there 's light Quickning Comforting Directing and there 's Majesty and Glory and all the burning of the Lord comes forth at last in shining and Glory There is no shining without burning The day of the Lord burns like an Oven And he shall sit as a Refiner of Silver The tryal of your faith is much more precious then Gold The manifestation of God the Ministry of the Spirit is full of variety of operation Killing Saving Tormenting Refreshing We are the savour of death unto death to some and the savour of life unto life to others We should look what acquaintance we have with such a Ministry with burning and shining light Whether we have dealt with fire with burning and whether through that we have come to know what belongs to shining There is the Divine nature to be brought forth bright and shining The worlds part is to be burnt and dazled the Christians part is to have flesh consumed and the Divine nature to come forth in glory If any be in the fire let them hope to shine Have ye that in you that will endure the fire When I am tried I shall come forth like gold 'T is the righteousness of God only not of man that will endure this tryal 'T is the Divine nature only that can stand before devouring fire and everlasting burnings When this day breaks forth all the righteous Pharises and Formalists will be found to be the sinners in Sion that are affraid This manifestation of God is terrible to the world It is a marvelous light He hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light It is not the light of this world It is another Spirit then that of this world The world marvails at it and despises it because it is death and destruction to them For a while they Master it but at last it prevails against them and they see there is no standing before it In Low manfestations of God the people of God appear as Incendiaries and are so indeed This old world is to be purified by fire as the other was by water How was Herod scorcht and dazled with this fire The world prevails against it for a while and beats it down and then it riseth higher and higher till it prevail over the world Christ appeared in fleshly eyes there and riseth again in Spirit and after a long apostacy is rising again the second time If we be of God and have the Divine nature in us we shall rejoyce not onely in the light but in the fire They shall glorifie God in the fire Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Let us a little consider of these words Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light the light did in part please you there is some compliance and closing of carnal hearts and worshipers with the spiritual Ministry and true appearance of God The world strikes in for some time into the way of Christ and the appearance of God Herod heard John gladly and reformed many things he liked the light well but he could not endure the fire there is that which is held forth in the spirit that pleaseth the natural man salvation and glory and eternal joy but when they hear of going into the fire and what they must part withal then with the young man they go away sorrowful The stony ground sets forth a sort of people that hear the word with joy but because they have not much root they are scorcht and burnt up by the Sun of persecution and wither away many take up the profession of Christ and when they hear of salvation and glory its good news to them but when they hear what it will cost them that all must come through sufferings and offering all to death that they may receive all again by a Resurrection this they like not and so fall away for a little while they can bear God company but so soon as they see the cross in the way they turn aside There are some lusts and corruptions that some men are not enclined to while the fire of God comes forth against these in others they are well enough while God comes forth against some sort of men they can bear well enough while John came forth against the Sadduces and Pharisees Herod liked it well but when the fire of God breaks forth against their own lusts as against Herod It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife they can bear no longer And there are lusts that fight one against another for there is enmity in Hell when the fire comes forth and fights against a lust in another we like it well but when it strikes at our own lusts we cannot bear it And sometimes we fall out with the world and are tyred in the greatness of our way and then we can entertain something of Christ and of truth Worldly men can go along with Christ for worldly designs but if their design be spoyled no longer walking with Christ It concerns every one of us that have taken up a profession that are complying with such a Ministry as we look upon to be a Ministry of the spirit to look inward and to consider whether we have the love of the truth in our hearts whether we are able to bear the charge to the journeys end and to hold out in all weathers There are many builders that lay a foundation but they are not able to go through with the charge of finishing These are foolish builders that expose themselves to laughter and scorn Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light in the manifestation of God through John but it was onely for a season here was not the love of the truth here was not the divine nature here was not that which will abide therefore it was rejoycing in the light onely for a season how doth it concern us to look whether we have the love of the truth in us whether we have the testimony of the Father that we love the truth There is a Jew that is one inwardly and there is a Jew in the spirit there was a Jew that was one outwardly in the flesh that which is for a season onely is because it wanteth root there is a Christian indeed and a Christian onely in appearance and shew what a goodly shew doth the Corn on the stony ground make but when the burning comes it withers away when the Sun of persecution ariseth such shall be discovered how hard it is to know a Christian indeed until the fire comes until the salt comes Every man shall be salted with fire and every work shall be tryed by the fire How doth it concern us to see that we have our foundation in God that we may be able to stand in that day We may be great and glorious in mans eye and yet in the day of the Lord prove no better then chaffe or stubble that the fire takes hold on and consumes what discoveries have we daily
of rottenness in professors and as this day appears more so there will be greater discoveries You have such and such marks and signs but they are things that need a testimony to them the Apostle John speaks of that testimony The love of the brethren but it comes at length to this We know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given us Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce c. Willing and rejoycing how like is this to the spirit as if the day of Gods power had been amongst them to make them willing but when that day comes it will bring us to eternity how many be there that have been willing and rejoycing in Christ but now their season is gone Consider whether we are for a season onely or whether we are for ever Whether we are not onely for the light but for the fire Christ is yesterday today and the same for ever It is a pittiful thing to be onely for a season better not to be at all and never to have known the way of righteousness then to be but blazing Stars and Comets and at last fall to the earth with what confusion of face shall they be thrown down that shall stand up at the last day and say Lord have we not preached and prophesyed and cast out devils in thy name when he shall answer them Depart from me I know you not he that is right in Religion indeed is growing and increasing he is as a Tree planted by the Rivers side that brings forth fruit and whose fruit remains If Christ be in us he grows up in us and we grow up in him being rooted and grounded in love we grow up into his fulness till we be filled with all the fulness of God Ye were willing for a season ye were professors for a season Christians for a season the people of God for a season and some for one season and some for another season now lifted up to Heaven and by and by thrown down to Hell this is a miserable case better never to have known the way of righteousness better to have continued in our natural estate without making profession at all then to shine for a season and afterwards be cast into outward darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The Invalidity of Church-censures where Christ is not judge SERMON I. 1 COR. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you For I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ To deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus HEre is a foul sinner among Saints And he that is a sinner is also a Saint Here is the whole company of Saints leavened they are sinners by partnership All in carnal security all of them in high conceits of their good estate Ye are puft up saith he in the second verse 2. Here is that which Saints should do in such a case When the corruption within doth break forth in such a manner what should they do should they talk it about It is reported commonly should they trumpet it out Or what should they do should they rail should they scorn should they throw stones Nay but the Apostle tells us here they should mourn Ye are puft up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you And thirdly the Apostle is shewing them that by right mourning there will be power obtained to get free from this evil To save our selves and to save sinners by destroying of sin The Apostle he was a mourner as it is plentifully expressed in 2 Cor. 7. And had obtained power of God to come forth against this corruption and sin that was broken forth even to cast it out This he expresses in the third vers For I verily as absent in body but present in Spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed He had gotten a power of judging It was a power I have judged already Object And if that Objection should be made He was absent and not present Absent in body saith he but present in Spirit I have judged already Sol. The Apostle by the Spirit foreseeing that the Church the Saints here should partake with him of the same power to judge this sinner by humbling themselves before the Lord he summons them unto mourning then calls them unto judging and shews them the assistance they should have He shews them his assistance and shews them the common assistance of him and them They should have his Spirit ver 4. and he and they should have the power and assistance of the Lord Iesus In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit c. You see the General scope Let us now consider the particulars in the Text. It is commonly reported that there is fornication amongst them c. Sin among the Saints Fornication Fleshly uncleanness this may seem strange to find this in a Church to see this break out in a Saint 'T is true a Saint he was but this was no piece of his Saintship You may think it strange but it is only strange to them that have not seen the whore that is in their own hearts Filthy base uncleanness among Saints what a sight was this Such as is not once named among the Gentiles saith the Apostle not named in any way of honor not named in any way of good report This to be brought forth in the sight of the Sun A tent spread in the face of the Sun Acts not fit to be named Such as he is ashamed to speak of Many things might be observed from this first verse As that first of al touching common fame It is reported commonly Doct. Those Saints that are wise will have as little to do in common fame as may be And what they receive by common fame let them bring home to the parties concerned as the Apostle doth here It is commonly reported saith he The Apostle doth not trade in this business What he meets withall he brings home to the persons concerned We have experience enough in these days what common fame is what report is I shall not speak of that Touching the sins of Saints that also might be spoken to Doct. 2. That there is the same corruption the same corrupt nature in a Saint as in others It
praise here is thanksgiving indeed praise indeed which is that that is held forth in Psal 116. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I le walk before the Lord in the land of the living Here is the sacrifice of praise I le walk before the Lord I le walk in the Spirit and no more in the flesh In the 12 Verse it follows What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Here is the sacrifice of praise here is dying dying to the world dying to the flesh Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints O Lord truly I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving What shall I render unto God T is said of Hezekiah that he rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefits he received from him This is that God enables his people to do to render to him according to what they have received God enables his people even to recompence him to requite him Do you thus requite the Lord The Lord enables his people to requite him and to requite him fully for as he is our fulness so we are his fulness as he gives himself to us so he enables us to give our selves to him and so we return himself unto himself Of thy own we have given thee Thus only a Saint can praise that hath the Spirit that hath received God for nothing is acceptable to God but himself Nothing comes to God but what comes from God There is no sacrifice indeed but Jesus Christ By him let us offer up the sacrifice of praise unto God The people of God do make a Covenant with God by sacrifice Psal 50. There is a sacrifice of praise praise is a sacrifice and a sacrifice of our selves t is Christ that is the sacrifice and t is by Christ that we become a sacrifice acceptable a sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God For I do not live saith the Apostle but Christ lives in me And as by him we are a sacrifice so by him we are Priests a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God as t is in 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is the fire of this sacrifice the Eternal Spirit Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot and that that is our praise is the meat and drink upon this Altar the refreshing and the wine In keeping of them of thy Commandments saith David there is great reward There is somewhat to be carried forth in this sacrifice and that is iniquity and sin that cleaves unto our holy things Praise and thanksgiving is the sum of the Worship of God and Jesus Christ and this praise and thanksgiving is a sacrifice and such a sacrifice as you have heard Vse This may make a discovery unto us that praise and thanksgiving is little known among us we are very little acquainted with it we have heard of the name but know not the thing The common praise and thanksgiving stands in some expression of words sometimes there is a day set apart sometimes good words spoken of God at such a time there are some Ceremonies used and it may be a great deal of sacrifice done to the flesh there is a seeming offering somewhat to God but none of the best And cursed is the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offers to God a corrupt thing The true praising and acceptable thanksgiving is offering up of our selves our selves sanctified that the offering up of the Gentiles might be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and our selves a living sacrifice There is no man can glorifie God but he that is glorified of God according to that prayer of Christ in Joh. 17. Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee If this that hath been said in this point cause us to look into our hearts and consider what we have done and how we have been in this service of praise it is that I intended in it When we shall look into the nature of Praise and Thanksgiving and shall look with a right eye we shall see that there hath been nothing or little else besides the name of Praise amongst us it hath been but a form of Godliness having in it scarce any thing of the power By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually By him let us do it That is the next thing to be considered here That by Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ in the power in the light in the love in the spirit of Jesus Christ must our praise go up to God and all that is acceptable doth go up so By him let us offer c. All that comes to God that is acceptable sacrifice it comes by him it comes in his name it goes up in his grace it goes up in his love in his light in his power this is by Jesus Christ There is no Sacrifice acceptable but that which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost as in Rom. 15. 16. That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable to God sanctified by the Holy-Ghost There is nothing that comes acceptable unto God that God owns that he receives or where he smells a savour of rest but that which comes up in the spirit of Christ by Christ by him in his name There is nothing holy but what is by the Holy-Ghost It is he that sanctifies the people by his blood as it is said here before Let us go forth to him and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise He is the Mediator between God and man he is our peace our wisdom our righteousness our sanctification If he be our sanctification God will own us there is nothing that God can own but what comes by him We are all an unclean thing there is nothing comes from us but pollution but onely as we come forth by Christ and in Christ Else all our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are nothing but a form a shew of holiness It is a fair shew toward God but tends only to the flesh and to the world Our minde and Conscience is defiled till it be taken into the Holy-Ghost till Christ be brought forth in us In Christ we come forth a new creation All this same old creation is lost and fallen into Satan in the new Creation Satan hath nothing to do the prince of this world comes and hath nothing in me By him All acceptable service goes to God by Christ In him are all the promises yea and Amen The promises saith the Apostle they are to the seed he doth not say to Seeds as to many but as to one and that is Christ Gal. 3. 12. Coming and not coming by Christ we have no promise of acceptance Christ is the heir of all God
hath given all to him we can have nothing but by him and in him we are coheirs as the Apostle hath it in Rom. 8. God hath chosen us in him hath blessed us in him by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise Christ is Temple he is Altar he is Priest he is all the whole body of our sacrifice by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise No acceptable sacrifice but by him Every one then that deals by sacrifice that deals in praise and thanksgiving or supposeth that he doth so let him consider by whom he comes Do you come by a Mediator or no If you come by a Mediator do you come by him that is gone without the gate and sits in the reproach of the world if you come not by him all that you do whatever fair shew it hath to men is but abomination in the sight of God There is nothing acceptable to God but in him All the Incense you offer up it stinks unless there be the sweet odour of him How is it then you bring your praise you bring your thanks by whom do you come doth Christ lead you in do you do it by him We use his name we come with words and letters and syllables we say Lord we come to thee by Jesus Christ we come in his name when we say so let 's consider what Commission we have Remember what the evil spirit said to them that conjured them in the name of Jesus whom Paul preached Jesus we know and Paul we know but who are ye and that of the Psalmist Why dost thou take my name into thy mouth when thou hatest to be Reformed Is the name of Jesus in thy mouth Yes but consider is the love of Jesus and the Faith of Iesus in thy heart If we come by him let us see that he is with us let us look for his minde in us for his spirit in us Are we spiritually minded or carnally minded Are we his reproach or is he precious unto us he must needs be so if we come by him unto God and know him the onely way and the truth and the life Are we let unto God by his spirit To come by Iesus is to come in the light and power and grace and life of Iesus To come in our own names what can we expect to come by our own works by our own righteousness this is to make another Iesus another Mediator To use onely the name what an abominable mockery is this and how hath Satan and sin and all wickedness been brought forth under the Names and Titles of Iesus Christ The devil hath brought forth all sacrifices to himself under the name of Iesus Christ and under such Titles By him Let every one of us look if we be in praise and Thanksgiving unto God whether we come by him To come by him is to come with him Know ye not that Christ is in you If any have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his We are branches of his root members of his body and so we are to grow up if we be planted in the house of God through the sap and fatness that we have in him We have great things to do which cannot be done but by him We have principalities and powers death and hell to wrastle withal how shall we do it but by him we have God himself to overcome and how shall this be done but by his son Consider what a promise there is whatsoever you shall ask in his name it shall be given you We have heaven to open and shut we have Satan to binde and loose and how shall this be done without him But you will say where is he that doth go forth by him where is this power where is this light and where is this grace O 't were well if all our hearts were stirred up to look after it where it is O that we were awakened to look for it that we were rows'd up out of spiritual security and stumbling out of that form of Religion we walk in to look after power and life and spirit Where is it Surely when we begin to look after it we shall finde it is not far from us But the truth is it hath been a long time absent a long time withdrawn in respect of the manifestation of it God hath been pleased that there should be an hour of darkness and a time of temptation God is pleased there should be a time of Apostacy that the man of sin should be revealed and that he himself during this time should be hid Christ himself did not always go forth manifestly in the name of God for that thirty yeers from his birth 't is true he did all by the Father but how little manifestation was there of the Father in that time his working by the Father in the name of the Father was manifested in him by degrees And he tells his Disciples that they should go forth mightier then ever he went forth himself Joh. 14. He that believes in me greater works shall he do then those that I do When Christ came to suffer and to be a reproach he went to it by the Father he went to all by the Father and we go to all by him and the Father did not presently manifest himself or lead him out to a willing and a joyful suffering but comes to him by degrees after begging and entreating and earnest Prayers with strong cries and tears if it be possible let this cup pass away The Father comes in at last takes him by the hand and then he goes on cheerfully and for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross and despised the shame The manifestation of Christ with his people to lead them to God hath been low and dark but it shall be cleer it shall be bright it shall be powerful We have been in an exceeding puzzeled lost condition and still are that we scarce know when we go by Christ and when we go alone but he shall come forth cleerly and manifestly to lead his people and we shall see that he hath us by the right hand He will come forth in his brightness to destroy the man of sin after the time that he is fully revealed and by him the Saints shall go into greater glory then ever they have yet seen we shall judge the world and we shall judge Angels How is it to be wished that we were sensible of that confusion and darkness that lieth upon us that we have seen and do see very little of Christ our way I am the way the truth and the life When the time comes that Christ shall manifest himself unto his people to lead them unto God to be their light and their direction and their life he will make us sensible of our darkness of our weakness at what a loss we have been and we shall begin to cry as the Prophet Elisha did when his Master was taken up where is the spirit
not how this can be the Spirit teaches those that are born of him how it can and may be They that are born of him if they do not understand they shall understand God will reveal the same to them When God is all in all to us and we see God in all his love in all his power in all then we shall praise him in all we shall give thanks in all we shall do all we do to the Lord we shall dye to the Lord and live to the Lord Whether we live or dye we are the Lords we shall work to the Lord we shall sleep to the Lord we shall awake to the Lord Holiness will be written upon the bells of the horses upon all our imployments all will be a sacrifice of praise in all we shall give up our selves to the Lord. This is that the Apostle saith elsewhere 1 Thess 5. Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing in all things give thanks In all things what in affliction in troubles in sufferings in reproaches why what saith the Text Let us go forth to him without the gate bearing his reproach and by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Count it all joy saith James when you fall into divers temptations but what will you make of us you will say should we be stocks and stones would not you have us sensible of afflictions and temptations of burthens and reproaches that lie upon us see what the Apostle saith to this As sorrowful yet always rejoycing The spiritual man hath a sense of afflictions and reproaches and a deep sense too he sees all that is in the cup but he sees through it he sees joy surpassing all sorrow Christ he saw through the cup he saw the shame and was sensible of it but there was joy that was set before him there was that that swallowed up all that that lifted him up above all there was a cup of wine that made him forget his sorrow Give wine to him that is sad in heart When our hearts are full of sorrow God comes in with a cup of wine God sheds abroad his love in our hearts and we joy in tribulation as saith the Apostle so here is the sacrifice of praise in affliction in trouble in necessity in reproaches being persecuted we suffer patiently being defamed we bless and a spirit of glory rests upon us We see God in all we see a good hand in all God will do me good for his cursing saith David The flesh cannot praise at all no not in all peace in all abundance all its sacrifice is to its own net but the Spirit praises in the midst of tribulation Paul and Silas sing in the Prison the Apostle commends to the Collosâ—ians long-suffering with joyfulness and he tells the Corinthians that as afflictions do abound for Christ so consolations do abound through Christ God comes in to his people in the saddest afflictions and tells them these are yours all is yours things present and things to come life is yours death is yours afflictions are yours they are all your servants he shews us that we are Lords and Masters and Conquerors he sets us above these Christ triumphed in the Cross as the Apostle saith and here is the triumph of a Christian over necessities afflictions reproaches yea over death it self not to be delivered from death but to be set above death to be conquerours of death We are more then Conquerors through him that loved us T is a poor expectation from Christ to expect by Christ to be delivered and defended from reproach from afflictions from necessities from sufferings Christ came to call us into these to set us above these and make us more then Conquerors over these He that will be my disciple saith he let him take up his cross and follow me Let us go forth to him without the gate and by him let us offer c. T is a strange thing this to praise in afflictions to be in continual praise but this is by him When we know the fellowship of his sufferings the vertue and power of his Resurrection this will be no strange thing to us and then we shall go forth willingly without the gate we shall go to his reproach chearfully Let us by him c. There is that in every Saint that seed of God that that is born of God that same holy one that is in continual praises The noise of flesh oftentimes and for a long time drowns this voyce but it shall be heard when flesh shall be put to silence When the Lord arises into his holy habitation you that see him sometimes and feel him sometimes shall see and feel him always and you shall say with the Apostle the life was manifest we have seen it we have handled it and our eyes have looked upon it You that say you live because he lives must needs see you live for ever for he never dies and you shall never dye you have a life that shall never be taken away I am the Resurrection and the life and he that believes in me shall never dye and this life is nothing but praise nothing but thanksgiving he is all in all doth all in us and for us works all our works and so far forth as we see him doing all as we shall see him perfectly when we walk in the light as he is in the light then we shall praise him in all t is his faith his sap his vertue his life his power to him be glory when he acts us and leads us by his Spirit whither can we go from him we must needs go to him we must go to praise we must go to glory he destroys the works of the Devil in us he destroys all that goes forth to the world to the creature at last he will destroy all there shall be no going forth but to him nothing but praise t is he that delivers us from other Lords Other Lords have had rule over us c. we have been praising the creature our own wisdom our own righteousness we have been offering up to our lusts Other Lords have had dominion over us now by thee only we will make mention of thy name you that mention the Lord keep not silence God doth bring and will manifestly bring all his true born people his own begotten children in Jesus Christ I say he will bring them into continual praise Some of these it may be do not know yet what it means the world shall never know it It may be yet we know no other praise but an expression of words we shall know that praise is giving up our selves to God We do not know that we pray but only when we set our selves apart and make this Preface Come let us pray perhaps twice or thrice a day c. T is far from me to condemn any one that is in the use of these hours and forms let them be in God in the Spirit and he will be with them but
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
to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God to an innumerable company of Angels c. Here is the Gospel-state here is the glory of Jesus Christ the glory of God that the Gospel brings us to brings forth in us Are we come hither or no There are some come to it that do not know it There are many of us heirs but we live in bondage we live like servants we know no better portion then Mount-Sinai though of right our portion be Mount-Sion Let us wait till the spirit of God shew unto us the things that are freely given to us of God This glorious state is nothing else but the state of the spirit which we are waiting for We are come unto Mount-Sion the City of the living God Christs work is to bring us to God and so we are no more strangers but fellow-Citizens with the Saints we are set down with Christ in heavenly places we are set down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God We are set down in the same glory that the Apostles and Prophets are set down in we are fellow-Citizens with the Saints and with the General Assembly and Church of the first-born See your glory Christians if you be Christians indeed If you be in the spirit and not in the letter onely If you be free-born if you be born after the spirit and not after the flesh see your glory In the words read you may see a Doctrine and a Use 1 A Doctrine propounded which holds forth the glorious state of Believers It is that which eye hath not seen ear hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what it is but God hath revealed the same to us by his spirit It is in the letter and now our business is that it may be revealed to us by the spirit It may be the fathers good pleasure and his time now to bring forth the inheritance to some that hear me this day that hitherto have been kept under Tutors and Governours little better then servants This we are to try now how God will be with us to take away the vail and reveal our inheritance to us The Doctrine begins at the 18 ver and reacheth to the 25 ver At the 25 ver there begins the Use the Application which is an exhortation 2. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. Do not turn away from him that speaketh life and glory Turn not away from him that calleth you to sit down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Apostle useth divers Arguments to enforce the exhortation First He that speaks doth not speak from earth but from heaven Secondly from the danger of refusing to hear If they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Thirdly the Apostle shews the effect of this voice ver 26. Whose voice then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not onely the earth but also heaven And the evidence the Apostle brings for this is from a Scripture taken out of the prophesie of Haggai Hag. 1. 6 7. The word that was spoken on earth shook the earth The word that is spoken from heaven shakes earth and heaven also Then the Apostle interprets this word yet once more ver 27. It signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain In ver 28. he further enforceth his exhortation from the advantage that the Saints have by this change Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear In the former administration there was not grace to serve God acceptably in this there is that was leading to bondage this to a kingdom The Apostle concludes with this Argument For our God is a consuming fire of which more hereafter I shall speak of these particulars as time shall give leave Here you see a Gospel state what it is it is a strong state a glorious state a state that cannot be moved a kingdom that cannot be shaken it is strong and it is sweet There was a weak state and that was full of terrour The Law was weak through the flesh It was a weak state a shaking Mountain a Mountain not to be touched If so much as a beast touch the Mountain it was to be stoned or thrust through with a dart That was weak and terrible but ye are come to that which is strong and gracious Ye are come to Mount-Sion to the City of the living God The glorious state of believers is held forth here from the 18 verse to the 25. Our business will be to run over the particulars with some short explication and to set before you one or two parallel Scriptures that hold forth the same things though not so fully and particularly The first Scripture is Eph. 2. 5 6. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And ver 17 and 18. of that chapter And came and preached peace to you which were afar of and to them that were nigh ver 19 20 21 22. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles c. Ye that are Believers are come to Mount-Sion and ye are built up a spiritual house fitly framed together an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit The other Scripture is 2 Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind We are not come to the Mount that might not be touched and to blackness and darkness No God hath poured out another spirit upon us of power of love and a sound mind Ye are come to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to God the judge of all Now let us briefly run over the words as they lie before us Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched It might be touched and it might not be touched It might be touched but not without danger of death It might not be touched There was such a terrible manifestation that there was no coming to it It was an administration of distance from God It had a spirit of fear that gendred unto bondage There was a terrible manifestation There was blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a word Nothing but an outward command a word that could not be obeyed and
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