a Voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it There is a Voice that calls to People in our Days to look behind them for they are out of the way This Prophecy is fulfilled in our Days we cannot turn away from the good ways of God but we may hear a Voice behind us saying thou art sinning against God and breaking the Holy Law of God Now if People return it must be by the Cross I will not return to God saith one I have Pleasure Profit and Honour and whatsoever my Heart can desire in this evil way that I am walking in if I return I shall have nothing but shame and Reproach I shall be undone and ruined and I shall lose the Favour and Friendship of my Friends and Relations I cannot return to God but through a Daily Cross and self Denial What then It 's likelier to be the right way this bearing the Cross Christ tells us If any will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Me. This Voice of Christ calls me to repent and turn from Sin and giveth me a strong Argument that it is true that it is the same way that will bring me back to God by the Mediator It brings its own Evidence with it We need no Argument to prove that it is a right way It is a right way because it is the narrow way It is the right Gate because it is the strait Gate Every body can walk in the broad way with ease without any Cross When People are come thus far that they are convinced of their Duty when they are called to amend their Lives and Conversations to forsake their Sins and turn to the Lord This is the great Question now Have I Power to do this This Question hath stumbled a great many when they have some beginning thoughts of turning to the Lord and at last they have setled themselves in a belief that they cannot do it it is true and nothing truer that Men Convinced of their Sins have not Power to leave their Sins of themselves This is true but not all the Truth to Men that God convinceth of Sin He gives them Power to be made willing to forsake their Sins He hath given Power to all that are in Christ Jesus to believe and become the Sons of God then they have denied ungodliness and Worldly Lusts If they be the Sons of God and live Righteously Soberly and Godly in the World But what shall they do that are sensible they have not Power to forsake their Sin till God is pleased to give them Power Such have nothing to do but to wait upon the Lord for the giving of this Power and then I have a Duty Incumbent to me to Answer this Power The Apostle upon this subject tells us what People are to do for their own Conversion He ascribes the Power of Conversion to Christ Jesus The Prophets and Apostles they tell us there is something for Man to do that is if he hath not Power he is to be willing to receive it The Apostle hath a notable Expression to this purpose He puts them in mind how they used to do by the Devil when they were the Devils servants they did obey his Commands and yielded their Members servants to Unrighteousness How did they yeild They did it Heartily with pleasure and delight thus you did when you did not know the Power of God but now you are come to the knowledge of the Power of God Yield not your Members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Rom. 6.13 Let your Minds and wills and Affections be joyned to that Power which God Visited you with in Love to God give up your Members as Servants unto Righteousness Here is something for Man to do in the Day of Gods Visitation Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power That they may come to that and experience that this shews that they are the People of God But they that are not a willing People are none of Gods People but Gods People are so And I pray God make you all so to be a People willing to be Gods People when he gives you Power and it will not be long before he gives you Power to forsake your Sins to forsake this and the other Foolish Proud and vain Action and fashion he hath made Christ Jesus to be Lord and King and he shall Reign over Death he hath made all things by Christ and he is become the Saviour of all Men but especially of them that believe so that I would have a special Salvation and thou wouldest have it too Christ hath made a way and opened a door for us to be saved that we might have an abundant entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom But I would have a special Salvation that will invest me with the Love of God in my Heart before I die It is to be had only through Christ therefore to him will I come to him must every one come and every Knee bow to his Name and every one must wait to his appearing in the Spirit When Christ appears Truth stirs Now if a Holy Divine Life is in thee it is He if a Principle of Truth stir in thee it is He The same Jesus only in a smaller Manifestation He that is Faithful in a little He will make him Ruler over much This is he that God hath ordained to be the Captain of our Salvation this is that which we Preach in his Name and testifie and declare to all People that there is no other Saviour No deliverance from Death and Hell but by and through him In him there is Reconciliation and that Peace which passeth all Understanding and Power over all those things which have Captivated us and made us disobey our great Lord and Maker Let us wait for the coming of Christ He is our King our Lord and Lawgiver and he will save us This was the cry of his People of Old for the glorious and great Salvation he hath given and the Work he hath wrought Let the Prayers and Supplications of all People that desire Salvation be put up more and more that he will visit the Earth and give Power from above and bring us into that New and Living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh to whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Eternal Father thou hast brought forth thy Glorious Name and revealed thy Powerful and mighty Arm Thou hast caused a Remnant to bow and Worship at thy appearance thou art wonderful O Lord thy Majesty is great and they that behold thy Glorious appearance will bow and with humble Reverence Worship before thee Thy Power is gone forth and hath reached the Hearts of thy People thou hast humbled them and subjected them to
spake or wrote it It was not the Blood of Bulls or Goats nor the Blood of a Ram that could purge away Sin from their Consciences And after the Apostle had opened the Mystery of Divinity who had a Divine and Spiritual Skill in unfolding the Restoration of Mankind he declared plainly that when the Offering was made by Aaron for Sinners even then there remained still a Conscience of Sin for it was not possible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin so that their outward performances and their outward services they did but point out the Mediator they had a pointing finger as it were to the Real True and Everlasting Mediator Christ Jesus who is made a Mediator betwixt God and Man that by and through him man might be again Reconciled to God So that now in these Gospel days wherein God is opening the Mysteries of Life and Salvation to the intent and purpose that the Sons and Daughters of Men might be restored again unto their Primitive Enjoyment of the Favour of God Now in these days it is the Duty of all Christians and of all that are seeking the welfare of their Immortal Souls that they have their Eyes and their Hearts unto Jesus as unto one that is able to Reconcile them unto God To him it is committed to him Wisdom and Power is committed and to him Authority is committed that he should be an Everlasting High Priest and that all the Services and all the Worship and Religious performances that People offer up to God should be in his Name that so by him they might be Recommended to God For none will ever find Acceptance with the Father unless in all their performances they have an Eye unto him So that it comes plainly to pass according to that short and confident Assertion of the Author to the Hebrews That without Faith it is impossible to please God But it is possible to Offer Sacrifices without Faith and possible for People to perform Religious Services without Faith as woful Experience have taught us in our days That many have been exercised in a kind of a Religious Service and Worship that never in their Lives had Faith enough to believe the things that they pray for And they are without Faith For when People Pray to God to send his Holy Spirit into their Hearts that they may keep his Commandments to their Lives End they have not Faith to believe it And when they Pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven This is a Religious performance but I question whether it be done in Faith if not it is but an Increasing in Sin an Addition to Sin Where is the Man that is exercised in praying to God that believeth that ever such a thing is like to come to pass Go where you will in this or the other Nation and Inquire of People about their Faith they believe there is no possibility of Extirpating and Rooting out of Sin while they live upon the Earth therefore all their Prayers for it are vain and their Faith a vain Faith and it is high time in such a day as this when men are Faithless and Unbelieving to preach up the object of Faith the Lord Jesus Christ People are of divers Faiths and of divers Beliefs but we have found by experience that they do them no good they do not bring a thing to pass that of necessity must be brought to pass ere they can be Reconciled to God their Faith doth not cleanse the Heart nor extend so far as to believe that ere they shall be cleansed In all the Worship and Religion that they perform they come not to this Faith that they shall be made clean All that is done is but in sin and uncleanness they cannot bring a clean Sacrifice out of an unclean Vessel And our Lord Jesus Christ saith concerning this Subject An Evil Tree cannot bring forth Good Fruit. But there must be good Fruit brought forth how must we do it Make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good When that Mens vain janglings about Religion and Religious fancies must come to an end Then all that Religion will appear to be in vain and will not answer the end for which it is performed till men believe that it will make the Tree good and cleanse the Heart and Transform men by Renewing the Spirit of their Minds So that Religion it must begin within And it is not our changing our forms of Worship from one form to another and taking up this and the other Opinion that doth change our hearts Sad Experience doth teach us that men may carry over their old Lusts into a new Religion we can carry over our old Inclinations into our new Opinions For though the form of Worship be changed the Heart remaining unchanged and the Lusts unmortified their Religion is in vain let them be of what persuasion they will Now the remedy of this great Calamity that hath overspread all sorts of People for there is no sort of People but there are those among them that are under this great Calamity of holding the profession of Godliness with an Ungodly mind and the profession of Truth with a false and treacherous Spirit Now for the remedying of this there is but one way that all Mens Eyes be brought off from having their Eye unto their Performances and to the Doctrines and Tenents that they hold and do as the Apostle saith Fix their Eye upon Christ and look upon Jesus that is the first thing that must begin our Religion for Christ must be the Alpha of our Religion as well as the Omega of it If I begin not there let me begin where I will I begin wrong Let me begin at the most serious and sound Doctrines and at the most Apostolical Religion If Christ and his Apostles were here upon the Earth if I walked among them if I believed all they said and did I should begin wrong if I did not fix mine Eye upon Jesus Christ that is the taker away of sin and is the sanctifier of the Soul by his Spirit There must be the first beginning and there must be the conclusion he is the Author and the finisher of all true Faith There are Authors of other Faiths Men have different Faiths and their Creeds and Articles And they have exposed and imposed them too but this is the worst of it none of them are right let them be exposed and imposed with never so much force and violence none of these will cleanse the heart but that Faith which is delivered over by Christ Jâ—sus that hath the quality of cleansing and purifying that is the Faith when all is done that will do the work that is it that will save and sanctifie and do the business that all the World is about every one would have a Reconciler with God and Sin rooted out and be as God would have them be this is the publick profession of Christendom at least they
goodness and receive of thy blessings that so every one may be sensible that thâ—u art at the least knocking at the door of their hearts that thou mightest have an entrance and bow the hearts and wills of all to receive what thou givest and hast to offer to receive the word of Life by which thou art quickning them And kindle holy desires after thy self that every one may receive thy truth in the love of it That so blessed God of Life thy glorious work of Redemption may be carryed on and we may all feel it carryed on upon our Souls Hear thy poor People that are crying unto thee the God of Gods in Zion that are sensible of their weakness and feebleness and how unable they are to overcome the Enemies of their Soul Arise in thy power O Lord and these Enemies shall be scattered Let the Souls of thy People be raised from the Dust and delivered fâ—om their Sin that they may rejoice and pâ—aise thy name for their deliverance Righteous God of Life our Eyes are unto thee to set forth thy glory for th u hast made bare thine Arm for the Salvation of the poor and needy Souls and thou hast been stretching forth the cords of thy Love to gather them that were scattered and hast been bringing home to thee those that were hurried away in a dark and cloudy day Thou hast made us sensible of thy operations and hast constrained thy Servants to labour in the Word and Doctrine for the gathering of such home that so they and we may enter into thy holy Covenant and may sound forth thy praises to the Ages and Generations to come That so Holy God of Life and Love thou that hast saved us with a marvelous salvation mayest receive for all thy mercies and blessings to thy Children Praises Glory Honour and Thanksgiving for thou alone art worthy who art God over all blessed for Ever Amen Sermon II. Heart Preparation for Receiving the Gospel Preached at Devonshire-House Feb. 12. 1687. IT is in my heart at this time to desire that every ones heart were prepared to be made partakers of the blessings of the Gospel For there is a certain Preparation that every one must witness in themselves ere they are capable of receiving Divine blessings For in all Ages of the World the Blessings of the Lord have been manifold and his Arm hath been always stretched out in all Ages to the Sons and Daughters of Men sensible of the Love he hath unto them and where these tenders of the Love of God have met with prepared hearts they have received it to their Eternal well-fare But this hath been the Lamentation that hath been taken up upon the greatest part of mankind that they have not been prepared to receive the Love of God their hearts and minds have been so filled with the Love of visible things and carnal objects that they have not been truly sensible of the Riches of Grace and Mercy and Love of God unto them Now it was said of old by the Prophet That the Preparation of the Heart is of the Lord and there is somâ—thing that belongs to us on our part that we might attain to this this Preparation that we might be brought in to this Spiritual frame of mind and that is by returning to the Lord that People might think upon his Name and have regard to his Appearance And although this is not the work of Nature for by Nature the minds of People are abroad and they are crying out as the Psalmist speaks Who will shew us any good Yet to help that defect the Lord hath been pleased to send forth his Grace and his Truth and to call unto the Sons and Daughters of Men that they might seek after him that they might Seek the Lord while he is to be found and they that do hearken unto his voice they will readily confess that there is nothing doth so well satisfie an Immortal Soul as to be gathered into fellowship with its Maker And that at one time or other it is the desire of all Men and Women that they might attain Peace with the Lord and they know there is no Peace to the wicked and they know wickedness will remain until it is abolished and destroyed and they know that it is not in their Power to destroy it and therefore of necessity there must be a waiting upon the Lord who is Almighty that he may reveal his Power in our weakness And they that are thus Prepared in their Minds for them to meet religiously together with expectation unto God that he according to his promise will appear and will reveal his Arm and do in them and for them that which they cannot do for themselves this is a fit occasion for People to meet together and thus many times to have their expectation to God and say Lord thou knowest my weakness and thou knowest the enemies I have to deal withal thou knowest I am not able to overcome them Therefore we are now met together in the Presence of the Lord to wait to receive at his hands that Power that Life that Vertue by which we may be made more than Conquerours Such a Religious Meeting thus gathered together hath a Promise I will be in the midst of them saith the Lord and therefore having a promise we may reasonably expect that we shall be made partakers of the living Virtue and Power by which we may do that which of our selves we cannot do And I say Friends it is my Souls desire that you were all thus qualified that every one had an evidence in himself of this right Preparedness for where the Eye is abroad upon any visible thing that it seeks satisfaction in any thing below the Lord himself it will wear away and wax old All those Objects that People fix their minds upon they will wax old but they whose desires and the breathings of their Souls is that they may grow into Acquaintance with their Maker this will never wax old When Peoples minds are fixed as the People of the Lord of old were When they made a comparison between the state of their minds and the minds of others and signified it in these words They are saying They are crying that is they that are of the World Who will shew us any good But we for our parts our cry is Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us and we will be more glad of that than thâ—y can be with all the increase of Corn and Wine and Oil. Now they that feel in themselves the reason of their Meeting together is to enjoy the Light of Gods Countenance and to partake of the blessings of God they have their expectation to God their minds are retired into God But knowing right well that if the Tongues of Men and Angels are moved to declare the Heavenly and Divine Mysteries of the Kingdom of God they cannot be Edified or benefited by them without the Divine help and assistance of
God's Spirit for there is a Seal upon them and none can open that Seal but The Lion of the Tribe of Judah he only is found worthy to unseal the Mystery and unseal the Divine Blessings that are with the Lord so that People must come to that retiredness of Spirit to that resignation of Soul that they are as a little Child waiting upon the Lord crying out unto the Lord that he will Prepare them That he will make rhem Hungry and then Feed them That he will raise a Thirst in them and then satisfie them with those Divine Springs of Life which through the Lord Iesus Christ are opened to every one that Believeth So far as your minds are stayed and setled waiting for the Lord you will feel in your selves an openness and readiness that if the Lord speaks you are ready to hear him ready to submit to his word ready to obey him that so there may be such an openness in the mind not to the words of any man but unto the word of God to receive that for where the words of men are received though never so excellent they convert not the Soul But the Word of the Lord is pure converting the Soul And this word is that which is able to Quicken those that are Dead in Sins and Trespasses and bring them to be made partakers of Life For it is not an encrease of knowledge that will do the turn but it is the increase of Life and Vertue the increase of Godliness and a Submitting of our Wills unto him that made us It is this that will do our turn this will bring Peace to the Soul and bring us into the Favour of God through our Lord Jesus Christ Now that all may feel that which Prepares the Heart for this resignation and quietness and subjection you must wait upon the Lord that ye may be made partakers of the blessings of of his Everlasting Gospel and of his Divine Presence This is that which is most profitable most advantagious And then the Lord will Open to you the Windows of Heaven and Rain down of those Blessings upon you whereby you will be comforted and refreshed far beyond all the Works that we can do for it is an inward Work that must be done upon the Soul to Convert People that have been Alienated and estranged from God and bring them to a Reconciled State through the Lord Jesus-Christ whereby they may partake of the Divine virtue which Sanctifies and justifies the Soul in the sight of God His Prayer after Sermon Most Glorious and Powerful Father thy Arm of Power is made bare in this our Day to bring Salvation to the Poor O Lord thou hast lifted up the Light of thy Countenance upon a People that have waited for thy Glory and thy Salvation a little Remnant whom the good of this World could not satisfie but O Lord in an acceptable time thou hast brought thy Salvation near and the Light and Brightness of thy everlasting Gospel thou hast commanded to shine into the Hearts and Souls of the Mourners and bowed down ones who are seeking the living God not among the outward Forms and ways of Men. But O Blessed Father of Life thou hast now brought us to the Day of thy Power and bowed our Wills and made us a willing People therein to serve thee and to do thy Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven and for that end O Lord thou hast put it into the Heart of thy People to wait upon thee in whom all our fresh Springs are that from thee we might receive the renewing of Power from Day to Day and in all the hours of our Temptations and Tryals our Eyes O Lord have been to thee and to thy Power and we acknowledge to the Glory of thy Power and Goodness that thou hast been a God nigh at hand when we have been seeking thee and trusting in thee so that we are a People sensible of thy Power and presence with us for that Eye which thou keepest open to thy Children It brings thy Glory to our view and shews it breaking forth over the Nations and we have great joy and satisfaction in beholding the Progress of thy Mighty Power in our Day how thou hast broken down and Confounded and art still breaking down and Confounding all the Dark imaginations and Devices of the Sons and Daughters of Men that have Conspired to hinder the breaking forth of the Glory of thy Son Christ Jesus O Powerful God of Life arise more and more in the greatness of thy Power and Love and make known thy Counsel and thy will among the inhabitants of the Earth and bow their minds O Lord and their Wills that none may dare to withstand thy appearance lest they be found fighters against God and destroyers of themselves O Powerfull Father for this end make bare thine Arm unto the Rulers and Governours of these Nations that they may know thy Counsels and bow to thy Heavenly Will and may promote thy Law of Righteousness in their own Hearts and the Hearts of others that by thy Power a Blessed Reformation may be wrought and iniquity have a stop put to it that it may not run down in a mighty Stream as it hath done in time past but that Truth and Righteousness and sound Judgment may be known in the Earth that they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness may have their Souls desires satisfied and so praise and thanksgivings shall arise from their Souls to thee O Powerful Father of Life preserve and keep thy Children whom thou hast gathered and Purged and Purified and to whom thou hast made known the way of Life and made them a willing People in the Day of thy Power to do thy will and to wait for the coming of that kingdom that thou hast promised to establish under Christ Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that it may grow and increase and be spread abroad upon the Earth and let every one desire to be the Subject thereof So Powerful Father of Life the Arm of thy Power and Invincible strength hath been Revealed that nothing hath been able to resist or stand against and prevail by which thou art planting Sion and building Jerusalem and establishing it By the same Power let thy Work be carryed on and many be brought in to be Subjâ—ct to Christ for the good of their Immortal Souls as thou hast multiplied thy Blessings among us so from Day to Day thou hast made us sensible of thy Love unto us owning us to be thy Children and peculiar People by thy presence in the midst of us when ever we meet in thy Name to wait upon thee that so living Father all thine both here and every where may be encou aged to attend upon thee and to be faithful to thy Power that wait for the opâ—ning of thy Counsels and the enlightning their understandings that they may be able to compâ—ehend with all Saints the height and depth
the way of being near to God that so People may know whom they Worship for you have Read there have been Worshipers that do worship they know not what As our Saviour said to the Woman of Samaria You worship you know not what We know what we worship so all that are taught of God do know which is the First Lesson of Christianity as the Apostle saith He that cometh to God must first know and believe That he is That is People must first be sensible that there is a God and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him before they can rightly Worship him Now for want of this knowledge the World is scattered and People are divided into a great many sorts of Worships and Fashions and ways of Religions for want of the Knowledge of the true Worship of the True and Living God so that though Men are Universally Convinced that there is a God and that a worship is due to him from every one of us yet People are confounded scattered and divided about the performance of their great Duty And in the Day that the Lord hath visited his People he hath come to Answer this doubt and Question for them it hath been the great Question of the World and is still of many Thousands I know we should Worship God but I know not the way and manner wherein to find acceptance The Lord hath Answered that Question in abundance They that have Ears to hear let them hear what the Spirit saith there is a short Answer to it all Let People profess what Religion they will there is no acceptance with God but through Christ so that if People come to be of this and that and the other Religion and change their Religion never so often and go from one Religion to another If they come not to Christ they come not to him in whom they may find acceptance in him God is well pleased with every one but out of him he is pleased with never a one The great Mistery of Religion it lies in Christ People must come to God by Faith in him for without Faith it is impossible to please God let People perform never so much service and duties all must pass through the hands of the Mediatour before ever their performance will reach unto God or before Peace and Comfort will reach to any Mans Soul Therefore it is the wisest way for every one that would have acceptance with God to come to him in the Name of the great Mediatour People would be glad to have acceptance with God and not to have their services turned back upon them as Cains was every one that will have acceptance with God must come this way there is but one way It is not the way that Men have invented some by their Works and Merits some by their made Faiths and made Beliefs and by divers Articles and Principles holding this Principle and the other Principle but our Lord and Creatour he hath found out one way in his Infinite Wisdom and unspeakable Mercy to Mankind that was for ever lost and could never return to God by all his Sacrifices Offerings and performances he was never able to return into Unity with his Maker If God had not found out a way and the way that God hath found out is by his Beloved Son Jesus Christ God spared not He spared not What He spared not his only begotten Son Why what did he do with him He gave him for the Life of the World in him that God gave there is Life It pleased the Lord that his Son should have Life in him as the Father had Life in himself for Christ was with the Father before the World began in him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. John 11 4. It was no Created Life that Life that is in his Son is not a Created Life but it is Eternal Life and it was given for the Life of the World and that Life is the Light of Men This is the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World so that here is the Dignity of that Life which God hath bestowed upon us we are indued with that Life which was with the Father through Jesus Christ before the World was Let us Consider the Dignity of that Light that we are lighted with The Question is whether we should obey this Light or no It is the Question of every one I am enlightned saith a Man shall I obey it or no If I obey I must take up a Cross and part with my beloved Lust and Corruption No doubt of that we must perswade People to do that before we can bring them to Heaven and happiness and Fellowship with God it must not be by that way they lost it but by the contrary way by which God will bring Men to Happiness again They lost it by Transgression and Sinning against God by this way and means Men came out of the Presence and Favour of God by what way shall they obtain it again Shall it be by committing Iniquity and breaking Gods Law No here is the way that God hath found out to bring poor Man back again to himself by the Suffering and Obedience of his Son Jesus Christ He hath given to him all Power in Heaven and Earth that all should be Subject to him here is a Dignity which Christ hath obtained It comes to the Question with us whether we are inlightned Now we know we are Enlightned God hath bestowed something upon us that Wars and Fights against Sin and Iniquity How came we by it Is it any faculty in Nature No Nature is Corrupted and Defiled because the Carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be yet there is something in me that Answers the pure Law of God that which makes me to hate things that are Reproveable that is Light How came I by it It is not Natural for then it would run Parallel with that Natural Inclination that is in my Soul to lead me further and further from God These are set in opposition one against another the Flâ—sh and the Spirit The Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Here is part of an inward War that you may be all sensible of Now these two Warriors the Flesh and the Spirit make War one against another and one of them is over come It is true there is such a Principle in me that strives against Sin and Corruption How came you by it If you believe the Scriptures I say it is the Life of the Son of God that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Now many that have rejected and despised the Light I believe they did not think at the same time to mock and make a scorn of the Life of Jesus though it was really so but if People came to a true esteem and value of that Light that God hath planted in the Soul
saith I feared that the Lord had forgotten me and had passed me by and had done with me but I see he Visits me again and he hath Visited my Soul this Day inclining me to walk more answerably and suitably to his Love he hath doubled his Power upon me and hath kindled a holy Fire in my Heart and caused me to seek after him He hath touched my Heart and I will Pour out my Soul in Supplication seeing he hath touched me He will take hold of â—e by his Power and he will keep me from being any more drawn away I will live in the sense of his Power and mercy that keeps me Night and Day that I may encrease in it and grow in Grace When the Lord meets with such a one he will draw him to the way that he hath appointed none can come unto me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him If I am drawn into what form shall I go now And what Ordinance shall I take up now This is all under Feet This is none of my Work I will come to Christ the Mediatour and he will take the Government and Rule of me It is not my best way to study for a form and an outside Religion I will wait upon that Power that hath thus touched my Heart that he may by degrees bring me to the Obedience of Christ But some are ready to say Who and What is this Christ Jesus that you are speaking of that Immediate Christ Jesus that is extant and present that I am to have to be the Object of my Faith That I may believe in him and come to Acquaintance of him that I may partake of the Life of Christ Jesus and have it Communicated to my Soul It is true we have not a thought or a word to speak that may Derogate from the wonderful Grace of Christ who died in his person on Earth for the salvation of our Souls Yet we must know that the Lord Jesus Christ may be Spiritually present with us and take the Government of us and we are to be subject to him How shall this be I am speaking of one that hath felt the Fathers Drawings when he draws them to his Son and draws them to something that is Holy and Pure This God the Father hath begotten we read in Scripture that God hath begotten Christ who is the only begotten of the Father It is strange you will say to speak of begetting Christ again God begets Christ again that is spiritually he being the first born in many Brethren in every true Believer and there is a travel of Soul that Christ may be Formed in him See what Travel of Soul the Apostle Paul falls into the second time for the Galatians They were a brave People they worshiped God in the Spirit and believed in Christ Jesus and afterwards they came to be seduced by false Prophets and false Teachers that set them about their Works and told them that they could not be Justified and saved without their own Works These false Teachers that came among them were as bad as Popish Priests and Friers It is not your Obedience to Christ and the Spirit will save you you must be doing So these Poor People were deluded and bewitched to give you the Apostles own Words and so they were Infatuated and drawn away from the Simplicity of the Gospel and they thought by the works of the Law to obtain Salvation The Apostle writes a Letter to them and tells them that he traveled in birth again till Christ was formed in them If this was not Scripture it would look like a strange work there must be a forming of Christ a Birth there must be and a begetting Who must beget in this and that moment But the same that begat from the beginning the same is the Father he begets Christ in all that believe and obey the Gospel He is begetting something in me that is Holy though I be unholy the Father by the Operation of his Divine hand begets something in me that is Holy This I find though I am not so good as I should be I have that given me that will tell me that the more I adhere and joyne my self in my desires and Affections to this good Principle the more I shall pertake of the Quality of it this good Principle though it be like a little Grain of Mustard-seed I cannot tell what to compare it to for Littleness in comparison of the Great Lump and Mass of Sin Corruption and Filthyness that Wars against it This will Overspread all that is bad and make me Holy as that is Holy Pure as that is Pure and to have a Love to Him from whence it came even to God and Christ It will gather the Affections from Corruptible things and place them upon things above This Faith tells People that it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen such a one lives by Faith such a one that comes to be joyned to that that is begotten of the Father He lives by the Faith of the Son of God and can do nothing of himself but through Christ that strengthens him They say unto God I perceive I can do nothing without thee I cannot Pray unto thee nor serve thee of my self I can do nothing acceptably but through Christ the Mediator such a one becomes like a little Child and he must be Led and who must Lead him but the Spirit of Christ You cannot Preach saith one to him unless you be moved by the Spirit You cannot Pray till you be moved by the Spirit How should I No without him I can do nothing I cannot Preach nor Pray nor do any thing Acceptable to God the Father but by Christ and he hath Revealed him in me This is no new Doctrine we see the new and Living way It was an old way to old Christians and a new way to the new and so a Thousand Years hence if the World last so long Men will see that they cannot do any thing pleasing to God but as they are gathered into Christ they will see their own Righteousness works and doings will avail them nothing at all This is all laid at the feet of Jesus whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to be Lord and King Now my Friends we are engaged in this Age abundantly engaged to offer thanks to God through Jesus Christ that he hath provided and opened a way for the sending forth the Spirit of his Son And that God hath gathered a People and hath made known to them the way of Life that they might walk in it but there is no walking in it but through a Daily Cross and self-denial It is not likely that a Man should be brought back to God the same way that he went out from God and the Prophets and Apostles do allude to this turning to God When thou turnest aside to the right Hand or to the left thou shalt hear
thy Divine Almighty Power that they might appear in the Earth to the Praise and Glory of thy great Name And O Lord as thou hast begun a great Work in the Earth so thou hast committed this great Work to thy Servants and Children that bear thy Name among the Sons of Men that they should shew forth thy Righteousness among the Inhabitants of the Earth And our Souls have said many times who is fit and sufficient for these things All our sufficiency and Preparation is from thee do thou make bare thine Arm and Reveal and make known thy Power We have found thy Presence with us from day to day and thou hast upheld them that know thy Love O Glorious God of Life herein we have Encouragement to go on in the work that thou hast called us to Hereby we are enabled to Worship before thee and to offer up Living Praises to thy great Name for that Consolation that thou hast Ministred unto thy People And O living Father we have never waited upon on thee in Vain when ever we have met together in thy Name we have found thy Divine presence and the opening of the Treasures of thy Love of thy Wisdom and of thy Favour unto thy Children so that from day to day and even at this day thou remembrest thy People and givest them fresh occasions to draw nigh to thee and to receive their daily nourishment and strength from the Operation of thy Power O living God of Life gather up the Hearts of thy People more and more unto thy self and draw them into a nearness to thy self that their Understandings may be more opened to discern thy will and subject themselves to thy Wisdom that every thought that is exalted against thy Divine Power and living Voice in their own Consciences may be brought down That so all the Nations of the Earth may bow before thee that so thy truth may Reign and thy Power may be exalted and the Righteousness which thou hast revealed may shine out more and more in the brightness and glory of it and inlighten those that are afar off that they may be brought to seek after thee And O thou living God of life and power let those that are bowed down under the weight of Sin be supported and raised up And let those that are weary and heavy laden have rest to their Souls Powerful God of life keep thy People in the fresh and living sense of thy love and of thy Heavenly Vertue by which thou nourishest thy Children and satisfiest them from Day to Day not only when they are met together but when they are separated from one another let thy People be preserved from the World while they are in it and let thy Wisdom and Power give them Victory over it That thou mayest have the Glory of all thy Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to them for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon VI. The Divine Monitor OR Light from Heaven Preached at Grace-Church-Street June 19. 1692. IT is a great Priviledge to the Sons and Daughters of Men that it hath pleased God Almighty to open a way how they may come to the true Knowledge of himself And O that there was a Heart in every one of us that could rightly prize this Priviledge as they ought to do for in the Knowledge of the true God consists our true Happiness and without this the mind of no Man or Woman can be be good there is nothing seasons the mind and Soul of Man and prepares and fits it for an everlasting well-being but the Divine Knowledge of the living God that made him And there is a Propensity in the Soul of Man even since the Fall to return again to God and to have that acquaintance and Communion with the Lord that Man had before he fell and they that have regard to that inward spark of Divine Love that they find in their own Souls towards God they will experience that the Lord is merciful and Gracious and Propitious to that which is of himself For though the Soul is lost and Man is lost through transgression and a great Alienation is happened between him and his Maker yet the Mercy of the Lord endureth for ever And his kindness and favour to lost Man is such that he stretcheth out his hand all the day long and presents and offers to the Children of Men a Friendship and Acquaintance and a Communion again with him and though by Sin and Transgression there is a rebellous Nature grown up in the Sons and Daughters of Men yet the Soul of Man is not wholly so there is something that strives and labours in a contrary way and persuades the Soul to turn again unto the Lord and to wait for the knowledge of God and whosoever hearkens with care and diligence to that Divine Monitor that is daily drawing and persuading People to seek after God they come to understand that the Lord is not so Angry with Mankind but his Love and Mercy and Good-will reaches towards all the Sons and Daughters of Men and the Bar that hinders their Communion with God and Peace with God it is not in the Lord but it is in themselves and therefore the remedy must be wrought in themselves This is evident to every Eye that there is something gotten into Mankind which the Holy God cannot own and can never have fellowship with That is another contrary Spirit hath wrought upon the Souls of People and hath seduced and drawn them out to that which is unholy and contrary to God and the terms of Gods Covenant with Mankind which is that he should forsake that which the contrary Spirit hath wrought Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts Why should he forsake his ways Because the Lord never led him to those ways He that made him never led him into them but the Devil the Enemy of Mankind seduced him into those ways therefore the Creatour cries out to him Let the wicked forsake his Ways and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts I cannot have union with him as long as he walks in his evil ways I cannot dwell in his mind so long as evil thoughts are in it so may the Lord complain of the works which the Devil hath wrought that Man is carryed away from God by his evil thoughts and the works of the Devil Why doth not God destroy those works when he is Almighty and able to do it Very true God is so but he hath offered to Mankind through the Son of his Love a way and means how Man may come to be purged and cleansed from the evil that the Devil hath wrought in him and how he may come to be reconciled to God God hath not chosen the way of Coertion and Force and to work altogether by irresistible Power that Man shall go to Heaven whether he will or no there was no force used for his going to Hell and Darkness but
wisher to the Souls of all Men As God hath done good to my Soul So I cannot but wish well to the Souls of others That as he hath found out a way for my Redemption and Salvation so likewise I wish the same for others that are bond-men and bond-women and under the Power of their Corruption Gods work hath been to destroy the Bondage and the Oppression and to destroy the Tyrant that Reigns over the Souls of his People God having made them for his Glory and the Devil hath Stolen them away that they do not that which pleaseth God But God's good pleasure is that all may be Saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth And God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life And he is called The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World He can take away Sin if my Sin do not obstruct my Faith and Confidence in him he will take it away and if he takes that away then he makes the Tree good Nothing hinders us from the injoyment of God but Sin and if Christ will take it away by the blood of his Cross no matter for all the Scorn Contempt Hardship Reproach and Persecution of this World no matter for he hath not deceived us but told us before hand If we will be followers of him and be led by him we must expect these things suffering Reproaches Persecutions Disdain Envy these things come not uncertainly upon us the World loves its own and cannot love them that are not of it but they that are now of the World may be brought to the terms of God and they may not be any longer of the World Christ Prayeth not that his Disciples may be taken out of the World but kept from the evil he prayed for them that did not believe So that Christ is a Mediator for all men and a Propitiation for all men and he is working by his Spirit for the Redemption of all men That to as many as believe in him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God The sum of all is this that we have an opportunity put into our hands we cannot deny it you must all upon search confess that the Grace of God doth often work in your hearts against any Corruption against any Evil Let not this prize be put into our hands in vain as into the hands of fools If I knew that this and that was a sin I would leave it let us be of that mind and we shall soon know it Then say If I knew such a thing to be a sin If I could get a thousand pounds by it I would not do it why should'st thou love sin for profit or pleasure I am sure it is an ill bargain when it is done Whatsoever I am convinced of is a sin I will not it Resolve upon this and there the Grace of God will be at work we shall soon see that we must leave off sinning there is such a thing I must leave God hath set up a Judgment in my mind against it though it bring profit and pleasure away it must go here is a step a following step to follow Christ he that will deny himself will follow Christ My Redeemer shews me this to be an evil I will not do it but follow him and imitate him Here the Soul is led step by step even by Christ the Captain of our Salvation till it is gradually cleansed from sin and reconciled unto God and this can be done by no other means for Prayer and Alms will not do it All that can be done by us will not dot it none can do it but Christ alone that God hath laid help upon that you may all wait for the Divine Operation of his Grace in your hearts that is it which we Labour and Travel for as knowing that God hath wrought wonderfully by it for the Redemption of all those that love him more than they love their pleasures more than they love their sins it must be concluded that following of him and leaving Father and Mother Husband and Wife Children Brethren and Sisters all these things as they stand in competition with him and the Obedience of his Spirit all these must be looked upon as nothing to him Then above all things I must not displease him He can speak Peace and none can take it away and if he take it away none can give it If we follow Christ when this is done then all is done according to the Will of God then the blessing of God descends upon the whole Creation then every man will speak truth to his Neighbour and every man will govern his Family with discretion So God is Glorified and his name comes to be Exalted who is worthy to be Loved Adored and Exalted above all Blessings and Praises to him be Glory who is God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious God of Life and Power and of Everlasting Kindness a God of Long-suffering and Patience else we had not been here at this day Lord we are Monuments of thy Mercy thou hast spared us long and hast called unto us in a day when we turned away our Ear from thee thou hast stretched out thy hand all the day long and thou hast gathered a little Remnant of the lost Sheep of the house of Israel to partake of thy Pastures of Life and now all our Souls have been greatly refreshed and comforted since we come to understand and comprehend with the rest of thy Saints the Height and Length and Breadth and Depth of thy Love which in the Son of thy Love thou hast Revealed to us And blessed Father of Life our Souls do breath and cry unto thee on the behalf of Strangers which are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel that are yet breathing and inquiring after thee And asking the way to Sion O Lord remember them and hear their cry and let their sighing and complaining enter into thine Ears that all they in whom thou hast begun to kindle up holy desires after thee may have them grow into a flame to burn up all their Enmity to thee that so they may be purified by thy judgments and receive of thy Heavenly Grace This is the way which thou hast used with thy Children thou hast commanded them to Worship thee in thy dwelling place thou hast taken them into thy house and fed them with thy finest Wheat refreshed them with thy Loving-kindness and filled them with thy Holy Spirit Dearest God of Love this is the design and purpose of our Meeting together that we may enjoy thy Presence and feel the operation of thy Word and have Communion with thee and thy Son Jesus Christ through thy Holy Spirit the way into Rest and Life is with thee thou canst open and none can shut Lord open the hearts of this People to receive of thy
and length and breadth of thy Love in Christ Jesus that in the Sense of the freeness and greatness thereof all thy Children here and every where that in an everlasting Covenant of Grace thou hast gathered to thy self may have Communion with thee and thy Son and Spirit and may return thee the honour Glory and Praise of all thy Love and Mercy and Grace for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for ever and ever Amen Sermon III. The First and Great Commandment opened Or The Heart given up to God Preached at Devonshire-House May 27. 1688. VVHen God gave forth his Law on Mount Sinai which Israel was to hear and to obey The first great Commandment was Thou shalt have no other Gods before me here is the sum and substance of all the true Religion that ever was on the Earth to this day all the Commandments all the Precepts Prophecies and all the dealings of God with his People from that Day to this have been all contained in this short Precept thou shalt have no other Gods but me and as long as Israel stood in Obedience to this Command their Blessings were multiplied upon them their good things were increased from Day to Day The Lord was with them as long as they were willing to be his Pâ—â—ple he appeared as their God as their Defeâ—der wrought their Deliverances sought all their Battles for them gave them Dominion and Strength Courage and Wisdom Ministred out of his Treasury all good things unto them For the great Care of God Almighty was with all his People he had regard to them and visited them at all times to keep them from Idolatry I am saith he a Jealous God take notice of me to be so I am Jealous of my Name If thou wilt be mine thou shalt have no other Gods buâ— me And all the Precepts about Offerings and Sacrifices and making attonement for Sinners and the divers Services and Worship the various Offices in the Temple and Sanctuary they were all as outward means appointed of God to keep this outward Church in an inward Conformity to the Command of God This Command was written in Tables of Stone and these Tables were laid up in the Ark of God and all this pertained to the First Covenant and all this Typed and Figured out the Dispensation of the New and everlasting Covenant that God would make with his People not like unto the old How not like it Not like it in the outward Shadows the Types and Shadows of things but he would bring forth the Susbtance of all those Shadows and Types and would alter the Form and outward appearance of things For as God is unchangeable so his Law is unchangeable Moses saith the first and great Commandment is thou shalt have no other Gods but me This was put into the Stone Tables Christ Jesus saith the first and great Commandment is thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind Mat. 22 27. This is put into the Tables of the Heart So here is a difference between the first Commandment by Moses and the first Commandment by Christ they both acknowledge the first and great Command to be the subjecting of the Creature to him that made him as his God that he may only serve him that he may love him with his whole Heart The Jew could prove this by his Stone Tables and Christ proves this by the Fleshly Tables of the Heart for there he is bound to love the Lord with his whole Heart and to serve him onely him onely shalt thou serve Now here is the Jews Law brought over to the Christians in the greatest Point of Religion that ever was Preached that shuts out all Idolatry all Superstition all variety of Religions all is shut out by this Commandment and the Christian that hath the Law written in his Heart according to the new Covenant he can go as readily to it and read it as ever the Jew could go to his Stone Tables and read the Law there you cannot deny that if there be a thing written and Graven in my Heart I can go as readily to it as I can go to any Book or Table though I have the keeping of it But the Jews had not the keeping of it generally it was laid up in the Ark of God Now Friends that which lies upon my mind to speak to you at this time and that out of the great Love that I have to all your precious and Immortal Souls as God hath had a Love to mine is that you would all consider and weigh in the fear of the Lord whose presence is among us which of you and how many of you are come to the Obedience of this Commandment I do not doubt but the most of you can say them all but a happy People are you if you can do one I dare pronounce that Soul a blessed Soul that can perform this one Commandment that can or dare stand before his Maker and say O Lord I love thee with all my Heart with all my Soul and with all my Might my love is withdrawn from all other things in comparison of thee there is nothing in this whole World hath a place in my mind but as it is in subjection to the love of thee Here is the first and the great Commandment the unchangeable Law the Law that was good in Moses his Days and good in Christs Days and it holds good in our Days and indeed it is such a definitive Law that the Breakers of it can neither be good Jews nor good Christians there is an absolute necessity lies upon us of abstracting and drawing away our minds and Souls from all other Gods from all Images and other dependencies and trusts that People are naturally liable to trust to And to have their whole Confidence set upon the Lord but alas with Grief of Heart I speak it there are but a very few that as yet have known the right giving forth of the Law and there are a great many fewer that are subjâ—ct to it This Law was not given forth at first without Thunder and Lightning and a terrible noise and the Mountain smoaking he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear in so much as Moses himself said he feared greatly and he Quaked exceedingly because of the Thunder of the Almighty and the Mountain that smoaked and burned with Fire so that Israel could not draw nigh Now I say there are but a few that have come to the Knowledge of the giving forth of this Law that have certainly known those Thunders and that Terrible Work that the Lord of the whole Earth makes when he comes to set up his Law for a great many that have come nigh to it and might have heard and received the Words of the Law of God they have gone backward they have done like unto the Jews of old though they had suffered much and gone through much and had seen the Wonders of
the Lord how be had led them and delivered them yet when it came to this that they must hear the Voice of God they said we cannot bear it We cannot indure it We have devised for our selves an easier way for the Voice of Thunder and Dreadful noises put them into Terrour and Quaking and Trembling and great Dread came upon them but we have found an easier way say they what is that Go thou said they to Moses and hear thou what the Lord saith and come thou and tell us Thou shalt be a Mediator between us let God speak unto thee and do thou speak the same to us and we will hear thee This was the Jews that were not come beyond the Law of God written in Tables of Stone they would not come to receive it in their Hearts as the Christian must so Moses he received the Law from the Mouth of God and he was Faithful as a Servant in the House of God and he ministred forth the Law of God his Precepts Statutes and Judgments and Testimonies and he made them a Book of Laws for all of them to walk by from the highest to the lowest how they should act in Criminal matters and do justice between Man and Man and what they should do in the Worship of God and what they should do towards the Priest whose Lips should preserve knowledge for them and so he brought up a Form of Religion but his Work was according to the Precepts of God and he brought them into the Form of National Religion and Government and National Laws And so Moyses and the Priests ruled over them and the Priest he offered Sacrifice for them and made attonement for them and Moses inquired of the Lord and asked Counsel for them and taught and instructed them and what câ—me of all thâ—s at last When this was done the Priest made attonement for Sin but he could not pluck away the guilt of one Sin there remained the Conscience of Sin after he had made his Offering and Moses taught them the Counsels of God and the Commands of God but he could not bind their Hearts to the obedience of them for he declared openly against them that they were a Rebellious and stiffnecked People notwithstanding this they had a Law without them indeed time would fail me to run through the manifold miscarriages of the Church of the Jews in respect of their Idolatry in respect of their Contempt and Rebellion both to God and his servant Moses which was to teach and to guide them I say the time would fail me to mention the manifold miscarriages that happened among this People that had a Law and Religion without them and a Teacher without them Now in the fulness of time it pleased God in sending his Son Christ Jesus to raise up a Prophet like unto Moses in respect of Faithfulness though higher in respect of Dignity for Moses was faithful in all his House as a Servant but this Man was faithful as a Son in his own House in the House that he was Heir of that House wherein he was a King both a Priest a Prophet and a Ruler in When the Lord signified by the Spirit of Prophecy the coming of the Just one he signified to the People that his Ministry it should not be as that of Aaron the People should not have their Religion without them and their Laws and Precepts without them and their Priests without them and their Worship and Church without them but that they should have it all within them I will write my Law in their Hearts I will put it into their Inward Parts then they shall be my People and I will be their God and they shall not forsake me Your Fathers brake my old Covenant but I will make a new Covenant in the Latter days a New Covenant not like that your Fathersbroke they brake the Law without them But I will Write my Law in their Hearts This Prophet that is like to Moses he shall Teach my People he shall be a Leader to them and guide them in the way they are to go and shall be a Captain for them to lead them to Salvation And it shall come to pass in the Day that I do this if there be any that will not hear him he shall be cut off from among the People That is the Judgment that comes upon the contemners of the Gospel upon them that will not hear Christ Jesus they shall be cut off from the People from what People From the People of God they shall have no part of the Priviledges that are enjoyed through Christ they shall be cut off from the Benefits that others reap by their Faith in Christ So that now we are to expect the operation and working of a Ministry that leads a People to an inward Religion a Heart Religion where the Heart is fixed intirely upon the True and Living God as the object of their Dependance and Trust and they have no other that same is a strange Word to Flesh and Blood what no other Dependance but on the Invisible God Flesh and Blood can never come to this Flesh and Blood and Sensuality can never come to this This is a Religion that hath been hid from Ages and Generations and will be hid to all Ages that ever shall be in the World where Sensuality prevails What will you have me to have my whole Dependance for the Comfort of my Life here and of the Life that is to come the other Life to have my Dependance upon an Invisible God that Invisible Power that made me and Created the World How is it possible for me to sequester my self and draw my self off from all visible Objects I must trust to this and trust to that Flesh and Blood can never attain to this with all the Wit and Reason it hath it can never separate it self from Idols they are little Children that keep themselves frrom Idols They are Children of another birth born of another seed that will keep themselves from Idols Friends Idolatry is a great deal more common I find than most are aware of Am I commanded to Love the Lord with all my Heart and Soul and Mind and Might What is left when the whole is taken away If God hath my whole Heart what have I to bestow upon the World What Love what Affection what Eagerness what Fervency can I bestow upon the World or any Object in the World when my whole Heart and Soul and Mind is gone before gone towards the Lord This is the First and Great Commandment and the Second is like unto it that is Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self Here it is that the Law and the Prophets Faith Creeds Prayer Religion and Worship all that ever was in the World all Comprehended in this Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart Soul and Strength and thy Neighbour as thy self So what need is there for us to be disputing about Religion about this
Tenet and the other Tenet this Text and the other Text For my part I should only desire for you to Understand this Text and I should not doubt your going to Heaven Here is the Sum Here is all at once Here is the Quintessence of all Religion of all Types Shadows Figures Ceremonies and Priesthood and all that ever was or could be Named and Practised in the World all brought to this The Heart given up to God our Love set upon him What is this sufficient will some say This will make you a good Moral Man but what is this to the Christian Religion You may be led into Error and become an Heretick for all this How can this be that I should not be of a sound Faith but led into Error and Heresie for all this When People let in Error and Heresie and Unsoundness of Faith Where do they let it in Do they not let in the Principles of Errour and Heresie into their Hearts I believe this and that and the other Error it comes into the Heart and hath a seat in the Heart but how can we do that How can we let it into the Heart When the Heart is given up to God Cannot he keep out Error and Heresie if I give up my Heart and Soul to him Cannot I trust him with all This kind of talk of Error and Heresie hath come among Men that have had the keeping of their own Souls they have taken their own Souls into their own hands and have ordered their Religion themselves or have gotten some body to order it for them and a great many of them have met together to make Creeds and Catechisms and Confessions and Orthodox Doctrines that might certainly be professed and subscribed Afterwards some have come and found fault with them then they must have a Council to try them then these go off and are laid aside and others are given in the room of them so that these Men have set up for themselves These would not be under the Government and Prescription of God as Children under the Government of a Father but they will set up Religions themselves and say to the rest of the World if you own any thing contrary to our Principles you are an Heretick and being an Heretick you are to be rooted out and cut off Do not you read in the Scripture that whosoever hears not the Prophet that was to come into the World shall be cut off What will you not hear Christ speak in the Church Will not you hear Christ speak The Church cannot speak without a Head If you will not hear the Church you shall be cut off Then they have fallen to Hanging and Burning and Killing and Destroying People and Nations not a few And this comes from their making Faiths and Creeds and ordering Religion themselves all their Barbarous and Inhuman Cruelties Martyring and Dungeoning of People comes from their making Faiths themselves and of all things nothing is more desparately wicked and they did not know it The Heart is deceitful above all things and desparately wicked who can know it Men know not how Proud and Arrogant they themselves are and yet they would be ordering the Hearts and Minds and Consciences of others and out of this hath Sprung all Superstition and Idolatry because men would not give up their Hearts to God Thou shalt have no other Gods but me This Commandment is great in it self strict in the terms Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and thy Neighbour as thy self Their Neighbour could not see with their Eyes therefore there must be Hanging and Burning and Destroying one another But blessed be who is now bringing forth true Christianity upon its old Basis and Foundation whereon it was placed at first for Christianity hath been justled off from its first Foundation for instead of Loving God with all their Hearts and Loving their Neighbours as themselves they Hated them Now this is the Day O Friends the weight of it is great This I say is the Day whereâ—n God is bringing Christianity upon its old Foundation I would not have you think that I am here judging our Fore-fathers that are fallen asleep that therefore they are gone to Hell because they saw not this Day and Lived not to see the benefit of it that we enjoy I am far from it This was the thing that they believed and prayed to God for they did not see this Day outwardly but they saw it by Faith I my self when I was a Child I remember the People of God when they got three or four together they would rejoice in the Hope of what they Foresaw they gave Thanks to God for the Blessed Days that he would bring forth though they could not tell when they did say and believe that God would scatter the Foggs and Mists and bring forth an Happy Day wherein his People should have the Gift of his Spirit when they saw the Impositions and Persecutions of these times when they that did not Conform and Comply were cast into Prisons and thrown into Dungeons and Goals Well it will not always be thus say they there is a Day a coming wherein the Lord will set his People free from all the Yoaks of Oppression and from the Oppressour Indeed my Soul did rejoyce when I was hearing the Prophetical sayings of these good men and I thought I might live to see that Day Blessed be God that hath Preserved my Life to this Day and to this Hour to enjoy what they Prayed for They Prayed to God to scatter the Mists and Fogs that they might no longer Cloud and Darken Men's Minds and hinder them from enjoying God's Teaching Blessed be God that we are now in the injoyment of the Prayers of the Faithful that left the World before we were in it Now the Day is come that they Prayed for and Enquired after How strangely doth the Man Talk will some say concerning the Christian Religion The Christian Religion is all England over go to any Meeting in London except one and they will tell you they are Christians I would to God they were that is the worst I wish them all But what should we talk of the Christian Religion without the Christian Life Except we find that amongst them What signifies the Name and Profession of it And the Christian Doctrine is wanting in many places too There be many in this City urging this very Command of Loving God with all their Hearts and their Neighbours as themselves as fervently as I can do or any body else and yet they will tell you in the next breath that no man in London nor in all the World can do this No Man can possibly Love God with all his Heart Never a Man can be found that can perform such an Act as to Love his Neighbour as himself Not every Neighbour it may be but some one choice Associate he can pick out that he can Love and bear with his Infirmities and
hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for those that love him That Wisdom and Knowledge that Joy and Peace and Consolation that passeth all understanding He will reveal and Communicate by his Spirit to them that love him and trust in him and rely upon him and receive teaching from him he will feed them with Food in due season he will bring the former and the latter Rain and they shall be as Trees planted by the River of Water and bring forth Fruit in due season and their Leaf shall not Fade or wither This hath been Londons wonder and Englands wonder How comes it to pass that such a Peoples Leaf hath not Withered nor Faded as many have done Our Root was by a River If we had stood in our selves if our dependance and support had been upon Doctrines Tenets and Commandments of Men then our Leaf would have been upon the Ground as well as others but because we have been upon Our Root Christ Jesus that is always Green both in Summer and Winter therefore our Leaf hath not withered to the Praise of God and the Honour of his Name be it spoken He hath preserved us for we have no Power of ouâ— selves no more than others but we trust in God and have received Power from God to stand as witnesses for him We have trusted in the Lord and he hath stood by us and delivered us when we were compassed about with Dangers and Distresses If we continue to trust in him still he will bring us through all our Tryals and Troubles and he will be with us and never leave us nor forsake us if we take him for our God we shall never need any other We read that Senacherib King of Assyria sent Rabshekah to Jerusalem to Hâ—zâ—kiah with a great Army saying What Confidence is this wherein thou trustest and he spake also to the People and cryed with a loud Voice hear you the Words of the Great King of Assyria let not Hezekiah deceive you for he shall not be able to deliver you neither let Hezâ—kiah make you trust in the Lord saying the Lord will deliver us Hezekiah he went and prayed to the Lord saying O Lord of Hosts God of Israel that dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God the God alone of all the Kingdoms of the Earth thou hast made Heaven and Earth incline thine Ear O Lord and hear open thine Eyes O Lord and See and hear all the words of Senacherib which hath sent to Reproach the living God c. And we Read that after he had presented his supplication before the Lord The Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians one hundâ—ed fourscore and five thousand and when they aâ—ose eaâ—ly in the Morning behold they were all Dead Corps Thus you see what came of it aâ— last and thus it hath been in our Day they thâ—t trust in the Lord he will deliver them and they shall never be ashamed nor Confounded but as for all other Gods they that trust in them shall be confounded and covered with shame and they and their Gods will perish together And now my Friends I beseech you all to have respect to this great duty of putting your whole trust in the Lord who is the Living God and he will be always present with you and work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure he will support and preserve you in all your Tryals and sufferings that you may be Vessels of Honour to bear his Name in the Earth and to sound forth his Praise to the following Generations His Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious infinite Powerful Father who hast Created us and given us Life and Breath and lengthened out our time to this Day and hast long waited to be Gracious to us and art still waiting upon the Sons and Daughters of Men holding forth the hand of thy love and offering thy Grace and tendering Salvation unto them and hast brought a Day of Visitation upon the Inhabitants of this City and Nation Glory Praise and Thanksgiving be to thee O Lord that by thy Power hast inclined the Hearts and Consciences of the Sons and Daughters of Men to submit to thee and bowed their Necks to the Blessed and easie Yoke of thy Son Jesus Christ that they may do thy will on Earth as it is done in Heaven They that are Traveling and distressed and Afflicted in their Souls because of their bondage do thou arise living Father and reveal and discover thy Power to them shew them the exceeding greatness of thy Power that they may trust therein and be safe make bare thine Arm for their Salvation Those that are slumbering in their Profession let them be awakened and bring to thine Heavenly Kingdom those that have passed through thy Refining Fire and whom thou hast Cleansed and Sanctified Powerful Father of Life carry on thy work among thy People every where gather them that are scattered and bring back to thy self those that are wandering and out of the way and seeking the living among the Dead Lord teach them and let them hear a Voice behind them and guide them to thy Holy Mountain that they may be brought to the path of Life and to the place which thou hast provided for thy little Flock to meet and Feed together Offering unanimosly the Sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgiving which thou hast ordained and appointed in thine House Blessed and Powerful Father all thy little ones be pleased to surround with thine Almighty Power and where ever they are let them feel thy preserving Hand delivering them from the Evil of the World We pray not that thou should'st take them out of the World but to preserve them from the Defilements and Pollutions of it That a Holy People may serve thee the Holy God and bear thy Holy Name upon their Hearts That that above all may be exalted and magnified and humble Thanksgivings and Praises may be given unto thee through Jesus Christ for all thy love thou hast manifested and for thy abounding mercies and renewed favours which we have received at thy hands to thee living Father through Christ Jesus thy well beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased be all Honour Praise and Dominion rendred by us and all thy People from henceforth and for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon IV. The Standard of Truth Preached at Grace-Church-Street May 29. 1692. THERE is an Universal Standard of Truth that God hath set up over all the Sons and Daughters of Men he hath given the Knowledge of it in and through Jesus Christ he hath dealt it out to them that they may be capable of joyning and adhering to the Truth and to be delivered from Eternal Condemnation This Standard and Measuring Rule is revealed and manifested in every Man and Woman by the Light that shines in their Hearts by which they are able to discern and to give a sound and true
Judgment if they are but willing upon all their own Ways A Man or Woman may know in every word they speak in every Action they do whether they speak and do according to the Truth or whether they are justified by the Truth in what they speak and do I tell you my Friends this is no small mercy that Mankind hath obtained at the Hands of his Maker that he is brought into a Capacity of not acting blind-fold but that he may see his way and his own Inclinations and pass Judgment upon them whether they are good or evil whether they will stand justified in the sight of his Maker or whether they will be Condemned I Confess the vail of Ignorance that is come over the Sons and Daughters of Men through Sin Transgression and Rebellion is very great And I may say as the Apostle said sometime you were darkness and what can Darkness see What can darkness discover The Lord our God that made us hath not left us in that State of Darkness Blindness and Ignorance but through the Riches of his Mercy and goodness hath found out a way to command that Light should shine out of Darkness into Peoples Hearts for all that the Devil did to darken Man to alienate and estrange him from his Maker The same Almighty Power that said in the Creation Let there be Light and it was so he hath shined into our Hearts and the way by which he hath done so is through the Mediator through Jesus Christ the Redeemer in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells He hath received Power from his Father not only to be Light and Salvation but to impart and Communicate of that Divine Light unto them even unto every one that cometh into the World that so by means thereof they may be delivered from their Darkness and Ignorance of the mind of God that they were lyable to in the Fall and might be restored through the Mediator to a Capacity of Judging of their own state as the Lord Judgeth and of their own Actions and of their own words and ways and Inclinations This is the Standard which God hath pitched in every one of your Bosoms for the Tryal of your selves either for Justification or Condemnation of every Word and Action Now to make every one sensible of the greatness of this blessing Consider it is not only given to augment and to encrease Knowledge but it is given on purpose to allure and perswade Men into a likeing of Truth into a Love of Truth The Apostle esteemed it a wonderful mercy that came by Christ he hath sent him to bless us in turning every one of us from the Evil of his ways so that here is a Capacity that the Sons and Daughters of Men have through the Mediator of being turned from the Evil of their ways and doings to that which is well pleasing to God The next work after God hath wrought thuâ— mercifully for the Sons and Daughters of Men is that they would be good to themselves and merciful to themselves and take pity of themselves by a due Improvement of the Grace and Mercy and kindness of God that he hath bestowed freely upon them and in bringing all their Dâ—eds to that Standard all their words and Actions to that Rule that so whatsoever they be or how many so ever if they do not answer that Standard and Rule they may deny withstand and resist them that so they may keep out of Condemnation For the Apostle declares it plainly without scruple There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus If he had said to them that profess Christ Jesus there had been a large Latitude especially for these Nations but the Words are limitted and you will find them so that is to them that are in Christ Jesus and as if he should say that you may know rightly whom I mean I mean such as walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit They that are in Christ walk after his Spirit for they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his but they that are his walk after the Spirit the Spirit of Truth and there is no Condemnation to them It is not only the Scriptures that Ratify and confirm this Doctrine but you your selves are all living witnesses of the Truth of this that so far as you do act and speak in Obedience to the Principle of Truth that God hath Planted in you you feel no Condemnation upon you Such a thing I did at such a time and I had no Condemnation Why so Because I did it in Obedience and Subjection to that measure of Grace that God set up in me and such a thing I did for which I was Condemned why so Bâ—cause I did it according to the Inclination of my own Corrupt mind and in Contradiction to the truth that opened in me My Friends I would have you in point of the Doctrine of Christianity to be the better for what you Read and hear it is possible for me to Preach the Truth and you may believe what I say and you may Read the Holy Scriptures and have the belief of what you Read but if you come to a sensible feeling of the fulfilling of the things you hear you will give a greater Seal to the Truth of the Doctrine than by all you have Read and heard and you will grow wise to Salvation by trying and experiencing the effect of every thing you understand And not like the Carnal Men of this World that have not Faith that mind only their Worldly Profits and Pleasures such are Earthly Sensual Devilish but I would judge of Actions and Words according to truth and according to the effâ—ct I find in me I did such a thing and I had peace in the doing of it I feel no Reproach no Condemnation upon me here is a way for People to grow up in the Life of Christianity to keep to the Standard of Truth for whether Men will or no they must do it at last and may now if they please make a Tryal of their Words and Actions As for the most part of you you are got past Pilate Pilate could make that enquiry What is Truth saith he And I confess it is not long ago it is within the Memory of Man that a more serious and better sort of People were confounded with the Darkness and Ignorance of those times that they were ready to cry out What is Truth And where is Truth Their Eyes were so blinded and things were so jumbled and confused by the Disputations that Men Raised they made things so dark that People could not see their way but God who hath commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath brought a Glorious Day that hath dissipated and scattered and driven away a great deal of that Fogg and Mist that did overspread Mens minds As many as have sincerely sought the Truth in the inward parts they have found a Divine Principle of Truth that hath a self
that he may make it Workman like He will say if I let my Rule alone and not make use of it but work as I please and trust to mine Eye no wonder if I make bad work and what I build fall down again and tumble about mine Ears You to whom God hath given the Standard of Truth as a rule and measure to Govern your Thoughts Words and Actions by Let every thing be tryed with it before you Die and leave this World If you do so and make this your daily practice then ask your selves and you will be able to tell your selves and tell me and say I have now obtained more hopes of Gods Favour and a greater sense of his Love and goodness to me than ever I had before The Apostle doth exhort us to Walk Circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise Redeeming the time We have spent a great deal of time in vain let us now be Wise and Improve our time for our Eternal Advantage let us walk Circumpectly that is look round about us Consider our ways and try all our Thoughts Words and Actions by the Standard of Truth To Day My Friends while it is called to Day hear the Voice of God and harden not your Hearts and receive that Heavenly Counsel that is tendered to you that you may be partakers of the Inheritance among the Saints in Light His Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Eternal Father Thou hast brought forth thy Glorious Name and Revealed thy Power and thy Mighty Arm and thou hast caused a Remnant to bow and Worship at thy Appearance Thou art Wonderful Thy Majesty is Great they that do behold thee will with Reverence Worship before thee Thy Power is gone forth and hath reached the Hearts of thy People Thou hast humbled them and subjected them to thy Divine Almighty Power that they might appear in the Earth to the Praise and Glory of thy great Name And O Lord as thou hast begun a great Work in the Earth so thou hast committed this Work to thy Servants and Children that bear thy Name among the Sons of Men that they should shew forth thy Rightousness among the Inhabitants of the Earth and our Souls have said many a time Who is sufficient for these things All our fitness and sufficiency our meetness and preparation is from thee Do thou Reveal thy Power and make bare thy Almighty Arm. We have found thy Presence from day to day and thou hast upheld them that know thy Love O Gracious God of Life herein we have encouragement to go on in the Work which thou hast called us to hereby we are enabled to Worship before thee and to offer up living Praises unto thy great Name for that Refreshment and consolation which thou hast Ministred unto thy People And O living Father We have never waited on the in vain whensoever we have met together in thy Name We have found thy Divine Presence and the opening of the Treasures of thy Love of thy Wisdom and of thy Favour to thy Children So that from day to day and even at this day thou rememberest thy People and thou givest them fresh occasion to draw nigh to thee and receive their daily nourishment and strength from the operation of thy Power O living God of Life gather up the Hearts of thy People more and more and draw them into a nearness to thy self that their Understandings may be moâ—e and more opened to discern thy Will and subject themselves to thy Wisdom that every Thought that is exalted against thy Divine Power and living Voice in their own Consciences may be brought down that so all the Nations of the Earth may bow before thee that so thy Truth may Reign and thy Power may be exalted and the Righteousness which thou hast Revealed may shine forth more and more in the Brightness and Glory of it and enlighten those that are afar off that they may be brought to seek after God And Lâ—vâ—ng God of Life let thâ—se that are bowed down under the Weight of Sin be supported and raised up and those that are weary and Heavy Laden let them have rest to their Souls Powerful God of Life keep thy People in a fresh and living Sence of thy love and of thy Heavenly Vertue by which thou nourishest thy Children and satisfiest them from day to day Not only when they are met together but when they are separated from one another let thy People be preserved from the Evil of the World while they are in it and let thy Wisdom and Power give them Victory over it that thou mayest have the Glory of all thy Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed to them For thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen Sermon V. The great Duty of Remembring our Creatour Preached at Devonshire-House April 6. 1692. THERE is only One Living and True God Creatour of Heaven and Earth whom we are obliged to serve and Worship I have so much Charity as to believe there are none among us but will own and Acknowledge this And my Soul wisheth that this Obligation did always rest upon every ones mind that they might Remember their Creatour that hath given us all Life and Breath and continued all our blessings to us that so every one might apply their Hearts unto that Universal Duty that we are all convinced of And they that are thus imployed and exercised they are considering how and after what manner they may quit and discharge their Duty and perform the Obligation that lies upon them so that it may be accepted at the hands of God I speak now of those that are considerate not of those that go on in a Form of Religion and matter not nor Regard whether they are accepted of God or no but all that are Conscientious towards God they are desirous to serve God and Worship him so as they may be acceptable to him so to perform duties that they may receive their reward and that Encouragement that God in all Ages hath discovered and made manifest to be in his Purpose towards them that truly serve him When People come to this Consideration how they may serve God aright and worship him acceptably the Lord is nigh unto them to instruct them to teach them and guide them in that way that is Everlasting And blessed be his Holy Name a great many in our days have met with this Divine Teaching and Instruction and are taught in this Age as in former Ages to Understand the Worship of God that he requires that is in Spirit and Truth and do find that the Father doth seek such Worshippers and where he finds them he rewards them And they have an Answer of Peace in their Bosoms and they are encouraged to go on in the Worship and service of God to the end of their days And it is a great mercy and benefit a great blessing that God hath bestowed upon a Remnant so opened their Understandings to let them see and know
they would give more reverence and respect to it It is this that brings those that Preach Christ to Preach him in those terms and under those Denominations that he is nigh them We do not doubt of Christs being born of a Virgin in the Land of Canaan and that he wrought Miracles and Preached many Godly Sermons and that he was Crucified Dead and Buried and Rose again from the Dead for these things are certainly true we would have him our Saviour in this Age we would have a nearer knowledge of him and a sense and feeling of the virtue of that Power by which he saved them that lived in former Ages He is not a Christ and a Saviour of one Age only but of all Ages to this Day from Adam to the last Man that shall live upon the Earth That Age and Generation that knoweth not Christ will not be saved by him if there be any Age wherein he is not known There is no other Name under Heaven by which you can be saved if you ask where is this Saviour Say not in thy Heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall Descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach He is nigh thy Soul he is the Lord of Life and a Quickenning Spirit If I know that Quickening Spirit after this I know the Lord Christ when he comes to work in me by his Power changing my Heart and translating me from Death to Life then I know the true Christ God hath manifested in all Ages that it is the Duty of People to come to the knowledge of the Son of God for he hath sent forth his Spirit for to teach us and to lead us into all truth For when Christ was with his Disciples he told them that he would pray the Father and he should send the Spirit the Comforter and when he came he would be known by his Divine and Inward Teachings and Operations guiding and leading them into all Truth that was his work to them But what shall other Folks do He will be made known to others too When he comes He shall convince the World of Sin So that his work to his Disciples was to lead them into all Truth and his work to the Woâ—ld is to convince the World of Sin Who will deny but that there is a Spirit in our Age as well as in other Ages that will convince men of Sin Is this the Spirit of God that convinceth the World of Sin or is it the Spirit of the QUAKERS only When People come to consider really and truly how they may serve God aright they will find there is no serving God aright unless they come to Christ the Mediator that in and by him they may put up suppplications to God and through him they may expect at the hands of God Peace and comfort and there is no other way nor never will be The Jews they had another way they had an outward way of serving God this stood in divers Offerings Sacrifices Washings and Observations this was a way of worship of Gods own institution to that People but what came of it When the Apostle came to grasp it he said The commers thereunto were not made perfect What were the transgressors of it then They that would sin on and continue in sin and not bring a Goat or a Ram or other Oblation they that did observe it and came up to the point of the Law they did bring their Offering when they were convinced of their Sin If a man sinned he was to bring a Hee Goat and to bring it to the Door of the Tabernacle but when he sinned the conscience of sin the guilt of sin remained upon him For it was impossible saith the Apostle that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away the Sin For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the Unclean Sanctifieth to the Purifying of the Flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit Offered himself without spot to God Purge your Consciences from Dead works to serve the Living God When there is no hope of attonement and reconciliation with God by all those offerings under the Law he tells you of one offering of the Son of God himself through the Eternal Spirit by which he became a a Propitiation for thus will it do If I believe that Christ offered an Holy Offering to the Father for my sins I believe he offered his Body and that through the Eternal Spirit that he might be a propitiation for sin and take away sin and have Power over Sin and Death and conquer Death and Darkness the Apostle drives the matter farther you must come to the inward Work of this outward Offering this Eternal Offering that was in due time Offered to God you must come to know the Operation of it by the sprinkling of the Heart from an evil Conscience so that there was to be an Applicatory Faith for the offering of that The way to a Saviour was not made by Man no more than the way of Salvation by Christ was found out by Man No more than the Application of the benefits is effected by man Where it pleaseth God to call a People by his Grace he calleth them to his Son not by this and the other Form No man cometh to me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him The first thing that a Man or Woman comes to be aware of is the secret sense and feeling of the Lords Divine Power upon the Heart to seek Christ Jesus As soon as they feel this and embrace it this will be a Token of the Love of God I hope all this Congregation will acknowledge that they have sometimes felt his drawings and that they have not embraced and closed with them so well as they ought When the People are aware of these drawings Inwardly to Holiness and Righteousness and are sensible that they should with care and intention close with them for the good of their Poor Souls and that it concerns them to be happy in the other World that World that is to come and therefore resolve to be led by these drawings of the Spirit of God these are not weeds that grow in the Field Naturally These are sparks of Divine Fire kindled in the Hearts of Men by God himself No Man comes unto God till God cometh to him and touches him and gives him sense and motion these are the motions and stirrings of Gods Holy Power in the hearts of many that are wicked and Abominable Yet the Lord doth not despise the work of his own hands but reacheth to such When the Lord meets with these that Despise not but highly Prize this wonderful Grace and Close with it and are Glad of it such a one
then I will go step by step by following my Guide I shall be sure to be makeing some progress every Day to that state to which the Spirit of Christ will lead me These Persons come to a certainâ—y of knowledg by their own Experince Some will say take heed of being deluded and decieved by the Quakers so say I too Take heed of being deluded by any body if any go about to perswade thee to believe that which thou knowest to be a Lie I am sure they are about to delude thee I would have every one to have an evidence in themselves of what they believe Doth a Man believe such a One is a Drunkard because the Scripture declareth Judgment against the Drunkards the Scripture saith Wo to the drunkards of Ephraim There are Judgments denounced against Drunkards in the Old Testament consider the Scripture doth not tell such and such by Name that they are Drunkards but the Spirit of God by a Work and Operation upon a mans Conscience singles him out and charges him with the guilt of Drunkenness There is great condemnation pronounced against Whoremongers in Scripture but it doth not tell such who they are by Name but their Consciences find them so and give infallible judgment against them and saith Thou art the Man thou art a person that God doth Judge and Condemn Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge but that doth not concern thee and affect thee except thou be one I may read this an hundred times in Scripture and not have a reflection in my own Conscience except I be guilty But when God meets with a guilty person and Judgeth and Condemneth him there will be an infallibility in what such a one knows If a Whoremonger is reflected upon by his own Conscience if his Conscience tell him he is the Man if all the World should flatter him and say he is not guilty he would certainly know that they tell him a Lie So that here is no Dependance upon any mans judgment but upon an invisible Judge in a mans own Heart Who shall delude and deceive this Man that hath this experimental knowledg Those persons will not deceive a Man that would turn him from the evil of his ways these do not go about to deceive him that will tell him he must hearken to that Principle of Truth and Holiness in his own Heart they would deceive him that tell him he is converted when he is not and leave him there But when he is really converted and turned from Sin to God some will tell him he is deluded and deceived I pray God every one of us may be so deceived saith the Apostle We are Deceivers yet True All that are truly converted though Men cry out they are deceivers though they are deceivers yet true they are come to the savour of the knowledg of God through Christ and so they shall certainly Come to be partakers of the inheritance that is undefiled and that fadeth not away Friends you know that this hath been the Proposition of all the Prophets and Apostles from the beginning to this Day the thing that they have proposed to the Sons and Daughters of Men hath been to enquire after the knowledg of the true God It hath been wonderful to consider what the Devil hath done to present divers Doctrines that he hath found out and stirred up others to invent a Company of Gods that other People have Adored and Worshipped It is hard to find any Nation that do not Worship some God It is Natural for Man to desire to come to some God he thinks he must come to some God and cannot be happy if he come not to God But the Devil hath invented so many Gods and set People a Worshipping of Idols the Work of Mens hands such Gods that are so far from helping their Worshippers that they cannot help themselves they cannot wipe off the Dust from their own Faces And if they fall down they cannot rise again But this is not our case we have but one God Preached among us and but one Lord Jesus Christ the Mediatour between God and Man Our condition is happy in having but one God in comparison of theirs that have many Gods If the true God that you Worship were but trusted in you would be the happiest People in the World If you do but search you will find that the Devil hath in this Nation and in this Age stirred up People to worship as many Gods as he did in other Nations in Antient times among the Sidonians the Amorites and others But you will say we Worship one God and trust only in one God and one Christ and one Holy Ghost the only living and true God Do not tell me what God a Man professeth to worship but what God he trusteth in that gives it the Name Whatsoever a Man trusteth in that he makes his God whether it be Gold and Silver or the Honours and pleasures of this World if he trusteth in these things he maketh them his God Let a Man but search and try himself and he will find something hath got a place in his Heart that he cannot part with for Christs sake He will be ready to say I cannot part with my House and Land with my Wife and Children and my Goods and Possessions because I have a Confidence in them and believe they will do me good and be a Defence for me I may trust in times of Peril that these things may do me good then Here is a Divine Adoration here is that trust that Confidence that all true Christians ought to have in the true God And this is placed in these Earthly things now wheresoever the trust and Confidence is placed in Transitory and Earthly perishing things these Men trust in transitory Gods Nothing so shewes that a Man makes the Lord his God as when he casts all his care on him and puts his whole trust in him when he makes a profession and acknowledgment of his dominion and greatness and of all his other Perfections that by his Wisdom he can procure for them all that is good and by his Power put off from them and secure them from Evil. When I make the Lord my trust and refuge and trust him for my God I chuse him before all the Gods of the Heathen and trust in him above all things under Heaven upon the Account of the profundity of his Wisdom and the Almightiness of his Power when a Man hath this sense upon him he will walk before the Lord with Resignation of Mind and be willing to be at Gods disposal and he will not only give up himself to God but he will hearken to him hear his Voice when he speaks to him God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken to us by his Son But Where is his Son you will say He is in Heaven but though he is the High and Lofty one
that inhabits Eternity yet he dwells with meek humble and contrite Hearts that tremble at his word If I be one of the number of those that tremble at Gods word I have Gods promise that he will come Home to me and dwell with me It is well for thee if the over-ruling Power of God hath prevailed upon thee that thou canst be willing to be at Gods Disposal and say Lord What wouldst thou have me to do Therefore Friends I would advise you all in Love to your Souls that when God desires your Hearts that you would give them up to him that there he may delight to dwell and have his habitation Hearken to Gods Voice and have regard to his word which is a more sure word than any Man 's in the World There is a more sure word of Prophecy saith the Apostle unto which you will do well to take heed This will check you and reprove you when you do Evil and shew you wherein you have Transgressed and will encourage you and be a Comfort to you when you do that which is good This will make you wise to Salvation and throughly furnish you and give you understanding for every good work This word will tell you this you must not do lest you offend God and wound your Conscience and grieve the Holy Spirit this word will help you so to speak as to Administer Grace to the hearers such a one as hath regard to this word hath a Chaplain in his own Bosome That will direct and teach him how to stear his course and order his Conversation among Men and how to serve God acceptably This High Priests Lips will preserve knowledg even Jesus Christ The Righteous who speaks to us in his Word we can do nothing but by his Direction If you come to him to lead to you into all truth he will bring you the Father reconcile you to him that you may obtain his Favour and Everlasting Life when one of Christs Disciples said Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Jesus saith unto him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father And How sayest thou then shew us the Father If you subject your selves to Christ and to the Government of his Spirit he will bring you to that Life and Immortality that fadeth not away This hath been our Labour and Travel from time to time to Preach Christ among you and not to Preach our selves and gather a Church for our selves but to gather a People in to Christ who is Lord of Heaven and Earth We would Preach Christ Jesus the Lord we would not have you Admire Mens words and sayings and charge your Memory with them But we would have you remember the words and sayings of Christ who is the great Mediatour to reconcile Man again to God that you may know him by his Power working effectually in your hearts we Labour for nothing else and we want nothing else We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christs stead be ye Reconciled to God That you may so Live that whether you Eat and Drink or whatsoever you do you may do all to the Glory of God your great Creatour that hath given his Son to Die for you and Redeem you from all Iniquity that you might be a peculiar People zealous of all good Works Therefore let God have all the Honour and Glory for all his mercies and Blessings Let us render to him Hearty Praises and Thanksgivings for his wonderful Love and ackowledg that it is a great priviledg that we may obtain by Jesus Christ even to be brought again to the true knowledg of the living God which we lost by our Transgression His Prayer after Sermon GLorious art thou in thy Appearances O Lord and very wonderful is thy Power and thy ways past finding out And in this thy glorious Day thou art opening a way for the Sons and Daughters of Men to return to thee And O Lord those whose Eyes thou hast opened rejoyce and are Glad because they have seen the way of thy Salvations and the breathings of their Souls are that their Feet may be kept therein and that they may make straight steps in their way to thy kingdom And O Lord we are sensible that our strength and our Power and our Ability is only in thee and therefore are the Souls of thy Children bowed and subjected to thee Waiting for the Renewing of thy Power that as our Temptations are renewed from Day to Day that thou wouldest make known thy Power in us that we may feel the stretching forth of thy hand to save thy little Ones out of the hands of the Destroyer And so Powerful God of life break forth more and more in thy Glory and make known thy Power in expelling the Clouds of darkness and ignorance and bring the Minds and Understandings of thy People to know thee more and more till they come to the blessed Inheritance among the Saints in Light Holy and Powerful Father break in upon thy People by thy Almighty Power and scatter the dark Clouds of Temptation and cause the light of Life to shine upon them thou that hast commanded the Light to shine out of darkness do thou shine into the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Open their Hearts that they may receive thy Truth and make tender their hard Hearts that they may live to thee that Created them and give a comfortable Account to thee of their Thoughts Words and Actions and let them turn to thee before it be too late to repent them Powerful God of Life thy mercies and loving kindness do abound to a little Remnant that do believe in Christ and do trust in thy great Name Thou hast been with them in their fiery tryalls and tribulations and to this Day thou hast been the glory of our Assemblies and the joy of our meetings We are sensible of thy holy Power working in our Souls and of thy renewing thy love upon us All that want a full sense thereof that are seeking and crying after thee for it O let them be brâ—ught to a due sense of God O arise for the help and the Comfort of the Sorrowful the Sighing and the needy Soul pour forth the treasures of thy love upon them that follow hard after thee and breath for deliverance that so Powerful God of life praises may arise to thee for all thy mercies and abounding blessings for thy goodness and loving kindness bestowed upon us from time to time Most Powerful God of life and light let the Eye of thy Favour be turned upon this Land of our Nativity spare the inhabitants of this City and Nation that they may seek after thee let them know the weight of thy Hand upon them to bow them down to humility and brokenness of Heart Give them Repentancee for their Sins Living God of life display thy Power to all from the highest to the lowest among us and advance the kingdom of our
Lord Jesus Christ to whom thou hast given a Name above every Name and let his kingdom and glory be exalted over all and shine forth in the midst of us Blessed Father of Life give wisdom to our Counsellers that they may Counsel for thee Make known thy will and send help from Heaven to all that stand in need thereof and that wait upon thee for it Give them thy Holy Spirit that they may be guided in thy way let thy Son Jesus Christ have the stearing and Governing of all things and let Glory be rendered to thy great aad worthy Name and keep us in the Love of God and in Union one with another let the stroak of thy Power remain upon the Hearts of all whose Hearts thou hast touched at this time let them be bowed down always in thy Holy Worship and remain in a belief of thy truth and cease to do evil and learn to do well and walk acceptably before thee that so Transgression may be finished and Sin and Iniquity may be put to an end and that Truth and Righteousness may be set up and shine among us and that our Souls may rejoyce in thee that we may magnifie and praise thy Power and Glorifie thy Name for thou art worthy of all Honour praise and glory and humble thanksgivings for the manifestation of thy love and Power All which we desire to offer thee through Jesus Christ who art God over all blessed for ever and ever Amen Sermon VII The Inward Preacher Or The Office of Conscience Preached at Grace-Church-Street June 21. 1692. My Friends MAny have been sent among you that from Living experience have declared their Testimony for the truth that you might all be brought to wait for the testimony of Truth in your selves This is that which will stand you in stead to know the testimony of truth in your own Hearts to be for you Therefore you are to wait especially at such times as these to hear the Voice of Truth in your own Souls For whatsoever the Preacher preacheth if the Truth in thine own Heart doth not speak Peace it is not well with thee Whatsoever testimonies are born of the Truth it self it is the Truth that must bear testimony of thee That unerring Word that gives to every one an Infallible evidence of their Peace with God or against that which hinders them You know our labour hath been to perswade all People to hearken unto the Truth in themselves and to make it their business and travel and endeavour that they might have unity with the Truth in their own Hearts that their Consciences may not condemn them For such as you in whom God hath raised his witness and hath exalted his Truth for a Judge You are not Ignorant nor covered over with darkness as many others are you do not remain in doubt but you know the Truth and have an Answer of Peace in well doing and a condemnation in evil doing not Administred to you only by Preachers without but by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of God in your own Hearts This is that standing Ministry which God hath raised which can never be put down again but as each one may put it down in themselves I grant that Men may put it down You have read and had it plainly witnessed to you even killing the just and Crucifying the Lord of Glory and of spiritual Sodom and Egypt These things you have read of and you that are turned to the Light know the meaning of those sayings by woful experience for when ever you have turned aside from a due subjection to rhe Grace of God by which we are convinced then there hath been a piercing and Crucifying the Son of God a fresh and a vexing and a grieving the Holy Spirit by which you should be Sealed to the Day of Redemption then there hath been Anguish and Tribulation upon your Souls And if this be minded it will plant a fear upon the Heart and make you affraid to do the like again but where this Tribulation and Anguish is neglected and put off there a custome of Sin takes away the sense of Sin As you know many have had more Judgment at sometime upon them for a vain word or a vain Thought than afterward they have come to have for the most abominable wicked Action How come this to pass Was Sin ever the better Or hath it changed its Nature No but they are further off from the sense of the evil of it this is the word of Truth to which you must stand or fall this is the Stone that whosoever falls upon it shall be broken and tendered But if they stay till the weight of Truth fall upon them it will grind them to Powder They that will have a life of liberty let the Truth say what it will I will have my liberty and use my Tongue as I list I will be wanton and proud and envious and malicious though I know these things to be nought and the witness in my Conscience testifies that these things are wicked and contrary to the will of God yet I will have them whosoever comes to this Mind the Stone is near falling upon them and they will be ground to Powder they are like the barren Earth which beareth Thorns and Briars and is rejected and is nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned Therefore Friends I entreat you to hearken to the Word of the Lord it is a holy Word an old Word many have professed it There are some Preachers that will cry Hearken to the Word of the Lord in such a Chapter and such a Verse My Testimony this Day is Hearken to the Word of the Lord but where shall we find it some will say I tell you it is written with the Finger of God in your own Consciences and is either for you or against you Let your Profession amongst Men be what it will this Minister of the Covenant hath no respect of Persons or regard to Profession he will not excuse this or that Man because he makes a greater Profession of his Name than others this rather is his Judgment and his Condemnation shall be more swift and sharp upon him that makes a Profession of Christs Name If Judgment begin at the House of God what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God These that take upon them a strict Profession they do greater dishonour to God than those that cry out there is no Reformation there can be no Living without Sin these Profess what they do and they do as they Profess But when People come to Profess Holiness and Righteousness and Profess a Power also by which Righteousness is obtained but live not strictly according to their Profession these are they That cause the Name of God to be Blasphemed among the Heathen more than they that say there can be no living without Sin Now this Witness of God hath no respect to Profession but hath respect
to the Sate and Frame of the Mind of a Man or Woman that they serve God with whether it be with sincerity and uprightness of mind and with breathing desires that They may know the good and acceptable Will of God and what is well-pleasing in his sight And that they might perform that which is according to his Heavenly will Where this sincerity is where this cry of the Soul is the Lord hath regard to it but where Peoples Religion is only to bear up a Profession and hold up an external Fellowship and Communion one with another when this sincerity is wanting the Lord abhors their Worship it is an abomination to God and no benefit or advantage to themselves It is not for the glory of God that they make a Profession but for some design to themselves and so they become abominable This was the state of Israel of old and it is the state of a great many now that think they do great matters if they conform so far to the Truth as that outwardly they may not be charged with a Lie but that they are of such a Society it is well if some would come so far as to maintain their Society with Gods People and their external Profession but if they have not regard to Truth in their own Consciences what is their Profession worth What will all thy Unity with them signifie If there be a breach between God and thine own Soul who can heal that breach What will their Profession signifie and amount to at last But Go you cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And all the reason to be rendred for it is this Depart from me Ye are workers of Iniquity He did not say in that sentence ye are Lyars you never Prophecyed in my Name and I never preached in your Streets but allowing what they said to be Truth that they had made a Profession and held Communion with other Christians allowing these things yet notwithstanding it is Go ye cursed and the reason of that Sentence is You are workers of Iniquity Let the dread of the God of Heaven rest upon you My Friends it is another thing to make a Profession of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth than most are aware Let every one that Names the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity What is Iniquity It is all things that a Man or Woman doth to gratifie their own wills contrary to the will of God that is Iniquity Where had all Men Liberty Where had Adam and his Sons their Liberty to fulfil their own wills and to contradict the will of God Yet nothing is more common in Nations Countries and Families than for People to assume a Liberty to perform and fulfil their own will and to bring about their own Interest Designs and Contrivances though at the same time they are convinced that it is contrary to the will of God Where this Liberty is taken there Iniquity is wrought that is Iniquity which is unjust that which is committed against him upon whom we have all our dependance every moment for Life and Breath for Food and Raiment and every thing we enjoy we have a dependance upon that God that made us yet vain Men and Women assume a Liberty of gratifying their own Wills and setting up for the Flesh You may remember that passage of the good Apostle when he saw some Libertine Professors of Christianity grow loose and careless it is well they thought that they did acknowledge God in their Meetings and Worship but as to the Affairs of the World they had forgotten that God was concerned in those things the Apostle takes notice of such a Libertine looseness Go to now you that say to Day or to Morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain Whereas you know not what shall be on the Morrow For what is your Life It is even a Vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away For that you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that You ought to live in subjection to him that made you you ought to have regard to Gods honour in whatsoever you do Whether you Eat or Drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God Is not this Scripture Is not this found amongst the Apostles Writings Do not we hold the Name of Christians which was given to them at Antioch Yea we are called Christians and these writings of the Apostle are holy writings and what then is the matter that we take so little notice of them That men do not apply these wholesome Exhortations to the particularities of of their Conversation but that they go from Countrey to Countrey and from one place to another and do what they please without having any regard to give their subjection to to the Great God This Loosness hath brought into the minds of some such a Liberty that they live without God in the World when they go sometimes to Religious Meetings and when they hear the Name of God mentioned it may be there come a little awe upon their minds and they have some regard to that God that gave them Breath and being for the present But if there be not Religion if there be not a Tie Religion signifies a Tie a being bound to God if men be not bound and tied to God by that which is made known to them every one will desire that which is good in their own Eyes Therefore it is necessary for you my Friends above all People you that are come to your measure of the Ministration of the Spirit and know it what it doth speak Such a thing I did this Morning and I am reproved for it Such a thing I did well and I am Justified and warranted in the doing of it Thus it is when a thing is well or ill done Sometimes some Men Act two or three Days together and never bring their Actions to the rule that is like a Man that is building and never minds his rule so what he builds up Tumbles down again upon his Head You know there is something in you that hath a speaking Voice an Infallible Voice and gives Judgment on your Actions and passeth a sentence either of Justification or Condemnation upon you If you would live so as to answer God in what you do you need not fear answering Men I do not fear answering Men in all I do or speak if I do but answer mine own Conscience I fear no Man though they be of another perswasion in their Judgment opposite to me if I keep peace in mine own Conscience I shall answer the principle of Truth in my adversaries Consciences though they hate me and despise me and seek occasion against me if my Actions answer the Truth of God in my own Heart they will answer the Truth in any Mans Heart This makes a Man as bold as a Lion When the People
of God obtain a Reputation to be true and just and holy and righteous all Men will expect Holiness and Righteousness at their hands What if I profess to be one of those People If I have not the Truth in my own Heart This reputation though I put it on as a Cloak to hide my Insincerity the want of that Truth takes away my Courage It is Truth in all Men in the World that hath a Power and it is the Power of Holiness and Righteousness that makes wicked Men affraid and therefore the Apostle argues upon that subject the Magistrate is clothed with Power what Power hath he The Power of Justice and the Power of the Sword What Sword hath he A Sword of Justice and he is a Terrour to evil-doers but a praise to them that do well It is true if I have done evil if I meet with a Man that is but my Equal if in buying and selling and Commerce I have wronged him and deceived him though he knows not of it Yet I am affraid of him I am fearful that he will discover me and find me out But if I speak the Truth and do that which is honest in the sight of all Men I shall not fear any Man there is no Nation under Heaven but there is a principle of Truth to be found amongst them in the Hearts of Men If I Act according to the principle of Truth in mine own Heart there is the same principle of Truth in all Men. If I walk up to the principle of Truth in my self I shall likewise walk up to the principle of Truth in all Mens Hearts if mine own Heart doth not condemn me all the World cannot condemn me If professors were resolved to answer the principles of Truth in their own Hearts and go through stitch in the profession they might live Couragiously Truth will Crown them with Victory But if they do not live according to the rule and standard of Truth they are like Salt that have lost its savour which is trodden under feet of Men. But where all are one in Truth they are gathered into the Truth and they will live according to it so far as they are convinced of it If you will give them a World they will not give away an Hairs breadth of the Truth which they have professed when Truth thus comes to have Dominion then Truth shall overspread the Earth and the kingdoms of the World shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and righteousness shall rule and the Scepter of it be swaied over the Nations and they that Rebel against it shall be broken by it and they that are found in it shall have Dominion and they shall condemn Hypocrites and Dissemblers Now if you would grow up into this Dominion you have an opportunity for it because the Truth is Revealed in your own Hearts They who go about to walk in the Truth meerly from what they hear the Ministers of Truth Preach laying up in their minds a company of Doctrines Notions and Tenets they will stumble and fall but they that will hearken to the Truth in their own Hearts and regard the Voice of it in all their ways and undertakings these have a Minister at Home with them they have a Chaplain in their own House if there be any thing they know not and if they know not what to do they ask this Minister of the Sanctuary others they will ask their Ministers but your Minister is at Home with you Where hath God appointed any Man to rule over your Consciences no God hath appointed Christ only to guide and govern your Consciences to be the Author of Faith and the Finisher of it too You that are come to to the Dispensation of the Spirit of Christ keep to the testimony in your own Hearts then we have fellowship with one another in the Truth and we have cause to bless God for it that God hath so opened the Heart of one towards another that the suffering of one is the suffering of all and the Consolation of one the comfort and rejoycing of all But Alas Who is in this fellowship Only those that are in fellowship with the Truth in their own Heart are really so If a Man shall break fellowship with Truth in his own Heart he will make no bones of breaking fellowship with his Brethren As soon as Men break fellowship with Truth they are unruly Heady troublesom and make no matter of splitting and tearing and rending of fellowship with others How comes it to pass that thou hast done this thou didst not thus whilst thou feared Sinning against the witness of God in thine own Heart But when Men have once made Light of the great Minister of the Gospel in their own Hearts it is an easie matter to make light of all the rest if as Christ saith They have done so to the Green Tree no wonder that they do so to the Dry Tree If they despise me saith Christ do you think they will love you It is most evident in a great many at thiâ— Day they Dispute against Truth they have taken a Liberty to speak contrary to the Truth in their own Hearts then they cry down the Ministers of it Do you think any body doth so that keep their first tendernesâ— When they were first convinced the Power of the Lord rested upon them when the Power of God first wrought upon you and brought you to Yea and Nay and to plain simple Language and Habit this was with jâ—y and delight for Christs sake They that keep up this tenderness and simplicity of Mind there is no scattering nor rending or tearing among them they keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and they are kept together in one Friends you have an opportunity in your hands see that you make use of it you may bear up and not be deceived by Men or Devils If you keep faithful to the Principle of Truth in your own Hearts Let what Reproach and Persecution soever come here is a Standard a Foundation and a Rule for you to be Governed by Every hour of the Day search your Hearts and try your Consciences by it As you do this and keep to the Rule of the new Creature of the Regeneration being changed from a Carnal Birth to an Incorruptible Birth If you he born of the Incoruptible seed the Devil cannot corrupt you Evil passions cannot corrupt you if you keep upon that Foundation that is Incorruptible in it self then nothing will corrupt you nor your ways and manners If you will then live according to the simplicity of the Gospel you will serve God and be examples to others in the Life of Holiness and Righteousness and hereby God shall be glorified This is that which will shine forth to the whole Nation and give a good Report to Truth But if any that Profess the truth be found false to their Profession and be found unholy and deceive and over-reach