Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

defiling the very name of Christianity, oppressing the good seed, and corrupting the earth. Read 2 Tim. iii. 2, &c., and see what a generation of Christian professors were to grow up (and did grow up) in the time of the apostasy.

IV. Of the State of the Church in its Recovery; or what State the Church shall be in after it is recovered out of the Apostasy.

THE state of the church after the apostasy, is to be like the state it was in before the apostasy, for purity, power, brightness, and glory, &c.; yea, shall it not be more glorious, after its coming through all this darkness, and shining over it, than it was before? The New Jerusalem is to come down from God out of heaven; the bride is to be clothed and adorned as the Lamb's wife, meet for the delight of her husband. The power and Spirit of the Lord, which cleanseth away all this rubbish, will make his truth shine, his church shine, his suffering lambs, that come out of the great tribulation, shine more than ever before. The Lord God Omnipotent will take his great power unto him to reign, and will reign according to his power in the hearts of his children, and over the carth. He will break that which stands in his way with a rod of iron; and he will embrace and exalt that which boweth to and kisseth the sceptre of his Son, who is to appear upon the holy hill of Zion: and the law is to go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; the power whereof shall break down the power of iniquity, and bring up the suffering seed into the dominion and glory of life.

In this restored state antichrist shall be worshipped no more, nor the beast, nor the dragon, who gave his power to the beast; but the Lord God shall be worshipped and magnified over all. It shall be said no more, Who can make war with the beast? after the Lamb hath overcome him; but, Who is like to thee, O Lord, O King of saints! who hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned, and

dost reign; who hast brought down this lofty city, and trod it under the feet of the poor, and made the steps of the needy to pass over it; who hast made it an heap, (the city fenced by all the might, wisdom, and power of man), a ruinous heap, a place no more for thy dear children to be captived in and oppressed; but a habitation of dragons, and a cage of every unclean and noisome bird for ever?-Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. Rev. xv. 4. Thou hast judged down Babylon, which was exalted; thou hast pitied Zion, which lay in the dust for many ages and generations, and hast raised up thine holy building again, and wilt give to thy children to be clothed, and to walk before thee in pure white linen (which is the righteous nature and Spirit of thy Son) for evermore; and the darkness shall never come over them again, but the beast, dragon, and false prophet shall be cast into, and bound down in, the lake; and the springs of life shall open, and whosoever will may come freely, and drink of the water of life. And the people in heaven shall say, "Hallelujah! salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the Lord our God."

And the voice of great multitudes, and the voice of many waters, and the voice of mighty thunders, shall say, “Hallelujah!" and shall be glad, and rejoice, and shall give honor to the Lord, for the bride's marriage with the Lamb, and for her rich adorning for her bridegroom. Yea, the earth shall rejoice, and the multitudes of the isles be glad. Why so? Because the Lord reigns, who is tender even of the earth, and hates the oppressing not only of his seed, but also of his creatures: for he will reign and judge in righteousness, and tenderness, and much mercy to all that is of him; and none shall feel his judgment and severity, but that which is contrary to him, and joineth to his enemy. For the Lord will make war with that spirit, which is contrary to his life and nature, for ever and ever. And he that joineth to that spirit, shall find woo, misery, and tribulation (tribulation and anguish shall light upon every soul that

continues in the evil doing); but he that comes from under that spirit by the leadings of God's Spirit, bowing to and kissing the Son, shall taste of the Father's love to the Son, and partake of the mercy, peace, and reconciliation which is treasured up in him. Amen.

THE WAY OF SALVATION IN THE COVENANT OF
LIFE OPENED:

And some stumbling-blocks removed out of the way of the
Simple-hearted.

THERE are many whom the Lord hath raised up, in this day of the manifestation of his power, and of his everlasting love, to bear witness to his truth; among whom I also (who was an outcast, and miserable beyond expression) have obtained mercy to partake of the virtue, life, and power of his precious truth, which redeems from the bondage of sin and iniquity; and am also many times moved by the Lord to testify of that which he hath made known unto me, and given me to experience.

This brief touch sprang in me by way of preface. Now to the thing itself.

The Father, in whom is the whole virtue and power of redemption, sent his Son to gather the scattered and lost sheep of the house of Israel; and not only so, but he gave him also for a light to the Gentiles, that he might be his salvation to the ends of the earth; and sending him, he sent his Spirit and power with him: for that which is begotten by the Father is not able to do the work, unless anointed and assisted by the Father: therefore the Father, who sent him to preach the gospel, anointed him, and filled him with his Spirit, that he might preach the gospel according to that scripture, Isai. lxi. 1, 2, 3: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening the prison to them that are bound; to pro

claim the acceptable year of our Lord, and to comfort all that mourn," &c.

Quest. But how came these meek, these broken-hearted, these captives, these bound in prison, these mourners, to meet with the redemption and blessings which he is anointed to preach to them? Or which way do they come to receive and partake of them from him?

Ans. In faith. This all his outward healings did signify, being thus dispensed. ("If thou wilt believe, thou shalt see the glory of God. Thy faith hath made thee whole. O woman! great is thy faith! be it unto thee according to thy faith.") And thus all his inward healings are bestowed upon and received by the soul; to wit, in the faith.

Quest. But how came they to have faith? Or how cometh any man to have faith in the redeeming power?

Ans. It is bestowed upon them by God, in the sense which is from him. His Word goeth forth from his mouth; there is a witness of him in the heart, towards which it reacheth. Now, it reaching to the witness, immediately it brings into a sense, and in that sense begets faith; and being mixed with this faith (which is of its own begetting) in them that hear it, begins the work of life and redemption in that heart where it is not yet begun, or carries it on in that heart wherein it is already begun. Thus faith hath a work, a work from the beginning of the heart's turning to God even to the end; which he that abides in the faith till the end, finds accomplished.

Obj. But this faith is bestowed on some few whom God hath elected, not on all men.

Ans. God hath sent his gospel to be preached to every creature, and his Word is able to reach the witness, and work sense in every creature; and in whomsoever there is a sense wrought, they listening to God in that sense, he works faith in them; and waiting on the Word, hearkening to the Word, and staying their minds there through on the Lord, he will speak peace to them, and keep them in peace, daily removing them more and more out of the reach and power of that which troubleth them.

Quest. Doth the new covenant lay all upon God, and require nothing of the creature? Or is there something required by God of the creature, in and by virtue of the new covenant?

Ans. Consider well; Doth not God require of the creature in the new covenant what he gives in the new covenant? Doth he not require the faith, and the exercising of that faith, which he himself works and gives in the sense, from the power and demonstration of his truth, to the soul? The new covenant requires more of the creature than ever the old did; but it requires them not of the creatures as weak in the fall, but as taught (strengthened and enabled) to walk with God in and by virtue of the covenant. Yea, all manner of holiness, and righteousness of heart, life, and conversation is required in and by the new covenant: for as the Lord works out of all therein in the creature, so the creature works out all thereby in the Lord, according to that known scripture, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." And as the creature is able to do nothing that is good of itself; so being grown up into the life and ability, which is of God, it is able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth it.

Quest. But why is it said that Christ was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, the meek, the broken-hearted, the captives, the bound in prison, the mourners (for want of righteousness, life, and peace)? Did not God give his Son in love to all? Was he not made a ransom and propitiation for all? Yea, was he not anointed to preach the gospel to all? How then comes it here to be thus limited and restrained to some?

Ans. It is true, God had a general respect to mankind, in the gift and anointing of his Son: but yet there are some in a better capacity to receive; already in the sense of the want of him, and panting and longing after him. Yea, there are some, who are grievously sick in soul, and deeply wounded in spirit; the sadness and misery of whose condition cries aloud for the help of the physician. Now the eye

« AnteriorContinua »