Fifteen Sermons, Sermon 11
SERMON XI.
THE INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT, THE COMMON PRIVILEGE OF ALL BELIEVERS.
JOHN vii. 37, 38, 39.
In the laſt day, that great day of the feaſt, Jeſus ſtood, and cried, ſaying, If any man thirſt, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the ſcripture hath ſaid, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water. But this ſpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him ſhould receive.
NOTHING has rendered the croſs of Chriſt of leſs effect; nothing has been a greater ſtumbling-block and rock of offence to weak minds, than a ſuppoſition, now current among us, that moſt of what is contained in the goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, was deſigned only for our Lord's firſt and immediate followers, and conſequently calculated but for one or two hundred years. Accordingly, many now read the life, ſufferings, death, and reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, in the ſame manner as Caeſar's Commentaries, or the conqueſts of Alexander are read: as things rather intended to afford matter for ſpeculation, than to be acted over again in and by us.
As this is true of the doctrines of the goſpel in general, ſo it is of the operation of God's Spirit upon the hearts of believers in particular; for we no ſooner mention the neceſſity of our receiving the Holy Ghoſt in theſe laſt days, as well as formerly, but we are looked upon by ſome, as enthuſiaſts and madmen; and by others, repreſented as wilfully deceiving the people, and undermining the eſtabliſhed conſtitution of the church.
Judge ye then, whether it is not high time for the true miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, who have been made partakers of this heavenly gift, to lift up their voices like a trumpet; and if they would not have thoſe ſouls periſh, for which the Lord Jeſus has ſhed his precious blood, to declare with all boldneſs, that the Holy Spirit is the common privilege and portion of all believers in all ages; and that we, as well as the firſt Chriſtians, muſt receive the Holy Ghoſt, before we can be truly called the children of God.
For this reaſon, (and alſo that I might anſwer the deſign of our church in appointing the preſent feſtival*Whitſuntide.) I have choſen the words of the text.
They were ſpoken of by Jeſus Chriſt, when he was at the feaſt of Tabernacles. Our Lord attended on the temple ſervice in general, and the feſtivals of the Jewiſh Church in particular. The feſtival at which he was now preſent, was that of the feaſt of Tabernacles, which the Jews obſerved according to God's appointment in commemoration of their living in tents. At the laſt day of this feaſt, it was cuſtomary for many pious people to fetch water from a certain place, and bring it on their heads, ſinging this anthem out of Iſaiah, And with joy ſhall they draw water out of the wells of ſalvation. Our Lord Jeſus obſerving this, and it being his conſtant practice to ſpiritualize every thing he met with, cries out, If any man thirſt let him come unto me (rather than unto the well) and drink. He that believeth on me as the ſcripture hath ſpoken, (where it is ſaid, God will make water to ſpring out of a dry rock, and ſuch like) out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water. And that we might know what our Saviour meant by this living water, the evangeliſt immediately adds, But this ſpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him ſhould receive.
Theſe laſt words I ſhall chiefly inſiſt on in the enſuing diſcourſe: And,
Firſt, I ſhall briefly ſhew what is meant by the word Spirit.
Secondly, That this Spirit is the common privilege of all believers.
Thirdly, I ſhall ſhew the reaſon on which this doctrine is founded. And,
Laſtly, Conclude with a general exhortation to believe on Jeſus Chriſt, whereby alone we can receive this Spirit.
Firſt, I am to ſhew what is meant by the word Spirit.
By the Spirit, is evidently to be underſtood the Holy Ghoſt, the third perſon in the ever-bleſſed Trinity, conſubſtantial and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, proceeding from, yet equal to them both. For, to uſe the words of our church in this day's office, that which we believe of the glory of the Father, the ſame we believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt, without any difference or inequality.
Thus ſays St. John, in his firſt epiſtle, chap. v. verſe 7. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoſt, and theſe three are one. And our Lord, when he gave his apoſtles commiſſion to go and teach all nations, commanded them to baptize in the name of the Holy Ghoſt, as well as of the Father and the Son. And St. Peter, Acts v. 3. ſaid to Ananias, Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghoſt? and verſe 4. he ſays, Thou haſt not lied unto men, but unto God. From all which paſſages, it is plain, that the Holy Ghoſt is truly and properly God, as well as the Father and the Son. This is an unſpeakable myſtery, but a myſtery of God's revealing, and, therefore to be aſſented to with our whole hearts; ſeeing God is not a man that he ſhould lie, nor the ſon of man that he ſhould deceive. I proceed,
Secondly, To prove, that the Holy Ghoſt is the common privilege of all believers.
But, here I would not be underſtood of ſo receiving the Holy Ghoſt, as no enable us to work miracles, or ſhew outward ſigns and wonders. I allow our adverſaries, that to pretend to be inſpired in this ſenſe, is being wiſe above what is written. Perhaps it cannot be proved, that God ever interpoſed in this extraordinary manner, but when ſome new revelation was to be eſtabliſhed, as at the firſt ſettling of the Moſaic and goſpel diſpenſation: and as for my own part, I cannot but ſuſpect the ſpirit of thoſe who inſiſt upon a repetition of ſuch miracles at this time. For the world being now become nominally Chriſtian, (though God knows, little of its power is left among us) there need not outward miracles, but only an inward co-operation of the Holy Spirit with the word, to prove that Jeſus is the Meſſiah which was to come into the world.
Beſides, if it were poſſible for thee, O man, to have faith, ſo as to be able to remove mountains, or caſt out devils; nay, could'ſt thou ſpeak with the tongues of men and angels, yea, and bid the ſun ſtand ſtill in the midſt of heaven; what would all theſe gifts of the Spirit avail thee, without being made partaker of his ſanctifying graces? Saul had the ſpirit of government for a while, ſo as to become another man, and yet probably was a caſt-away. And many, who caſt out devils in Chriſt's name, at the laſt will be diſowned by him. If, therefore, thou hadſt only the gifts, and was deſtitute of the graces of the Holy Ghoſt, they would only ſerve to lead thee with ſo much the more ſolemnity to hell.
Here then we join iſſue with our adverſaries, and will readily grant, that we are not in this ſenſe to be inſpired, as were our Lord's firſt apoſtles. But unleſs men have eyes which ſee not, and ears that hear not, how can they read the latter part of the text, and not confeſs that the Holy Spirit in another ſenſe, is the common privilege of all believers, even to the end of the world? This ſpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him ſhould receive. Obſerve he does not ſay, they that believe on him for one or two ages, but they that believe on him in general, or, at all times, and in all places. So that, unleſs we can prove, that St. John was under a deluſion when he wrote theſe words, we muſt believe that even we alſo, ſhall receive the Holy Ghoſt, if we believe on the Lord Jeſus with our whole hearts.
Again, our Lord, juſt before his bitter paſſion, when he was about to offer up his ſoul an offering for the ſins of the elect world; when his heart was moſt enlarged, and he would undoubtedly demand the moſt excellent gifts for his diſciples, prays, That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they alſo may be one in us, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; that is, that all his true followers might be united to him by his Holy Spirit, by as real, vital, and myſtical an union, as there was between Jeſus Chriſt and the Father. I ſay all his true followers; for it is evident, from our Lord's own words, that he had us, and all believers in view, when he put up this prayer; Neither pray I for theſe alone, but for them alſo which ſhall believe on me through their word; ſo that, unleſs we treat our Lord as the high prieſts did, and count him a blaſphemer, we muſt confeſs, that all who believe in Jeſus Chriſt, through the word, or miniſtration of his ſervants, are to be joined to Jeſus Chriſt, by being made partakers of the Holy Spirit.
A great noiſe hath been made of late, about the word enthuſiaſt, and it has been caſt upon the preachers of the goſpel, as a term of reproach; but every Chriſtian, in the proper ſenſe of the word, muſt be an enthuſiaſt; that is, muſt be inſpired of God, or have God, by his Spirit, in him. St Peter tells us, we have many great and precious promiſes, that we may be made partakers of the divine nature; our Lord prays, that we may be one, as the Father and he are one; and our own church, in conformity to theſe texts of ſcripture, in her excellent communion-office, tell us that thoſe who receive the ſacrament worthily, Dwell in Chriſt, and Chriſt in them; that they are one with Chriſt, and Chriſt with them. And yet, Chriſtians muſt have their names caſt out as evil, and miniſters in particular, muſt be looked upon a… deceivers of the people, for affirming, that we muſt be really united to God, by receiving the Holy Ghoſt. "Be aſtoniſhed, O heavens, at this!"
Indeed, I will not ſay, all our letter-learned preachers deny this doctrine in expreſs words; but however, they do in effect; for they talk profeſſedly againſt inward feelings, and ſay, we may have God's Spirit without feeling it, which is, in reality, to deny the thing itſelf. And had I a mind to hinder the progreſs of the goſpel, and to eſtabliſh the kingdom of darkneſs, I would go about telling people, they might have the Spirit of God, and yet not feel it.
But to return: When our Lord was about to aſcend to his Father and our Father, to his God and our God, he gave his apoſtles this commiſſion, Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt. And accordingly, by authority of this commiſſion, we do teach and baptize in this, and every age of the church. And though we tranſlate the words, "baptizing them in the name;" yet, as the name of God, in the Lord's prayer, and ſeveral other places, ſignifies his nature, they might as well be tranſlated thus, baptizing them into the nature of the Father, into the nature of the Son, and into the nature of the Holy Ghoſt. Conſequently, if we are all to be baptized into the nature of the Holy Ghoſt, before our baptiſm be effectual to ſalvation, it is evident, that we all muſt actually receive the Holy Ghoſt, and ere we can ſay, we truly believe in Jeſus Chriſt. For no one can ſay, that Jeſus is my Lord, but he that has thus received the Holy Ghoſt.
Numbers of other texts might be quoted to make this doctrine, if poſſible, ſtill more plain; but I am aſtoniſhed, that any who call themſelves members; much more, that many, who are preachers in the church of England, ſhould dare ſo much as to open their lips againſt it. And yet, with grief I ſpeak it, God is my judge, perſons of the eſtabliſhed church ſeem more generally to be ignorant of it than any diſſenters whatſoever.
But, my dear brethren, what have you been doing? How often have your hearts given your lips the lie? How often have you offered to God the ſacrifice of fools, and had your prayers turned into ſin, if you approve of, and uſe our church-liturgy, and yet deny the Holy Spirit to be the portion of all believers? In the daily abſolution, the miniſter exhorts the people to pray, that God would grant them repentance, and his Holy Spirit; In the Collect for Chriſtmas-day, we beſeech God, that he would daily renew us by his Holy Spirit. In the laſt week's Collect, we prayed that we may evermore rejoice in the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt; and in the concluding prayer, which we put up every day, we pray, not only that the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the love of God, but that "the fellowſhip of the Holy Ghoſt" may be with us all evermore.
But farther, a ſolemn ſeaſon, to ſome, is now approaching: I mean the Ember-days, at the end of which, all that are to be ordained to the office of a deacon, are in the ſight of God, and in the preſence of the congregation, to declare, that they truſt they are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghoſt, to take upon them that adminiſtration; and to thoſe who are to be ordained prieſts, the biſhop is to repeat theſe ſolemn words, Receive thou the Holy Ghoſt, now committed unto thee by the impoſition of our hands. And yet, O that I had no reaſon to ſpeak it, many that uſe our good forms, and many who have witneſſed this good confeſſion, yet dare to both talk and preach againſt the neceſſity of receiving the Holy Ghoſt now; and not only ſo, but cry out againſt thoſe, who do inſiſt upon it, as madmen, enthuſiaſts, ſchiſmatics, and underminers of the eſtabliſhed conſtitution.
But you are the ſchiſmatics, you are the bane of the church of England, who are always crying out, "the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord:" and yet ſtarve the people out of our communion, by feeding them only with the dry huſks of dead morality, and not bringing out to them the fatted calf; I mean, the doctrines of the operations of the bleſſed Spirit of God. But here is the misfortune; many of us are not led by, and therefore no wonder that we cannot talk feelingly of, the Holy Ghoſt; we ſubſcribe to our articles, and make them ſerve for a key to get into church-preferment, and then preach contrary to thoſe very articles to which we have ſubſcribed. Far be it from me, to charge all the clergy with this hateful hypocriſy: no, bleſſed be God, there are ſome left among us who dare maintain the doctrines of the reformation, and preach the truth as it is in Jeſus: But I ſpeak the truth in Chriſt, I lie not; the generality of the clergy are fallen from our articles, and do not ſpeak agreeable to them, or to the form of ſound words delivered in the ſcriptures; woe be unto ſuch blind leaders of the blind! How can you eſcape the damnation of hell? It is not all your learning, (falſely ſo called) it is not all your preferments can keep you from the juſt judgment of God. Yet a little while, and we ſhall all appear before the tribunal of Chriſt; there, there will I meet you; there Jeſus Chriſt, the great Shepherd and Biſhop of ſouls, ſhall determine who are the falſe prophets, who are the wolves in ſheep's clothing. Thoſe who ſay, that we muſt now receive and feel the Holy Ghoſt, or thoſe who exclaim againſt it, as the doctrine of devils.
But I can ſay no more? it is an unpleaſing taſk to cenſure any order of men, eſpecially thoſe who are in the miniſtry; nor would any thing excuſe it but neceſſity: That neceſſity which extorted from our Lord himſelf ſo many woes againſt the Scribes and Phariſees, the letter-learned rulers and teachers of the Jewiſh church; and ſurely if I could bear to ſee people periſh for lack of knowledge, and yet be ſilent towards thoſe who keep from them the key of true knowledge, the very ſtones would cry out.
Would we reſtore the church to its primitive dignity, the only way is to live and preach the doctrine of Chriſt, and the articles to which we have ſubſcribed; then we ſhall ſee the number of diſſenters will daily decreaſe, and the church of England become the joy of the whole earth.
I am, in the Third place, to ſhew the reaſonableneſs of this doctrine.
I ſay the reaſonableneſs of the doctrine; for however it may ſeem fooliſhneſs to the natural man, yet to thoſe, who have taſted of the good word of life, and have felt the power of the world to come, it will appear to be founded on the higheſt reaſon; and is capable to thoſe who have eyes to ſee, even of a demonſtration; I ſay of demonſtration, for it ſtands on this ſelf-evident truth, that we are fallen creatures, or, to uſe the ſcripture-expreſſion, Have all died in Adam.
I know indeed, it is now no uncommon thing amongſt us, to deny the doctrine of original ſin, as well as the divinity of Jeſus Chriſt; but it is incumbent on thoſe who deny it, firſt to diſprove the authority of the holy ſcriptures; if thou canſt prove, thou unbeliever, that the book, which we call the Bible, does not contain the lively oracles of God; if thou canſt ſhew, that holy men of old did not write this book, as they were inwardly moved by the Holy Ghoſt, then will we give up the doctrine of original ſin; but unleſs thou canſt do this, we muſt inſiſt upon it, that we are all conceived and born in ſin; if for no other, yet for this one reaſon, becauſe that God, who cannot lie, has told us ſo.
But what has light to do with darkneſs, or polite infidels with the Bible! Alas! as they are ſtrangers to the power, ſo they are generally as great ſtrangers to the word of God. And therefore, if we will preach to them, we muſt preach to and from the heart: for talking in the language of ſcripture to them, is but like talking in an unknown tongue. Tell me then, O man, whoſoever thou art, that denieſt the doctrine of original ſin, if thy conſcience be not ſeared as with a hot iron: tell me, if thou doſt not find thyſelf, by nature, to be a motley mixture of brute and devil? I know theſe terms will ſtir up the whole Phariſee in thy heart! But let not Satan hurry thee hence: ſtop a little, and let us reaſon together; doſt thou not find, that by nature thou art prone to pride? otherwiſe wherefore art thou now offended? Again, doſt not thou find in thyſelf the ſeeds of malice, revenge, and all uncharitableneſs? And what are theſe but the very tempers of the devil? Again, do we not all by nature follow, and ſuffer ourſelves to be led by our natural appetites, always looking downwards, never looking upwards to that God, in whom we live, move, and have our being? And what is this but the very nature of the beaſts that periſh? Out of thy own heart, therefore, will I oblige thee to confeſs, what an inſpired apoſtle has long ſince told us, that the whole world (by nature) lies in the wicked one; we are no better than thoſe whom St. Jude calls brute beaſts; for we have tempers in us all, by nature, that prove to a demonſtration, that we are earthly, ſenſual, deviliſh.
And this will ſerve as another argument, to prove the reality of the operations of the bleſſed Spirit on the hearts of believers, againſt thoſe falſe profeſſors, who deny there is any ſuch thing as influences of the Holy Spirit, that may be felt. For if they will grant that the devil worketh, and ſo as to be felt in the hearts of the children of diſobedience, (which they muſt grant, unleſs they will give an apoſtle the lie) where is the wonder that the good Spirit ſhould have the ſame power over thoſe who are truly obedient to the faith of Jeſus Chriſt?
If it be true then, that we are all by nature, ſince the fall, a mixture of brute and devil, it is evident, that we all muſt receive the Holy Ghoſt, ere we can dwell with and enjoy God.
When you read, how the prodigal, in the goſpel, was reduced to ſo low a condition, as to eat huſks with ſwine, and how Nebuchadnezzar was turned out to graze with oxen; I am confident, you pity their unhappy ſtate. And when you …ear how Jeſus Chriſt will ſay, at the laſt day, to all that are not born again of God. Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, do not your hearts ſhrink within you, with a ſecret horror? And if creatures, with only our degree of goodneſs, cannot bear even the thoughts of dwelling with beaſts or devils, to whoſe nature we are ſo nearly allied, how do we imagine God, who is infinite goodneſs, and purity itſelf, can dwell with us, while we are partakers of both their natures? We might as well think to reconcile heaven and hell.
When Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit, he fled and hid himſelf from God; why? becauſe he was naked; he was alienated from the life of God, the due puniſhment of his diſobedience. Now we are all by nature naked and void of God, as he was at that time and conſequently, until we are changed, renewed, and clothed with a divine nature again, we muſt fly from God alſo.
Hence then appears the reaſonableneſs of our being obliged to receive the Spirit of God. It is founded on the doctrine of original ſin; and therefore, you will always find, that thoſe who talk againſt feeling the operations of the Holy Ghoſt, very rarely, or ſlightly at leaſt, mention our fall in Adam; no, they refer St. Paul's account of the depravity of unbelievers, only to thoſe of old time. Whereas it it obvious, on the contrary, that we are all equally included under the guilt and conſequences of our firſt parents ſin, even as others; and to uſe the language of our own church-article, bring into the world with us, a corruption, which renders us liable to God's wrath, and eternal damnation.
Should I preach to you any other doctrine, I ſhould wrong my own ſoul; I ſhould be found a falſe witneſs towards God and you; and he that preaches any other doctrine, howſoever dignified and diſtinguiſhed, ſhall bear his puniſhment, whoſoever he be.
From this plain reaſon then appears the neceſſity, why we, as well as the firſt apoſtles, in this ſenſe, muſt receive the Spirit of God.
For the great work of ſanctification, or making us holy, is particularly referred to the Holy Ghoſt; therefore, our Lord ſays, Unleſs a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jeſus Chriſt came down to ſave us, not only from the guilt, but alſo from the power of ſin. And however often we have repeated our … and told God we believe in the Holy Ghoſt, ye… if we have not believed in him, ſo as to be really united to Jeſus Chriſt by him, we have no more concord with Jeſus Chriſt than … himſelf.
And now, my brethren, what ſhall I ſay more? Tell me, are not many of your offended at what has been ſaid already? Do not ſome of you think, tho' I mean well, yet I have carried the point a little too far? Are not others ready to cry out, if this be true, "who then can be ſaved?" Is not this driving people into deſpair?
Yes, I ingenuouſly confeſs it is? but into what deſpair? a deſpair of mercy through Chriſt? No, God forbid; but a deſpair of living with God without receiving the Holy Ghoſt. And I would to God, that not only all you that hear me this day, but that the whole world was filled with this deſpair. Believe me, I have been doing no more that you allow your bodily phyſicians to do every day: if you have a wound, and are in earneſt about a cure, you bid the ſurgeon probe it to the very bottom; and ſhall not the phyſician of your ſouls be allowed the ſame freedom? What have I been doing but ſearching your natural wounds, that I might convince you of your danger, and put you upon applying to Jeſus Chriſt for a remedy? Indeed I have dealt with you as gently as I could; and now I have wounded, I will attempt to heal you: For I was in the
Laſt place, to exhort you all to come to Jeſus Chriſt by faith, whereby you, even you alſo, ſhall receive the Holy Ghoſt. For this ſpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him ſhould receive.
This, this is what I long to come to. Hitherto I have been preaching only the law; but-behold I bring you … ridings … great joy. If I have wounded you, …; behold I now bring a remedy for all your wounds. Notwithſtanding you are ſunk into the nature of the beaſt and devil, yet, if you truly believe on Jeſus Chriſt, you ſhall receive the quickening Spirit promiſed in the text, and be reſtored to the glorious liberties of the ſons of God; I ſay, if you believe on Jeſus Chriſt. For by faith we are ſaved; it is not of works, leaſt any one ſhould boa…. And, however ſome men may ſay, there is a fitneſs required in the creature, and that we muſt have a righteouſneſs of our own, before we can lay hold on the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, yet, if we believe the ſcripture, ſalvation is the free gift of God in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord; and whoſoever believeth on him with his whole heart, tho' his ſoul be as black as hell itſelf, ſhall receive the … of the Holy Ghoſt. Behold then, I ſtand up, and cry out in this great day of the feaſt, Let … every one that thirſteth come unto Jeſus Chriſt and drink. He that believeth on him, out of his belly ſhall …low (not only ſtreams or rivulets, but whole) "rivers of living waters." This I ſpeak of the Spirit, which they that believe on Jeſus ſhall certainly receive. For Jeſus Chriſt is the ſame yeſterday, to-day and for ever.—He is the way, the truth, the reſurrection, and the life; whoſoever believeth on him, though he were dead, yet ſhall he live. There is no reſpect of perſons with Jeſus Chriſt; high and low, rich and poor, one with another, may come to him with an humble confidence, if they draw near by faith; from him we all receive grace upon grace; for Jeſus Chriſt is full of grace and truth, and ready to ſave to the uttermoſt, all that by a true faith turn unto him. Indeed, the poor generally receive the goſpel, and God has choſen the poor in this world, rich in faith. But though not many mighty, not many noble are called; and though it be eaſier for a camel to go, through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, yet even to you that are rich, do I now freely offer ſalvation, by Jeſus Chriſt, if you will renounce yourſelves, and come to Jeſus Chriſt as poor ſinners; I ſay as poor ſinners; for the poor in ſpirit are only ſo bleſſed as … have a right to the kingdom of God. And Jeſus Chriſt calls none to him, but thoſe who thirſt after his righteouſneſs, and feel themſelves weary, and heavy …den with the burden of their ſins. Jeſus Chriſt juſtifies the ungodly; he came not to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance.
Do not then ſay you are unworthy: for this is a faithful and true ſaying and worthy of all men to be received, That Jeſus Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners; and if you are the chief of ſinners, if you feel yourſelves ſuch, verily Jeſus Chriſt came into the world chiefly to ſave you. When Joſeph was called out of the priſon-houſe to Pharoah's court, we are told, that he ſtaid ſome time to prepare himſelf; but do you come with all your priſon-clothes about you; come poor, and miſerable and blind, and naked, as you are, and God the Father ſhall receive you with open arms, as was the returning prodigal. He ſhall cover your nakedneſs with the beſt robe of his dear ſon's righteouſneſs, ſhall ſeal you with the ſignet of his Spirit, and ſeed you with the fatted calf, even with the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt. O, let there then be joy in heaven over ſome of you, as believing; let me not go back to my Maſter, and ſay, Lord, they will not believe my report. Harden no longer your hearts, but open them wide, and let the king of glory enter in; believe me, I am willing to go to priſon or death for you; but I am not willing to go to heaven without you. The love of Jeſus Chriſt conſtrains me to lift up my voice like a trumpet. My, heart is now full; out of the abundance of the love which I have …? precious and immortal ſouls, my mouth now ſpeaketh; and I could now not only continue my diſcourſe until midnight, but I could ſpeak until I could ſpeak no more. And why ſhould I deſpair of any? No, I can deſpair of no one, when I conſider Jeſus Chriſt has had mercy on ſuch a wretch as I am however you may think of yourſelves, I know that by nature I am but half a devil and half a beaſt. The free grace of Chriſt prevented me … he ſaw me in my blood, he paſſed by me, and ſaid unto me, live; and the ſame grace which was ſufficient for me, is ſufficient for you alſo; behold, the ſame bleſſed Spirit is ready to breathe on all your dry bones, if you will believe on Jeſus Chriſt, whom God has ſent; indeed, you can never believe on, or ſerve a better maſter, one that is more mighty, or more willing to ſave; I can ſay, the Lord Chriſt is gracious, his yoke is eaſy, his burden exceeding light; after you have ſerved him many years, like the ſervants under the law, was he willing to diſcharge you, you would ſay, we love our Maſter, and will not go from him. Come then, my guilty brethen, come and believe on the Lord that bought you with his precious blood; look up by faith, and ſee him whom you have pierced; behold him bleeding, panting, dying? Behold him with arms ſtretched out to receive you all; cry unto him as the penitent thief did, Lord, remember us now thou art in thy kingdom, and he ſhall ſay to your ſouls, Shortly ſhall you be with me in paradiſe. For thoſe whom Chriſt juſtifies, them he alſo glorifies, even with that glory which he enjoyed with the Father before the world began. Do not ſay, I have bought a piece of ground, and muſt needs go ſee it; or I have bought a yoke of oxen, and muſt needs go prove them; or I have married a wife, I am engaged in an eager purſuit after the luſt of the eye, and the pride of life, and therefore cannot come. Do not fear having your name caſt out as evil, or being accounted a … for Chriſt's ſake; yet a little while, and you ſhall ſhine like the ſtars in the firmament for …ver. Only believe, and Jeſus Chriſt ſhall be to you wiſdom, righteouſneſs, ſanctification, and eternal redemption; your bodies ſhall be faſhioned like unto his glorious body, and your ſouls be partakers of all the fulneſs of God.
Which God, of his infinite mercy, grant through Jeſus Chriſt; to whom, with thee, O Father, thee, O Holy Ghoſt, three perſons, and one God, be aſcribed, as is moſt due, all power, might, majeſty, and dominion, now and for evermore. Amen, Amen.