A Sermon Preached at the Quakers Meeting House, in Gracechurch-Street, London, Eighth Month 12th, | Page 3

peace to the wicked," that walk in the broad way, and grieve the Holy Spirit, and do not answer his divine call. There is a two-fold call concerning man, a call to repentance, and a call to judgment. The call to repentance is in this day of God's visitation; they that receive it now, that are so wise, as to answer God's call, and believe in the Son of God, and in his inward appearance, that obey his voice, when they hear his call, saying, Come away, come out of thy sins, come out of the wickedness, filthiness, and pollution of the world; come into the divine nature of the Son of God; come into his life: Into what life? Into the spiritual life, the divine life? Thou hast been dead to God and alive to the world: Now that thou mayst [sic.] be dead to sin, and alive to God, come unto him that hath all power in heaven and in earth committed to him. O come unto Christ, the dear and blessed Son of God, in this day of grace and salvation, and receive power to overcome thy sins! Then thou wilt be a conqueror, and overcome the Devil.
We are of ourselves altogether insufficient for these things, we are weak and impotent; and our Saviour hath told us, "Without me ye can do nothing:" We are justified freely by God's grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; not justified by our own works. How great a contradiction is it to charge them with the contrary, that say, They cannot preach nor pray, but as the Spirit of God moveth them. Blessed be God that hath made us sensible of our own weakness, emptiness, and poverty. Our help hath been in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth, who hath given his Son to be an helper, and an all-sufficient Saviour to us; with him he hath given sufficient power and strength, whereby we are enabled to overcome the Devil, the enemy of our souls: So that we may be enabled to stand against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness, and conquer all the powers, of darkness, and fight the good fight of faith, and finish our course with joy, and keep the faith: seeing there is laid up for us a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give us at that day; "and not only to us, (saith the Apostle,) but unto all them that love his appearing." We have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin: Christ, our Redeemer, was tempted, that he might succour those that are tempted. When the Devil tempted our Saviour in the wilderness, and could not prevail, he went away and left him: The prince of this world found nothing in him, upon which he could fasten his temptation. Christ will enable those that believe in him to overcome the Devil, and to be more than conquerors, through him that loved them: He came into the world to purge and purify his people, and to be the author of eternal salvation to all them that believe in him, and obey him. But it is said, "He did not many mighty works" among some to whom he preached the everlasting Gospel, because of their unbelief: Many will not believe in the inward and spiritual appearance of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is the light of the world; they will neither believe in the light, nor walk in the light, which will enable them to conquer the evil one, who is the prince of darkness: It is only through Christ Jesus, the great captain of our salvation, that we are victorious.
Therefore, my friends, open your hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ, receive this blessed gift of God which he offers to you: And can God give you a greater gift than the Son of his Love? And will not you gladly receive him, and that great salvation which he hath purchased for you with his own blood! But, say some people, we have received Christ, and believe in him, and believe the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures. But let me ask you, Who keeps house all this while? What have you done for Christ? Christ hath died for you; but hast thou lived to him? And hast thou died to the world, and died to thy sins and lusts? Consider with yourselves, It is both your great duty and interest to die to sin, and live to Christ that died for you. And we must stand at Christ's tribunal, and give an account to him, of whatsoever we have done, whether good or