our design and end in the discovery that is made to us of the Life of Christ that we may grow in it and live in it indeed there is great talking of it but we should labour to shew forth the Resurrection of that Life in us They that come to be baptized for the Dead baptized into the Death of Christ The Apostle tells you In that he died he died unto Sin There are none baptized for the Dead made partakers of the Death of Christ but those that die unto Sin as he did Though Christ had no Sin yet he died unto Sin What use did he make of this That Christ knew no Sin but yet did take our Sin upon him He died unto Sin that they which did partake of his Death might be partakers of his Resurrection He Liveth again and after Death Riseth again Those that partake of this Death unto Sin are Crucified unto this World and have taken up Christs Cross and are Dead to all the Pleasures and Delights of the World which are whithered away and come to nothing What do they Live to now To Righteousness Holiness Chastity Temperance these are pleasant to them these come to live to Righteousness through the Power of him that loved them This shews the Glory and the Power of the Grace of God It is the Grace of God that worketh such a change in a Man or Woman They that delight in Sin and Wickedness in that which is corrupt and ungodly they have no delight in this no delight in Sobriety Chastity Holiness and Purity of mind Where did it work such a change In all that are freely given up to it Where any one is given up to that Life the grace of God hath the praise of it This is the Exaltation and Praise of the Power of God so that others may find by this they may by it come to believe and by believing to be saved Thus the Gospel hath gone forth from one to many and from many to many more and is encreasing more and more for Grace Mercy and Peace are multiplied by which the Heritage of God and so every Man and Woman that partake of this Life are gathered into their Fellowship So that your end in coming to these Meetâ—ngs is not so much to hear what this and â—hat and the other Friend saith but what you have in your selves to witness to The Divine Operations of the Power of God in your Souls bringing down something that is to be brought down and raising up something that is to be raised Temptation to Sin hath more prevalency upon me than it hath upon this and that and the other man I am not come to their degree yet it is better with me than it was at my first convincement If thou dost say this to deceive others Cry to God and Pray earnestly that all that may be brought down which is contrary to his Grace If thou say and profess this if at the same time there is a deceitful Heart to strengthen that which is known by the Light of Christ to be against the truth of God How will this appear at the Great Day of God The Eye of God is upon thy Hypocrisie He that Never Slumbers nor Sleeps he beholds thee if there be any Sin that thou wouldest keep and save alive if thou make a Profession and notwithstanding sayest this Sin I wilâ— keep The Lord Pardon me in this thing 〈◊〉 Like Naaman the Servant of the King of Assyria who said to the Prophet Thy Servant henceforth will neither Offer Burnt Offering nor Sacrifice to other Gods but unto thâ— Lord. In this the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goes into the House oâ— Rimmon to Worship there and he leaneth 〈◊〉 my hand and I bow my self in the House of Rimmon When I bow my self in the House of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing He knew if he bowed not the King would take notice of the alteration of his gesture therefore he would bow in the House of Rimmon That Sin he would save alive under a Profession That Hypocrisie the Lord did abominate Be upright in the sight of God and be faithful to your own Souls if it be so then every Sin will be a burthen and you will long to be rid of it if it be so you know whose hand it is that hath brought you so far if you be real and cordial and give up your selves to Jesus That Work which he hath begun in you he will finish for you He will finish it for you stand out with him in nothing you give up your selves to him and joyn not with his Enemies take heed of hearkning to them take heed of every Sin that will at last be a burden and oppressive to your Souls But if you Live this Heavenly Life of Jesus you will be set at liberty to have Dominion over Sin and stand without Guilt before the Throne of God Friends let your Hearts be deeply affected with the great mercies that God hath bestowed upon you and for giving you that Divine Life that Is acceptable in his sight Many things have been done upon the account of Religion and we could never be satisfied whether they were acceptable to God we could not be satisfied whether we did any thing pleasing to God we may say of them as the Apostle Paul of the Jewish Sacrifices there remains a conscience of Sin an accusing Conscience that tells us that Guilt is not removed nor the Sin taken away 'till the Lord opens this Divine Mystery to us that our Justification must be by Faith in Jesus that nothing could reconcile us to God but the Life of Jesus and the merit of his Death This Life of Jesus was a holy blameless harmless and innocent Life which Life he gave for the World which Life is the Light of Men and our Souls being turned to this Life we see the Glory and the Excellency of it and desires are kindled in our hearts after it Many have pursued and laboured and travelled that they might come to the enjoyment of it the very discovery of this Life ought to be highly prized and your Souls affected with it and when you have obtained it you will say O what a blessed Condition am I come into that Christ hath manifested his Divine Power in me not only in Reconciling me to God but taking away the Conscience of Sin by that also the Accuser is cast out and I may now sing to God Songs of Deliverance Now you tast of the Mercies that God hath bestowed upon you this will affect your Souls with a Child-like submission and subjection to him that hath begun to save and deliver you that so you may resign up your selves to his will and forsake the World and the things of it Now when they come to such a Meeting as this their minds may be retired and they may be sensible of the Power of Truth upon their hearts but for want of keeping
THE Second Volume OF Mr. Stephen Crisp's SERMONS THE acceptance which the First Volume of the Sermons of this Author has obtained from Persons of different Perswasions hath occasioned the Publishing a Second of which many seem very desirous I shall say no more of thew let the Works speak for themselves but will only add that the Writer is still willing to satisfie any Inquisitive Doubter none of whom he has hitherto met with that these as well as the former are the Genuine Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp without any addition or alteration he having used the utmost exactness in taking and Transcribing them and his care and acuracy therein has been acknowledged and confirmed by many Ear-Witnesses who have heard them from the mouth of the Preacher THE Second Volume OF THE Sermons OR DECLARATIONS OF Mr. Stephen Crisp Late of Colchester in Essex Deceased Exactly taken in Characters or Short-hand as they were Delivered by him at the Publick Meeting-Houses of the People called QUAKERS In Grace-Church-street and Devonshire-House London And now Faithfully Transcribed and Published With some of his Prayers after Sermon LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693 Sermon I. Truths Testimony against the Power of Sin and Satan Preached in Grace-Church-Street June 13. 1688. My Friends GOD hath made you Witnesses of the great Work of this Day the Lord I say hath given you Eyes to see and Ears to hear and Hearts to understand the great Work of the Day he hath called you forth that you may be faithful Witnesses every one in your measure of that which he hath brought to pass in your sight for he hath revealed his Power the Eternal Power by which the World was made he hath revealed and manifested that power for the raising up of Life for the subjecting and bringing under death and the Power of it for a great while a Testimony that hath been born in the Nation hath been unto Death he that hath the Power of Death that is the Devil he hath had a great many to sound out his Power to declare the continuance of his Power how that Death must Reign and Darkness must continue and that the Kingdom of the Man of Sin will never be brought down But now in our Day Glory to God on high here is another sound come forth the Lord Jehovah hath uttered his voice and who can but Prophesie The word of Prophecy is given of God and many are raised up to publish it and to sound forth the Name of the Lord in the Expiration the Ruine and Destruction that is and shall be brought upon the Kingdom of Iniquity upon the Kingdom of the Man of Sin and to Prophesie and declare in the name of the Lord that Righteousness shall run down like a stream this is the Gospel the glad tidings that we receive from God and have ministred unto you that you might believe and that believing you might come to wait upon the Lord and behold the accomplishment of it For my Friends herein hath consisted all the labour and travel and exercise of the Servants of the Lord and for this cause have we suffered many things and gone through many Trials because we have stedfastly believed and therefore we have spoken it that the Lord will certainly by his Almighty Power lay waste destroy and bring to an end that Power that the Wicked one the Devil hath had upon the Minds and Spirits of the Sons and Daughters of Men and that he will set up and establish in the very same Soul a Law of Righteousness and a Law of Truth and will cause the Beauty of Holiness to shine forth through them where Iniquity hath Lodged where the wicked one hath Ruled Now you that have believed this Testimony you have received it as glad tidings unto you for you are weary of that old Service you are oppressed under the Power of that strange Prince there was a kind of Spirit and Power that had Ruled over you that neither gave you life nor breath nor had done any good thing and yet you were subject and many there were who through the grace of God that came to see that State and Condition of Sin and Iniquity was not a happy State and by a secret kindling of the Sparks of Gods Love in your Souls e'er you knew him there was a Cry raised to be delivered if it be possible If there be any Deliverance O why may not I be delivered If there be any Redemption why may not I be redeemed If there be a Power that can set me free from the Service of this Wicked one why may not I be set free Ah Friends remember the Days and Nights in which these Living Cries did run through you then you was poor indeed then you was humble and broken and the Lord beheld you in those days he saw your State and Condition he saw how helpless you were and did not he arise to help you Did not a Power spring forth in the Day of your humility in the day of tenderness by which you became able to make War against the Lusts of your own Hearts and did not you overcome and prevail in your War did not you make progress by the Power and by the Grace that first raised desires in you and as you made this progress and gained ground as I may say of your own Corruptions your Faith came to be strengthned and you were confirmed in the belief and in the obedience of the Truth and the more you trusted and relied upon him the more did he magnifie his Power in you he made known his ability and his strength in your weakness so that you did become Living Witnesses every one in your measure that there was such a Power and that that Power was able not only to save from a little or from a few but was able to save to the uttermost to save out of all that was polluted and defiled and to cleanse and purifie the Conscience from all dead Works and to enable you to serve the Living God Now the Lord having thus established you and confirmed you by his Power that you were sound in the Faith and firm in the believing of the Truth My Friends all the Labour and Travel and Doctrine and Exercises of the Preachers of the Gospel to those who were Converted and Confirmed became very acceptable So we preached and so you believed here was an Unity in our Faith here grew up a Fellowship a Communion in the Faith and the Lord became glorifiâ—d in the Assemblies both of them that preached and of them that heard because each one had a place in the Body and each one had a Saviour of the word of Life by which the Body was nourished Now my Friends that which lies particularly upon me to leave with you for my Testimony and I pray to God it may be placed in the hearts of all you that have believed that is that you may all wait
their subjection to the Divine Power that hath opened their Understandings when they come into the World again they are ensnared and entangled and many times for want of watchfulness through a looseness of mind and unruliness of their tongue they run into anger and passion and this grieves the Holy Spirit of God And how should you come to God through the Mediatour when you grieve his Spirit and quench the motions of it These things have been hurtful to many that for their time might have been Pillars in the House of God Take heed of this and let the goodness of God dwell upon your minds that you may feel and experience the inward administrations of it there are many that are much affected with the outward Ministry and are very desirous to hear the Servants of God declare the things that God hath wrought for them and in them and the wonderful things that God hath opened to them yet when you have heard all that Men can say about it if the Divine Ministry of the word of God doth not make powerful impressions upon you and sanctify and renew your Souls the outward Ministry of the Word will do you no good Now that you may be established in the truth that you have been taught this Testimony ariseth in me to desire every one to heed and attend to the manifestation of this Life of Jesus in your selves Whatsoever God hath bestowed upon me or another you may perish for all that and I am not the better for what God hath bestowed upon you but may perish notwithstanding but that God hath manifested Eternal Life to my Soul let that be every ones Center this will make you holy and blameless and preserve you in every State and in the hour of Temptation and in the midst of Snares this will be a Bulwark to you this will 〈◊〉 as the Walls of Sion which is the Salvation of the Lord. That so you may be preserved sensible of the goodness of the Lord That Grace Mercy and Peace may be multiplied in your bosoms this will make you dear and affectionate one to another Though there may be an external Fellowship among those that Preach and profess the same Doctrine yet when they break off from that when once Men depart from the power of truth they grow stubborn and rebellious but when Men come to be gathered into the inward Fellowship that stands not in terms and words but in the Revelation of Christ and in the Participation of his vertue and goodness the more you are united in this the more you are Knit one to another and become one and useful and helpful one to another The Lord vouchsafe to every one of you a tast of his goodness and you will prefer it above all that the Devil and his Instruments can present but if you retire more into this Heavenly and Divine Life of Jesus you will feel and enjoy more Peace and Satisfaction and true Consolation in your Souls than I or any Man in the World can tell you of Sermon VI. The Kingdom of God within Preached at Grace Church Street July 26. 1691. YOU have read and heard much concerning the Day of the Lord as a Great and Notable Day many of you are now Living Witnesses that the Great and Notable Day of the Lord is coming in which the Accomplishment of Great and Notable Things the Mighty Works of God which have been Prophesied of may be lawfully expected It is the work of every Christian to wait upon the Lord in the light of this Day and to be acquainted with the Works of the Lord both inwardly and outwardly for the Day of the Lord is a Day of Power and that Power of God worketh wonderful things and if we are not kept in the light of that Day the Lord may work great things and we not know â—t we shall be looked upon as careless and negligent Witnesses of the Works of the Lord as those that do not regard them If you would be Faithful Witnesses you must have regard to the Works of the Lord â—nd the Operation of his hands One that â—s minded to be a Faithful Witness he will â—ake notice of what is said and done you â—re called to be Witnesses of the Works of â—he Lord Jesus Christ and of his doings â—ou must stand where you may hear and see â—nd understand what the Lord is about â—o do at this time In your Testimony and Witness-bearing â—he greatest thing we have to expect in this Day of the Lord is that God will set up â—he Kingdom of his Son Christ Jesus and â—nto this all the Prophets did bear witness â—n their time and now it is our turn to bear witness of it by sensible and living expeâ—iences of the accomplishment of those things â—hat they Prophesied of that the Lord will â—et up the Kingdom of Christ and bring â—own and lay wast the Kingdom of Antiâ—hrist This our Saviour taught his Disciples â—o pray for Sixteen Hundred Years ago that the Kingdom of God might come and all the true Disciples of Christ ever since have prayed for the coming of his Kingdom and many of them have seen the coming of it and rejoyced and others have died in the Faith of it and have been gathered into the Kingdom of Heaven But my Friends that which chiefly concerns us at this Day is to behold the Kingdom of Christ the Eternal Son of God within us to go forward and prosper and the Kingdom of Antichrist suppressed and destroyed and utterly laid wast and this is wrought two ways 1. inwardly 2. outwardly First inwardly there is a greater inclination in the minds of People to look more at the operation of Gods power in this great work outwardly than to look at it inwardly but unto that there must be a daily Cross taken up and it is my business at this time to tell you in the Name of the Lord that your Duty and mine is to turn our minds to the working of the Power of God in our selves and to see that other Kingdom of the Man of Sin weakned and brought down within us and the Kingdom of the Son of God set up within us then there is no fear but he will carry on his work outwardly and we shall see as much of that work as belongs to our Generation but the great Matter and chief Concernment of you and me is to see the Kingdom of God set up within us which stands in Holiness and Righteousness our business is to wait till we see the Righteousness of this Kingdom set up within us in our Hearts and Souls and to have a real change made We all know and we must confess that we have been subject to the Man of Sin whatsoever we are now We have seen the Reign and Government the Rage and Tyranny of the Wicked one that hath led us into Rebellion and Disobedience to the Lord our Maker how do we like that Government to be Ruled by the
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 They that are sanctified are become Saints they bring forth the Fruits of Holiness and Sanctification and they are come into Fellowship with God and one another Every Branch in me saith Christ that beareth not Fruit he taketh away but every branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. That branch which beareth not Fruit is cast into the Fire and burned There are some that bring forth Fruit but it is Fruit to the Flesh and the Wicked one but I hope you are not of that number These separate themselves from the Life of the true Vine these have no Fellowship nor true Membership with the Church of Christ while they walk as Captives to the Devil and Sin these are of the World and not of the Church If you would have Fellowship with the Church do not think to have it by outward Conformity Do not think that this will maintain your Fellowship with Christ without a Life of inward Holiness and Righteousness for that day you break with the Truth in your selves you break off your Fellowship with the Church of God and break your peace with God and can no way be restored again to the favour of God but by an unfeigned Repentance For the Mystery of Faith is to be held in a pure Conscience how is my Conscience defiled if I wrong not this or the other Man or Woman some can hold the Mystery of Faith so far as it consists in a Profession they can profess it and they can Preach it but they have not held the Mystery of Faith in Christ so as to receive Life and Vertue and Comfort from him You have got the History of Words and Doctrines but as soon as you defile your Consciences by doing evil things and depart from a Principle of Grace as soon as you defile your Consciences you make Shipwrack of Faith But my Friends as you have a mind to continue and abide in the Faith and in this Travel and Heavenly Journey I would give you this as a certainty it may do you good when my head lies low The way to continue in the Church of God and Communion of Saints and to retain your Peace with God is to keep a Familiar Converse with the Truth in your own Souls and it will keep you from falling and lead and guide you in your Way in your Travel and Journey to Heaven As the Mother when her Child cries after her but cannot go she takes it by the hand and leads it so if you keep close to the Truth it can lead you through all Difficulties through great Business as well as little and deliver you from Snares and Temptations and when you are assaulted it can bring you off clear As for Communion with God and Communion with the Saints and People of God it stands in that Peace and Purity and keeping a Holy frame of mind in your Heavenly Travel in the undefiled Way that will at last bring you to the Undefiled Everlasting Rest that remains to the People of God Sermon VII The Dawning of the Day of Grace and Salvation Preached in Grace-Church-Street August 2. 1691. My Friends YOU cannot but know and be sensible that a Gospel Day a Day of Grace and Salvation hath Dawned upon you and that the Light of it hath broken through many Clouds of Darkness which sometime you could not see through This is an inestimable and unspeakable mercy of God unto us that the Light of the Gospel of Salvation shineth upon a People that without it must be miserable There hath been a very Dark and Cloudy Day upon our Fore-fathers and also upon us in the days of our Ignorance We are apt to wander hither and thither and to be turned aside with the wind of Mens Doctrine that we could not find a rest a home or a settlement for our Souls in order to Life Eternal And there be many have cryed unto God that he would please to reveal hiâ— Way and to make it known unto them and they have been apt to Covenant with the Lord that if once they could come to a certainty they would walk in it Unto such as these the Lord hath bowed his Ear and hath answered them and in his answering the cry of the Soul he hath brought Salvation near and hath revealed the Power by which he would bring it to pass in every particular Soul that receiveth the Gospel of his Son But now Friends you that are sensible of this Blessed Glorious Visitation of this Gospel Day in which Salvation is brought near It is needful for every one to examine their own Hearts whether they have really received the Gospel whether they have received and embraced the great bounty and unspeakable blessing of the Gospel with which the Lord God of Life hath visited us or whether they have rejected it For though it is our happiness to know the Visitation of Life yet it doth not follow that every one that is Visited will be made an Heir of it for There are many that fall short through their unbelief For there are many that have received the Gospel who do disobey the Gospel of Christ and so have not Eternal Life by it When People come to this serious Examination of themselves herein then the Light and Grace that comes from Christ unto every one of us both to him that rejects it as well as to him that receiveth it that will make known to them their State and Condition with respect to the Gospel of Christ For there be a great many that by an Alienation of their minds from the Light of Christ Jesus are apt to be mistaken in their State and to make a better judgment of themselves and of their state inwardly than really it will amount to in the day that the Lord searcheth and tryeth them But they that make a judgment of themselves by the openings and discoveries that they have through the Light of Christ Jesus for so we are to do in this weighty matter they make a judgment of ther state and condition according to the Evidence that the Spirit of God bears to their Spirits and this I hope you will all say is a most certain Way For if we go to compare our selves one with another and say I am better than thee and that man is better than I here we are liable and subject to a great many Errours where there ought to be none But if we come to measure and determine our present state and condition by the Evidence of the Spirit of God bearing witness with our Spirits here we have a foundation to place an infallible and certain judgment upon And they that are obedient to the Gospel of Christ are capable of giving a sound judgment of their state because they are made partakers through Christ of that Grace and Light and Truth which they should be obedient to and they are brought into
ingrafted word which is able to save my Soul I shall not only hear the word but live in obedience to it What signifies it to make a Profession that I have the Light within if I do not give obedience to it for without that it is all Hypocrisie all Pretence to Holiness Righteousness Mortification is but Hypocrisie any further than we find the power of Truth making an impression upon our Hearts and Minds bringing us to the obedience of Faith Let them therefore that profess Righteousness live Righteously and they that hear the Gospel live in obedience to it and those that profess to be Christians let them live like Christians indeed When every one comes to know within himself so far as the Gospel has shined upon him that they have received the Truth in the Love of it and love the Truth as it is in Jesus and are obedient to the Gospel they shall know the Salvation of it There is a discovery of Gods Power in the Gospel and there is a believing of it and a hoping in it this is that which belongs to a Christian this is the beginning and the first step to a Christian Life we must believe in Christ for without Faith it is impossible to please God He that believeth should be careful to walk in the truth that he hath received and then he shall have a Testimony of the Power and Vertue of it in his own Soul This Vertue and Power if he joins with it hath the Government of his Heart and Life and gives him Victory over the World and the Temptations of Satan You know in the Primitive Times there were Believers that not only had Faith but lived by Faith and by that Faith they got Victory over all the allurements and pleasure and vanities of the World I have fought a good fight saith the Apostle 2 Tim 4.7 8. I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing I have got the victory and there remains an Eternal Weight of Glory for me My Friends this is our ambition and all our Labour among you that you may be built up in your most Holy Faith that you may be brought home to Christ in all your Meetings and gatherings together you should desire to be enriched with Faith and to have your own Store-house filled with all the Fruits of the Spirit and not only seek for the knowledge of the truth but be subject and obedient to what you know otherwise by your Religion you will but hurt your selves And the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.12 speaks of knowing the Truth and of being established in it and of some that after they had escaped the Pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome and the latter end with them is worse than the beginning for it had beed better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them There is a Power goes along with the Preaching of the Gospel that will enable you to do what you know the Gospel is a powerful Doctrine whether you know it or not or whether you submit to it or not yet pray remember that Gods People are a willing People in the day of his Power they are a certain sort of People that are devoted to God and submit all their Worldly Honours Interests Profits and Pleasures to the pleasure of God and desire no other pleasure or happiness but to enjoy his presence and favour they are satisfied with this and they are a happy People being made a willing People in the day of Gods Power they are willing to deny themselves to take up their daily Cross to follow Christ have Salvation upon his terms There are a great many Professors that have notions and out-side appearances but they want that Vertue and Life and power that should settle them in Religion and a love of the Truth The Lord that knows our Hearts knows that our Labour and Travel among you hath been designed for your good and that our hearts desire is that you may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus We would have People consider and attend and hear what God speaks and remember what he hath taught you by the Ministers of the Gospel We have all ears to hear let us thank God for that blessed be God that there is a power and an ability of hearing with an outward ear but there are many that will not so much as give the hearing to what might from the Lord be spoken to them He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches and what he saith to his own Soul hear what the Spirit saith of your own State and Condition if it be good bless God for it are you in so good a Condition that you have no trouble no distress to lament no wants to supply blessed are you that have none but if you find you have done amiss and if the Lord should call you this Night to give up your account the Lord hath a great deal against you I am sure and I tell you it is your duty to turn to the Lord with unfeigned Repentance that through Christ Jesus you may receive Pardon and Remission of all your Sins and so hear what the Spirit saith to your selves and in your selves Pray come and make it your work and business the rest of the time that you have to live to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling that when Christ comes you may say come Lord Jesus come quickly purfie me and sanctifie me and prepare me to be presented to the Father without spot and blameless the day is coming that this will be the desire of every one of you And it is the earnest breathing and desire of my Soul that every one of you may have an eye unto the Lord and he will look down from Heaven and have regard to the cry and the sighing of the Needy Soul God will arise and find out the People that breath after him and that desire to be reconciled to him through the Mediatour Christ Jesus the Lord loveth to find out such a People and I am glad to Preach to such a People the glad tidings of the Gospel and to teach them as God hath taught me Good and Upright is the Lord therefore will he teach and guide you in the way which you should go Walk humbly with God he will resist the Proud but he will give Grace unto the humble Walk uprightly before the Lord in this Gospel Day that shines upon you love the appearance of God and prize it though it hath not been so Glorious to you as to some others yet
Hell and that they must have their part in one of them there are none that desire a Portion in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone Those Prophane Wretches that cry to God to damn them they do not mean what they speak they would be saved for all that every one will cry at last Lord have mercy upon me if he hath but time to say so Let us cry Lord have mercy upon me now Lord bestow thy Favour upon me Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me Lord touch my hard heart and soften it and break it by the power of thy Spirit open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law open mine ears that I may hear thy voice It is good for People to make use of time while they have it for whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and God will pour out his wrath upon those that call not upon his Name He that calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved and God gives great encouragement to People to seek after him What mean you by seeking after God I have gone to Church and said my Prayers I have gone in that way which my Fathers have lead me and directed me I hope I shall find mercy at last I am a Believer I believe in Jesus Christ that died for my Sins and rose again for my Justification I hope through the merits of Jesus Christ I shall be saved What mean you by seeking after the Lord Do not we all hear of him and pray to him every day Is there any thing more common than this that People speak to one another generally about as for the general knowledge of God you and I may see to our sorrow that a great many cry Lord Lord that are never like to enter into the Kingdom of God If all that take the name of God in their mouths should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven it would be a very foul Kingdom If all the Drunkards and Whoremongers of England and all prophane ungodly Persons â—hat will take the name of God in their mouths â—hould enter into the Kingdom of Heaven it would be a very unclean and impure Kingdom â—here is nothing enters there that is unclean that is â—bominable that loveth and maketh a lye So that â—here must be some more peculiar People that â—hall have an abundant enterance into the Kingdom of God and there must be something that will intitle them to it For you may remember our Saviour saith No Man knoweth the Father but â—he Son and he to whom the Son shall reveal him So much as may be known of God by works you and I may know without the Revelation of Christ we need not wait for this knowledge we can have it by Books we can have it without Christs Revelation Nothing would serve some in our Saviours time but Eternal Life and our Lord Jesus bids them search the Scriptures for in them saith he you think to have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me Yet for all the profession they made he tells them No Man hath seen God at any time neither seen his shape nor heard his voice they were strangers to God though they had a general knowledge of God So it is at this day there is a general knowledge of God and people hope to attain peace with God and Eternal Life Their Parents and their Tutors have instructed them in the Principles of Christianity and about the Attributes of God but all this will not bring a Man to a saving knowledge of God and reconciliation with him For a Man that is as wicked as the Devil can make him knows these things and yet may be a Servant of the Devil and do his work he is not born again and become a Child by all his External knowledge Now he that desires to come to the true saving knowledge of God our Saviour hath told us That none know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him that is a sure way to come to the true knowledge of God by Jesus Christ he hath the Key that openeth the Heart and he will bring us to the true knowledge of God the Father Christ hath the Key of David which openeth and no Man shutteth and shutteth and no Man openeth He can bring us to behold the glory of God in his own Face without him we are never like to come to the saving knowledge of God Poor Man is in a lapsed fallen state he is fallen into Sin and is in a state of alienation from God and therefore he cannot come to him but by a Mediatour There is one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and he must make peace for him else he will never have it how then shall we come to Christ if he is the only means and there is no other by which we may come to the knowledge or God as the Scripture speaks hearken to it how may we come to Christ I answer you will never come to him if he first come not to you you will never be able to do it It is not coming to Christ when you say you do believe that Christ died and rose again and ascended up into Heaven and sits at the Right hand of God and lives for ever to make intercession for his People and to read those words and Doctrines which he preached up and down at Meetings and solemn Assemblies but if you believe that he is the Eternal Son of God and the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that obey him you must come to him and entirely give up your selves to his Glory and Service without this you cannot come to him nor will he bring you to the Father Christ is come near to us he stands at the door of our hearts and he stands and knocks behold that is a word that calls for attention for People to take notice of Behold I stand at the Door and knock what dost thou knock for saith Christ that thou mayst open the door of thy heart for if any Man open I will come in and Sup with him and he with me and my Father will come to him and we will make our Abode with him Now People are loth to be at this pains and trouble to open the door of their Hearts to Christ or they will not believe it is Christ that knocks and that rebukes and checks them when they refused to open to him when they find something within that reproves them for their Sin and doth condemn them that they cannot be quiet They will never believe that this is Christ How can this be Christ say they He is Ascended up to Heaven and he is at the Right Hand of God the Father Will you make me believe that this is Christ knocking at the door of my Heart I cannot believe it but what saith our Saviour Unless you believe that I am he you shall Die in your
all Power in Heaven and Earth that thereby he might be enabled to perform the great work of God in establishing Righteousness and in bringing forth a Holy People to serve a Holy God This is the great blessing that is come to us and to all Mankind through our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that came to turn every one from the evil of their ways That is the way and method by which our Lord Jesus accomplished the end of his coming and the Will of his Heavenly Father Moses and all his Washings and Offerings and Sacrifices could not make clean and purge the Conscience and by all his Offerings and Sacrifices he could not reconcile us to God But Jesus by his once Offering himself did forever perfect them that are sanctified and by one Offering reconciled us to the Father and so brings forth a Holy Generation unto God through Regeneration and the Sanctification of the Spirit And seeing the Lord hath been pleased in the Riches of his Grace to open this new and living way for man's returning again into unity and fellowship with his Maker The Question my Friends that I would put to you on the behalf of God is for all of you to consider whether it is not best for every one of us to lay hold of Salvation to lay hold of that blessing wherewith the Lord hath blessed us that so the principal institution of Christianity might not only be named and noised but might come to be enjoyed and witnessed in every one of our own Souls And that all might wait with expectation on the Lord Jesus Christ for fulfilling of this great Work in themselves There is a general Notion among People that Heaven is a Holy Place and that nothing that is unclean can enter into it to have a habitation there when time in this World shall be no more with us and that time which we have given us I am sure is given us of God as an opportunity of fitting and preparing us for his dwelling place and every day and hour of it ought to be imployed in that great Work that so we might draw nearer and nearer to that state and condition that suits and befits that holy dwelling where Saints and Angels for evermore praise the Great and Glorious God So that I am persuaded you believe that you and all of us are to be accountable to God for all the time which he hath bestowed upon us whether we use it to the purposes for which he hath given it or whether we mispend our time upon those things that are not profitable to us and upon these considerations we had need all of us to take heed to our present state that we are come to and are arrived at in the present time As for the future time that we all know we are not sure of and the future state that we may hope to come to There is no certainty of it unless there be an Improvement of the present time and the opportunities of our present state therefore every one should apply their Hearts unto the seeking of Wisdom and Understanding and unto God that he may give us to understand our present state and our present fitness or unfitness for the Kingdom of Glory and Happiness and of that Holy dwelling we hope to enjoy for ever If I will but turn my mind inward to the serious consideration of my present state and condition I can tell whether I am fit or unfit to approach Gods presence And if I find I am unfit I must have recourse to the Divine Working of that great Power which God hath ordained and appointed for this purpose I must come to him to work all my works in me and for me according to his good pleasure And that he never will do unless it be by crossing me in my Carnal Pleasure and Corrupt Inclinations for that which pleaseth man doth not please God And God will not revoke the Holy Scripture that tells us That they which live in pleasure are dead while they live they that are indulgent to their own Affections and their own Delights and their own humours they are not at all ready to please and glorifie God they are not fitted for it therefore he never sanctifies nor brings any into a true Christian state but through a daily Cross so that if I am not fitted and prepared to do that which is pleasing to God I may be fitted by taking up a daily Cross to Glorifie God here and enjoy him for ever What those things are that you are to do I need not tell you nor what you have done I judge no man There is one that judgeth he will tell you if you ask him what your state and condition is He will tell the Drunkard if he ask him whether he is fit for Heaven and also the Proud and Haughty person whether they are fit for Heaven Let such as are guilty of these or any other Sins enquire of the Oracle in their own bosoms am not I fit for Heaven notwithstanding all this He will tell thee no there is no unclean thing shall enter there nothing that defiles nothing that hurts or oppresseth The Proud Peevish Malicious person that is hurtful to others that hurts his Neighbour he is shut out Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into Heaven any thing that defileth and Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whore-mongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie None shall enter into the Holy City of God but those that are purified and purged from all Iniquity Therefore God hath sent his Son Jesus seeing none else could do it Moses and the Prophets could not do it therefore he sent Jesus to bless us in turning every one of us from our Iniquites and from our evil ways one man hath this evil way another that evil way It is all one to him his Work is to turn every one of us from our evil ways But why then you may say are so few turned from their evil ways throughout Christendom Where Christ is Believed in Professed Read and Heard that yet so few are converted and turned for we see great numbers of Lyars Swearers Drunkards Unclean Persons among us where Christ is cried up at a mighty rate and yet people are not turned from the evil of their ways there is something sure that is the reason of it I would have all of you consider what the reason of it is that those that profess to be Christians are not turned from the evil of their ways for Christ hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and he is able to do it and he was sent from God on purpose to do it but this is a certain truth it is not done and what is the reason of it He came to his own and his own received him not what is the reason He hath caused his Grace to appear to every man in the World and yet they
upon the Lord to see all that brought to pass which you have believed For I take notice by the Eye that God hath opened in me by which he hath made me to take care of his Flock and sometime put his word in my mouth that I might speak a word in due season I say by this Eye I take notice of many that have received this precious Faith and thereby have believed thereby have believed the great and high state their Faith reacheth so far they know that Power is able to bring them into a perfect Dominion over their Lusts and Passions and Corruptions and over the Spirit of the World over Pride over Anger over all things that are opposite to the Divine Life their Faith is as sound as we can Preach it in respect of the extent of it but their Faith hath not reached thus far in its operation upon their hearts they have not had the power going on to accomplish and fulfill that which remains Are there not some here and there that are settled in the belief of the Truth but are got into an ease from the Labour of the truth but if I be sound in the Faith my Understanding is opened I do not only believe this matter but have inward Evidence and Demonstration that I am certain past all doubt and question of it that the Lord reveals the power in them that believe that purifies them and makes them every whit clean and here I have a Fellowship and Communion with them that preach and them that believe But my Friends all this will not give you Communion with God though there is Communion with the Church of God with respect to Men who are come into one Faith and Doctrine yet for fellowship with God it stands in a life beyond all Doctrines and beyond all words and expressions therefore your business and mine and every one that we first undertook when our faces were first turned to God that we may be followers of Christ in the Regeneration For many may be firm in point of Doctrine and yet may not follow Christ Jesus Many hold the Truth but do not hold it in Righteousness but unrighteousness Now my Friends have a care your Religion and your Souls Eternal Welfare are concerned This Doctrine I leave you in Charge in the name of the Lord God Flatter not your selves never a one of you because of the soundness of your belief but look for soundness of heart and for a right Spirit to be created in you a Spirit that can no way endure any thing that the light of Christ hath made manifest to be evil if it be Truth you own then Exercise Faith upon it and whatsoever Sin or Temptation assaults you say I shall overcome in the Name of the Lord Jehovah I shall bring thee under be what Lust Passion or Corruption soever thou wilt in the name of the Lord I shall overcome thee and bring thee under Travel on in the Faith committed to you and you will be more than Conquerors you will not only grow into external Fellowship with the people of God in the sight of Men but into fellowship with the Church of the first born whose names are written in Heaven and your Communion will not be in Words and Doctrine and Principles of Faith But your Communion will be with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and so in all your Meetings together the joy of the Lord will be your strength and the joy of his great Salvation your Covering and he will manifest his gracious Presence with you and that Power which hath kept you to this day from your Childhood and preserved you in all your Battels and Conflicts with the World and strengthned and encouraged you when you sometimes went sorrowing and mourning night and day and fearing lest you should not overcome your Adversaries that Power that hath kept you hitherto will do greater things for you than you have yet been Witnesses of Therefore Dear Friends this I would leave with you there is nothing will keep you and me in that little time that remains to us here to spend on Earth but that which will keep us in the exercise of Faith towards God and his Son Jesus Christ who is able to save us to the uttermost let us wait to see the power of God for Sanctification and Holiness that will reach as far as saving us from our Sins This hath been the greatest reproach that ever our Adversaries have thrown upon us that there are some among us that talk of believing in the power of God and talk of an ability for overcoming their sins and living a Holy life and living without sin while they themselves live in it This is the greatest reproach that ever our Adversaries have thrown upon us Whosoever have been the cause of this reproach God will require it of them for the Lord is jealous of his Name and Glory and he will have the Praise and Honour that is due to his Great Name for working in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure saith the Apostle though I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified When you come so far as that that you cannot charge your selves then the Lord will not charge you but take heed that therein you place not your Justification hereby you are not justified Therefore have an eye to Jesus the Author and the Finisher of your Faith He begins the work of Faith and he will carry it on until he be the finisher of it and the justifier of you he is the Mediator of the New Covenant that alone justifies the Children of God depend not upon your own Holiness and Righteousness for justification keep your eye to Jesus the Author of your Faith who will also be the finisher of it keep your hearts with all diligence and walk humbly with God watching lest your Adversary that you have overcome prevail against you By going from the Power there is no safety for the Flock but only while they keep in the Shepherds Fold be faithful and keep your selves in the love of God and he will be present with you and keep you to be his Witnesses to the end of your days and will raise up another Generation to be Witnesses to his Power when he hath taken you to himself To that Mighty Power of God I commit you for preserving of you in humility of Mind and Soul and my Prayer for you shall be that you may go on and make a progress in the good ways of the Lord until his Work be finished in you His Prayer after Sermon HOly and Powerful God of Life who art the Creator of us all in whom we live and move and have our being thou hast made us all for the purpose of thy Praise and Glory that we might serve thee in the Land of the Living among the Sons and Daughters of Men and not only so but thou hast given us thy Holy Spirit as thou
didst to thy People of old O Living God of Life thou hast ordained a remnant to give up themselves to be led by it thou regardest them and art with them and they enjoy from time to time thy Holy Presence which makes glad their Souls and they have Fellowship and Communion with thee and thy Son through thy Spirit by which they are quickned to offer up pure and living Praises upon thine Altar O living God of love and life thou hast shed abroad thy love upon their hearts by which they are enabled to pray for their Enemies that they may come to enjoy Salvation and the pleasures which are at thy right hand which are infinitely better than all the Pleasures of this vain World Holy and powerful Father have respect to all our Souls and touch all our Hearts with a sense of thy Divine Love that we may feel the Cords of thy Love drawing our Souls nearer to thy self and assuring us that thou hast a gracious purpose to save us O Powerful God of Life shew forth thy Power that our Hearts may be touched and quickned thereby to come to fear thee and reverence thy Name and be acquainted with thy Operation in their own Hearts that they may be humbled and broken before thee and bow down and Worship in the sincerity and uprightness of their Hearts so Holy God of Life if it be thy pleasure none may depart out of this Assembly without some sense of thy Love and feeling of the Powerful Drawings of thy Grace and without being raised up to purity of Heart and convinced of the evil of every thing that is contrary to thee and serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness and pursue it with all their Hearts and Minds and Soul and Strength that thou mayst have mercy on them and pardon their Iniquity and love them freely for so thou hast ordained in thy Son Jesus Christ that we may receive Remission of Sins through the Belief of thy Everlasting Truth and Holy Powerful God of Life that all thy People may partake of Holiness and Sobriety to the praise of thy Name and that they may all come to obtain a Victory over all those Spiritual Enemies that War against their Souls that thy Holy Work of Redemption and Regeneration may be carried on to the praise of thy Grace and the exaltation of thy Holy Name to whom Praise belongs Honour belongs and Wisdom belongs and pure and humble Thanksgivings and unto thee the Living God of Life we desire to offer our Praises and Adorations for thou alone art Worthy who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen Sermon II. Bearing the Cross of Christ the true mark of a Christian Preached at Devonshire-House Octob. 12. 1690. HE that knoweth 〈…〉 the Lord and the stretching forth of his Arm is quickned to feel the Power that is in Christ Jesus the Head of the Church that so he may be enabled through his Power to bring forth Fruit unto God The Eye of the Lord is upon you all and he expects at the hand of every one that they bring forth Fruit unto God that according to the aboundings of his Mercy towards you and of his patience and long suffering concerning you there might at last be an answer in the Soul of every one unto the mercy and goodness of God they that do not know and experience this that the long suffering and patience of God leadeth unto Repentance they know no part of Christianity let them make their profession never so high and proclaim their notions never so loud they that know not the Work of Repentance wrought in their hearts as yet need to Learn the first Principles of the Christian Religion You know it hath been the Custom of People to learn their Children Principles and they that have learned their Principles they go for Christians whether they repent or no though they go on in Sin and Iniquity all their days yet they go under the Reputation of Christians and it is high time to examine and find out if you can a reason for this that a Man should be accounted a Christian upon any other terms now in this age than the Lord Christ did Preach and Publish in the days of his flesh for he did absolutely deny that any Man could be his Disciple without taking up a daily Cross and without self-denial Now how should a Man at this day be a Christian or a Disciple of Christ without taking up a daily Cross and without self-denial It may be some will tell me that they are Baptized into the Christian Faith and have been taught and have made a profession of Christian Principles and associated themselves among those that make a profession of Christ but here is not a word of a daily Cross in all this nor of self-denial so that they would have you to understand in this that the terms of Christianity are changed and that Men may be Christians without the terms of Christ or at least reputed so And this hath been occasioned by the great Apostacy that hath been brought into the Church by a long night of darkness and by the revealing of Antichrist Antichrist hath been discovered and revealed and hath set up in despight of Christianity a false Christianity and there came in the terms of a Mans being accepted and reputed a Christian upon Antichrists terms and if you will conform to do thus and say so you shall be admitted into the Christian Society now all these terms of Antichrist have been such things as an unregenerate Man could conform to and comply with And the opening of this door hath let into the Church abundance of Hypocrites and Evil doers because they were able in their unregenerate state to conform to those things that were required for in the publick Society of Christians it was not said you must be regenerate and take up a daily Cross and deny your selves and walk as becometh Saints and so behave your selves that God may be glorified and the profession of Christianity honoured by you these were the terms of old but there are other terms of a later date of being Christians Now seeing this Apostacy hath prevailed and spread over whole Nations and Countries not a few so that whole Kingdoms have become Christians upon these later terms and God is greatly dishonoured among us and Christ the Holy one most horribly prophaned among us It is not so common among Heathens and Infidels to find People wronging and deceiving one another and killing and destroying one another and yet it is the practice of many that are called Christians these are the fruits and effects of those later times of Christianity Now seeing it is thus which no mortal man can deny I have this Question to ask and I desire that you would seriously weigh it in your Hearts and Souls both while you are together and when you are separate one from another whether it is not high time for all of us to return again to
be followers of Christ and not separate from Sinners Christ was so He went one way and Sinners went another they followed their Sins and Lusts but he followed the Work his Heavenly Father sent him about If thou art a follower of Christ thou art worthy of the Name of a Christian Do Drunkards and Swearers follow Christ Do the Wanton and Proud follow him Do the Unclean and Hypocrites follow Christ You know they do not why do you call them Christians This is a reproach and shame to the Holy Name of Jesus and to true Christianity that any of these Folks should be called Christians but such as are followers of Christ who are Holy Harmless and Undefiled and Separate from Sinners This is such a strange kind of Doctrine yet if it had been Preached in the Primitive Times there was People that would have received it as Apostolical Doctrine that a man should Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts For saith the Apostle Mortifie your Members which are on Earth If you through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall Live but if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall die And to be Carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace This was sound Doctrine then Now come and tell a man he shall certainly Perish and come to Damnation for all his Profession if he doth not mortifie the deeds of the Flesh If he lives in Sin and dies in it he is like to perish How many have been haled to Gaols and Dungeons only for Preaching this Doctrine and when we were first sent to Preach we durst not do otherwise And God did not send us to Preach till he had washed us and sanctified us and fitted us for the work of the Ministry Now when we saw in the Holy Scriptures that God did work upon others by his Spirit before he sent them to Preach the Gospel was not here sufficient Authority given to Preach the downfal of Sin and destruction of it One would think that such a one thus called and sent of God had as good Authority to Preach the Everlasting Gospel as the Laws enacted by all the Princes of the World could give him a man sure that had such Authority for Preaching the Gospel would not need to wait for Orders and Approbation he would not stay for an Induction The Apostle Paul took it for a Commission that was creditable when he tells you of his mission It was not by Man but by the will of God that he was called to Preach the Gospel If we should say we were made Preachers if you ask by whom never a man in the World can tell you but we were made Preachers many years ago Not by Man or by the Authority of Man but by the will of God What was your Commission to turn men from darkness that darkness we had formerly lived in To turn them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God The Apostle sums up his Commission in a few words the Lord told me I must turn men from darkness to light This is our Commission that we have received from God in this Age to turn men from darkness But some will say that we have not Humane Learning Qualifications for the work of the Ministry To this I answer If I heard a man Swear or tell a Lie I could tell him that this was not of God I had Learning enough to know and tell men and say that Whoring Drunkenness and Swearing and Lying were works of the Flesh and fruits of the Devils Power I would have you turn from these works to the Power of God What is that Power of God I will tell you it is a manifestation of Grace in your Hearts that will draw you away from the Love of all these things the Grace of God iâ— the Power of God to Salvation to them that believe To as many as received Christ to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to such as believe in his Name Such Christians will shew forth the Power and Life of Religion in their Conversations So that her is a sufficient Authority no want of Authority I have been sometime examined by what Authority do you Preach By the highest Authority in Heaven and Earth by the Authority of God that came by Christ the Redeemer What do you Preach Truth in the inward parts Grace and Truth and against all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit As long as Antichrist hath a Rule you must not Preach down Sin without Authority you must have power you must be Ordained and have an Induction before you undertake to preach the Gospel and preach down Sin and Wickedness the Devil hath got such Power and Rule that some tell us that no Man can live without Sin if it please God here and there to raise a Man and bring him to a Holy and Righteous Life this Man wants a Patent a Commission an Induction an Ordination to Preach and Cry down Sin in other Folks what Commission had the Psalmist when he said Come all ye that fear the Lord and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul Is it not high time for People that have Evidences of the Love of God shed abroad upon their hearts by the Holy Ghost to bear their Testimony against sin and wickedness Is it not high time for every bodies mouth to be opened that God hath been pleased to open to testifie against such a horrible mist of darkness that is come over Men to testifie against Hypocrisie Uncleanness and Unrighteousness It was the great design of the Primitive Preachers of the Gospel to cry down that which some Ministers cry up so that Christianity is not like what it was for then they told them that there was no Happiness but by breaking off from Sin by Repentance No possibility of Salvation without confessing and forsaking Sin and trusting in the Mercy of God through Christ for the Pardon of it Tell them of the mercy of God and the blood of Christ they will tell you that they cannot be cleansed from all Sin they cannot live without Sin How comes it to pass that there are Ministers that Preach an impossibility of Living without Sin when we are assured in the Holy Scriptures that without holiness no man shall ever see the Lord and that there shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lie Rev. 21.27 How comes this that Ministers preach an impossibility of living without Sin Will any of you saith he be so presumptuous as to say a man may live without sin I will prove it from good Authority both from Scripture and Fathers that no Man in the World can do it If any set themselves to it in their own strength the Devil will make a fool of them some indeed have gone about it in their own Power and Will and have Cloystered
themselves up in Monasteries and shut themselves up between two Walls that they might be separated from all Society and live without Sin they would do it in their own power and the Devil is stronger than they Let me tell you Men of the greatest Wisdom Courage and Strength of the most excellent natural parts that any Man can have are not able to grapple with their Enemy the Devil by their own power there are Seeds of all Sin and Lust and Concupisence sown in their hearts so far this is right and sound Doctrine that no man can do any thing in his own power and strength but here is the mistake a Man hath been a long time wrestling with his Sins and Lusts to get the Victory over them but by woful experience he finds his weakness and insufficiency he is sunk in his harness and so hath given over the Battle saying I shall never overcome the Devil and his Temptations my Sins and Lusts are too hard for me I despair of ever overcoming them in my own strength by all that I can do that is true enough but thou must needs perish because thou canst never overcome thy Corruptions if ever I be saved it must be the free Grace of God that must save me How canst thou come to lay hold on the free grace of God I am told I must lay hold on Christ by Faith who is the Mediatour between God and Man and he is my only Redeemer there is no Salvation in any other this is very well now thou art a Believer what dost thou expect what dost thou hope that Christ will give thee He will not give me power over my Corruptions so as to live without Sin that is more than I hope for but I expect that Christ will reveal his power in me and give me so much strength and power against my Lusts and Corruptions that they may not have Dominion over me now if you tell me that you hope for strength and power from Christ against Sin Satan and Corruption do you now tell me that it is still impossible It was impossible before indeed to live without Sin when thou didst trust in thine own strength but now when thou comest to have grace and assistance â—â—om the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the World that giveth thee ability to withstand Temptation and overcome thy Corruptions and the Lusts of thy own heart What is it impossible still to live without Sin then thou mayst say the Devils Slave I am and must be for there is no other Power in Heaven or Earth for thee to lay hold of if thine own power nor Christs power neither can do then thou dost say that the Devil is Almighty Thus they tell us when Christ hath revealed his power it is impossible still If I should call this Antichristian Doctrine I could make it out Blessed be God I do believe that Christ is able to preserve me from the Devils Temptations and all his instruments if I believe though I could not do it in mine own Power yet by Christs power I may be preserved an hour without Sin If so then a day and if one day then a thousand days if I live so long Christ hath promised that he will bruise Satan and tread him under feet and destroy his works and judge you whether Sin be not the Devils work shall I despond or despair to have the Devils work destroyed in me Here is ground for you all to believe he that hath Faith may lay hold of this Power which is offered of God therefore lay hold of it else your Religion will be good for nothing This is the enjoyment of a true Believer that he receives power from Christ to deny himself therefore all their pretended Christianity and Profession at the day of Judgment will melt away like Snow These Canons Articles Forms and Liturgies these will melt away when the day of the Lord comes to burn upon them none but they that feel the redeeming vertue of the blood of Christ that have their Souls filled with the Love of God and whatsoever they love in the World they that will part with it for Christs sake shall be accepted I am not for setting up this and the other Sect or Opinion if it be among those of my own profession if they profess holiness and bring forth unrighteousness it is all one I shall not value their Profession There are many in this City and Nation that have sheltred themselves under the profession of Truth and talk of perfection and have brought their Lusts and imperfections with them here Antichrist is trying another Game to bring them under a profession that will serve his turn the Devil will allow men Profession if they will but live according to their own Hearts Lusts so that they may save his head from the blow that Gods power will bring upon it so they may dishonour the Holy Name and Religion they make profession of thus saith the Apostle I have told you often and now tell you weeping they were Christians so called to whom he spake but they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ not to the Profession of Christ he did not say they were strangers to the Cross of Christ but Enemies to it they let it fall they kept the Name Word and Doctrines up but they let the Cross fall how much were these Christians worth sure but very little Nay Antichrist hath been so silly that because the words are so put upon the Cross No being Disciples of Christ without the Cross the words of Scripture are so put upon it Thinks Antichrist I shall never perswade the People to be at ease unless I give them a Cross therefore he sets them a making Crosses They must be Baptized with the Cross they say we deny not the Cross of Christ we hang it about our necks we set it up in all our Meetings and Academies and many Princes and Wise Men and Learned Men have been so bewitched and drunk with delusions that they have called this the Christ which they have made with their own hands they have made Christs and prayed to them and all their Religion hath been putting together Crosses Crucifixes Forms and Liturgies which they have made with their own hands Here is Christianity in an empty profession but where is the Soul of it I would enquire for the life of it I would see Christianity living in love to God above all and loving our Neighbours as our selves When this Christianity comes there will be no killing one another nor persecuting one another nor fulfilling the Lusts of the Flesh nor pleading for it neither Blessed be God that our eyes have seen the Witnesses-raised and life from Heaven come into them and now Religion begins to have a Life and a Soul and shews it self in a little remnant there is a people raised by God that feel life in their Worship in their Families in their Conversations and in their behaviour
his Life and great Miracles and of the great love he had to Mankind by which he laid down his Life for them We have been Conversing with Christ as to his Fleshly manifestation but consider whether there doth not till now remain an empty place in our Souls something that is not sufficed and satisfied What would you have Have you not Scripture Read you not there of the Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ I would still have something more for that will not suffice me I would have Pardon of Sin and my Peace with God and the Light of his Countenance lifted up upon me and further manifestations of Christ to my Soul We can never see the Glory of God but in the face of Jesus Christ This is the discovery that Christ makes to the Soul that believeth in him this is that which gives satisfaction A Christians Work is to be Conversing with him and exercising his mind under the gathering and â—â—â—ching of him that can lead him to the Father none but Christ can do thaâ— lead them to the Father and shew 〈◊〉 the Father and he hath in our day revealâ—â— himself and made himself manifest by his Spirit that Spirit by which we come to know his Holy Teaching Reproof and Instruction daily discovered in our Souls the Spirit is our Guide that Spirit we are led by and are to walk in Let men go under what form and denomination they will They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his until they come to be guided by his Spirit People are not led into Sin by the Spirit of Christ they will tell you these are the Devils Temptations and the Frailty of our Nature and the Corruption of our Hearts by which we are led into Sin it is not the Spirit of Christ It would be a horrid thing for men to say that the Spirit of Christ led them into Sin there are few or none so wicked as to say so The business we are to do in the World is to obey the will of God and where the understandings of Men are so illuminated that they are satisfied in their minds that God hath been pleased to give them a manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal All those that have this Spirit of Christ are directed by it to do the Will of God and to deny their own Wills and the Will of others that would draw them from their Duty that they owe to God in their Generation It is an excellent state and condition for a man to be guided by the Spirit and to be brought under the Government of Christ who is The Way the Truth and the Life So that they that come under his Government are directed and Pointed out every day to do the will of God This thou must do and God will be pleased with thee and this thou maist not do for if thou do it the Lord will be angry with thee it is Sin against God So that we have a Heavenly advantage to be taught of God by his Spirit to have the Divine and Daily teaching of the Spirit of God revealed in us if we are at a loss or make a question or dispute about a matter the Spirit will lead us into all Truth if we give up our selves to his Guidance and Teaching This hath been our desire labour many years not to draw People to observe what we say for who can direct another Man in all things relating to the Service of God If we were never so certain our selves we cannot convey certainty and infallibility upon all occasions to another if we should speak never so much and be never so much conversant with them Therefore our work is that all People in all things relating to their Souls might have recourse continually to the infallible Teacher and Guide which God through Jesus Christ hath made known to them If People be ruled by this they cannot but live in Unity and Love one another they will not fall into malice contention and hatred one against another It is impossible for Nations to make War and Destroy one another if they would be guided by the unerring Spirit of Christ for how should it contradict it self For how can any thing that agrees with the Standard of Truth which Christ hath set up act in contradiction to it for nothing is Truth but what concurs with it therefore it must needs agree with it self If we be directed by the Spirit we shall call that good which is really good and that evil which is so If there be thousands directed by the Spirit of Christ which leads into all Truth that which is good to one is so to all and that which is evil to one is so to all We must first know what is good and then receive power to do it If we come to be instructed by the unerring Spirit To know what is the good and accepâ—able will of God We shall receive daily power from him to do the will of God we shall all speak the same thing and be of the same mind and live in Love and Unity There is no evil wilfully done against God where the Spirit of Christ the Gospel Spirit comes to prevail upon us it will bring us to a peaceableness of Spirit to live in Love and Unity And the great work we have in the World will be to do the good and acceptable Will of God both with respect to our solemn Worship of God and our Duties towards our Neighbour then there will be Tranquility Peace and Joy and Comfort to all the Churches of Christ that are under his Government And it is given to the Sons and Daughters of Men every where when they come under the Yoke of Christ and take up a Daily Cross and live in Self Denyal this will bring Peace and Concord among them Many will come to our Meetings and spend a little time to hear what we say We exhort them to give up themselves to the peaceable Government of the Spirit of Christ that will finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring into the Soul where Sin reigned Everlasting Righteousness Where there is a great deal of Pride Malice and Envy the Spirit of Christ will root it up and all that evil that the Enemy hath Planted in men he will pluck it up and bring in Everlasting Righteousness and Plant Love in the same Soul and establish and settle it such a one will have more Joy Pleasure and Delight under the Government of the Spirit of Christ in one day than any one can have that is governed by the Evil Spirit in a thousand days You say the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withall what profit shall we get How doth it appear that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withal Because there is that Life and Grace stirring in the heart that makes it profitable and Truth doth so prevail that it makes us to
Jesus is appointed of God for a Mediatour between God and Man and all the acceptance we have or desire to have must be through him and therefore if we Pray without him and perform this and the other Duty without him It is contrary to the Doctrine of Christianity to think that ever we shall have acceptance in Gods sight Therefore there is a necessity for every Man and Woman that desires to be Religious that hath a Religious mind and is willing to Worship God and Serve God aright there is a necessity that they come to the knowledge of Christ who tells us that he is The way to the Father They that go any other way go a wrong way but they that go unto God by Christ they do receive from him power to draw near to God and through him they receive from God all those blessings that their Souls stand in need of So here would be an end of all Religions the World is full of of all the several Worships that men have made they have invented and found out several ways for People to Worship and Serve God This and the other Ceremony this and the other observation and Method of Preaching and Praying If all this be without the Assistance and Divine Help of the Mediatour thro' whom alone we can justly expect acceptance at Gods hands it is all good for nothing Therefore the first Lesson of a Christian in point of Worship is that he come to the knowledge of Christ by whom and through whom he may expect favour with God Now say some People we are already come to the knowledge of Christ we have read the Relation in the Gospel of his Conception Birth Life and Death Resurrection and Assension now whether this Belie◠doth give a man this kind of Christian knowledge that doth open a Door and Way fo◠him into the Presence of God This is 〈◊〉 Question that ought seriously to be considered for if we err in this Question we err in all this is like stumbling at the threshold and never coming into the house If we mistake in laying hold of Christ we mistake in our Worship and in all matters that relate to Life and Salvation For if we must have another sort of knowledge of Christ than we can have from the reports of others if I must have Christ revealed in me before I can have the hope of Glory if I must have the Spirit of Christ in me to help me to put up my requests and supplications before he can present them to the Father then all literal knowledge and faith cannot stand Men in any stead but this is evident by the Testimony of all the Writers of the New Testament Christ and his Apostles did concurrently signifie that the hope of a Christian that the power and strength of a Christian it all lies in this in that they had known the revelation of Christ and the powerful operation of the Spirit working in them this was that which was well pleasing to God many Scriptures might be spoken of but you know the Scriptures and can read them and see in them the concurrent Testimony of all Holy Men to this day that the knowledge they had of Christ was a Divine Knowledge a Spiritual Knowledge it was a knowing him after the Spirit it was a Revelation of Christ in them that separated and distinguished them from Reprobates even the knowledge of God through Christ Jesus their Lord why should not we come to this Knowledge as well as they the Lord is the same and his Power is the same and his Arm is not shortned we may see as much need of Divine Assistance and Divine Love as ever men did we can perform no duty either of Prayer or Preaching without Divine Assistance nor so much as a sigh or a groan that may have acceptance with God without the help of his Spirit Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should Pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered If we go about the Duty of Prayer without Divine assistance we see what sad work we make of it if we Pray not in the Spirit and with understanding how can we receive the thing we pray for but if we Pray in the Spirit and with understanding also then the Spirit helpeth our infirmities the Spirit that came from God brings us the things that we stand in need of So that a Christian hath a foundation for his Worship and Christian performance what is that foundation Nothing that is corrupt if it be it is good for nothing for nothing that is corrupted and that defiles can be acceptable and pleasing to God we are all polluted and defiled by Nature how can Carnal Men Worship a Spiritual God Carnal Men that are in Death and Darkness cannot Worship that God that is Light and dwells in Light that is inaccessible that is of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity Carnal Men want a Foundation for their Worship and will do till they come to that foundation that God hath laid Now that I may speak intelligibly what the Lord hath laid upon my heart I would say thus There is an Universal benefit and priviledge distributed and given freely of God unto the Sons and Daughters of Men in their Natural State through his Son Jesus Christ in that he hath caused his Light to shine and his Grace to be extended to every Man for the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation for it is not by Works hath appeared to all Men and bringeth Light by which every Man may see how to Worship God God hath enlightned every Man and this Light comes by Christ the Mediatour this Mediatour is the way that Men must walk in if they will come back again to God for Men are run out and departed from God if Men will draw near to God and take some footsteps towards the Kingdom of God from the Kingdom of Sin and Satan they must mind the way the way must be their Director they must not go which way they list This is that which was prophesied of Christ saith God by the Prophet Isaiah I will give him for a Leader I would fain return to God and go out of the Kingdom of Sin and Satan to the Kingdom of God God hath given Christ to lead me if I knew that way he would lead me in I would go that way As soon as a man takes hold of Christ his Grace and Spirit and Life he will be ready to say I am corrupt my senses are corrupt my mind is depraved my Conscience defiled and polluted but I have found out something that God hath bestowed upon m◠that is essentially holy and pure that did never consent to my corruption but is a witness for God against it here now a Christian lays hold on Christ the Leader which way will he lead me If thou layest hold on this guide he will lead thee
out of evil he will teach thee to cease to do evil and speak evil This Light will lead thee to nothing that will dishonour God or defile thy own Soul But this is not all we must not only cease to do evil but we must be doing something there must be a breaking off from Pride Foolish Jesting Evil Communication but this is not all that he will lead me to let us learn that lesson cease to do Evil. This Doctrine was Preached before Christianity was Preached as it is now Preached the Prophets of old Preached this Doctrine to the Jews that were under an outward Administration cease to do evil and learn to do well then I will plead with you and discourse with you saith the Lord Câ—me now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll This is the first Lesson that a true Christian learns in his turning to God in his change and translation to cease from that which is evil here is a Cessation of Rebellion and here is some hopes of being reconciled to God a man hath been a Rebel against his Maker but he hath now received help to resist those Temptations that prevail over him but there is no worshiping yet there is a forward mind in men to do something that is pleasing to God but there are somâ— that are not troubled at all for their evil ways and dread not Gods anger but make a mock at sin that draw others to it and make themselves merry in it but there is a sort so far touched with a Divine sense of Gods Love to them that they have also a sense of his anger and indignation because of their Sin and they would fain be out of his anger and who can blame them When a Man feels the anger of God burning like fire in his bosome who can blame that Man if he desires peace with God if he be under a sense of the displeasure and indignation of the Almighty he must not hast too soon out of that Condition he is brought into for this is Gods purpose and this is the fruit of all his troubles and afflictions to take away Sin God had no other end or design in the affliction that came upon him than to take away Sin when God hath brought a People into a distressed and dejected State for their Sin the fruit that God expects is the taking away of their Sin and he will hide Pride from them and humble them before him if this be the purpose of God that he intends to purge and purifie his People then saith the poor Creature if God design to purifie me from Sin then I will pray to God to support me and bear me up under his indignation that is the cry of the Soul that he may not be brought too soon from under â—he judgment of God but that he may be supported and hid in the hollow of Gods hand until the time of remission and refreshâ—ng comes that he may behold the light of Gods Countenance Here is encouragement for every one that â—s acquainted with this Divine Principle of Grace that will be led by it and follow it so far as to be led out of evil then they will be fitted to do something in the work of God every sigh and groan that thou hast â—he assistance of the Spirit of God to help â—hee in is part of Worship all thy brokenness of heart is part of worship hereby â—hou acknowledgest the great God that he is â—ble to help thee on in thy way and to pardon thy iniquity and blot out thy transgression and give thee all those Heavenly â—lessings that thy Soul doth stand in need of â—hen thy Soul will bow down to God in â—cts of holy Worship and say with an humble confidence and expectation God will do all those things in me and for me that will promote my Salvation It is noâ—hing in Religion for People to go from Praying and Preaching to Sinning but God must have a Holy Sacrifice and that must come out of a pure heart now when a Man is brought by the help of God and by the Divine assistance of the Mediatour Jesus Christ to break off from his Sin then he stands fair to become a Child of God and to be a Servant of God and to do something for God in his generation and to offer to God Praise and Thanksgiving and to perform all other Duties that God shall lead him into But some will say what must we do any thing I have deeply weighed that Question what a poor Man or Woman must do that is come out of bondage there is a propensity in People to be doing they would fain do something they would be doing they say what shall I do If I do something that pleaseth not God I had better let it alone and I can do nothing acceptable to God without Divine assistance such a one that sees his own impotency and inability will cast his care upon God and will say the Lord is able to lead me and guide me I am ready to do thy will O God make it clear to me that this is thy will and that this is that which thou requirest I am ready to do it though it be cross to mine own will he is ready to go on in Gods way in the way of Christianity such an one that hath the true knowledge of Christ if he speaks the Spirit of Christ speaks in him if he prays it is through the assistance of the Spirit of Christ through whom God alone is appeased and reconciled and through whom they may receive a blessing from Gods hand but for Men to run on in their own wills and to do a thing because they will do it they had better sit still this doing in their own wills hath filled the World with a sort of Christians that want acceptance with God which is to be had alone through the Lord Jesus Christ and the want of the Guidance of Gods Holy Spirit is the misery and downfall of Christianity in our days Therefore it is our Work and business to build upon that foundation which God hath laid no Worship is pleasing to God but that which ariseth from that Spring that is pure and holy if I cannot find that which will keep me from all Pollution and defilement if I cannot find that I must stay till I can for to begin a Worship and a Religion without that which I know is acceptable to God it is but lost labour time spent in vain Therefore Friends let every one that desires to be Religious turn their mind inward wait for the gift of God which is essentially pure that never did consent to evil that never mixed with the corruption of Nature but bears witness to the Light that will guide you and lead you and conduct you first out of Sin then it will lead you into
that Worship and Religion and the performance of those things that are pleasing to God They that are come thus to Worship they do not only know what the Lord requires of them and when he requires it of them but they are given up into the hands of God they Pray Preach Exhort and Live according to the will of God It is hard for People in a Carnal state to believe this but you that are Believers that are come to know the gift of God in your selves and the necessity of being ruled by him you will believe us for none else will believe us let us Preach to as many People and Nations as we will none will receive us as true Ministers but those that have the truth in their own hearts if there be any that despiseth the Grace of God in his own heart he hates that which chides and reproves him if there be such a Man he will hate me because I am a Minister and a Witness of the Grace of God and of that truth in the inward parts which is the ground and foundation that a Man hath of acceptance with God A Wicked Carnal Wretch will say I hate such a one I hate the Light that which checks me and witnesseth against me thou art such a one as bearest witness against me therefore I hate thee It is very true it cannot be otherwise now our desire and labour is that Men may come to the love of the truth in themselves You know there are a great many other Ministers whose Labour is to perswade People to believe what they say to lay down a Doctrine and prove it by Scripture and Reason and set it home upon their Minds by such testimony as the Scripture affords and hereupon they prevail upon the minds and judgments of People to believe what they lay down It is easie to lay down a Position and prove it and convince People that it must be according to Scripture but when a Person is convinced of a Principle of Truth he is not Regenerate thereby and come to God therefore though he cannot deny the Doctrine of Truth in words yet he can deny it in works and doth not rightly come to love it If People would believe what we say and observe what Arguments we bring for proving a Position they may be convinced of the Doctrine of Truth and come to a profession of it and yet be strangers to it till they come to love it in themselves if it were not for this we would leave Preaching if God had not given a measure and manifestation of the Spirit to every Man to profit withall you have it in your selves we are but as Monitors to you to put you in mind of it you have so much business in the World that you have not had leisure to take notice of it A Man may have a Rich Jewel and be Poor notwithstanding till he come to know the value of it A Man hath a Rich and Precious Jewel a Pearl bestowed upon him that would make him Rich in Faith and Love to God and qualifie him for the Kingdom of God and make him an Heir of it but he knows not nor understands the value of it and esteems it not therefore God hath raised up Ministers to put you in mind of it that you may be happy for ever and live in Blessedness to all Eternity whoever hath an ear to hear let him hear and when they hear what we say let them take the benefit of it to their own Souls We bring not truth to you but God hath bestowed it upon you you will be Rich indeed if you do as a Man that bought a Field where the Precious Pearl was and digged till he found it Come to the foundation upon which you should build all your hopes of happiness and depend not upon your own Works or Religious Performances for acceptance with God for there is no acceptance with God but only through Christ we are only accepted of God through him those that will become Christians indeed and worship God as he hath ordained and appointed himself to be worshipped they must come to the Principle of Light and Grace in their own hearts which they have in and through Christ and then they will find acceptance with God Sermon V. The Divine Life of Christ Jesus Preached in Grace-Church-Street March 16. 1691. THE Blessed Life of Christ is not of this World and it ought to be your care in all your Religious Assemblies that you be gathered into the inward feeling sense of this Divine Life that you may feel your Fellowship and Communion in that Life of Christ that is not of this World And may all of you lay hold upon it for this is the Nourishment and the Heavenly Bread with which the Children of the Kingdom are fed and nourished from day to day there are many that feed upon words that are not the Children of the Kingdom of God but the begotten of God are come to know the vertue of the Divine Life of Christ Jesus their feeding and their nourishment is by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and they grow up to Life Eternal by that Divine and Heavenly Gift that God the Father hath bestowed upon them through his Son Jesus Christ and they enjoy the Communion of Saints through this Divine Head of the Church that Communicates of his Life and Vertue through every Member by which they are Sanctified and every day more and more prepared for that Living and Eternal Inheritance prepared for the Children of God And where there are a People that are thus gathered into the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ they are able to draw nigh to God they feel the Power of Enterance because their Sin is removed that did formerly lie at the door and the way is opened and consecrated for them to draw nigh and partake of the Table of the Lord by which they grow stronger and stronger in his Might and Power and are thereby enabled to perform the whole will of God and that Divine Worship and Religious Service which God requireth at their hands in their day For it is very certain and we have found it by experience the words of our Lord to his Disciples of old without me saith he ye can do nothing For though People may meet together and may pretend and set up a Form of Worship and of Religion in their own will yet it all amounts to nothing with respect to acceptance with the Lord there is no return in their Souls no addition of Life nor encrease and growth of Life they are not nearer the Kingdom than when they first believed but many times further off by leaning upon a formality and not really entering into the work of God nor travelling out of Death into Life for there must be Path and a travelling in it the Soul must have an exercise through the Power and Life of Jesus for the overcoming of Death that did separate
fit and prepare us for the everlasting Kingdom of God they that do wait upon God shall see this work wrought inwardly in them they know more by Faith than they can see by Sense I know and am certain that the Power the Devil hath in the World shall be broken down and Righteousness shall be exalted and justice and equity shall prevail in the Nations I shall not perhaps live to see it but I may see it by Faith I may see enough for my generation and they that live in the next generation shall see it also for the Church of God is the same from one generation to another Now unto us it is given to see the things that in former generations were Prophesied of God having saith the Apostle Provided some better thing for us â—hat they without us should no be made perfect The Church of God from one Generaâ—ion to another have their measure and deâ—ree of service and bear their proper Testiâ—ony and leave the rest to succeding Geneâ—ations it concerns us in our Generation to â—ee a change made inwardly in our Souls and â—he Kingdom of Christ set up within us and â—he Kingdom of Satan brought down in our â—elves This doth not concern my Son or Grandson only but it concerns me and when they grow up to mature Age in their â—ime it will concern them therefore that which is most profitable to us is that we have such a station and stand in such a place â—n our time where we may see the work of God carried on I have considered many a time that there are many brave Men and Women in this Age that might have been eminent Witnesses of God in the World and born their Testimony to his truth but their Faith hath been weak and ineffectual they have discovered their unbelieving hearts and have joyned with the common herd of the World because they thought such great things could never be done that the Kingdom of Satan could never be pulled down and destroyed and the Kingdom of Christ set up within us But I would hope better things of you things that accompany Salvation and that he that hath begun a good work in you will carry it on to perfection that Living Praises and joyful Thanksgivings may be rendered to him who alone is worthy who is God over all blessed for ever to whom be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Sermon VII The undefiled Way to Eternal Rest Preached at Devonshire-House July the 29th 1691. My Friends THE Lord will be with all his People that are undefiled in the Way â—hat are Spiritual Travellers walking in â—hat undefiled Way that leads to an â—ndefiled Rest There are some that by â—his Way are enter'd into Rest that Rest â—hich God hath prepared for them We â—annot apply to our selves that promise that 〈◊〉 made to us of entring into Rest unless we â—e real and true Travellers in the Way that â—ads to it for if we do We deceive our â—wn Souls Therefore you that have had a Sight and Vision of the Way Everlasting that leadâ— unto a Holy Rest you are Engag'd Peoplâ— to make straight steps therein and to have iâ— your daily Care and make it your continual Business to look that your Goings and Foot-steps are of the same nature and kinâ— that the Rest is that you desire to enter into For it is an undefiled Rest that we all are or ought to be Travelling after thereforâ— every one of us must be undefiled in the Way and every Foot-step must be of the same kinâ— and nature and separate from all that whicâ— defileth it and polluteth it that so it maâ— have a tendency to the bringing of the Soâ— nearer to its Rest This Holy Rest many Travellers have aâ—tained by this Holy Travel and many aâ— still in hope to attain it But now they that are full of hope of â—taining this Rest but their Foot-steps aâ— Goings are not of the same nature and kind they are not holy and pure they are not uâ— defiled These have not their Faces truâ— Sion-ward though the Face of their Profâ—sion may stand that way but the Loâ— looks at the Heart of every one and 〈◊〉 knows which way the Heart stands thâ— who have their Hearts truly turned to tâ— Lord they have the mark of Holiness 〈◊〉 their Eye and the mark of purity and righteousness in all their Undertakings because they know there is no attaining to that Divine Rest but by a Holy Way and Travel therefore their trust and reliance is alone on the Lord that is to keep them in all their Way for if they be never so clearly convinced that Holiness and Righteousness is their Duty and is the way whereby they may attain to the Kingdom of God though they are never so fully convinc'd of it yet there lies an impossibility of any walking therein without the Divine Assistance of the Grace of God for though they have been convinc'd by the appearance of his Grace and have had a light that openeth to them a sight of these things it is not this Sight and Vision that will enable them To run the Race that is set before them For the manifold impurities and hindrances which are in our Way between our coming out of Egypts Land the Bondage of Corruption and our entring into the Kingdom of God are too mighty and too great for any Man with his knowledge and strength to overcome The Children of Israel might as well have gone through the Red Sea without the help of God as the Christian Traveller can go through the many difficulties and the many impediments that he is to meet with in his Way without the assistance of God's holy Spirit My Friends It hath been a Labour and Travel at this time upon my Mind that all whom God hath so signally Blessed with the Knowledge of the Truth that you may see your Way and most clearly know and understand that your Way leads to Life Eternal that all and every one of you in your particular Meetings are to have a dependance upon that which can help you in your Way For I have seen too many that have had a wrong dependance after they were rightly Convinc'd and after they have had a true knowledge of their Way wherein they should walk they have too much trusted to openings and sights which they have receiv'd they have thought their Mountain so sure and that their Feet have been past sliding that there hath grown up a state of presumption that they have thought they should never turn aside and have not had due regard to the renewing of the divine Power of God in their Souls that God's Children always musâ— have They have as I may so say forgotten what our Lord said Without mâ— ye can do nothing they have passed a Sentence upon that Doctrine in their minds and they have thought they could do something that they could withstand Temptation that they could do some Work for God and Service
to God without the divine assistance of that Power that did beget them and alas the least they have sustained hath been that they have fallen into Evil and they have defiled their Way and run into Temptations though it hath pleased the Lord whose Mercy is Infinite to pull them many times back again out of the snare which they were fallen into and to take them up again and to wash them and cleanse them and purifie them and set their Feet on a sure place This was more than they deserved but his Mercy and Goodness and Tenderness is over all his Works This he hath wrought for many a one and not only once but many times it is hard venturing it had been better if such a one had never fallen or that their Foot-steps had never slid from the ways of the Lord than after they are fallen to be renewed again by Repentance It hath caused sore Judgment and Condemnation and Anxiety of Spirit And they have given their old Enemy an advantage to whisper in their Ears Thou hast lost thy ground thy Sins are gone over thy Head and thou shalt never find Repentance These are the Words of the Wicked one who seeks occasion against us and through our carelesness and not being watchful we put an advantage into his Hand Now seeing you know he is vigilant and seeks occasion that he may turn you out of your Way before you attain to the end of it you ough◠to be vigilant to keep occasions from him But some may say how may I keep occasions and advantages from the Enemy 〈◊〉 I answer the way hath been often told you and I dare say most of you have tryed it and found it to be true that so long a◠you have remained in a watchful State and Posture and have had your minds exercised by the Grace of God by which you wer◠convinced of your Sin and by which you◠Duty was manifested to you So long you gave the Enemy of your Souls no occasion but the Truth preserved you wherein you trusted and wherein you hoped and waited for the vertue and power of it Did you find want of ability then Did the Enemy prevail then He did not cease to Tempt when you was in the most watchful State of a Christian the Devil did not the◠cease to tempt you but you found in you a power that resisted him and said Get thee behind me Satan So long as you are upon your watch so far as you keep your mind fixed upon the Divine Power so long you are in a sure place and whosoever turns aside from this they suffer great harm and prejudice and if ever they be restored again it is with loss and damage and sore exercise and if they be not restored they are lost to all Eternity Then it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them And then they said within themselves this must be the way Sirs these things pertain to your Everlasting welfare I speak to you as to a People that God hath abundantly Loved and it hath been far beyond any thing of desert He hath made known his ways to you the Lord may say concerning you of this City as of old What could I have done more for my Vineyard that I have not done So he may say concerning you What could I have done more to make them a grown People a holy People an intire People that They may bear my Name and walk before me in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of their Lives What should hav◠been done more for them But this is an Exercise to us whom God hath blessed and set as watchmen to behold and see the state of his People and to fee◠and bear the burthens that are to be born and this is the great burden that after al◠that God hath done and that we do in the hands of God all that is necessary for the welfare of the People Yet here are some that turn aside and here are some that have defiled their way and we testifie in the name of the Lord that whosoever walks in a defiled Way shall never come to an undefiled Rest therefore that you do not attain to that undefiled Rest it is because ye have been defiled Seeing the Holy conversation of the People of God is the effect of the working of his own Power and Spirit Here comes the Rest by and through a Mediator even Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the Mediator between God and Man and the Leader of all his People in the way of Holiness and Righteousness which he hath made manifest to them that believe and obey the Power And He hath purchased Eternal Salvation for all that Believe and Obey the Gospel But the Transgressors do not obey the Gospel the Spirit of Christ doth not lead you to Transgression and the Power and Light that comes from Christ doth not lead you to Pride Vanity Envy and Bitterness Where-ever these things are led into there is another Spirit and that other Spirit hath another tendency and it leads into the wrath of God And my Friends this is that which my Soul desireth at your hands and it is for your good and advantage it is my Duty to discharge my Conscience and to speak plainly as the Lord shall give me utterance to warn you that you abide in the Truth for if so be you be not saved but will turn aside after your own Hearts Lusts after your Pride and the Vanity of the World and the Lusts thereof you may blame your selves and your Iniquity will be your Ruine We that have given up our selves to God for your sakes and for the Churches sake we speak these things which we have Learned of God and we earnestly press you that are convinced that you walk in the Truth which you have believed There is no great need of more knowledge and of the Vision of Heavenly and Divine things for abundance of you have seen more of the things of God than ever you have travelled and come up unto I would to God that every one of you that are convinced would come up To the measure of the knowledge you have received O! that you would answer the Lords Power in opening and discovering his Mind and Will concerning your Travel and the things that belong to your Everlasting Peace that your footsteps may be directed thereby If you will walk in this undefiled way you may lie down at Night and rise in the Morning with Peace and in the favour of the Lord and have the answer of a good Conscience in his sight The means that must help and conduct us in this way must be that familiar Converse that the Soul must have with something greater then it self the Familiar Converse that the Soul must have with the Divine Power with that manifestation of Divine Light and Grace which through Jesus
Christ God hath given unto you For if a man prize and esteem the Truth never so much and suffer never so much for it and Love the Minister never so much if he keep not a Familiar Converse with the Truth notwithstanding all his Profession of Love to the Truths of the Gospel and the Preachers of it he will Reproach it Though he Profess and say I love thee I love thee though he hath suffered much in the way yet if he love not the Truth in his own Heart and desire not to feel the excellency and the vertue of it that man will certainly dishonour the Truth and grieve the Holy Spirit of God We warn you to take heed to your Way and to your Feet in your Christian walk that you may come to have an Abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God Pray to God that the work of Regeneration may be wrought upon you that you may be born into another seed and partake of the Divine Nature Then though the Devil assault you he cannot overcome you he will find nothing in you whereby to betray you into his hands when that change iâ— wrought and when God hath made an alteration and hath brought you out of the Love of the World and the Love of Earthly things And set your Affections on things above where Christ sits at the Right Hand of God Now you can say here comes a Temptation with this instrument and the other instrument and the Devil layes things before me that he would have me to do but I have no inclination to it I have no mind to be sucking at the Worlds breasts but my mind is set upon this that I may reach acquaintance with God Who will be a present help unto me and tread Satan under my Feet There is need of your continual care and vigilancy and that you Watch and Pray that you may not enter into Temptation It is not so easie a thing for a Man or Woman while they are in this World to do any thing without Sin but God hath called you to a Holy Profession which is that you should do all you can do to do every thing you do without Sin For whether you Eat or Drink or whatsoever you do you should do all to the glory of God Here is your Profession but where is the Life of it It is only The Children of God that are led by the Spirit of God This Spirit we would have in you and we would have all you That have received Christ Jesus the Lord to walk in him as you have received him Then you shall be kept undefiled in the Way and delivered from Temptation To this end you must be still waiting upon the Lord that you may have acquaintance with him from Day to Day you are in the World but you should not be of the World The Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ to his Heavenly Father for his Disciples was not that he should Take them out of the World but keep them from the Evil. Merchants Tradesmen and Shop-keepers have always something to do in the World but they should Pray earnestly that they may Be kept from the Evil of the World There is nothing can be done in the World but there is evil in it which we shall be overcome by if we do not keep our watch In the Government of a Family there are occasions and provocations given men to be Passionate and Furious many occasions are offered to Men and Women but we should not be transported and overcome Our Profession obliges us that when a Child or a Servant gives a provocation we are not to behave our selves unseemly and unbecoming our Holy Profession for it is not in their Power nor in the Devils Power neither to kindle your Wrath and Anger into a Flame If you be upon your watch and wait upon the Lord he will give you Wisdom and Strength to stand against all Temptations whatsoever and To order your Conversation according to the will of God and as becomes the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ In Merchandize and Buying and Selling there are Snares and there is evil we may run into but here is our comfort and joy there is no coertion we cannot be forced to Sin the Devil can only lay a temptation before me if thou wilt tell a lye equivocate dissemble here is an advantage for thee but the Devil with all his subtilty power and allurements cannot say thou shalt run into this Sin and be overcome by this Tempation for though of our selves we can do nothing yet in the name and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ we can do all things we can do that which is just and stand over the Temptation and trample upon it and not be overcome of evil but overcome evil with good When we have bought and sold we may look back upon what we have done with pure Minds and clean Consciences in the sight of God and we may come off Victors and more than Conquerors over Temptations through Christ that hath loved us The more a Christian keeps himself unspotted and the more watchful he is in his walking he may go on from day to day and see the snares of the Devil that lies in this Vanity and the other Vanity and Temptation and escape it I would I could say of some of you that when the Devil laid a snare before you you did not run into it when you saw it I have known some that have had understanding enough that they need not to be told where the snare of the Devil lies yet so it hath been the Devil and their own hearts lusts have agrâ—ed together and they have run into the Snare This is from the Old Confederacy that Men have with Gods Enemy you are my Friends saith Christ if ye do whatsoever I command you if you are the Friends of Christ you will be his Subjects and yield Obedience to him When he shews them a Snare they will keep out of it this is the proof of a true Christian that he will be true in a time of Trial and will trust in that Divine Power that keeps him out of the Snare One thing more I would say that Divine Fellowship that you have with Christ Jâ—sus it consists in holiness of Life and Conversation and the exercise of a good Conscience towards God and towards Men. It is in vain to tell me that you will walk in Unity with the Truth unless you have Unity with the Truth in your own hearts you cannot deceive the Lord nor long deceive his People neither Here is the Fellowship that you are to live in all your days to live in Fellowship with the People of God and Communion of Saints can the Saints have Communion in any thing but Holiness and Holiness is a Blessed Sacred thing it becomes the House of God for ever they that are Saints are sanctified and made holy and he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one
despise not the Day of small things live in subjection to that Grace that the Lord hath given you and the Lord will give you more Grace and pour out his Spirit and multiply his Blessings upon you the Lord hath begun a good work in you and he will carry it on to the day of Christ and will vouchsafe to bring the Glorious Day of his Visitation upon you To the Lord I leave you to his Favour and Protection I commit you remember that there is no Salvation but by Jesus Christ and none to be had by Christ till you come to Believe in him to him that searcheth the Heart and tries the Reins that pardoneth Iniquity Transgression and Sin for the sake of Christ Jesus the Mediatour to him I do commit you not doubting but that he that hath begun a good work in you will at last compleat and finish it to his own Praise and your Salvation Sermon IX The Excellency of Peace with God Preached at Devonshire-House August 5. 1691. My Friends IT is Mans great happiness in this World to have Acquaintance with God with the Lord that made him from whom he hath Life and Breath here and his Eternal welfare hereafter this doubtless every one will acknowledge one time or other that peace with God is a great Jewel and the best Estate and Riches It is the great desire of every one that they may attain this one time or other and there is a great neglect of happiness among the Sons and Daughters of Men in not seeking of it and not labouring to attain it while it is to be had Oh! how many trifle away their time about fading and perishing Objects and they know at the same instant that they are yet destitute of the favour of God and of peace with him Oh Friends the very thoughts and consideration of the worth of this Jewel and of the misery of being without it and of the uncertainty of our time while it is to be attained might put every one upon a serious diligent enquiry after the way and means whereby they might attain it that so they might have a resting place for their Souls and satisfaction to their inward Man that it shall go well with them when time shall be no more And they that come to this Consideration and are resolved in their hearts and minds that they will labour after this and set their whole endeavour after iâ— they will in the first place seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof These do need a daily encouragement in their way to Heaven and there is nothing on the Lords part wanting to such Souls but that they may attain their desire But alas this hath been and is still the misery of thousands they are seeking after peace with God but they err in the way to it they do not seek in that way nor take hold of those Methods by and through which God hath promised Peace you shall scarce meet with any body but they would have Eternal Life and Peace with God we shall not need to perswade People to wish for and to desire to have Peace with God when they shall come to die and lay down their heads in the dust There is not a Balaam but he desires to die the Death of the Righteous and that his last end may be like his There is not a Scribe or Pharisee or any that profess Religion but they are seeking after Eternal Life The Lord Jesus did witness concerning them that they were an envious proud persecuting People yet that they did seek after Eternal Life and they pitched upon some Methods and Ways whereby they thought to get and enjoy it but all this was errour still they were out of the way of attaining it and so are a great many people at this very day they are in a State and Condition wherein they are never like to enjoy it the Methods and the ways that they have chosen to themselves to find Eternal Life by and to obtain peace with God will never answer the end And God hath been pleased to discover to us the many by ways that People have chosen and seek after peace with God by therefore we are willing at all times to shew People their errour in these great matters of highest concernment to them If they did err in their way of seeking to obtain some earthly good and missed of their end they know the price of it it is but a loss of so much which if they had taken a right course they might have attained but it is an unspeakable loss an inestimable loss if they lose peace with God and all the pains and labour they are at to obtain it I beseech you Friends consider these things they are of great weight and you will say so one day or other for saith our Saviour what will it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul O how sad is it to consider that a Man hath not made provision for his Soul that he hath not a place of rest for his immortal Soul and that the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ are not open to receive his Soul when his Body can retain it no longer If this be a Mans state when he comes to die it had been better for him that he had never been born Men may live and gather Riches and enjoy a plentiful Estate but if they be destitute of the favour of God and peace with him what will they do with these perishing enjoyments they cannot possibly satisfie themselves with these Transitory visible things but if these persons only mind their Bodies and neglect their Souls do they not live like the Beasts that perish The Beast seeks after his Meat and when he finds it he eats it with delight and pleasure and in a little while he lies down and dies and there is an end so it is with careless Souls that have no regard to their future State but they say Let us eat and drink and be merry for to morrow we shall die Oh that every one of us here did apply our hearts seriously to the consideration of the weight of these things that concern our Eternal State if persons did this then they might come to an enquiry in their own Souls what method and way is most safe for the attaining of so blessed an end For you know there are abundance of People if you look up and down in the World you will see every body almost hunting up and down in some way of Religion or other and are engaged in Religious Performances what is the matter what would you have We would have peace with God here and everlasting Rest hereafter in the Kingdom of Heaven that we would have Thus have the Nations been scattered and driven up and down in the pursuit of Happiness and Satisfaction There is a general Belief amongst people that there is a Heaven and a
God that love any other way or think to come to God any other way than by Jesus the Mediatour their labour will be lost therefore I must exhort and perswade you that are out of the way that you would take Gods method and come into Gods way The torments I have told you are made already the bargain is not to make now I will give you so much to be at peace with God or I will part with this and the other thing that is dear to me No the Agreement is made between God and Christ and his Covenant is ordered in all things and sure and his Covenant stands sure with none but those that are in Christ Jesus There was a Covenant made with Abraham In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed The promises made to the Seed that is to those that are in Christ the Faithful are counted the Seed now the Faithful art those that are obedient to Christ who is the seed of the promise in whom all the Families of the Earth are blessed They must come to Christ the seed they must not rebel against him they must come to him and believe in him be there never so many Nations and Families in the World the Promise is not to them but to as many as the Lord our God shall call Here is the way for People to lay hold of for coming into acquaintance with God which is of so great necessity before they die they must come to Christ himself by his Spirit in their own hearts We need not go to this and the other Learned Man and inquire of this and the other sort of People but we must cry to God for help and direction and come unto him and give up all the powers and faculties of our Souls to him to be governed by him God will have Servants that will be obedient to him if ever we come to obtain Salvation we must have another Master one is your Master even Christ I must come under the government of Christ and he must lead me and rule me if I will be a Child of God When People come to see there is no effectuaâ— way but submitting to the grace of God in theiâ— own hearts and yielding themselves up to the dictates of the Spirit of Christ in their Souls when they come to this there are many hazards and difficulties to be encounter'd with there is the appearance of the Cross of Christ and we must takâ— up this Cross if we will follow Christ and be obedient in all things unto him This is that which wiâ— kill all my pleasures lay wast all my Religion anâ— destroy all my hopes I must be like a Man thaâ— hath built a house without a good foundation must pull it all down again and I must come tâ— build again upon a new foundation Here many have turned aside the Cross of Christ hath seemed to them so sharp and hard and intollerable that they could not bear it they would not be at the charge of such a Religion what must I part with all my delights and my beloved lusts and pleasures and all my interests in the world for Christ I cannot part with these these things lie in my way I must rather lose my Soul than part with what is so grateful to me and joyn with the light of mine own Conscience and the truth in my inward parts What must not I have so much as liberty of thought What must my thoughts be regulated by that which is so cross and repugnant to my mind Must I throw out all evil thoughts out of my heart and suffer none but good thoughts to remain there Who can stand here Who can bear such strictness as this Rather than endure this I will chuse to lose my Soul many have lost the Truth on this account and many are in danger to lose their Souls If there be in you Sirs any desire of peace with God that you may not go hence before you have attained it take hold of the present opportunity hardness of heart is a desperate plague it comes from a long obstinate continuance in sin when we have withstood the day of Gods Patience and Long-Suffering and grieved the Holy Spirit of God then God giveth us up to our own Hearts Lusts because we will not hearken to the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely when we stop our ears and will not attend to the Calls of God when Men will go on and nothing can stop them in the career of their Lusts and Pleasures but they will retain their Carnal Delights and Friendship with the World this hardness of heart is a desperate plague take heed of it that it doth not overtake you and bring ruine and destruction upon you Consider the Patience and Long-suffering of God and let his goodness lead you to Repentance Consider God hath waited to be gracious to you he hath exercised much long-suffering and patience towards you whereas he might have cut you off long ago given you your Portion with the damned in Hell but he hath hearkned to the Mediatouâ— that hath pleaded for you he hath extended his patience and Long-suffering to the Wicked and Rebellious also and for this reason the Apostle tells us that Christ is the Saviour of all Men especially of them that believe Now the Patience and Long-suffering of God hath been lengthned out to us all and we have noâ— improved it Conscience hath been sensible of the inward stroaks and rebukes of God for sin and oâ— the inward calls of his Grace to bring us to Repentance but we have not regarded those Calls noâ— hearkned to the voice of God so as to hear that our Souls might live O let us not put off our Repentance any longer but to day while it is called to day let us hear his voice and not harden our hearts but be of a tender heart let our hearts be softned and entendered under the word of God and under the stroaks of his Judgments If ever the Lord bring you unto a tender frame you will receive the word of God with meekness and mix it with Faith then it will work effectually to the amendment of youâ— Lives it will work Faith in those that are Unbelievers and strengthen the Faith of those that Believe Then we shall have cause to bless the Lord and Praise and Magnifie his Great Name for hiâ— Patience Long-suffering and Mercy which at thiâ— Day he hath lengthned out and graciously extended to us Sermon X. True Christianity Preached at Grace-Church street April 10. 1692. THE Institution of the Christian Religion was for this purpose that Holiness and Righteousness might be brought forth in the Earth that God through his Son Jesus Christ might take delight in the Sons and Daughters of Men that they be reconciled to him For that which the Law could not do by reason of its weakness God hath had a purpose to do by his Son and to him he gave
is given for another reason and there is truth in it but that truth is but a delusion they would excuse themselves when they have yielded to a Temptation I am weak and frail I cannot resist the Devil tho the Devil is not stronger than Christ yet he is stronger than I he worketh with all his might power and subtilty to deceive me and ensnare me and overcome me I am a poor frail Creature therefore I must yield to him This is a carnal reason if I were to grapple with the Devil in mine own strength and to deliver my Soul as if God had left me to my self If thou say Lord thou hast set me to grapple with the Devil and to withstand his temptations Lord I am not able to do it my self God will answer thee I have laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost all that come to me by him So that thou are not to overcome the Devil by thine own power and ability If any man reason thus the reason is out of Doors for we are saved by Christ therefore I cannot plead mine own frailty seeing God hath provided a Rock for my defence that is stronger and higher than I that I may trust and relye upon So that you see the frailties of our nature is not a sufficient reason we must seek further for it yet and when we come to search narrowly and to the bottom of our Hearts I will tell you here it rests it hath its center in the perverseness of the Will that is in man that is contrary to the Will of God It is the opposition of our Will to the Will of God we may talk what we will of Salvation and Christianity that we have a mind to be saved and go unto God when we die and to enjoy the happiness of Heaven to Eternity We may talk thus but as long as the perverseness of the Will continues I am the cause of mine own ruine if I grow in a profession this perverse Will will grow up with me under that profession and under any profession change your judgment and opinion as often as you List this will go along with you the reason and the bottom of things will come to this none can overcome the Devil nor be a Disciple of Christ without a daily cross When people come to this to see a necessity of taking up the cross of Christ and denying themselves When it comes to this there are such shifts and evasions and arts that men have to cover themselves to make themselves and others believe that such and such a thing is consistent with the Will of God and that they may do it and save their own Souls but they boast of their own deceit and are glad that they can make a shift to save their own Souls so that there is no hopes of their ever being purged and cleansed and of having any holy work brought forth by them but when a man comes to be sensible of his spititual condition and is sincere and honest he will be ready to say unto God if I be deceived in any thing open mine Eyes Lord if I indulge my self in any thirg that hath a contrariety to thy holy Will Lord I beseech thee discover it to me such a man will lay aside his own Will if it be contrary to Gods Will Now here is one that is a very fit Object for Christ to work upon he will not be long before he be savingly convinced When a man comes to the Word he is convinced of such an evil in his Conscience where no body but God and himself were privy to it or had any knowledge of it It is discovered that he liveth in such a practice as is contrary to the mind of God God hath convinced thee that thou lovest it and livest in it And if thou wilt but break off that evil practice that hath sent his Son Jesus Christ to turn thee from every evil way and to Redeem thee from all Iniquity This truth hath a savour in it and if thou art sincere and upright there is nothing for thee to say or do but to set thy self against every thing that is contrary to the mind of God and thou wilt have light from Heaven sent to guide thee and direct thee in thy way thither if thou wilt but receive that Grace that is freely given of God unto thee through Jesus Christ he will certainly purge thee and cleanse thee from thy Sin and turn thee from every evil way notwithstanding the perverseness of thine own Will and Power of Satan And he will work in thy Heart by his Grace till it hath wrought thee off from thine iniquity and wrought iniquity out of thee and so bring forth a holy work to God Without Faith it is impossible to please God We cannot please God without Faith nor with it neither unless it be the gift of God There is a great deal of Faith in this Nation and in this City But do you believe all their ways are pleasing to God We must distinguish of Faith here When the Apostle would give a description of saving Faith he tells you that it is the Operation of God if I have not that Operation and a regard to it how can I have that working But since it is the dispensation of the Gospel of Christ and design of Christ to turn people to the operation of God in their own hearts we would have them believe it If there be a drunkard or a prophane person if God work faith in his Heart he will be convinced and say what a stroak hath the Lord given upon my Conscience and he will see it is the Lords work Then believe whoever thou art and lay hold of this for this is the Operation of God for thy Salvation this is the Operation of God upon a believing Soul the stroak of Gods hand and the Power of God and then thou hast the work of Faith by which Faith thou art enabled to keep thy self from that thing that God smote thee for and before he give thee over the same hour thou wilt find the same hand smiting thee for another sin this will be like fire in thy bones kindling up thy zeal and hatred against thy sin and will kindle in thee a holy fire of Love to God that hath not let thee lie in thy misery but minded thy condition and had compassion on thee This love God will shed abroad which will run over thy Heart He hath shed abroad his Love saith the Apostle Rom. 5. upon our hearts by the Holy Ghost to constrain us to yield obedience when thou fallest into the way of Faith which is the Operation of God the Devil comes and knocks and bounceth on this side and that and will tempt thee to walk in thy old course but God will not fail to give thee the power to withstand temptation The Lord Jesus Christ he worketh in peoples Hearts to turn them from