{11} A Gentleman who happened to attend two or three times at Church’s
Meeting-house, took down the following sentences from his Sermons. They
may gratify the curiosity of the reader.
“God is frequently going forth, and we also are often going to the
window to look for him; The more vile _I am_ made to appear to the
_World_, the more God will _assist_ me. Every citizen is a
free-born. Many have wondered how I could go thro’ so much trouble.
There have been a great many that have wished to see me—I can inform
them I had much rather they had wished to see Christ. People may be
laughed at for being fools, but you may depend upon it the more God
will like them. All that believe not will certainly be damned. The
duties of Christianity are not to be preached to an ungodly world;
John Church is very much spoken of, but they had much better speak of
Jesus; the people of the established church feel no spiritual joy.
Spiritual discourse is enlivening to the senses, &c. The bread of
life is not to be given away to _Dogs_. I am not going to turn
auctioneer, but I am going to inform you that next Lord’s Day I am
going to publish a book proving that God, the Son, and the Spirit,
are all one great God. My sermon will be good news and comfort to
all poor sinners; Satan and all his spirits never sleeps; the power
of life and death is only in the bands of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Devils are allowed to harrass the people of God day and night—no
wonder they perplex those they cant destroy. People are mostly
liable to fall in their first love into awful heresies and
temptation. All the Lord’s people do not see into the glory of my
text—’tis like a jewel in a rock of Adamant. The worst sin was the
murdering of God’s saints. When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a
light onto me. Many men laugh at the doctrine of the new birth—are
there not many learned Doctors that know nothing of it? Let a man
come under any circumstances, I will receive him—Don’t laugh at the
doctrine of inspiration; be wise, it has often been preached by our
church—I am never tired of preaching; and I believe my dear brethren
are never tired of hearing me. If every one that is saved should be
as bright as the sun, what a place Heaven must be, where there will
be so many millions! Angels beckon me away, and Christ bids me come.
The sight of Christ, you may depend on’t, will be worth suffering
for. O that I had the voice of an archangel, I would indeed do
wonders. I doubt the inferiority of one angel over another in
Heaven—Christ is entirely independent of or with God. We must have
the spirit of God before we are his people. Believe in the
predestination of eternal life, but not in eternal death; people that
suffer were beforehand predestined so to do, _by_ God. Bad or horrid
is the religion of a proud Pharisee. That religion that is preached
by the people of God is God himself. There can be no going forth
until the spirit of God has entered. The MOB is seldom stirred up
but thro’ Priests; there is now a case of the very kind. When envy
bursts forth thro’ jealous and envious neighbouring _Priests_, and
published by _Deists_, there can be nothing to fear; and I verily
believe, that any thing prayed for to Christ will certainly be
granted, as has always been the case with me. Let us for ever
endeavour to turn every thing, whether good or bad, into good. I do
not believe that God begot Jesus Christ—they say too that Joseph was
an impostor at this very day:—every thing that is done against the
church is done against Christ; also that which is done against Christ
is done against the Church; and any thing done against the people of
God is done against Christ. It is a most blessed thing that we can
throw our burthens upon Christ;—I do not care who hears me, whether
God, or Man, Friends or Foes, Devils or Angels, or any thing else;
and let them call me an Antinomian again if they please. There must
be spiritual life in the soul. The Lord Jesus Christ and the people
of God are one. Christ has no sorrow but the people of God must
sympathise with him; and the people of God have no affliction but
that Christ sympathises with them.”
{15} Gen. iii. 15.