everywhere but in God Furie is not in me saith God And God manifested this indignation will appear and be felt There is no rest but in the Lord and there is no entertainment in the Lord but to those whom he cals in to whom he opens the gate the everlasting ganes Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord And who shall stand in his holy place Who shall lie down in that Chamber And who shall meet with that repose that is in him He whom he cals in by his Spirit It was death to enter in before Ahasuerus unless he held forth his golden Scepter There is nothing but indignation from the presence of God upon every soul but that soul that is called in by God Come my people There is a People that look to enter into rest and the Gospel is preached to them and rest is preached unto them but the Apostle tels us in Heb. 4. at the beginning They entred not in because of unbelief What is this unbelief God was not in their hearts they had not this inward call there was not the life of God within them nor the rest of God within them Gods voyce is not known without unless he dwell within They entred not in because of unbelief Christ is entertained nowhere in no soul where-ever he comes and knocks he is received nowhere but where he himself dwels and opens the door It is the voyce of God in our Spirits the Spirit saying to our spirits Ye are the children of God the People of God God is your rest Come enter in sit ye down There are dreams of Rest and when we awake there is nothing but trouble There are that cry Lord Lord and when he comes he saith I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity We must look for a better call then a Letter call or a Ministers call We must look for the call of God in our hearts and a particular call As they said to the blind man be of good comfort he speaks to thee he calleth thee Say to my soul saith David I am thy salvation All your rest is fancy unless God hath led you into it So far forth as you see him you see truth Come my people To call our selves the People of God unless God cals us so what a poor thing is this To fancy our selves in the Chamber and Rest of God alas how sadly shall we awake Come my people enter into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee shut thy self in close When we are shut into God from the world and are at home in the Lord taken up in him so far forth we are safe there is no trouble no indignation no fury Fury is not in me We stand in God and have our enjoyments in him are only taken up with him but while we stand there and are gazing upon the world our eyes and hearts are drawn forth after this and after the other then comes trouble We do not see enough in God if we did he would be a covering to our eyes and a husband to us indeed as he said He shall be a covering to thine eyes When we look after any thing but him we look after trouble wrath will come in therefore shut the doors upon you Enter into thy Chambers and shut the doors upon thee and hide thy self God is our rest from trouble God is our peace God is our life do but look from him you look into death you look into trouble You that dwel in God shut up your selves in him shut the doors upon you And hide thy self Hide thy self there is no hiding from God but in God Hide thy self in Gods Rest in Gods Love in Gods Power this is a mysterie and riddle unto the world Old Adam flies from God the presence of God is indignation Old Adam is Bryars and Thorns set in battle against him Gods appearance makes him run But whither shall we go from thy presence There is no hiding from God but in God While I hid my sins saith David my bones consumed away through my daily complaint thy hand was heavie upon me He had no rest till he made back again unto God Enter into thy Chambers and hide thy self Hide thy self and that is the Saints condition here in this world to be hidden ones The world doth not know us saith John 1 Joh. 3. at the beginning We are the sons of God but the world doth not know us You are dead saith the Apostle Col. 3. at the beginning and your life is hid Hide thy self Where are they hid Why they are hid in God Our life is hid with Christ in God That that appears now is the world and Satan and Death and Hell Hide thy self for a moment Hide thy self the Saints life is not seen nor known God is the Saints life when he is hidden And this is our comfort that when we are hidden he is hidden and when he shall appear we shall appear with him in glory as it is in that same third of the Colossians Hide thy self God will have us content to be hidden for a while and truly this makes us content to be hidden that he is hidden He is our life he comes not forth till we come forth he is not in glory till we are in glory he is dead while we are dead Yet awhile and the earth shall discover her dead and shall no more hide her slain as it follows in the Text. Hide thy self Saints are Gods hidden ones Hide thy self for a moment All the sadness and darkness of the Saints is but momentanie Dost thou love God Doth thy soul make to him And knowest thou no rest but him Thou art troubled and troubled when thou thinkest of God Hide thy self for a moment Here is repose for thee and this indignation this storm will over Sometimes it is expressed for a little moment in this Prophesie of Isaiah For a little moment have I hid my face from thee It seems long to us and we cry how long It is but a moment in respect of Eternity And this is another word of ease to an afflicted soul the affliction is strong but it shall not last Hide thy self for a moment until the indignation be overpast It is a cloud that will blow over this indignation will have an end and then comes eternal Rest eternal Joy And as the trouble of the Saints is but for a moment so the joy of the world it is no longer and the moment of the Saints trouble is the moment of the worlds rejoycing and the indignation that lyeth upon the Saints shall be taken off from them and fall upon the world and that is it that is expressed in the next Verse VER 21. For behold the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain THose that dwell in the earth that have their life in the
take notice that there is continual prayer therefore thou that hast thy times and thy hours and thy forms begin to look higher and be at it continually By him let us offer the sacrifice of Praise to God continually And 't is no more then what is held forth to us in the Prophecy of Isa the last chap. ver 23. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabboth to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. You that do not know continual Praise if you do praise God in the spirit if you are sincere and true in your makings unto God you shall know what it is They that are strong should bear with the infirmities of the weak and they that are weak should not judge the strong thou that dost not know what continual praise is judge not those that do thou that dost know it do not despise those that do not but go down to them to fetch them out of their weakness for Christ is come down to fetch thee up and let brotherly love continue Continually 'T is that we are designed to by Jesus Christ to be ever with the Lord Let us be making to it let us be looking after the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Let us all know and acknowledge we are making forward not yet perfect By him let us offer c. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name That is the fruit of our lips Here take notice how the tongue and the lips and the fruit thereof is sanctified by Jesus Christ and consecrated to God And this in all those that are sanctified by Jesus Christ The fruit of the lips is a sacrifice acceptable by Christ And therefore the Prophet Hosea Hos 14. 2. Calls the fruit of the lips the Calves of the lips The fruit of our lips by the sanctification of Jesus Christ is made a sacrifice acceptable unto God and not onely the fruit of our lips but the fruit of our hands the fruit of our feet the fruit of all our members The fruit of the earth as 't is said in Isa 4. 1 2. where the Prophet speaks of the manifestation of Christ in the spirit In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped That is for the spiritual seed the remnant that are taken out of the corruption of the world when he shall come who is the desire of all Nations seven women shall lay hold of him all shall make to him and own him and be one with him then the fruit of the earth shall be glorious then we shall eat our own bread and wear our own apparel we shall no more wear sins nor the devils robes we shall not borrow of sin we shall no more eat of his bread but of our own that which is in our Fathers house and that is Christ And in that day the fruit of the earth every part of us the whole body even the lips that have been full of poyson the tongue that hath had the fire of hell in it shall be filled with the fire of Heaven That that hath been darts and arrows and swords and venome and the sting of Aspes and Dragons even that shall be healing It shall be refreshing and delighting this is by Jesus Christ Christ shall come forth even in our tongues and season them with grace and make them to be a tree of life they shall minister Grace unto the hearers Christ doth recover all that the devil hath carried away as Abraham all that the King of Sodom caried away He recovers it he takes it out of pollution and out of filth There is a dumb Devil a beastly Devil a blasphemous Devil an accusing Devil a pratling and busie body Devil as Peter speaks of such Why Christ shall cast out every one of these Devils all the fruit of the lips shall be a sacrifice of praise there shall be no more of these no backbiting no slandering no going up and down to tell one anothers faults nothing but love and Praise and Thanksgiving Every member shall be restored and the tongue shall be restored I beseech you saith the Apostle as you have yeilded your members servants of iniquity unto iniquity so yeeld them servants of righteousness unto holiness This is by Christ and this is the effect of the spirit when he is poured forth making melody in your hearts which breaths forth nothing to God but love nothing to man but love nothing but praise nothing but joy Christ is a thorow Redeemer a thorow Restorer and therefore body and soul and every member of the body shall be Redeemed The spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies Christ gains the heart to God and out of the abundance of that the mouth speaks He makes the heart a treasury of good things and then comes forth nothing but good at the door of the lips The tongue and the lips are either the great instruments of the Devil or of God of Heaven or of Hell the fire of Heaven and the fire of hell is in the tongue Acts of life and death are in the power of the tongue Here is blessing and here is cursing God promises in the prophecie of Zachary to restore unto his people a pure lip or language and what is this pure language but Praise and Thanksgiving what is it but love but grace but edification they shall call upon the Name of the Lord and serve him with one consent a pure language is not in words and syllables but Christ fills the heart thence the mouth is fill'd as 't is in Psal 37. 30 31. He speaks there of the Righteous man His mouth speaks of wisdom and his tongue of understanding and the Law of God is in his heart This is that which is the New-Testament the Law in our heart and when the Law is in our heart then it will be in our tongue The old administration began in the tongue thou shalt speak of it at all times the New-Testament begins at the heart Thou shalt write it in the heart and then the tongue will speak nothing else The fruit of our lips There is a fruit of our lips that is seeming praise which coming not from the abundance of the heart is the greatest abomination unto God A flattering and deceitful tongue the Lord shall cut it out There is more of the fire of hell in a tongue that speaks to God and not from the heart then in a tongue openly blaspheming Therefore the Apostle Paul could not bear the devil that cried These are the servants of the most high God that shew unto us the way of salvation But Christ in the heart the fire of Heaven in the heart the Altar in the heart and there flaming out at the mouth O 't is
in time There is nothing that is but it hath been Grace coming forth is nothing but the Childrens coming out of their minority from under tutors and governors The Saints coming from under the Law and out of the flesh There is a time appointed of the Father for this this is the time of grace grace hath appeared and we receive the adoption of sons God tels us we are his begotten his inheritance and he is ours Grace comes forth and appears by degrees and there was never but some appearances of grace But a low appearance of grace is counted as no appearance in respect of a higher That appearance before Christ in the flesh is counted no appearance in respect of that which came forth with Christ in flesh That appearance with Christ in flesh is not appearance in respect of that which comes forth with Christ in the Spirit When he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation to them that wait for him He appears now to salvation but now he appears in sin and weakness and this is not appearing in respect of that which shall be the glory is no glory in respect of that which is coming that is at the dore God brings forth himself out of the dark he hath put himself into the dark and he comes up by degrees he lyeth under vails and coverings and hides his face There is everlasting mercies but they are hidden Your life is hid with Christ in God and God reveals this by degrees There is grace not appearing and salvation not appearing where it is And there is wrath and destruction not appearing also where it is they will both come forth And till these do come forth it is very irrational for any to judge that that which now doth not appear is not there and will never appear It is the comfort of them that wait for grace and cannot see it I know thy poverty saith Christ to one of the Churches in the Revelations but thou art rich Rev. 2. 9. There is nothing to be done for our salvation and glory but the bringing it forth the making it to appear We have a life but 't is hid and vail'd and so we are said to be dead as 't is in Col. 3. 1. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Grace hath appeared teaching us 'T is a blessed thing to know the teaching of grace There is the Laws teaching and Graces teaching there is a Letter teaching and the Spirits teaching In the first teaching we are ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the truth but are still led about with lusts Here is onely a profession and nothing but a form but there is the teaching of grace which is the writing the Law in our minds and putting them in our hearts Here is the Covenant of grace the Law of grace when we are delivered up into the Doctrine as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 17. the form of Doctrine into which you were delivered as 't is in the Margent We are delivered up into the Doctrine we are formed and fashioned and moulded into it There is an appearance of God in Majestie in Mount Sinai that makes servants and slaves and bondmen that saith Do or you dye Do or you are cursed And there is an appearance of God from Mount Sion in love and grace The God of grace or the grace of God hath appeared and he teacheth us his ways and he makes us sons and he brings forth his own nature in us 'T is our life our meat and drink to do his will and finish his work The everlasting Covenant in blood comes forth and makes us perfect to do his will Here is the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus that frees us from the Law of sin and death 'T is a sad thing to be only under a Letter and under a Voice to have nothing but a Letter and a Hearsay Nothing but a voice and direction without here is nothing but enmity within But the word is nigh thee in thy heart when we come to this teaching this inward teaching this Law of the Spirit All other teaching without this inward teaching doth but put us into a Dream into Fancies and we think and seem that we eat and drink but when we awake we shall find our souls hungry and thirsty But this grace of God that teaches effectually delivers us up into the Doctrine moulds us into the form of that which is taught The God of grace appearing to us we are turned into his Image from glory to glory by his Spirit 2 Cor. 3. latter end Let 's all look after this teaching this inward teaching They shall be all taught of God Let us look after the teaching of Christ who spake with authority and not as the Scribes Let us look for power and life and light from God And let 's deal with man for nothing else but that we may hear God by him and see God in him and be able to say God is in you of a truth The grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared teaching us grace and favor it is exceeding winning God doth overcome all our evil by good Love is mightily constraining She had much forgiven her she loved much Let favour be shewed to the wicked he will not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly as 't is in Isa 26. 10. Thou after thy impenitent heart treasurest up wrath and dispisest the goodness of God that leads thee to repentance Bounty is leading to repentance but the God of grace and the grace of God it sets up repentance in us Let us go forth then in grace and in love And so let us be winning and working upon others Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly c. Many men will say if I deny my lusts all the lusts of the world here 's an end of my life What shall I do How shall I live Thou shalt live the life of God It brings death upon this life this Worldly life and brings us to live in hope Looking for that blessed hope It is a foolish thing to a carnal heart to think of suffering it self to betaken off from the present enjoyment of the world the satisfying his lusts to live upon hope But the hope that is in God is firm and sure and surerer then the World The World passeth away and the lusts thereof and they that have their life in these things find nothing but shame and Death but this hope never makes men ashamed Which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail And here le ts take notice of this That the grace of God that brings Salvation is made out in teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Every one
of us talk of grace and Salvation If we be partakers of grace and Salvation indeed then we are delivered from worldly Lusts in some degree We are taught by it to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts We are taught by it likeness to God and not to be fashioned to this world To deny ungodliness is to deny every thing that is not like God Not to walk like men the Apostle condemns the Corinthians that they walked like men It may be 't is a strange thing to hear we should not walke like men Like whom should we walk Like the Devil Like beasts So some do No you should walk like God The grace that brings Salvation It doth not bring you to satisfie sensuality to satisfie Lusts nor to follow the creature but it brings in power it brings in and raiseth up the life of God whereby we deny these Lusts whereby we famish these Gods of the Earth God saith he will famish all the Idols And this God doth when he riseth up in us he famisheth in us the Love of the World the love of flesh This grave and hell he starves them both This grace of God that brings Salvation leads up into Heaven into God into the Spirit and satisfies and fills us in the other World And we deny our Lusts after this They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts They have done it and they are doing it 't is as good as already done for there is that power in them which will do it a greater power then is in the World 'T is the Circumcision in heart by the Circumcision of Christ 'T is dying with Christ and being buried with Christ 'T is dying to this fleshly State to this glory and these contentments It is the consecrating us to God so that he becomes our delight he is our Joy he is our riches We sought them in the flesh we sought them in the World Then we sought Corn and Wine and Oyle now nothing but the light of Gods countenance this is grace and this is Salvation And the world and the flesh which is generally sought after by us it is a vail of death It is a vail upon Christ a covering upon the life of God It is the grave and the prison of the Saints it is Babylon and the Northcountry into which we are carried The North-country far from the Sun far from light far from life When we come into flesh we are buried here we are estranged from our own life which is the life of God And the grace of God appearing that is as it were the Sun drawing nigh When the Sun comes in the Spring and Summer the face of the Earth is renewed We come into the nature of wrath but as grace returnes again so this life appears and comes forth this Sepulcher is opened and this vail is rent and the Earth gives up her dead and no longer covers her slain The flesh and World and glory thereof riches and contentment are a vail and covering upon the life of the Saints For God is life and Salvation union with him that is life indeed and the appearing of this union is life manifested That which the World and natural men do call death is indeed the swallowing up of death as 't is called Isa 25. He shall take away the vail and the covering that is upon the face of all People He shall wipe off all tears and shall swallow up death in Victory The World and flesh is a Vail and is a Vail of tears when this Vail is rent by the comming of that which is called death then life-comes indeed and death is swallowed up in it God who is our life appears Grace and Salvation is not leading us into contentments of the flesh into the abundance of the riches of the Earth 'T is not satisfying of lusts but the killing of lusts 't is bringing forth the Spirit bringing forth the life of God Godly in this present World By this will appear how far Salvation is from most men Salvation is far from the wicked as David hath it because they keep not thy Statutes Little do wicked men think there is no Salvation but in keeping Gods Statutes but that is the truth of it Salvation is conformity to God to be made like to God to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and the love of the World is enmity to God This is Salvation and the same is destruction to wicked men Worldly men they have their life in the Vail their life is in the World and in the flesh When God appears and throws off the Vail there is nothing to be seen by them but death and destruction And what is the second death that the Scripture speaks of but the appearance of God The manifestation of God 't is the second death 't is everlasting destruction to them that know him not that have no life but in the flesh and in the world When God appears here ends their life and here begins destruction they are destroyed from his presence That which is life and Salvation indeed is death hell and destruction to a worldly man and if he speak his heart he will say if this be salvation let me have none of it I know not what it means I know no other life but this in the flesh What saith the Apostle The life I live I live by the faith of the Son of God t is not I live but Christ that lives in me though I live in the flesh yet I do not War after the flesh though I live in the World I am not conformed to the World but transformed On the other hand the life of the World is give me Corn Wine and Oyl ease in the flesh honour in the World the life of the Saints is lift up the light of thy countenance make me after thine own heart form me according to thine own Image fashion me to thy Will teach me to deny my self It is feeding hell and destruction to satisfie worldly lusts it is life and salvation to deny these to crucifie these therefore le ts be acquainted with grace and salvation what it is Le ts not deceive our selves with names of things le ts not call evil good and good evil put light for darkness and darkness for light Le ts not call wrath and destruction grace and salvation Whoever thou art that only looks to the world and flesh and outward things thou dwellest in wrath and destruction Thou hast vexation here and the Gospel makes thee mad for it puls thee from these things and with the more power it comes forth the more hell works within thee Now begin to learn what is salvation it is to have power to deny these lusts to crucifie the flesh to be taken out of sensuality to be redeemed from among men Is this a strange thing to you then salvation is strange and grace is strange 'T is to be conformed to God to know what his good and acceptable
brings us into the Spirit and now our way is above all the righteousness of man above all the wisdom of man above all the contentments of the flesh Ungodliness and Worldly lusts Here take notice of this that ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts Godliness is being like unto God Ungodliness is fashioning our selves to the World Ungodliness and worldly lusts are one So far as we are in worldly lusts we are in ungodliness You cannot serve God and Mammon The Apostle calls the love of Mony the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. Mony stands for any thing of this World of this life the love of that the lust after that is the root of all evil The same that James tell us Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the world is enmity unto God and those that love the World and go after the things thereof he calls Adulterers and adulteresses Love not the world nor the things of the world saith John For if ye love the World the love of the Father is not in you 1 Joh. 2. 15. The Lord complains Jer. 2. 13. My people have committed two great evils for which be astonished you Heavens and horribly afraid And what are those two great evils They have forsaken me the fountain of living water and have hewen unto themselves broken Cisterns that will hold no water They run from the Creator to the Creature They have turned the glory of the invisible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts They have set up the creature in my place and made it their fear and their joy and their delight and their love And so the Apostle in Phil. 3. Speaks of those Whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things They that mind earthly things are ungodly in the Scripture sense God that made Heaven and Earth is not their God but the things that are made Their belly is their God all they seek is for their belly who craves it of them All ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts Fashioning our selves unto the World is the defacing of the Image of God It is a turning away from the good and holy and acceptable will of God as 't is in Rom. 12. And the ground of this is plain and obvious to every one that will see it Whither can a man go forth from God unless it be to the creature there is the Creator and the Creature he that goes from God must go to the creature Whither can he go else Ye have forsaken me and digged to your selves broken Cisterns There is no going from God and godliness but to worldly lusts There is no stirring anywhere else All ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts worldly desires going out to the Creature All going forth to these is going forth to the Devil who is the Prince of this World as Christ calls him The Prince of this World comes saith Christ All that sue to the World sue to him worship him The Devil is served in every desire that goeth forth from God In all opposition to God the Devll is set up We use to reckon of three enemies to God the Flesh the World and the Devil The going out to the World is for the flesh the serving the flesh and the World is serving the Devil What is offered in sacrifice to Idols is sacrificed to Devils and the Apostle calling us to the mortifying of fleshly and worldly lusts mentions Covetousness among them which he calls Idolatry and Covetousness which is Idolatry Ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts that is in loving the world and desiring the things of the World Love not the World nor the things of the World Quest But you will say Is every desire of any worldly thing ungodly Answ If you will hear the Scripture and let that be judge harken while I propound some Scriptures unto you which shall shew you what lusts they are What desires after the World they are in which ungodliness lieth Consider that in Heb. 13. Let your conversation be without covetousness be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Desiring any thing more then you have is covetousness and worldly lusts and is a denying of Godliness If you be not content with that you have you are covetous and there is ungodliness God is rich in himself content in himself full in himself and if you partake of the Divine nature you shall have riches and fulness in him I am God Alsufficient saith he to Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward walk before me and be perfect q. d. thou hast nothing to do but to approve thy self to me whatever thou wantest here it is I am God alsufficient Looking after any thing but me is looking from me and is ungodliness Again consider that Scripture in Mat. 5. Take no thought what you shall eat or what you shall drink or what you shall put on after these things do the Gentiles seek All this is ungodliness 't is ungodliness to take thought what you shall eat what you shall drink or what you shall put on Now what is godliness Seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof Here you shall have supply So far forth as you look from God his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof you are of the world you are ungodly 't is your little Faith O ye of little faith why do ye take care Seek nothing but the Kingdom of God if there be any thing else it shall come into you with it 'T is godliness to seek God 't is failing of godliness when you seek any thing else but God when you turn to any broken Cistern whatsoever when you see not God before you there turn away or else you turn from God Love the Lord your God withal your heart withal your Soul with all your strength Let nothing of the world have any place in you Let God fill your hearts his train filled the Temple What concord is there between Christ and Belial between God and Mammon I have learned to abound and to want to be full and to be hungry Phil. 4. In every state I am instructed I know what to do and I am content godliness is contentment and that is Great gain We have content in God and nowhere else If we seek anywhere else we seek trouble and vexation and disappointment Man doth not live by bread but by every word of God What a foolish thing 't is for man to seek life frombread let him seek God everyword of God So Christ put off the Devil when he bid him of stones to make bread he tells him man could not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Consider that Scripture mans life doth not consist in the aabundance of those things he possesses or that Scripture All things are lawfull but I will not be brought under the power of any thing I 'le
in the fire of affliction Observ 4. Fourthly observe that the Lords sweetness and life lies now under a vail and covering that is the reason it is so little owned in the world A feast but not seen he that will see the Lord he that will feed at this feast must not look at the things that are seen but at things not seen which lie within the vail Obser 5. Again Fifthly take notice that there is no destroying the vail but by the Lords coming forth until the substance come forth the shadows are substances No perfect destroying the vail untill the Lord be fully come forth All the Ministers in the world cannot do it Observ 6. Sixthly Observe this That all people have a vail or a covering cast over them not one excepted He will destroy the vail of the Covering cast upon All people spred upon All Nations Though the Lord be not far from every one of us yet the Vail keeps us from seeing him and whilst we lie under the vail we grope and feel after him Till God destroy this vail we have foolish fancies and false apprehensions of God What wonder seeing All nations are under the vail All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. God suffered all nations to walk in their own ways They that remain under the vail judge their brethren that see further then themselves of Error and Heresie but they that have the vail destroyed by the Lord will not be harsh to their brethren that lie under the vail although whilst the vail and the face of the Covering was spred upon them they were so grosly ignorant as to cry out against others Error Heresie Blaspemy Observ 7. Seventhly Observe the twofold expression in the Text The vail and the face of the covering And it is not only Cast but Spred also There is exactness in it Quest If you demand what this vail is that the Lord will destroy I Answer This Creation in its purity and perfection You will say The Creation declares the glory of God Psal 19. The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shews forth his handy work Sol. True but in a vail Christs flesh was a vail Heb. 10. 20. This Creation in its purity and perfection is a vail but when Satan the world sin and death have gotten root in it then its a thick a dark vail or a shadow of death To those that sate in darkness and the shadow of death is this light come All Gods manifestations in it are vails till he get above it and cover it which he will do He is sunk into it as a seed as he riseth up in it it is in a vail Quest But how comes this vail Who casts this vail Answ 1. The Lord He makes darkness and light he makes vails and open Manifestations 2. Satan hath cast and spred this vail 3. We have every one of us cast it and spread it and we are shrowding our selves under it as God appears and God is righteous and holy in it and we and Satan are in the same sin We are all running into the vail as much as we can But God will destroy the vail and then every eye shall see him Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him He is not seen now but he shall be seen his manifestation is life and death Life to those that are of him who feel themselves under the vail death to those that rest and have their life in the vail There 's everlasting destruction from his presence and from the glory of his power We are a sweet Savour of Christ to God in those that perish To some we are a savour of life to others a savour of death That is the Ministry of the Spirit It follows in Verse 8. He will swallow up death in victory Observ 1. Destroy the vail and destroy death The taking away of the vail is the taking away of Death Death is dead Death upon a true account is nothing but a vail upon God who is our true life We live because he lives You heard before what this is even all this Creation in its purity and perfection but much more a vail a thicker and darker vail when sin and death and devil are gotten into it The Scripture expression is elsewhere The vail of the shadow of death Darkness and Death Light and Life are the same even Christs flesh was a vail Ordinances are vails No disparagement to Ordinances If God appear in them t is well Mans ministry is a vail if we see God in it it is but darkly If we be refreshed it is but in part This life and body is a vail while we are at home in it till it be changed and made spiritual till we be cloathed upon with our true life which is from heaven The Apostle saith While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord While we are absent from the Lord we are absent from our life for our life is to be with him We are not perfectly quickned perfectly alive till we be cloathed upon with our life which is from Heaven Therefore take notice that the pulling down of this body is not properly death to the Saints but the destroying of death He will destroy the vail and swallow up death in victory So then that which we call life is not so indeed but death This body this present appearance is but the face of the covering and the rending of it is the swallowing up of death Let us mend our account if we can We have judged things by the outward appearance by the face of the covering by the vail now let us judge righteous judgement The flesh judgeth that to be life which the Spirit knows to be death Our friend is not dead but gone out of death into life Those that know not God but have all their life in the flesh in present appearances they live not indeed They that live in pleasure are dead whilst they live If God be our life then the less we are in these things the more we are in life If our life be in the vail when this vail is destroyed our life is swallowed up of deaths victory and the second death seizeth on us Refer this to the feast that the Lord makes it is himself that is the feast it is himself that makes the feast he dyes into our weakness and when through his death his life is manifested in us in a spirit of Love of power and of a sound minde then death is swallowed up in victory It goes into the draught we hear of it no more The Lords life manifested swallows up death in victory Death is sorrow and tears See if you can imbrace this account of death He that hath ears to hear let him hear He that hath not it may be will cry whimsey fancy and turning the Scripture into an Allegory Further it s said And the Rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth All the Saints Rebuke is whilst they are under the vail They are judged by the vail the world knows them not We live in the vail whilst we are in sorrow and tears whilst God who is our life is hid we are under the worlds Rebuke In the mean time we wait till God appear and whilst God appears not the world jears us saying Flee to your mountain Psal 11. 1. All the worlds joy is in the vail when the vail is rent then comes the second death then that is made good Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus his evil but now thou art tormented and he is comforted And now have I walked in a vail and in a cloud unto you Do you not understand The time was when my self did not and it may be my weakness in expressing as well as yours in hearing It is my weakness that cannot put the vail from off your eyes Consider what hath been spoken that you may understand it rightly If it please God to bring it home as a seed sown to any of you I shall rejoyce I leave it to the blessing of God FINIS Isa 50. 1. Isa 2. 2.
the Lord of life they crucifie the Lord of glory it was Lust in Pilate in Herod in the Jews in the Gentiles that crucified the Lord of glory upon whom shall the blood that was shed from Abel to Zacharias the blood of all the witnesses of God of whom shall it be required but of this same Lust This is the whore that is in Scarlet dyed with blood eats up Gods people like Bread there is not any appearance God hath come forth in but Lust hath fallen upon it under pretence it is the Devil and Heresie Paul and Silas came to preach Christ at Philippi Lust stands up here are men come say they will turn the world upside down The business was they had cast out a devil and they heard they brought in great revenue to some of them And in all that Lust does is disappointment it hath not what it seeks It kills the Lord he rises again and he rises so at last it shall never kill him any more and so in all Lusts labours and in all its adventures in all its hazards is certain destruction destruction to the person himself he is empty and hungry Ye lust and have not ye kill and yet ye have not 'T is the very devil the very grave and hell there is not a worse torment You fight and war and you have not and yet Lust is not satisfied but must go to fight and warring again and 't will be fighting till it be slain it self 't will not leave any blood unshed all the blood in the world will never satisfie it you kill and yet ye have not and yet ye fight and war Take this observation by the way That in worldly Lusts in fleshly Lusts there is murther Ye lust ye kill Lust is that that when it goes forth would murther every thing stands in its way It is the root of all evil says the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. The love of mony or the creature is the root of all evil How many are there be ready to wash their hands that they have not committed murther is there not Lust in you to the world here 's the root of murther you war and ye kill Kill men and kill God that is fight against the appearances of him Ye kill and and yet ye have not because ye ask not I but you ask too O Lust will be Religious Lust will put on a form of godliness the devil transform'd into an Angel of light Lust will pray and Lust will read the Scriptures Lust will Sacrifice Lust will worship You ask and yet you have not Lusts askings will never get any thing this we shall speak of by and by but you have not because ye ask not Take notice of this that there is no success nor satisfaction in any prosecution without prayer You lust you kill you fight you war you have not because you ask not Let men use wisdom and strength and labour and diligence it shall never be successful unless they pray 't is God that orders all you shall not attain any thing from God God is stronger then we fight and kill you shall reap nothing but winde or the whirlwind whatsoever you get you shall put it into a bag with holes whatsoever you get it shall be but to choak you Let 's pray that attains asking praying seeking woing God God is love and he loves man God says he will be enquired of he will be sought unto Iacobs wrastling with God it was by prayer and supplication God is not prevail'd with but by his own power Let him take hold of my strength saies God to him Isa 27. 5. The power of God is put forth in prayer Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you The fool Psal 14. says in his heart there is no God and it follows there is no fear of God before his eys What does he eat up my people like Bread and calls not upon God what success hath he he was in great fear where no fear was nothing but trouble nothing but disappointment Then the way to be truly successful is prayer but Lusts prayer shall never get any thing Lust goes forth to killing and the same goes forth to praying and so it is when it goes forth to praying as if it did go to fighting Isa 66. He that offers an Oxe is as if he did kill a man he that offers a sheep had as good cut off a dogs neck Prayer we are for but for right Prayer not Lusts Prayer but Faiths Prayer Spirits Prayer Christs Prayer For you ask and receive not because you ask amiss Lust cannot ask aright and here first of all take notice of this that every truth hath its counterfeit every thing both earthly and spiritual there is a truth and the counterfeit there is true Religion and there is false Religion there is right Prayer and there is praying amiss there is right hearing and hearing amiss take heed how you hear there is hearing mixt with Faith and hearing that is not mixt with Faith There is drawing neer to God with the lips when the heart is far from him there is Jezabels fast and there is Iehosaphats fast there is nothing the Saints do but the world will counterfeit there is nothing that Moses did but the Magicians did likewise the devils Ministers are transformed into the Ministers of righteousness good and evil it lies within it lies in the principle as I shew'd before Man thinks to mock God indeed he may mock himself and deceive himself and that he does true worship is onely where the truth is God is a Spirit and he will be worship'd in spirit and truth That 's truth that is in the spirit the spirit is truth what we do in God is rightly done prayer in God reading in God giving in God he that come to the light he comes to it because his works are wrought in God Ioh. 3. 21. There is asking amiss and hearing amiss and let us take notice of this if any among us onely look that this and the other thing be done and never consider how it is done it is to no purpose what we do Why dost thou take my name into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed says he Taking Gods name in vain is in swearing t is also in praying t is taken notice of in swearing but not in praying but it is in the one as well as the other You ask amiss there be many amisses in Prayer in asking many amisses when we onely use gifts and parts that 's amiss either our own or other mens some use other mens this is amiss again when we do not ask in Faith but we will look to that in the Text You ask amiss what 's that amiss That you might consume it upon your Lusts And here take notice of two things the first is this That not asking and asking amiss have the same success As good do nothing as not do it
with God 't is heart-Adultery to go out after any creature to go out after any creature but in God is Adultery and if this be Adultery every one if we should look into our own hearts will be careful and afraid to throw stones at an Adulteress you know the story in the Gospel whosoever he be that fears God he hates and detests all evil yet he sees it in his heart and though he be free from gross acts yet he will be far from insulting over any that are left to defile themselves with gross acts The desire of any creature it is Adultery Flesh can do nothing but commit Adultery All Flesh hath corrupted their way but it doth not break out alike but all are alike in the root to make out after any creature is Adultery And again The friendship of the world is enmity unto God Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God and he that is a friend to the world is an enemy to God This is that other Scriptures hold forth The love of mony is the root of all evil Love not the world nor the things thereof whosoever loves the world the love of God is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. They are enemies to the Cross of Christ that mind earthly things Phil. 3. about the end enemies to the Cross of Christ what is the business of the Cross of Christ to crucifie us to the world and the world to us you admire outward things and love outward things you have friendship with them you are enemies to the cross of Christ and therefore ungodliness and worldly lusts are joyned together Tit. 2. The grace of God that brings salvation unto all men hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts c. We cannot serve God and Mammon friendship of the world is enmity to God and therefore let every one consider what his heart most ayms at and what his Prudence and Wisdom and Providence is what that is that the world does so admire and extol Is it friendship with the world or no So long as thou dost well to thy self men will speak well of thee but thou dost well to thy self indeed when thou seekest after the Lord thirstest after him and lustest after him and desirest him and in all desires in which thou art carryed out towards any thing but him thou expressest enmity to him thou lovest not him There is no going from God but to the creature thou art the creatures if thou have left God he that is a friend to the world is an enemy unto God What is friendship with the world when that we seek the creature for it self we are in love with it we do not seek God but seek it when we put our rest in it cannot be without it must have it put it in Gods place we must have such a thing and the other thing we cannot be without it A pitiful thing to live in enmity to God O when God comes forth how shall we be devoured and destroyed before him But there are that will be friends with God and the world too let them look to it how they make it out the friendship of the world is enmity to God And now the Apostle is shewing here how the Scripture discovers this same evil that is in our hearts Vers 5. Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Does the Scripture say in vain the Scripture says nothing in vain but the Scripture speaks much in vain to us while that we do not mark it nor attend it We all speak for the Scripture how the Scripture is of God the Scripture is Truth and the Word of Truth we speak well of it but the Scripture doth not speak well of you It says The spirit that is in you lusts to envy There is nothing but evil in our hearts We shall never understand the Scripture till that we understand it in our own hearts Do you think that the Scripture says in vain The spirit in you lusteth to envy Where does the Scripture say this It says Every thought of mans heart is onely evil and that continually The Scripture it tells you the evil is in your hearts and there is no good in your flesh and let it not be in vain the Scripture tells you if it be in vain now and you do not entertain it and hear God will come and you will finde it so How many carry the Scripture a witness and testimony against them Does the Scripture say in vain there is evil in you and the spirit in you lusts to envy The devill is in your hearts and he reigns there Does the Scripture say this in vain You will not hear it now to heed it and believe it you shall feel it one day that the Scripture does not speak in vain The greatest contenders for the Scripture and the Authority thereof are the greatest despisers of the Scriptures for they make the Scriptures speak as Ahab would make Michaiah speak well of him speak nothing but good and will not observe that the Scripture speaks in discovery of our evil but this is to reject the Scripture to catch here and there a piece to serve our turn and abuse them and wrest them as the devil did so the devil in us does Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy But the Scriptue tells us not so I but the Spirit of God tells us in the Scripture In the Scripture there is a cleer discovery of evil in our hearts Vers 6. But he gives more grace To finish in a word What is the meaning of that Why I conceive it is to prevent an Objection which might arise from the foregoing words For if the spirit that be in us lust to envy and if that be to serve the devil and that is all in our wars contendings and fightings what shall we do it is in vain to speak Nay for he gives more grace There is more grace then there is sin And where sin hath abounded Grace shall abound much more there is one greater in you then he that is in the world He gives more grace Why God he comes forth in his people and he makes them able to deny themselves and this wicked one that lusts to envy He gives more grace Wherefore he says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Here is Pride seen in contention and war and when we submit to God and depend upon him we are well Submit your selves therefore to God He gives more grace to the humble And he gives thee grace to be humble If any man be humble it is his Grace and what is that Humility and Grace Submit your selves to God be at his dispose let him measure out that he knows convenient for you and do not you lust after this thing and the other thing but let God come out to you Feed
it were dead and slain Rev. 5. John saw the Lamb as it had been slain he is as it were slain but he lives all this while and he raigns and rules but there is nothing seen but the Kingdom of Men of Devils of Death of Hell The Lord he is slain he comes forth at times and makes appearances and as he looks up still he is knockt down and the world cries Devil and Blasphemy In all the appearances that hitherto he hath made he hath been slain the Devil hath possessed all the Mountains that ever he raised up the seven Mountains the Whore sits upon them That the Apostle hath Heb. 6. They crucifie afresh the son of God and put him to open shame God makes his appearance and still he is crucified still he is slain whilst he riseth in flesh still he is killed If you ask who it is that kils him His enemies kill him sin and hell his friends kill him therefore Christ saith Father forgive them they know not what they do These are the wounds I have received in the house of my friends He kils himself he gives up his life for that which Pilat and Herod did they did by the determinate Counsel of God Awake O sword against the shepherd that is my fellow I lay down my life of my self and no man takes it from me saith Christ he gives up himself It is the blood of God in us that redeems this earth Thou hast redeemed us by thy blood There is no man shall live but he in whom God is dead in whom he lyeth slain for a while or as it were slain and by this God comes forth in a more glorious Kingdom His Kingdom is more glorious when he comes out of death into it comes upon Death comes upon Hell and all the powers of it God is pleased to make himself enemies that he may appear to be above them God is slain his blood is shed in Christ and Christ in the Saints he suffers still I fill up the sufferings of Christ saith the Apostle Here he dies and here he rises And this it may give us some light and instruction touching sin in the knowledge whereof we are exceeding defective All have sinned that the Apostle saith and sinned the utmost of sin Slain and murdered the Lord of life And think of it what you will you never see sin in a true light till you see your selves murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of glory the Spirit convincing of sin it convinceth of this and this is that that earthly-mindedness doth the earth in us this love of the earth this love of the creature it kils the Lord and buries the Lord it keeps down the Lord. Do you not know saith Iames that the friendship of the world is enmity unto God And you that know God and love God mind what you do whilst you go out after the earth Here is killing the Lord and burying him keeping him down Either we are crucifying God or else we are crucifying the world and the world is crucified unto us one of these two We are crucifying God while we do not look and long for his appearance all living in the earth being at home in the body is crucifying the Lord. The Devil is the god of this world he is a murderer and so are all those that serve this world murtherers and betrayers of the Lord of life The earth buries him the earth covers him the Princes of this world crucifie the Lord of glory You that profess to know the Lord of glory see what you do whilst you are climbing up in the world making after the greatness and the glory thereof the earth hides his blood and covers him here he is buried worldly lusts fleshly lusts these kill and flay and bury God in you keep down Christ in you This is the reason why the world makes so little account of God and makes no more of God then a fancy they have slain him and they have buried him and they raign but he will rise and then wo to the inhabitants of the earth The Devil is come among you and then you shall see the Devil the Devil is among you but you do not see him then you shall be delivered up to him It is a comfort to them that they cannot see God that their souls long after him and they love him but they cannot see him Why He is not discovered where he is he lyeth dead a great while He lyeth dead in the hearts and souls of his People And it should make us beware of passing judgement upon any That they are not the Lords and the Lord is not in them because he is not at present manifested he lyeth dead there is his blood and it may quicken though it be now as dead And it should make us very wary of judging any persons those that walk in the greatest opposition unto God God may lie dead in them and when he rises in them that shall suffer for him that did before persecute him and whosoever he be that lives he hath seen God dead in him and now he is raised This is indeed the conversion of a sinner it is the quickening of Christ in the heart He is dead in the earth here is his blood and he will rise up the earth shall discover her blood shall no longer hide her slain he will come out of his place he hath come forth in many appearances and hath been killed again but he will come forth in his own body and he will stand in the earth and rising from the dead he dies no more death hath no more dominion over him and he coming out of the grave will bring forth all his with him of which we had a type in the coming of the people of God out of Aegypt and out of Babylon they brought forth all the riches out of Aegypt returned with all the vessels out of Babylon When God brings us forth out of death and hell he will bring us forth with all the goods and all the riches that death and hell have robbed us of The earth shall no longer cover his blood And it cannot be it is impossible he should see corruption it is his blood and therefore must recover it is the Lamb but as it were slain he rules still he rules amidst his enemies he rules in death in hell but is covered is not seen He shall live and his people shall live with him And look we into our hearts what we find of the death of Christ of the resurrection of Christ of fellowship with him in his sufferings and the power of his resurrection This is that Pauls heart did beat upon Phil. 3. 10. We know him and the power of his death and fellowship of his sufferings Look what we know of him and look for his revealing in us When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me Know ye not that Christ is in you Prove your selves whether you be in the faith Christ
the death of it and if we be nothing but sin then t is our death How many be there whose life is death and their Covenant agreement with Hel is all their stability And when we come to think of ungodliness wickedness departing from God one man propounds this to himself another that to be a prophane swearer this is a course of ungodliness to be a beastly drunkard this is ungodliness to be a filthy unclean person this is ugodliness 'T is true all this is ungodliness this is base this is filthy but is here all No all worldly lusts all going out in desire after any piece of this Creation is ungodliness There is a Civil ungodliness that is modest and handsome unto the world and that is it they call providence and prudence which is nothing else but base distrust and denying God 't is nothing but Idolatry as the Apostle calls it nothing but adultery Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God and then there is base and deboist ungodliness that breaks out in drunkness and whoredom and fraud and rapine and theft Nothing but the breaking forth into scabbs and boiles and blanes and botches But there is that poyson within which we see not There is the Itch as well as the Scab and Boil Itching after the world and the things thereof is ungodliness After the worlds account only what is hurtfull to the society of men is reputed ungodliness what sinks men in their peace in their wealth in their estate in their credit So the world looks upon sin as to such and such evil fruits as are hurtfull to this present state of flesh It doth not look to the offence of God to the going out from God to the leaving God It doth not know the life of God it knows only sin as it is any way prejudicial to the life of sense It doth not know sin in the root of it Let us learn so to know sin even in the root of it and that is worldly lusts hence it proceeds This is ungodliness leaving the Creator and setling our selves in the creature and setting up the creature in the place of God How many be there that are condemning uncivil courses as they are to be condemned but condemning them so as they justifie themselves as the Pharisee doth God I thank thee I am not thus and thus I am not like this Publican this harlot this drunkard Look into thy heart what thou art before God Make inquisition after worldly lusts there the root of all ungodliness the root of that thou condemnest in the Publican in the Harlot in the Drunkard This love of the World and turning from God to the world this breaks out in him look how it works in thee Perhaps thou art more civil more modest thou carriest thy self so that thou art not so unmanly For there are worldly lusts that do unman a man and make him like a beast and there are worldly lusts that are very glorious things with men But thy heart and inside are as bad as this and as great an abhorring in the sight of God God hath chosen to himself the man that is godly The Godly man is he that cleaves to God rests in God trusts God believes in God that hath all in God This is godliness let us receive this truth which is acccording unto godliness SERMON III. TITUS 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope c. THe last thing we spake to was from the consideration that ungodliness and worldly lusts are joined together whence it was observed that all ungodliness lies in worldly lusts Ungodliness is going from God and going to the creature the friendship of the World is enmity to God is Adultery Idolatry the Devil is the God of this World going out after these things is going out after sin and ungodliness Lying thus it is impossible for a man for a son a meer son of Adam to escape ungodliness only he that is born of God only Christ that came from heaven and we through him do it Now as grace teaches what us to avoid and shun what to go from so it teaches us what to make to We should live soberly godlily and righteously in this present World to these words now Here is the lesson that grace teaches us that brings Salvation To live soberly righteously and godlily here is the place and time when it teaches us this lesson where in this present world It teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily There is no sober man that is not a righteous and a godly man There is no righteous man that is not a sober and a godly man It teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily And there is no sober man but he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be sober and there is no righteous man but he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be so And there is no godly man but he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be so Now a little to Dilate upon these three 1. That the sober man is only he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be so We know not how to live soberly till the grace of God that brought Salvation hath taught us What is sobriety what is it to live soberly Sobriety is opposed to two things to Madness and to Drunkenness Madness is Drunkenness and Drunkenness is Madness There 's Drunkenness by drink by Wine and Drunkenness by passion and pride there 's drunkenness by cares of the world and drunkenness by heaviness There 's fury and wrath and there 's joy too in making over much and sometimes this same drunkenness by fury and wrath and by joy do usher the grace of God that brings Salvation The grace of God it must bring us into sobriety through distempers discovering our weakness and our distempers together with the curing of them This same Drunkenness that is opposite to sobriety take it in the lump all together it is our state in the flesh with the Devil We come out of the life of God into the flesh come into the dark into a distempered state It is a bewitching drunkenness that is upon us There is a pure state of flesh that is not without distemper in comparison to the life of God There is a corrupt state of flesh that is pure distemper Our true life if we be of God is the life of God and the glory of God and all that comes short of the glory of God is distemper All have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so Madness hath seized upon all and all are under distemper till the grace of God that brings Salvation appears which
and Godliness There 's the life of man and the life of beasts and the life of Devils and there is the life of God when the grace of God that brings Salvation appears And now for the time and place where this lesson is taught and where this Sobriety and righteousness and godliness is brought forth in this present World a little of the time and I have done In this present World In this place in this time the World the present World the mad World the unrighteous World the ungodly World the World that lies in the wicked one in the power of the wicked one in this time of darkness and hour of temptation in this Kingdom of the World and Kingdom of Satan God he hath let Satan possess himself of this World and of this Creation and God is here trampled upon and oppressed by Satan and his Instruments and he lies under foot as madness and unrighteousness as filthiness and the Devil and the World they stand up and boast of sobriety and godliness they stand in the power of the Creature and the glory of God is shut up in his Servants Notwithstanding all this power and rage he appears in his servants in this present World He teaches us to oppose and confront and adjudge the World and the wickedness of it I have made thee a fenced City and a wall of brass says God against the princes of Judah The grace of God enables a man where it appears he fears not faces he fears not Hell he sees him that is invisible Moses feared not Pharaoh It sets us above all scorn and all reproaches in this present World We must needs be signs and wonders signs to be spoken against we are contented to be so we can bear it The grace of God that brings Salvation teaches us so Persecution comes and troubles come we can take up our Cross and we can follow Christ This sobriety which the grace of God teaches and this godliness and righteousness exceedingly enables a man to be contented to be scornd and spit on My life is not dear to me says the Apostle that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministry I have received Endure the afflictions of the World says Paul to Timothy by the power of God And when the grace of God hath broken forth and I have seen him that is invisible what 's this World when God hath set it up only to make a fool of it God uses the Devil and wicked men and enemies to make fools of them and we see God standing behind then what cause is there to fear in this present world under their very nose to their face to their teeth The grace of God teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily God out of the mouths of babes and sucklings ordains strength God suffers himself to be brought into a very seed by the Devil and the World and thence he rises up and the lower he suffers himself to be brought the more glorious is he in the Conquest The Kingdom of heaven comes to be like a grain of mustardseed it is a very little seed and it is hid in the earth a little leaven is hid in three measures of meal that nothing is seen but the power of darkness the Kingdom of Satan and sin this little grain of mustardseed springs up and though all the power of the World rise against it it prevails and is glorious Here 's two or thre things I would but hint at by way of application Vse 1. The grace of God teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily in this World First of all this shews how much out they are that think to carry Religion so that they 'l sleep in a whole skin will carry it like a Talent bound in a napkin The grace of God teaches us to live soberly in this present World 'T is as possible to carry fire about us and not to be burnt If it be true Religion it will be burning Is that Religion that lies under fleshly lusts and worldly lusts From the Devil it came and to him it must go it hath his life in it God is not in it but one that is truly Religious he may for a time think of hiding and concealing himsel as Nicodemus came to Jesus by night but where godliness is in truth it will he like new wine that will vent or break the vessel God hath not given light to put under a bushel but to set on a candlestick 2. Again There are many professing Religion that excuse themselves that the times are evil and therefore they cannot do this or that If the grace of God hath taught thee it shall teach thee in evil times to appear soberly and righteously There is a love grows cold as iniquity abounds this is not the love of God that like fire grows hotter in the coldest weather God had Saints in Nero's house he had them in Sodom and they shined there and appeared there and opposed this world this present World 3. And again Some are putting off this day This is for heaven say they this is not for the present It seems grace and Salvation is not come to such they that are not here in heaven will never be in heaven One Scripture that may conclude us in this is No man ascended into heaven but he that came down from heaven If ye are not in heaven while ye are in the world you 'l never be in heaven The grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared Heaven hath appeared to you and heaven is in you you are in heaven and that same heaven shall be interpreted into you and an entrance shall be given more abundantly If you say this is a hard Saying to live soberly righteously and godlily to convince the world to challenge the world to dare the world what a life must we live what suffering must we meet with You are appointed thereunto God hath given us another hope a blessed hope that is that follows Looking for that blessed hope at the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ The grace of God that brings Salvation it will be a strong help to you even in persecution for the joy that is set before us we shall bear up against all the persecutions we meet with in the world under all reproaches all burdens under all scoffs and sufferings The grace of God brings Salvation Let the world do what they can do let hell do what it can do I 'le be a sanctuary to them says God The grace of God teaches us to live soberly and righteously in this present world even in the midst of enemies It lifts up our heads even here before men and enables us to judge the world and condemn the world and so shall all do that are heirs of that righteousness which is by faith And thus much for this time FINIS The Authors last Testimony The brief heads of a Sermon Preached by Mr. Goad at Mr. Wallis his Funeral