EXTRACTS

FROM

THE WORKS

OF

WILLIAM DELL,

Some time caster of Gonvil and Caius College, in Cambridge.

 

CHRIST'S SPIRIT,

CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH

SHEWN IN TWO SERMONS, PREACHED IN 1646. ACTS 1:8

 

But ye shall receive Power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be Witnesses unto me;

or You shall receive the Power of the Hole Ghost coining upon you.

 

THESE words are the more remarkable, because they are the very last words in the conference between the Son of GOD and his beloved apostles, immediately before his ascension into heaven. In the third verse of this chapter, St. Luke says, he discoursed with them, touching the kingdom of GOD: that is, not only touching his spiritual kingdom, which he sets up in each particular Christian, and which begins at our regeneration, and is consummated in glorification; but also touching his mediatory and monarchial kingdom, which, in the time appointed of his Father, he should set up in the world, 6s When he should have the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost ends of the earth for his possession and all people, and nations, and languages should serve him, and he should reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the world's end."

This was the sum of CHRIST's discourse with them, and the apostles were fully satisfied touching the thing, only they were unsatisfied touching the time. For besides, that the setting up of this kingdom of the Messiah in the power, beauty, and glory of it, was at that time the common discourse and expectation of all Israel; the apostles themselves remembered many prophecies and promises of the Old Testament, for the restoring the kingdom of David; and this they thought CHRIST would have done in the days of his flesh; but presently, all their hopes were blasted by his death. But when they saw, him risen again from the dead, then their hearts were revived into their former hopes; and yet seeing nothing done all the time he conversed with them after the resurrection, when now he was ready to ascend into heaven, they desired him, first, to resolve them this question, Whether or not he would at that time, restore the kingdom to Israel Now CHRIST does not deny the restoring of the kingdom to Israel, but denies to acquaint them with the time when it should be done. He tells them, " It was not for them to know the times and seasons, which the Father had put in his own power," ver. 7.

But though the Son did not reveal to them what the Father had kept in his own power, yet he tells them what the Father had promised unto them, and what he had also put into his power, and what he would certainly perform ere long; and that was, the gift of the Spirit; saying, " But ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me:" as if he should have said, Do not you trouble yourselves about secret things, which shall not be accomplished in the world, till many years after you are fallen asleep; but do you mind your present business, wherein you are to serve GOD in your generation. Your present task is to be witnesses unto me, in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the utmost parts of the earth;. to declare and make known what you have heard, and seen with your eyes, and looked upon, and your hands have handled of the Word of Life. You are to testify to the world my incarnation, doctrine, miracles, life, death, resurrection, and my kingdom and glory, that is to come. You are to make known to the world, the high and deep, the great and glorious mystery of CHRIST and the Gospel; and that you may be fit for this great and weighty work, " you shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you."

From these words, we shall note in general, two things; and then something more particularly. 1. The first general doctrine is this: that as CHRIST will not suffer his disciples to be tempted above their power, so neither to be employed above their power; but he furnishes them with power sufficient, both for their temptations and for their employments; for their sufferings, and for their doings. And as soldiers, that are under a wise and careful commander, when they are near an engagement, are not suffered to run rashly upon the enemy, nor' permitted to go forth to battle till they are armed, and mounted; so CHRIST would not suffer his disciples to go forth in his warfare, to encounter so many evils, oppositions, and persccutionu-,_ and the whole power of the world and of the devil, till first he had armed them with the power of the Holy Spirit: " Ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you." CHRIST always gives unto all those whom he sends forth, of his own power, for his own works; heavenly power for heavenly works, spiritual power for spiritual works, the power of GOD to do the works of GOD. Indeed CHRIST gives unto some a greater measure of power, and to some a lesser, according as he intends to use some in greater works and difficulties, and some in lesser; but still they have of CHRIST's power, whether more or less, who are employed by CHRIST; and a little of that power that is communicated

by CHRIST, will enable a man to do great things, far greater than the world suspects or imagines.

2. Note, that St. Luke being to speak in this book of the acts of the apostles, of the propagating, enlarging, and governing the Christian church, does first make mention of the pouring forth of the Spirit, and that both upon the apostles, and afterwards upon the disciples;. signifying hereby, that there is nothing so necessary, for the increase and well-ordering of the true church of CHRIST, as the pouring forth of the Spirit. And therefore they are altogether deceived, who think the increase, preservation, establishment, and order of the church of God, depend especially upon the councils, decrees, and constitutions amen; and that without these, the Church of GOD would soon come to disorder, yea, to utter con-fusion; as if CHRIST and his Spirit sat idle in heaven, and had left the whole business of his church to men, and the sacred power confirmed with the secular, were abundantly sufficient for the increase and well-ordering of the church; in the mean time, not regarding the promise of the Father, or the pouring out of the Spirit by the Son.

And this is the very mystery of iniquity among us, and the very head of anti-CHRIST. And now from these general things we proceed to the words more particularly. " Ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you." And here we may note two things. 1: What he promises them, and that is power; you shall receive power. 2. How they should be made partakers of that power, and that was, by the Holy Spirit's coming upon them. The point we will insist on from both, is this: that the receiving of the Spirit, is the receiving of power. Till we receive the Spirit, we are altogether without power; and when we receive the Spirit, then first of all, do we receive power; power from on high. By nature we are all without strength, weak, impotent creatures, utterly unable to do any thing that is truly and spiritually good. For by nature we are nothing but flesh, " for that which is born of flesh is flesh, and all flesh is grass," a fading, withering, and decaying thing, together with all the flowers of it; that is, the perfections and excellencies of it. But when we receive the Spirit, we receive power; for the Spirit itself which is given us is power, and that both in itself and in us. 1. The Spirit is power in itself; for it is one GOD with the Father and the Son, co-essential, co-equal, co-eternal; and so as CHRIST is the power of GOD, so also is the Spirit the power of GOD; yea, the Spirit is the GOD of power, as well as the power of GOD. So that the Spirit is power in himself essentially, and he that partakes of the power of the Spirit, partakes of that power, tvhich is GOD.

The Spirit is power in us, by being in us. 1. A Spirit of knowledge; for the Holy Spirit teaches us to know " the things that-are freely given to us of GOD;" yea, he teacheth us to know what sin is, and what righteousness;. what death is, and what life; what heaven is, and what hell; what ourselves are, and what GOD is; and these things he teaches us to know otherwise than other men know them. In a word, the Spirit teaches a Christian to know all things; that is, to know GOD, and the kingdom of GOD, and all the things of both; all other things being nothing in comparison of these. Thus the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of knowledge in us, and so of power; for knowledge is the strength of a roan. Whereas an ignorant man is a weak man, you may carry him whither you will; but knowledge renders a man strong and immoveable. And in all things wherein the Holy Spirit is a spirit of knowledgs in us, he is also a Spirit of strength.

2. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us, by being in us a Spirit of truth. And so the Spirit is, because it does not only lead us unto the truth, that is, unto the Word, which is the only truth, but also the Spirit leads us into the truth, and the truth into us, till we and it become one by an inseparable union. The Holy Spirit takes a believer, and leads him into one truth after another, till at last it leads him into all truth. Now wherein the Spirit is a Spirit of truth to us, it is a Spirit of power; for through the truth we learn from the Spirit of truth, we arc steadfast and immoveable, among different and contrary winds of doctrine. Whereas, on the contrary, the true ground why so many are seduced and overcome by errors and heresies, is, because they have taken up their religion only from man's teaching, and have received their opinions from men; and so what one man has taught, another man can unteach; yea, if we be led to the truth itself only by man, man can again lead us from it. But he that has been led into the truth by the Spirit of truth, is immoveable among all doctrines. And thus also the Holy Spirit by being a Spirit of truth, is a Spirit of power in us.

3. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us, by being in us a Spirit of wisdom; and so it is, because it makes us wise with the wisdom of GOD, wise upon earth, after the rate of heaven, wise to salvation. There is no man wise without the Spirit of GOD; for the wisdom of carnal men is but foolishness before GOD, but the wisdom of the Spirit is heavenly wisdom. And this wisdom of the Spirit is the strength of a Christian; the more he has of it, the more mighty he is, both in all his doings and endurings. It is said, Eccles. 9: 15, " That there was a poor wise man delivered a small city from the power of a mighty king," and therefore Solomon concludes that " wisdom is better than strength," for it can do greater things than strength can. Solomon asked wisdom of GOD above all things, for the strength of his government; all government without this, being but weak and brittle. Thus wisdom contributes strength to us, whereas we say of a man that wants wisdom, he is a weak man; and so the Holy Spirit being a Spirit of wisdom in us, is also a Spirit of power.

4. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us, by being in us a Spirit of faith. For faith is a work of the Spirit of power; and no' less power would work faith in us, than that which raised up CHRIST from the dead. So that whoever truly believes by this faith, of the operation of GOD, is sensible in his own soul of the self-same power that raised CHRIST from the dead. And thus the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of faith in us, and so of power. For faith carries a man out of himself to CHRIST; and so, through the power of faith, he is able both to do and endure the self-same things which CHRIST himself did and endured. Hence CHRIST says, " All things are possible to him that believeth;" so that a believer has a kind of omnipotency, because by faith he lays hold upon the power of GOD; and all things are possible to the power of GOD, and so all things are possible to a believer. And hence Paul says, " I can do all things through CHRIST that strengtheneth me;" this CHRIST that strengthened him, was the power of GOD; and this power of GOD is not a finite power, but an infinite, not a particular power, but an universal; and so can do, not some things only, but all things; and so also can all they who are truly partakers of it by faith.

Again, a Christian, through the power of faith, is able. not only to do, but also to suffer the same things that CHRIST himself suffered. Now the sufferings of CHRIST were the most grievous and intolerable to nature, that ever were. For how did CHRIST for the present, as it were, lay aside his divine nature, that he might suffer in his human! and how did he suffer in this, the whole weight and condemnation of sin to the very utmost, and the whole wrath of GOD to the utmost, and all the sorrows of death, and the pains of hell, to the very utmost! and among all the sufferings, had not the least drop of comfort either from heaven or earth; and yet through the power of the Spirit, he endured and overcame all. And so each Christian is able to endure and overcome the same evils, by the same power; and therefore Paul desired to know CHRIST truly, and not only the power of his resurrection, which any one would desire to know, but also the fellow-ship of his sufferings, which flesh and blood trembles at, yea. and to be made conformable to his very death, And thus a believer through faith, is enabled both to do and endure the self-same things which CHRIST himself did and endured; and the Holy Spirit, by being a Spirit of faith, is a Spirit of power in us.

5. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us, by being in us a Spirit of righteousness; and so he is two ways: First, in regard of mortifying sin. For the Spirit of GOD dwelling in us, is not idle in us, but continually active; and so from day to day mortifies sin. And this is the proper work of the Spirit in our flesh, to destroy out of us whatsoever is contrary to itself; and that is, every sin, lust, and corruption. Now our sins are our weakness, a man's pride and passion, and envy, and covetousness, and lust, and intemperance, and every sin is his weakness. And the Holy Spirit, by being in us a Spirit of righteousness, mortifies and destroys all our sins, and so takes away our weakness. And, Secondly, as the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of righteousness in us, in regard of mortifying sin, so also in regard of imparting grace to us; for all grace is the fruit of the Spirit in our flesh; and as all light is from the sun, so is all grace from the Spirit. Now every grace is so much strength in the soul; faith so much strength, hope so much strength, love so much strength; and so humility, and patience, and temperance, and Godliness, and brotherly kindness, and all other graces, are so much strength; and according to each man's measure of grace, so is his measure of strength; and according to each man's measure of the Spirit, so is his measure of grace. And thus the Holy Spirit, by being a Spirit of righteousness, is also in us a Spirit of power.

6. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us, by being in us a Spirit of the fear of the Lord; and so he is, by representing GOD to us in his glory and majesty, according as he has revealed himself to us in his Word; from which knowledge of GOD springs his fear. For what is the reason that the men of the world fear not GOD, but sin securely against the great and glorious GOD every day The reason is, because they know not the Lord. Now the Spirit comes and reveals the Father in the Son, and presents GOD to the soul, through his Word, in his infinite and eternal power, and justice, and wisdoms and truth, and faithfulness, and love and mercy, and shines to the soul in each attribute of GOD; and when a man sees GOD by his own light, and knows him by his own teaching, then does he begin truly to fear GOD, and the fear of GOD is his strength. For he that fears GOD, is free from all other fear; he fears not men of high degree, nor men of low degree, nor the united power of all the creatures; he fears not with the fear of other men in their evils, but in the midst of all fearful things, he is without fear, because " he sanctifies the Lord of Hosts in himself, in his heart, and makes him his fear and his dread." And by this means, amidst all evils, he has admirable confidence, because he knows that no evil can befall him from any man, or from any creature, till first it be the will of GOD; and also, that whatever evil befalls him, according to the will of GOD, it shall work for good unto him in the end. Thus the fear of the Lord is a Christian's confidence, and a believer's strength; whereas he that fears not GOD, fears every thing; yea, not only real, but imaginary evils; and as evils multiply his fears, so his fears again multiply his evils, till at last he be swallowed up of both. But the Holy Spirit being in us a Spirit of the fear of the Lord, is also in us a Spirit of strength.

7. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us, by being in us a Spirit of love and unity. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of love and unity in the GODhead; the bond of love and unity between the Father and the Son. Now what the Spirit is in the GODhead, he is the same in the church of GOD, and that is a Spirit of love and unity: for why is there such constant love and unity between the members of the same body, but because one Spirit runs through them all And so there is such constant love and unity between all believers, because one Holy Spirit runs through them all. And hence we may take, notice of a remarkable difference between nature and grace; for nature of one makes many; for we all, who are many among ourselves, even a whole world of men, were but one in Adam; but grace of many makes one; for the Holy Spirit, which is as fire, melts all the faithful into one mass, and makes of many one body; yea, it makes them one, in the unity of GOD, according to that of CHRIST, John 17: 27, " that they all may be one, as You, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:" mark the words, for they are wonderful; " that they all may be one;" that is, that all believers, who are many among themselves, may be all made one. One! How one " As You, Father, art in me, and I in thee;" that is, as you and I, being two persons, are yet but one GOD; after this highest example of unity, let them be made one in us. You may see in the Acts, how the multitude of believers, after they had received the Spirit, " were of one heart and one soul." And this unity of believers is their strength; and when GOD shall take away all prejudices, suspicions, jealousies, particular ends and interests, divisions, separations, and schisms, that are among his own people, and the people of GOD shall be reduced into this blessed unity among themselves, and the Lord be one, and his name one, among them all, then shall the church also be of invincible power. " So that all they that strive with it shall perish; and all they that war against it shall be as nothing; yea, then shall the Lord make the church as a new sharp threshing instrument, having teeth, and it shall thresh the mountains," (that is, the kingdoms of the world,) " and shall beat them small, and shall make the hills," (that is, the lesser common-wealths,) " as chaff." But till the church of GOD attain to this unity, it shall not do any excellent thing, it shall not work any notable deliverance in the earth, neither shall the inhabitants of the world fall. When the Spirit of GOD shall be a Spirit of unity in the faithful, and shall heal all the sad dissensions that are now between'them, then also shall it be a Spirit of admirable power in them. And thus much for the explication of the point.

The use is twofold. The first is, to exhort all men, every where, to endeavor to partake of this supernatural, spiritual, and Divine power of the Holy Spirit, which is certainly communicated to all the faithful. And let no man think it is a thing indifferent, whether he have this power or not; but know, that the having of this power of the Spirit is of absolute necessity, and that both for ministers and for all other Christians.

8. There is a necessity of this power of the Holy Spirit for ministers; and to them this place does chiefly relate. For, first, if ministers have not this power of the Holy Spirit, they have no power at all. For CHRIST sent them only as his Father sent him; and so CHRIST never gave unto them any earthly or secular power, no power of swords or prisons, no power of outward constraint and violence. CHRIST gave them no such outward and worldly power for the enlargement of his kingdom, as not being at all suitable to it. For his kingdom is spiritual, and what call carnal power do in a spiritual kingdom His kingdom is heavenly, and what can earthly power do in a heavenly kingdom His kingdom is not of this world, and what can worldly power do in a kingdom that is not of the world And though Antichrist and his ministers have usurped such a carnal, earthly, and worldly power to themselves, in their pretended managing the kingdom of CHRIST, yet the faithful ministers of CHRIST cannot. And therefore seeing the ministers of the Gospel have no power from beneath, they must needs have power from on high; seeing they have one fleshly power, they must needs have spiritual power; seeing they have no power from earth and from men, they must needs have power from heaven, and from GOD; that is, the power of the Holy Spirit coining on them, or else they have no power at all.

Secondly, the ministers of the Gospel must needs have this power of the Holy Spirit, because otherwise they are not sufficient for the ministry. For no man is sufficient for the work of the ministry, by any natural parts and abilities of his own, nor yet by any acquired parts of learning and knowledge, but only by this power of the Holy Spirit; and till he be endowed with this; notwithstanding all his other accomplishmentss he is altogether insufficient. And therefore the very apostles were to keep silence, till they were endued with this power: they were to wait at Jerusalem till they had received the promise of the Spirit. Yea, CHRIST himself did not betake himself to the work of the ministry, till first the Spirit of GOD came upon him. Now if CHRIST himself and his apostles were not sufficient for the ministry till they had received this power from on high, no more are any other ministers whatsoever. For, as I said, it is not natural parts, and abilities, and gifts, and learning, and eloquence, that make any man sufficient for the ministry, but only the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon him. So that whoever is destitute of the Spirit of power, is; insufficient for the work of the ministry.

For, 1. without this power of the Spirit ministers are r'itterly unable to preach the word; that is, the true, spiritual, and living word of GOD. For to preach this word of GOD requires the power of GOD. One may speak the word of man, by the power of man, but he cannot speak the word of GOD, but by the power of GOD. And CHRIST himself, in all his ministry, spoke nothing of him-self, in the strength of his Truman nature, but he spoke all he spoke by the power of GOD; and without this power of GOD he could not have spoken one word of GOD. And so, in like manner, no man is able to preach CHRIST but by the Holy Spirit, which is the power of GOD. For CHRIST is the power of GOD, and can never be represented but by the Holy Spirit, which is the power of GOD. So that it is not an easy thing to preach CHRIST, the power of GOD; yea, none can do it aright, but by the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon him.

And, 2. without this power of the Spirit, ministers are unable to preach the word powerfully. They may happen upon the ontward word, yet there is no power in their ministry; their ministry is cold, and there is no heat in it; it is weak, and there is no strength in it. without men have received the power of the Spirit, there is no fire in their preaching. Their ministry is unlike the ministry of Elias, whose ministry was as fire; and unlike CHRIST's, whose ministry made the disciples' hearth burn within them; and unlike the apostles, who, having received this Spirit, were as men made all of fire, running through the world and burning it up. without this Spirit a man's ministry is cold, it warms the hearts of none, it inflames the spirits of none, but leaves men still frozen in their sins. Again, it is weak, and has no might in it. Where is no strength in a ministry where there is no Spirit. Whereas when men have received the Spirit, then their ministry is a powerful ministry; as Paul, 1 Thess. 1: 5, "The gospel came to you not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost;" and there-fore in power, because in the Holy Spirit. And again, 1 Cor. 1: 4, " My speech and preaching was not with the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power." Where you see the Spirit and power in the work of the ministry are always conjoined, as the sun and light are; and that ministry that is in the Spirit is always in power. And being in power it is always effectual, either to convert men, or to enrage them; and the enraging of men, is as evident a sign of the Spirit of power in a man's ministry, as the conversion of men. Whereas a cold and dead ministry, that is destitute of this power, cloth, as we use to say, neither good nor harm, neither converts nor enrages, neither brings in righteousness, nor destroys sin, neither kills nor quickens any, but leaves men in their old temper for many years together, and never stirs them. But the ministration of the Spirit and power is operative and mighty, and carries all before it. And though evil men will ever be murinuring and wrangling, opposing and contending against such a ministry, yet they arc newer able to resist the wisdom and spirit of it. And therefore let them that will needs be striving against such a ministry know, that they strive against more than a mere man, they strive against power from on high, against the greatest power that ever GOD put forth; against the power of CHRIST himself and his eternal Spirit, and so they shall never be able to prevail against this power, but shall surely sink under it. But to return:

3. without this power of the Spirit, as ministers are not able to preach the word, nor to preach it powerfully, so neither are they able to hold out in their ministry, and to carry it on strongly against all opposition. Peter and John preached the gospel, but presently the rulers, and elders, and scribes straitly threatened them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of JESUS. Now if the apostles had wanted this power of the Spirit, they would presently have been awed, have quitted the field, and you should have heard no more of them. But having received this power, all the threatenings of the magistrates could not deter them from the discharge of their office: but they said, " Whether it be right in the sight of GOD, to hearken unto you more than unto GOD, judge ye." I would to GOD that the unjust commands of all secular powers whatsoever might be no otherwise obeyed, than this unjust command of the rulers was by Peter and John; and that no man would dare to yield more obedience to the creature than to the Lord of all. For no magistrates in the world have any power to forbid the preaching of the everlasting gospel, which GOD has commanded to be published to all nations for the obedience of faith. And if they should forbid it, yet herein ought we to know no more obedience than Peter and John did here. We ought to obey GOD, and to make known the whole mind of GOD, after the example of Peter and John, who, having received this power of the Holy Spirit, held on against all threatenings and punishments. Whereas, without this power, they would soon have fainted and failed, and never been able to have gone through with their work.

4. without this power of the Holy Spirit ministers are not able to reprove the world. For no man, by his good will, would provoke the enmity of it against himself. And therefore flesh and blood will never reprove the world of sin, but allows it, and countenances it in sin. But " the Spirit, when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin." When a man has this power, presently he bids defiance to the whole world, and provokes the whole world against himself. And this no man either can do, or dares do, except he be first endued with this power of the Spirit. And therefore says Micah, chap. 3: 8, " I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin." The world, and all other things, cannot endure the declaration of its evil ways. And therefore it is exceedingly offended, yea, and extremely rages against the faithful teachers of the word; as the examples of all the faithful teachers of the word of GOD in all ages declare. Yea, and CHRIST himself testifies touching himself, " therefore the world hates me, because I testify of it, that its works are evil." And all teachers are not of that strength and resolution, to contemn the hatred and fury of the world. Nay, the most are quite overcome with the prosperity of this present life, and with the desire of friends, and riches, and preferment, and so are ministers in whose mouths are no reproofs, though " the whole world he in wickedness." Thus they escape the rage and violence, and obtain the favor of the men of this world. And thus weak and unworthy are all those men, who are only endued with their own spirits.

5. without this power of the Spirit, they are unable to wrestle with, and overcome the devil, whose subtilty and wrath, malice and power, they must needs encounter with, in the work of the ministry. CHRIST, as soon as he was anointed by the Spirit to preach, " was immediately led into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil," who would fain have taken him off from the work of the ministry. But CHRIST, endued with this power, overcame the devil. And CHRIST, before he sent his apostles to preach the kingdom of GOD, called them together, " and gave them power and authority over all devils;" and when they returned, they told him, that the devils them-selves were subject to them. They that were invested with this power of the Holy Spirit, were able to wrestle with "principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world," and to tread SATAN himself under their feet.

Thus you see what necessity all the ministers of the gospel have of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon them. For, without this power, they are unable to preach the word, to preach it powerfully, and to persevere in the course of the ministry; they arc unable to reprove the world, to wrestle with and overcome the devil, and to suffer that persecution which necessarily attends that calling. And so without this power, they may minister to themselves, but they cannot minister to others, the manifold grace of GOD; they may do their own work, but they cannot do GOD's work; they may feed themselves, but not the flock of CHRIST.

And, as the Holy Spirit, and the power of it, is necessary for ministers, so also for other Christians.

1. First, To distinguish them from reprobates; for, without the gift of the Spirit, there is no difference between us and them. Moses differs not from Pharaoh, nor Abel from Cain, nor Peter from Judas, in regard of their substance, but the Spirit, which the one received, and the other was counted unworthy of.

2. To unite them unto CHRIST. The Spirit is the bond of union between the Father and the Son in the GOD-head; and the same Spirit is our bond of union with CHRIST, and makes us one with CHRIST, as CHRIST is one with GOD, and unites us unto CHRIST in the unity of GOD; for as CHRIST is one with the Father in the Spirit, so are we one with CHRIST in the Spirit. For he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit; and he that is not one Spirit with the Lord is not joined to him.

3. All faithful Christians stand in need of the power of the Spirit, as well as of the Spirit of power. (1.) To change their nature, which is impossible to all power, but the power of the Spirit. It would be a great power to change clay into gold, but it is a greater change that is wrought in a Christian. For the power of the Spirit, when it comes into our flesh, changes the nature of it. For it finds a man carnal, it makes him spiritual; it finds him earthly, it makes him heavenly; it finds him darkness, it makes him light in the Lord; in a word, it finds him nothing but a lump of sin, and makes him the righteousness of GOD in CHRIST. Thus the power of the Spirit changes our whole corrupt nature, and makes it conformable to the Divine nature; as fire makes the iron }n which it prevails, like unto itself, communicating its owl nature to it. After this sort the power of the Spirit changes our nature, and our nature cannot be changed without it. But, without this power of the Spirit, we shall always remain the same we were born; yea, our corruption will increase, till at last it quite eats out that common good which GOD has given to every one for the common benefit of mankind. (2.) All Christians stand in need of the power of the Spirit, to enable them to mortify and destroy sin. There is no power in our flesh against sin, but all the power of our flesh is for it; and therefore it must be another power that must destroy sin, and that can be no other than the power of GOD's Spirit. And the power of the Spirit destroys the whole body of sin, and each particular strong corruption. Each several influence and operation of the Spirit being a several destruction of some sin or other. For as the Spirit that is in us lusts after envy, or pride, or vain-glory, or covetousness, or uncleanness; so the Spirit we have of GOD, according to its mighty power, destroys all those sinful works of our corrupt spirit, and mortifies all the deeds of our flesh. And this will mortify them, according to the whole latitude of them. And as the power of the Spirit' subdues the whole body of sin, so also it over-powers each particular strong corruption, and keeps a Christian straight and upright in the ways of GOD. Every man has some one corruption, to which by nature he is more inclined than to another, and this is the bias of a man; but the strength of the Spirit will over-power this. A bowl, -if it be thrown with strength, knows not its bias, but is carried on straight, as if it had no bias at all. So even good men have some flesh in them which is their bias, and carries them from GOD to themselves and the world; but the strength of the Spirit takes away this bias, and makes us take straight steps to GOD.

(3.) All Christians stand in need of the power of the Spirit, to enable them to perform duties spiritually. If spiritual duties be performed carnally, in such duties there is no strength but weakness. For there is no power in any duty, except there be something of the Spirit in the duty. There is no more power in praying, nor in preaching, nor in hearing, nor in meditation, nor in reading, nor in resisting evil, nor in doing good, nor in any duty of sanctification, or of mortification, than there is of the Spirit in them. And according to the measure of the Spirit in each duty, is the measure of power in the duty. If there be none of the Spirit in a man's duties, there is no power at all in them, but only weakness and deadness, coldness and unprofitableness. If a little of the Spirit, there is a little power; if abundance of the Spirit, there is great power; and that duty that is most spiritual, is the most powerful.

(4.) All Christians stand in need of this power of the Spirit, to enable them to confess the word before kings, and rulers, and magistrates, when they arc called there-unto. Whereas, without this power they would tremble, and suppress the truth. For surely it is a very hard thing for a man not to be daunted then, but to be immoveable, before all worldly power and glory, and all the terrible frowns and threats of mighty men. Now, says CHRIST, at such a time, be not troubled beforehand, how, or what to say. For if you have CHRIST and his Spirit in your hearts you cannot want words in your mouths. And the truth which you profess is most glorious, when it is most naked; and therefore be not fearful before-hand, no, nor careful, touching what you shall say, for it shall be " given to you in that same hour." How so " It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that dwells in you." The Spirit of truth shall enable you to speak the words of truth, when you are called to it. And though you, it may be, are quite plain and mean men, and your lips would be quite closed before such an assembly, yet GOD's Spirit shall give you a mouth to speak even then. And he will give you not only a mouth but wisdom too; such as all your adversaries shall not be able to resist.

Lastly, All Christians stand in need of the power of the Spirit to overcome afflictions and persecutions, from which it is impossible they should be free, they being contrary to the world, and the world to them. A man, who has no strength in himself, but his own strength, faints under affliction and persecution; but the faithful have in them strength above the strength of men, even the strength of the Spirit, and so they endure and over-come. Our spirits are weak spirits, and are conquered by every evil; but when they are strengthened by the power of GOD's Spirit, they are, over all evils, " more than conquerors." And how much power we have in persecution, to endure and overcome, so much of the Spirit we have, and no more.

And thus also have I declared unto you, what necessity all Christians have of the power of the Spirit coining on them, as well as ministers. And this was to strengthen the use of exhortation.

The second use is for information and instruction. If receiving of the Spirit be the receiving of power, then this clearly informs us, that the way to partake of this power, is to obtain this Spirit; and the way to increase this power, is to increase this Spirit's influences.

1. The way to obtain this power is to obtain the Spirit. And that we may obtain the Spirit, we must prepare our-selves to receive the Spirit. Now this preparation does not stand (as Papists teach, and many ignorant persons among ourselves think,) in sweeping the soul from sin, and then strewing it with graces, that so we may be fit to receive the Spirit For first, the sweeping of the soul from sin is not a work of our own, before the coming of the Spirit, but a work of the Spirit itself after it is come. For no flesh can clear the soul of one sin, it is the Spirit must do that. And, secondly, for the strewing of the soul with grace; neither is this a work of our own, but a work of the Spirit itself, after it is come. For the Spirit itself brings all grace with it, and, before the coming of the Spirit, there is no grace at all. So that we cannot, by any acts of our own, prepare ourselves to receive the Spirit; but only by the Spirit we prepare ourselves to receive the Spirit. For it is not any work of our own, upon ourselves, but the immediate work of the Holy Spirit upon us, that can make us fit to receive him. Now the ordinary means, through which the Spirit does this, are these three.

First, the hearing of the word preached. The preaching of the gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit, because it proceeds from the Spirit, and conveys the Spirit to the soul. The Lord still joins with the ministry of the word, that he may keep in our hearts the due respect of this ordinance, and may preserve us from the ways of those men, who seek for the Spirit without the word.

The second means is faith in the word heard. For it is not every one that hears the word that receives the Spirit, but only they that hear with the hearing of faith. For if you hear the word a thousand times, and wantest faith, you shall never receive the Spirit; for unbelief shuts up the heart against the Spirit, and ever opposes and resists it. But faith opens the heart to receive the Spirit. Now through these two things, the word and faith, the Spirit communicates to us a new birth; it begets us unto GOD; and so we, partaking of the nature of GOD, partake also of the Spirit of GOD. They that are born of men have nothing in them but the spirit of men; but they that are born of GOD, have the Spirit of GOD. " That which is born of the flesh is flesh," and has no spirit in it; but " that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, and has spirit in it. So that there is no means to partake of the Spirit of GOD, but by being born of GOD; and the ordinary means by which we are born of GOD, are the word and faith.

The third means is prayer: for CHRIST has said, " the Spirit is given to them that ask." And the disciples, when they were to receive the promise of the Spirit, " continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," Acts 1: 14. And GOD, who has promised to give us his Spirit, has commanded us to ask it. Now in asking the Spirit, there is no difference whether we ask it of the Father or of the Son, seeing the Spirit proceeds from both, and is the Spirit of both: and therefore CHRIST promises the sending of the Spirit from both. From the Father, John 14: " The Spirit which the Father will send in my name." From himself, John 16: " Except I go, the Comforter will not come; but if I go, I will send him to you." And thus you see the way to obtain this power is to obtain the Spirit, and also by what means this is done.

2. The way to increase this power is to increase the Spirit. And therefore it is as needful for us to know the means to increase the Spirit as to receive it. And they, among others, are these:

1. To continue in the use of the word. As the Spirit is first given by the word, so by the same word it is increased; and the more any Christian is in the use of

the word, the more mighty is the Spirit in him; but the neglect of the word is the quenching of the Spirit. Let a Christian that is strong in the Spirit neglect the word awhile, and he will soon become weak, and as a man without strength. For the Spirit is not bestowed on us, but through the word, neither does it dwell in us, but

by the word; and the more the word dwells in our hearts by faith, the more the Spirit dwells in our hearts by the word. And according to the measure of the word in us is the measure of the Spirit.

2. To increase faith. For the more we believe, the more we receive of CHRIST; and the more we receive of CHRIST, the more we receive of the Spirit in CHRIST. Always according to the measure of CHRIST in us is the measure of the Spirit; and according to the measure of faith, is the measure of CHRIST in us.

3. TO be much in prayer. For the prayer of the Spirit increases the Spirit. The more we pray, the more we receive the Spirit; and have daily a greater and greater increase of it, till we are filled with the Spirit.

4. To turn ourselves, daily from the creatures to GOD. For the more we enlarge our hearts towards the creature, the less capable are we of the Spirit of GOD. Therefore we must live abstractedly from the creatures, and so use them as if we did not use them; and abandon the satisfactions of flesh and blood, and wean ourselves from all things but the necessities of nature. And the more free and loose we are from the creatures, the more capable are we of GOD's Spirit, and the operations of it. He that lives at the greatest distance from the world, and hath least communion with the things of it, has always the greatest proportion of GOD's Spirit.

5. To increase the Spirit in us, we must give up our-selves to the Spirit, that he only may work in us, without the least opposition and resistance from us. That as the soul acts all in the body, and the body does nothing of itself, but is subject to the soul in all things; so the Spirit may do all in us, and we may do nothing of our-selves, but be subject to the Spirit in all its operations. For the Spirit of GOD cannot work excellently in us, except it work all in all in us. And in such a man, in whom the Spirit has full power, the Spirit works many wonderful things.

6. The last means to increase the Spirit, is to attribute the works of the Spirit to the Spirit, and not to our-selves. For if we attribute to the flesh the works of the Spirit, and take from the Spirit the glory of his own works, he will work no longer in us. Wherefore we must ascribe unto the Spirit the whole of his own works, and acknowledge that we ourselves are nothing; and that it is he only that is all in all, and works all in all; and we ourselves, among all the excellent \works of the Spirit in us, must so remain, as if we were and wrought nothing at all; that so, all that is of flesh and blood, may be laid low in us, and the Spirit alone may be exalted; first to do all in us; and then, to have all the glory of all that is done.

And thus you sec the means to increase the Spirit, and so consequently strength. And by the daily use and improvement of these [cleans we may attain to a great degree of spiritual strength, that we may " walk and not be weary, and may run and not faint, and may mount upon wings as eagles;" yea, and may walk as angels among men, and as the powers of heaven upon earth, to his praise and honor, who first communicates to us his own strength, and then by that strength of his own " works all our works in us:" and thus is he " glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe."

 

THE BUILDING, BEAUTY, TEACHING, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRULY CHRISTIAN CHURCH; REPRESENTED IN An Exposition ON ISAIAH LIV. FROM VERSE 11 TO VERSE 17. Preached June 7, 1646.

 

THE

BUILDING, BEAUTY, TEACHING, AND ESTABLISHMENT

OF THE

TRULY CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

ISAIAH LIV. 11.

 

Oh you elided, tossed with tempest, and not comforted; behold I will lazy thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. THE prophet Isaiah did not so much prophesy to his own age as to ours, nor to the Jewish church as to the Christian. (" Not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you.") He prophesied in the Spirit, touching the kingdom of CHRIST, and delivers many excellent promises, to be fulfilled in the Son incarnate, head, and members. The first promise in this chapter is touching the great increase of the church in the days of the New Testament; that whereas before, the church was to be found but in one kindred, now it should be gathered out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. So that there shall

certainly be a most wonderful increase of the faithful in the Christian church, till they become as the stars of heaven, and as the drops of the morning dew, all of them assembled in the beauties of holiness. And there-fore let us not be over-much troubled, though at present we see, in a numerous nation, but few true children of the spiritual church: for GOD shall bless these few, and bid them "increase, and multiply, and replenish the earth." And it shall be said to the church, "Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold, all these gather them-selves together and come to thee: As I live, says the Lord, you shall surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee as a bride cloth:"

In the words I read to you, the Lord comes to another promise; so that, because of the church's weakness, he adds one promise to another; and these promises are nothing but the manifestations of his love through CHRIST. But to look more nearly upon the words. Ver. 11, Oh! You afflicted. Affliction in the world does so inseparably attend the church, that the church even takes its denomination from it. " Oh! you afflicted." The condition of the church is an afflicted condition. For the church being born of GOD, and born of the Spirit, is put into a direct contrariety to the world, which is born of the flesh, and is also of its father the devil. And so the whole world is against the faithful and spiritual church; and all the people and nations in the world are against that people and nation, which the apostle calls " a holy nation, and a peculiar people." And they oppose not the faithful for any thing of flesh and blood in them, but because that flesh and blood of their's is the habitation of GOD, and the very presence of GOD himself is there; as he says, " I will dwell in them, and walk in them." Agreeable to this is that of CHRIST, "All this shall they do to you, for my name's sake;" that is, when the name of CHRIST is called upon us, and we are taken into his name, into his righteousness, and life, and wisdom, and holiness; then, when the world perceives the name of GOD in the sons of men, and the nature of GOD in the natures of men, presently they fall a persecuting the children of GOD for his name and nature's sake.

Now this affliction which the church meets with in the world is profitable for the church; it is good for it that it should be afflicted; for the more it is afflicted in the flesh, the more it thrives in the Spirit. This affliction stirs us up to the exercise of faith and prayer; yea, then is our faith most active and vigorous, and our prayers most fervent, till they fill the whole heavens; then are we most in the use of the word; then are we set off farthest from the world; then do we keep closest to GOD; then have we nearest intercourse and communion with him; so that we could better want fire, and water, and the sun, than want affliction, which GOD out of his mere love, through his over-ruling power and wisdom, causes to work unto us for good. But we proceed. Tossed with tempest.

We see that the church is not only afflicted, but violently afflicted; one wave comes against it after another, as in a tempest; and the more spiritual the church is, the more does the world become as a raging sea against it; because the more spiritual the church is made, it is set in the more contrariety to the world, and the world to it. The Psalmist describes this temper in the world against the church; " They came upon me like a ramping and a roaring lion:" and again, "They came upon me to eat up my flesh, as they would eat bread." Yea, men naturally meek and moderate, how fierce have they become against those in whom there have appeared any glorious discoveries of CHRIST For the enmity that is in the seed- of the serpent against the Seed of the woman, will be still breaking forth: and though it may

for a time be covered under many moral virtues, and a form of GODliness; yet, when GOD leaves them to them-selves, and lets them act outwardly, according to their inward principles, how cruelly and fiercely do they act against the sons of GOD Yea, there is not such enmity between a Turk and a Jew, as there is between carnal gospellers and spiritual Christians; the former hating the latter, and being angry against them to the very death..And whenever the Lord shall suffer these to exercise their enmity against the church, then shall the church's condition become such as is here described, " afflicted, and tossed with tempest," and not comforted.

The church of GOD, in all the evil it meets in the world, has not one drop of comfort from the world. It has affliction, tribulation, persecution from the world, but no comfort. This we see in CHRIST, the Head. You know what he suffered in the world in the days of his flesh. "He was despised and rejected of men," and so full of sorrows, that he took his name from them, " a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." At last, they apprehended him, bound him, buffetted him, spit on him, crucified him; and all this would have been but a small matter to have suffered from the heathen, but he suffered all this from the only visible church of GOD in the world. And in all this he had no one to have compassion on him: they laughed at him, derided him, and mocked him; but no one comforted him. And as it was with the Head, so it is with the members; in all the sorrows, and oppositions, and persecutions, they have no one to comfort them, or take compassion on them. " Refuge failed me," says David, " no man eared for my soul."

Brethren, ye that are partakers of the heavenly calling, and of the Divine nature, if ever the Lord suffer the world to prevail against you, to afflict you, and toss you from one evil to another, as in a tempest, to reproach you, throw you out of your comforts, banish you, or imprison you; you shall find no one to comfort you; no one will regard or own you, pity you, or be so sensible of your condition, as to say, " Alas! my brother!" You must look for affliction in the world, but you must look for no comfort there. When GOD shall cast us into sorrows and sufferings, let us not look for one worldly man to stand by us, no, not of those that now smile upon us, and pretend friendship to us; no, nor yet of our near relations; but then that shall be fulfilled, " I was a stranger to my brethren, an alien to my mother's children." Nay, yet farther, they that are weak or worldly Christians, will stand aloof from thee, and will be shy to own, and countenance, and encourage, and comfort thee. The disciples of CHRIST, when he was led to the cross, all forsook him and fled: and so if you suffer for the truth of GOD, you shall find little comfort from men.

Now this the Lord does in much mercy to his children. He leaves them destitute of earthly comfort, that they may look for heavenly; he leaves them destitute of all comfort from men, that they may look for comfort from GOD alone. And therefore when you art afflicted and not comforted, lift up thy heart to GOD, and expect all from him. When thy soul is in affliction, never look after any earthly, sensual, or creature comforts; they would prove poison to thy soul; but only look for heavenly comforts, such as flow immediately from GOD; for these are pure and unmixed, refreshing and supporting, satisfying and enduring comforts; comforts that are able to make thee rejoice, not only in fullness, but in want; not only among friends, but in the midst of enemies; not only in prosperity, but in tribulation; not only in life, but in death; they will make thee go singing to prison, to the cross, to the grave; they are infinitely stronger than all the sorrows of the flesh: and hence it is that many martyrs have gone cheerfully to the stake, and sung in the very flames; the comforts of GOD in their souls have strengthened them to this. You art a believer, never doubt of this comfort in thy greatest sorrows. When CHRIST had none to comfort him, GOD sent an angel from heaven to do it and so when we are left alone, rather than we shall want comfort, GOD will send an angel from heaven to comfort us; yea, the Spirit itself, which is greater than all the angels in heaven; and we shall certainly be comforted by GOD, when we are " afflicted and tossed with tempest, and not comforted" by men.

Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. The Lord seeth the church in its affliction, without all comfort in the world, and then the Lord comes and comforts it himself, and this he does by a promise. They are the sweetest comforts that are brought to us in the promises. But to come more particularly to these words, and these that follow. Ver. 12, " And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones," Here you see the Lord promises to build up the church of the New Testament, with stones of fair colours, with precious stones. I will not stand to inquire particularly into the natures of the several stones here named; it shall be sufficient for us to attain the meaning of the Spirit in this place, and that is this: that the spiritual church of the New Testament is not to be built with common, but with precious stones. The full sense of these words I shall give in several particulars. And, first, you see here the matter of which the church of the New Testament is made; and that is not of common, but of precious stones; elect and precious stones; and such are the faithful: for, 1: They have a more excellent nature than other men have; for they are born of GOD, and so par-take of the nature of GOD; and the Lord JESUS did not more truly partake of the nature of man, than these par-take of the nature of GOD, Others have only the nature of men, or, which is worse, the nature of the devil; but the faithful have in them the nature of GOD, communicated to them through a new birth. 2. They have a more excel-lent spirit than others have; as it was said of Daniel, that there was a more excellent spirit found with him than with all the other wise men. Now the very Spirit of GOD is found in the faithful, and therefore they are more glorious than the rest of the world. 3. They have more excellent operations; for the faithful are not such precious stones as are only for show, but they have also virtue in them, even the very virtues of JESUS CHRIST; for having the same nature and Spirit of GOD, they are able, according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST, to do the same works that he did; and so they are excellent in the operations of faith, hope, love, humility, meekness, patience, temperance, heavenly-mindedness, and every other grace: and in thi's regard also are more precious than the rest of the world. And therefore the Lord calls them his jewels; "in the day wherein I make up my jewels."

And thus much for the first thing, the matter of which the church of the New Testament is made, that is, of precious stones. The second thing observable is the variety of these precious stones. For the spiritual church is not built up of precious stones of one sort only; not all of sapphires, or all of agates, or all of carbuncles; but of all these; both sapphires, agates, carbuncles, and many other precious stones of fair colours. This notes the diversity of gifts in the children of GOD. For though all of them are precious stones, yet they are of diversity of colours, lustre, and operations. And this also makes for the greater glory of the church. In the body of a man there is not one member, but many; and the variety of members, with their several gifts and operations, are the glory of the body: and so it is in the church, the body of JESUS CHRIST, wherein are divers members, with diversity of gifts and operations; but all proceed from one and the same Spirit; and whatsoever gift proceeds from the Spirit, there is an excellent beauty, a heavenly lustre in it. Therefore, labor to distinguish between those gifts that are natural to thee, and flow from thy own spirit, and those gifts that are supernatural, and flow from GOD's Spirit. In all the operations of thine own spirit, in all thy natural abilities, wisdom, learning, there is nothing but deformity, darkness, death, how specious soever they may appear to the world; but in the gifts and operations that flow from GOD's Spirit, there is a heavenly lustre and glory. Yea, even in weak Christians, you shall see an excellent beauty in some gift or other, which they have received from the Spirit, which shines not forth so clearly in some stronger Christians. And therefore let us not expect all gifts in all men, and that every man should excel in every gift; for then one would be saying to another, " I have no need of thee." But GOD has given diversity of gifts to divers persons, that each may acknowledge something in others which he has not himself, and may reckon his perfection to he in his communion with them; that so the communion of saints may be kept up in the world. One Christian has the gift of prayer, another the gift of utterance in preaching, another the gift of courage, another the gift of meekness; and no man has all things in himself, that every man in the sight of his own wants may be kept humble.

And this is a glorious thing in this building, that the lustre of each stone adds to the lustre of all; and the lustre of all is communicated to each stone; and so in the spiritual building, what one has from the Spirit, it is for all; and what all have is for each one. If you have the gift of utterance, it is to build up me; if I have the spirit of prayer, it commends thee as carefully to GOD as myself; one watches over another as over his own soul; and if any be weak, the strong support them; if any be doubtful, they that have the gift of knowledge direct them; if one be troubled, the rest mourn with him; if one be comforted, the rest rejoice with him; and they are all so linked together in the body of CHRIST, that the good and evil of one extends to all. Where you can find such communion, there join thyself. Who would not willingly join himself to that people, where no man calls his grace his own, but all gifts are in common among all; every one having a share in the faith, hope, love, prayer, peace, joy, wisdom, strength of all; and all having a share in these gifts and graces that are in any one And thus much for the diversity of the stones, as well as the preciousness of them.

The third thing to be observed is, that this spiritual building is made up all of precious stones, without any mixture of common stones; it is made up of sapphires, agates, carbuncles; and it is added farther, " And I will make all thy borders of pleasant stones." Here then must be no mingling of the precious and the vile, the holy and the profane, the faithful and unbeliever, the spiritual and the carnal: but all must be precious.

There be some that talk much against new doctrine, which is the old reproach of the Gospel; but surely there was never newer doctrine than this, that the spiritual church of the New Testament should be made up of all the people that live in a kingdom; and that all that are born in such a nation should necessarily be stones for the building up the new Jerusalem. This is a new doctrine indeed, which neither the Old nor the New Testament owns: for GOD does not now make any people, or kindred, or nation his church; but gathers his church out of every people, and kindred, and nation; and none can be stones of this building but those that are elect, and precious, through a new birth, and the gift of the Spirit. Indeed such a mistake there may be in CHRIST's kingdom here, that a few counterfeit stones may be taken up among precious ones; but that is the mistake of a false church, where a thousand counterfeit ones are taken in for one truly precious; wherein, for one faithful Christian, there are many formalists, and many more profane.

We are to take notice, in the fourth place, who is the Builder of such a structure as this, all made up of precious stones; and are informed in the Word, that " the Builder and Maker of it, is GOD." " I will do it," says the Lord; behold, " I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and I will lay thy foundations with sapphires, and I will make thy windows of agates." It is all GOD's work, from the, beginning to the end; for who can build unto GOD a living temple to dwell in, but himself This the prophet speaks plainly, where he says, " The man whose name is the Branch, he shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build it." It lies in the power of no man to make such a building as this is. What wild work do men make, when they will undertake to be building the church by their own wisdom, prudence, and counsel When they think, we will have the church of GOD thus and thus; and we will make it up of such and such men, and we will govern it by such and such laws, and we will get the power of the magistrate to back ours Poor men! that think these new heavens, wherein the Lord will dwell, must be the work of their own fingers; or that they can build the house of GOD all of precious stones; whereas this must be GOD's own work. When the building of the church is left to men, how woefully it is managed! Why, says one, we must needs admit such an one, he is the chief man in the parish, or he is a man of good esteem in the world, or he is a nobleman, or he is my near kinsman, or he is a good, civil, fair-dealing man; and thus will flesh and blood be ever making a carnal temple for GOD to dwell in; but GOD's true habitation can never be framed but by the Spirit.

Ver. 13. And thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. See here, how the prophet by the Spirit, carries up the saints above all visible and sensible things, even as high as GOD himself; GOD (says he to the church) shall build thee, and GOD shall teach thee; " all thy children shall be taught of the Lord." All the true and genuine children of the church have GOD's own teaching, in all the things of GOD; they have the Father and the Son to teach them by the Spirit. This truth CHRIST himself confirms, where he says, " It is written, that they shall all be taught of GOD; he therefore that has heard and learned of my Father, cometh to me." And again, " The Spirit, when he is come, shall lead you into all truth:" which doctrine John after preached thus, 1 John 2: 27, " The anointing, which ye have received of him, abides in you; and ye need not that ally man should teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you all things." Hereby we perceive, how few true children of the church there are among those who are commonly called Christians; for among all these, how few are there who have the teaching of GOD Most have their teaching only from men, and no higher.

Consider, therefore, I pray, whether the knowledge you have, be from the teaching of GOD, or the teaching of man. You all pretend to know, that CHRIST is the Son of the living GOD, and that redemption and salvation is by him alone; but how came you by this knowledge Did you read it Or did somebody tell you so Or has GOD himself taught you this " For no man knows the Son but the Father, and he to whom the Father will reveal him:" and therefore when Peter said, " You art CHRIST, the Son of the living GOD," CHRIST answered, " Flesh and blood has not taught thee this, but my Father which is in heaven." And so, though all of you profess yourselves Christians, yet none of you know CHRIST truly, but only such as•are taught of the Father. And this holds in all other points, as touching faith, justification, sanctification, and the gift and sealing of the Spirit, touching the spiritual kingdom of CHRIST, and the government of it; Oh! consider, whether you have the teaching of GOD in these things or not: for if you have

126 THE BEAUTY, TEACHING, &C.

not the teaching of GOD, you are none of the children of the church. Whatever truth you knows, if you have not the teaching of the Spirit, it will do thee no good. You knows not any thing spiritually and savingly, wherein you have not the teaching of GOD. And there-fore, what a sad thing is it, when men look for their teaching no farther than men When they only look to the minister, or to some able, learned, orthodox man; and what they shall teach them, they are resolved to stand by it; in the mean time, never regarding the teaching of GOD. But you will say, What! can so many grave, learned, Godly men err They that do thus, are none of the children of the spiritual church; for they neither have GOD's teaching, nor care for it; but the spiritual church is all taught of GOD.

But you will say, Does GOD teach without means I answer, no: GOD teacheth, but it is by the Word, and that chiefly in the ministry of it; and he that pretends to be taught of GOD without the Word, is not taught of GOD. And therefore no man is to despise the ministry of the Word, which is GOD's own ordinance, and to depend upon I know not what revelations, without the Word; seeing GOD teacheth all his children by the Word, and none without it. And therefore it is not the prophet's meaning, when he says, " All thy children shall be taught of the Lord," that they should neglect or despise the Word, and the ministry of it; but that we ought so to use the Word and the means, as not to look for our teaching from them, but from GOD himself, in and through them; and when you come to hear, not to think, I will hear what Mr. Such-an-one, or Mr. Such-one will say, " But I will hear what the Lord GOD will say." And truly, I would not care to hear what any man in the world should say, in whom CHRIST himself did not speak.

It follows:

And great shall be the peace of thy children.

That is, when men are taught of GOD, then there is nothing but peace among them. When GOD comes and teacheth thee, and me, and another, and many, then we all agree, and see all things by the same light, and apprehend all things by the same knowledge, and perceive all things by the same Spirit, because all have the same teaching. And so, they that are taught of GOD, though one come out of the East, and another out of the West, and another out of the South, and never had any former communion together, yet they all agree in the same truth, and think and speak the same things; and so there is love and amity, peace and unity among them, because they are all taught of GOD, and have learned the truth, not as it is in this or that man, but as it is in JESUS. When men know that no man is any thing in himself, but every one is all that he is, in CHRIST; and when men love CHRIST, merely for himself; and where they see most of CHRIST, there love most; then there is nothing but peace.

Ver. 14. In righteousness shall you be established,.

This spiritual church has need of establishment; for when GOD has dune all this for it, when he has built it, and taught it himself, it shall not want trouble and opposition, contradiction and persecution in the world, and therefore it stands in great need of establishment. But how shall this be done Not by any outward power or force, armies or fortifications, factions or confederacies; all these are but a staff of a reed; but in righteousness: and that is, both in the righteousness of CHRIST received by us, and working in us: the first is, the righteousness of justification; the second is, the righteousness of sanctification, and our establishment lies in both.

I. In the righteousness of justification, which is called the righteousness of faith, or CHRIST's own righteousness, received in us and in this sense it is said, " Except ye believe, ye shall, not be established." For by faith we partake of the righteousness of GOD through CHRIST; and this is an infinite, and everlasting righteousness, that has neither spot nor blemish in it; this is able to establish us for ever and ever. So that the church has no more establishment, than it has of the righteousness of CHRIST by faith; and as the church goes from faith to faith, so it goes from establishment to establishment.

2. Our establishment lies in the righteousness of sanctification; which is nothing but CHRIST working in us, as the former was CHRIST received by us. For the same CHRIST that is the righteousness of our justification, is the righteousness of our sanctification. Now the establishment of the church is, when we let the righteousness of CHRIST work all in us, and we work all in the righteousness of CHRIST; then are we established mightily and invincibly indeed; and how much the Christians swerve from this rule, so much they become weak and unsettled. Some-times Christians will be acting and working according to human wisdom, and the counsels of flesh and blood, but in all this they have no establishment at all. And therefore ye that are faithful, see to it that ye turn not aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left, through any worldly hopes or fears, but do ye live and act in the righteousness of CHRIST; and as the Lord lives, though you have kingdoms and nations for your enemies, you shall be established more firmly than the earth.

You shall he far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. The fear and terror he speaks of here, is inward fear and terror, from which the church shall be free, in the midst of all outward evils. For though the church be full of danger and persecution without, yet it is free from fear and terror within. Nay, the church has trouble without, but peace within; affliction without, joy within; weakness without; strength within; imprisonment without, liberty within; persecution without, content within. Against all the sorrows and sufferings of the flesh, they have refreshings, comforts, triumphs in the Spirit; and so they rejoice in tribulations, and in the midst of evil, are satisfied with good.

Ver. 15. Behold they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake. A very strange thing it is, that the spiritual church, being thus built, and taught, and established, any should yet be so blind and mad, as to engage against it; and yet the world does this; yea, the more pure and spiritual the church is, the more enmity the world and formalists have against it. " Behold they shall surely gather together." When they shall see the churches gathering together into the true communion of saints, then will they gather themselves together against the churches. And why do these men blame the churches for gathering together unto CHRIST, when they themselves gather together against the church, as we daily see Indeed the gathering together of the saints, the world does most hate of all other things. Oh, this is a terrible thing to them; it makes their hearts ache within them, and looseth the joints of their loins; they think, their exaltation will be their own abasement, their own scattering; and their glory, their own shame; and their strength, their own undoing; and out of these conceits they act so strongly and furiously, to scatter abroad again CHRIST's own gatherings together. They think this is surely a plot of ours, and that we have a great design in hand; and so we have indeed, but the design is not our design, but GOD's, contrived in eternity, and discovered to Daniel, chap. 2: And this is " the setting up a kingdom of saints in the world." The world thinks we are subtil and mighty, whereas they are clearly mistaken in us; for the wisdom and strength whereby this is done, is GOD's and not ours. It is the Lord must build this spiritual church, and set it up in the world; and preserve it against the world, and cause it to increase, till it fill the world; so that the design and the' accomplishment of it belong to GOD, and not to us; and they that are displeased at it, let them go and quarrel against GOD. Yea, this place is not only to be understood of those that are open enemies without the church, but of a generation in it, that are not of it; and so the gathering together against the church shall be in the church. The " children that are born after the flesh" will " be persecuting them that are born after the Spirit:" They shall gather together, " but not by me." The saints gather together by GOD, having the Spirit of GOD to bring them into union and communion; but the carnal church gathers together against the spiritual, not by GOD, but without him, for worldly ends, profits, and advantages. But mark the end of such gathering together. "Whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake."

The Lord loves the church, the body of CHRIST, even as he loves JESUS CHRIST himself; he loves head and members with the same love. " The Lord's people are his portion" on earth, as he is their's in heaven; and so he will give "nations and kingdoms for them;" and has said, "The nations and kingdoms that will not serve thee, shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." Oh! that this kingdom would avoid this evil, as they would escape this end!

 

Ver. 16. Behold I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work, I have created the waster to destroy. That is, I have formed him (says GOD,) that makes the sword, and gun, and pike, and that prepares the ammunition; and both he that makes the weapon, and he that uses it, are in my hands, and they only shall do what I would have them to do, and no more: So that though you art a small, weak, despised, persecuted people, thy safety, protection, blessing, lies in me, and in my power, and wisdom, and love. Therefore thine enemies may form cruel designs, and intend much mischief;

Ver. 17. But no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.

GOD blunts the edge of the weapon, and weakens the hand, and puts fear in the heart of him that uses it; and so no weapons that have been used have prospered hitherto; and if any more weapons shall be used here-after, they shall be as unprosperous as these.

And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, you shall condemn. Two ways, you see, the enemies of the church assault the church, by their hands and by their tongues; and this latter way is the more dangerous of the two: by the former, they scourge the church with rods, by this latter with scorpions. This weapon of the tongue is the most dangerous weapon that ever was used against the church, in any age, and the last refuge of the devil and his instruments to annoy the church. And thus, when the enemy fails at the strength of his weapons, he undertakes again with the malice of his tongue. Them that profess the truth, he clothes with odious names, and loads with base aspersions. "Their tongues rise up in judgment against them:" it intimates they shall have specious pretences against the church. " Oh! (say they,) these are the men that would turn the world upside down; that make the nation full of tumults and uproars, that work all the disturbance in church and state; it is fit such men should he suppressed: it will never be a quiet world, till some course be taken with them, that we may have truth and peace again." And thus they have fair pretences against the Christians, and use the glorious names of truth, peace, and government, to the destruction of them all. And this is the sense of these words, for their " tongues to rise up in judgment against them."

And as the enemy strikes with their tongue against them that profess the truth, so also against the truth professed by them; and this they call, by way of reproach, new light; as their predecessors, at the breaking forth of. the gospel in this kingdom, called it new learning; yea, they call the truth error; and the very mind of CHRIST in the word, heresy; and the power of GODliness, enthusiasm; and this grieves the saints a thousand times more than any personal reproaches, to hear the truth, and the spirit of the gospel, despised, spoken against, and blasphemed; this is that which fetches not only tears from their eyes, but even drops of blood from their hearts; the truth of GOD being much dearer to them than their estates, or names, or lives.

But see how GOD conquers this weapon of the enemy's tongue to the faithful, as well as the former weapons of their hands: " Every tongue that riseth up in judgment against thee, you shall condemn." All that speak and rage, rail and reproach, slander, vilify, and abuse the saints, either by their tongues or pens, you by thy up-rightness, integrity, innocency, truth, faithfulness, shall condemn them. Thy ways and thy works shall be the condemnation of all thine enemies; and their slanders shall be done away as a mist before the sun, and thy righteousness shall break forth in that clearness, brightness and strength, that they shall sit down astonished; and they shall be condemned, not only by the word and by the faithful, but by all the common morality of the world, yea, and by their own conscience; so that they shall carry their guilt with them night and day, and shall not be able to look them in the face, whom they have so reproached: yea, the whole world shall see the faithfulness and integrity of the saints of GOD, and shall justify them, and condemn their enemies. And this shall certainly he done, as sure as the Word of GOD is true, and as sure as the Lord lives to make good his" word. For, This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.

That is, you shall have this by as sure right as any man has an inheritance that is entailed upon him, This is your heritage, O ye servants of the Lord, to make void the force of every weapon that is used against you, and to condemn every tongue that judges you. This promise is our portion, and the lot of our inheritance; and in this we rejoice that while we serve the Lord truly and faith-fully, neither the hands nor tongues of the enemy shall hurt us; but in the end we shall be more than conquerors over all. Let my portion fall in this pleasant place, and I shall have a goodly heritage.

And their righteousness is of me, says the Lord. That is, these servants of mine are not men of a moral righteousness only, but they partake of the righteousness of GOD in CHRIST; "Their righteousness is of me:" Or thus, though they are sinners before the world, (for as the’world reckons their own sin for righteousness, so it reckons GOD's righteousness for sin,) yet they are righteous before me, and in my eyes. So that, however the world reckons us evil-doers, and not worthy to live in the world, yet GOD reckons us righteous, and our righteousness is before him.

 

A DISCOURSE, TOUCHING THAT OFFENCE WHICH THE WORLD TAKES AGAINST CHRIST.

Preached at Cambridge, about the year 1647.

MATT. 11: 6.

And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me.

 

THESE words are the conclusion of CHRIST's answer to that question which John the Baptist propounded to him by two of his disciples, himself being in prison: The question was this, " Art you he that should come, or do we look for another" Writers conclude, that John propounded this question to CHRIST, not that he himself did doubt whether CHRIST was the true Messiah, or not, seeing he had before given so clear a testimony to CHRIST, that he was " the Lamb of GOD that takes away the sins of the world," and had also baptized him with water, and had seen at that time " the heavens opening, and the Spirit of GOD as a dove descending and resting on CHRIST," and had heard the Father's own voice, saying, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Wherefore, they say, that John himself could not possibly, after all this, doubt of CHRIST; and therefore that he did not propound this question by his disciples for his own sake, but for theirs, that they who before had envied CHRIST for their master's sake, and would rather have had John to have been the Messias, might now be assured and fully instructed touching CHRIST by himself.

It is not impossible, however, but John might propound this question for his own sake. For though, when he lived in peace and freedom, he had a clear revelation from the Father, touching the Son by the Spirit, and had accordingly clearly spoken of CHRIST to others, yet now, being in prison, and near death, he might be brought by great tribulation and temptation, to doubt of all that truth which before he had been taught of GOD. For we know not what place the Gospel of GOD our Savior has in us till tribulation comes; and so mach of the true knowledge of CHRIST, and of true faith in CHRIST we have indeed, as we have strength in such hours. That truth which we confess freely in prosperity, we are fain to begin to learn again in tribulation; and tribulation makes us learn the truth over again the second time; it makes us to learn that in experience, which before we had learned only in doctrine.

But to leave this matter, whether John proposed this question for his own or for his disciple's sake, CHRIST returns him this answer by his disciples: " Go, and show John again those things you see and hear. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them:" And now let John himself resolve his own question, "Whether I am the true CHRIST, or not. "Go show John the things you see and hear." CHRIST does not say in plain terms, he was the CHRIST; he would have his works and word declare what he was, that our faith might have a sure foundation.

1. CHRIST would be known by his works. "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, te deaf hear, the d'ea'd. ate Ishied up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." And so every where in the gospel, CHRIST would be known to be what he was by works; particularly in John 10: 24, when the Jews came about him, and said, " How long dost you make us doubt If you be the CHRIST, tell us plainly:" JESUS answered them, ver. 25, " I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me."

Thus you see that CHRIST will be known by his works. For he cannot he hid where he is present and dwells; but when this " Word was made flesh," that is, "came into the flesh," it did manifest itself to be in that flesh, by doing the works of GOD; and without the works of GOD, the presence of the Eternal Word in the flesh of CHRIST had not been known. Wherefore CHRIST is called "GOD manifested in the flesh," and not hidden; and he was manifested to be GOD in the flesh, by doing the works of GOD.

And as CHRIST is known by his works in himself, the head, so also in the church, his body; for wherever CHRIST's presence is, there also are his works; and where his works are not, there neither is his presence. if CHRIST be present in our hearts by faith, his works will be manifest in our lives. " But it is not necessary for every Christian to do the works of CHRIST here mentioned; to wit, to cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the like." I answer, There are other works of CHRIST besides these, which are inseparable from his presence; as, the work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope; together with the self-denial of CHRIST; the meekness, lowliness, goodness, long-suffering, heavenly-mindedness of CHRIST; as also his readiness and diligence to do the will'of GOD, and his cheerfulness to suffer it; these works every one ought to perform that is a Christian, that so CHRIST may be still known by his works; as the apostle says, " show me thy faith by thy works;" that is, Let me know the presence of CHRIST in thee by the works of CHRIST. And thus is CHRIST known by his works, both in himself and his members.

Thus much touching the:voric of CHRIST in general. Now for the kind of works which CHRIST did; as, to give eyes to the blind, and strength to the lame." They are all such works as the prophets had foretold the Messias should perform; as lsai. xxxv. 5: "Behold GOD will come and save you: then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf be unstopped; then shall the lame plan leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing:" And he that did those things, thus foretold by the Spirit, must needs be the true CHRIST. And thus CHRIST does here describe himself by his own works, as one whose business lies with the poor, lame, blind, and all sorts of diseased, afflicted, sorrowful, and distressed persons; these he comprehends in the greatest love, and pities with the tenderest bowels, and minds with the greatest care and diligence, and relieves, helps, and saves them perfectly. Whence we learn, that CHRIST's kingdom brings good to all, but it receives nothing from any body; for it carries in it all the unsearchable riches of GOD, and stands in need of nothing that man can do. Wherefore it entertains not the rich, and full, and noble, and honorable of the world, and such as abound already, and have enough in themselves and the creatures; but only the poor, and needy, and afflicted, and desolate; and it supplies these freely and richly.

Again: As CHRIST is known by his works, so also by his word; and therefore he says, " Go, show John the things you hear, as well as the things you see;" and that is, that "the poor have the gospel preached to them." For CHRIST's works and CHRIST's word do always go together. CHRIST's life is always accompanied with CHRIST's doctrine. CHRIST's works and CHRIST's word go always together, both in himself, the head, and in the true church, his body. Wherefore CHRIST says, " Go, show to John the things you see and hear:" the things you see; " the blind receive their sight:" the things you hear; " the poor have the gospel preached to them."

The Gospel is the free promise of GOD, in which nothing but mere love, mercy, and grace is offered in JESUS CHRIST to them that believe, though they be never so great and grievous sinners. Particularly, this gospel is preached to the poor; to the poor in spirit; such as do not love, nor desire, nor delight in present things, but are so afflicted with the sense of sin and wrath, that they regard not the world, nor the riches, pleasures, and honors of it; but all they mind, or care for, is JESUS CHRIST, the love of GOD, the remission of sins, and the gift of the Spirit. These are the poor to whom CHRIST preaches the gospel, and they only regard the gospel; whilst the lovers of this world, and the lovers of themselves and this present life, care not for it.

And as CHRIST is known by his word, in himself the head, so also in the church, his body. For wherever CHRIST is present, there is his word, as well as his works; and where CHRIST's true word is not, neither is his presence there. Wherefore all the faithful, as they have received the Gospel themselves, so they hold it forth to others upon all opportunities. And thus you have seen how CHRIST gives forth himself to be known by his works and by his word.

Now, CHRIST having returned this full and satisfactory answer to John, he' adds this in the conclusion, " And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." For, notwithstanding that the works and words of CHRIST are the works and words of GOD in the flesh, yet the wisdom and prudence, the religion and righteousness of the world find much matter of offence in JESUS CHRIST; wherefore CHRIST says, " Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me."

In discoursing touching the offence which is taken against CHRIST by men; I shall show,

I. Who are they that are offended at CHRIST.

II. What those things are whereat they are offended, and why they are offended at them.

III. What a great evil it is to be so offended.

IV. What a great blessedness it is not to be so offended. And,

V. Make some use of all.

I. Who they are that are offended at CHRIST. And here I affirm first, that the whole world in general is offended at CHRIST; for they living without the Spirit of faith, must needs offended at CHRIST, by all those scandals which are raised up against CHRIST by the devil and men; and they suck in as readily as a spring does water whatever aspersions and reproaches are raised against him: and therefore says CHRIST, Matt. 18: 17, " Wo be to the world, because of offences;" for offences must needs come, and the world will needs receive them, and therefore wo be to the world. So that the whole world, that is, whosoever are not true believers, are all offended at CHRIST and his Gospel; all the children of the first Adam are offended at the second Adam, who is wholly unlike them, yea, and in all things contrary to them.

Yea, secondly, not only the common people of the world, vulgar and contemptible men, but all the chief and choice men of the world, kings of the earth, and rulers, and judges, and magistrates, (as in Psalm 2:) and all the best, and most learned, wise, and great, and most honorable men, are offended at CHRIST, 1 Con 2: 8, whom none of the princes of this world knew; he means it of philosophers as well as of secular powers; and not knowing him, they crucified him.

And not only the world but also the worldly and carnal church, is very much offended at CHRIST. This we see in CHRIST's time, that the only visible church in the world, the church of the Jews, which had the law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, and observed all the outward ordinances of GOD, were all offended at CHRIST, and made an order, that whosoever acknowledged him should be excommunicated, cast out of the synagogue.

And yet this is not all: for not only the carnal Christians, but the carnal clergy are offended at CHRIST; and not only the common people of the national church, but many of the chief rulers, of the" most eminent, and in appearance most holy and orthodox of the clergy, are above all others grievously offended at CHRIST This also we see was the case in CHRIST's time, when the Scribes, and Pharisees, and rulers of the people, men of great reputation and renown for religion, were above the rest of the church offended at CHRIST. And this was foretold, Psalm exviii. 22, " The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner;" this rejected stone is CHRIST himself, and these builders were the chief rulers and governors of the church; and accordingly both CHRIST and the apostles applied this Scripture to them. So that many of the builders that teach, and instruct, and govern the church, and are reputed the best, and most profitable and necessary men in it, yea, the very pillars of the church, so that it is thought all would come to ruin without them, these are the men that are most offended at CHRIST.

Now when the people see the rulers and governors of the church, who are thought to have more knowledge, learning, light, and religion than others, offended at CHRIST, this exceedingly increases their offence; when they see the builders rejecting this stone, this causes them to reject him with the greater indignation. And thus you see, that this offence at CHRIST is spread over all the world and worldly church, and very few there are who escape it. And this for the first thing.

II. I am to show, what are the things in CHRIST at which they are offended, and why they are offended at them. The world and the worldly church are offended, 1. At CHRIST himself; 2. At his true word; 3. At his true worship; 4. At his true church; 5. At his true government. Of these things I shall speak in order, and shall desire to be so faithful to CHRIST, as not to depart one hair's breadth from his truth, though it may be that all, or the greatest part of you, should be grievously offended at it.

I begin with the first, and will show that the world and worldly church are offended:-1. At CHRIST himself. And at him they are offended in many regards: of which I shall mention the following. 1. They are offended at the meanness of his outward condition in the world. For indeed he was in a very low and contemptible condition in the days of his flesh, an ordinary tradesman in his town, and lived with Joseph in his trade of a carpenter. They thought the CHRIST, of whom such excellent things were spoken, should be some great prince, or learned priest; and that that mean condition in which he was could in no measure be suitable to the true CHRIST; and for this cause they were greatly offended at him, and thought. him not worthy to be in any place of reckoning.

2. They were offended that he being in so mean a condition, John the Baptist should yet speak such high things of him, and he of himself. John the Baptist testified of him, that he was the a only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father; the Lamb of GOD that takes away the sins of the world; and that he who did believe in him, had everlasting life; and that he who did not should not see life, but the wrath of GOD should abide on him." And these all were wonderful things, to be spoken of one whose condition in the world was so plain and contemptible. And as John had spoken these things of CHRIST, so CHRIST every where gave forth himself as the Son of GOD, and said, he and his Father were one. And this exceedingly offended the Jews, who " sought to kill him, not only because he had broken the sabbath, but also because he had said GOD was his Father, making himself equal with GOD."

3. They were offended at CHRIST, because in him was no human or worldly thing which any natural man could possibly like or delight in. He exercised no worldly wit, wisdom, learning, nor any thing that might commend him to the world. There was nothing in him but the presence of GOD, the righteousness of GOD, the nature of GOD, the Spirit of GOD: and GOD was all in all in CHRIST; and GOD is wholly contrary to the world, and the world to GOD: and so the world and worldly church were wholly offended at CHRIST.

4. They were offended at the reports that went commonly abroad touching CHRIST, raised for the most part by the scribes, and pharisees, and rulers of the church, who gave out that he was a sabbath-breaker, a blasphemer, a glutton and wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, and that he had a devil, and was mad. These were the common reports that were divulged touching CHRIST, and that by the teachers of the best repute iii the church; and the common people believed them, and thereupon were horribly offended both at CHRIST's doctrine and works.

5. They were offended at him because of his shameful cross and sufferings. And herein lay the heighth and depth of that offence; for the ecclesiastical power condemned him as a deceiver and blasphemer, and they also prevailed with the secular power to condemn him as a seditious person; and so after all the works of GOD which he had done, and words of GOD which he had taught, they at last crucified him between two thieves, by the common consent of all the people. And in all this suffering nobody offered him the least pity, but the common people mocked him, and said, He saved others, but cannot save himself. And thus much for their offence at CHRIST himself.

2. The world is offended at CHRIST's true Word.

1. Because it is the word of faith; the word of faith, and not of sense; the word of faith, and not of works. For this word of faith is wholly a Spiritual word, and has nothing in it that is suitable to flesh and blood; nothing in it that pleases the fancy, or understanding of man; nothing wherein a natural or carnal heart can take pleasure.

2. They are offended at the Word, because it exalts CHRIST alone, and in him the power of GOD, and the wisdom of GOD, and the righteousness of GOD, and the things of GOD; and cries down all the things of the world in which men trust and delight, and all the common religion and righteousness of the world, and makes CHRIST all in all.

3. They are offended at this Word, because it cannot be learned as human arts and sciences can, by the teaching of man, together with their own pains and endeavors, but only by the teaching of' GOD and his Spirit; as it is written, they (that is the true children of the spiritual church) shall be taught of GOD. All my divinity, (said Luther), consists in this, that I believe that CHRIST only is the Lord, and neither my grammar nor Hebrew tongue taught me this, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit. Now when GOD teacheth us his Word himself, we have another understanding of it. than other men who hear and read the same outward words, and yet want this inward teaching. And this offends the carnal Christians grievously, that the spiritual Christians have another knowledge of the Word than they. Whereupon they thus break out, " What! are you the only men who have the Word of GOD, and is all wisdom and knowledge comprehended in your breasts And do you know more of the mystery of CHRIST than the grave and learned men who have studied the Scriptures all their life" And thus they are greatly offended.

4. They are, offended at this Word, because it discovers the wickedness of the world. The world does not seem the thousandth part so wicked any where as it does where the Gospel comes. For where this clear light of GOD shines, and the Word comes in truth and power, there not only the wickedness of the world appears out of measure wicked, but also the religion and righteousness, works and duties of the carnal Christians, are manifested to be the deceivableness of unrighteousness, and wholly contrary to CHRIST, the righteousness of GOD, and so nothing else but a more plausible way to death and hell. Where the Word of CHRIST comes in power, there many who before seemed very religious people, and very quiet and peaceable men, become full of wrath, and rage, and enmity against it, and call it error, heresy, and blasphemy, and so spit in the very face of the truth and Gospel of CHRIST. And no man could ever have imagined they had been such children of the devil before the Word came, Thus by the coming of CHRIST, the thoughts of many hearts are revealed, and that unbelief and enmity against CHRIST, which before lay hid, is discovered and brought forth by the preaching of the Word, as we have seen heretofore, and still see by daily experience; and for this cause also many are offended.

5. They are offended at the true Word, because every where so few entertain and embrace it: as when CHRIST himself preached, there were very few in all Judea and Jerusalem that entertained his doctrine. Now this makes many offended at it, that when it comes to any town or people the far greater part should reject it, and speak evil of it; and they for the most part the greatest, wisest, and most learned men, and that only a few poor and contemptible people should receive it.

6. Lastly, they are offended because the true Word of CHRIST, where it comes with the demonstration of the Spirit, brings troubles, tumults, stirs, and uproars in the world, according to that of CHRIST, Matt. 10: 34, " I came not to send peace but a sword; for I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." For the true Word of CHRIST is such a sword as cuts in sunder all natural and civil relations, and takes away the peace of any place where it comes in power. The Lord says by the prophet, Is not my Word as fire And this Word comes to burn up all the corrupt manners, fashions, customs, yea all the lusts and sins of the world, and all Antichristian doctrine. And when this fire begins to burn any where, presently all the people are in an uproar, and lay all their heads, and use all their hands together to quench it. So that wherever the true Word comes, the" Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing; the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against it, and say, Let us break these bonds in sunder, and cast away these cords from us," which no flesh and blood, especially the rich, wise, learned, honorable, would endure to be bound in. Now this exceedingly offends; for, say they, before this kind of Word came in, all things were quiet and in good order: but since this new doctrine came in, all things are full of trouble and mischief; and therefore they reckon this the cause of all these evils.

But yet the cause of all these tumults is not truly in the Word, but in the world, and in the devil. CHRIST will have his Christians to publish his Word, and thereby to gather together his elect unto him. Now the world, and the devil, the prince of it, will not suffer this to be done quietly; and hence arise all tumults. The devil, who has the first possession of the world, would have all things quiet, that he might keep his possession: CHRIST will not suffer it so to be, but will have all those whom his Father has given him out of the devil's possession, by the might and efficacy of his Word; but the devil will not endure that this should be done quietly, but stirs up all the world against the Word. And so wherever the Word comes in truth, there are always troubles and uproars; but where the Word is preached, and the world is quiet, that for certain is not the true Word of GOD. And thus much for their offence at the true Word of CHRIST.

3. They are offended at his true Worship. For CHRIST under the New Testament has instituted a new worship, and this the world are also greatly offended at. Because this worship is spiritual, and has nothing carnal in it; according to that of CHRIST, John 4: 23, "The hour cometh, and now is, that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. GOD is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth;" and there is no worship in truth, but that which is in spirit.

Now spiritual worship stands in faith, hope, and love, whereby our old nature is mortified, and we bring forth spiritual fruit unto GOD and to our brother. And this worship at all times, and in all places, may be performed by true believers. And so accordingly all true believers, at all times, and in all places, believe in GOD, and trust in him, and fear him, and love him, and delight in him, and speak good of his name, and also do good to their brother, in instructing, teaching, exhorting, comforting him, and helping him as freely as CHRIST has helped them.

Now the world is greatly offended at this spiritual worship; and that first, because it makes no great show, nor presents any glorious outside to it, and so they despise it as a notional or melancholy thing. And secondly, because this is wholly out of the power of the natural man, and no man by his natural abilities can attain there-unto. Wherefore they are offended at this kind of worship, and would have none but that which stands in outward works and duties, ceremonies and observation of days, times, places, and persons.

4. They are offended at the true church of CHRIST. 1. Because CHRIST under the New Testament has set up a new church, which is not outward and visible, as the church of the Old Testament was; neither carries in it any worldly pomp, power, and glory, as the church of Antichrist doth, but is spiritual and invisible, and as utterly unknown to the world as CHRIST himself. The true church under the new law is the congregation of spiritual men, gathered together in one faith, hope, and love, in one Spirit, in one CHRIST, in one GOD. It is the company of the faithful and elect which have CHRIST for their head. This church is conceived and formed, brought forth, and brought up, fed and clothed, strengthened and adorned, protected and perfected by the word of faith alone: yea, the whole nature, life, and being of this church is in the word of faith.

2. They are offended at this church, because it is the habitation of GOD, wherein he himself is present, is manifested, speaks, works, reigns, is glorified, and is all in all in it; and so it will not receive unto itself any thing of the power, wisdom, and righteousness of man. They are much offended to hear that this church is the temple of the living GOD, and that the members of i~ are filled with all the fullness of GOD. This does so exceedingly offend them that it causes them to blaspheme, in crying out against this doctrine of the Spirit of GOD as blasphemy.

3. They are offended at this church, because usually GOD calls into it not the great and honorable, and wise, and learned, but mean, plain, and simple people, according to that of St. Paul, 1 Con 1: 26, " You see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but GOD has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and GOD has chosen the weak things of the world, and things which are despised has GOD chosen, to confound the mighty, and base things of the world, yea, and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are." So that this true church consists of a small company of poor, mean, simple, base, and despised men in the eyes of the world; yea, of such, who in their judgment, deserve to have no being in the world. And who, say they, would join themselves to such a congregation

4. The great and worldly-wise are much offended at this church because of its outward afflicted condition, it having fellowship with CHRIST in all his sufferings; and so is always reproached, despised, slandered, torn, spit on, buffeted, crucified, and mocked; for all, most, or some of these sufferings, the spiritual church is never privileged in the world. And by reason of these things the visage of the true church seems foul, deformed, and offensive in the eyes of men. And thus much for their offence at the true church.

5. They are opened at the true government of this church.

I. In that CHRIST will have none brought to his church by outward violence and compulsion, but in the day of his power, (that is, of the Gospel): he only entertains the willing people, and compels nobody against their wills.

2. They are offended at his government, in that CHRIST does nothing in his church by the secular at m, but by his Word and Spirit; and these alone are infinitely- sufficient to do all that CHRIST would have done in his kingdom.

3. In that he will have us " to love our enemies, and to do good to them that do evil to us, and to pray for them that persecute us and despitefully use us;" he will not have us to be enemies to any, or to do evil to any, or to persecute and use despite to any. Ile will have us to beware of false prophets, but not. to destroy them; and to avoid heretics, but not to kill;:hero; and „-ill have neither of them burnt with any fire but the fire of love.

4. In that he will have all things in his kingdom ordered and done only by the law of love, and nothing by violence or compulsion. Now this kind of government of the true church does grievously offend the world, becam=e they know no government of the church at all but that of the ecclesiastical and civil power intermingled. For they want faith to commit the government of CHRIST's own church to his own care, by his Word and Spirit. And thus they are offended at this true government also.

Thus have I declared how the world and worldly church are offended at CHRIST and his Word, and worship, and church, and government; and so consequently at all his things. And now I proceed to the third general 1 pro-pounded; to wit, to show,

III. How great an evil it is to be thus offended at CHRIST. And this appears in many particulars.

1. One evil is, that to be offended at CHRIST is a certain evidence that men are wholly ignorant of CHRIST and of GOD, though they be called Christians, and have the name of GOD in their mouths. For if men knew CHRIST aright, and GOD in CHRIST, it were impossible they should be offended at him. And inasmuch as they are offended, it is certain they do not know him by any revelation from the Father. Wherefore CHRIST tells his disciples, John 16: 3, that the chief ground of that offence, which the world should take against them who are his true members, is, because they have not known the Father, nor him.

2. They that arc offended at CHRIST lose all that spiritual and eternal advantage that comes by CHRIST to true believers; namely, the love of GOD, reconciliation with GOD, the righteousness, wisdom, and power, and all the fullness of GOD in CHRIST; and JESUS CHRIST is wholly in vain to them.

3. They that are offended at CHRIST are utterly ruined through such offence: wherefore CHRIST is called " a stone of stumbling, and rock of offence, to them that are disobedient and stumble at the Word:" and he is said to be set for the fall and ruin of many in Israel; and Matt. 21: 44, CHRIST says, " Whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to powder." For whoever stufnbles, or dashes against this stone, dashes against GOD himself in the nature of man. He dashes against the counsel of GOD, against the wisdom of GOD, against the love, mercy, righteousness, truth, and power of GOD; against the eternal Word and Spirit of GOD; and no man perishes like that man. For he incurs all that wrath, vengeance, destruction, damnation, which the Lord GOD himself in all his infinite wisdom, knowledge, righteousness, justice, and power, can inflict on him to all eternity, and so he is indeed ground to powder.

'Yea, farther, that man that stumbles against CHRIST is not only ruined by such offence, but ruined without all hope of recovery. They that are broken against him are broken " in pieces like a potter's vessel," which can never be made up again; they that fall against him never rise again; they that are ruined by him are never repaired again. If a man were dashed in pieces by Moses, he might be repaired again by CHRIST; but he that is destroyed by the Savior, by whom shall he be saved He that was condemned by the justice of GOD for sin, might recover again by the love and mercy of GOD in CHRIST; but he that is destroyed by the love and mercy of GOD, is past all hope and remedy.

This now have I spoken in faithfulness to JESUS CHRIST, and in faithfulness to all that hear, that they may avoid that ruin which will otherwise inevitably befall them for their offence at CHRIST and his Gospel. And now let them that can receive it, receive it; and let them that cannot, deride and reject it. But whether you receive it, or whether you reject it, sure 1 am I have spoken the truth, which GOD himself in his due time will witness to.

IV. The fourth point is, the blessedness of them that are not offended at CHRIST, according to CHRIST's Word here, " Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." Now those very few that are not offended at CHRIST when the whole world are offended, their blessedness appears in many particulars.

1. As first, in that it is evident they all are taught of GOD, and have heard and learned from the Father himself touching the Son. They see CHRIST by the revelation of the Father. Wherefore when the world had many opinions of CHRIST, and Peter notwithstanding acknowledged him to be the Son of the living GOD, CHRIST replied, " Blessed art You, Simon, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but my Father which is in heaven." And this is thy blessedness, that you knows me by the revelation of the Father, and so knows me aright, and art not offended. He then that is not offended at CHRIST when all other men are, has for certain the Father's teaching, and secs CHRIST far otherwise than the world do. He sees CHRIST in all his mystery, and in all his glory. And when we see him thus, we value him never the worse for the form of a servant, nor for all his reproaches and sufferings from the world, but we rather behold these things with the greater wonder and comfort; seeing for our sakes he humbled himself from the form of GOD to the form of a servant, and in that form to the death of the cross.

2. They are blessed, because through this revelation of the Father they have true faith in CHRIST wrought in them. For true faith in CHRIST does necessarily follow the Father's revelation; all when GOD teaches us CHRIST, we must needs believe in hint; and through this faith we know him by experience. And he that knows CHRIST through the experience of faith, finds and feels CHRIST to be all that to him which the Scripture speaks of him. He through this faith feels CHRIST to be made unto him of GOD wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and CHRIST being through faith made all that to him which he is in himself, it is not possible he should be offended at him. Farther, through this experience of faith CHRIST becomes precious to him, as Peter says, I Pet. 2: 7, " To you who believe he is precious:" that very CHRIST, which to others is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, is precious to them that have faith; so precious, that they esteem all the greatest- and most excellent things in the world but dross and dung in comparison of him. And such believers have chosen to part with their liberty, their estates, their relations, and their own lives, (all which arc precious things in themselves) rather than they would part with this infinitely more precious CHRIST.

V. I now proceed to maim sonic use of all. The first use is, to warn all men of all sorts that they take special care that they be not offended at CHRIST, and the things of CHRIST. You have heard that the world, and the wisest and greatest of the world are offended at CHRIST; and you have beard also how great an evil it is to be offended, and how great a blessedness it is not to be offended; wherefore I advise you to take care that you he not found amongst them who are offended at CHRIST. But you will be ready to say, " We are not offended at CHRIST; we love, honor, and embrace both CHRIST and the things of CHRIST." To this I answer, Many say they are not offended at CHRIST, and think so too, who yet indeed are grievously offended at him. For, First, he that is offended at the true Word of CHRIST, is offended at CHRIST himself, who is present in that Word; wherefore says Peter, I Pet. 2: 8, " He is a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to them that stumble at the Word." host people adore the outward name of CHRIST, but yet cannot endure the true Word of CHRIST. Now all that are offended at the true spiritual Word and right doctrine of the Gospel, are offended at CHRIST himself, and stumble at that stumbling-stone. And thus multitudes are offended at CHRIST, who think themselves very free from this sin.

Secondly, they that are offended at true believers are offended at CHRIST himself. For they are in the world as he was, and walk as he walked; and they are one flesh and Spirit with him; they are his members, they are himself: for CHRIST is the self-same both in himself the head, and in believers his members. And these are the children of GOD, together with him the First-born; these partake of the same divine nature, and have the same Spirit dwelling in them, in the same righteousness, wisdom, grace, and truth, and there is no difference between CHRIST and them but what is between the head and the members, the First-born and his brethren. And so they that are offended at these, would as certainly be offended at CHRIST himself if he had lived in their time, or if they had lived in his. Yea, they who are offended at CHRIST in believers, would much more have been offended at CHRIST in himself, because what is in a Christian only in part, was fully in CHRIST; what is in a Christian in a small measure, was in CHRIST without measure; and there was in CHRIST a far more glorious presence and manifestation of GOD than in any Christian; and proportionably would they have been offended at him in himself, who are truly offended at him in his members.

Thirdly, they who are offended at the sufferings which come on Christians, are offended at CHRIST himself,,. because they suffer not on their own account, but on CHRIST's; and the cross they take up and bear is his, and not their own. If they would live as other men in the common religion of the nation, and make use of the form of Godliness without the power, then might they live as quietly and prosperously as other men; but because they cleave only to CHRIST, and take him for their only Master in the things of GOD, and do receive his Word in faith, therefore the world hates them; as CHRIST said, " I have given them thy Word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world."

2. Let all men take heed, as not to be offended them-selves at CHRIST, so also not to be offended with the offences of others. But when we see the whole world offended at CHRIST, let ustake care that we be not there-fore offended also; but let us consider,

(1.) That it is no new thing that CHRIST and his Gospel should be stumbled at; for thus it has been ever since CHRIST was manifested in the flesh. In the days of his ministry many of his disciples said, " This is a hard saying, who can bear it" Yea, " many of his disciples murmured at his doctrine, and went back and walked no more with him." And all along during CHRIST's ministry, many were snared and stumbled, and fell, and were broken thereby; and he that is offended at this, must get him another CHRIST, and another Gospel; for the true CHRIST is set for a sign to be spoken against, and the true Gospel is set for a word of contradiction to the carnal Christians, and to the whole world. Wherefore when we see the world offended at CHRIST and his Gospel, let us know that thus it has been from the beginning; and let us know that as CHRIST and his Gospel are the same now as they were then, so the world, and Antichrist, and the devil are the same also; and therefore it cannot be but CHRIST and his Gospel must suffer the same contradiction in our time as they have done in all former times.

(2.) That we may not be offended with the general offence of others, let us consider that CHRIST and his Gospel are never the worse for the offence which the world takes at them, but CHRIST is still the Son of the living GOD, and the Gospel is still the power of GOD to salvation to every one that believes; and CHRIST and his Word do still remain a sure foundation for the true church of GOD; that " CHRIST crucified, who is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness," is notwithstanding to them who " believe the power of GOD, and the wisdom of GOD," 1 Cor. 1: 23, 24.

(3.) Let us consider that notwithstanding all the offence of men, CHRIST and his Gospel cannot be prevailed against. Men may be offended at CHRIST and his Word, but they cannot destroy them, they do and will still prevail against all things that oppose them. Wherefore, to deliver us from the scandal of all men's being offended against CHRIST, we are to consider that as all the world have been, are, and will be against CHRIST, so CHRIST and his kingdom shall rise up and increase against all the world, at all their thoughts and endeavors; and all their counsels, contrivances, and actings shall not be able to hinder the kingdom of CHRIST; but it shall arise and stand up in all its glory, out of the midst of all the offences and contradictions in the world. Wherefore CHRIST and his kingdom are called a tried stone; for he has long ago endured whatever the world could do against him, and whatever the might and malice of men and devils could do, and yet has overcome all. All that have opposed him have been dashed in pieces by him in the several ages of the world; and he and his kingdom still remain, and shall remain for ever.

3. In the third place I shall show you how believers ought to carry themselves in the midst of those offences that are taken against CHRIST, and against themselves for CHRIST's sake; that is, for his life and doctrine's sake.

First then we ought to be careful to abide in CHRIST, and to walk in CHRIST; to speak all our words, and to do all our works, and to live our whole life in CHRIST and in his Spirit, that so the world may not be offended at us, who are nothing and do nothing of ourselves, but at CHRIST in us, who is and does all in us. Secondly, To carry ourselves aright in the midst of offences, let us be sure that the Word we believe and hold forth is CHRIST's Word, and then we may be very confident that this truth and cause shall and must remain, how many adversaries soever it may have; and though the world and devil may rage against it, yet they shall never be able to overthrow it.

A true Christian must be able to say, I know the Word which I believe and profess is the only Word of the Lord GOD, and his everlasting and unchangeable truth, and the last manifestation of his will by his own Son; and whatever Word agreeth not herewith is false, and of the devil; and therefore by this Word will I stay though all the world be against me. And when we are thus certain of the Word of GOD through faith and the Spirit, it comforts the heart and makes it glad, and settles it in inward peace and rest, in the midst of all outward oppositions and troubles.

4. Lastly, I shall speak a few words to those in this university and town who are offended at CHRIST and his Gospel; and also a few words to those who (through the grace of GOD) have escaped this offence.

(I.) And first, for you who are offended at CHRIST and his Word, which is come among you in truth and in plainness, and are angry at it, storm at it, reproach it, and contrive how to resist it, and to hinder the free course of it in this place, because it is not only contrary to the philosophical divinity of the schools, and the common carnal religion of the nation, but also does reprove and condemn them, and will have the haughtiness of men bowed down, and the pride of men laid low, and the Lord JESUS CHRIST only exalted; I say, you that are thus offended, for this, cause, are offended at CHRIST himself, and at GOD in CHRIST, and you do stumble at the stumbling-stone, and shall so fall thereby as to be broken in pieces. Yea, this stone itself shall fall upon you, and shall grind you to powder, and you shall be punished " with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" and this destruction shall be poured on you with the greatest severity and wrath that GOD himself can inflict in all his infiniteness and eternity. Assuredly it had been much better for you that you had lived among the Pagans, where the Gospel of GOD our Savior had never been heard, than to hear this joyful sound (which manifests the love of GOD, and brings along with it remission of sins and the gift of the Spirit through faith in CHRIST,) and to be offended at it, and so to be destroyed by the Word of salvation, and to be immediately punished with eternal death by him who is the true GOD, and eternal life. And this is the heavy burthen which the Word of the Lord has laid on your shoulders, and you cannot remove it.

(2.) And then for you true believers, you little flock, you few chosen out of the many called, who hear the Word of CHRIST and are not offended at it, though you hear it every where, and that with both cars in this university and town, contradicted, misreported, reproached, scandalized, and called error, heresy, new light, faction, schism, sedition, and hear all manner of evil spoken against it falsely, not only by the rude and ignorant people, but also by the Scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites of this place; and yet for all these offences you are not offended at it, but own it, love and embrace it, notwithstanding all the disadvantages it has from this place, which is counted by carnal people the very fountain of religion and the ministry; to all such I say, by the Word of the Lord, blessed are ye, blessed of the Lord, for ye are all taught of GOD touching CHRIST, and have heard and learned the Son from the Father, and through this teaching you have true faith in CHRIST, and so know him by experience, whereupon CHRIST is most precious to you; and through this faith you are established on CHRIST, so that nothing from earth or hell can remove you.

This is your blessedness from the Lord; and the world and the devil shall never be able to make it void; and therefore go and eat your bread with cheerfulness, and he down and rise, and live in safety under the shadow of the Almighty, though in this world, and in this place, you dwell among bears and lions, and have your conversation in the midst of scorpions; for CHRIST himself has blessed you in himself, and you shall be blessed for ever; " Blessed is he whosoever shall not he offended in me."