a consideration is this, that whosoever thou art who obeyest his call,
thou canst not seek his face in vain. If thou even now _awakest and
arisest from the dead_, he hath bound himself to _give thee light.
The Lord shall give_ thee _grace and glory_; the light of his grace
here, and the light of his glory, when thou receivest the _crown that
fadeth not away_. Thy light shall _break forth as the morning_, and thy
darkness be as the noon-day. _God who commanded the light to shine out
of darkness_, shall _shine in thy heart; to give the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. On them that fear the Lord
shall the sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings._ And
_in that day it shall be said unto thee, Arise, shine: for thy light is
come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee_. For Christ shall
reveal himself in thee. And he is the _true light_.
2. God is light, and will give himself to every awakened sinner, that
waiteth for him: and thou shalt then be a temple of the living God,
and Christ shall _dwell in thy heart by faith_: and _being rooted and
grounded in love, thou shalt be able to comprehend with all saints,
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth of that love of
Christ which passeth knowledge_.
3. Ye see your calling, brethren. We are call’d to be _an habitation
of God through his Spirit_: and through his Spirit dwelling in us,
_to be saints_ here, and _partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light_. So _exceeding great_ are the _promises which are given unto
us_, actually given unto us who believe. For by faith _we receive, not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God_, the sum of
all the promises, _that we may know the things that are freely given to
us of God_.
4. The Spirit of Christ is that great gift of God, which at sundry
times, and in divers manners he hath promised to man, and hath fully
bestowed since the time that Christ was glorified. Those Promises
before made to the fathers, he hath thus fulfilled: _I will put my
Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes[7]. I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will
pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring[8]._
5. Ye may all be living witnesses of these things: of remission of
sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. _If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth. Who among you is there, that
feareth the Lord_, and yet _walketh on in darkness, and hath no light_?
I ask thee in the name of Jesus, believest thou that _his arm is not
shortned at all_? That he is still _mighty to save_? That he is _the
same yesterday, to day, and for ever_? That he hath _now_ power, _on
earth_ to forgive sins? _Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven._
God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven thee. Receive this, _not as the
word of man; but as it is, indeed, the word of God_; and thou art
_justified freely through faith_. Thou shalt be sanctified also through
faith which is in Jesus, and shalt set to thy seal, even thine, that
God _hath_ given unto us _eternal life, and this life is in his Son_.
6. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you; and _suffer ye the
word of exhortation_, even from one the least esteemed in the church.
Your conscience beareth you witness in the Holy Ghost, that these
things are so, _if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
This is eternal life, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent._ This experimental knowledge, and this alone, is
true Christianity. He is a Christian, who hath received the Spirit of
Christ. He is not a Christian, who hath not received him. Neither is
it possible to have received him and not know it. For _at that day_[9]
(when he cometh, saith our Lord) _ye shall know, that I am in my Father,
and you in me, and I in you_. This is that _Spirit of Truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.
But ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you._
7. The world cannot receive him, but utterly reject the promise of
the Father, contradicting and blaspheming. But every spirit which
confesseth not this, is not of God. Yea, _this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard, that it should come into the world,
and even now it is in the world_. * He is antichrist whosoever denies
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, or that the indwelling Spirit of God
is the common privilege of all believers, the blessing of the gospel,
the unspeakable gift, the universal promise, the criterion of a real
Christian.
8. It nothing helps them to say, “We do not deny the _assistance_ of
God’s Spirit; but only this _inspiration_, this _receiving the Holy
Ghost_, and being _sensible_ of it. It is only this _feeling of the_
Spirit, this being _moved_ by the Spirit, or _filled_ with it, which
we deny to have any place in sound religion.” But in _only denying
this_, you deny the whole scriptures, the whole truth and promise and
testimony of God.
9. Our own excellent church knows nothing of this devilish distinction:
but speaks plainly of _feeling the Spirit of Christ[10]_; of being
_moved by the Holy Ghost[11]_, and knowing and _feeling there is no
other name than that of Jesus[12]_, whereby we can receive life and
salvation. She teaches us all to pray for the _inspiration of the Holy
Spirit[13]_, yea, that we may be _filled with the Holy Ghost[14]_. Nay,
and every presbyter of hers, professes to _receive the Holy Ghost by
the imposition of hands_. Therefore to deny any of these, is in effect,
to renounce the church of _England_, as well as the whole Christian
revelation.
10. But _the wisdom of God_ was always _foolishness with men_. No
marvel then, that the great mystery of the gospel, should be now also
_hid from the wise and prudent_, as well as in the days of old; that
it should be almost universally denied, ridiculed and exploded as mere
frenzy: and that all who dare avow it still, are branded with the names
of madmen and enthusiasts. This is _that falling away_ which was to
come: that general apostacy, of all orders and degrees of men, which
we even now find to have overspread the earth. _Run to and fro in the
streets of Jerusalem, and see if ye can find a man_; a man that loveth
the Lord his God with all his heart, and serveth him with all his
strength? How does our own land mourn (that we look no farther) under
the overflowings of ungodliness? What villanies of every kind are
committed day by day; yea, too often with impunity, by those who sin
with a high hand, and glory in their shame? Who can reckon up the oaths,
curses, profaneness, blasphemies, the lying, slandering, evil-speaking,
the sabbath-breaking, gluttony, drunkenness, revenge, the whoredoms,
adulteries, and various uncleanness, the frauds, injustice, oppression,
extortion, which overspread our land as a flood?
11. * And even among those who have kept themselves pure from these
grosser abominations; how much anger and pride, how much sloth and
idleness, how much softness and effeminacy, how much luxury and
self-indulgence, how much covetousness and ambition, how much thirst
of praise, how much love of the world, how much fear of man is to be
found? Meanwhile, how little of true religion? For where is he that
loveth either God or his neighbour, as he hath given us commandment? On
the one hand are those, who have not so much as the form of godliness:
on the other those who have the form only; there stands the _open_,
there the _painted_ sepulchre. So that in very deed, whosoever were
earnestly to behold any publick gathering together of the people,
(I fear, those in our churches are not to be excepted) might easily
perceive, _that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees_:
the one having almost as little concern about religion, as if there
were _no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit_; and the other making
it a mere lifeless form, a dull round of external performances, without
either true faith, or the love of God, or joy in the Holy Ghost.
12. Would to God I could except us of this place. _Brethren, my
heart’s desire, and prayer to God for you is, that ye may be saved_
from this overflowing of ungodliness, and that here may its proud
waves be stay’d! But is it so indeed? God knoweth, yea, and our own
conscience, it is not. Ye have not kept yourselves pure. Corrupt are we
also and abominable; and few are there that understand any more, few
that worship God in spirit and in truth. We too are _a generation that
set not our hearts aright, and whose Spirit cleaveth not stedfastly
unto God_: He hath appointed us indeed to be _the salt of the earth.
But if the salt have lost its savour, it is thenceforth good for
nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men._
13. And _shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall
not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?_ Yea, we know not how
soon he may say to the sword, _Sword, go through this land!_ He hath
given us long space to repent. He lets us alone this year also: but he
warns and awakens us by thunder. His judgments are abroad in the earth.
And we have all reason to expect that heaviest of all, even _that he
should come unto us quickly, and remove our candlestick out of its
place, except we repent and do the first works_: unless we return to
the principles of the reformation, the truth and simplicity of the
gospel. Perhaps we are now resisting the last effort of divine grace
to save us. Perhaps we have well nigh _filled up the measure of our
iniquities_, by rejecting the counsel of God against ourselves, and
calling out his messengers.
14. O God, _in the midst of wrath remember mercy_! Be glorified in our
reformation, not in our destruction. Let us _hear the rod, and him that
appointed it_. Now that _thy judgments are abroad in the earth_, let
the _inhabitants of the world learn righteousness_.
15. My brethren, it is high time for us, to awake out of sleep; before
the _great trumpet of the Lord be blown_, and our land become a field
of blood. O may we speedily see the things that make for our peace,
before they are hid from our eyes! _Turn thou us, O good Lord, and
let thine anger cease from us. O Lord, look down from heaven, behold
and visit this vine_; and cause us to know the time of our visitation.
_Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; O deliver
us, and be merciful to our sins, for thy names sake. And so will we not
go back from thee: O let us live, and we shall call upon thy name. Turn
us again, O Lord God of hosts, shew the light of thy countenance, and
we shall be whole._
_Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that
we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto
him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end._ Amen.
SERMON IV.[15]
SCRIPTURAL CHRISTIANITY.
Acts iv. 31.
_And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost._
1. THE same expression occurs in the second chapter, where we read,
_When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all_ (the apostles,
with the women, and the mother of Jesus, and his brethren) _with one
accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as
of a rushing mighty wind. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues,
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost._ One immediate effect whereof was, _They began to
speak with other tongues_; insomuch that both the _Parthians_, _Medes_,
_Elamites_, and the other strangers who _came together, when this
was noised abroad, heard them speak, in_ their several _tongues, the
wonderful works of God_.
2. In this chapter we read, that when the apostles and brethren had
been praying, and praising God, _the place was shaken where they were
assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost_.
Not that we find any visible appearance here, such as had been in the
former instance: nor are we informed that the _extraordinary gifts_
of the Holy Ghost, were then given to all or any of them; such _as
the gifts of healing, of working |other| miracles, of prophecy, of
discerning spirits_; the speaking with _divers kinds of tongues, and
the interpretation of tongues_.
3. Whether these gifts of the Holy Ghost were designed to remain in the
church throughout all ages; and whether or no they will be restored at
the nearer approach of the _restitution of all things_, are questions
which it is not needful to decide. But it is needful to observe this,
that even in the infancy of the church, God divided them with a sparing
hand. _Were all_ even then _prophets_? Were _all workers of miracles?
Had all the gifts of healing? Did all speak with tongues?_ No, in no
wise. Perhaps not one in a thousand. Probably none but the teachers
in the church, and only some of them. It was therefore for a more
excellent purpose than this, that _they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost_.
4. It was, to give them (what none can deny to be essential to all
Christians in all ages) _the mind which was in Christ_, those holy
_fruits of the Spirit_, which whosoever hath not, _is none of his_: to
fill them with _love_, _joy_, _peace_, _long-suffering_, _gentleness_,
_goodness_: to endue them with _faith_, (perhaps it might be rendered,
_fidelity_) with _meekness and temperance_: to enable them to _crucify
the flesh with its affections and lusts_, its passions and desires;
and, in consequence of that _inward change_, to fulfil all _outward_
righteousness, _to walk as Christ also walked, in the work of faith,
the patience of hope, the labour of love_.
5. Without busying ourselves then in curious, needless enquiries,
touching those _extraordinary_ gifts of the Spirit, let us take a
nearer view of these his _ordinary_ fruits; which we are assured
will remain throughout all ages: of that great work of God among
the children of men, which we are used to express by one word,
_Christianity_: not as it implies a set of opinions, a system of
doctrines, but as it refers to mens hearts and lives. And this
_Christianity_ it may be useful to consider under three distinct views.
I. As beginning to exist in individuals.
II. As spreading from one to another.
III. As covering the earth.
I design to close these considerations with a plain practical
application.
I. And first, let us consider Christianity in its rise, as beginning to
exist in individuals.
Suppose then one of those who heard the apostle _Peter_ preaching
_repentance and remission of sins_, was _pricked to the heart_, was
convinced of sin, repented, and then _believed in Jesus_. By this
_faith of the operation of God_, which was the very _substance_ or
subsistence _of things hoped for_, the demonstrative _evidence of
invisible things_, he instantly _received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby he |now| cried Abba, Father_! Now first it was that he could
_call Jesus Lord, by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit itself bearing witness
with his spirit that he was a child of God_. Now it was that he could
truly say, _I live not, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me_.
2. This then was the very essence of his faith, a divine ἔλεγχος[16]
of the love of God the Father, through the Son of his love, to him a
sinner, now _accepted in the Beloved_. And _being justified by faith,
he had peace with God_, yea _the peace of God ruling in his heart_:
a peace, which _passing all understanding_, (πάντα νοῦν, all barely
rational conception) _kept his heart and mind_ from all doubt and fear,
through the _knowledge of him in whom he had believed_. He could not
therefore _be afraid of any evil tidings; for his heart stood fast
believing in the Lord_. He feared not what man could do unto him,
knowing _the very hairs of his head were all numbered_. He feared not
all the powers of darkness, which God was daily _bruising under his
feet_. Least of all was he afraid to die; nay, he _desired to depart
and be with Christ_; who _through death had destroyed him that had the
power of death, even the devil; and delivered them who through fear of
death, were all their life-time_, till then, _subject to bondage_.
3. _His soul_ therefore _magnified the Lord, and his spirit rejoiced
in God his Saviour. He rejoiced in him with joy unspeakable, who had
reconciled him to God, even the Father: in whom he had redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins._ He rejoiced in that
_witness of God’s Spirit with his spirit, that he was a child of God_:
and more abundantly, _in hope of the glory of God_, in hope of the
glorious image of God, the full _renewal of his soul in righteousness
and true holiness_; and in hope of that _crown of glory_, that
_inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away_.
4. _The love of God_ was also _shed abroad in his heart, by the Holy
Ghost which was given unto him. Because he was a son, God had sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father!_ And
that filial love of God was continually increased by the _witness he
had in himself_, of God’s pardoning love to him, by _beholding what
manner of love it was, which the Father had bestowed upon him, that
he should be called a child of God_. So that God was the desire of his
eyes, and the joy of his heart; his portion in time and in eternity.
5. He that thus _loved God_, could not but _love his brother also_; and
_not in word only, but in deed and in truth_. “_If God_, said he, _so
loved us, we ought also to love one another_.” Yea, every soul of man,
as the _mercy_ of God _is over all his works_. Agreeably hereto, the
affection of this lover of God, embraced all mankind for his sake; not
excepting those whom he had never seen in the flesh, or those of whom
he knew nothing more than that they were _the offspring of God_; for
whose souls his Son had died; not excepting the _evil_ and _unthankful_,
and least of all his enemies, those who _hated, or persecuted, or
despitefully used_ him for his Master’s sake. These had a peculiar
place both in his heart and his prayers. He loved them _even as Christ
loved us_.
6. And _love is not puffed up_. It abases to the dust every soul
wherein it dwells. Accordingly he was _lowly of heart_, little, mean,
and vile in his own eyes. He neither sought nor received the _praise of
men, but that which cometh of God only_. He was meek and long-suffering,
gentle to all, and easy to be intreated. Faithfulness and truth never
forsook him; they were _bound about his neck, and wrote on the table of
his heart_. By the same Spirit he was enabled to be _temperate in all
things, refraining his soul even as a weaned child_. He was _crucified
to the world, and the world crucified to him_: superior to _the desire
of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life_. By the
same almighty love was he saved, both from passion and pride, from lust
and vanity, from ambition and covetousness, and from every temper which
was not in Christ.
7. It may be easily believed, he who had this love in his heart, would
_work no evil to his neighbour_. It was impossible for him, knowingly
and designedly, to do harm to any man. He was at the greatest distance
from cruelty and wrong, from any unjust or unkind action. With the same
care did he _set a watch before his mouth, and keep the door of his
lips_; lest he should offend in tongue, either against justice, or
against mercy or truth. He _put away all lying_, falshood and fraud;
neither was _guile found in his mouth_. He _spake evil of no man_; nor
did an unkind word ever come out of his lips.
8. And as he was deeply sensible of the truth of that word, _without
me ye can do nothing_, and consequently, of the need he had to be
_water’d_ of God _every moment_; so he _continued daily_ in all the
ordinances of God, the stated channels of his grace to man. _In the
apostles doctrine_ or teaching, receiving that food of the soul with
all readiness of heart, _in the breaking of bread_, which he found
to be _the communion of the body of Christ_, and _in the prayers_ and
praises offered up by the great congregation. And thus he daily _grew
in grace_, increasing in strength, in the knowledge and love of God.
9. But it did not satisfy him, barely to abstain from doing evil. His
soul was a-thirst to do good. The language of his heart continually was,
_My Father worketh hitherto, and I work_. My Lord _went about doing
good_; and shall not I _tread in his steps? As |he| had opportunity_
therefore, if he could do no good of a higher kind, he fed the hungry,
clothed the naked, helped the fatherless or stranger, visited and
assisted them that were sick or in prison. He _gave all his goods
to feed the poor_. He rejoiced to labour or to suffer for them; and
wherein soever he might profit another, there especially to _deny
himself_. He counted nothing too dear to part with for them, as well
remembring the word of his Lord, _Insomuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me_.
10. Such was _Christianity_ in its rise. Such was a Christian in
ancient days. Such was every one of those, who _when they heard_ the
threatnings of _the chief priests and elders, lift up their voice
to God with one accord, and were all filled with the Holy Ghost. The
multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and of one soul._
(So did the love of him in whom they had believed, constrain them to
love one another.) _Neither said any of them that ought of the things
which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common._ So
fully were they crucified to the world, and the world crucified to them.
_And they continued stedfastly with one accord in the apostles doctrine,
and in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. And great grace was upon
them all; neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as
were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of
the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles feet; and
distribution was made unto every man, according as he had need._
II. 1. Let us take a view, in the second place, of this _Christianity_,
as spreading from one to another, and so gradually making its way into
the world. For such was the will of God concerning it, who _did not
light a candle to put it under a bushel, but that it might give light
to all that were in the house_. And this our Lord had declared to his
first disciples, _Ye are the salt of the earth, the light of the world_:
at the same time that he gave that general command, _Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven_.
2. And, indeed, supposing a few of these lovers of mankind, to see
_the whole world lying in wickedness_, can we believe they would be
unconcerned at the sight, at the misery of those for whom their Lord
died? Would not their bowels yearn over them, and their hearts _melt
away for very trouble_? Could they then stand idle all the day long,
even were there no command from him whom they loved? Rather would they
not labour, by all possible means, to _pluck_ some of _these brands out
of the burning_? Undoubtedly they would: they would spare no pains to
bring back whomsoever they could of those poor _sheep that had gone
astray, to the great Shepherd and Bishop of their souls_.
3. So the Christians of old did. They laboured, having opportunity,
_to do good unto all men_, warning them to _flee from the wrath to
come_, now, now, to escape _the damnation of hell_. They declared,
_The times of ignorance God winked at; but now he calleth all men every
where to repent_. They cried aloud, _Turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways; so iniquity shall not be your ruin_. They _reasoned_ with them
_of temperance and righteousness_, or justice, of the virtues opposite
to their reigning sins, and _of judgment to come_, of the wrath of God
which would surely be executed on evil doers in that day when he should
judge the world.
4. They endeavoured herein to speak to every man severally as he had
need. To the careless, to those who lay unconcerned in darkness and in
the shadow of death, they thundered, _Awake thou that sleepest; arise
from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light_: but to those who were
already awakened out of sleep, and groaning under a sense of the wrath
of God, their language was, _We have an Advocate with the Father; he
is the propitiation for our sins_. Mean time those who had believed,
they _provoked to love and to good works; to patient continuance in
well-doing; and to abound more and more_ in that _holiness, without
which no man can see the Lord_.