upon â—oâ—'s Sanctuary this Priests Lips shall preserâ—e knowledge All that come to God's Church are taught of this Priest he is a high one the high priâ—â—â— of our profession we have not such another he is not set up by a Carnal Commandment his Induction came not from any Priest in this World but his Induction came from the God of Heaven and Earth his Father set him up for a Priest he comes by a heavenly Induction and Commission he is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek not after the Order of Aaron If you come to God's Church you may hear this Minister Some have called a House of Stone 〈◊〉 Wood a Church but that will not do noâ—â— therefore there are People that know better than they when they gather Churches of living Stones Men and Women are gathered to these Churches Now the Apostle saith the Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ if you will come to Church you must come to Jesus Christ the Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the general Assembly the Congregation of his faithful People What do you mean by a Church Ask a learned Man that understands Greek and Hâ—brew what is the meaning of the Word A Church saith he is the Congregation of the Faithful it is an Assembly of the Faithful People congregated together Where must they meet they must meet in the general assembly of the first-born whose names are written in heaven The Hebrews were come to that Church though they lived many hundred Miles asunder in Asia Cappadocia and Bythinia You are come to the general assembly of the first-born there is a Priest there is the high priest of our profession the Lord Jesus Christ who is a priest after the order of Melchisedeck not after the order of Aaron How long is this Priest like to stay in his Priesthood For ever He is a priest for ever not after a carnal commandment but the power of an endless life The Priests that were after Aaron's Order they could not continue Death snatched one away then they must have another Priest but here is one that hath a Priesthood higher than the Heavens by the Power of an endless Life Here is the Priest of God's Church and the Teacher of God's People so that when God's People come to Church that is to God the Father there Christ teacheth them according to the old Prophecy I will teach my people my self We have laboured to bring People to this Teaching that they might come to the Knowledge of the Living God Now there needs none to teach them for they are taught of God blessed be God our labour hath not been in vain we see the fruit of our labours and are satisfied We have been labouring to bring Men to know the Lord new all shall know the Lord from the greatest to the least and bow before him and worship him they hear that their high priests lips shall preserve knowledge If they do amiss he chastiseth them for it if they do well then he comforteth them by his Spirit Now our Labour is that all may be brought to this and that every one may know the Lord and may fear him and serve him and worship him in his Temple Our Bodies are a Temple for that use to worship God in know you not that youâ— bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost you musâ— worship in your selves you must go into youâ— selves you must know the Exercise of the Graces of the Spirit in your selves and thâ— Workings of the Spirit of Truth in youâ— selves and that your Souls that are in yoâ—â— Bodies may be bowed to the Power of the Spâ—rit and that your Worship must be in the Spirit you must pray in the Spirit and give Thanks in the Spirit Though those that set up Worship in the Church talk 〈◊〉 Divinity and Religion in every part of it yet the Substance of all the Shadows of the Law are fulfilled in the Gospel the Substance of all the Modes and Rites and Forms of Religion are fulfilled in the Gospel-way So then let every one compare and examine their State and consider how the case stands between them and their Maker what Knowledge they have of God and what Trust they have put in him that so they may be persuaded and prepared to come within the Pale of this Church But you must first come out of the World else you can never come into that Church that is in God if you be in the World you must go to the World's Church and be the Members of the World's Church and you shall have this for your Pains the World will love you but if you come out of the World's Church into God's Church the World cannot love you Be as good as thou wilt thou canst never bâ— so good as Christ Jesus and they loved him not because he was not of the World if you were of this world saith Christ the world would love its own but since you are not of the world but I have taken you out of it therefore the world hates you if they do so to the green tree â—hat will they do to the branches Are you better than I saith our Saviour the servant is not greater than his Lord Those that are the Disciples of Christ must be content to be persecuted reviled and hated for his names sake for thus they treated him who 〈◊〉 holy and harmless and undefiled who gave them a good Example and who did them no hurt but did them good yet the World hated him and it is but reasonable that you should suffer from the World in the same manner and bear it at their Hands If you come to this Church that is in God the Father and Jesus the mediator the church of the first-born that are written in heaven and come out of the World's Church then the World will be about your Ears all the World will set themselves against this Church against the Woman that shall bring forth a Birth that shall rule over the Nations There appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman cloathed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars and she being with Child cryed travelling in birth and pained to be delivered And there also appeared another wonder in heaven a terrible thing and behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and the dragon stood before the woman that was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born and she brought forth a man child that was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to Gâ—â— and to his throne When the Dragon 〈◊〉 ready to devour this Birth God took it into his own Care in spite of the Devil and all his Instruments and he will save the Child and preserve the Woman he that fits in heaâ—â—â—â—ill laugh at his Enemies and defeat them 〈◊〉
were to wait for the Spirit and pray in the Spirit and serve God in the Spirit and that all Religion that is not in Power is not available did they not find it in the Scripture And you that are not Quakers Did you ever read the New Testament How came it to pass that ye never found these Texts But some People read and read the New Testament twenty times over and mock and deride and persecute a Man that shall speak of the Spirits Teaching I have admired at it how intelligent Men to whom God hath given a competent Understanding should be so blinded they have learned to read English and they have read the New Testament over several times and the Old Testament too and they have read those Sentences of Christ's Doctrin that do so currently and unanimously speak of Divine Teachings and Spiritual Operations Spiritual Worship and Spiritual Religion that muâ—t have some Motion and Stirring of the Holy Ghost to be the Original of it and that alâ— others are not acceptable to God doubtless they have read these things but I have often desired and do still desire that they would but read it again once more and try and see what God will do he hath oftentimes made use of the Holy Scripture as a means to awaken People and to open their Understandings and let them see the Mind of the Spirit by which the Scripture is written and the next time if they can find Scripture Text and Apostolical Doctrin to teach People to wait upon the Spirit I hope they will leave Scoffing and Mocing It hath been hitherto looked upon as an Invention to speak of the teaching of the Spirit and waiting upon the Spirit and being moved by the Spirit This Apostolical Doctrin Prayer and Worship hath been looked upon as an Invention that we have brought in To look for the Holy Ghost in that way that was never known to our Fathers is a fantastical Conceit of the Quakers say they To tell People they must be led by the Spirit in Divine Things as in Prayer and Worship and the like that in these things they must wait for the spirit was there ever any Man that was counted good for any thing that ever preached so before they came Do we read any such kind of thing in Scripture O the blindness that hath happened to this Nation I have considered not without admiration how the Devil he is a spirit too and a wicked one the Devil should have power to shove out the knowledg belief sense and feeling of the Spirit of God now a days there are thousands in this Nation that have formerly believed that it was as impossible for a Man to believe the divine motions and struglings of the spirit of God in this life as to raise their Fathers and Mothers out of their Graves some of their learned Teachers have told us it is a Whimsy and Fancy and that there was no inspiration of the spirit now a days but that it was a foolish fancy in us to wait for such a thing it is needless say they there was an Immediate Teaching in the Apostles days and they had the sense of the spirit of Christ working in them to teach them to write Letters and Epistles to the Church which Letters and Epistles were written by the moving of the Holy Ghost but we have no need of it now the Holy Ghost hath brought order and goverment into the Church we have it now in black and white Printed in our Books therefore say they there is no need of the spirit and People need not be acquainted with the operation of the spirit now a days in regard they have it in their Books what manner of Worship they must perform I grant them their due that they have the direction of the Scripture I am able to understand that People are to worship God and pray to him and are to meet together and to observe this and the other doctrinal precepts there laid down I confess I can make shift herewâ—th to frame out a form of Religion and if I do not mistake in the opening and explication of the Doctrine I could make a right form too but I am lyable to mistake another Man that understands Greek better than I saith that the Greek word ought to be translated so and the form ought to differ in such a respect some say the only way of goverment is by Bishops and the word bears it in the original and another saith he hath streched the word for the word means Presbyter another saith Presbyter signifyes no more than choice of Church Elders and Deacons and such like and this is all out of one Book the settlement of Bishops Presbyters and Elders Here a parcel of form-makers all fall out about the meaning of the word what remedy can any mortal Man provide for this We must not be killing and slaying one another about words if I be an episcopal Man and say the word signifyes Bishops I may be a wicked Man still and if another say it must be Presbyter he may be a wicked Man too and if another say it should be Pastor Elders and Deacons he may be a wicked Man notwithstanding Thus they have rent and torn one another about Church Government what remedy shall we have for this that these quarrellings and contentions about terms and words may come to an end Could a Man prescribe a more certain remedy for all these mistakes than this if they had a measure of this spirit which did work in the Apostles when they wrote down these Words which the Apostles had in Writing them then I say they could tell you what the spirit meant for the spirit is the same and not changed and the Words are the same to a small matter so that if a Man had that he might end all the controversie but where shall we have a Man that hath this spirit to end the controversie There is none now a days say the Protestants and say the Papists there is none but one that hath this infallibility and they will not suppose that neither for some of them say that one Man is as infallible as another Man there is a great brangle whether any one Man be infallible or a great many men together are infallible about Doctrin and Worship This might be cured all at once if we could come to this conclusion Papists Protestant and Quakers here is an end of all their out-side Worship He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his If there be not spirit in it it is not Christs Religion and Worship So that they that jangle and bark and bite are without among Dogs and Sorcerers that are straâ—gers to the spirit of Christ there is a spirit in them that denies the spirit of Christ there is a spirit that rules in them that are witâ—out the spirit for no Body that I know on acts things without a spirit and without being moved What are good and
cometh when no man can work Let every one of us that are now met together labour to be sensible of the Love of God to us and love him above all and express our Love by a willing and persevering Obedience that we may have the love of God shed abroad upon our hearts by the Holy Ghost and offer up living Praises to him through Jesus Christ â—ho hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made to kings and priests unto God and his father To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and â—ver Amen SERMON X. Salvation from Sin by Jesus Christ Preached at Devonshire-House August the 9th 1691. IT is a general Doctrine in the World That no man by any means in the World can ever be set free from Sin in this Life This is universally received almost among all Christians in all Churches one and another tho' they differ never so much in other things yet they agree in this so that this Doctrine hath â—ot a Sway in the World and it is accounted a great Delusion and a Heresie and a grand Error for any to question the Truth of it Now while a Man is of that Belief That there is an impossibility of living without Sin and of breaking down the Kingdom of Satan in any one Soul in the World How can Men hope or believe that Righteousness should prevail in the Heart of one Man Therâ— neither King nor Beggar if he be a Bishop 〈◊〉 a Gospel Minister the Devil must have a Rulâ— and Goverâ—â—ent in him so long 〈…〉 this World As long as this is believe 〈◊〉 not possible that the other Belief should tâ— place It is madness to think that I must bâ— under the Rule and Government of Satan if I am under the Government of the Son of God And it is still greater madness to say That Christ and the Devil are both my Governours and Rulers It is prodigious Folly and Madness to speak after this manner This Belief prevails over all Men over the Wise and Mighty and Noble and Learned that they can never be freed from the Power of Sin in this World but that the Devil will lead them into Sin every Day leâ— Men be never so sober never so abstemious in their Lives let them spend never so many Hours in Prayer every Day let them come to Meetings and hear Sermons and write them and repeat them and do what they will here is a Bar of Unbelief that lies in the way that makes Men depart from the living God and his Power and lose the Benefit they should receive from Christ And therefore they go to fetch it another way that is to have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them and they shall be holy and pure in the sight of God when they are polluted in their own Eyes and when they see their daily Failings Infirmities and Corruptions yet God may not see them but that he sees them Holy Just and Righteous in his Son What strange kind of Doctrine is this I must prâ—sume that God will see me in his Son Jesus Christ when I never was in Christ How can this be He that is in Christ 〈◊〉 new creature old things are done away and 〈◊〉 things are become new But if there be Oâ— things remaining still and I be not becomâ— New shall I presume that I am in Christ and that God will see me in his Son When People come to use the Understanding that God hath given them the will look upon themselvâ—â— as barred out by their Unbelief that the Nations have drunk in and it is as sweet to them as the Honey and the Honey-Comb But blessed be God many have vomited it up already If they would have placed this Doctrine upon Man's Natural Ability I would have said Amen to it I know there is none of us all have a natural Ability anâ— Power to deliver his own Soul from Sin and Satan but when they come to place it upon God that though the Lord make bare his arm and reveal his power though they come to have the Grace of God that still they could not be delivered from Sin this hath Blasphemy at the bottom of it The other reflected upon man's Power this reflects upon the Power of God Almighty That the Devil hath got such a Power over us that God hath noâ— Power over us nor cannot have Power aâ— Dominion over us so that of a whole Nâ—tion he cannot have one Man to serve him Much might be said in answer to this When Men are once willing to serve Goâ— they will be willing to leave the Seâ—vice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devil There is no way to answer that good Wish but by waiting upon God for the revealing of his Power I pray God that when you come to a Meeting you may say Lord let thy Power go forth upon my Heart Let thy Arm be made bare and deliver me from the Power and Dominion of Sin Some will say they feel God's Power in a Meeting I feel the Power of God workinâ— upon my Heart in order to the taking away Sin and Transgression and giving me Victory over it through the Lord Jesus Christ If they feel this Power of God upon them it is their Duty to believe it and depend upon it If I believe it I must wait for the Dictates of it and believe that I shall be able to do all things â—hrough Christ that strengthens me Then Faith will come forth into Works and appear to be a living Faith You may remember what the Apostle James saith As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also As soon as a Man comes to joyn with the mighty Power of God he will be able to withstand Temptation If he comes into evil Company he will deny them and not comply with them 〈◊〉 will find then something of a Power 〈◊〉 Ability to serve God though he is â—ot come to Perfection yet he is walking 〈◊〉 the way of Holiness and pressing forward towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus He will say I am got a little â—â—arer than I was towards the place where I would be towards that Life which I wâ— live and die then let Death come wheâ— pleaseth God it shall be welcome This is the wickedness of many in thâ— World they will not live such a Life as they would be willing to die in They cannot come at it unless it be given them to believâ— for it is the Gift of God they must come to thâ—â— Governour and Leader which goes beâ— to the Gift of God which is eternal lâ—fe then let Death come when it will if I have the Gift of eternal Life It is a miserable thing to think that there arâ— divers that have not laid hold of eternal Life It is manifested that we may lay hold of it there is a Hand of Faith joyning with it When a Man comes to lay hold of