on in the Holy way We that are come to know this Holy way through the Riches of the Love and Grace of the Great God to us it is our main business to walk in this Holy way they that know any thing of true Christianity know this to be their great concern to walk in this Holy way that leads to Everlasting Life Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life and every one that comes into this way and walketh in it they are going on towards Perfection And they are putting off the Old Man They feel in themselves a Power at work that Crucifies the Old man with his Deeds then they go on in the Name of the Lord. This Power doth work till every one in their own particular comes to be Crucified with Christ It was the Primitive Christians experience what the Apostle saith of himself 2 Gal. 20. I am Crucified with Christ neverthless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Great is the Mystery of Godliness You that are engaged in the Christian Warfare and that live the Christian Life and are making War in righteousness against the Devil the Enemy of your Souls you know that Great is this Mystery of Godliness this Mystery is opened among the Disciples of Jesus among the Holy Off-spring of God who are begotten again through the Word of Eternal Life who as the Holy Apostle saith are begotten of his own Will through the Word of Truth that they should be a kind of First fruits of his Creatures We to whom God hath Graciously manifested himself in the Blessed Son of his Love our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus how ought we to walk as becomes the Gospel O that the serious and weighty Consideration of this might rest upon every one of us that we ought to have our Conversation as becomes the Gospel of Christ and be going on to Perfection you know what the Apostle speaks 3. Phil. 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprechend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ This I am sure every true Christian Man and Woman will do as the same Apostle did who saith I press towards the mark for the Price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And as every one comes to grow up in the Life of Righteousness they will come to know an increase of Faith they will grow up in Faith and in that Hope which hath been as an Anchor to their Souls in the day of their deep Exercise and they will remain steadfast and unmoveable as they walk in the holy way And so every one as they keep humble and bowed before the God Heaven they will know his Teachings more and more and have a sensible feeling of it in themselves every one in their own particular And certainly it is all our business to be waiting for the fulfilling of those many great and precious promises which are recorded in the Holy Scripture which were enjoyed by the Primitive Christians in the Ages that are past and gone and in succeeding times shall be likewise enjoyed by all true Christian People as they come to be Followers of Jesus as we have begun well let us go on towards Perfection nâ—t laying again as I said before the Foundation of Repentame from dead Works and Faith towards God and the Lord Jesus Christ for who ever expects Salvation by Christ the only Saviour must be going on to Perfection they must begin at the work of Regeneration and Experience in themselves a New Birth for if we be not born again we shall die in our Sins you know our Saviour hath left this upon Record and it remains the same truth to this day And therefore how ought every one that makes mention of the name of Great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ How ought every such a one to be weighty and considerate and Examine themselves whether they are come to know Repentance from Dead Works Whether they have turned from the evil of their doings Some are ready to say I would gladly turn from the evil of my doings but I find I am beset with the Devil the Enemy of my Soul Well if thou believest in the Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened thee then Cry to him and he will give thee Power to withstand the Enemy of thy Soul Praised and Blessed be the Name of our God that a Remnant can say as soon as we did really Believe in the Name of Jesus we received power in some measure as the Primitive Believers did that received Christ we received Power to become the Sons of God you that have received this Power let your Eye be to the Lord and cry to him for Divine Assistance for of our selves we are not sufficient we have not power of our selves to think a good thought or do a good Action but we depend upon the Power of God to enable us to Work out our own Salvation For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Therefore Repentance and Remission of Sins are Preached in Christs Name and without the Knowledge and Christian experience of this and believing in the Name of Jesus we cannot be saved from the wrath to come Let us wait upon God who by our Lord Jesus Christ saveth all his People from their Sins Not by Works of Righteousness that we have done but as the Apostle saith According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Those that have experience of the work of Regeneration and of being renewed in their Inward parts where Christ bears Rule when they meet together in the Solemn Assemblies of the Lords People he will be in the midst of them and they that come to hear the word of the Lord and wait upon him know it to be so you that are real Christian People you know this by your own experience therefore wait upon the Lord your God that the work of Regeneration may go on and you will find strength more and more ministred to you and you will feel the pouring forth of the Spirit abundantly upon you the same Spirit that raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead and quickned him shall quicken you that you may live to him here and with him for ever hereafter The Prayer after Sermon Most Glorious Powerful and Infinite Lord God of Life thou hast sought out a People to serve thee and thou hast made choice of many from among the Sons and Daughters of Men to honour thy Name in the Land of the Living that we might be capable so to do thou hast opened an everlasting Fountain and the streams of Life have
from Earth to Heaven all being driven out of Paradice by the Cherubim set with a Flaming Sword there is no returning to that Blessed Life but by the loss of that Life that did grieve the Spirit of God and which did cause Man to be driven out there is no other way of return again but by this New Birth As you are all driven and forced out of Paradise and the Flaming Sword and the Cherubims are set to keep the way of the Tree of Life so you must return into the favour of God again by the Light of Christ and you have Line upon Line Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little to direct your minds to the Light of Christ Jesus As the first Adam was made a living Soul so the second Adam is a quickning Spirit This know for certain no Man or Woman can be quickned and raised up into the life of the second Adam till the life of the first Adam be taken away from them So now let every one of you deal plainly with your own hearts how you came to be a slain People to the life of the first Adam in which life there was a working of the Mystery of Iniquity in every part of Man One cries lo here is Christ another lo there is Christ and every one is following his own imagination about the Letter of the Scripture this is still but the vain Spirit of Man running and striving to recover himself and this is the cause there is so much profession of God and so little of his Nature appearing among the Sons and Daughters of Men. Now all of you that come to be regenerated you must come to the light of Christ there is no other way to it He will search your hearts and try your reins and set your sins in order before you and trace out the iniquities that compass you about therefore you must see your selves a lost People a sinful People and so come to feel the weight of your Sins upon your Consciences there is no other way to come to life you will never complain of Sin till you be burthened with it 'till you have a Trumpet sounding in your ears to awaken you that you may arise from the Dead that Christ may give you light there is no other way Dear People you must bring your deeds to the light of Christ and abide the sentence of Condemnation if you save your lives you lose them if you will lose your lives for Christs sake there is no danger of your Eternal Life John the Baptist Christ's fore-runner declared I indeed Baptize you with water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I the Latchet of whose Shooes I am not worthy to unlose he shall Baptize you with the Holy-Ghost and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and will gather his Wheat into his Garner but the Chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire What is it the better for you to read the Scripture if you know not this fiery Baptism which all must know that are regenerated deceive not your selves Christ will appear in flaming fire and take vengeance on all them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ I stand here as a Witness of the Lord of Life this day there is no way for people to come to Salvation but they must know Christ revealed in all their hearts What is he doing but rendring Vengeance upon the carnal mind self-pleasing and all inordinate Affections he comes with Vengeance to take away thy Life he will Baptize thee with the Holy Ghost and with Fire If thou knowest not this thou art not a true Christian Thou wilt never look Death in the face with joy nor go down to the Grave with Triumph If thou livest at home in the body and flyest for thy life and wilt not be willing to lose thy life for Christ if thou art called to it and if thou wilt not have Christ to wash thee some for shiness and some for self-love will refuse this if Christ doth not wash thee thou hast no part in him you must come to Christ to purifie you in the fiery furnace the Day of the Lord shall burn as an Oven as the Prophet speaks this is a dreadful day a day of Vengeance the day of the Lord Jesus Christ who Redeemeth his People from their Sins Zion is Redeemed with Judgment and Established with Righteousness Do not make the way to Heaven easier in your minds and imaginations than indeed it is and think it not sufficient to live in an outward observance of the ways of God If your own wills be alive and your corruptions remain unmortified the Judgment of God will be your Portion therefore in the Lord's name come along with me I am come to declare what I have heard and seen of the Father Come and examine thy Conscience hast thou brought thy deeds to the light then thou hast received Condemnation upon thy self and thy haughtiness is bowed down and laid low and thou seest thy self a poor miserable wretch before the Eternal God Whatsoever thou knowest of the mind of God hast thou reformed thy ways come along with me and tell me what is the ground of thy Faith and thy considence is it thy obedience and qualifications because thy obedience is right and thy qualifications right what use dost thou make of tnem read the Book of Conscience hast thou no ground for thy Faith thou hast put on the Reformed Faith and livest an unreformed Life search and try thy self Man or Woman Dost thou watch over thy self and keep in a sense of thy dissolution notwithstanding all thy qualifications and partial Reformation Dost thou strive to enter in at the strait Gate and the narrow way here is the lost Sheep thou seekest the life of thy will the life of the first Adam the justice of God will not suffer thee to make a Saviour of thy Duties and Qualifications and to take God's Jewels and to deck thy self with them thou canst not be saved without the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus What saith thy Conscience art thou brought to this change of thy Mind and of thy Conversation Are you all willing to part with your Sins with your Pride and Haughtiness Are you willing to part with your vile Affections this is the work of Gods grace upon you dost thou place thy confidence in thy Duties and Qualifications and takest God's Jewels and Oraments and deckest thy self with them Thou tookest my Jewels saith the Lord and didst play the Harlot if thou return to the Lord and humble thy self and get through this difficulty thou wilt be happy for ever This Judgment of God this Flaming-Sword that turns every way will keep thee from returning to Sin and bring thee to Christ and cut thee off from all hope of Salvation but by him and make thee to see the absolute need of
THE Concurrence Unanimity Of the People Called QUAKERS In Owning and Asserting the Principal Doctrines of the Christian Religion Demonstâ—ated in the Sermons or Declarations of several of their Publick Preachers Namely Mr. Robert Barclay Mr. George Whitehead Mr. John Bowater Mr. Charles Marshall Mr. William Bingley Mr. John Butcher Mr. James Park Mr. William Dewsberry Mr. Francis Camfield Mr. William Penn Mr. Richard Ashby Mr. Samuel Waldenfield Mr. Jobn Vaughton and Mr. Francis Stamper Exactly taken in Short-hand as they were Delivered by them at their Meeting-Houses in Grace-Church-street Devonshire-House St. Martins-le-Grand St. John's-street wbeelerstreet and Ratcliff in and about London And now Faithfully Transcribed and Published With the Prayer at the end of each Sermon London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry near Cheapside 1694. ADVERTISEMENT There are lately Published several Sermons or Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp of Colchester in Essex Deceased In two small Volumes THE First Volume contains Eight Sermons upon the following Subjects 1. The Great Mediatour of the Everlasting Covenant 2. Heart Preparation for receiving the Gospel 3. The First and Great Commandment 4. The Standard of Truth 5. The necessary duty of remembring our Creator 6. The Divine Monitor or Light from Heaven 7. The Inward Preacher or the Office of Conscience 8. Saving Faith the Gift of God alone The Second Volume contains Ten Sermons upon the following Subjects 1. Truths Testimony against the Power of Sin and Satan 2. Bearing the Cross the right mark of a Christian 3. The Spirit of Christ the only true Guide 4. Pure and Spiritual Worship 5. The Divine Life of Christ Jesus 6. The Kingdom of God within 7. The undefiled way to Eternal Rest 8. The dawning of the Day of Grace and Salvation 9. The Excellency of Peace with God 10. True Christianity With his Prayer at the end of divers Sermons All exactly taken in Shorthand as they were delivered by him at the Publick Meeting Houses of the People called Quakers in Grace-Church-street Devonshire-House and St. Martins-le-Grand London And are to be sold either single or bound together by Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry near Cheapside HAving lately published several of the Sermons or Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp Decased which have obtained general acceptation with Persons of different Persuasions I often heard it objected that though this Person clearly owns and earnestly recommends the practice of the Principal Points of the Christian Faith Yet others of the cheif Leaders and Teachers of the People called Quakers were not of the same opinion in these Matters Now the Writer of Mr. Crisps Sermons having taken the Declarations of several of their publick Preachers at their usual Meetings I think my self obliged in Truth and Justice to make some of them publick in this small Volume to demonstrate their Concurrence and Unanimity in asserting and pressing the most necessary and Practical Doctrines and Duties of Religion both in their Sermons and Prayers that most Christians profess to acknowledge and believe Thereby to obviate misâ—representations and to rectifie the thoughts of those who are prepossest with contrary sentiments To which end they are novv faithfully Printed and refer'd to the Judgment of all impartial Readers N. C. A SERMON Preached by Mr. ROBERT BARCLAY At Grace-Chruch-street May the 16. 1688. MY Friends This is the Testimony that was born of Old and it is also born this Day that there may be an Agreement betwen the Members and the Head the Word and the Power the Notion and the Substance He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life So that in this the Substance is known whereby Men are Redeemed to Live unto God and to Live for God and to Glorifie him This is the end of the Testimony of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus that we may all come to partake of his Life and that by partaking of it we may live upon it and being made alive to him we shall then be made able to serve him then shall we be enabled to Worship him to Glorifie him and to Declare of his Glory and of his Power and of his Wisdom and of his Goodness to those that are Strangers to him and to Invite all to be Partakers thereof Let all your Eyes this Day be towards him and to the Injoyment of his Life that you may be Sensible and that you may be Witnesses of his Life And this Life is not to be obtained but by Death There is a Dying before there is a Living Every Plant Seed or Grain that is placed in the Earth it dies before it grows up there is a Dying before there is a Living Those that come to the Life of the Son of God they come to it through Death For it was through Dying that he obtained this Life it was necessary that the Son of God the Prince of Life should die that he should be Crucified else he could not finish the Work of our Salvation and make way for the Revelation and the Sowing of that Seed and the Dispensation of that Grace whereby we might come to have a Share with him in that Eternal Life he obtained for us They that come to the Life of the Son of God they must obey him for they must receive the Sentence of Death to that Life which they derive from Adam that Cursed that corrupt Life of Unrighteousness that Life of Ungodlyness that Life wherein Self and the Will of Man delights wherein the Natural Man the Animal Man hath a Life We must die and by Dying come to be Partakers of the Life of Jesus He Communicates himself to us and by our Receiving him we Receive Life He that hath the Son hath Life and be that hath not the Son hath not Life and the Consequence is He that hath not this Life hath not the Son of God This is the true way for every One to Try and Examine themselves by and to make a true Judgment of themselves that they may know whether they have the Son of God or not whether they have Christ or not if they have Christ they have the Benefits of his Death and of his Blood and sufferings they that have this Life in them they are in the Faith they are Partakers of Justification and Sanctification and Adoption And all those that are under the Dispensation of the Gospel that have the Benefits of Christs Death to those he giveth himself and those to whom he giveth himself he giveth this Life This is not the Life of Adam a Life of Unrighteousness but a Life that Springs from the Heavenly Incorruptible Seed such as Partake of it are born again of the Word of the Lord that remains for ever This is a Life that comes from the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit and this Life tends Heaven-ward it looks Heaven-ward it carries the Affections towards the things that are above it dwells not in them
of God or of Christ his Servants ye are to whom you obey Now consider whose Servants you are whether you are Servants of sin or bought by Christ Jesus and Redeemed from an ungodly life and from a vain Conversation We cannot serve two Masters where there is such a contrariety as Light is to Darkness you cannot serve them at one and the same time there must be a cleaving to the one see that you cleave and joyn your selves to that which is good to that Principle that God hath placed in your hearts and this will season your Souls this will leaven you to God Luke 13. 21. The Kingdom of God is like leaven which a Woman took and hid in three Measures of Meal ' till the whole was leavned God doth give to every Man a measure of Grace that brings Salvation This Grace hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World yet too many People have not had regard to the grace of God given to them but rather trample upon it and do despite to the Spirit of Grace the Grace of God in Christ Jesus is extended to all the Children of Men without respect of Persons God is no respecter of â—ersons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteoasness is accepted with him Acts 10. 35. Now my Friends we cannot work Righteousness but by the ability and assistance of the grace of God now this grace is from Christ Jesus I John 17. For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ that grace came by Christ that worketh sanctification Now the Law did not make the comers thereunto perfect nor purge the Conscience but the bringing in of a better hope did by which we draw nigh to God There is no drawing nigh to God but through Christ Jesus no Redemption but through him he is a compleat Saviour he doth not only redeem in part but he saveth to the uttermost all that come unto God by him he is a compleat Saviour he that hath begotten good desires in our Souls whereby we breath after him and are raised to pant and desire after that which is good and as there is a giving up to him that hath begotten these good desires in the Soul the Lord in his good time will answer these desires see that ye be of humble and meek minds and lie low before him and wait on him and he will in due time perfect the work which he hath begun Friends I testifie among you at this time there is not a living desire in the Soul to that which is good but Christ is the Author of it he is the Author of Eternal Salvation to as many as obey him It is he that begun the work he met with us by his Power and Spirit when we were strangers to God For we as well as others were in the broad way going hand in hand with a multitude to do evil and we did not seek God till he did first seek us we did not desire the knowledge of his ways till he raised desires in our Souls he met with us in the way of his Judgments causing terrour to take hold of Transgressors so that we could not take delight in vanities and pleasures as we had done because his terrours took hold of us blessed be the name of the Lord. It was good for us that we were afflicted before we were afflicted we went a stray but now we have learned his Rightâ—â—â—s Judgments Judgments upon the unjust we have found to be Mercy to the just Blessed be the name of the Lord that did seek us out that met with us that put a stop to us in our way that we could not delight in vanity as we had done The Lord brought us to a consideration of our ways and doings He manifested to us if I live and die in this way I am in I am undone for ever I am miserable for ever if I do not know Redemption and Salvation by Jesus Christ The Lord manifested to us by the shining of his Divine Light in our hearts that we were in the Broad way that leads to destruction we read of the Narrow way that leads to Life and of the Broad way that leads to destruction We read of the narrow way but we did not know our selves to be in that way when we saw the Broad way that leads to Destruction this begat a breathing in our Souls and an earnest desire that we might know the way that is pleasing to him And there being many Opinions in the World many of us were hurried in our Minds and where we saw any thing of sobriety and weightness of Spirit we were willing to try them all that we might know the mind of God Friends God raised a travel in our Souls and appeared farther to us God that Commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness shined into our hearts whereby a discovery was made of that which is good and of that which is evil This the Lord discovered to us by the shining of his Divine light and grace in our inward parts so that we need not look abroad we retired inward we saw that we had business enough at home we saw that when we had grieved the good Spirit of God we had trouble for it and when we answered the breathings of the Spirit we had peace within us so that we must distinguish between that which gave acceptance with God and that whereby the Spirit of God was grieved from day to day Now my Friends we came under a travel God by his light and grace discovered to us his way so that now we are come to a certainty of the way Christ is the way to God and if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature he is born again born of the Spirit you should all of you be concerned and consider what you know of a change wrought in you by the power of God whether you have received vertue from Jesus to stop the bloody issue of Sin It is an easie thing to make a profession and to call your selves Christians but it is a weighty thing to be a Christian to be so in reallity united unto God through Jesus Christ to be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ in the way of Regeneration and self-denial except a Man be Regenerate and born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God There are many People would go to God's Kingdom when they die but do not mind being prepared for it many have been pleading for Sin in their life but would go to God's Kingdom when they die where must People be cleansed from sin but on this side the grave there is no Repentance in the Grave nor no Redemption out of Hell This is the day of your Visitation God hath prepared means whereby we may be accepted of him consider of it the gate stands open that leads
he hath given us a Measure of his Spirit to profit withal The Son of God is come to wash and purge Men from their Sins and to destroy the Works of the Devil and to waste and consume that Nature that hath separated Man from God and the Root and Ground of it that hath hindered our approaching near to God Christ is come to finish transgression and to make an end of sin to take it away and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness I would intreat you all in the Love and Tender Compassions of God to open to this coming of the Lord Jesus Christ He is come near to you he knocks at the Door of your Hearts by his secret Reproofs and Heavenly smilings in the Soul and shews People their evil Ways and Courses Now if you in Faith open to Christ when he knocks at the Door of your Hearts He will Work the Work of God in you He will work that in you and for you that no man can work for himself nor for another now the Lord Jesus Christ he is come to Work that Work which his Father hath given him to do which is to take away that which hath separated thee from God and made thee a Child of Wrath and an Object of Gods displeasure he will remove it and wash it away in his Blood it is the Blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all Sin O the wonderful Love of the Son of God that he manifested to us in that Body which was prepared for him to do the Will of God in submitting to the Death and being a Sacrifice once for all If thou wilt hearken to his Reproofs and Instructions he will Work the Work of God in thee and he will wash thee and cleanse thee from Sin in his own Blood and thou must be acquainted with this washing cleansing Work or thou hast no part in Jesus the Mediatour for he said to Peter If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me He doth purge and wash and purifie all that have a part in him who is the Fountain that God hath set open for the House of Judah and Jerusalem for Sin and for Uncleanness that you may wash in it and be clean Seeing the Fountain of Gods Love is opened to thee in the Lord Jesus Christ turn to him and feel the operation of his Blood it will take away thy Sin and Uncleanness yea the very Root of Evil. And every Plant as Christ said that the Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Mat. 15. 13. When thou comest to know the plucking up of these Plants and art willing to be purged by Christ and washed in his Blood in that Fountain that is opened for Sin and Uncleanness and comest to be made a Vessel meet for thy Masters Use and comest to be a Vessel in Gods House and fit toper form the Worship of God that stands in the Spirit thou wilt then find acceptance with God through Jesus Christ But this Reformation must not be outward only but a Reformation of the Mind and Soul and the Inward Man and a being truly rectified there and this is to make clean the Inside as Christ said Then thou wilt come to have a Discovery of and to be acquainted with the Mind and Will of God and thou wilt then feel a cry in thy Soul on this wise O Lord enable me to perform my Duty to thee and thou wilt find the Promise made good to thee and here thy waiting will be upon God They that wait upon the Lord shal renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Thus when thou art waiting upon God and doing his Will thou wilt perform thy Duty without weariness or fainting and Serve God and Gloriâ—â— him in Thoughts Words and Actions and thâ—â— thou wilt answer the end for which thou wast made and wilt Worship and Serve God in that ability of Grace which he hath given thee and thou wilt experience what it is to be under the conduct and guidance of the Spirit of God and wilt Worship God in Spirit and in Truth The Father seeketh such to Worship him for the Worship of God doth not stand in outward Observation nor in any thing barely that a Man can do outwardly but in Spirit and Truth They that are thus exercised they Live to God and in daily feeling of his Redeeming Arm and the Ransoming power of the Lord which hath broken the Chains of Darkness in which they were held and how the Lord hath brought them near to himself and filled them with a living sense of that Power that hath redeemed them and they cannot but fall into an holy admiration of God and admire his Love and bounty and Wisdom Power and Goodness Here is a Man that Worships God aright that truly performs the Worship and Service of God when the mind is truly humble and dwells in lowlyness such find life to spring from God the fountain of it and thereby their Souls are kept in a lively frame before him for it is the living that worship God it is the Living that praise him the Dead cannot praise his Name The Grave saith Hezekiah cannot praise thee O God Death cannot Celebrate thee The Living the living he shall praise thee as I do this Day Those that truly Worship God in Spirit they have Holiness to the Lord written upon them stampt on their outside And as they have born the Image of the Earthly so now they bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam These perform Duty to God aright and they are made meet to serve him and Worship him and they have a deep sense of the Love and mercy of God to them and in that Sense give Glory to God to whom it does belong for ever more Secondly As there is a duty we owe unto God so there is a Duty which we owe to our Neighbour and this Duty cannot be performed but as we are preserved in a sense of that power which hath quickned us to God Therein we are made Instruments in his hands to call upon others to turn to God and do good to them by our Exemplary Lives and that as we make a Profession of Godliness so we ought to walk in Love and have bowells of Compassion and Love to our Neighbours that they may be saved and brought near to God And therefore let us shew forth all Meekness Goodness Lowlyness Justice Truth Equity and all manner of Holy Conversation and Godliness and Love God with all our Heart with all our Mind and with all our Soul and our Neighbour as our selves These are the two great Lessons which we ought to learn and I am sensible many are short in not loving their Neighbours as themselves but are seeking rather to Circumvent and to defraud one another letting up bitterness and malice one against another Too many Instances may be given of these things but
we know a perserving and holding on in thy way Living Father we pray thee let us feel every day the Conduct of thy Grace and good Spirit that we may admire thy love and praise and glorifie thy great and excellent Name O Powerful God thou blessest the Assemblies of thy People that meet together in the Name of thy Dear Son Jesus Christ for the enjoyment of thy Comfortable Presence Lord blessand Prosper all the Meetings of thy People every where and the labours of those whose mouths thou hast opened to refresh the sorrowful and to bring glad tidings to the poor distressed Needy and weary Souls that would be glad of Rest and deliverance and those in whom thou raisest desires and breathings after the knowledge of thee and thy blessed ways Lord bear up the Hearts of those and strengthen all those good desires and breathings which thou hast begotten in any that they may come to the know ledge of that blessed Rest where thou makest thy Flock to lie down at Noon and feedest them with living Bread and openest a living Fountain to refesh and satisfie their thirsty Souls that they may praise thy great an excellent Name which is pure and precious above every Name Thou hast brought many to the knowledge of it Let thy Truth be exalted and thy Everlasting Gospel be still Preached in the Land of our Nativity and in other Nations for the Day of Grace the time of love is now come and the Day of thy Power is broken out in the midst of us Arise O Lord in thy Power more and more and send forth thy Light and thy Truth that many may be Called and Converted and brought from far from the utmost ends of the Earth to the knowledge of thy self and thy Son Jesus Christ whom to know is Life Eternal and let many arise and praise thy excellent and Glorious Name from the Rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Blessed Father of Life make thy Dear Son Christ more and more known to the World that they may be no longer Enemies but be reconciled to thee by Jesus the Great Mediatour of the New Covenant Lord the way is thine and the work is thine Let truth and Righteousness be brought in more and more and bring down the Kingdom and Man of Sin and the Power of Darkness and make thy Jerusalem the Praise of the Earth We have seen the beginnings of thy glorious Work and the light of thy glorious Heavenly Day thou hast raised and brought in many to walk in the Light and to love thy Holy ways blessed Father of Life our Eyes are unto thee and our dependance is upon thee Whom have we in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that we can desire in comparison of thee Therefore our cry is What shall we do in this World without the enjoyment of thy self In thy presence is fulness of Joy and at thy right Hand are pleasures for evermore Lord thou hast afforded us thy refreshing presence in this our Solemn Meeting Glory and Honor and Living Praises ascend to thy Name which is as a precious Ointment poured forth therefore our Souls do love thee O thou that didst open the Heart of Lydea open the Hearts of all thy People before thee that they may go away with a sense of thy love and kindness towards them Blessed Father of Mercies bless this opportunity to us all that are here before thee and extend thy blessing to the Meetings and Assemblies of all thy People where ever they are one may Plant and another Water but the increase is from thee Our Eyes are towards thee we wait upon thee whether can we go but unto thee who hast the Words of Eternal Life Lord God of Life go a long with us when we are separated one from another and let the sense of thy mercy remain upon our Spirits and be an obligation upon us to walk in Faithfulness Meekness and Humility before thee that being led by by Spirit we may when we have finished our Pilgrimage lay down our Heads in Peace and know an abundant entrance into that Everlasting Kingdom which thou hast prepared for them that love and fear thee And for thy Mercies and Favours Benefits and Blessings which thou hast made us partakers of in and through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Dear Son and our alone Mediatour all living Praises and Glory be rendered to thee for thou alone art worthy who art God over all Blessed for Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. JOHN VAUGHTON At Grace-Church street April 1st 1694. IT is a great mercy and kindness that God hath been pleased to open the way of Life and Salvation unto the Souls of many People that in this our Day and generation were in great distress for want of the knowledge of it and this knowledge is given unto us through the blessed appearance and Revelation of the Power and Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to which my Friends Blessed be the Name of the Lord we have been turned in our Day and Generation For the Message and Testimony that God raised up his Servants to bear among us in our Day and time who came in the Spirit and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ having been made the Monuments of Gods mercy through Faith in him that died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification That Blessed message and Testimony which they bare among us was in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus For they came indeed to Preach the Gospel of Life and Salvation and the way they took to Preach the Gospel to us in our Day was the same way that the Holy Apostle Paul in his Day was sent to Preach the Gospel who said we are sent of God To turn People from Darkness unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God The Holy Apostle he proposed the end for which they were sent to turn the Sons and Daughters of Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God that they might receive remission of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are Sanctified through Faith which is in Christ Jesus O Friends This Faith in Christ it is a living Faith it is a Faith of the operation of God God worketh it in us by his own Spirit and Power there are many that pretend to have Faith in Christ that are strangers to the operation of the Power and Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and so do not know nor are made partakers of that Faith which worketh by Love that giveth them Victory over the World and preserveth them and keepeth them out of the Evil of the World Now Friends it is my desire that you may turn from Darkness unto Lighâ— That you may all believe in Christ and walk in him that you may be sensible that the Blood of Jesus Christ the Dear and Blessed Son of God cleanseth from
all Sin from all unrighteousness and from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit That so the end of the Labour Travel and Testimonies of all the Faithful Messengers and Servants whom the Lord hath raised up in this our Day and sent to turn Men from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan to the power of God that their Labour and Travel I say may not be in Vain that we may all come to believe in the Light that we may be Children of the Light and of the Day that so we may come to walk in the Light And then my Friends we shall all come to be brought into an Heavenly Fellowship If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ the Dear Son of God cleanseth us from all Sins And this is a Work that will be profitable for all to know seeing no unclean thing shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God Friends Our Justification that is indeed in and through and by the Lord Jesus Christ for his sake not our own Any thing that we have done or can do will not have a tendency to make our Peace with God seeing that we can do nothing our selves that is aceeptable and well pleasing to God Therefore we cannot in the least as hath been unjustly charged upon us diseteem or put a light esteem on what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us in his own Person without us nor upon what by his own Power and Spirit he hath wrought in our Hearts But we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ both as to his outward Appearance as he was God manifest in the Flesh and also in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance in our Souls We believe in him that hath appeared by his Light and Grace and Truth in our Hearts and we know the Effectual Working and Operation of his Divine Power to Sanctifie and Cleanse and Purifie our Souls And thereby we come to have a real sense of the benefit and Advantage that the Souls of the Children of Men have in and by Death and Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Till People come to believe in his Spiritual Appearance by his Light and Grace and truth in their Hearts and to receive him and entertain him and let him have a place in their Souls that he by his Power may purge away Sin and Transgression While Men remain Rebellious and stubborn and will not let him in when he stands and knocks at the Door of their Hearts that he may come in and sup with them and they with him When Men Rebel against his Heavenly light within them and turn away from his Divine Grace and Holy Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantoness Lasciviousness and run into Uncleaness Drunkenness Pride Envy Malice and bitterness and into those things that are abominable and Evil in the sight of the Lord These men have no real Advantage or beneby the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Satisfaction and Attonement he hath made for our Sins by that one Offering and Sacrifice of himself and they do not truly know the blessed end and design of his Appearance and coming into the World For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that be might destroy the Works of the Devil that he might finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in Everlasting Righteousness My Friends the end of the Working of the Invisible Power and Spirit of Christ is that he may have a place in all your Hearts and that you may entertain him For the Lord will draw a Line of Judgment upon all that go under a Profession of Christianity and own what the Lord Jesus Christ did without them but will not receive him entertain him and believe in him as he doth spiritually Appear and shine in into their Hearts by hiâ— Divine Light Grace and Spirit My Friends Remember the sore Judgments Miseries Calamities and distress that came upon the Jews because of their rejecting Christ in his outward Appearance in that prepared Body in which he came to do his Fathers will They would not own him in his Bodily Appearance but rejected him and set him at nought they Crowned him with Thorns and Crucified the Lord of Life and Glory He said unto them except ye believe that I am he â—â— shall dye in your Sins And if ye dye in your Sins whether I go you cannot come And thus he spake to Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem Thou that killest the Prophets and Stonest them which are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Behold your House is left unto yoâ— Desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. He tells them of the Calamity and distress that should come upon them and overtake them and so it came pass because they rejected the Love of God which in Christ Jesus was extended to them when he would have gathered them and brought them into a state of Reconciliation and peace with the Living God but they would not So now my Friends In this day of Christs Inward and Spiritual Appearance you have had the Testimonies of those that have been sent to you in the Name and Power and Spirit of the Living God and yet many will not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ nor receive him Inwardly and Spiritually appearing in their Hearts nor give way to him nor wait and attend upon him to do that work in them and for them which they cannot do for themselves What work is that The Work of Sanctification For none come to be Justified freely by the Grace of God through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Rom. 3. 24. but they are also Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and made partakers of the Divine Nature So that is absolutely necessary for us to know Christs Power and Spirit to renew and sanctifie our Souls and purifie and cleanse us When we come to believe in the Inward and Spiritual Appearance of Christ and to know the Work of Sanctification we cannot have a slight esteem of nor dis-believe or undervalue what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done with us in his Person For we shall come to find the Benefit Gain Advantage and profit of it redounding to our Souls through that one offering when he offered himself through the Eternal Spirit as a Lamb without spot He offered himfelf once for all and we have the benefit of it when we come to receive him live in Obedience to him and Answer his requirings and walk in the Spirit And then as the Apostle saith If we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh for all that is in the World the Lust
that have their Pleasures in this World it looks not to the things of this World it comes from Heaven and tends to Heaven again it raiseth the Soul that is Quickned by it They that are born of it are made Heavenly by it it makes all Heavenly that are Quickned by it By this we may know that we have the Son of God by this we have an Understanding of him and are brought into him that is true And this is the Living Manifestation of Christ whereby he cometh into thy Soul and into my Soul This is the Gift of God We Receive Gods Gift that we may receive Life from and by him that we may Live this Life This is that which makes the Yoke of Christ easie and his Burden Light and his Commandments not Grievous to us The Life of Christ doth the work of Christ naturally Those that are in the Flesh-mind the things of the Flesh those that live a Carnal Life they mind the Works of the Flesh it is their Joy their Delight and their Pleasure that which their Hearts are carried after They Rise early and Lye down late and all for this end it is that which their Hearts Run after all the Day long What is the Reason of it They are in the Flesh in the Life of Lust That Life moves them and Acts them and Governs them That Life useth and Imployeth all their Faculties their Understandings Wills Affections and Imaginations and it useth all the Members of their Bodies to please the Flesh and fulfil the Lusts thereof these are the Consequences of a Life of Unrighteousness in those things that are Unrighteous But those that have Received the Spirit of God they have Received Jesus Christ the Son of God and this is the Consequence they are become Dead to the Life of Unrighteousness All that are Dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath Quickned Now when you have received the Son of God you have received a New Life another Life then your Affections are set upon things that are above and you are come to sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus you sit no more in the Earthly place nor Live an earthy Life but in the Heavenly place where the Heavenly Life abounds For this end the Eternal Son of God came into the World that we might have Life and that we might have it more abundantly that we might abound in the Life of Jesus and in the abundance of it This is that which is recommended to us that we might receive the Son of God into our Souls and by receiving him partake of his Life and then let this Life produce its Actions Let the Word of God dwell Richly in you in all those things that are Divine in all those things consequences that it brings forth amongst the Children of God For it is not the things of the Earth that we are to remember and to have dwelling in us but the Word of God and that which proceeds from the Life of the Son of God All Words and Testimonies Preachings Prayer Exhortation and Spiritual Counsel if it be not from the Life of the Son of God it edifies not the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ in Love Let us receive that which comes from the life of the Son of God which is manifest amongst us and shed abroad in our Hearts let us Watch and take care that whatsoever is not of this Life may not appear may not be manifest and made known among us And this Life that we receive from the Son of God is that which will stand us in stead in the Day of Tryal and as many as live unto God in this Divine life he is well pleased with them and the Tempter the Wicked one cannot touch them at all nor reach them nor hurt them This is my Testimony unto you from the Life of God which to the Glory and Praise of his Name hath risen in my Soul in some measure It is the desire and Labour and Travel of my Soul that you may be inwardly gathered into this Heavenly Life that all my Dear Brethren and Sisters who are of the Household of Faith may be inward in this Life that the Fruit thereof may be manifest that the Notice thereof the Sound thereof the Language thereof may be heard in this Assembly at all times that the Lord our God may be made known to us through this Word of Life in our Hearts to the Praise Honour and Renown of his Name who alone is worthy To whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen The Prayer after Sermon O. Most Powerful Lord God of Life and of Glory and Blessedness pretious in thy sight are thy People whom with thy Power thou hast Visited with the Day Spiring from on high and upon whom thou hast breathed with a Divine Inspiration and made them alive to thy self through thy tender Mercy and Goodness which in the Son of thy Love thou hast freely extended to us whereby we are made capable of drawing nigh to thee and of having access into thy Blessed Presence to enjoy Communion with thee through the Lord Jesus Christ We desire to wait upon thee and seek fervently after thee All our expectation is from thee from Day to Day and from time to time that we may receive Relief that we may receive strength from thee who art the God of all our Mercies Thou hast not been wanting to us in the needful time thou hast had regard to the sighing of the Poor to the breathing and Supplieation of the Needy whose desires have been truly after thee and the sweet enjoyment of thy Presence the feeling of thy blessed Power and the beholding of the light of thy Countenance wherein there is Life and Salvation Blessed be thy Name for ever all living praises and Holy Thanks givings be in truth and Humility offered up to thee through the Dear Son of thy Love by all thy Children and People whom thou hast sought out by thy blessed Spirit and whom thou hast gathered by the Arm of thy blessed and mighty Power that they might be a People to thy praise serving thee in newness of Spirit Worshipping thee in the beauties of Holiness and in Spirit and truth and not according to the oldness of the Letter not according to an empty and outward formality but in the sense of the Springings up of that pure Life of that fresh Spring of Life that thou hast placed in the Heart of a Remnant by thy blessed Power O Righteous and Holy God the Sense and feeling thereof is beyond Words beyond Expression and beyond utterance Therefore we humbly entreat thee by the blessed Arm of thy Power gather thy People more and more into an Inward Sense of the Springings of Life that they may attend upon thee and feel Life in their Souls and breathings after thee in their Hearts that in their Daily attendance on thee they may receive day by day of those living suitable supplies of Life Vertue Wisdom and Power