THE Worship of God, of the Great God, is Pure; he is a Holy God, Of Purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity; and all they who will Worship God, whose Souls are breathing to have a Return of a Testimony in his Sight, must offer up pure Wor­ship, and it must come from that which is pure: For that Purpose the Greatness of the Love of God is made manifest in Christ Jesus; and there is a dif­fusing of his Grace and Virtue in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men, whereby he hath laid a Foundation for his own Worship; because his Worship must be pure. Therefore he hath freely given unto us, through his Son, the Knowledge of that pure Principle of Life and Grace, from whence and out of which, all true Worship doth spring, and all true Honour to God ariseth, and real Obe­dience to his holy Will springs forth out of that which is from himself.

And therefore all that will be Worshipers of God aright, must first know and be sensible wherein the Ability and Capacity stands, that may enable them to so great and so good a Work. Some have conceived it to stand in their own Will, and ac­cording to the Working of their own Will, they have framed Worships, Religions, and Observati­ons, thinking thereby to please God: But you know the Apostle in a few short Words lays down a posi­tive Christian Doctrine, Without Faith it is impossi­ble to please God.

[Page 4] Now this doth declare and signify, that there must be something upon which this Faith must work, that must be the Object and Foundation of it: Faith as it worketh in the Creature, worketh upon something; it lays hold upon something in which there is a Capacity of pleasing God. Now if we are all by Nature Children of Wrath, and that no one of himself can please God, then there must be something that is supernatural that must be the Object of that Faith, by which Men alone can please God; and this must be made manifest to the Creature for its Help, for to be its Director and Supporter in that Work, that is too mighty for himself, too great a Work for a Man or Woman, too deep, too pro­found for any Man's Abilities, Power, Wisdom, and Acquirements, that he can attain to in this World, to worship God aright: To worship God, that is, to perform a pure Worship to a pure God; Who can bring a clean Thing out of an unclean? Now if we are all obliged to bring a clean Worship, a pure Worship to a pure and Holy God, who hath cre­ated us and all Things; where shall we have it? Not out of an unclean Heart, not out of a defiled Mind; there is no bringing it forth from thence, for that is the State and Condition that Men are fallen into by Sin, in which their Minds and Consciences are defiled, their Hearts are polluted, and their Af­fections depraved and set upon wrong Objects; and in this State none can serve God aright: That which is pure and holy must be first made known, revealed, discovered and believed before People can perform a right Worship to God.

And therefore in vain it is, to go and drive Peo­ple to this and that Worship, and force People to this and that Service and Conformity, upon the Ac­count of the Worship of God. This is vain Wor­ship; when they have done all, it is not acceptable [Page 5] to God; the poor Creature hath no Return from the Lord, for God accepts no Service or Worship, but only thro' his Son. And if so be, Men cannot pray and preach in the Spirit of his Son, and cannot present their Complaints and Supplications to God, but by the Assistance and Help of his bles­sed Spirit, there is no Reason in Religion why Peo­ple should expect a Return and Answer from God of the Prayers they make: For it is the general Doctrine of Christendom, That Christ Jesus is ap­pointed of God for a Mediator between God and Man, and all the Acceptance we have, or desire to have, must be through him: and therefore if we pray without him, and perform this and the other Dutys without him; it is contrary to the Doctrine of Chri­stianity to think that ever we should have Accept­ance in God's Sight.

Therefore there is a Necessity for every Man and Woman that desires to be religious, that hath a re­ligious Mind, and is willing to worship God, and serve God aright, there is a Necessity that they come to the Knowledge of Christ, who tells us that he is The Way to the Father: They that go any other Way, go a wrong Way; but they that go unto God by Christ, they do receive from him Power to draw near to God; and through him they receive from God all those Blessings that their Souls stand in need of.

So here would be an End of all Religions the World is full of, of all the several Worships that Men have made: They have invented and found out several Ways for People to worship and serve God: This and the other Ceremony, this and the other Observation and Method of Preaching and Praying: If all this be without the Assistance and Divine Help of the Mediator, thro' whom alone we can justly expect Acceptance at God's Hands, it is all good for nothing. Therefore the first Lesson of [Page 6] a Christian in Point of Worship, is that he come to the Knowledge of Christ, by whom, and thro' whom he may expect Favour with God.

Now say some People, We are already come to the Knowledge of Christ, we have read the Relation in the Gospel of his Conception, Birth, Life and Death, Resurrection and Ascension: Now where this Belief doth give a Man this Kind of Christian Knowledge, that doth open a Door and Way for him into the Presence of God: This is a Question that ought seriously to be considered, for if we err in this Question, we err in all; this is like stum­bling at the Threshold, and never come into the House. If we mistake in laying hold of Christ, we mistake in our Worship, and in all Matters that relate to Life and Salvation.

For if we must have another Sort of Knowledge of Christ, than we can have from the Reports of others; if I must have Christ revealed in me before I can have the Hope of Glory; if I must have the Spirit of Christ in me, to help me to put up my Requests and Supplications before he can present them to the Fa­ther, then all literal Knowledge and Faith cannot stand Men in any Stead, but this is evident by the Testimony of all the Writers of the New Testa­ment. Christ and his Apostles did concurrently sig­nify, that the Hope of a Christian, that the Power and Strength of a Christian, it all lies in this, In that they had known the Revelation of Christ, and the powerful Operation of the Spirit working in them; this was that which was well pleasing to God; many Scriptures might be spoken of, but you know the Scriptures, and can read them, and see in them the concurrent Testimony of all Holy Men to this Day, that the Knowledge they had of Christ was a divine Knowledge, a spiritual Knowledge, it was knowing him after the Spirit, it was a Revela­tion [Page 7] of Christ in them, that separated and distin­guished them from Reprobates, even the Knowledge of God thro' Jesus Christ their Lord: Why should not we come to this Knowledge as well as they? The Lord is the same, and his Power is the same and his Arm is not shortened: We may see as much Need of divine Assistance, and divine Love as ever Men did; we can perform no Duty, either of Prayer or Preaching, without divine Assistance; not so much as a Sigh or Groan, that may have Acceptance with God, without the Help of his Spirit, Rom. viii. 26 The Spirit helpeth our Infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered. If we go about the Duty of Prayer without divine Assist­ance, we see what sad Work we make of it; if we pray not in the Spirit and with the Understanding, how can we receive the Thing we pray for? But if we Pray in the Spirit, and with the understanding also, then the Spirit helps our Infirmities; the Spirit that came from God brings us the Things we stand in Need of.

So that a Christian hath a Foundation for his Wor­ship and Christian Performance; what is that Founda­tion? Nothing that is corrupt, if it be, it is good for nothing; for nothing that is corrupted and that de­files, can be acceptable and pleasing to God; we are all polluted and defiled by Nature; how can carnal Men worship a Spiritual God? Carnal Men that are in Death and Darkness, cannot worship that God that is Light, and dwells in Light, that is inacces­sible, that is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity. Carnal Men want a Foundation for their Worship, and will do till they come to that Foundation that God hath laid.

Now, that I may speak intelligibly what the Lord hath laid upon my Heart, I would say thus; There [Page 8] is an universal Benefit and Privilege distributed and given freely of God, unto the Sons and Daughters of Men, in their natural State, through his Son, Jesus Christ, in that he hath caused his Light to shine, and his Grace to be extended to every Man; for the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation (for it is not by Works) hath appeared unto all Men, and bring­eth Light, by which every Man may see how to worship God; God hath enlightened every Man, and this Light comes by Christ the Mediator; this Mediator is the Way that Men must walk in, if they will come back again to God; for Men are run out and departed from God; if Men will draw near to God, and take some Footsteps towards the Kingdom of God, from the Kingdom of Sin and Satan, they must mind the Way, the Way must be their Director, they must not go which Way they list.

This is that which was prophesied of Christ, saith God by the Prophet Isaiah, I will give him for a Leader. I would fain return to God, and go out of the Kingdom of Sin and Satan, to the Kingdom of God: God hath given Christ to lead me, if I knew that Way he will lead me in, I would go that Way. As soon as a Man takes hold of Christ, his Grace, and Spirit, and Life, he will be ready to say, I am corrupt, my Senses are corrupt, my Mind is depraved, my Conscience defiled and polluted; but I have found out something that God hath be­stowed upon me, that is Essential, Holy and Pure, that did never consent to my Corruption, but is a Witness for God against it: Here now a Christian lays hold on Christ, the Leader; which Way will he lead me? If thou layest hold of this Guide, he will lead thee out of Evil, he will teach thee to cease to do Evil, and speak Evil: This Light will lead thee to nothing that will dishonour God, or defile [Page 9] thy own Soul: But this is not all, we must not on­ly cease to do Evil, but we must be doing some­thing; there must be a breaking off from Pride, Foolish Jesting, Evil Communication; but this is not all that he will lead me to; let us learn that Lesson, Cease to do Evil. This Doctrine was preached before Christianity was preached, as it is now preached; the Prophets of old preached this Doctrine to the Jews that were under an outward Administration, Cease to do Evil, and learn to do well, then I will plead with you, and discourse with you, saith the Lord: Come now let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your Sins be as Scarlet, they shall be as white as Snow; though they be red like Crimsom, they shall be as Wool.

This is the first Lesson that a true Christian learns in his turning to God, in his Change and Transla­tion, to cease from that which is Evil: Here is a Ces­sation of Rebellion, and here is some hopes of being reconciled to God; a Man hath been a Rebel against his Maker, but he hath now received help to resist those Temptations that prevail over him; But there is no worshiping yet, there is a forward mind in Men to do something that is pleasing to God; but there are some that are not troubled at all for their Evil Ways, and dread not God's Anger, but make a mock at Sin, that draws others to it, and make themselves merry in it: But there is a Sort so far touched with a di­vine Sense of God's Love to them, that they have also a Sense of his Anger and Indignation, because of their Sin; and they would fain be out of his Anger; and who can blame them? When a Man feels the Anger of God burning like a Fire in his Bosom, who can blame that Man if he desire Peace with God? If he be under a Sense of the Displeasure and Indignation of the Almighty, he must not haste too soon out of that Condition he is brought into; for this is God's Purpose, and this is the Fruit of all [Page 10] his Troubles and Afflictions, to take away Sin: God had no other End or Design in the Affliction that came upon him, than to take away Sin; when God hath brought a People into a distressed and de­jected State for their Sin, the Fruit that God expects, is the taking away of their Sin, and he will hide Pride from them, and humble them before him; if this be the Purpose of God that he intends to purge and purify his People; then saith the poor Creature, if God design to purify me from Sin, then I will pray to God to support me, and bear me up under his Indignation: That is the Cry of the Soul that he may not be brought too soon from under the Judgment of God, but he may be supported and hid in the Hollow of God's Hand, until the Time of Remission and Refreshing comes, that he may behold the Light of God's Countenance.

Here is Encouragement for every one that is ac­quainted with this divine Principle of Grace, that will be led by it, and follow it so far as to be led out of Evil; then they will be sitted to do something in the Work of God; every Sigh and Groan that thou hast, the Assistance of the Spirit of God to help thee in, is Part of Worship: All thy Brokenness of Heart is part of Worship; hereby thou acknowledgest the great God, that he is able to help thee on in thy Way, and to pardon thy Iniquity, and blot out thy Transgression, and give thee all those heavenly Blessings that thy Soul doth stand in Need of: Then thy Soul will bow down to God in Acts of holy Worship, and say, with an humble Confidence and Expectation, God will do all those things in me, and for me, that will promote my Salvation. It is nothing in Religion for People to go from Praying and Preaching to Sinning; but God must have a holy Sacrifice, and that must come out of a pure Heart: [Page 11] Now when a Man is brought by the Help of God, and by the divine Assistance of the Mediator, Jesus Christ, to break off from his Sin, then he stands fair to become a Child of God, and to be a Servant of God, and to do something for God in his Gene­ration, and to offer to God Praise and Thanksgiving, and to perform all other Duties that God shall lead him into.

But some will say, What, must we do any thing? I have deeply weighed that Question, what a poor Man or Woman must do, that is come out of Bon­dage? There is a Propensity in People to be doing, they would fain do something, they would be doing; they say, What shall I do? If I do something that pleases not God, I had better let it alone; and I can do nothing acceptable to God without divine As­sistance: Such an one that sees his own Impotency and Inability, will cast his Care upon God, and will say, The Lord is able to lead me and guide me: I am ready to do thy Will, O God: Make it clear to me that this is thy Will, and that this is that which thou requirest, I am ready to do it, tho' it be cross to mine own Will: He is ready to go on in God's Way, in the Way of Christianity; such an one that hath the true Knowledge of Christ, if he speaks, the Spirit of Christ speaks in him; if he prays, it is through the Assistance of the Spirit of Christ, through whom God alone is appeased and reconciled, and through whom they may receive a Blessing from God's Hands: But for Men to run on in their own Wills, and to do a thing because they Will do it, they had better sit still; this doing in their own Wills, hath filled the World with a Sort of Christians that want Acceptance with God, which is to be had alone through the Lord Jesus Christ; and the Want of the Guidance of God's Holy Spi­rit, is the Misery and Downfal of Christianity in our Days.

[Page 12] Therefore it is our Work and Business to build upon that Foundation which God hath laid; no Worship is pleasing to God, but that which ariseth from that Spring that is pure and Holy: If I cannot find that which will keep me from all pollution and defilement, if I cannot find that, I must stay till I can; for to begin a Worship and a Religion without that which I know is acceptable to God, it is but lost Labour, and Time spent in vain.

Therefore, Friends, let every one that desires to be religious, turn their Mind inward, wait for the Gift of God, which is essentially pure, that never did consent to Evil, that never mixed with the Cor­ruption of Nature, but bears witness to the Light, that will guide you and lead you, and conduct you, first out of Sin, and then it will lead you into that Worship and Religion, and the Performance of those Things that are pleasing to God, They that are come to this Worship, they do not only know what the Lord requires of them, and when he requires it of them, but they are given up into the Hands of God; they pray, preach, exhort and live according to the Will of God.

It is hard for People in a carnal State to believe this; but you that are Believers, that are come to know the Gift of God in yourselves, and the Ne­cessity of being ruled by him; you will believe us, for none else will believe us; let us preach to as ma­ny People and Nations as we will, none will receive us as true Ministers, but those that have the Truth in their own Hearts; if there be any that despiseth the Grace of God in his own Heart, he hates that which chides and reproves him; if there be such a Man, he will hate me because I am a Minister and a Witness of the Grace of God, and of that Truth in the inward Parts, which is the Ground and Foundation that Man hath of Acceptance with God. [Page 13] A wicked carnal Wretch will say, I hate such an one, I hate the Light, that which checks me, and witnesseth against me; thou art such an one as bearest witness against me, therefore I hate thee: It is very true, it cannot be otherwise: Now our desire and Labour is, that Men may come to the Love of the Truth in themselves.

You know there are a great many other Mini­sters, whose Labours are to perswade People to be­lieve what they say; to lay down a Doctrine, and prove it by Scripture and Reason, and set it home upon their Minds by such Testimony as the Scrip­ture affords, and hereupon they prevail upon the Minds and Judgments of People, to believe what they lay down.

It is easy to lay down a Position, and prove it, and convince People that it must be according to Scripture; but when a Person is convinced of a Principle of Truth, he is not Regenerate thereby, and come to God; therefore, though he cannot de­ny the Doctrine of Truth in Words, yet he can deny it in Works, and doth not rightly come to love it. If People would believe what we say, and ob­serve what Argument we bring for proving a Posi­tion, they may be convinced of the Doctrine of Truth, and come to a Profession of it, and yet be Strangers to it, till they come to love it in them­selves; if it were not for this, we would leave Preaching, if God had not given a Measure and Manifestation of the Spirit to every Man to profit withal: You have it in yourselves, we are but as Monitors to you, to put you in Mind of it; you have so much Business in the World, that you have not had leisure to take Notice of it.

A Man may have a rich Jewel, and be poor not­withstanding, till he comes to know the Value of it. A Man hath a rich and precious Jewel, a Pearl [Page 14] bestowed upon him that would make him rich in Faith and Love to God, and qualify him for the Kingdom of God, and make him an Heir of it, but he knows not, nor understands the Value of it, and esteems it not; therefore God hath raised up Mini­sters to put you in mind of it, that you may be hap­py forever, and live in Blessedness to all Eternity; Whoever hath an Ear to hear, let him hear; and when they hear what we say, let them take the Benefit of it to their own Souls. We bring not Truth to you, but God hath bestowed it upon you; you will be rich indeed, if you do as a Man that bought a Field where the precious Pearl was, and digged till he found it. Come to the Foundation upon which you should build all your Hopes of Happiness, and de­pend not upon your own Works, or religious Per­formances, for Acceptance with God; for there is no Acceptance with God, but only through Christ, we are only accepted of God through him: Those that will become Christians indeed, and worship God as he hath ordained and appointed himself to be worshipped; they must come to the Principle of Light and Grace in their own Hearts, which they have in, and through Christ, and they will find Acceptance with God.

YOU have read and heard much concerning the Day of the Lord, as a great and notable Day; many of you are now living Witnesses that the great and notable Day of the Lord is coming, in [Page 15] which the Accomplishment of great and notable Things, the mighty Works of God, which have been prophesied of, may be lawfully expected. It is the Work of every Christian to wait upon the Lord in the Light of this Day, and to be acquainted with the Works of the Lord, both inwardly and out­wardly; for the Day of the Lord is a Day of Power, and that Power of God worketh wonderful Things; and if we were not kept in the Light of that Day, the Lord may work great things, and we not know it; we shall be looked upon as careless and negligent Witnesses of the Works of the Lord, as those that do not regard them. If you would be faithful Witnesses, you must have regard to the Works of the Lord, and the Operation of his Hands. One that is minded to be a faithful Witness, he will take Notice of what is said and done; you are cal­led to be Witnesses of the Works of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his doings; you must stand where you may hear, and see, and understand what the Lord is about to do at this Time.

In your Testimony and Witness bearing, the greatest Thing we have to expect in this Day of the Lord is, that God will set up the Kingdom of his Son Christ Jesus; and unto this all the Prophets did bear witness in their Time, and now it is our Turn to bear witness of it by sensible and living Experiences of the Accomplishment of those Things that they prophesied of, that the Lord will set up the Kingdom of Christ, and bring down and lay waste the Kingdom of Antichrist. This our Saviour taught his Disciples to pray for, sixteen hundred Years ago, that the Kingdom of God might come; and all the true Disciples of Christ ever since have prayed for the coming of this Kingdom, and many of them have seen the coming of it, and rejoiced; [Page 16] and others have died in the Faith of it, and have been gathered into the Kingdom of Heaven.

But, my Friends, that which chiefly concerns us at this Day, is to behold the Kingdom of Christ, the eternal Son of God, within us, to go forward and prosper; and the Kingdom of Antichrist suppressed and destroyed, and utterly laid waste; and this is wrought two Ways, 1. Inwardly. 2. Outwardly.

First, Inwardly, There is a greater Inclination in the Minds of People, to look more at the Operation of God's Power in this great Work outwardly, than to look at it inwardly, but unto that there must be a daily Cross taken up, and it is my Business at this Time to tell you in the Name of the Lord, that your Duty and mine is to turn our Minds to the Working of the Power of God in ourselves, and to see that other Kingdom of the Man of Sin weakned and brought down within us; then there is no Fear but he will carry on his Work outwardly, and we shall see as much of that Work as belongs to our Generation; but the great Matter and chief Con­cernment of you and me, is to see the Kingdom of God set up within us, which stands in Holiness and Righteousness: Our Business is to walk till we see the Righteousness of this Kingdom set up within us in our Hearts and Souls, and to have a real change made.

We all know, and we must confess, that we have been subject to the Man of Sin, whatsoever we are now. We have seen the Reign and Government, the Rage and Tyranny of the Wicked One that hath led us into Rebellion and Disobedience to the Lord our Maker; how do we like that Government to be ruled by the Devil, and to be led Captive, and to be made to do his Will, and to rebel against God that gave us our Life, and our Breath, and [Page 17] our Being? How do we like that Government of Satan? I hope we do none of us like it. It was so with me, and they that are under the tyrannical Go­vernment of Satan, have many Cries and Wishes in their Souls that they were freed and delivered from it, and brought under the Government and Obedi­ence of Christ Jesus; and they were able to serve God as they ought to do, that they might be trans­lated from the Kingdom of Sin and Satan, into the Kingdom of the blessed and dearly beloved Son of God.

This hath been the Cry of some ever since they have known the World; and I am perswaded it is the Cry of many at this Day: I have good News to bring you; not that the Day of your Redemption draws nigh, but that it is come; the Day of Re­demption is now come, and there are a great many bless­ing and glorifying the Name of God that they are redeemed, and delivered from the Bondage of Cor­ruption, and have more Joy and Delight in the Ser­vice of God, that made them, than ever they had in the Service of the God of this World.

But may not some say, How shall this great Work be wrought; for it is a great Work, and we verily think that nothing but an Almighty Power can effect it? For there are many in this Assembly have been try­ing to no Purpose, and done what they could in their own Strength, to deliver their own Souls from Death, and yet they find themselves in Bondage still; nay, they have called in the Help and Assist­ance of those that they thought to be stronger than themselves, and all have sailed, and they are yet weak and entangled, and they cannot find themselves at Liberty to serve the Lord as they ought to do.

I am of this Mind, that nothing but the Almighty Power of God can do it; and when you come to my Experience, to know this as I have done, then [Page 18] I hope you will seek after that, and you will see good Reason for it; and you will then come to this Pro­fession, If the Lord puts not forth his Almighty Power, I must then perish, for there is no other Power can deliver me: When you come to know this, what must you do? Why, you must wait for the Revelation of that Power that will take you off from all Trust and Confidence that you have ever had in any Thing else; a Man that hath nothing to trust to but the Almighty Power, and Mercy, and Good­ness of God, he puts his whole Trust and Confi­dence therein, or else he knows he must perish.

When a Man or Woman comes to this pass, that they have nothing to rely upon but the Lord, then they will meet together to wait upon the Lord: And this was the first Ground or Motive of our setting up Meetings; and I would to God that this was the use that every one would make of them that come to them, then they would be justly and properly used according to the End of the Institution of them at first; we should use them as poor desolate help­less People that are broken off from all their own Confidence and Trust, and have nothing to rely upon but the Mercy and Goodness of God; and if he pleaseth to reveal his Power among us, we know that he is able to save us; and we have met with the Revelation of God's Power; and when we have met together in Simplicity of Mind, the Lord was pleased to communicate his Spirit to us, and open a Door for us, and discover and reveal to us that it was the Day of his Power: And when we came to examine ourselves whether we were willing in this Day of God's Power (for the Prophet gives us a Note of Distinction between the People of God, and other People; Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power, which is as much as to say, God discovers and reveals his Power to them, such a [Page 19] People are willing to give themselves over to the Government of it, when we found we were subject to it) we had Joy in believing, before we attained the End of our Hope; it was Gladness to us we found ourselves willing; and I am perswaded that every one of you would be glad to find yourselves willing to part with that which you cry out of.

What a Cry is there of our Bondage and Corrup­tion, and of our being led Captive by our Lusts? We may hear such a Cry from one End of the Kingdom to the other: People cry out of the Bon­dage of Corruption, and of their Subjection to Sin and Satan: I would they were in earnest; there is not that Earnestness and Reality in Men and Wo­men that God looks for, and so there comes no­thing of it. There is no Redemption, and no De­liverance, the Lord doth not hear them, though they come now a-days into his Presence, to offer up their Prayers: I would have you to be in good ear­nest, I wish well to you all; and it would be hard to say that you do not wish well to yourselves: Here lies your Welfare, that you find yourselves willing to be subject to the Power that made you; you have been subject doubtless to the Power that destroyed you; that Power that never gave you Life and Breath, hath been instrumental of your Destruction: The Power of the God of this World never did Men good, but destroyed them, deceived them, and deprived them of their Lives.

Now if their was but a Willingness in every one of us, freely to give up our selves to that Power that created us to obey his Will: I am sure there is never a Man or Woman among us shall long be without the knowledge of it▪ If I am but willing to be subject to the Law of him that made me, it will not be long before he discover it to me, and reveal his Power in me in the Glory and Excellency of it; that Power [Page 20] which is more able to preserve me than all the Pow­er of Men on Earth, or all the Power of the Devils in Hell is able to destroy me. When the Lord shall discover and reveal his Power in you, you will be willing to be subject to it.

But methinks the Sound and Noise of Flesh and Blood grows loud here: I would be subject to God, but I would not have him cross mine Interest, and deprive me of that I love and thirst after; I would not have him imbitter my carnal Delights and Pleasures, and undo me as to my Reputation in the World.

You may see whence this comes, that you would make a Bargain, and draw a Contract with the God of your Lives about these Things, this is a nonsen­sical Thing; because of all People in the World, you are a People that have had a Veneration for the Holy Scriptures, the Scriptures of Truth, and have been acquainted with them so familiarly as with any Book in the World, wherein you find Articles drawn, long ago fixed and sealed; and no new ones are to be drawn. If any one will be my Disciple, John, or Thomas, James or Peter, or whosoever he be, he must take up his Daily-Cross, and deny himself, and follow me. Now here is a Contract made, therefore turn aside from all Kind of Reasoning and Consulting with Flesh and Blood.

If you will become spiritual, and partake of spi­ritual Blessings and Benefits, I would advise you to turn from all Kind of Reasonings that come from the Pit of Darkness, that hath thus far deceived you, and will ruin you for ever, if you hearken to them: For assure yourselves new Gospel-Terms no Man can make; and if any come to preach new Gospel-Terms, count him a Deceiver; for there is no possibility of being a Disciple of Christ, but by taking up a Cross daily, and denying ourselves, and following him as our Leader and Guide. To him [Page 21] I must go, and go in no other Way, speaking no­thing, or doing nothing but what is holy and pure; he must conduct me in my Walking, guide me in my Way, and justify me in it: This is to be a true Disciple of Christ.

As soon as he comes to adhere, and join to the Power of God revealed in his Soul, he sees the coming of the Kingdom of God, he sees it at a Dis­tance, he saith within himself, and makes this Con­clusion, I will follow my Captain, I will become subject to the Kingdom of Christ. If I obey this divine Principle of the Grace of God, and the Gos­pel of Christ, I shall be his Disciple. I read in his blessed Book, That as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the Children of God. I am not to propose new Terms, but accept of the old Terms of the Gospel of Christ: I see that the Kingdom of God is to be set up, and the Kingdom of the Devil to be brought down in me; if I follow this divine Princi­ple, I should never follow the Devil more; if he would have me lye, I shall refuse, and say I can­not; if he would have me run into vain and corrupt Communication, and foolish Jesting, that will be a Bridle to me, that I cannot do it.

I speak now to Persons that live under the Light of the Gospel of Christ, and that are subdued by his Grace; I would speak that which all the Logick in the World cannot overthrow, that which the most cunning Logician, with all his Wit and Quirks, cannot refute and prove erronious. If a Man be led by the Spirit of God, he cannot Lie; this is a com­mon Cure for all Men; if I be led by the Spirit of Truth, and hearken to the Principle of Truth in my own Soul; this will cure and heal me of the Wounds and Maladies of my corrupt Nature, and set me at Liberty from my old Master; I do not like his Service.

[Page 22] I [...] any of you like the Servitude and Bon­dage of Sin and Satan, you will desire Liberty before you die: Why do not you desire it now? It may be thou thinkest to enjoy a little Liberty and Reputati­on, and Pleasure in Sin for many Years, for Six or Seven, Nine or Ten Years, and then break off from it, and repent and turn to God: How dost thou know that thou hast Ten Days to live? It is of high Concernment to every one of us to wait for a Disco­very of Gospel-Liberty, and an Ability and Power in his Soul, to enable him to break off from the Servitude and Bondage of Sin and Satan, that he hath so long lived under; and to wait upon God with Patience, for the setting his Soul at Liber­ty, and setting up the Kingdom of Christ within him, and pulling down the Kingdom of Satan, that he may be brought into the Kingdom of Christ, that consists in Peace and Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost. These are the Things that follow one ano­ther; when Righteousness is set up in me, I shall not be disturbed, I shall have Peace; and if I have Peace I shall have Joy, and this Joy is in the Holy Ghost the Apostle saith the Kingdom of God consists in these Things.

Now that every one might be perswaded that God hath given a Measure of his Grace to them, as well as to other Folks: Let them consider and say within themselves, God hath not shut me out of the Num­ber of his People: He hath knocked at the Door of my Heart, to bring me to Repentance, he hath waited upon me so long, surely he hath a Mind to save me: Would he call upon me, but that he intends I should repent and turn to him?

But where is the Power? You will say knocking at the Door of the Heart, and Checks of Consci­ence, we understand them; but we undestand not where the Power is, to be conformable to the Will of God.

[Page 23] People will never understand it while they are in the Kingdom of Satan, and under the Power of the Prince of Darkness; the Apostle tells us, That the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine upon them. If Men saw the Beauty of the Gospel, they would run after it, and embrace it; therefore the Devil blinds their Minds, that they should not see the Beauty and Amiableness of the Gospel, and like the Terms of it: He hath the Rule and Government of the Chil­dren of Disobedience. So long as I live in Sub­jection to that devilish hellish Power, which leads me forth into Sin: I shall be a Stranger to God's Power, that would enable me to break off from it.

You never read in Scripture of any that ever came to be saved by the Power of God, but there was Faith mixed with it, that came to join with that Power of God. Our Saviour said to the impotent Man, Thy Faith hath made thee whole; thy Faith join­ing with that Power of God. We shall be made strong in the Lord, and in the Power of his Might, and be able to withstand Temptations.

As soon as the Soul of Man joins with the Grace of God, he doth forsake the Service of his old Ma­ster and Governor, Sin shall no longer have Domi­nion over him; though he may meet with the same Temptation, it shall not have the same Power over him, but he will be enabled, by the Grace of God to withstand it, and overcome it. If you ask such a Man how it is that he overcomes that Tempta­tion that formerly prevailed over him; he will tell you, I have now an Helper, I am now joined to the Grace of God in my Soul, therefore do I with­stand Temptations, and have Power over them. Thus comes the Kingdom of Christ to be set up in the Soul, and this is that which will fit and prepare [Page 24] us for the everlasting Kingdom of God: They that do wait upon God, shall see this Work wrought inwardly in them, they know more by Faith than they can see by Sense.

I know and am certain, that the Power the Devil hath in the World, shall be broken down, and Righteous­ness shall be exalted, and Justice and Equity shall prevail in the Nations. I shall not perhaps live to see it, but I may see it by Faith; I have seen enough for my Generation, and they that live in the next Generation shall see it also, for the Church of God is the same from one Generation to another. Now unto us it is given to see the Things that in former Generations were prophesied of, God having (saith the Apostle) provided some better Thing for us, that they without us shall not be made perfect.

The Church of God from one Generation to ano­ther, have their Measure and Degree of Service, and bear their proper Testimony, and leave the Rest to succeeding Generations: It concerns us in our Ge­neration to see a Change made inwardly in our Souls, and the Kingdom of Christ set up within us, and the Kingdom of Satan brought down in ourselves. This doth not concern my Son or Grandson only, but it concerns me, and when they grow up to mature Age, in their Time it will concern them: There­fore that which is most profitable to us, is, that we have such a Station, and stand in such a Place in our Time, where we may see the Work of God carried on.

I have considered many a Time, that there are many brave Men and Women in this Age, that might have been eminent Witnesses of God in this World, and born their Testimony to his Truth, but their Faith hath been weak and ineffectual: They have discovered their unbelieving Hearts, and have joined with the common Herd of the World, because [Page 25] they thought such great Things could never be done, that the Kingdom of Satan could never be pulled down and destroyed, and the Kingdom of Christ set up within us. But I would hope better Things of you, Things that accompany Salvation and that he that hath begun a good Work in you will carry it on to Perfection; that living Praises and joyful Thanks­givings may be rendered to him who alone is worthy, who is God over all, blessed for ever; to whom be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

O How happy are they that have Bread in their own Houses! and that can draw Water out of their own Wells! These have a blessed glorious Dwelling-Place, these are the Children that their Father provides for: All the divine Treasures and the Riches of heavenly Things are laid up for these; O that all that have a Sight of this blessed State, were got into it! that their Minds might not more wander, that People might not be scattered in their Thoughts, that when they meet together, they might have their Expectations entirely from that God whom they profess to worship: Lord thou hast said that thou wilt teach thy People thyself; here a Cry goes up to the Lord, and their Expectations thro' Faith pitched up­on God; they never meet in vain, but a Well springs up, and the Water of Life comes to them, by which [Page 26] they meet with divine Refreshments; for, you know, the Promise that our Lord made to his Disciples, He that drinketh of the Water that I shall give him, shall never thirst more. Why, will once drinking serve? Because I have tasted of the living Water that the Lord Christ gives me; will that serve? No, but he giveth me a substantial River, that is the Reason why I shall thirst no more, it shall be in me a Well of living Water, springing up to everlasting Life; bles­sed are the Witnesses of it; these are they that are satisfied concerning Religion and Doctrine, they are satisfied concerning Worship, they are looking after no new Things; when they meet together, they meet in the Name of the Lord, and they have their Eyes to him, who is a Fountain, and they discern a Brightness and a Glory that is unspeakable: and the Glory that is speakable, that appears many Times through Instruments, will not satisfy them; there is something beyond that, which must satisfy; this will never do it: People will never be satisfied with hearing, nor never satisfied with seeing, till they come to hear and see that which is unutterable, and then they are satisfied; Christ had preached many Sermons in the hearing of his Disciples, and there were a great many said, That there was never any Man spake like him, preached like him; yet one of them that was nearest to him, and most acquainted and intimate with him, after some Years meeting and hearing of his Sermons, he cries out, Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us.

My Friends, this comes near to many of your States; many of you have heard long, and have heard the speak­able Word of God, that which could be uttered, that which could be spoken forth, by the Demonstration of the Holy Ghost, by them that have received it of the Father; this you have heard long, and yet there are many of you, that if you come to a serious Search, [Page 27] you will find a Want, you will find still that you have not that Satisfaction that puts you beyond Doubt, beyond Fear; there is something that stands in the Way, that hinders your Enjoyment of the unspeakable Glory of the unspeakable Word, and this will never be removed, but by your inno­cent submittting to the Work of the Power of God in your own Hearts, that so you may not only be Believers, but come to be really baptized, and then all is out of Doubt; for our Lord said, he that be­lieveth and is baptized shall be saved; he doth not say, He may be saved, but, He shall be saved.

Woful Experience hath told us in our Days, That a great many have believed the Truth, and yet they are never like to be saved, they have made shipwreck of their Faith; but if they had been baptized, if they would have endured the Baptism, if they would have been buried with Christ in Baptism, they should have been saved every one of them; and now there are a great many that remain in the Belief of the Truth, and yet they are not baptized, they are not dead, not buried, notwithstanding they have received like precious Faith with us, that Faith which is of the Ope­ration of God, and that is like precious in its Nature to all that do receive it, and would work the same Effect in all too, if it were not obstructed; but not­withstanding they have received Faith towards the sav­ing of their Souls, yet their Souls are Captives, their Souls are subject to Lusts, and Pleasures, and Vani­ties, and unto empty and foolish Things, and to Pas­sions and Corruptions, after they have received Faith.

For if you take one that is a Believer of Truth, that is overtaken with his Lust, and Passions, and Corrup­tions, he will commonly own that he believeth the contrary, he believeth that these Things should not be, that it ought to be otherwise: This is the Significa­tion of Truth against Untruth: If it should be otherwise, [Page 28] why is it thus then? Why, he finds a Life to spring up in that which is corruptible, that is always contrary to the Life of God, and at En­mity with it: What shall I do? I believe the Truth, I know it is an holy Thing, it leads all that submits to it to an holy Life, and there is this and that unholy Thing, this and that corrupt Thing remains, what shall I do?

It is an evident Demonstration that thou wantest the Baptism of him in whom thou believest; thou hast believed in Christ Jesus that cometh after John, and was before him; and now having believed in him, thou wantest to be baptized by him, and for want of that, the Pollution and Corruption that was grown up in thy Nature, in the Time of thy Alienation pre­vails still upon thee, contrary to thy Faith; and there is no coming to obtain this Baptism, but by sinking down into that which will slay thee, that which will kill thee: But there is such a shifting to save ones Life, there are so many Twistings and Twinings of People to save their Lives, that at last they lose them; but there are none that could ever find that Life that is eternal, but those that are willing to be given up to the Dead, and submit to this Baptism, that is, by the Holy Ghost and by Fire: These only do come to Life, they come to the Resurrection, for you ne­ver knew any that died this Death but they rose again; it is as impossible for Death to hold any one down that is buried in this Baptism, as it was impossible to hold Christ down, when he was in the Grave; The same Power that brought again our Lord Christ from the Dead, the same Power it is that quickens us, while we remain in these mortal Bodies, after we have sus­tained this Death and Crucifiction.

But who can believe this Saying? for this is a hard Saying, who can bear it? Is it not enough that I am a Believer, which makes me a Friend, and entitles [Page 29] me to a Community among you, and as long as I hold the Truth, and profess the Truth, I am looked upon as one of your Society? This is very true, this doth entitle People unto the outward Privileges of the Church of Christ; but there is another inner Court, that lies under the Angel's Reed, the Mea­suring-Reed, that is to be measured, the Temple is measured, and every Worshipper in the Temple is measured; there was an outward Court, that was for representing the Church of God in general, from the particular; the outward Court was not measured, that the Gentiles might come in; the unbaptized People, which were never regenerated, they might come so far as the outward Court, but this did not entitle them to the Privileges of the House of God, nor to any Worship or Sacrifice that was ac­cepted upon God's Altar.

It concerns you and me (my Friends) to be seri­ous about Matters of this Moment and Importance, and not spend your Days, and, as it were speak by rote, under an airy Profession, though of Truth itself, without considering what Progress you have made, what Benefit you have obtained, and whe­ther you are come not only to the Shadow of good Things to come, but to the very Substance of the heavenly Things; for the Comers to the outward Wor­ship, could never with those Sacrifices they offer'd be made perfect; the Comers thereunto were not made perfect as to the Things pertaining to the Conscience, speaking there of the outward Worship, Heb. 10.1. but coming to the heavenly Things, whereof the other were but a Shadow, they made People perfect, as to the Con­science, and did bring them to Salvation. The Apo­stle alludes to this Baptism, for he speaks in a Figure of the Eight Persons that were saved in Noah's Ark; then he brings down the Allegory to Christian Bap­tism, not only the Baptism of John, the Fore-runner of Christ, that preached of Christ, but to the Chri­stian [Page 30] Baptism itself; By the like Figure whereof Bap­tism now saveth us, saith the Apostle, not the putting away of the Filth if the Flesh, but the Answer of a good Conscience. What doth he mean by Baptism saving us? He means, the Answer of a good Conscience to­wards God, through the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead; so that Christian Baptism did bring along with it the cleansing and putting away of all Sin out of the Con­science, that might bring them under Doubts and Scru­ples; and then there is an arising of Jesus, the Sa­viour in the Conscience, the Mediator that brought them to answer for them in the Sight of God; for if People be conscious of Sin; and do leave off their Sin, this doth not yet cleanse the Conscience; for their still remains a Conscience of Sin; 'tis not the leaving off our Sin that makes our Attonement with God, or that expiates our Guilt, or doth away the Guilt of the Sins that we have committed; but there must be a Forsaking and a Leaving off Sin by the Virtue and Power of the Spirit, by which we are enabled, not only to leave off Sin, but are guided and directed to the Mediator, whose Blood alone reconcileth us to God, and cleanseth us from all Sin. If I should never commit a Sin while I live, it is not this simply in itself that will make me have the Answer of a good Consci­ence in the Sight of God; for there remains the Guilt of Sin contracted in the Days of Unbelief, which is a Bar and Hindrance that none can ap­proach the Holy God but in the Attonement and Salvation that comes by Jesus Christ; for all that be­lieve and obey the Gospel are accepted in Christ, and upon the Account of Christ's precious Blood, that cleanseth us from all Sin and Unrighteousness. Whom doth it cleanse? Those only that forsake their Sins, and by his Power are brought to a holy Life; they by the Virtue of his Power, and the Cleansing of his Blood, come to have their former Sins removed from them, as far as the East is from the West.

[Page 31] But what is this to them that remain in their Sins? what is this to them that are not baptized? for the Dead that have not put off the old Man, nor put on the new Man, but have only put on the Name and Profession of Christ, and put on the Outside of him, his Garment, but have not put him on, the are not created again in Christ Jesus unto good Works, that they might walk in them? No wonder there remains a Conscience of Sin in them, there is a Bar that hinders them from the Sight of the Glory of God, and from real and true Satis­faction, concerning their Attonement and Recon­ciliation with God, and this hinders them from the Enjoyment of that Peace that passeth understanding; and it is no Wonder, because they are not come to this Baptism that brings the Answer of a good Con­science in the Sight of God.; they are not risen with Christ; how should they? for they are not buried with him, Rom. vi. 3. Know ye not that so many of us (saith the Apostle) as were baptised into Christ, were baptised into his Death; therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death; that like as Christ was raised from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of Life; here is a Change figured out between them that had partaken of the spiritual Baptism, and were come again to the Participation of Life in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and those that were not baptized.

So it is now with every one that cometh to believe the Truth, and make a Profession of it; there is a Way cast up, and there is a Door opened for Salva­tion; but the grand Question that every one ought to enquire about, and put to themselves, is, What Progress they have made in this Way? Whether they are baptized yet or no? Whether they have put off the old Man with his Deeds, and put on the new Man and the new Man's Deeds, which are Righteousness and Holiness? They that find that, though they are Believers, they are [Page 32] short of this, they do also find that their Shortness is their Hindrance, their Shortness in not coming up to the Pattern that hath been shewed them, is their Hin­drance, so that they enjoy not the things here spoken of the being under this Sense, and really sitting under this Sense in a Meeting, though there should be no Man speaking to them outwardly, yet being come to this Faith and made Partakers of this Bapism, People would find in their own Bosoms the hidden Word of Life ministring to their Condition; they would have enough, there would not be a Famine of the Word unto them, nor they should not need to be in Expecta­tion of going out to this or the other Instrument, but they would be satisfied when they are met together with the Presence of the Lord, that the Lord is in the midst of them, ministring them the Word of Life, in his Operating and Working, speaking in a Tongue that every one can understand it, speaking with a kind of Voice and Language, that every one may under­stand his own State and Condition; and this is the way that God brought up People from the Beginning, to the Knowledge of Heavenly Things, and open­ing of the Mysteries of Salvation; we had it not of Men but of Jesus our Lord; he was our great Mi­nister, we waited upon him, and trusted in him, and he taught us himself; he hath ministred to us at our silent and quiet Waiting upon him those Things that were convenient for us; we might well say, He gave us our Food in due Season; he hath not only given strong Meat unto Men, but hath ministred of the sincere Milk of his Word unto Babes, that lived in Sincerity and Self-denial, loving God above all things; and he taught and conducted us in our Way, this Way of Simplicity, until our Understandings came to be opened, until our Souls came to be prepared to receive the Mysteries of his Kingdom.

In those Days there were some that started up in [Page 33] Knowledge, and that built their Nests on high, and took Flax and Wool, and Silver and Gold, and decked themselves with them; but the Lord found them out, and brought them down, and took the Crown from their Head, and cloathed them with Dishonour: So God doth from Age to Age, his Judgment will be­gin at his own House if you would Grow in the Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then grow in Humility and Self-denial, and keep a constant watch upon your Hearts, examine your Hearts, and Commune with your selves upon your Beds, and be still; take Heed lest you sin against the Lord, and provoke him: There were some that pro­voked the Lord of old, and they committed two great Evils, What be they? They have gone away and forsaken the Fountain of living Water; as much as to say, they have not their Dependance upon an invisible Power, as they ought to have; for I am a living Fountain, and 'tis by an invisible Power that I am able to coun­sel and teach, direct, and purify and open their Understanding; but they have forsaken me, that is one great Evil; and the other is, they would not be without somewhat, they have forsaken the Lord, and they would have somewhat instead of God; They have digged to themselves broken Cisterns, that will hold no Water. And how many in this Age have committed these two great Evils?

My Friends, examine your selves; are there not many that have been guilty of these two great Evils? They do not keep their close Dependance, Trust and Reliance upon the invisible Power of God, as they profess they ought to do, but are hurried away from it; some by the Love of the World, some by Lusts and Pleasures, some by Passions, and others by world­ly Interests, are drawn away from the Power, to do and say that which the Power is against: Is not this a Forsaking of the Lord, the living Fountain? What [Page 34] do they do then? Are they not for this and that, and the other Man? for hearing this and the other Man's Word, and digging to themselves bro­ken Cisterns? And have they not their Trust and Confidence in going to Meetings, in commending this and the other Way? Have they not their trust in their Profession outwardly, when it ministers nothing to their Souls, so that they secretly wither for all this? If you had all the Men and Angels that were e­ver sent of God, appointed to preach to you, that could not minister Life to you, unless there be that Faith that stands in the Power of God. The Faith that stands in any Mans Words, that will not overcome your Lusts: but the Faith that stands in the Power pu­rifies the Hearty, it will not suffer any unclean thing there. As for Preaching, let a Man preach against this and the other Lust and Corruption, there it will remain for all his Preaching, unless Men know Gods Power and Life in which there is Righteousness; for Words and Knowledge, and Sight and Speculation, will never give People Victory over their Sins.

Therefore you know, every one who is settled must be settled where the Foundation of Religion is; it is not coming to Meetings, and owning this and the other Doctrine which is the Foundation of our Re­ligion; God hath revealed his Power to every one of us; God hath not given his Spirit to Preachers and Prophets only, for then there would be a Famine of the Word, as was in Israel, The Priest's Lips pre­served Knowledge. If you did take away the Priest, you did take away their Knowledge. The Prophets had the Word of God, and they only spake the Word of God. If the Prophet was taken away, then the Word of God was taken away. The Lord threat­ned to send a Famine among them, they grieved and vexed, and killed and destroyed the Priests and Prophets; therefore, saith the Lord, I will send a [Page 35] Famine among you, not of Bread, but of the Word, and they shall go from City to City, and enquire for the Word of the Lord.

Thus it was in the Jewish Church; if there was a Prophet they would go 30, 40, or 100 Miles to him that had the Word of the Lord; They shall go from City to City to enquire for the Word of the Lord: But blessed be God we are come to another Day, for now the Word of the Lord is manifested in the Hearts of all that believe; they know the Word: I do not say all that believe do preach the Word, or ought to preach; but the Word preacheth to them; they are not as broken Cisterns that can hold no Water; when they find the Word and hear it, they speak it pre­sently what is ministred to their own Condition, that they tell to other Folks; when People come to the Blessing of this Dispensation that God's Word revealeth in their Hearts, they then know what the Signification of it is, they understand the Doctrine of it, the Doctrine preacheth Holiness to them, not that they should preach Holiness and yet remain Unholy; not that they should preach Humility, and yet re­main Proud: It preacheth Holiness, Humility and Singleness of Heart to a Remnant, that like good Scholars and Disciples learn the Lessons and Doc­trine of the Word of God.

Now when thou hast learned them well, and art come to see the Effect of the Word, and dost bring forth the Deeds and Works which are the Fruits of Holiness, Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God, and with Humility known and witnessed in Christ Jesus, and art not only meek in Shew, but meek and low in Heart; when People come to be meek and lowly, and of a clear Conscience, purged front all dead Works to serve the living God; then if the Lord gives them a Word of Exhortation, of Doctrine or Counsel, it is very wel­come, and it hath a Savour through the Blessing of God, and they come by it to be built up in their most [Page 36] holy Faith, and this Word is brought forth in Holi­ness and Righteousness in their Lives, and shews it self in a Life of Holiness; then thou wilt shine in thy Conversation to all that thou conversest with, so that they may see thee to be such a Man or Woman as hast been with Jesus, and learned of Jesus, and receivedst a Word engrafted; when thou dost receive the Word into thy Heart, there is the Engrafting of it: If it hath not Root there, then, saith Christ, My Word doth not abide in you. If you feel something of this invisible Word in your Hearts, it brings you to a Resolution to serve God, and to keep your selves from Sin, and to answer the Profession which you make of God; this is the Effect of the Word of God, if it doth abide in you. Doth it abide? You shall know anon or To-morrow, so soon as a Temptation comes to stir you up to Pride or Passion, to Fraud or Deceit, then you will see whether the Word abide: If it abide, you sin not.

This is Scripture, a certain Foundation Doctrine, that may be as safely preached as any Doctrine: If the Word abide in you, you sin not; What of that? Let the Word go, and you will sin, when ever you are tempted to it. I write to you young Men, because you have overcome the wicked One, you are strong and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked One. We shall see as soon as Temptation meets with thee, whether the Word abides in thee; if it abide, thou wilt not Sin, but resist the Tempter. Set thy Foot upon the Temptation, and go over it, and thou wilt have the Dominion; and this will make thee a free Man or Woman, and thou wilt stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made thee free. The Apostle supposeth them free, and that they have got Dominion; then Stand fast, saith he, in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made thee free. It is a Liberty not of Lust and Sin, but a [Page 37] Liberty of the Soul; the Soul now is not at the Devil's Will and Call.

For it is a Shame to the Doctrine of Christianity, that we profess Things, and yet deny them in Prac­tice: We profess that there is a Power in Chirst to keep and preserve us out of Sin, and we profess to believe that this Power is communicated to them that do believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for their Preservation; that is, he will not with-hold it from them: We profess these Things in the Face of the whole World; and yet when the Devil calls one Man to Covetousness, and another to defraud his Neighbour, and another to defile himself, he is drawn away thereby; what Hypocrisy is here, to profess this, and act the contrary? I do not wonder that they who profess they cannot live a Day with­out Sin, that they should fall; but they that profess to believe there is Power enough in Christ, and that it is offered to them; for them to live in Sin and yield to Temptation, this is horrid Wickedness. They that are of an upright single Mind, would die before they would sin, knowing that God is Almighty and gracious, and willing to bestow his Power and Wisdom, and Grace upon them that ask it; they would die rather than sin against God presumptu­ously: Let it cost me my Goods, my Estate, my Liberty, or my Life, How can I do this great Wick­edness, and Sin against God? They love God above all; you never heard them complain that they wanted Power, For the Lord is at their right Hand, and they shall not be moved. They cannot fall; tho' they are tempted, they will not fall into Tempta­tion. They have Power when they see the Devil before them, to put him behind them; the Nobility of their Extract, of their new Birth and Regenera­tion puts such a Temper and Disposition into their Souls, that they scorn to be at the Devil's Command, as if they were his Children.

[Page 38] Oh! It is a noble and honourable thing to be a Child of God, a very high Dignity to be in such an honourable Relation to God, and to have a Right to the heavenly Mansions, To sit down in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus. I would to God you were all ready for it, that you had the Wedding Garment on, that you might not be bound Hand and Foot, and cast into utter Darkness. What is the Reason that you do not sit down in this heavenly Frame and Temper, and draw the Waters of Salvation out of your own Souls: Could the Lord do any Thing more than he hath done, and could his Servants do any more than they have done for your Help? Are not their Labours Demonstrations of it? We have been as Epistles of Christ written in your Consciences: We have been testifying that there is something want­ing in too many, the Want of resigning up them­selves to the Baptism of the Cross. People are willing to be counted Friends; but they are Friends of God, that do whatsoever he commandeth them; that is the Christian Lesson, not to say I will be a Friend to you, and a Friend to the Church, and to such a Sort of People; but I will be a Friend of God, and do whatsoever he commandeth me; whatsoever Com­mand God lays upon you, either to take up a Cross, or to deny yourselves and follow him.

Learn this Lesson, and you will be Disciples in­deed, and Members of the Church too; not Mem­bers of a Church privileged outwardly only, but Members of a Church of the First-born, and you will have your Names written in Heaven; when one comes to have his Name written in Heaven, he comes to know his Name, 'tis a white Stone, not a speckled one; they that have it, they know it, they are not ignorant of one another's Names that are written in this Book; they have a Fellowship that no body can declare; their Communion is in that Bread and that [Page 39] Cup: This is a Cup of Blessing indeed, and this hath blessed us, and will bless us: God will preserve a People in this Fellowship. You that are at a Dis­tance now, you must come nearer to him; God will chuse a People by whom his Name shall be magni­fied; because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts, we cannot but desire this for all, especially for the Houshold of Faith; we cannot but desire their Perfection, their growing up in the Grace of God, that they might come to be Partakers of Heaven. And in the next Place, our Love is to all People, every where; we would be glad that all were saved; they that despise us when we are speaking of heavenly Things, speaking like a Child, like a stammering Child, speaking of the glorious Excellencies of God, of the Loving-kindness of God, speaking of those Things which God hath spoken to our Souls, they that de­spise these Things, we would be glad that they might be saved: If they were Partakers of these Things, they would be glad as well as we, and they would be more really happy in respect to this World, for the Time that they are to live here; they would live a happier Life, even in this World, and they would have everlasting Life in the World to come.

The Love of Christ constrains Men thus to judge, that every one that hath received like precious Faith, ought to answer that Grace and Faith which God hath ministred to them in an holy Life and Con­versation, and every one who is a stranger to this Thing, ought to be of an enquiring Mind and an open Heart to wait for the Day when God will visit them with the same Grace; when you give up your­selves to a daily Cross, as Christ's Disciples, you will not be running after any one to teach you to know the Lord, for you will all know the Lord, from the least to the greatest; I that have been but a little convinc'd, shall I know the Lord? Thou [Page 40] shalt know the Lord, thou that art dead in thy Sins and Trespasses, thou that hast not known the Blood of cleansing, thou shalt know thy Lord to be thy Judge, and thy Lawgiver, to teach thee how thou must live, walk and act; and is not that a good Know­ledge? This is the Way they reckoned upon in old Time, it is a notable Expression, The Lord is our Judge; there is the Beginning, he began there, Judgment began at the House of God; those he brings into his House, he brings them under the Discipline of his House, The Lord is our Judge, he is our King and Law-giver, and he will save us; this same Exer­cise of Discipline under Judgment brought to them the Faith and Experience of his being their Law-giver, and this brought them to a Faith of the last Sentence, we shall be saved; and the Lord answers such a People, That he will bring Salvation to them Salvation shall be for Walls and Bulwarks; Did the People of this Nation but know Salvation was brought near to them, and that it was their Bul­wark, there would not be a Crying up of this and the other rotten Thing for a Bulwark.

We talk of a Bulwark as well as others; we have a Bulwark, blessed be the God of Heaven, made of better Stuff than theirs; for it is the Salvati­on of God which hath kept us from the Pollution of Sin, and from a running into all Excess and Riot that others have run into; it hath kept us from the Evil, it hath kept Evils out of us, and we have found that certainly true, That all Things work together for Good, to them that love God, and fear God; that all the Providences of God together, they have all wrought for our Good; and this is the Bulwark that we have trusted in, and it hath served hitherto, and it will serve us and our Posterity to the End of the World. This is a Bulwark that will never be stormed, that will never be thrown down nor laid [Page 41] waste: Though all the Powers on Earth, and all the Potentates in this World should agree together, they shall not prevail against it; we have Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks; if I be within these Walls, Salvation is round about me; if I am got into this eternal Bulwark, I am safe from the Devil and his Instruments; here is a Bulwark to be relied upon.

Many wonder we differ with them in some Opi­nions; we have that Confidence in this Bulwark, that we desire not another; God will last and abide for ever, so will this Bulwark; all the Care that I take, and all the Care that you should take, is to keep within these Walls: Do not sally out, if you go out, the Devil is watching, and seeking continu­ally whom he may devour; he will catch Straglers; if that People will go out for Profit, or for Pleasure, or Interest, the Devil will catch them: What, such People talk of Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks? the Devil hath got them in his Snare, and they are caught in Drunkenness, Uncleanness and other Sins; the Reason is, they have gone out of their Bulwark, they have sallied out of their Walls, for the Devil could never have fetched them out.

O take Heed, says the Apostle, left there spring up in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief, in departing from the living God; as if he had said, You are Chri­stians now, you are a People come to a good Estate in Christ; but consider you have no Strength to stand but in him, no Power to keep yourselves but in him; Take Heed at all Times that there spring not up in you an evil Heart of Unbelief, in departing from the living God; take heed lest there spring up in you such a Thought as this; I may take this Pleasure, and the other Profit: Consider that thou diest and witherest if thou depart from the living God; take heed of taking Liberty above the Fear of God: It is not our Talk of Salvation for Walls and Bul­warks [Page 42] that will do us good but our keeping within these Walls.

I remember a notable Saying of the Apostle, which hath a great Emphasis in it, and a great Deal of Doctrine, he writeth to the Church after they were become a People of Prosessing Christians, Take heed lest you come to be beguiled by the Serpent, as he be­guiled Eve; he did not speak of Jezabel, a wicked Woman; but he spoke of Eve, a good Woman cre­ated after the Image of God, in Righteousness and Ho­liness: They were come to a Life of Sanctification, to a Life that was hidden from Ages and Generations; You must look to yourselves, and look upon your­selves as in the State of your Mother Eve, a Woman brought forth in Righteousness and Holiness, that might have stood in that Primitive State, notwithstanding all the Subtility of all the Serpents in the World; but letting her Ear hearken to this Old Serpent, she was beguiled; there grew up a Con­sultation in her reasoning Part; it may be so as he saith, I will try.

So I say to you that are come to a State of Sanc­tification, and in some measure to know the cleansing Power of God, and that you have not believed in it in vain, but it hath effectually wrought some Change and Alteration in you, and is still carrying on the Work of your Salvation: Many Temptations will attend you, and many Snares will be laid in your Way, but God hath preserved you to this Day: I know the Devil's Wiles and Temptations are ma­nifold; they are fitted to every one's Inclinations, fitted to every Opportunity, and to every Occasion in this World; Men are tryed every Way by the Tempter, to see which Way he may ensnare them; he tries every Way to ensnare and entangle the simple, that he may turn them to the right Hand or to the left, that their Souls may be destroyed and perish.

[Page 43] I cannot speak to you by a more emphatical Word, by a more familiar Exhortation than this, Take heed you be not beguiled as Eve was: many will be tempted as she was; but I would not have you do as she did, and yield to the Temptation: Take heed that you do not defile yourselves, but keep your Gar­ments white; you that have been washed and cleans­ed, labour to keep yourselves unspotted from the World; this is pure Religion and undefiled, that which hath enlightened many a Nation, and shall enlighten many of those whose Religion is to be undefiled, and to keep themselves unspotted from the World: I pray God increase the Number of them, that so the blessed Work of Sanctification, that hath begun in this Way, may be carried on to his Praise, and the Salvation of our Souls, to the spreading forth of his Glory, and the exalting of his Name; that the Strangers which are scattered and desolate, may be brought into his holy Way, and walk in it; that we all, in a Fellowship together, walking in that holy Way, may through the Eternal Spirit, offer Praise and Thanksgiving to God, who is worthy to recieve Glory and Honour, Power and Dominion, for ever and even. Amen.

Except ye be regenerated and born again, ye cannot in­herit the Kingdom of God.

THIS is the Word of the Lord God to all People this Day; this lies not in airy Profes­sion, and in vain Imaginations, and whatsoever else it is that you deck yourselves withal; you must every particular Man and Woman be born again, else you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This was the Doctrine of Christ in that prepared Body wherein he appeared in the World, and preached to Nicodemus, that standing Doctrine to this Moment of Time, and will be so while any Man breathes upon the Earth; there is no other Way, no other Gate to enter into Life, but by this great Work of Regene­ration. Now to enforce People to come to this great Work, and to set forward from Earth to Hea­ven, all being driven out of Paradise, by the Cheru­bim set with a flaming Sword, there is no returning to that blessed Life, but by the Loss of that Life that did grieve the Spirit of God, and which did cause Man to be driven out; there is no other Way of returning [Page 45] again but by this new Birth. As you are all driven and forced out of Paradise, and the flaming Sword and the Cherubims are set to keep the Way of the Tree of Life, so you must return into the Favour of God again, by the Light of Christ; and you have Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept, here a lit­tle, and there a little, to direct your Minds to the Light of Christ Jesus. As the first Adam was made a living Soul, so the second Adam is a quickning Spirit. This know for certain, no Man or Woman can be quickned, and raised up into the Life of the second Adam, till the Life of the first Adam be taken away from them.

So now, let every one of you deal plainly with your own Hearts, how you came to be a slain Peo­ple to the Life of the first Adam, in which Life there was a Working of the Mystery of Iniquity in every Part of Man. One cries, Lo here is Christ! ano­ther, Lo there is Christ! and every one is follow­ing his own Imagination about the Letter of the Scripture; this is still but the vain Spirit of Man, running and striving to recover himself; and this is the Cause there is so much Profession of God, and so little of his Nature appearing among the Sons and Daughters of Men. Now all of you that come to be Regenerated, you must come to the Light of Christ, there is no other Way to it. He will search your Hearts, and try your Reins, and set your Sins in Order before you, and trace out the Iniquities that compass you about; therefore you must see your­selves a lost People, a sinful People, and so come to feel the Weight of your Sins upon your Consciences, there is no other Way to come to Life; you will never complain of Sin till you be burthened with it, till you have a Trumpet sounding in your Ears, to awaken you, that you may arise from the Dead, that Christ may give you Light; there is no other Way, [Page 46] dear People; you must bring your Deeds to the Light of Christ, and abide in the Sentence of Condem­nation; if you save your Lives, you lose them; if you will lose your Lives for Christ's Sake, there is no Danger of your eternal Life. John the Bap­tist, Christ's Forerunner, declared, I indeed baptise you with Water unto Repentance, but he that cometh af­ter me is mightier than I, the Latchet of whose Shoes I am not worthy to unloose, he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire, whose Fan is in his Hand, and he will thoroughly purge his Floor, and will gather his Wheat into his Garner, but the Chaff he will burn with unquenchable Fire. What is it the better for you to read the Scripture, if you know not this Fiery Baptism, which all must know that are rege­nerated; deceive not yourselves, Christ will appear in flaming Fire, and take Vengeance on all them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I stand here as a Witness of the Lord of Life this Day; there is no Way for People to come to Sal­vation, but they must know Christ revealed in all their Hearts. What is he doing but rendering Ven­geance upon the carnal Mind, self-pleasing and all inordinate Affections; he comes with Vengeance to take away thy Life, he will baptise thee with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire. If thou knowest not this, thou art not a true Christian, thou wilt never look Death in the Face with Joy, nor go down to the Grave with Triumph. If thou livest at Home in the Body, and flyest for thy Life, and will not be willing to lose thy Life for Christ, if thou art called to it; and if thou wilt not have Christ to wash thee (some for Shyness, and some for Self-Love will refuse this,) if Christ doth not wash thee, thou hast no Part in him; you must come to Christ to purify you in the fiery Furnace; the Day of the Lord [Page 47] shall burn as an Oven, (as the Prophet speaks) this is a dreadful Day, a Day of Vengeance, the Day of the Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemeth his People from their Sins; Sion is redeemed with Judgment, and established with Righteousness. Do not make the Way to Heaven easier in your Minds and Imagina­tions than indeed it is, and think it not sufficient to live in an outward Observance of the Ways of God. If your own Wills be alive, and your Corruptions remain unmortified, the Judgment of God will be your Portion; therefore in the Lord's Name come along with me; I am come to declare what I have heard and seen of the Father. Come and examine thy Conscience; hast thou brought thy Deeds to the Light? Then thou hast received Condemnation upon thyself, and thy Haughtiness is bowed down, and laid low, and thou seest thyself a poor miserable Wretch before the eternal God. Whatsoever thou knowest of the Mind of God, hast thou reformed thy Ways? come along with me, and tell me what is the Ground of thy Faith, and thy Confidence; is it thy Obedience and Qualifications? Because thy Obedience is right, and thy Qualifications are right, What use dost thou make of them? Read the Book of Conscience; Hast thou no Ground for thy Faith? Thou hast put on the reformed Faith, and livest an unreformed Life; search and try thy self, Man, or Woman. Dost thou watch over thyself and keep in a Sense of thy Dissolution, notwithstanding all thy Qualifications and partial Reformations? Dost thou strive to enter in at the strait Gate, and the narrow Way? Here is the lost Sheep, thou seekest, the Life of thy Will, the Life of the first Adam; the Justice of God will not suffer thee to make a Saviour of thy Duties and Qualifications, and to take God's Jew­els and to deck thyself with them; Thou canst not be saved without the Rigteousness of God in Chrst Jesus. [Page 48] What saith thy Conscience, art thou brought to this Change of Mind, and of thy Conversation? Are you all willing to part with your Sins, with your Pride and Haughtiness? Are you willing to part with your vile Affections? This is the Work of God's Grace upon you. Dost thou place thy Confidence in thy Duties and Qualifications, and takest God's Jewels and Ornaments, and deckest thyself With them? Thou tookest my Jewels, saith the Lord, and didst play the Harlot. If thou return to the Lord, and hum­ble thy self, and get through this Difficulty, thou wilt be happy forever. This Judgment of God, this flaming Sword that turns every Way, will keep thee from returning to Sin, and bring thee to Christ, and cut thee off from all Hope of Salvation but by him, and make thee to see the absolute Need of a Sa­viour, and that thy Life is hid with Christ in God.

It is God's infinite Goodness to Men, that he will hide Pride from them, and humble them under his mighty Hand. This is the Condition of poor Creatures that are slain by the Hands of the most High. How may I know when I am slain and bap­tised, and come to have Sincerity? They that have this Baptism enter into the Heavenly Life. If you love the Light of Christ Jesus, it will be thus with you; God will make short Work in the Earth. He will set thy Sins in Order before thee, and make thee watchful unto Prayer, and lead thee to Holi­ness of Life and Conversation, and make thee ab­hor thyself, and despise all the Pomps and Pleasures and Vanities of this World. When he hath adorn­ed thee with his Graces, then watch for the Light, and in the Light of Christ thou shalt see Light, and that all thou hast done, and canst do, is but thy Duty. All this thou oughtest to do: Thou art God's Creature, and all this will not justifie thee in Order to thy Eternal Salvation, for these Services thou [Page 49] owest unto God. If thou diligently wait, thou shalt see more Light; then the Sword that proceeds out of the Mouth of Christ, who is called the Word of God, will cut thee off from all thy Hopes of Salvation from any Thing thou hast done, from any of thy Qua­lifications, from any Thing that thou canst do, so that thou wilt be a hopeless Soul, nothing in thy own Sense and Apprehension. The Power of the first Adam must die before him, and thou wilt cry out, I am a dead, lost, and undone Creature; but there is a Life hid with Christ in God for me; but I can never have it till I be slain into the Will of God, and become as a little Child, and be stript of all my own Excel­lency that I have attained. I must come to a Sense of my own Misery, and fall down at the Foot of God. When I am become as a little Child, hum­bled and slain as to my own Will and Confidence in my own Righteousness; I will not then question but I shall live a holy Life, but I will give all that Life I had, for that Life which is hid with Christ in God: O! there is none come so far, that ever miss of Eter­nal Life. All shuffling People that would have Sal­vation by Christ, and will not let him exercise his heavenly Power, his princely glorious Power to baptise them into his Death, it is they that come short of Salvation; but all those that yield them­selves up to Christ, to be redeemed through Judg­ment, and are become as little Children, these are in a happy State. You know that our Lord Jesus Christ took a little Child in his Arms, and said, Whosoever becomes not as a little Child, cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. You must all of you become as little Children, and depend upon the Mercy and free Grace of God; you must all come to a holy Resignation of yourselves to God's Disposal: If you come to Christ as little Children, and depend upon him, you cannot miss of Salvation; it is en­tailed [Page 50] upon such Souls as hear the Voice of Christ; they that hear the Voice of the Son of God, shall live.

I stand here as a Witness for the God of Heaven. I never heard the Voice of Christ (as his Follower) till I was slain and baptised, and lay as a little Child under his Heavenly Chastisements. As soon as [...] my Soul was brought to this in my Humiliation, [...] then the dreadful Judgment was taken away, and the Book of Life was opened unto me, and the Lord spake comfortably to me, I have loved thee with an everlasting Love; and I was made a Christian thro' a Day of Vengeance, and of burning as an Oven; and the Haughtiness, and Pride of Man in me was brought low. Now in this Conformity to Christ's Death, People may die into Life; and blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their Labours, and their Works do follow them. Away with all your own Wills, and your Pride, and Haughtiness, and your Hypocrisy, and Deceit, and Dependency upon any Qualification of your own. You must come to have your Life separated from you, else you will all perish. Those that will die with Christ, and be willing to die for him, he is revealed as a Saviour to them. He was before us in the Days of his Flesh, and complied with his Father's Will, he was nailed to the Cross. The Son of God when he was come to the Depth of his Suffer­ings, What was his Cry? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? This was for thy Sake, and my Sake, and every Man and Woman's Sake that do believe in him; he drank the Cup which his Father gave him to drink; If it was done thus to the green Tree, what shall be done unto the dry? He went before us, and when he cometh again he will take us to himself, and take us from the Filth of Sin, that we may be made new Creatures.

[Page 51] Now except we be born again, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; and there is no becom­ing new Creatures, till we be slain to the old Man. Thou must be slain to thy Pride and Haughtiness, and the Corruption of thine own Will, and all Self­ishness, thou must have God to burn it up in thee the Holy Ghost will destroy and burn up nothing in thee, but that which will bring an eternal Fire upon thy Soul. Shew me, thou whom my Soul loveth, where is the Path of Life, the Foot-steps of the Flock of thy Companions? Why should I be as one that goes aside? Now every one that lives at home in the Bosom of Self, take this with you, tho' you profess the Truth, and live in an outward Con­formity thereto, yet if you secretly indulge your cor­rupt Wills, and live a Flesh-pleasing Life, and con­sult with Flesh and Blood, and are not rent off from your Lusts, you cannot enjoy the Lord of Life; While I am at home in the Body, I am absent from the Lord.

The Body of Sin is a Loadstone to draw you from the Life of God, and from glorying in the Cross of Christ: This is Flesh and Blood, and Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. For the Lord's Sake, for your Soul's Sake, and for the Sake of your Eternal Happiness, put not off this Work, but pursue it, and it will be perfected. See how Christ is revealed in you by the Holy Ghost, and with Fire. God will redeem you by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning: It is not ranging abroad with your Minds, but you must know Christ is in you except you be Reprobates. If he hath set your Eyes and Hearts upon himself, and made you to water your Couch with your Tears; if he hath bro­ken your Sleep, so as you have cried out, I shall be damned and never come to Salvation; (this will be your Cry; it was once my Cry,) O let not your [Page 52] Eyes slumber, nor your Eyelids 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 yourselves, and refuse to be crucified with Christ, and to be baptised 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 which 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 Embroidery, 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 lies 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 receive a Resurrection to eternal Life: Crucify Self, and set the World at nought, 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 cried, our Hope is lost.

[Page 53] 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 your 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 rejoic­ing in Christ Jesus. I am risen with Christ; I said, my Hope is cut off, I will lie down in thy Will, O God; do what thou wilt with me, it is in thy sove­reign Pleasure and free Gift, whether thou give me Life, or deny it to me. There must be a Resigna­tion of ourselves 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 unmarried; for the Fashion of this 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, [Page 54] but laid low in his own Eyes; he waits for the Wis­dom of God to govern him, and he is 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 an 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 or 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 glorify 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 Glory of God before their Eyes. All the Mischief is hatch'd in pleasing Men's own Wills: That is the Counsel of every Heart that Christ does not govern: Will you live as the Quakers? Then you must live contemptibly, the Mistress and Maid are Hail-fellow, well met. No; every one must walk in Humility, and live in Acquaintance with the God of Heaven; she that is wrought upon by the same Spirit, must with all Di­ligence behave herself 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, Crossness, and trampling one upon another are all gone, all slain, through the Operation of Christ.

[Page 55] 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 God's 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 Soul's 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 straight, and the Way is narrow; none come hither but those that die into an heavenly Oneness with Christ. O Friends, let us empty ourselves, 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 hearken to it, it will follow you, and be a Plague to you to all Eternity. If you will not yield up yourselves to Christ, this [Page 56] 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 forever; but if you be so wise for your Souls, as to resign yourselves up to Christ, and come to him as little Children, this will not hinder your earthly Concerns. Tho' 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 Welfare.

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, [Page 57] 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 the World. We are not come to Mount Sinai, that genders to Bondage, but we are come to Mount Sion, the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable Company of Angels, to the general Assembly, and the Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator 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 Lowliness of Mind, that he may cloath us with heavenly Glory accord­ing to his Promise, I will beautify 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 Joy, and Ri­vers of Pleasure at his Right Hand for evermore.

THE Great and Blessed God that made Hea­ven and Earth, the Seas and the great Foun­tains of the Deep, and Rivers of Water, the Al­mighty JEHOVAH, who is from Everlasting to Everlasting. He also made Man and Woman; and his Design was to make them Eternally Happy and Blessed. And therefore He made Man in his own Image; In the Image of God created he him, Male and Female created be them: He made them after his own Likeness, Holy, Wise, Merciful, Just, Patient, and Humble, endued them with Knowledge, Righte­ousness, and true Holiness. But Man and Woman through their Transgression lost this Image of God, and with it lost their Happiness and true Blessedness, that God made them in a Capacity to enjoy.

Now in this State of MISERY, into which we are Fallen, we are come short of the Glory of God; and it is out of this wretched woful State we must be brought, else we shall never see the Face of God [Page 59] with Comfort. This is an eternal Truth of God, and recorded in the holy Scriptures, John iii. 16. That God so loved the World, that he gave his only be­gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. God so loved the World, he gave his Son to be a Light unto the World, that all might see their Way back to God again: For Sin hath darkened the Understanding, and clouded the Mind of Man and Woman, and alie­nated them from the Life of God, and their Hearts are hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin. But now is the Acceptable Time, now is the Day of Salvation, the Day of God's Grace and favourable Visitation, wherein he visits Men and Women, Il­luminates their Minds and Spirits with a Light from Heaven, that they might see the deplorable State and Condition wherin they are, and what they are doing: It is in this Light, that they have a Day of Grace vouchsafed to them, that it will be well with them, both here and for ever. They that receive this Light, and come out of that which they are cal­led from, which is Sin, they may come to enjoy Peace with God. It was Sin that first separated be­tween God and Man; and it is Sin now that hinders Man from Acquaintance with the Lord, who brings Peace unto him: It is by this Light, that we are to acquaint our selves with God, that we may be at Peace. Thus saith the Lord by the Prophet, It is Sin hath separated between me and you: Sin hath made a Partition Wall between God and us, and God hath sent his Son into the World to break down this Partition Wall that Sin hath made; that so fal­len Man might return to God, and come into Para­dise again, out of which Sin hath cast him.

Now, none can bring us back to God, and into Favour and Communion with him, but our Lord Jesus Christ: He is the Light and Leader of his [Page 60] People. There is no Name under Heaven by which we can be saved, but the Name of JESUS: It is he that saves his People from their Sins; and it is in him alone that we are blessed: Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven, and whose Sin is covered: And for the Sake of Christ alone it is, that the Lord imputeth not Iniquity to us. Now pray, Examine yourselves, whether you be in the Faith, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Prove your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be Reprobates. Examine your­selves, whether you have chosen the Lord for your God, and Christ for your Redeemer? And whether you have forsaken your Sins, and turned from your evil Ways, and answered the Visitation of the Love of God in your Souls? Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to seek and to save them that were lost? He is the Physician of Va­lue, that was wounded to heal our Wounds: He was wounded for our Transgressions, bruised for our Iniquities, and had the Chastisement of our Peace upon him; that by his Stripes we might be healed: It is he alone that could do this. Who is sufficient for these Things? The Lord hath found out One that is sufficient; he hath laid Help upon One that is Mighty, that is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. God hath given him the Spirit with­out Measure, and filled him with Grace and Truth, that of his Fulness we might all receive, and Grace for Grace: He is mighty to save the Sons and Daughters of Men, and to give them Power to be­come the Children of God.

This was testified of old, John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name. Men want Power over their Sins: When Sin appears to be exceeding sinful, they would overcome it, and be rid of it, when it is troublesome: And when [Page 61] they are under a deep Conviction of the Evil of it, and see the woful and miserable State that Sin hath brought Mankind into; how they have lost the Image of God, and the Favour of God; they then desire to be restored and brought back again into their primitive State. You that know the Truth of God, see how the Work goes on in your Hearts; see how the Image of God is carrying on upon you. Consider, that the Lord is a holy God, of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity with Approbation: There is no Peace to the Wicked, that walk in the broad Way, and grieve the holy Spirit, and do not answer his Divine Call. There is a two-fold Call concerning Man, a Call to Repentance, and a Call to Judgment. The Call to Repentance, is in this Day of God's Visitation; they that receive it now, that are so wise, as to answer God's Call, and believe in the Son of God, and in his inward Appearance, that obey his Voice, when they hear his Call, saying, Come away, come out of thy Sins, come out of the Wickedness, Filthiness, and Pollution of the World; come into the Divine Nature of the Son of God; come into his Life: Into what Life? Into the Spi­ritual Life, the Divine Life. Thou hast been dead to God, and alive to the World: Now that thou mayst be dead to Sin, and alive to God, come unto him that hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him. O come unto Christ, the Dear and Blessed Son of God, in this Day of Grace and Salvation, and receive Power to overcome thy Sins! Then thou wilt be a Conqueror, and overcome the Devil.

We are of ourselves altogether insufficient for these Things, we are weak and impotent; and our Saviour hath told us, Without me ye can do nothing: We are justified freely by God's Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ; not justi­fied [Page 62] by our own Works. How great a Contradiction is it to Charge them with the Contrary, that say, They cannot Preach nor Pray, but as the Spirit of God moveth them. Blessed be God, that hath made us sensible of our own Weakness, Emptiness, and Poverty. Our Help hath been in the Name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth, who hath given us his Son to be an Helper, and an all-sufficient Sa­viour to us; with him he hath given sufficient Power and Strength, whereby we are enabled to overcome the Devil, the Enemy of our Souls: So that we may be enabled to stand against Principalities and Powers, against spiritual Wickedness, and conquer all the Powers of Darkness, and fight the good Fight of Faith, and finish our Course with Joy, and keep the Faith; seeing there is laid up for us a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give us at that Day; and not only to us, (saith the Apostle) but unto all them that love His Appearing. We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities; but was in all Points tempted like as we are, yet without Sin: Christ, our Redeemer, was tempted, that he might succour those that are tempted. When the Devil tempted our Saviour in the Wilderness, and could not prevail, he went away and left him: The Prince of this World found nothing in him, upon which he could fasten his Temptation. Christ will enable those that believe in him to overcome the Devil, and to be more than Conquerors, through him that hath loved them: He came into the World to purge and purify his People, and to be the Author of Eternal Salva­tion to all them that believe in him, and obey him. But it is said, He did not many mighty Works among some to whom he preached the Everlasting Gospel, because of their Unbelief: Many will not believe in the Inward and Spiritual Appearance of Jesus Christ, [Page 63] the Son of God, who is the Light of the World; they will neither believe in the Light, nor walk in the Light, which will enable them to conquer the Evil one, who is the Prince of Darkness: It is only through Christ Jesus, the Great Captain of our Sal­vation, that we are victorious.

Therefore, my Friends, open your Hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ, receive this blessed Gift of God, which he offers to you: And can God give you a greater Gift than the Son of his Love? And will not you gladly receive him, and that great Salva­tion which he hath purchased for you with his own Blood? But, say some People, we have received Christ, and believe in him, and believe the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures. But let me ask you, Who keeps House all this while? What have you done for Christ? Christ hath died for you; but hast thou lived to him? And hast thou died to the World, and died to thy Sins and Lusts? Consider with your selves, It is both your Great Duty and Interest to die to Sin, and live to Christ that died for you. And we must stand at Christ's Tribunal, and give an Account to him of whatsoever we have done, whether good or bad; and he will judge us at the great Day of his Appearing. Blessed are you, that receive the Blessed Son of God, that now stands in Spirit at the Door, and Knocks: Open your Hearts, and make Room for him, and let not the World keep him out, and he will come in, and sup with you, and you with him: And he will do that for you, which you cannot do for your selves. The Spirit is willing, but the Flesh is weak: He will give thee Power over Sin, and over the World, and over the Devil: When ever he shall assault thee with his Temptations, Say, Get thee behind me, Sa­tan, thou favourest not the Things that be of God. When People come to be spiritually minded, they will taste [Page 64] and savour the Things that are spiritual and hea­venly: If they be not Things of God, do not touch with them, have nothing to do with them; but walk in the Spirit, and savour the Things of the Spirit. And hearken to the Counsel of Christ, who speaks unto you in the Name of Wisdom; O ye Simple Ones understand Wisdom, and ye Fools, be of an understanding Heart; hear, for I will speak of excel­lent Things, and the Opening of my Lips shall be right Things; blessed is the Man that heareth me, watching daily at my Gates, waiting at the Posts of my Doors: for whoso findeth me, findeth Life. Hearken to the blessed Counsel of Christ, hear this Voice and obey it: They that do his Will, shall know his Doc­trine: The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his Covenant.

They that have the saving Knowledge of God, and Christ Jesus, which is Life eternal, they will walk in a correspondent and suitable Manner to that Know­ledge, and be holy in all Manner of Conversation; they will not be only nominal Christians, but true Christians, Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile: the will receive Christ Jesus, who is God's Gift, and know the Operation of his Power in their Souls. These Persons are fit to live, and prepared to die; when Christ who is their Life, shall appear, they shall appear with him in Glory. When the Sound of the Last Trumpet shall be heard at the End of the World, Time shall be no more; Come away! that Day shall not be terrible to them that have put off the Old Man, and put on the New Man; and have begun to live a new Life, and to have new Af­fections, new Thoughts and Resolutions, and have laid up their Treasure in Heaven, where their Hearts are also: They have that Peace which the World cannot give, and which Death cannot take away. Blessed are they that take Sanctuary in the Name of [Page 65] Jesus, as in a strong Tower; they shall get Power over their Sins, and over the Vanity of their Minds, that die to Sin, and live to God, and feel the con­straining Power and Efficacy of the Love of Christ, who hath loved them and washed them from their Sins in his own Blood, and made them Kings and Priests to God.

My Friends, Hear the Voice of Wisdom, who hath said, Whoso findeth me, findeth Life, and shall obtain Favour of the Lord: But he that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own Soul. Be you early Seekers: Seek the Kingdom of God in the first Place. The Lord calls from Heaven; My Son, give me thine Heart: Let thy Answer be, Lord, take my Heart, purify and cleanse it; break it, and make it new, make it fit for thy Acceptance, that I may find Favour in thy Sight. Without me (saith our Saviour) ye can do Nothing: Therefore desire him to do it for thee, and to work in thee both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure. How dreadful is it to appear at the Bar of God's Justice, as miserable Sinners! Those that have not Christ, the Great Mediator, to plead for them, are miserable indeed; therefore lay hold on Christ now; believe in him, lay hold on his Power and Spirit, in this Day of your Visitation. If thou art under the Power of Sin and Satan, thou mayst receive Power from Christ to overcome all the Power of Darkness: If the strong Man armed hath got Possession of thy Heart, Christ will lay Seige to it; and if thou be willing to open the Door, Christ will come in and cast out the strong Man, and spoil him of all his Goods. Me will cast out the grand Enemy of thy Soul, and take Possession for Himself; that thou mayst be delivered from the Power of Sa­tan, and from the Bondage of Corruption, and brought into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God: And if the Son of God make thee free, thou [Page 66] shalt be free indeed. For this End Christ came into the World, for this Purpose was the Son of God ma­nifested, that he might destroy the Works of the De­vil: And he will not lose the Design of his Com­ing, but will finish Transgressions, and make an End of Sin, and bring in everlasting Righteousness.

Let us all come to Christ, and let none deceive themselves, and live in their Sins, and yet think to come to Heaven: Be not deceived (saith the Apostle) God is not mocked; for whatsoever a Man sows, that he shall also reap: He that sows to the Flesh, shall of the Flesh reap Corruption; but he that sows to the Spi­rit, shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting. Labour for a sure grounded Hope, a just Hope in the Mercy of God for Pardon and Salvation; then you must know a Work of Christ upon you, and the Power of the Spirit of Christ within you, subduing your Will to a holy Subjection to the Divine Will; that you may say with the Apostle; I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless 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. Then the Call to Judgment will be joyful to you; for you shall then be justified and acquitted before the whole World, at that great and general Judgment, and have an abundant En­trance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and it shall be well with you for ever, Now, Say to the Righteous, it shall be well with him; not that it doth so appear at present; for through many Tribulations we must expect to en­ter into the Kingdom of Heaven; and many are the Troubles of the Righteous; but the Lord will deliver them out of them all. So that if in this Life only (saith the Apostle) we have Hope, we are of all Men most miserable; yet Say to the Righteous, It shall be well with him; whatsoever their Tryals, Trou­bles. [Page 67] and Tribulations are, the Lord will deliver them in the best Time; they have Heaven in their Eye, and they look to Recompence of Reward. Now what hast thou in thine Eye? Is it the high Calling in Christ? Is this the Mark thou aimest at, and which thou hast in View? Is this the Port and Haven that thou art sailing to, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, who for the Joy that was set before him, endured the Cross, de­spising the Shame? Heb. xii. 2. The Apostle, after he had been speaking of the Suffering and Martyr­dom of those great Saints, of whom the World was not worthy; Heb. xi, how that through Faith they subdued Kingdoms, wrought Righteousness, obtained Promises, stopt the Mouths of Lions, quenched the Vio­lence of the Fire, escaped the Edge of the Sword, out of Weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in Fight, and turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens; of Women, that received their dead to Life again, and others were tortured, not accepting of Deliver­ance that they might obtain a better Resurrection; then he comes to speak of the Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and bids us, Look unto him. Heb. xii. 1, 2, 3. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses, let us lay aside every Weight, and the Sin that doth so easily beset us; and let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith: Who for the Joy that was set before him, endured the Cross, and despised the Shame, and is set down at the right Hand of the Throne of God. For Consider him that endured such Contradiction of Sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your Minds. Blessed are they that can endure all these Things, Shame, Reproach, Contumely and Disdain, Persecutions and Afflictions that attend the Testimony of Jesus! Blessed are they that can endure the Cross, [Page 68] and despise the Shame! It is an internal Cross, which thou must endure for Christ, or thy own Heart will reprove thee, check thee and condemn thee, for it: But if thou comest to know a being crucified with Christ, thou shalt reign with him, and be raised up to eternal Glory with him. Unless thou knowest a Dying to the World, and a being crucified with Christ, thou canst not have a well grounded Hope of everlasting Happiness.

Therefore now, Friends, Examine your selves about your Title to Heaven. It is the Wisdom and Practice of the World, to examine their Titles and Set­tlements, and to see they be sure, and firm, and stable before hand: So we should make sure for Heaven and eternal Glory, and of an House not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens, before this earthly Taberna­cle be dissolved; then for us to live, will be Christ, and to die will be eternal Gain. Blessed are they that bear Record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus, that bear his Name and testify and join with him against the Spirit of the World, and the Prince of the Power of the Air. It is within, that thou must join with Christ's Appearance, that so thou mayst be christianized, and thy Mind made truly Christian: Thou must be purified in thy Spi­rit, and baptised with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire, and know the powerful Operation of the Lord: They that have not Experience of the New Birth, they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

O my Friends, set before you the Example of Christ, who was holy, harmless and undefiled; his Life was glorious in Holiness: And as it becomes you, so it highly concerns you to be holy in all Manner of Conversation. For if you imitate not the Life of Christ, you cannot be saved by his Death: He came into the World, to redeem you from all Iniquity, and to save you from Sin and Hell; Labour to an­swer [Page 69] the Dignity of your High and Holy Calling, with a Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ: for you are called to Glory and Virtue. Whatsoe­ver Troubles, Temptations and Tribulations may attend you in your Pilgrimage here below. If you be faithful and sincere, you will have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In all your Labours and Travels on this Earth, you may look up with Joy, for you have a serene Heaven over your Heads: Let Christ be precious to you; open the Door of your Hearts to him, who is the King of Glory: He is oppressed in the Hearts of the Unclean, but he is exalted and lifted up in the Hearts of the Faith­ful: Blessed are they that set him upon his Throne in their Hearts! O learn of Christ to be meek and lowly: Your Humility will exalt him, and will also exalt you at the last: Be faithful to the Death, and you shall receive a Crown of Life: Those that have eter­nal Life in their Eye, and depend upon Christ alone for Salvation, they have laid a sure Foun­dation. All other Foundations will come to Nothing; they are founded in Time, and in Time the will come to moulder away: But that City that GOD is the Builder and Maker of, that Abraham had in his Eye, will never decay nor moulder away: Let us have this always in our Eye, that nothing may intercept our View. We have here (saith the Apostle) no continuing City; we seek one that is to come. In this World we are as Sheep among Wolves: Fear not, little Flock, (saith our Saviour) It is your Fa­ther's good Pleasure to give you a Kingdom. If we be the Sheep of Christ, we shall follow him: For his Sheep follow him, and know his Voice, and a Stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they know not the Voice of a Stranger. My Sheep (saith Christ) hear my Voice, and I know them, and they fol­low Me, and I give unto them eternal Life, and they [Page 70] shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my Hands. Here is Encouragement for us to Labour abundantly in the Work of the Lord; for our La­bour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Let us, with Moses, chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the Peo­ple of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season; and esteem the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt, and have Respect to the Recompence of Reward.

Friends, I beseech you, in the Fear of God, look up unto JESUS, the GREAT MEDIATOR of the New Covenant, the Author and Finisher of our Faith; that by patient Continuance in Well-doing, you may seek for Glory, Honour, Immortality, and eternal Life: Which you shall obtain, if you persevere to the End: For he that endureth unto the End, shall be saved.

Be not weary of Well-doing; for in due Time you shall reap, if ye faint not. He that hath ap­peared as a God of Salvation, and a mighty Preserver of his People in all Ages of the World, and hath been so both to the primitive Christians, and to all our Christian Friends that are gone before us to an eter­nal Rest, if you faint not but follow them, who through Faith and Patience do inherit the Promises, you shall lay down your Heads in Peace in him, when you come to die: And when Time shall be no more, you shall be for ever with the Lord.

To GOD be Praise, Honour, and Glory, who hath stretched forth his mighty Arm to Save: Who is the Arm of the Lord but Christ Jesus, the Re­deemer of Souls? When we had undone our selves, and lost our selves, in wandering and departing from the Lord, the true and living God, into Darkness and the Shadow of Death, he stretched forth his Almighty Arm to gather us, and to bring us into the [Page 71] Paradise of God again, when we were driven out by our own Sin from the Face and Presence of the Lord. Christ Jesus, the Great and Good Shepherd of his Sheep, came to seek and to save them that were lost: The lost Sheep that have wandered from him, he will take them on his Shoulder, and bring them to his Fold: And he will make them lie down in green Pastures, and lead them by the still Waters, and satisfy them with the Rivers of Pleasure that are at God's right Hand for evermore. He hath pro­mised, That he will feed his Flock like a Shepherd, and gather his Lambs with his Arm, and carry them in his Bosom: I hope CHRIST JESUS the GREAT SHEPHERD, will find some here this Day, that have gone astray, and gather them with his Divine Arm, and keep them by his mighty Power, through Faith unto Salvation. To Him be all Praise, Honour, Glory, Dominion, and Thanksgiving: For He alone is worthy, who is GOD over all, Blessed for ever and Ever! Amen.