A Sermon Preached at the Quakers Meeting House, in Gracechurch-Street, London, Eighth Month 12th, | Page 4

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 bad; and he will judge us at the great day of his
appearing. Blessed are you, that receive the blessed Son of God, that

now stands in Spirit at the door, and knocks: Open your heart, and
make room for him, and let not the world keep him out, and he will
come in, and sup with you, and you with him: And he will do that for
you, which you cannot do for yourselves. "The spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak:" He will give thee power over sin, and over the world,
and over the Devil: Whenever he shall assault thee with his temptations,
say, "Get thee behind me Satan, thou savourest not the things that be of
God." When people come to be spiritually minded they will taste and
savour the things that are spiritual and heavenly: if they be not things of
God, do not touch with them, have nothing to do with them; but walk in
the Spirit, and savour the things of the Spirit. And hearken to the
counsel of Christ, who speaks to you in the name of Wisdom; "O ye
simple ones understand wisdom, and ye fools be of an understanding
heart; hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my
lips shall be right things: Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching
daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors: For whoso findeth
me findeth life." Hearken to the blessed counsel of Christ, hear his
voice and obey it: They that do his will, shall know his doctrine: "The
secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his
covenant."
They that have the saving knowledge of God, and Christ Jesus, which
is life eternal, they will walk in a correspondent and suitable manner to
that knowledge, and be holy in all manner of conversation: They will
not be only nominal Christians, but true Christians, Israelites indeed in
whom there is no guile; They will receive Christ Jesus who is God's
gift, and knows [sic.] the operation of his power in their souls. These
persons are fit to live and prepared to die; when Christ, who is their life,
shall appear, they shall appear with him in glory. When the sound of
the last trumpet shall be heard at the end of the world, Time shall be no
more; Come away! that day shall not be terrible to them that have put
off the old man, and put on the new man; and have begun to live a new
life, and to have new affections, new thoughts and resolutions, and
have laid up their treasure in heaven, where their hearts are also: They
have that peace, which the world cannot give, and which death cannot
take away. Blessed are they that take sanctuary in the name of Jesus, as
in a strong tower; they shall get power over their sins, and over the

vanity of their minds, that die to sin and live to God, and feel the
constraining power and efficacy of the love of Christ, "who hath loved
them, and washed them from their sins, in his own blood, and made
them kings and priests to God."
My friends, hear the voice of Wisdom, who hath said, "Whoso findeth
me, findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord: but he that sinneth
against me, wrongeth his own soul." Be you early seekers: seek the
kingdom of God in the first place. The Lord calls from heaven; "My
son, give me thine heart:" Let thy answer be, Lord, take my heart,
purify and cleanse it; break it, and make it new, make it fit for thy
acceptance, that I may find favour in thy sight. "Without me (saith our
Saviour) ye can do nothing:" Therefore desire him to do it for thee, and
to work in thee both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. How
dreadful is it to appear at the bar of God's justice as miserable sinners!
Those that have not Christ, the great Mediator, to plead for them, are
miserable indeed: Therefore lay hold on Christ now; believe in him, lay
hold on his power and Spirit in this day of your visitation. If thou art
under the power of sin and Satan, thou mayst [sic.] receive power from
Christ, to overcome all the power of darkness: If the strong man armed
hath got possession of thy heart, Christ will lay siege to it; and if thou
be willing to open the door,