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
was made known in that dispensation only there was a Vail over the Hearts of the Jews and they did not see so clearly and there was an outward Sign of it too amongst them for in their Worship and Solemn Assemblies they had an outward Vail to cast over them but there is an Inward Vail too which comes over the Hearts of People that Ecclipseth the Glory of Christ and the excellency of Christ and till that is Rent and done away by an Almighty Power for there is nothing outward can do it when this comes to be taken off Peoples Hearts then they can see Christ as he is And what if I should say comparatively there is a Vail over the Hearts of many that are called Christians that hinders them from seeing the Beauty and Excellency of Christ they do not know the Power of Christ nor the Government of his Spirit in their Hearts for People may profess Christianity as long as they will if they do not know Christ to Govern them they are not true Christians For one of the Prophets among the Jews could Prophecy and Fore-tell of him Let us consider it and find out a right and true Interpretation of it and apply it unto our own Souls Isa 9. 6. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Consellor The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace Of the Increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end The Government shall be upon his Shoulder All these Appellations and Titles are ascribed to Christ Jesus he hath the Government upon him to Lead and Guide them in the way wherein they should go Government is an extensive Word It imports Government and Authority and Rule This is applicable to Christ and teacheth that Dignity that was conferred upon Christ and was really due to him No Man can parallel it by any expression there is Reason in it there is Justice in it there is a Right and Equity in it Christ hath right to Reign and Rule for ever I do not speak of outward Government but of the Government of Christ in the Souls of Men and here the Devil was the first Usurper He usurped Authority in the Hearts of the Children of Men and Christ he was Forsaken and Deserted People went from him for Christ was in the beginning of the World the World was made by him Christ's Divinity was from Eternity He was before Abraham was The World was made by him and when he was in it the World did not know him And when he came into the World many were not willing that he should Reign over them said the Jews We will not have this Man to Reign over us Now if we should find this among Christians you would think it more wonderful and strange It is now too common among the Children of men I pray God set home upon all our Hearts that we may let him Reign whose Right it is We will not have this Man to Reign over us say the Jews Do any Christians say so Did you ever know a Christian say so This is but Discourse you will be ready to say But let me tell you where People live in Disobedience to the Laws of Christ this they do with a Witness But some may say If we had lived in the Jews time we would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory and yet they Crucifie Christ after the Spirit For a Man to live in Swearing Drunkenness Pride Ungodliness this is a Crucifying of Christ and a Rebelling against Christ men are not willing that Christ should Reign over them So that Religion and Christianity is a plain thing People might Run and Read it if they would but consider it if People were but weighty and considerate in these great Affairs they might come to know under whose Government they are The Apostle he described a People that were under the Power of Satan the Prince of Darkness under Satan the Prince of the Power of the Air that some were under his Government and some under the Government of Christ and his Spirit One would think these were two Propositions so Intelligible that if People did but know and consider they would for Interest sake escape the evil and cleave to that which is good Now Friends I would have you deal Candidly with your own Souls and see which Government you are under The Prince of the Power of the Air that Rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience or the Government of Christ He that is disobedient to God to his Spirit and Light and Grace he is under the Government and the Power of the Prince of Darkness This is fulfilled in the Prophecy of the Messiah and it was the great Iniquity of the Jews and their great unhappiness and misery that when the Messiah came into the World they would not be governed by him Do not you think it much more ungrateful if we that are called Christians will not suffer Christ to Reign over us It is unreasonable and unchristian and unequal therefore that you should all consider it I would speak a little of the Government of Christ with some Evidence and Demonstration and in a twofold manner that you might more easily distinguish There are some Christians that expect that Christ shall come and Reign on the Earth and then they hope to be under his Government and it may be they are not so careful to mind the present time and to know his Reign and Government now There are another sort of People whom God in his Infinite Mercy hath reached to their Consciences and Convinced them that Christ hath a right to Reign now He had a Right to Reign from the beginning he always had a Right never forfeited it never was deprived of it He hath a twofold right to Reign over the Sons and Daughters of Men. 1. The first is by the Right of Creation he Created us none deny I hope that the World was Created by Christ therefore he hath right to Govern in it This is an undeniable Argument no man can gainsay it but that there is Right and Justice belongs to him to Rule and Govern that which he hath made therefore it is the most ungrateful and unnatural thing for men to oppose the Reign and Government of Christ Secondly Christ hath a right to reign over the Sons and Daughters of Men on the account of his Purchase He did not only Create them but he did also Purchase them at the dearest rate with the Price of his own precious Blood we were not Redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold or House Land or Earthly Treasure but with the Precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot He gave himselfe to be a Ransom for Mankind He tasted Death for every Man One would think that every Mouth should be stopped so there is a twofold Right that
many an honest heart desires to have acceptance with God and enjoy his Favour Sin in all Ages hath made a separation between God and us Sin hath caused Man to be driven out of the Paradise of God Thou camest unto seperation by Sin it was Sin that separated between God and thee Thine Iniquities have kept good things from thee there is Partition Wall between God and us made by Sin but Christ is come to break it down and to finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in Everlasting Righteousness This every particular Man and Woman is to wait for to wait for the Salvation of God and to be in a Travel of Spirit and Soul to know the way of truth after the truth came to be made manifest to our understandings that we were at a certainty in the ways of God we found a straitness in our selves a want of Power and Ability to perfom what God required of us a want of enlargedness from God and of Love to him according to the certain knowledge we have of God let us see that we be found Faithful to him and wait upon him for strength and ability to perform our Duty Now Friends after there were good desires in our Souls We have found our selves at a loss for want of watchfulness the Enemy many times hath prevailed upon us and drawn us to things that were not convenient whereby we came to have distress upon us and many times we were compassed about with sorrow and trouble of mind in seeing there was such a shortness in our selves after we knew the truth for to will was present with us but how to perform that which is good we found not until we received ability from God we found a shortness in our selves but we found a sufficiency when joyned to the Grace of God So it was with the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Least I should be exalted above measure saith he through the abundance of Revelations there was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me c. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And he said unto me my Grace is sufficient for thâ—e for my strength is made perfect in weakness We have had a sufficiency of Grace to withstand the motions of sin when we came to Christ we found him a compleat Saviour that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Be not content my Friends to sit down under bare Convictions least your Caâ—cases fall in the Wilderness But let all of you travel on that you may possess the good Land the Land of Rest that you may know Peace with God for your Immortal Souls Israel had much of Travel in the Wilderness after they came out of the Dark Land the Land of Aegypt now God shewed many sings and wonders for their Deliverance he fed them and sustained them and though they were many years in the Wilderness their Garments waxed not Old God supplied them with Food and caused Manna to be Rained dâ—wn upon them they did â—at Angels Food he â—ent them Meat to the full so they did eat and were filled fâ—r he gave them their own desire they were not estrangâ—d â—rom their Lust but while their mâ—at was yet in their Mouths the wrath of God came upon them and their Carcases fell in the Wilderness and for the hardness of their Hearts they never attained to the Land of Rest though they drew near to it they did not enter into it They hearkned not to those that brought good tidings and brought the Cluster of Grapes from the Brook Eschol and said to Moses we came to the Land whither thou sentest us and surely it flows with Milk and Honey and this is the fruit of it Numb 13. 30. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it but the men that went up with him said we be not able to go up against the people for they are stronger then we And they brought up an evil report of the Land they had searched saying it is a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof and all the people that we saw in it are men of great staâ—ure And there we saw the Giants the Sons of Anak and we were in our own sight as Grashoppers Thus they harkned to those that discouraged the People and their Carcases fell in the Wilderness and they never went through Jordan with Caleb and Joshua to possess the Land who were Men of Noble and Excellent Spirits and followed the Lord fully and brought news of the good Land saying the Land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good Land If the Lord delight in us then he will bring us into this Land and give it us a Land which floweth with Milk and Honey only Rebel not ye against the Lord neither fear ye the People of the Land for they are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not But all the Congregation bad stone them with stones Though the Lord had done marvellous things in the sight of their Fathers in the Land of Aegypt in the field of Zoan He divided the Sea and caused them to pass through he made the Waters to stand as on heap and they passed through the Sea as on dry Land and the Waters covered their Enemies and there was not one of them left I will sing unto the Lord said Moses for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea Psal 78. 106. Psal 11. Exod. 15. 1. These Faithful Men Joshua and Caleb Remember the Lord were not unmindful of his Power and the Lord subdued their Enemies and made them as Ashes under the soles of their Feet and they went on and prospered and prevailed till they came into the possession of the good Land Though many fall in the way and though thy Exercises be much as in the Wilderness and though thou mayst many times question the way yet God hath prepared a certain Guide for Man the Spirit of Truth that Christ promised 14. John 16. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Here is a certain guide to lead you into the way of Peace and Righteousness wherein you shall not go astray from God he will bring all things to your remembrance He will convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment You must know him as a Reprover before you come to know him as a Justifier My Friends God calls upon us Turn you at my Reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit upon
and thou hast made thine to grow up as the Lilly of the Vallies and as the Rose in Sharon and watered us as with the streams from Lebanon Lord God of Glory We do thankfully acknowledge thy wonderful Care over us and Love towards us and to all the Children of Men And we desire to offer to thee Praise and Glory through Christ Jesus the Son of thy Love who art worthy of all Honor Glory and Renown Power Blessings and Praise who art God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. RICHARD ASHBY At St. Martins Le Grand Feb. 16. 1693. THE Testimonies and Declarations which are given forth in obedience to the Lords requirings are to bring every one of you to a sense and feeling of the Inward Testimony of Truth in your own Bosoms to the feeling of the Work and Operation of the Lords Spirit upon your Hearts to give to every one a clear sight and understanding of those things that tend to their Souls profit and to their Spiritual advantage and a Divine growth in Grace If any of us are satisfying our selves in sitting down in an outward Gathering and only exercising our natural faculties to hear and to understand and come not to know and be acquainted in our selves with the Inspiration of the Almighty the Word of Truth we are Strangers to it and the good and excellency of it is hid from our Eyes So that it is matter of great concernment for every one to know what it is to be inwardly retired and to know the Operation of Gods Gift upon their Souls and to be acquainted with the Work of Gods Spirit in their inward parts else we shall be deficient in learning what we ought to know and fall short of certainty in our knowledg and we shall be among the number of those that are always Learning and never come to any stability and come not to the power and to know the Substance of all such are in the Dark they are groping for the Wall they are at uncertainty and tossed too and fro and have not a stability of Mind and Spirit attending them and they come not to know a true Exercise though there may be some inward desires yet for want of keeping to that Power by which they are begotten their desires seem to fail O my Friends that every one of you may be ponderous and weighty that in your minds you may feel the operation of that Power and the inward Work of Truth that is begun in the Soul as the Foundation of Eternal Happiness that is laid that we may know the Instruction and feel the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Heavenly Gospel in which he is carrying on the Work of our Salvation that we have an Eye unto Jesus and our expectations from him and be waiting truly upon him for Experience to come to know him that is the Author and Beginner of the Work of Faith in our Souls and lays the Foundation of Eternal Felicity These are such as walk on gradually and persevere to the end they look unto Jesus the Author and Fâ—â—â—sher of their Faith the great searcher of their Hearts and manifester of the Thoughts and Intents thereof They come to know him in his Offices as he discovers and makes known to man and sheweth unto him what it is that doth obstruct and prevent his enjoyment of Peace They that come to be sensible of this come to know an Inward Travel of Soul and are brought to a Spiritual exercise that hath a profitable tendency so that now they discover those things that are pleasing to the sight of their Minds not those things that please the carnal desire and bring reproof unto the Soul Here is the proper effect of Faith when there is Impressed upon the Soul a sense of Sin and of the Works of Unrighteousness and here is a Foundation laid for true Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ for saith the Apostle Him hath God exalted with his own Right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins He gives Repentance to those that come to feel their Need of a Phisician to heal them he makes such a discovery to their Souls such a sense he gives of their Sin and Transgression as makes it appear exceeding sinful These are such as come to reflect upon themselves and see their woful state this will lay low their Minds and bow down their Spirits these are they that come to Self-abhorrence and to have a Travel in their Spirits and they come down into a lowly state according to what the Prophet Jeremy speaks Lam. 2. 29. He fitteth alone and keepeth silence He putteth his Mouth in the Dust If so be there may be hope Wherefore doth a Living Man Complain a Man for the Punishment of his Sins It is of the Lords Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not They that come to be acquainted with the Lord as a Judge and as a Reprover here is a Decision made in the Soul and a Separation from Sin after it is discovered and the Judgment of God takes hold of the Sin and Trangression and a man comes under Reproof Here is a time of suffering and here is sorrow taking hold of him here is that which affects the Soul with grief and brings it into a state of Mourning and he is brought under a sense of Gods dealings with him and he comes to know that sorrow that hath an Inward effect upon the Soul to take away Iniquity and make the Heart better He submits to the discovery of that Deceitfulness that is lodged in the Heart For saith the Prophet The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it I the Lord search the Heart I try the Reins even to give to every man according to his ways and according to the Fruit of bis doings The Apostle speaking to some of the Heart being turned unto the Lord said then the Vail shall be taken away As God inwardly appears to a man there must be an humble submission to his searching of the Heart therefore faith the Psalmist Psalm 19. 12. Who can understand his Errors cleanse thou me from secret faults and he knew a cleansing Work in his own Heart Psalm 51. 10. Create in me a Clean Heart O God and Renew a right Spirit in me Cast me not away from thy Presence take not thy Holy Spirit from me restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit The Psalmist was in a Spiritual Travel and came to an experience of this Work upon his Soul and he prays the Lord to uphold him that what he had done might not be marr'd again therefore he begs of God to uphold him with his free Spirit You should all labour to go on in this Inward Travel that will bring you to a Repentance not to be Repented of and to have
that they may see thy Power in tnrning their minds and Hearts to thee and in renewing and clâ—â—nging them that they may be made the objects of thy Love and brought into a nearness to thee and that they may be made acquainted with the feeling of thy Vertue and power upon their Souls Blessed God of Life do thou fill our Cup with thy Blessings and refresh us with the Incomes of thy Love Thou causest thy People to drink of the streams of those Rivers of Pleasure that are at thy Right hand and thou causest the Rain to Descend and drop upon thy tender Plants that they may grow and be fruitful in every good Word and Work and live to thy Praise and that they may exalt thy Gteat Name and magnifie thy Power manifested to them Lord remember thine every where those especially which are under Affliction and Exercise of body and mind open thy hand and send help to then according to their needs and necessities that they may be kept and supported under all their tryals that they may not be discouraged nor despond in their minds nor despair of thy love and goodness to them O Lord be thou known in thy Love and shed it abroad upon us by thy Spirit that we may all be brought nearer to thee and be more acquainted with thee who art the Fountain and Well-spring of all our Mercies and Comforts and have cause to bless and praise thee that hast made us Heirs of that Life and Blessedness that shall never have an end We desire to return living praises to thy Name for this days mercies for the Incomes of thy Love and thy presence in the midst of us Lord our Hearts are engaged to return thanks and praise to thee and to give Glory to thy Holy Name Lord keep us when we are gone and parted from one another and keep us that we may live to thee and not to our selves and that we may be Instrumental in turning many from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to thee the living God that they may receive Remission of Sins and an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified by Faith in Christ Jesus And that they may shew forth the Vertues of Christ in their Lives and Conversations and bring Honor and Praise to thy Name who art worthy of all praise To whom we desire to give Honor and Glory and Thanks giving and Praise not only at this time but for Ever and Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. SAMUEL WALDENFIELD At Devonshire House March 11. 1693. THERE is a Day of Visitation which the Lord hath extended unto the Children of Men that we might every one of us observe our Season and time that so we might be Exercised in those things that relate to our Everlasting Peace and welfare in the World to come For we are like to be accountable to the Great God for the Deeds done in the Body Therefore every one had need to weigh and measure their ways and doings that they may stand Justified in the sight of God through Jesus Christ by whom we are Visited who hath been given of the Father not only to be a Light but a Leader to us and blessed will all they be that come to be led by the Lord Jesus Christ For that is a very precious state to know this One way for he is the alone way to the Kingdom of God and all those that make a Profession of him and reject his Leadings and his Counsel they will fall short they will meet with many things in the way that will turn them from the right Way to the Kingdom of God But all those that follow the Lord Jesus Christ it is they that shall receive the Crown of Immortal and Everlasting Life and Glory For this following of Christ is a Crucifying the Old Nature of Man it is a regenerating of Man in his Inward parts without which none of us can come to see the Kingdom of God This is not an outward Birth nor an outward Generation nor a growing into any outward comprehension of things but it is an Inward mortifying of the Deeds of the Flesh and that you know no Man can do but by and through the Spirit If Men walk after the flesh they must dye but if through the Spirit saith the Apostle ye mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall Live I do not speak of outward living in this World only but of living to God Eternally People in this World should live to the Lord then it will be well with them whom they come to Dye When this outward Earthly Tabernacle and House of Clay shall be dissolved all such as live to the Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God they shall have an Habitation and a Dwelling with him in his Fathers Kingdom they will be made Vessels of Honor to glorifie the Lord Therefore the greatest matter and thing that we can press after in this Life the most profitable the most advantagious of all things is to press after an Inward walking with God through Jesus Christ for saith Christ to his Disciples You that have followed me through the Work of Regeneration it shall be given to you to sit with me in my Fathers Kingdom Now most People believe that these things are true most that are called Christians believe that they are profitable but to pursue and press after them a great many are short in it Some it may be are hindred by the delights and pleasures and vanities of this World others it may be are hindred by some great Excercise that they meet withal and some and some sore Affliction not knowing that Power that carries through and gives Victory and that is the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the Knowledge of Christ is a very profitable thing I look upon it to be as necessary to be Preached to many that call themselves Christians as to a great many that are Heathens for if a Man or Woman profess to be a Christian and be not of a Christian Spirit and Conversation What will it signifie The Instance that the Apostle Paul gives concerning the Heathen will be more prevalent in the Day of the Lord and that is this Rom. 2. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts No doubt but they were accepted of the Lord according to their Integrity and Sincerity The Apostle Paul was an experienced Man and understood the Nature Quality and greatness of the Law of God which was dispenced to the Jews and given them for peculiar Instruction and for a School-Master to bring them to Christ for it was never given to compleat Salvation to any Man without Christ the Apostle tells you it was a School-master till Christ come And if you observe that in the time of the Law the Jews time Christ
that which will destroy my own Soul The Lord Christ he is come to turn me from Sin and save my Soul Why should I not close with him He hath stood knocking at the Door of my Heart till his Head is filled with Dew and his Locks with the Drops of the Night Many Souls have known these Wooings and Intreaties of Christ knocking at the Door of their Hearts and have let him In and closed with his appearance by his Light grace and good Spirit and found the benefit and comfort of it Why should not I do so Why should not I esteem him as the chief of Ten Thousand as the Beloved of my Soul He will be the chiefest of all to that Soul that hath chosen him for the chiefest Good Though there may be some comfort in the enjoyment of the things of this World yet though they be useful and necessary for my present supply If I lose them all and find Christ and be found in him and hold him fast I shall count them as nothing but despise them in comparison of him who is the Beloved of my Soul You that are come to the Knowledge of Christ and have embraced the Light of Truth in your own Hearts do know the benefit you have by it in walking in the Light as the Children of Light and of the Day and in Obedience to Christ who is the Light and shines in your Hearts Friends I would not be mistaken I do not Preach Christ as the Light of the World in opposition to his outward appearance and being manifested in the Flesh in that preapared Body wherein he did his Fathers will when he was on Earth All true Christians do esteem and reverence Christs appearance in the Body wherein he suffered death and became a Sacrifice for our Sins as the Apostle saith Eph. 5. 2. Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour If I esteem the Appearance of Christ in my own Heart I shall be so far from having a light esteem of his Bodily Appearance and his being manifest in the Flesh that I shall admire and reverence that Great Mystery of Godliness and bless God for the record given thereof in the Holy Scriptures which the light of Christ is a Key to open Even the Great Mysteries of the Kingdom which men by their parts and acquirements cannot attain to For God hath not made known these great things to the Wise and Prudent as we may gather from Christs own Prayer Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight My Friends walk in the Light more and more that by the Spirit of the Lord you may be acquainted with the divine operation of the Power of Christ which will bring you from under the bondage of Sin and Corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God wait to know this Power in your own Hearts that you may be sanctified throughout in Spirit Soul and Body and Justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 24. Walk in the Light and in Meekness and Humility and in the Truth 1 John 6. 7. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we Lie and do not the Truth But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Many of you have known the beginning go forward and continue to walk in the Truth that you may know the Blood of Cleansing that as the Apostle saith Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye may have your Fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life His Prayer after Sermon Most Powerful Everlasting God of Life who art Almighty in thy Power and canst do whatsoever pleaseth thee we have cause to bless thy Great Name for thy Goodness and Mercy which thou hast extended to thy People in this Day of thy Power Thou hast extended a Blessed Day of Visitation to many that were strangers unto thee and unacquainted with the way of Life and Salvation Powerful God we have great cause to bless thy Name for thy Goodness and that great Love which in and through thy Dear Son Jesus Christ thou hast extended to us Thou first lovedst us before we loved thee Thou it was that through the Visitation of thy Love didst beget and raise desires and breathings in the Souls of many after thee and the knowledge of thy living way And blessed Father of Life not only so but thou hast answered the desires and breathings that thou hast raised in the Souls of many and brought them to the knowledge of the way of Life and Salvation And Powerful God thou hast been near to all thine unto this day that have been truly given up in faithfulness to thy Will and to answer thy Holy and blessed Requirings Living God they that have waited and depended upon thee to be made partakers of that help and strength that comes from thee have been thereby enabled to do thy Will and this is that we wait for and from time to time draw nigh to thee for we wait upon thee that we may come not only to know but to do thy Will and Answer thy requirings Blessed God of Life we have great encouragement from time to time to draw nigh to thee for that comfortable presence of thine which we have enjoyed in the midst of our Assemblies many a time the Hungry have been satisfied with Bread And the Fountain of living water hath been opened and the Thirsty have been Drinking of it Praised by thy Name for ever that thou hast appeared with us and hast given us some sensible injoyment of thy living Presence O Lord go a long with thy People let thy blessing be with us that we may hold on through the whole course of our lives in this World and live to the praise of thy blessed Name thou hast given us to see our own weakness and inability and that we had need depend on thee every day for fresh supplies of strength that we may able to hold on in thy holy way and lay hold on the hope that thou hast set before us There are many Tryals Tribulations and Afflictions that thy Children and People meet with and the grand Adversary the Devil like a Roaring Lyon is going about continually seeking whom he may devour Thy People have nothing but thy self to depend upon and there is a secret help and power that thou givest thine whereby they are enabled to withstand the Enemy in all his Wiles and in all his Temptations Living God What we are it is by thee it is by the Assistance of thy Grace and good Spirit that
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
Prayer that our Blessed Lord taught his Followers and Disciples wherein he said thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven There is no Man or Woman can really come to Christ but those that have their Wills submitted to the will of God this is the will of God your sanctification it is the will of God that we should all be sanctified that we should be holy and pure then the blessing of the God of Heaven will be upon us Among the many blessings that Christ uttered on the Mountain one was this Blessed are the pure is heart for they shall see God it doth bespeak this that the sight of God shall be very clear to those that are pure in heart that come to have their hearts and minds subjected to the will of God for he worketh in them both to will and to do according to his good pleasure O then they shall know the vertue of this purity of heart they shall see God O how precious a thing is it to have that purity that can behold the Lord no confession of acknowledgment will be sufficient Thus it was when Nicodemus a Pharisee and a a Ruler of the Jews came to Jesus by night he said unto him Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do these Miracles that thou dost except God be with him here was a large Confession that Christ was the Teacher of the way of God aright yet that would not serve for Jesus answered and said unto him except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Friends It is a near word that should come home to us and Convince us of this truth of God that we fall short not of this Regeneration and of having our hearts and spirits renewed by the God of Heaven except we be born again we cannot see the Kingdom of God This New Birth is that by which the Blessings of the God of Heaven are conveyed to the Soul and that through the Lord Jesus Christ God hath sent his Son to bless us in turning every one of us from our Iniquities and from the evil of our ways from our Sin and Vanity from our Corruption and Wickedness to the pure everlasting God They know it to be thus that come to fear God and be partakers of that Wisdom that leads to Righteousness Prov. 8. 20. I Wisdom lead in the way of Righteousness in the midst of the Paths of Judgment that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their Treasures Can the Treasure of any heart be better filled O That these words of Wisdom might take impression upon every one of your hearts that you might feel the love of the Mighty God shed abroad upon your hearts by the Holy Ghost that your desires and breathings may ascend like Incense and be a sweet smelling Sacrifice to the Lord this evening O that every one was so qualified as to Worship the Living God aright that in the conclusion of this Meeting every ones heart may burn within them and may come with tender breathings and inflamed affections unto Gods Altar and find acceptance My Friends the goodness of the Lord hath been very great towards you and his Long suffering and patience hath been largely extended he willeth not the death of a Sinner but desires that they should Repent return and live As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a Sinner turn you turn you from your evil ways why will ye die O House of Isael Now if thou sayst I would fain turn from the evil of my ways I would fain have power and strength to do good and overcome evil then come to him that is mighty upon whom God hath laid help who is able to save to the the uâ—termost not from one or two sins only but from all Pollution and Wickedness in all those that come unto God by him I am God Almighty saith God to Abraham a faithful Servant that followed him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect But say some that is impossible but pray consider God hath laid help upon one that is mighty and thou mayst do all things through Christ that strengthens thee By his Divine Power working in thy heart he can effect that work in thee which thou canst not do in thy own strength that work which he will accept of the work of Righteousness Holiness and Purity in which State the Blessing of the God of Heaven is conveyed to thy Soul Blessed are the Pure in Heart for they shall see God their eyes being opened to look unto him in whom Salvation is In vain do Men look for Help and Salvation from the Hills and from the Mountains Look unto me saith the Lord and be saved all ye ends of the Earth Mal. 3. 6. For I am the Lord I change not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed O here is a good encouragement for you who are wrestling with the Lord God to receive a Blessing from his Divine hand here is good encouragement for you to wrestle Jocob was a Wrestler and he Wrestled with God and as a Prince he prevailed and he said I will not let thee go except thou bless me Will you be Wrestlers with the God of Heaven for a blessing from his Divine hand Labour to be gathered with a pure mind into the will of God as humble lowly and meek Creatures submitting your selves to him being sensible of your unworthiness and that you are less than the least of all his Mercies Say Lord what am I that thou shouldest be mindful of me What I have received thou gavest me I have no breath no good thing but what thou gavest me I depend on thee for all and will give thee the praise of all that I have and hope for Thus you must labour to keep your selves humble meek and tender and in a self-denying frame that you may be fit to follow the Lord Jesus who invites such to come to him Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls for my Yoke is easie and my Burthen is light Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek and lowly It is as if he had said be you so too learn that Lesson and you shall find rest to your Souls What more excellent Reward then to have peace with the Eternal God and not only so but in all our Tryals Afflictions and Exercises in this Life to be kept in a quiet and peaceable frame when the Soul can throw it self upon God and say Lord I will cast all my care upon thee for thou carest for me My Friends Look unto the Lord there will be great need for it many have been the warnings given to the Inhabitants of this Nation and of
will be your cry it was once my cry O let not your Eyes slumber nor your Eye-lids take any rest till you be sure the Lord is your God If you find these Qualifications you are on your way otherwise you will be like a deceitful Bow and never abide in Judgment If you reject the Counsel of God against your selves and refuse to be Crucified with Christ and to be Baptized with his Baptism you will never have Life But by his Baptism and through the Heavenly operation of his Spirit if thou hast Faith in Christ's name thou shalt be Married to him in Everlasting Righteousness Salvation shall be brought to us and Eternal Life be bestowed upon us even that Life that is hid with Christ in God he will give to every poor mournful Soul that submits to his blessed will and believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ This is not a faith of our own making nor a Garment of our own Embroydery but that which the Lord hath given to us O happy Man or Woman that obtainest this gift of God! O! Who will not lose their lives for this Everlasting Life Who will not die for this Eternal Life Now the matter lyes in the Death of your own Wills when you have done the will of God then watch that your own wills be slain and that your cursed self take not the Jewels of God and his Bracelets and Ornaments and bestow them upon self and Paint and Deck cursed self and take not the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot If you be dead to your own wills you are risen with Christ and shall receive a Resurrection to Eternal Life Crucifie self and set the World at naught and trample upon it and all things of it and count them as dross and dung in comparison of Christ that the Father hath revealed to be our Life in the days of our Sorrow and Mourning in the day of our calamity in the day when we cryed our hope is lost Thus it hath been with the Holiest People on Earth it is not by works of righteousness of thy own that thou canst be saved Christ comes to cut all these down that thou mayst be Ingrafted into him and justified by his Grace Do not make this matter of Talk and say I have heard this and that but look into you own hearts and see what Heavenly workings are there What there is of the Power of the Lord Jesus that hath made you to loath this World and the inordinate Love of the Creature that you may enjoy all these things as if you enjoyed them not We cannot when we are slain and Crucified to this World but say my life is in Christ when we come to ascribe nothing to our selves and all to Christ here is a blessed Harmony broken Hearts melted Spirits and yet joyful Souls poor Creatures that were mourning and sighing and crying before the Lord in retired places and yet rejoycing in Christ Jesus I am risen with Christ I said my hope is cut off I will lye down in thy will O God do what thou wilt with me it is in thy Soveraign pleasure and free gift whether thou give me life or deny it to me There must be a resignation of our selves to the will of God it was so with the Lord Jesus and it is so with every true Saint of God you must be humbled as little Children before judgment be taken away and the loving kindness of God sealed up to your Souls if you seek this work of God you will find it if you seek it upon your Beds in all your Labours and concernments in all your Stations and Relations if you press after the new Birth you must use this World as if you used it not and live a Married life as if you were Un-married for the fashion of this of World passeth away This is not Rantism But let me tell you a New World comes by Regeneration a Man is not lifted up in his own mind but laid low in his own Eyes he waits for the Wisdom of God to govern him and he is as a Steward of the Grace of God to give to them that stand in need when a Man is regenerated and born again he is as contented with Bread and Water as with all the enjoyments of this World what is the matter His own will is gone and put down under his feet and whatsoever it is that gives life to all his vain desires and Affections there is a Harmony of all within a Man praising of God and blessing his Holy Name there are no Intanglements shall draw away the Heart from serving of God and seeking his Glory and if God shall call the Husband from the Wife or the Wife from the Husband for the Glory of his Name there is no whining and complaining and crying out but giving them up and a praising and blessing God when they are called to such an exercise and if they are not called to that then they set their Hearts to glorifie God in their several places and stations then they have a full content in a blessed resignation Here their Wills are slain but they praise God they have no desire but Lord thy will be done always praising God always having the fear and the glory of God before their Eyes All the mischief is hatched in pleasing mens own Wills That is the Counsel of every Heart that Christ doth not govern Will you live as the Quakers then you must live contemptibly the Mistriss and Maid are Hail-fellow well met No every one must walk in humility and live in acquaintance with the God of Heaven sâ—e that is wrought upon by the same Spirit must with all diligence behave her self as becomes a Servant of the Lord. Here is now a New World and the fashions of the Old World are gone all Pride Haughtiness Crosness and Trampling upon one another are all gone all slain through the operation of Christ What remains now Christ is in me and we are all one in him Christ laid down his Life for thee and me Now he reigns in me and he hath prepared my body to die for the truth as his prepared body was laid down for my Sin It is a kind of Foolish Profession to make Profession of Christ and live in Covetousness Profaneness Sensuality and the like they that are come to this Heavenly Birth seek the things that are above thou canst do no other Make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good You must be Ingrafted into the Vine of Gods righteousness O! slight not the Day of your Visitation What was it to me to read of any being born again till I was slain and knew the Heavenly Baptism of Christ Jesus Till I saw the Flaming Sword ready to slay me in every way in every turning The Light of Christ convinced me of Sin and his Righteousness justified me and those Works were abominable to me that hindred my Souls passage to Christ Christ Jesus in
Marrying my Soul to himself seized upon me and did work effectually in me There is the Testimony of Christ in me he hath Sealed up my Soul to the Day of my Redemption here is a certain passage and a certain way which never any miss of that lose their Lives for Christ If you be not ready and willing to lose your Lives for Christ you shall never come here The Gate is strait and the way is narrow none come hither but those that die into an Heavenly Oneness with Christ O Friends let us empty our selves that Christ may fill us let us be nothing in our own Eyes that we may be all in him and receive of his fulness Now I commend you to God's Witness that you may remember what hath been spoken among you but consider if you do not harken to it it will follow you and be a plague to you to all Eternity if you will not yield up your selves to Christ this day that burns like an Oven this Fire you must dwell with when out of the Body there will be no quenching of this Fire for ever but if you be so wise for your Souls as to resign your selves up to Christ and come to him as little Children this will not hinder your Earthly concerns though the World may account thee a Fool yet thou hast that part of Heavenly Wisdom to do what thou dost as unto God thou carriest to thy Wife as in the sight of God that she may be Sanctified to thee and thou to her and thou carriest becomingly to thy children and Servants and thou wilt abound in Grace and in every good work which will be for thine Eternal wellfare O I beseech you People for the Lord's sake wait for the light of Christ to guide you learn of him to be meek and lowly then happy are you for he dwelleth with the humble but he beholdeth the Proud afar off This New Birth which is a true work a sincere and heavenly work it will make you for ever O make room for Christ in your Hearts or else he is never like to dwell with you he loveth to dwell with the poor and humble and contrite Spirit he abhors the Proud he will empty your Souls that he may fill them And so I commend you to God I have been long held in durance under great weakness and I was restless till I could come up to this Great City of London to Preach the Everlasting Gospel among you and you see I am among you here pray every one of you turn Inward let not these Words passing through a mean Vessel be as a bare empty Discourse of Truth to you which you only hear and take no further care of your Salvation Take heed of despising the light that shines in the midst of you and be pressing forward to the Heavenly work that is laid in the Power of Christ Jesus even through Judgment into Death and then he will give Eternal Life the Lord confirm this that it may rest upon your Hearts that you may be dead to the things of World We are not come to Mount Sinai that genâ—ers to bondage but we are come to Mount Sion the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumeâ—able company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are wrâ—tten in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just Men made Perfect and to Jesus â—be Mediatour of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel This is the Inheritance of the Redeemed of the most High blessed be the name of the Lord let us rest in hope till he bring us to Humility and Lowlyness of mind that he may cloth us with Heavenly Glory according to his Promise I will Beautifie my House with Glory saith the Lord. This is the Portion of a Poor People that cast down themselves before the Lord that he may lift them up and be all in all to them In whose blessed Presence they shall have of Joy and Rivers of Pleasures at his right hand for ever more The Prayer after Sermon BLessed and Glorious God thy presence and power is with thy People every where and thou art stretching forth thy Almighty Arm for the Salvation of thy chosen ones and thou art Influencing their Souls with thy Grace and Spirit in all their solemn meetings and Assemblies we desire to extoll and magnifie thy great and excellent Nause for all thy Mâ—rcies and blessings we pray thee bow down thy Heavenly Ear and 〈◊〉 ken to the Cries and supplications of thy People that are breathing forth the desire of their Sâ—uls to thee that art a God hearing Prayers supply their wants and establish their Spirits and uphold them with thy free Spirit Crown all thy chosen ones with thy loving-kindness and tender mercy rend the Cloud of darkness that hangs over us and take away the Vail and bow the Heavens amongst us and visit us with thy Salvation and reveal the mysteries of thy Truth unto us and in all our ways let us acknowledge thee and do thou lead us in the way everlasting Righteous God of Love while we live on Earth let our Conversaâ—ion be in Heaven where Christ our Mediatour sits aâ— thy Right-hand let us follow his Example who was Holy Harmless and undefiled that we may sit in Heavenly places with him Be thou a Sun and Shield to us in our earthly Pilgrimage whom have we in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that we desire besides thee let us walk before thee in sincerity and truth and do thou conduct us in the way of truth and righteousness by thy blessed Spirit Blessed be thy Name for the light of thy saving truth that hath shined in our minds and the light of thy Countenance that hath been lifted up upon us in our meetings thou hast furnished a Table for thy People as in the days of old we cannot but Admire thy great love and condescention towards us and extol and bless thy Holy name for thy abounding mercies and the Riches of thy Goodness to us we desire to give thee honour and renown and praise and Thanks giving for thy renewed mercies and Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus for whom we bless thee and in whom we desire to be found not having our own Righteousness to him with thy self and thy Holy Eternal Spirit be Glory for Ever Amen A SERMON Preached by Mr. GEORGE WHITEHEAD At Grace-Church-Street Octob. 4. 1693. THE Great God who made Heaven and Earth the God of our Salvation he hath prepared a Sacrifice for himself in the hearts of a Remuant whom he hath gathered by the Arm of his Mighty Power and he hath kindled that Sacrifice that is of his own preparing and this to a Remnant is a manifest Token of the Love of God and of his Divine and special Providence for their safety and preservation that trust
of their ways this is a sign that God is waiting to be gracious He may visit a People and Nation with Chastisements and Judgments yet I am sensible it is for his Peoples sake even a Remnant that he hath gathered out of the empty Professions and Forms that are in the World that the Lord is still waiting to be Gracious and extending his Patience and Long-suffering that he may convince them humble them and overcome them with his Love and when he corrects and punisheth yet he hath Reserves of Mercy for them if they will repent and turn from Sin and humble themselves under the mighty hands of God that he may in due time exalt them and bring them from under the weight of their Iniquities and the guilt of their transgressions that they may receive mercy for his Name 's sake and for his dear Son's sake This is the Breathing and the Travel of the Souls of a Remnant and we may truly say the Lord hath left a Seed a small Remnant that look to him and trust in him though a People and Nation have sinned against the Lord who otherwise had been as Sodom and Gommorrah if God had not left us a Seed yet for the sake of a little Seed even for the sake of the Worm Jacob that wrestled with him by Prayer and Supplication the Lord hath spared many and waited to be Gracious to them they are truly a People that are a Praying People that have the Advantage of all others yet I do not condemn all forms of Profession there are some that have a secret sincerity and a fear of God and a desire after the Lord that are as Sheep scattered upon the barren Mountains that yet the Lord will gather there are those that have a secret longing and thirsting after the living God that desire to know the things that belong to their Peace There are other Sheep of Christ which are not of this Fold them also will he bring home that they may know where the Green Pastures are and be led by the still waters and find relief and refreshment from the Lord. Therefore all those that the Lord hath gathered and preserved and kept to this moment and helped them and supplied them and continued his mercy to them should be thankful and sensible of his loving kindness that by an Invisible Power hath given them comfort and refreshment while they have been waiting on him let their minds and hearts be still fixed upon the Lord and staid on him and he will preserve them in quientness and peace and they shall know he will shew his Providence with them that their Bread may be sure and their Waters may not fail the Lord will preserve them to the end of their Days in humility and lowlyness wherein they may be capable of Instruction and by his Holy Spirit he will lead them in the way they should walk those that come unto the Lord with weeping and supplication the Lord he will lead them by the Rivers of Water in a plain way where they shall not stumble The Lord our God hath prepared a Sacrifice and he will accept that Sacrifice which is of his own preparing and this I say to a Remnant is a manifest token of his Love God Almighty Preserve you and bless the labours of his Servants among you who labour in the Word and Doctrine and in the Gospel of your Salvation whilst they are among you that you may know the Goodness of the Lord that waiteth to be gracious and have renewed experiences of his Love and observe for your encouragement the tender care he is pleased to manifest towards his Heritage both in this and other places We have great cause humbly to be thankful to our God for what favours we enjoy and to be diligent to make the best Improvement we can of all the Seasons of Grace and opportunities for Working out our own Salvation which the Lord is pleased in his abundant mercy to afford unto us His Prayer after Sermon GLorious and Blessed God who art the God of all Grace and Mercy and of all our helps and Preservations unto this moment thou hast been with us unto this Day we have had thy Gracious presence with us even in the needful time Thou hast gathered us to be a peculiar People unto thee thy presence is the very Life of our meetings and the Beauty and Glory of our Assemblies wherewith from time to time thou hast succoured and relieved and revived thy People whose Eyes have been towards thee and whose expectations have been from thee to be supplied and saved by thy bountiful band those Living Divine and Heavenly supplies wherewith thou hast from time to time Relieved thy People the poor and needy those whose Souls are bowed down in deep Humility in thy sight and presence so that Powerful Father of Life we have great cause to remember thee in thy ways We have cause to fear thee O Lord and to think upon thy Name We desire to wait upon thee and cry to thee and breath after thee and trust in thee We bless thee for the continuance of thy Love and Goodness for thy renewed blessings and multiplied favours we have abundant cause to bless and praise and honour thee O Lord to magnifie thy great and excellent name for thy Love and great Goodness for making bare thy mighty Arm and stretching it forth to help the helpless and to relieve and support the poor and needy whose trust is in thee whose confidence thou hast raised up by thy Power to stand in thy Presence O Righteous Powerful Father of Life Gather thy People more and more into an inward sense and feeling and experience of thy Power and Goodness that their Hearts may be engaged to thy self to walk before thee in an Holy Awe and reverence and with such Sincerity Humility Lowlyness and tenderness of Heart as becomes those that have the enjoyment of thy Presence and as becomes our solemn meeting and appearing before thee from time to time that all thy People who are called by thy Grace who are convinced and persuaded of thy blessed truth may be truly and livingly awakened and stirred up into a sense of thy Glorious Power that they may know what it is to appear before thee and how they ought to come before thee the most glorious and most high and holy God who inhabitest Eternity who dwellest in the highest Heavens and yet hast a place in the lowest Hearts in the Hearts of those that with a true Reverence and holy fear desire to worship thee with such a frame of Spirit and temper of mind and heart as thou requirest in all them that approach thy Presence We beg the influence of thy Grace and Divine Spirit that we may be thereby comforted and refreshed and uouchsafe unto us O Lord such sweet incomes of thy Love and such renewings of thy blessing as may settle and establish our minds and hearts in a sense of thy Goodness and
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
you I will make known my Words unto you I have called and ye Refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought my Counsel and would none of my Reproof 1. Prov. 23 24. Though God poureth out his Spirit abundantly and maketh known his mind and will yet many hearken not to the Reproof of the Spirit of the Lord but they harden their Hearts and Rebel against the Light against Gods Spirit that striveth with them As Gods Spirit did strive with the Old World so God will now be striving with the Children of Men by his good Spirit If they will hearken to his Reproofs and turn at his Reproofs he will manifest himself more abundantly to them if People will harken to his Counsel and obey his Voice and turn at his Reproofs he will make known his will to them Wo to the Râ—bellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of â—e saith the Lord and that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit Those that walk in the Spirit shall be covered with it as with a Garment and be led into all truth As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Try your selves what Spirit you are of there is a Spirit in Man but it is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding God hath opened the understanding of many by his grace and given them understanding to know him that is true they that are led by the Spirit of God shall not only know his way but have their Hearts enlarged in his way Here is our happiness to travel on in the ways of Gods Commandments with enlarged Hearts God hath sent forth his Light and his truth and hath prepared a certain guide for Man that he might not mistake his way as he gave to Israel a Pillar of a Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night to guide and direct them in their Travelling and Journeys in the Wilderness Take heed least the mystery of Inquity work in your minds and Spirits work to a fleshly liberty to liberty to Sin The Spirit of God works liberty and freedom from Sin and from the bondage of Corruption not to give way to it If Christ hath made you free then ye shall be free indeed where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty a freedom from Sin The Lust of the flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life they are not of the Father but of the World many People Indulge the Lusts of their own mind and embrace Pride Vanity and Arrogance those things that are Evil and so corrupt themselves and go out of the way of God reaching after the pleasures of the World and the Lusts of it Here People go astray but by keeping to the Spirit when a Temptation com es to us to gratifie our flesh the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a Standard against it we have tryed our selves and our own Spirits and in our own strength we could never get forward in the ways of God we have been convinced of it that tho' our understandings have been clear to know the way of Truth Yet by our own striving we can never get forward by striving in our own Wills Take heed that in your striving you do not set up self but humble your selves to the Dust and sit at the Feet of Jesus learn of him to be meek and lowly He that is the chief among you let him be the Servant of all do not strive for high places and for Honor and Dignity and to be accounted of among Men If we may have the favour of God we should be content to dwell in a low place to be a Door keeper in the House of God we shall think it sufficient I doubt not will a Gracious Soul say but God hath a sufficiency in store for me when so ever he calls me out of the World Christ Jesus my Lord is gone before to prepare a place for me and he hath also promised I will come again and receive you to my self and where I am there shall my Servants be If Christ be gone to prepare a place for us we need not question our Reward if the Spirit of God beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ Seek Peace with the Lord seek Reconciliation with God in the right way there are two ways the way that leads to Life and the way that leads to Destruction the Narrow Way and the Broad Way be you in that way which God hath cast up if you are in Christ he is the way the Truth and the Life if you are in Christ you are New Creatures consider what you know of a Change of Dying unto Sin and living unto Righteousness Put off the Old man with his Deeds and put on the New man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Consider how it is with you whether you live in Sin or in Holiness and Righteousness All Sin is of the Devil He is the Author of Sin What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death ye were the Servants of Sin but being made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness and now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life Here is a good change from being Servants of Sin to be made free from Sin through the Mediatour Christ Jesus Consider of it I do not design to enlarge you have had Testimonies upon Testimonies you have been put in mind of these things you that make a profession of the truth there is a necessity and a constraint upon me to Remind you of former things of things that you have been told of and been stirred up by the Servants of the Lord to remember I see a necessity of reminding you of them there are many that are in a Profession of the truth that do not dwell in the life of it they are sunk down into the form of Godliness but they do not mind the power of it they do part of the Work they do not go through with it they are for sparing some Sins that they will not mortifie them they are like Saul they make profession of doing the Will of God Saul said to Samuel blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the Commandment of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 14. And Samuel said what meaneth then this bleating of the Sheep in mine Ears and the Lowing of the Oxen which I hear And Saul said they have brought them from the Amalekites for the People spared the best of the Sheep and of the Oxen to Sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and the rest we have destroyed Now my Friends there are many People which are willing to give themselves up to an outward Profession of
Pharoah's House and out of Egypt's Land and took us by the hand and led us peaceably to walk by the Rivers of Gods Pleasures I say see to it this day that you may answer the great Love of God that the Lord doth vouchsafe his Heavenly Presence in the midst of you and lift up the Light of his Countenance upon you that ye may be found answering his Love in his renewed Blessings that as he reneweth his Mercies you may renew your Obedience and as he renews his Loving kindness you may renew your Thankfulness that your Souls may be filled with high Praises for it is a Day of Praises for the Lord they who have obtained a Deliverance by Gods mighty Arm and Power that brought his People out of Egypt's Land into the Wilderness and through the Red-Sea and over Jordan's River unto the Banks of Salvation they who have received a marvellous Deliverance from their Spiritual Enemies they do not hang their Harps upon the Willows but Rejoice and Praise the Living God they resolve with the Prophet Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall Fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yield no Meat the Flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls and altho ' there be Plague Sword Fire Desolation and Destruction Yet we will rejoice in the Lord we will joy in the God of our Salvation Is it so with you this Day Are you come into this Divine Fellowship into this Intimacy with the Lord have you this Holy Frame of Soul O ye Sons and Daughters of the Morning the Everlasting Day of God hath dawned upon you that you may look into your Hearts and see how it is with you and see your experiences see the things that your Eyes have seen and your hands have handled You have tasted the good Word of God and known the Operation of his Power these are things that they have that are Children not empty Notions but Experiences If we travel on we shall be enabled to overcome and if we take unto us the whole Armour of God we shall be enabled to stand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand and what is the reward of them that overcome they shall eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life that grows in the Paradise of God as many as are fed from this Tree they are not to be standing Idle but Work the Works of God and are brought into the Paradise of God and enjoy the Delights of God in the Presence of God and the Lord will fill and satisfie them with his Divine Goodness and they shall grow and encrease in the Divine Life more and more Consider how doth the Work go on Consider the Lord Jesus he came in our Natures before he cometh into our Hearts Now Christ Jesus within us is the Hope of Glory and the Mystery that was hid from Ages and Generations is now Revealed in us Christ is now come not only into our Natures buâ— into our Hearts into our Inward man and all those at the Door of whose Hearts he hath knocked If they have opened to him and received him He hath come to Sup with them and he hath given them the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation and they have come into Divine Fellowship with him and so they have eaten his Flesh and drunk his Blood and fed upon that Bread that comes down from Heaven and all that open the Door and let him in they come to eat of this Bread and they come to see him that is the Desire of all Nations and the Light of the World and they walk in his Light This is an Ancient Testimony when you were first turned to the Light of Christ it was not a Natural but a Divine Light that you were turned to the Light of Jesus manifesting himself in us in this Light you received him and I desire to know what you have tasted what surther Joy is there What more excellent object what more excellent mark than this then the Light of the Nations that we are come to walk in Here is Divinity here is that which was before the World began here is made known the Divine Nature It is testified here that you might be partakers of it that you might be a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation a Peculiar People that you should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light see how this Work advanceth in every one of you that you may be faithful and improve your Tallents that you may be able to give up your account to the Lord with Joy and not with Grief When you shall hear a Voice saying Come come away There is no more Time the Glass is Run then how joyfully wilt thou hear that Voice if thou hast not been Idle but Working out thy Salvation and answering the Call of God and adoring him for his Love to thy Immortal Soul thou art not like Martha cumbred about many things but mindest the one thing needful that good part that shall not be taken away from thee If you thus Work out your Salvation it will be said unto you Well Done not Well Taught not well Disputed but Well Done good and faithful Servants enter you into the Joy of your Lord My Friends Time goes apace and we are wearing off and in a little while we shall be here no more Time will be gone and the Day of your Visitation quickly over the Thought and Consideration of this hath affected me many a time Look Friends that you be all travelling on in your Heavenly Journey as a faithful people and that the Work of your Salvation is carrying on and that is Christ is a Redeemer to you and that he doth deliver you from the Dominion of Sin and the Bondage of Corruption Art thou free who hath made thee free If the Truth hath made thee free If the Son of God hath made thee free then art thou free indeed If thou art made free thy Knowledge will be accompanied with experience and not notions only you want not notions but Possession of Inward freedom and liberty Doth your knowledge of Truth make you free from Sin Oh the tumblings and tossings that thy Soul was in Oh the Covenant making and the Covenant breaking there was no Peace no Rest because you were fallen and because you did not know Dominion and Victory over Sin which is only by the Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus which will lead you into the Path of obedience then you will know that in Christ there is Life and this Life is the Light of Men and the Light shineth in Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not you have Life only in Christ and you have it in him as in the Fountain this you must know that you may be delivered from sin By this saving knowledge of Christ and
Christ and let not any content themselves with a bare Profession of Christ and the name of Christians but make us Christians indeed true Israelites in whom their is no Guile We pray thee let the Power of Godliness shine forth in our Hearts and Lives let none be found among us that Crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame and tramplâ— upon the Blood of the Covenant and do despite to the Spirit of Grace Bring such we beseech thee to true Repentance as have made light of Christ and Salvation that they may seek thee while thou mayst be found and call upon thee while thou art near Glorious God of Lise and Love thine Eye is over all thy People at this time and their condition is known to thee and the living sense which thou hast given thy Servants of the state and condition of thy People makes them humble Mourners before thee and and doth bow down their Spirits in thy sight O Lord God of Glory let not thy wrath and Indignation break forth like Fire against the People of this Land but look down with an Eye of Compassion from the Throne of thy Glory and make bare thy Victorious Arm and make them a willing People in the Day of thy Power that they may be moved and excited to Repent and turn to thee and cease from their vain Conversation and serve thee in sincerity and in the beauties of Holiness Let the Spirit of Life quicken them that arâ— dead in Sins and Trespasses and remove the Stupidity Darkness and Ignorance of those that are strangers to thee and know not the things that belong to their Peace and open their Hearts and Minds that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And O tender Father of Life thou art at this Day threatning this Nation and shaking thy Rod over the Land of our Nativity cause the Inhabitants thereof to humble themselves under thy mighty hand and bow before thee and to consider how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God If thy wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in thee Blessed God of Glory Whom have we in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that can help like thee thy loving kindness is better than Life and thy displeasure more terrible than Death When thou hidest thy Face we are troubled but when thou liftest up the Light of thy countenance upon us and smilest upon our Souls and with a Ray of thy excellent Glory shining on us speakest peace unto us and openest a Door for us into the secret of thy Presence then we are filled with Joy unspeakable and satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness then we dwell safely as in the Munition of Rocks Most Glorious excellent Fountain of Divine Goodness be present with all thy People keep them as the Apple of thine Eye under the shaddow of thy Wings and in all their solemn Assemblies when they meet together to Worship thee O Lord meet with their Souls and let them see that thou Rulest and art present in the midst of them who art the Fountain of living Waters to those that thirst for thee the living God Let them in their Assembling together drink of the Brook of Shilo which runs with pleasant streams and there let them find Refreshment to their Souls we pray let them see the great design of thy love to them in that thou sendest them plentiful supplies from Heaven and givest the streams of Life where thou feedest thy Flocks and makest them to rest at Noon and to lyâ— down in Green Pastures and leadest them by the stil Waters though they walk through the Valley of the shaddow of Death they shall fear no Evil for thou art with them Thou preparest and furnishest a Table for them in the presence of their Enemies and they are abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thine House and thou makest them to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures But everlasting God of Life thou hast a Controversie with those that dwell at ease in Zion that do not lamen and mourn for the Sins and Abominations committed is the midst of them shew them that their Rest is not the Rest of God Let them cease from their own Works and serve and Worship thee in truth and Sincerity And let them know there is a Sabbath an Heavenly Rest for such to partake of Shew them the many secret working of the Enemy that they may watch against him aâ— not be Ignorant of his devices who is going about like Roaring Lyon seeking to devour them and to destâ—â—â— their Souls Arise O God of Glory and appear in Jacobâ— Dwellings and search Jerusalem as with Candles â—â— not thy People spare or hide any Darling sin froâ— the Slaughter nor keep Amaleck alive nor sâ—â—â— those Enemies which thou hast determined to Destruction Lord God of Life and Love thou Soveraign Lâ—â— of Heaven and Earth do thou graciously strengthâ—â— and keep in all tenderness thy People every where â—â— all their Travels Labours and Exercises let them fâ—â—â— Favour and Acceptance with thee in and through thâ— Lord Jesus Christ the Great Mediatour Let them know thy Heavenly Gatherings and there let them abide under thy Shaddow Let their Quiver be filled with the Arrows of the Almighty that may reach the Hearts of many by thy Power and let their Bow abide in strength let them hear the Heavenly Sounding of thy Trumpet from the Holy Mountain of thy Glory and in all their Assemblies let the pleasant Streams of life flow from thee upon their Souls and 〈◊〉 pray thee let them grow green and flourish and be as a Watred Garden bringing forth pleasant Fruits Then Blessed Father of Life and Glory thy love will be discovered to thy People when they are in the daily exercise of thy Grace and under the living Influences of thy good Spirit when thou takest them into thy Banquetting-House and thy Banner over them shall be love Blessed Lord God of Glory when it shall be thus with us we shall behold thy Heavenly Countenance shining upon us and thy glory in the Face of Jesus Christ and we shall be taken and delighted with the excellency thereof Thy Blessed Banquet will be sweet to our Tast and we shall be satisfied and overcome with thy Love then will thy Glory shine and thy Voice be heard Eat O Friends Drink yea Drink abundantly O Beloved Now for all thy Mercies and Blessings and wonderful patience forbearance and Longsuffering towards us We desire to offer our Thanksgivings to thee for thy tender Compassions extended to those that are sorrowful Afflicted and bowed down before thee Father of Life thou hast opened thy Bosom of Love and given them some ease and Refreshment thou hast Remembred us in our low Estate and thou hast been with us and kept us in all our Exercises and Labours and Travels
a profitable Evidence that there is fruit brought forth not the Fruit of Sin What fruit have you of those things whereof you â—e now ashamed for the end of those things is Death They that are sensible of this know that the wrath of the Lord is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. The Work of Repentance stands in this not only in denying all Ungodliness but in abstaining from all appearance of evil Therefore stand upon thy guard against thine Enemy that he may not prevail against thee by his Assaults If sinners intice thee consent not to them go not in the way of evil men turn aside from it and pass away Learn Self denial which our Lord Jesus Christ doth declare to be of necessity Except a many Deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me he cannot be my Disciple Thou may'st appear to take up a Cross and deny thy Self but there must be a daily Cross a denying thy self continually not giving way to our Carnal Wills to our own Carnal Minds for to be Carnally minded is Death and to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace Here is a Work that produceth profitable Fruit that will not bring Reproach and Shame and Confusion upon us the Work of the Spirit of the Lord hath not that tendency but will bring the Soul to possess Vertue to inherit Glory Righteousness that exalts a Nation but Sin is the Reproach of any People Sin brings a man to shame and confusion of Face because there is a sense comes upon a man that God will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles 12. 14. We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ saith the Apostle that every one may receive the reward of the Deeds done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad O this brings shame and confusion of Face over a man many times the Lord appears in his displeasure and the weight of his Anger is let forth sometimes so that it appears intollerable Sometimes men are brought under great terror and affliction of Soul and Spirit because of it God afflicts men sorely sometimes and this is in Mercy that we may fear to offend him and be brought to the doing of our Duty and come up in Obedience to what the Lord requireth of us and hath made known to us He bath shewed thee O Man what is good Micah 6. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with Thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oil shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God This the Prophet tells us is more effectual and efficacious than Sacrifices under the Law Be faithful my Friends to what God makes known and give up in Obedience to the Works of Righteousness and live to the Glory of God and in Obedience to the Truth This tendeth to establish the Soul in a Divine Hope and Confidence which made Solomon to say the Righteous is as bold us a Lion why so Because the Lord is his strength He is strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might Friends see to this every one in your own particular that you put off concerning your former Conversation the Old Man with his Deeds which are corrupt and put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness then you shall find the happy effects of this the constraining effect and efficacy of the Love of Christ as the Apostle did 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which Died for them and Rose again And therefore the Apostle comes to declare of those to this effect He that is in Christ is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become New How is he a New Creature He is the Workmanship of God Created in Christ Jesus Oh the Work of the new Creation How precious is it to be Witnessed to All things are of God who hath reconciled us himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation And saith the Apostle to the Ephesians Eph. 2. 14. For he is our peace having made both one and hath broken down the Wall of Partition between us having aboâ—ished in his Flesh the enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain One new man so making Peace here is Peace upon a sure Foundation upon a certain Bottom This is the Peace that Christ leaves as a Legacy to his Disciples Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the Woald giveth give I unto you What is the difference The Worlds Peace is uncertain and attended with pain and trouble but the Peace of Christ maintains it self in those Souls that are gathered into the sense of his Power and under his Banner Isa 9. 6. saith the Prophet For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the encrease of his Government and Peace there shall be no end And saith the Prophet Jeremiah 23. 5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a Righteous branch and a King shall Reign and Prosper and execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Friends It is the desire of my Soul that you may come to know the precious effects hereof to your Souls that you may know Christ Jesus to be your Lord and submit to him and take his Yoke upon you for they that come to Christ must know what it is to be under his Dominion for he is a King and shall Reign and Prosper and execute Judgment The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver The Lord is our King and he will save us Therefore my Friends Be every one of you resigned in your Minds and Spirits and live in a dependance upon him that you may feel his Power overshaddowing you from Day to Day then you will say as it is in the Revelations Chap. 19. 1. Halleluja Salvation and Glory and
Honour and Power unto the Lord our God The Power of his Christ is Revealed to us O Friends that you may feel that you are gathered under his Power into his Pavillion that he may be a safe hiding place to you and that you may experience and witness his Power from Day to Day then your Peace shall be as a River O that you may every one find this in your own particular and not rest satisfied in outward Forms and in an outward Profession that you may feel the substance feel the Life and possession and have Heavenly Treasure in your Earthen Vessels then will you be witnesses of Immortal Life that is brought to Light by the Gospel then you shall be of the Number of those that have fought a good Fight of Faith and laid hold on Eternal Life and you shall be sensible of the Visitation of the Lord Giving Spiritual Life unto the Soul Thus the Psalmist experienced and declared All my Fresh Springs are in thee Here is an Evidence and Testimony of this Life O Labour to have a Testimony of this Life that ye may have fresh Springs from the Lord and Draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation These are renewed in the Soul from time to time It may be said that the Stream is but small to some Oh keep to the Streams and partake of them though but in the lowest degree that thou may'st feel the risings of them The Prophet Ezekiel was led into the Temple saith he The Hand of the Lord was upon me and he brought me thither and behold there was a Man whose appearance was like the appearance of Brass with a Line of Flax in his hand and a measuring Reed and he measured a thousand Cubits and he brought me through the Waters and the Waters were to the Anckles Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the Waters and the Waters were to the Knees and afterward the the Waters were to the Loyns And afterward saith He measured another Thousand and it was a River that I could not pass over for the Waters were risen Waters to Swim in a River that could not be passed over My Friends here are Divine openings upon the Soul in feeling fresh springs of Love and Life and you may come to know and witness Refreshings from the Presence of the Lord you are not strangers to the Fruits of the Heavenly Canaan and the fruits of the Tree of Life When you come to pertake of them you will say His fruit was sweet unto my tast you will find that the Lord will abundantly open his bountiful hand and satisfy his poor with Bread Let your waiting be continually upon the Lord and Bread will be given to you and your Waters will be sure then you will see the King in his Beauty the King of Glory discovering himself Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord. Here is a precious Object indeed O the Beauty of Holiness how affecting is it to the Soul The Soul is overcome with God When the Soul comes to the acting of its Faith and Trusting in the Lord and Depending upon him continually to beholding the Glory of the Lord which is of an affecting nature this raiseth desires in the Soul according to the Testimony of the Psalmist Psal 17. 14. As for me I will behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness The Apostle speaks of beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and being changed into the same from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. You that know the Revelation of God in you you will find this change from Glory to Glory and a coming up to the Beauty of Holiness Then my Friends here is a pure Communion a Communion with the Saints the Lord Reveals himself and makes his Spiritual abode in the Soul these are those that come to know Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ They that come to know this know God to be with them and do know Gods Power and Presence in the midst of them Then though man may frown the Light of Gods Countenance shall be lifted up upon us And If God be for us saith the Apostle who can be against us He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all How shall he not with him also freely give us all good things The Lord will bless us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ Wait upon the Lord and he will bless thee and encourage thee that thou mayst know additional blessings in thy Soul This is the intent design and import of these Declarations that are found among you that you may all know a being gathered unto the Lord and may feel his Power and know the Lot of your Souls Inheritance and know that the Lord will continue his mercies to you and will make good his Promise that if you cast your care upon him he will take care of you they that do this may know the Lord to be their Portion and the Lot of their Inheritance to be in him In times of distress and tribulation the Lord will be with them Israel of Old tho' they did all partake of an outward Canaan yet all had not their Lot in Shilo They that come to sit with Christ in Heavenly places they have their Lot in Shilo in a Peaceable Saviour the Prince of Peace Take a view of your inward state and condition see is the Lord Jesus your Lot and Portion then you shall not want but if you are Strangers to this and live in the state of carnal security sorrow will overtake you The Prophet saw some to do so It is as when a Hungry Man Dreams of Refreshment but when he awakes his Soul is empty and faint If you have not the feeling of the Power of Gods Spirit and are at ease a terrible Day will overtake you Therefore Friends while you have time give all diligence while the Manna falls about your Tents and are humbled in the sence thereof know that the Lord will preserve you from day to day then your Bread will be sweet and your Water sure O Friends The Great Prophet hath been sent to you Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me Friends He will bless you and you shall know your Provisions which are made for you the Lord Christ will bless your store for the Treasures of Heaven fail not where Moth and Rust doth not corrupt nor Theives break through nor Steal and therefore Friends have respect to the manifestation and Spiritual Appearance of the Lord Jesus that you may feel his Power overshaddowing you from day to day that you may be kept by the Mighty Power of God We must wait upon the
Lord from day to day to be kept and preserved by him and be retired from the Vanities of the World and live that Life we live in the flesh by the Faith of the Son of God that we may come to say with the Apostle Paul Not I live but Christ liveth in me that we may be united to him He that hath the Son hath Life and he hath Power to as many as received him to them he gave Power Here is a Divine Ability I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me My Friends If every one of you do feel this in your own particular you will come to a Heavenly place to a Kingdom that cannot be shaken and dwell in a sure dwelling and have the Candle of the Lord to shine upon your Tabernacles light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in Heart they shall have Peace through him that is the Prince of Peace It is the desire of my Soul that you may feel this inwardly in your selves Therefore Dear Friends retire to that strength that is Treasured up for you in Christ Be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his might and let all self Confidence be laid aside and trust in the Lord for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength and he changeth not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed He is the same Yesterday to Day and for ever Let us take comfort in the unchangeable Love of God who hath given us this Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 13. Heb. 5. 6. So that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me Therefore wait to receive strength from Christ from day to day they that build not upon this Power are upon a Sandy foundation they make an outward profession of Religion and have a form of Godliness but that will not avail Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the Fat of Rams And our Saviour saith Mat. 7. 22. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened to a foolish man that built his House upon the Sand and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell and great was the fall of it Wait upon the Lord his strength hath been Revealed and his power made known and his Arm made bare Therefore fix your Confidence in him that so your minds may be established Be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his might and take unto you the whole Armour of God Eph. 6. 13 14. This is the Armour that God hath made known for his Christian Souldiers that are making War against sin and unrighteousness who are fighting the good fight of Faith It was the experience of the Primitive Believers We are more then Conquerours through him that loved us therefore feel your strength fixed upon the Lord retire and wait upon him and be in a watchful frame The Prophet Habbakuk when he saw distress was coming upon the Church says Hab. 3. 16. When I heard my belly trembled and my Lips quivered at the Voice and Rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the Day of trouble then saith he in the 2 Chap. 1. I will stand upon my Watch and set me upon the Tower and I will watch to see what he will say unto me and what I shall Answer when I am Reproved In this Spiritual Warfare let us be attentive unto Christ the great Captain of our Salvation that maketh War in Righteousness let us hearken one day after another and then there will be a Holy skill and expertness given to us you will be expert in the Spiritual War and you will find strength and power given you from the Lord and he will be a hiding place and a Sanctuary to you you shall come to the Mountain of the Lord where there shall be no distress and the Voice of the oppressor shall no more be heard nor destruction within your Walls Thy Walls shall be called Salvation and thy Gates praise And you that know that Spiritual dwelling where the Spiritual Jews are you are come to sing the Songs of Zion which shall be Sung in the strong City where Salvation is appointed for Walls and Bulwarks where the wicked cease from troubling and where the Flocks lye down at Noon where there is a Shaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land and Rivers in dry places Here is the plenty of all good things which in Gods House is opened to us Now my Friends If you are sitting down in outward forms without feeling the operation of Gods Power and Spirit upon your Souls and be not brought to an inward Conformity the dreadful day will come that the Lord will search Jerusalem with Candles that God before whom all things are naked and bare he is taking a view of the Imperfections of his People he is the searcher of the Heart and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of it whether you fall short of that power and Spirit of true Religion or if there be only an outward Conformity and not inward Obedience The Trumpet of the Lord hath been blown in Sion Lift up thy Voice like a Trumpet and tell the House of Judah of her transgression and the House of Israel of her Sins Where there is only an outward Conformity and not an Inward subjection there distress will overtake you which I have seen in the Vision of the Lord which hath been upon me as a warning to the Remiss and careless ones and it was delivered with a voice full of Power in these words All foundations shall be manifested of what sort they are A watcher from the Holy one with severity shall overtake the unwatchful Therefore let this be a warning to you all that you may not fall under the stroke of Gods severity The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11. 17. to the believing Romans speaking of the goodness and severity of God And if some of he Branches be broken off and thou being a Wild Olive Tree wert grafted in amongst them and with them partakest of the Root and fatness of the Olive Tree Boast not against the branches but if thou boast thou bearest not the Root but the Root thee Thou wilt say then the Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in Well because of Vnbelief they were broken off and thou standest by Faith be not bigh minded but fear For if God spared not the natural branches take heed least be also spare not thee Behold therefore the Goodness and Severity of God on them which fell to them severity but towards thee Goodness if thou continue in his Goodness otherwise thou shalt be Cut off O my Friends what need is there of a Watchful frame think how necessary it is in your own particular every one of you to be keeping in your Watch Tower the
into a weighty consideration the end for which the Everlasting God hath given us a Being and a day of Visitation and doth vouchsafe to us the continuance of our Lives without all controversie the Great God hath a great end in it I would to God the consideration of this end did take impression upon your minds Certainly it is for this in the first place that Man should Serve and Glorify the Great God that gave Life and Breath and Being to him for this is an indispensible duty and in the next place there is a Duty towards man so that there is our Duty to God and our Duty towards our Neighbour Now that we may be capable of Answering these things that we may be rightly fitted and qualified that this great end of God may be answered that is our Duty to God which every one ought to perform and I doubt not is acknowledged generally by all to be due to him It is therefore to be considered under what Qualifications those must be that can perform it acceptably Now God who hath required the strict performance of this Duty is a Holy Eternal Being Pure and Righteous whatsoever then is offered to him must be a pure Offering and the Heart and Mind of the Offerer must be pure and Holy if it find acceptance with him Now if it be so as without all controversie it is In the first place you know as God created Man for this end and purpose to glorifie him so he created him in a meet state and capacity to perform it for he made Man Upright Holy and Righteous and whilst he stood thus he had both free access and acceptance with God his Maker But alass Mankind through the Workings of Satan and through the craftiness and subtilty of the Enemy of all Righteousness lost this Innocent state of Holiness fell from it and became a Plant of a degenerate Vine yet many are not so far fallen but that they have a sense sometimes and believe there is a Duty and Service owing to God and have gone about to perform it though they have not been rightly qualified for we find that Israel they went about to perform this great duty in their unregenerate state what acceptance did they find none at all why there Hearts were corrupt we have divers Instances thereof in Scripture concerning Israel the Lord complains of them by his Prophets He doth not complain that they were short in not going about to do something that had the shew of Region or in appearing in an outward shew of Offering something to God No but it was not pleasing for the Lord saith Bring no more vain Oblations Isa 1. 13. Incense is an Abomination to me tâ—â— New Moons and Sabbaths and calling of Assembliâ— I cannot away with It is iniquity even the solem meeting what was the reason they were not acceptable was it that the Lord had not required those things No What was the reason then Their Hearts were full of Corruption their Hearts were defiled they were not right in the sight of God it sprung from a wrong Heart it was not a Vessel made meet It was not prepared and fit for such holy Service and Oblation And again in the same place there they seemed to draw nigh to God and would presume to tread his Courts but what was the return When you come to appear before me who hath required this thing at your hands to tread my Courts seeing you hate to be Reformed these People drew near to God with their Lips but their Hearts were far from him And it is evident the Lord did not accept of them in those performances because they were in a corrupt unclean state but the Lord by his Prophet corrected them on this wise Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes cease to do Evil learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the oppressed Judge the Fatherless plead for the Widdow Come now and let us Reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be Red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Nothing but this change could give them acceptance with God Now my Friends this is a great Work the Work of the Day that every Man and Woman is concerned in and ought to be concerned about to be made meet to approach before the Lord to come before him and perform their duty that is due from them to God acceptably but if any should enquire of me by what means may we be made meet for this Service and great Undertaking I will tell you It must be by Experience and sensible feeling of that which was the cause and real ground of mans losing his access to and acceptance with God at the beginning that which shut the Door and became a Bar and Partition Wall between God and Man and that was the Sin and Transgression that he fell into this must be removed and taken away the root of it must be done away by Faith in him whom God has sent to Restore lost man Jesus Christ and by a sensible feeling the effectual working of his Power in the Soul to cleanse from Sin or else there can be no acceptance with God How and by what means must it be done away God Everlasting in his Infinite Love hath ordained a way because he would not have man to perish and remain in a state uncapable of answering the end which God ordained him to and what is that Way The Lord Jesus Christ God hath sent him into the World in a twofold manner First He sent him into the World in a Holy Body which he had prepared for him as it is written Lo it is written in the Volume of the Book I come what for To do thy Will O God What is Gods Will And what is the reason of Christs coming into the World That he might Die for every man and be a Sacrifice for Sin and Redeem Man to God this was the Work that God gave him to do in that appearance Secondly There is another coming of Christ a coming in the Spirit for the first opened a Door for lost Man that shut himself out and by his Sin put a Bar to his drawing near to God the first coming of Christ I say opened a Door for he became a Sacrifice and an Offering and Attonement for Mankind and thereby opened a new and living Way for Mans coming to God And â—â— second coming is without Sin to Salvation and to bring all Mankind that believe and obey him into this Way or Door and to have an entrance into this New and Living Way which he has opened and thereby to have the benefit of that one Offering and Sacrifice which he hath made for sinners and God hath revealed and made this known to the Sons and Daughters of Men Blessed be the Name of God that Christ is come in the Spirit that he hath sent his Spirit into our Hearts that
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
he God hath concluded all under Sin we have all been under the Power of the Wicked one For what end hath God concluded all under Sin For what end is it that we might be destroyed No God through Christ the Dear Son of his Love hath extended to you the day of Visitation that you might come to the knowledge of Life and Salvation But wherein may we come to this knowledge it is in that way which God hath ordained even by Christ who is the Way to God Christ Jesus the Eternal Son of God he is the Blessed Mediator and Way to God again What is Gods end in concluding all under Sin was it that he might destroy all the Children of Men that are the Workmanship of his Hands that he hath endued with Rational and Immortal Souls Was it that they might be destroyed No but that he might have mercy upon all Gods end in first Making and Creating of us was that we might Live to his Honour and that we might so live in this World that when we die we might obtain a Life that shall never die and attain to the possession of the Inheritance amongst the Saints in Light which Christ by his precious Blood hath purchased for all them that Love him and give up themselves to be Followers of him Now my Friends the Mercy of God appears so great to all in and through Christ Jesus who is the Light of the World and who is the only Way and as my Friend observed that spake before me we have not another way nor is there any other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved and obtain Eternal Life the Apostle refers this to the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ Well if so be that it is only by the Power of Christ that we must know Salvation where is it that we must attain it How shall we do to be made partakers of it and be saved from thee Wrath of God which shall come-upon the Workers of Iniquity For it 's said the Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God People hope to escape the Wrath to come and Everlasting Misery by Christ whilst they neglect to improve the present time that is afforded to them to obtain Salvation Christ he is come to Redeem us that we may know Redemption by him from what From Sin for Pollution and Defilement by sin is the cause why People notwithstanding all their Names and Profession of Religion still lie under a secret condemnation in their own Hearts If a man should hold such a fair Profession that none could charge him none condemn him yet if he meet with secret condemnation through all should speak well of him if his own Conscience condemn him He would not have any true peace or satisfaction in his own mind for the Testimony of a good Conscience is more to him than all the favour and friendship of the World The light of Christ if you incline your minds to obey it what will be the effect of it This Light or Spirit of Grace and Truth which is all one is sufficient to Save and Deliver you out of the Temptations and Snares of the Wicked one for we may every day while we are here meet with Trials and Temptations of one kind or other What shall a man do that he may be preserved from the evil of the World there are many Provocations and evils that a man meets with in the World How shall he do to be preserved from them Christ hath made Provision for us in his Prayer John 17. 15. to his Father I Pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil Christ will preserve me from the evil of the World when a Temptationis presented before me I shall overcome it if I obey the Light of Christ which will shine upon me and shew me that this must be done and that I must leave the other undone In my own Conscience there is something will tell me this thing is evil and I ought not to do it when this Power of Christ comes to be close with For it is an appearance of Love Grace and Mercy but if I do oppose and withstand this Grace and Mercy I may miss of that Power and Strength which is sufficient to overcome and so be overcome by the Temptation The Apostle John tells us As many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name So that it s they that do Receive Christ and Love his Light and Spirit so as to be led by it that come to know this Power of Christ and thereby an overcoming But if People slight and reject the Grace and Mercy tendered to them hereupon comes that Sentence pronounced by the Prophet Thy Destruction is of thy Self A man may destroy his own Soul by giving way to that which is evil and rejecting that which is good Therefore My Friends Close with that Power which inclines you to that which is good if I mind it and make trial of it I shall find that within me which will incline me to that which is good Though I may find sometimes a corrupt inclination in me to that which is evil yet there is something also that will incline me to do what is required of me why should I reject that which is good Try all things and hold fast that which is good I have tried many things but none will do me so much good as the Grace and Mercy Light and appearance of Christ to me if I mind it and close with it He hath shewed thee O Man what is good saith the Prophet Micah and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The Lord hath shewed you what is his Will be ye doers of it say then to thy self shall I give way to that which tends to my own Ruine How can I do this wickedness and sin against God Shall I join with the Enemy of my Salvation and yield to his Temptations and Dishonour God and Ruine my Immortal Soul God forbid What you know to be contrary to the Will of God take heed of it Cease to do Evil Learn to do well Be followers of that which is good take up the Cross of Christ Deny your Selves and your own Will know a being Crucified to the World by the Cross of Christ and the World Crucified to you Thus as I said before This is the end of our Preaching to you that noble Principle of the Light within that you might come to the Knowledg of Christ as he doth appear nigh to you and will lead you by his Spirit into all Truth and incline you to that which is good and preserve you from that which is evil when you are tempted to it Why should I join with the Devil that dark Spirit that would draw me to
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
of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World and the World passeth away and the Lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever Therefore see to it you that make a profession of it see that as you have received the Lord Jesus Christ you walk as he walked that you live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh that you live not in malice envy or bitterness and so grieve the good Spirit of God and bring a burthen upon the Souls of the Righteous We that are come to the sight and vision of Heavenly things and have the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God opened to us we are come to be Partakers of the gift of Charity which is a more excellent way if this be wanting all is wanting what doth the Apostle say though I speak with the Tongue of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding-Brass or a Tinkling Cymbal and though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have alâ— Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing and though I bestow all my Goods to the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profits me nothing These things have been often said and declared to you Friends and I have now this General Testimony to give in the dread and fear of the Lord God They that love God above all will Love their Neighbour as themselves they will love those that are the Friends of God and of his People nay it is a duty incumbent on them A New Commandment saith our Saviour I give unto you that ye love one another as I have lovtd you that ye also love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another And we are not only to love one another but to love our Enemies this our Lord Jesus Christ commandeth us Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you that ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he causeth his Sun to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the just and on the unjust Now my Friends that you may keep in this love of God and love to one another it is the desire and breathing of my Soul That so your Faith may stand not in the wisdom of Mens words but in the power of God this power will bring down every high thought and imagination into subjection and obedience to Christ that we may walk before bim to all well pleasing that when we come to die we may lay down our heads in peace and be found of him in peace without spot and blameless and at the end of our days we may receive the end of our Faith the Salvation of our Immortal Souls Friends to the Grace of God I commend you the Lord God of life preserve and keep you that you may be safe in the hands of God and abide under the shadow of his wing and be surrounded with his Almighty Arm which hath hitherto preserved us in all our Solemn Meetings and Assemblies when the Enemies of Gods truth have risen up against us The remembrance of it should be sweet and pleasant to us When the floods of the Vngodly were mustred up against us and sometimes halled us out of our Meetings to Goals and Prisons for bearing Testimony to the Truth of God in our day O the sweet and comfortable presence of the Lord that then attended us and blessed be his Name he waited to be gracious to us and did work manifold Deliverances for us and Praise and Glory be given to the Eternal and Almighty God whose Divine Power and Providence hath brought a calm over the Nation so that now we enjoy our Meetings without Trouble and Molestation O that we may be sensible of the wonderful Love and Mercy of God to us And Friends it greatly concerns us to be careful in the whole course of our Lives that we may not give any occasion for the obstructing or hazarding of the present Peace and Liberty we enjoy O there should be a serious care and tender regard to Gods Glory and the Honour of his Great and Excellent Name and also a care and concern for the Reputation of our Religion and Religious Societies that none may have any occasion or just ground to bespatter and reproach us and render us odious to the Government under which we live Blessed be the Name of the Lord for the freedom and quiet Seasons we enjoy and that are continued by the Mighty Arm and Power of the Lord let all our Souls bow before him and let us walk and live in a continual subjection to his Divine Wisdom and Will that our Souls may be all bound up in the bundle of Life that we may serve the Lord with sincerity and perrserverance to the end of our days that then an abundant entrance may be Ministred to us into the everlasting Kindom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ His Prayer after Sermon GLorious God of Life the Visitations of thy Love in thy Day of Grace and Salvation are very sweet and precious to the Souls of thy Children O Lord we have cause to bless thy Name that thou hast extended a Day of Mercy to us a Day wherein thou art visiting the Sons and Daughters of Men a Day wherein thou hast caused the Heavenly Divine Light of thy Son Christ Jesus to shine into our Hearts Thou hast given a Remnant to believe in it the Eyes of our Vnderstandings have been opened by it and wehave come to see and partake of the Visitations of thy tender Love to our Immortal Souls O the shining of this Divine Light hath made us see our way out of Darkness and the Day of thy Glorious Power hath Dawned upon us when many have been in the Region and Shaddow of Death And thou hast manifested thy Loving kindness to the Souls of men in and through our Lord Jesus Christ O Lord be thou graciously pleased to be nigh to thy People Preserve them and Guide them in thy Way the Way of Holiness and Righteousness which thou hast led them into O that they may Perservere therein and obtain Salvation to their Immortal Souls O Eternal God of Life and Glory we humbly pray thee send forth thy Light and thy Truth and open the Eyes of the Vnderstandings of the Sons and Daughters of Men and make them willing in this thy Day to embrace the Appearance of the Dear Son of thy Love in the shinings of his Light and Grace and Truth in their Hearts that they may be Sanctified and Purified and made
this City of the dreadful Judgments of God that he will certainly bring upon the wicked and hard-hearted and upon the stiffnecked and Rebellious and I hope that through the Divine workings of the Divine Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ and through his Divine and Heavenly light that hath attended these warnings and testimonies many will be stirred up to Repentance And I have this more to say that the Lord God in the opening of his Divine Word hath commanded me This say to my People in the City of London and elsewhere where I have ordered thy Lot Be of believing hearts for the Vials of my wrath shall be poured out upon the Transgressors Therefore charge the Daughters of Sion that they touch not with the Daughters of Babylon and tell them that if they partake with them in their Sins they shall partake with them in their Plagues and in the punishments that God will pour down and execute upon the workers of Iniquity and greater will be their Condemnation if they do not repent and believe than of those that have not had such opportunities Therefore Children of Sion look unto the Lord Jesus Christ that Mighty one upon whom help is laid in whom is Divine strength and Power and from whom you may have Divine Assistance that we may perform the good that is required at our hands and that is incumbent upon us and that we owe to our Creator that we may Worship him from day to day and from one time to another they that perform this service in the strength of Christ they will feel the savour of his life upon them and find the sweetness of joy and peace in their Souls and when we are in our Imployments and Callings and Business we shall feel the savour of Divine Life going along with us and in all our Converse and Communion one with another and in our Families we shall instruct and correct and direct our Children and bring them up in the fear of the Lord that they may not do as the Children of Israel when some of their Judges were dead every one did that which was right in their own eyes Let them do what they will saith Joshua chuse you this day whom you will serve as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. O get your wills subjected to the will of God that you may obey his Righteous Law and feel your selves engaged in his service and have the powerful working of his Holy Spirit in your Souls God will by his own Almighty Arm and Heavenly Grace enable you to do what he requires and is pleasing in his sight he will work in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure By Grace ye are saved saith the Apostle not of your selves it is the gift of God To this Divine Gift we are all recommended Now the Lord God Almighty gather you all into a sense of it The Apostle when he wrote to the Churches he committed them to the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for Guiding and Governing them in the whole course of their Conversations that they might live in the pure fear and love of God and obedience to him and in Love and Concord one with another that God in all things may be glorified and Praise and Honour and Thanks givings may be offered up to him through Jesus Christ his Beloved Son and our alone Saviour who alone is worthy who is God over all Blessed for ever and ever Amen The Prayer after Sermon BLessed God of Life who art the Fountain of all our Mercies the God from whom we receive all the good we enjoy our eyes are unto thee and we wait and attend upon thee thou art pleased O Lord to give unto us all things that we stand in need of which should engage us always to have an eye unto thee for thou never failest any that put their trust in thee many a time O Lord have thy People cryed to thee in the sense of their wants and have bowed before thee and lifted up their supplications to thee and Lord thou hast had regard to them many a time and for the cry of the Poor and the groaning of the distressed thou hast risen and been a present help unto them So that O Lord we have had encouragement from time to time to draw near to thee for that thou dost appear in the midst of the Assemblies of thy People that do meet together in thy Name and in thy Holy fear O Powerful Father of Life we have cause to bless thy Name for that we have had a real tast of thy Goodnefs and of thy Mercy to our Souls Thou O Lord it was that didst appear in the time of thy Love and visitedst the Souls of many that were strangers unto thee and unacquainted with the way of Life and Salvation Thou O Lord it was that hadst mercy upon us in the day when there was none to help us when there was none that could save and deliver then didst thou make bare thy Almighty Arm and didst bring many to the knowledge of thy living way and all thine whose eyes have been to thee thou hast Crowned them with thy loving kindness and tender mercy Praises Praises be to thy Great and Excellent Name who livest for ever and for evermore Living God of Life let all thine be preserved by thy Eternal Arm of Power that they may live in the World to the Honour of thy Great Name Powerful God of Life our eyes are unto thee and thou hast given us to see thee and to have the light of thy Countenance lifted up upâ—n us Father of Mercies we are not able to keep our selves and preserve our selves but the eyes of all thine are unto thee that they may be acquainted with thee and have that Divine help and strength which thou affordest to thy People and to thy Children that they may be enabled to run on in that Race that thou hast set before them that at the end of their days they may come to lay down their heads in peace and have an abundant entrance into that Everlasting Kingdom which thou hast prepared for those that love and fear thy Name Blessed God of Life be with all thy People here and every where draw off their minds from the love of this World and the Spirit of it that they may be brought nearer and nearer to thee in their Love and Affections Blessed God of Life we have been waiting upon thee and thou hast graciously appeared in the midst of us blessed be thy Name Thy living presence is the comfort of all thine that wait upon thee How poor and empty and hungry and thirsty have we come into thy presence yet thou dost not send us empty away but thou hast filled the hungry with good things and opened a Living Fountain that the Thirsty Souls have known the Drinking of Our Souls are constrained to offer Praises to thee this Evening that we have found Comfort and Refreshment from thy Blessed Presence Lord God of Life go along with us and bless us and keep us in the fear of thy Holy Name that we may live in the World to the praise of thy Name Lord bless the present opportunity to all that are here before thee that we may go away rejoycing in the sense of thy love and goodness to us and be engaged to walk in humility before thee Lord let our cry come up to thee keep us every day and preserve us and pity and help all those that are crying to thee that are under Exercises Temptations Afflictions Tryals and Weaknesses of Body and Mind Be near to them to help them in their distress and save and deliver them and us from the Enemy of our Souls that goes about like a Roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour O Powerful God of Life be with all thine every where and bless them and keep them while they are in the World from the evil of it that Living Father of Life both they and we for all thy Mercies and Blessings which in the dear Son of thy Love thou hast bestowed upon us from time to time may render Living Praises unto thee And for thy affording us thy Presence at this time and for all the Seasons and Opportunities we have enjoyed for the benefit and advantage of our Immortal Souls we desire to return thee Praise Honour and Glory through thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased for thou alone art Worthy Worthy Worthy who art God over all blessed in thy self for ever and evermore Amen FINIS ADVERTISEMENT There is newly Publish'd THE General History of Earthquakes or An Account of the most Remarkable and Tremendous Earthquakes that have happened in divers parts of the World from the Creation to this time and particularly those lately in Naples Smrrna Jamaica England and Sicily With a Discription of the famous Burning Mount Aetna and the several dreadful Conslagrations thereof for many Ages To which is added an Appendix containing several other late strange Accidents and Occurences As I. A Surprizing Account of Angels Singing Psalms In the Air over the Ruins of the Protestant Church at Orthez a City in the Province of Bearne and other places in France in the year 1686. with the Words they Sang in the hearing of many hundred Auditors at once Papists as well as Protestants II. The Life of a Great Person of near an Hundred years old who is now an Hermit in a Forrest in France with the Devotions Cloathing Diet and Subsistance of him and his Companions c. III. The wonderful Army of Locusts or Grashoppers that were seen near Breslaw in Silesia Septemb. 7. 1693. and in other parts of Germany which in their March took up 16. Miles devouring every Green thing IV. Three Miraculous Cures wrought by Faith in Christ in 1693. As 1. Of Mary Maillard the French Girl suddenly healed of an extream Lameness 2. The Wife of Mr. Savage Cured of a Lame Hand 3. A Shepperd near Hitchin in Nartfordshire instantly healed of the Kings Evil under which he had languished Twenty Years Price one shilling FINIS