the Obligation that lies upon them so that it may be accepted at the hands of God I speak now of those that are considerate not of those that go on in a Form of Religion and matter not nor Regard whether they are accepted of God or no but all that are Conscientious towards God they are desirous to serve God and Worship him so as they may be acceptable to him so to perform duties that they may receive their reward and that Encouragement that God in all Ages hath discovered and made manifest to be in his Purpose towards them that truly serve him When People come to this Consideration how they may serve God aright and worship him acceptably the Lord is nigh unto them to instruct them to teach them and guide them in that way that is Everlasting And blessed be his Holy Name a great many in our days have met with this Divine Teaching and Instruction and are taught in this Age as in former Ages to Understand the Worship of God that he requires that is in Spirit and Truth and do find that the Father doth seek such Worshippers and where he finds them he rewards them And they have an Answer of Peace in their Bosoms and they are encouraged to go on in the Worship and service of God to the end of their days And it is a great mercy and benefit a great blessing that God hath bestowed upon a Remnant so opened their Understandings to let them see and know
the way of being near to God that so People may know whom they Worship for you have Read there have been Worshipers that do worship they know not what As our Saviour said to the Woman of Samaria You worship you know not what We know what we worship so all that are taught of God do know which is the First Lesson of Christianity as the Apostle saith He that cometh to God must first know and believe That he is That is People must first be sensible that there is a God and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him before they can rightly Worship him Now for want of this knowledge the World is scattered and People are divided into a great many sorts of Worships and Fashions and ways of Religions for want of the Knowledge of the true Worship of the True and Living God so that though Men are Universally Convinced that there is a God and that a worship is due to him from every one of us yet People are confounded scattered and divided about the performance of their great Duty And in the Day that the Lord hath visited his People he hath come to Answer this doubt and Question for them it hath been the great Question of the World and is still of many Thousands I know we should Worship God but I know not the way and manner wherein to find acceptance The Lord hath Answered that Question in abundance They that have Ears to hear let them hear what the Spirit saith there is a short Answer to it all Let People profess what Religion they will there is no acceptance with God but through Christ so that if People come to be of this and that and the other Religion and change their Religion never so often and go from one Religion to another If they come not to Christ they come not to him in whom they may find acceptance in him God is well pleased with every one but out of him he is pleased with never a one The great Mistery of Religion it lies in Christ People must come to God by Faith in him for without Faith it is impossible to please God let People perform never so much service and duties all must pass through the hands of the Mediatour before ever their performance will reach unto God or before Peace and Comfort will reach to any Mans Soul Therefore it is the wisest way for every one that would have acceptance with God to come to him in the Name of the great Mediatour People would be glad to have acceptance with God and not to have their services turned back upon them as Cains was every one that will have acceptance with God must come this way there is but one way It is not the way that Men have invented some by their Works and Merits some by their made Faiths and made Beliefs and by divers Articles and Principles holding this Principle and the other Principle but our Lord and Creatour he hath found out one way in his Infinite Wisdom and unspeakable Mercy to Mankind that was for ever lost and could never return to God by all his Sacrifices Offerings and performances he was never able to return into Unity with his Maker If God had not found out a way and the way that God hath found out is by his Beloved Son Jesus Christ God spared not He spared not What He spared not his only begotten Son Why what did he do with him He gave him for the Life of the World in him that God gave there is Life It pleased the Lord that his Son should have Life in him as the Father had Life in himself for Christ was with the Father before the World began in him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. John 11 4. It was no Created Life that Life that is in his Son is not a Created Life but it is Eternal Life and it was given for the Life of the World and that Life is the Light of Men This is the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World so that here is the Dignity of that Life which God hath bestowed upon us we are indued with that Life which was with the Father through Jesus Christ before the World was Let us Consider the Dignity of that Light that we are lighted with The Question is whether we should obey this Light or no It is the Question of every one I am enlightned saith a Man shall I obey it or no If I obey I must take up a Cross and part with my beloved Lust and Corruption No doubt of that we must perswade People to do that before we can bring them to Heaven and happiness and Fellowship with God it must not be by that way they lost it but by the contrary way by which God will bring Men to Happiness again They lost it by Transgression and Sinning against God by this way and means Men came out of the Presence and Favour of God by what way shall they obtain it again Shall it be by committing Iniquity and breaking Gods Law No here is the way that God hath found out to bring poor Man back again to himself by the Suffering and Obedience of his Son Jesus Christ He hath given to him all Power in Heaven and Earth that all should be Subject to him here is a Dignity which Christ hath obtained It comes to the Question with us whether we are inlightned Now we know we are Enlightned God hath bestowed something upon us that Wars and Fights against Sin and Iniquity How came we by it Is it any faculty in Nature No Nature is Corrupted and Defiled because the Carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be yet there is something in me that Answers the pure Law of God that which makes me to hate things that are Reproveable that is Light How came I by it It is not Natural for then it would run Parallel with that Natural Inclination that is in my Soul to lead me further and further from God These are set in opposition one against another the Flâ—sh and the Spirit The Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Here is part of an inward War that you may be all sensible of Now these two Warriors the Flesh and the Spirit make War one against another and one of them is over come It is true there is such a Principle in me that strives against Sin and Corruption How came you by it If you believe the Scriptures I say it is the Life of the Son of God that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Now many that have rejected and despised the Light I believe they did not think at the same time to mock and make a scorn of the Life of Jesus though it was really so but if People came to a true esteem and value of that Light that God hath planted in the Soul
saith I feared that the Lord had forgotten me and had passed me by and had done with me but I see he Visits me again and he hath Visited my Soul this Day inclining me to walk more answerably and suitably to his Love he hath doubled his Power upon me and hath kindled a holy Fire in my Heart and caused me to seek after him He hath touched my Heart and I will Pour out my Soul in Supplication seeing he hath touched me He will take hold of â—e by his Power and he will keep me from being any more drawn away I will live in the sense of his Power and mercy that keeps me Night and Day that I may encrease in it and grow in Grace When the Lord meets with such a one he will draw him to the way that he hath appointed none can come unto me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him If I am drawn into what form shall I go now And what Ordinance shall I take up now This is all under Feet This is none of my Work I will come to Christ the Mediatour and he will take the Government and Rule of me It is not my best way to study for a form and an outside Religion I will wait upon that Power that hath thus touched my Heart that he may by degrees bring me to the Obedience of Christ But some are ready to say Who and What is this Christ Jesus that you are speaking of that Immediate Christ Jesus that is extant and present that I am to have to be the Object of my Faith That I may believe in him and come to Acquaintance of him that I may partake of the Life of Christ Jesus and have it Communicated to my Soul It is true we have not a thought or a word to speak that may Derogate from the wonderful Grace of Christ who died in his person on Earth for the salvation of our Souls Yet we must know that the Lord Jesus Christ may be Spiritually present with us and take the Government of us and we are to be subject to him How shall this be I am speaking of one that hath felt the Fathers Drawings when he draws them to his Son and draws them to something that is Holy and Pure This God the Father hath begotten we read in Scripture that God hath begotten Christ who is the only begotten of the Father It is strange you will say to speak of begetting Christ again God begets Christ again that is spiritually he being the first born in many Brethren in every true Believer and there is a travel of Soul that Christ may be Formed in him See what Travel of Soul the Apostle Paul falls into the second time for the Galatians They were a brave People they worshiped God in the Spirit and believed in Christ Jesus and afterwards they came to be seduced by false Prophets and false Teachers that set them about their Works and told them that they could not be Justified and saved without their own Works These false Teachers that came among them were as bad as Popish Priests and Friers It is not your Obedience to Christ and the Spirit will save you you must be doing So these Poor People were deluded and bewitched to give you the Apostles own Words and so they were Infatuated and drawn away from the Simplicity of the Gospel and they thought by the works of the Law to obtain Salvation The Apostle writes a Letter to them and tells them that he traveled in birth again till Christ was formed in them If this was not Scripture it would look like a strange work there must be a forming of Christ a Birth there must be and a begetting Who must beget in this and that moment But the same that begat from the beginning the same is the Father he begets Christ in all that believe and obey the Gospel He is begetting something in me that is Holy though I be unholy the Father by the Operation of his Divine hand begets something in me that is Holy This I find though I am not so good as I should be I have that given me that will tell me that the more I adhere and joyne my self in my desires and Affections to this good Principle the more I shall pertake of the Quality of it this good Principle though it be like a little Grain of Mustard-seed I cannot tell what to compare it to for Littleness in comparison of the Great Lump and Mass of Sin Corruption and Filthyness that Wars against it This will Overspread all that is bad and make me Holy as that is Holy Pure as that is Pure and to have a Love to Him from whence it came even to God and Christ It will gather the Affections from Corruptible things and place them upon things above This Faith tells People that it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen such a one lives by Faith such a one that comes to be joyned to that that is begotten of the Father He lives by the Faith of the Son of God and can do nothing of himself but through Christ that strengthens him They say unto God I perceive I can do nothing without thee I cannot Pray unto thee nor serve thee of my self I can do nothing acceptably but through Christ the Mediator such a one becomes like a little Child and he must be Led and who must Lead him but the Spirit of Christ You cannot Preach saith one to him unless you be moved by the Spirit You cannot Pray till you be moved by the Spirit How should I No without him I can do nothing I cannot Preach nor Pray nor do any thing Acceptable to God the Father but by Christ and he hath Revealed him in me This is no new Doctrine we see the new and Living way It was an old way to old Christians and a new way to the new and so a Thousand Years hence if the World last so long Men will see that they cannot do any thing pleasing to God but as they are gathered into Christ they will see their own Righteousness works and doings will avail them nothing at all This is all laid at the feet of Jesus whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to be Lord and King Now my Friends we are engaged in this Age abundantly engaged to offer thanks to God through Jesus Christ that he hath provided and opened a way for the sending forth the Spirit of his Son And that God hath gathered a People and hath made known to them the way of Life that they might walk in it but there is no walking in it but through a Daily Cross and self-denial It is not likely that a Man should be brought back to God the same way that he went out from God and the Prophets and Apostles do allude to this turning to God When thou turnest aside to the right Hand or to the left thou shalt hear