{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_58554/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_58554","id":"gutenberg_58554","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58554","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Sermons, English -- 19th century"],"text":"Transcribed from the 1811 R. Thomas edition, email ccx074@pglaf.org  Many\nthanks to the Bodleian Library for allowing their copy to be consulted.\n\n                   [Picture: Public domain book cover]\n\n\n\n\n\n                                   THE\n                              Thirteen Names\n                                  OF THE\n                            FIRST PATRIARCHS,\n\n\n                     CONSIDERED AS FIGURATIVE OF THE\n\n                 _Progressive Influences of the Spirit_.\n\n                          BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF\n\n                               TWO SERMONS,\n\n            Preached on Wednesday March 24, and April 3, 1811,\n\n                          At the Obelisk Chapel,\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                              BY J. CHURCH,\n                         MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                    Interspersed with some Account of\n\n                         THE AUTHOR\u2019S EXPERIENCE.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                          Published by Request.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n     What are the Names of the Men that make this Building?  EZRA iv, 5.\n      If it be a Question of Names and Words, look ye to it.\u2014ACTS xviii.\n                                     15.\n    Thine Age shall be clearer than the noon Day; thou shalt shine forth,\n                     and be as the Morning.  JOB xi. 17.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n               [Picture: Graphic with London printed in it]\n\n   Printed by R. THOMAS, Red Lion Street, St. MARGARET\u2019s HILL, Borough.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                       Sold at the Obelisk Chapel.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n\n\n\n_To Mrs. A\u2014_.\n\n\nDEAR MADAM,\n\n_Agreeable to your request I have endeavoured to recollect the parts of\nthe Sermons_, _and present them to the Church of God_, _which is the\npillar and ground of the truth_.  _My mind has been fixed on the\nimportant subject of the Work of the Spirit_\u2014_for what are Doctrines and\nPractice without this_?\u2014_I have spoken a little freely of the dealings of\nGod with my own soul_, _of which I shall never be ashamed_; _this may_,\n_indeed_, _expose me to the censure of those who are strangers to this\nwork_, _and_, _of course_, _may ridicule it as enthusiasm_\u2014_but the\nway-faring men_, _redeemed by Jesus_, _will not err therein_, _as I have\nendeavoured to point out the truth clearly_, _though feebly_.  _I have\nnot aimed at elegance_, _it being beyond my reach_; _but to set forth the\ntruth in a plain style_, _and now commit it to God_\u2014_humbly hoping your\npious desire in the publication may be abundantly answered_, _in the\nconsolation of Israel and the honour of Israel\u2019s God_.  _Encouraged by\nthe following command_, _I send this Sermon into the world_\u2014\u201c_Give strong\ndrink to them who are ready to perish_, _and wine to those that be heavy\nof heart_;\u201d _and surely tasting the old wine of the kingdom_, _God\u2019s\neverlasting love_, _covenant grace_, _finished salvation_, _with the\nsovereign agency of his Spirit_, _in his efficacious operations_,\n_sanctifying_, _witnessing_, _and comforting influences_, _we desire no\nbetter_.\u2014_May this animate your heart_; _so prays_,\n\n                                 _Madam_,\n\n                                                  _Your\u2019s affectionately_,\n                                                      _For Christ\u2019s sake_,\n                                         [Picture: Signature of J. Church]\n\n\n\n\nA SERMON.\n\n\n                     1 CHRON.  1st Chap.  4 first Verses.\n\n           _Adam_, _Seth_, _Enosh_, _Kenan_, _Mahalaleel_, _Jared_,\n         _Methuselah_, _Henoch_, _Noah_, _Shem_, _Ham_, & _Japheth_.\n\nALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, (says the great Apostle)\nand is profitable for _doctrine_\u2014to declare and confirm the truth\u2014for\n_reproof_\u2014to convince men of sin and confute errors\u2014for _correction_\u2014to\nreform the life, upon conviction\u2014and for _instruction in righteousness_,\nin the obedience of God our Saviour, as the only justifying righteousness\nof his Church.  Every part of the sacred writings has an importance, a\ndignity, and a spirituality, becoming their divine author\u2014and they are\ndesigned by God the Holy Ghost, to exhibit the glorious character of God\nour Father, as engaged in a covenant of redemption with his dear\nSon\u2014Likewise, to hold forth the precious Person and finished work of God\nour Redeemer, as the only foundation and joy of poor guilty men,\nconvinced of sin, and seeking his salvation.  They likewise maintain the\nnature and necessity of a divine change, through the operation of God the\nSpirit upon the souls of his elect, to make known to them the\nsuitableness of Jesus and his salvation; to persuade the mind of its\ninterest in him; and to witness to their renewed consciences they belong\nto God.\u2014These, with many other grand truths, are everywhere set forth in\nGod\u2019s most holy word; sometimes in very plain and clear language, so that\nhe who runs may read; at other times the same truths are couched in\nParables, Allegories, and dark Sayings: this shews what a pleasing\nvariety there is in God\u2019s most holy word, to entertain an enlightened\nmind.  As God, our Covenant Father, has made nothing in vain, so he has\nrevealed nothing in vain; his peculiar wisdom is seen even in giving\nnames, or causing such and such names to be given to various characters,\neither in allusion to some circumstance attending their birth, or\nprophetical of what they were to be\u2014or, as holding forth something of\nimportance, either to themselves or to others.\n\nIt is not from a desire of singularity, nor an affectation of novelty,\nthat I have read this text; but would proceed with caution and humility.\n\nI apprehend the first design of the text is to point out the\n_Genealogies_ of the tribes of Israel, and is supposed to have been wrote\nby Ezra, and put into their hands, soon after the return from Babylon, as\nthe captivity for seventy years, had thrown every thing in confusion.\u2014The\nsecond design is to shew the _Pedigree_ of the Messiah, that it might\nappear that our dear Lord was, according to the prophecies that went\nbefore him, the _Son of David_, the _Son of Joseph_, the _Son of\nAdam_\u2014this the Evangelists, in the New Testament, have shewn.  There\nstill appears one more worthy our observation; that the _first thirteen\nNames_ in this Chapter have a signification in them, as they are Hebrew\nNames, and appear to be expressive of a Work of Grace in its\ncommencement, carrying on, and completion, in the happy departure of the\nsoul to glory.  I pretend to no learning myself, of course must be\nindebted to Hebrew scholars for the translation of them\u2014to God the divine\nSpirit, I am entirely indebted for the knowledge of the great things\nthese Names express.  On each I shall write but little, as it would swell\nthis Sermon to a volume if I were to write all that I apprehend; I will\nonly give the out-lines, and hope the reader will be entertained, and,\nabove all, instructed, comforted, and built up on his most holy faith.\n\nThe Names, as they stand before us, are thus in their signification:\nAdam, _Earth_\u2014Seth, _Foundation_\u2014Enosh, _Weakness_\u2014Kenan,\n_Mourning_\u2014Mahalaleel, _Illumination of God_\u2014Jared, _Reigning_\u2014Enoch,\n_dedicated_\u2014Methuselah, _sending forth Death_.\u2014Lamech, _cutting\ndown_\u2014Noah, _Rest_, or _Consolation_\u2014_Shem_, a Name\u2014Ham,\n_Warmth_\u2014Japheth, _Enlargement_.  There is a beautiful gradation in them,\nand we shall consider them in order, and enlarge particularly on some.\n\nADAM.  This word signifies _Earth_; some read it _red Earth_, to shew our\noriginal\u2014formed of the dust of the earth, and in consequence of sin, to\ndust we must return!  This is an humbling thought to proud mortals.  Adam\nwas a striking figure of our blessed Jesus, in many instances; at present\nwe only view him in his origin.  God displayed his sovereignty in\ncreating man, and setting him up as the head of all mankind.  He viewed\nhim as the figure in which our blessed Jesus should hereafter appear.  He\nviewed all the elect in him, ordained the fall through him, for the grand\npurpose of displaying the riches of his grace, and the exaltation of our\nnature, through its union to Jesus: so the elect, as fallen in Adam, and\nactual transgressors, are become earthly, sensual, and devilish!\nAlmighty grace appears, in its sovereignty, passing by fallen angels, and\nraising such earthly creatures as we are!  Here, believer, admire and\nadore the God who loved your nature so well as to chuse it, and redeem\nit, and afterwards, by the gracious inhabitation of God the Spirit, to\nmake it his holy, living temple.\u2014This leads me to notice the name\n\nSETH.  This word is rendered by some _put_\u2014by others, _appointed_\u2014by\nothers it signifies _foundation_.  Consider the word in either sense it\nstill seems expressive that God\u2019s elect, though fallen in Adam, are\n_put_, or _appointed_ to be partakers of covenant grace in their hearts.\nGod would lay a foundation in the divine operations of the Spirit, for\nevery good word and work; the new man is the foundation of every good\ndesire\u2014this new man is formed at once; it is not done by piece-meal, but\nit is done the moment the divine Spirit takes up his abode in the soul;\nthe train of graces always follows the blessed Spirit of all grace, in\nthe temples of the souls of his elect; his train fills the temple.  This\nnew man is the image of Christ; this is that which is _born of God_, _and\nsinneth not_, _neither can it commit sin_\u2014it is Spirit, it is the kingdom\nof God within us, that does not come by observation, it chiefly consists\nin light, life, and love: and this new man, though often hid from its\npossessor, and always opposed, from a body of sin and death, yet it shall\nreign, through righteousness, to everlasting life\u2014a troop may overcome,\nbut _it_ shall overcome at last.\u2014We shall now trace it in its various\noperations and blessed effects; this leads us to the Name of\n\nENOS, signifying _Weakness_.  This is one of the sad effects of the Fall;\nbut an experimental acquaintance with it is an evidence of grace\u2014a branch\nof that knowledge God has promised to give his people\u2014_all thy children\nshall be taught of God_.  Our blessed Jesus is revealed in the Word as\nthe strength of his saints; and has promised we shall say for ourselves,\n_in the Lord have I righteousness and strength_\u2014this can be of no use to\na sinner till he is first convinced of his criminality and weakness; we\nlearn the former much sooner than the latter\u2014we soon find our\ncriminality, and feel wretched in consequence, but we do not soon learn\nour strength is perfect weakness.  We soon believe we have violated the\nLaw, but we are some time learning to cease from our vain labour and rest\nalone in Jesus; to work we generally go, with all our might, quite\nforgetting that it is written, _to him that worketh not_, _but\nbelieveth_, _is the reward reckoned_.  We strive to keep the Law; I can\ntruly say I did: I began first with the fourth commandment; then I vowed\nto set a watch over my thoughts, but, alas! I found Sin and Satan too\nstrong for me: in the next place I saw the law was _spiritual_, and\ncursed me for every sinful thought! this threw down my Babel building.  I\nstrove to pacify my conscience with many prayers, and to please God with\nvows; to conquer sin by my own arm; by watchfulness, by reading more\nprayers, performing my duty with greater diligence.  I read the Whole\nDuty of Man; on my knees I said over all the prayers in it\u2014still sin\noverturned the whole of my performances; God still appeared angry; the\nLaw cursed me, and the fears of death, the prospect of future judgment,\nand the horrid idea of standing at the bar of God, overcame me, till I\nwished I never had been born.  I can truly say that I envied the brute\ncreation; begged of God to annihilate me; my heart rose in awful\nrebellion against him in all his dealing.  Often have I said, in the\nlanguage of Dr. _Watts\u2019s_ Songs for Children,\n\n    And must the crimes that I have done\n       Be read and publish\u2019d there;\n    Be all expos\u2019d before the Sun,\n       While men and angels hear!\n\n    Lord! at thy feet asham\u2019d I lie\u2014\n       Upward I dare not look;\n    Pardon my sins before I die,\n       And blot them from thy book.\n\nThese words exactly suited my case; in these things I have, and do feel\nmy native weakness\u2014in keeping the Law, in pleasing God with human\nperformances, in pacifying conscience with mere vows, in conquering sin,\nin my own strength, and in keeping up my own animal spirits, under\ndesertion, darkness, guilt, and trouble.  O! what a mercy it is to have a\nburden-bearer! if it was not for this I must sink! and what a privilege\nto be taught how to cast our burthen on him who careth for us.  Under the\nconviction of our native weakness, the character of Jesus, as the\nstrength of our hearts, is exceeding precious; while we daily learn by\nconstant experience, that as fallen sinners we are weak as we are wicked;\nthe blessed Spirit convincing us of this, always produces the next name,\n\nKENAN, _Mourning_.  This generally stands connected with deep-rooted\nspiritual convictions of our state, as fallen, depraved, guilty, and\nhelpless.  We mourn on various accounts; sometimes because of our\ndepravity, our guilt, and weakness; that do what we can, we are no\nbetter\u2014still God is angry with us; the rebellion we feel, which must be\nGod-provoking.  We are grieved we ever sinned against him, because it has\nexposed us to his wrath.  All this mourning comes from a legal spirit;\nbut there is a godly mourning, or a mourning after God\u2014this comes from\nevery sweet view we have of Jesus, as held forth in the Gospel; as the\nSaviour, Surety, Righteousness, and atoning Sacrifice\u2014the soul is\nfollowing after him\u2014we want the happy enjoyment of him in our souls.\nWith pleasure we listen to the Gospel, which exhibits his charms; the\nsoul is filled with longing desires after him\u2014a moving in the mind\ntowards him\u2014a venturing near to him\u2014a longing for the day of his\nespousals\u2014to read its part and lot in him.  I am sure that the above was\nmy case; I ran to the house of God, in hopes that every sermon I was\ngoing to hear, would be the time, and O how grieved was I when I had to\nreturn, and my beloved had not appeared in the way and manner I expected\nhim.  I find through all my pilgrimage, that the Lord always works in his\nown time and way.  This, however, was mourning after him; this is\ncertainly some small proof of love.  Sometimes I longed to see my part\nand lot in him, from a principle of fear; sometimes from a principle of\nlove, the going out of affection to him; hearing so much of him, and\nhaving an inward spiritual perception of his suitableness and glory.  Two\npassages of scripture often did me good; the one says, _By faith Noah was\nmoved with fear_, _prepared himself an Ark_: the other says, _Whom having\nnot seen we love_; _and though now we see him not_, _yet_, _believing_,\n_we rejoice_.\u2014But as I must be brief, I will mention the next Patriarch\u2019s\nname,\n\nMAHALALEEL.  This signifies the _Descending_, or the _Illumination of\nGod_\u2014and follows the other name with great propriety.  It is written,\n_Seek_, _and ye shall find_; _knock_, _and it shall be opened to you_;\nyou shall find Christ the pearl of great price.\u2014While the prison doors of\nunbelief and sin, horrors and gloomy fears are opened, the Lord Jesus\ndescends to those who look for him, wait for him and expect him, for\nthere shall be a reward, and thine expectation shall not be cut off; the\nblessed Spirit that has once operated upon the mind, as a reprover,\nconvincer, and begotten the soul to an hope, will answer to his lovely\ncharacter, the _Comforter_.  If he communicates life to feel after God,\nto desire Christ above all, to keep up a constant hoping-for a smile from\nGod, he will never, no, never disappoint it.  Take courage, then, ye\nfearing characters, look to _his_ word and faithfulness, who has said,\n_Shall I bring to the birth_, _and not cause to bring forth_?  _He is\nfaithful that promised_, _who also will perform it_\u2014_If we believe not_,\n_he abideth faithful_, _he cannot deny himself_, nor of course his\npeople, who are part of himself.  This kept up my mind in looking for a\ndeliverance.  Sometimes I vowed I would give it up altogether, but God\nwould not, did not give me up.  Sometimes my heart fainted within me,\nlest I should never see the Lord in the land of the living, especially\nafter waiting long, and praying much.  I well understood that text in the\nProverbs, _Hope deferred makes the heart_ (full of expectation) _sick_.\nWhen I could get out to hear the Word, I ran to Providence Chapel; heard\nthe Word greedily, and kept watching for something that might be said, as\na voice to me, or some sweet sight of a smiling God; but I returned again\nand again, sadly disappointed; and being under a legal spirit, began to\nquarrel with myself, and said, Ah! God has not appeared propitious yet,\nbecause I am such a sinner: Oh, if I was more diligent, more watchful and\nless sinful, then, indeed, I might rest assured he would shew my sins\nforgiven, and smile upon me.  Thus I wanted, fool-like, to take a price\nin my hand, to set wisdom.  Sometimes my rebellious heart would quarrel\nwith God himself; when I had been remarkably devout, then my expectations\nwere great, and I was still disappointed; so that I have often been led\nto see that God acts from no motive, but in himself; all his operations\nof providence and grace, are to display his sovereignty\u2014it is not of him\nthat willeth, nor him that runneth, for I did both; all must be solved\nhere, _Even so Father_, _it seemeth good in thy sight_.  Not but we are\nstill to be found in the use of means, for he purposed from everlasting\nto save his people; he promised the same in his word; all is made sure to\nus; yet he will be enquired of to do these things for his people.\nHowever, we are to subscribe with the hand, to the God of Jacob, or, in\nNew Testament language, _to set to our seal he is true_.  This work, or\nspiritual building, must go on; _I will work and who shall let it_?  God\nbegins it with a view to carry it on, and who can frustrate the designs\nof Jehovah to Sion\u2019s mourners?  To Sinners, weak, worthless, and\nmourning, God has sent his dear Son: here is God descending, and the Holy\nSpirit bearing an internal clear testimony to the soul, _that it is born\nof God_; leading us to see him, and sweetly persuading the soul to say,\n_Father_!\u2014while he shines into the heart, and gives us the light of the\nknowledge of his glory.  This is illumination indeed!  His glory is seen\nin pardoning sin, displaying his free grace, and exalting a precious\nJesus!  The knowledge of this we get under the Word, but the light of the\nknowledge is the clear shining of it in our own personal experience; by\nthe witness of the Spirit\u2014an holy joy in God\u2014solid peace in the\nconscience\u2014access to the throne of God\u2014a full persuasion of our interest\nin the love and covenant God of our salvation: this is scriptural,\nexperimental, heart-felt religion; this is God descending, and such\nappearances are always attended with divine illumination\u2014in his light we\nsee light; in his light we saw darkness before\u2014now we see God as our God;\nand God is light\u2014we see Jesus, and can exclaim, _The Lord is my\nlight_.\u2014All this is manifested to us by the teachings, the clear\npersuasions of God the Spirit; thus we see the religion that comes from\nGod always leads to God again.  The light of the hypocrite makes him\nproud, puffs him up; but this leads us out of self, to admire, enjoy, and\nadore the glorious undivided Trinity in Unity, the center of our\nhappiness, the source of our joy: this is the nature of true joy in the\nLord, whether experienced at our first conversion, or in all our after\nrenewings\u2014all joy which does not center in God, will go out; it is the\nlamp of the foolish Virgins, that will expire.  On this part of the\nsubject I would say a few words on the way the Lord led me.  It must ever\nbe remembered by us, that the Holy Spirit is a Sovereign in all his\ndispensaries; so his sovereignty is particularly discerned in the manner\nof his operations upon his people\u2014the way in which they are called\u2014the\nmore gentle leadings, and the awful storms that others experience; with\nthe manner of introducing the soul into the liberty of the sons of God,\nappears to manifest that the Almighty Minister in the Church does as he\nplease\u2014_for there are diversities of operations_, _but it is the same\nSpirit_.\u2014I find the Work of the Spirit is the same in its nature and\ntendency, on all God\u2019s elect.  But there is a material difference in the\nway in which this Work is begun and carried on: Paul and Lydia were in\npossessions of this Work, yet the way they were brought into it was very\ndifferent\u2014the grand end was answered, namely, in bringing them to Jesus.\nThis is the covenant Work of the Spirit upon all\u2014many are driven by\nfearful horrors; others are led on very gradually\u2014I must confess the\nlatter was my case, yet I have often wished it had been the former,\nbecause, then I think the deliverance would have been the more\nconspicuous; but my convictions were gentle, and my deliverance was\ngradual; not that I was without fears, horrors, or terrible ideas\u2014I saw\nGod was angry with me for sin; I tried to please him, but in vain\u2014the Law\ncame home to my heart, and much bondage, legal striving, and awful\nrebellion did I feel; the fears of death and dread of hell I was seldom\nfree from for years together.  I have often thought my case was very\nsingular.  It is said in the Book of Psalms, _The entrance of thy Word\ngivith Light_.  Now I know the first time I ever felt or saw the light,\nwas at the age of fifteen.  Being naturally an enemy to God\u2019s Saints,\nWord, and Ministers, and living in an enemy\u2019s house, that enmity, through\nnative blindness, was increased.  Being apprenticed in the neighbourhood\nof Providence Chapel, I heard much of, and joined in the ridicule against\nMr. _Huntington_.  One evening going of an errand, the Chapel being\nopened, I thought I would go in to hear what the babbler had to say, that\nI might have a little sport the next day.  As soon as the text was read,\nthe words came home to my mind in such a way as I cannot describe, only\nby the idea of a candle brought a light into a dark room!  This overcame\nme, melted my heart, and I went out of the Chapel a few minutes after.\nFrom that moment I was led to feel my need of a Saviour.  This light was\nattended afterwards with love, with desire, hopes, and a turning my feet\nto God\u2019s testimonies.  I loved the people, minister, and word I before\nhated\u2014I now saw with new eyes; I had many convictions before, but no\ndesires after an interest in the Saviour\u2014they were doubtless from God,\nthough they were legal, but from this period I believe they were\nspiritual.  My mind was set to seek the Lord\u2014great pleasure I found in\nthe ways of the Lord.  I now had clearer convictions than ever of my\nruined state, and they were attended with eager desires after a sense of\nmy part and lot in Christ.  Sometimes I thought I should be favored with\nit\u2014othertimes not.  The next very clear entrance of light was more\nvisionary on the mind\u2014I was hearing a minister on the Sufferings of\nChrist but felt an unusual indifference to all that he said.  When the\nSermon was ended the grand Hymn was gave out,\n\n    When I survey the wond\u2019rous cross,\n    On which the Prince of Glory died\u2014\n\nThis was attended in a moment with such an affecting view of the\nSufferings of Jesus as is impossible to describe: I saw him clearly on\nthe Cross, in great agonies\u2014this deeply affected me\u2014I covered my face\nlest any one should see my tears.  This was followed with a thought that\nevery sin of mine \u201cdid cost his heart a groan!\u201d\u2014The Lord now led me on to\nseek him more than ever, and to know that he actually died for me; for\nthe above vision was only on the mind; it did not shine into the heart\nwith any assurance, therefore I could not rest on it.  I told a good\nwoman of it who attended Providence Chapel, and she assured me it was a\ntoken from the Lord, that I should be brought into glorious liberty, and,\nperhaps, preach a crucified Christ: Though this at the time appeared very\nunlikely, yet so it came to pass.\n\nThe next clear light manifested to my mind in a sensible way, was in\nhearing Mr. H. on\u2014_Go forth_, _O ye daughters of Zion_, _and behold King\nSolomon_.  This was sweet, clear, and precious indeed.  Under that Sermon\nI had very blessed discoveries of Jesus, in the Suitableness of his\nPerson, and the Love of his Heart, yet could not say he was mine.  The\nLord the Spirit continued my teacher, and many encouraging seasons I\nexperienced.  Sometimes full of doubts and fears\u2014shut up in\nunbelief\u2014overcome at times with besetting sin, which brought on all my\nhorrors again; and while expecting to be cut off and sent to hell, was,\non the contrary, many a time melted with his forbearing and tender\nmercy.\u2014Thus I was kept, hoping and depending, looking for a deliverance\nand often disappointed.  These words of Mr. _Toplady_, the first time I\nsaw them, was very sweet to me, at a time when I was particularly low;\n\n    Yet, Lord, if thou ne\u2019er had\u2019st design\u2019d\n       No covenant blessing for me;\n    Ah, tell me how is it I find\n       Such sweetness in waiting for thee.\n\nFor I often found it blessed to be waiting upon, and waiting for God.  I\noften envied the felicity of those who could say, _My God_.\u2014When I was a\nlittle indisposed in body I was much afraid I should die in the pit\u2014this\nmade me in a hurry to get out of it.  I think such a state is described\nby _Isaiah_\u2014_The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed_, _lest he\nshould die in the pit_, _and that his bread should fail_.  Here such a\ncase is exactly set forth; and fast held we are\u2014I felt it so\u2014held by the\nchains of sin, the iron bars of unbelief, the curses of the Law, the\nfears of death, and the dread of future judgement.  Sometimes I got very\ncold and indifferent about it\u2014then that text would make me\ntremble\u2014_Ephraim is joined to idols_; _let him alone_!  This made me\nchuse my burden, for I was always afraid of ease, or losing my burden I\nknew not how.  Sometimes I got sweetly refreshed under the word; then my\nhope was busy, expecting greater things than those\u2014at other times I got\ncut up, root and branch; this made me go away, groaning in spirit, yet\nobliged to go to the same place where I had been wounded, and there God\ngenerally healed me.  I felt great liberty at times, in reading some of\nMr. _Huntington\u2019s_ Works, namely, the Letters to the late tried Mr.\n_Jenkins_\u2014one Passage especially, which is rather too long to transcribe,\nwas particularly blessed to me, in the first volume of the \u201cLiving\nTestimonies,\u201d page 61\u2014the latter part of the Sermons on \u201cThe Dimensions\nof Eternal Love,\u201d and \u201cThe Law established by Faith.\u201d  These were marrow\nand fatness to my soul; but after waiting, seeking, longing, desiring,\nfearing, desponding, and praying, the Lord descended to give me a clearer\nillumination of mind\u2014it shone into my heart, lifted me up with joy,\novercame me with love, made me cry, my Father! my God! my Beloved! my\nPortion! my All!\u2014I wondered, I rejoiced, I wept, I was completely\nabsorbed in love, wonder, and joy.  One Day at work, thinking over my\nstate, and inwardly fretting in my heart, the Lord suddenly whispered,\nwith peculiar power, and clothed it with much light\u2014_the Son of Man is\ncome to save that __which was lost_!  There was such a peculiar emphasis\nupon the word, that I stood still; I was, for a few moments, quite\nconfused, but presently I felt a sweet sensation of gratitude, love, and\njoy.  I was enabled to see my sins were forgiven, my soul justified in\nChrist, God well pleased with me, and a throne of grace open to me.  I\nhumbly conceive this was the _Joy_ of Faith, God had blest me with the\n_Grace_ of it before\u2014now I had the _Joy_ of it\u2014I was happy in Christ.\nThis pleasure of mind gradually abated.  On the following Sunday morning\nI went, as usual, to Providence Chapel.  Mr. _Huntington_ preached on,\n_Cast out the bond-woman and her son_.  When the text was read I thought\nthere would be nothing for me\u2014but O! the sweet surprize! God spoke almost\nevery word of the Sermon to me.  The preacher was led to describe bondage\nand liberty; the latter he shewed was gradual\u2014in some cases sudden; in\nshort, it was the making my _new birth_ clear to me; nor have I had the\nfears of death and dread of hell, in that legal, horrid manner, come upon\nme ever since.  Thus the light came\u2014light of the knowledge of his glory.\nThis has been often renewed to me since, but never in so glorious a\nmanner\u2014God has led my faith often to make use of the same precious truth\nthat was so directly applied to my heart.  This experience is described\nby _John_\u2014_perfect love casteth out fear_\u2014this love leads up the mind to\nJesus; and it being attended with sweet views of him in his offices, and\nthose offices exercised in our hearts\u2014his prophetic office, in the\nteachings of his word and Spirit; his priestly office, in the application\nof pardon; we are made his willing subjects, while he reigns king in our\naffections.\u2014This leads to the name\n\nJERED, which signifies _Reigning_.  Christ\u2019s spiritual reign in the soul;\nhis reign in the Church, as his holy hill; and our reigning with him.\nMuch is said in Scripture about the Saints\u2019 reign\u2014hence they are called\nKings; Christ reigns in them; their hearts are his throne for ever\u2014as\nChrist reigns in their hearts so do they in his, and they shall overcome\nand sit down with him in his throne.  This is accomplished in some\ndegree, in a time state, when we are led to the Atonement, and Faith\nreceives it; all the while we enjoy the blessing of it we shout victory\nthrough his blood.  Faith in Jesus overcomes the world, the fears of\ndeath, and our own inbred corruptions\u2014_they overcame by the blood of the\nLamb_\u2014and being favored with victory, we are crowned\u2014we take our rest in\nthe love of God; this is the throne on which we sit, and shall reign for\never\u2014we shall likewise reign in the new heaven and earth a thousand\nyears\u2014_Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth_\u2014we shall\nreign on the earth; _and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand\nyears_; this last reign is as sure to us as we are crowned conquerors\nnow.  As Christ lives in us and reigns king in our affections, so he\ngives us grace to swear eternal allegiance to him.  Thus we are led to\nthe next name,\n\nENOCH, _dedicated_.  Our souls and bodies are his, by the eternal gift of\nthe Father\u2014_he purchased the Church with his own blood_\u2014and having\nconquered our hearts with his love, we are his willing subjects\u2014made\nwilling to be, to do, and suffer any thing and every thing he calls us\nto, and gives us grace for.  We wish him to have the whole heart, without\na rival\u2014our time and talents we would give to him, who has done such\ngreat things for us; not that we must for a moment, think we can do any\nthing for God, no; he must work all in us, and do all for us; and by\nall-powerful grace keep us in the good ways of God.  This operation of\nlight, and reign of love, is always attended with a devotedness of spirit\nto God; hence the Apostle says, _None of us should live to himself_, _but\nto God_\u2014and again, _I beseech you_, _brethren_, _by the mercies you have\nreceived_, _that you present yourselves a living sacrifice_, _holy and\nacceptable unto God_, _which is your reasonable service_.  The Apostle\nhere addresses converted men, who have received Christ, the mercy\npromised, and all blessings in him.  These blessings are communicated to\nthe soul, and manifested in the exercises of faith and love.  _Life_\u2014this\nmakes us a _living_\u2014a _new nature_\u2014this makes us a _holy_, sacrifice.  It\nis our desire to be the Lord\u2019s for ever; to enjoy him in all, to see him\nin all, to be dependent on him, and to praise him for all, in life,\ndeath, and eternity; while, as it respects the Church and the World, we\nwish to walk as he walked; this is summed up in that striking\npassage\u2014_that we_, _being delivered from our enemies_, _might serve him\nwithout fear_, (servile, slavish fear) _in holiness and righteousness all\nour days_\u2014this, arising from love, is the _service in the spirit_, _and\nnot in the oldness of the letter_\u2014not from a fear of death and judgment,\nor from the pride of the heart, hoping to bring in God a debtor; but from\nthe influence of sovereign love\u2014\n\n    \u2019Tis love that makes our willing feet\n    In swift obedience move\u2014\n\nThus we run the way of God\u2019s commandments, as he enlarges the heart with\nthe influence and full persuasion of his love.  This is highly commended\nof the Lord; hence he says, _I remember thee_, _the kindness of thy\nyouth_, _and the love of thine espousals_, _when thou wentest after me in\na land that was not sown_.  So he complains of others, _that they had\nleft their first love_.  With respect to this willingness to serve the\nLord, I am sure, as I felt this love, so I was anxious to spread the\nsavour of it in every place; and though entirely destitute of human\nlearning, eloquence, and oratory, yet the Lord went before me, opening my\nmouth, and opening doors in his providence for me, giving testimony to\nthe word of his grace; some were convinced, others comforted, some\nbrought into sweet liberty, some were brought out of damnable errors, and\nmany sweetly instructed in the grand plan of a sinner\u2019s salvation; and I\nbless God there are many witnesses to these things to this day.  This\nincurred the displeasure of the Devil, of the Citizens of a barren\ncountry, and those Preachers who knew nothing of the power of God in\ntheir souls, and of course never were the instruments of communicating it\nto others.  Though in this Work I have discerned in myself too much a\nsavoring of flesh and blood\u2014a willingness to cry, _a confederacy_, to\nany\u2014and I have sorely smarted for my folly, though I never gave up an\ninch of truth to please any; yet being naturally facile, and filled with\nzeal, with but little knowledge, perhaps, in many instances, I have not\nacted so decidedly as I ought to have done\u2014I hope my Lord has forgiven me\nthis wrong, and of the Church I must beg pardon, while I must plead youth\nand inexperience\u2014but by many scourges, reproaches, temptations, and\ntrials, I have been since a little better informed, and now understand\nthe meaning of that singular text in the Proverbs\u2014_A whip for the horse_,\n_a bridle for the ass_, _and a rod for the fool\u2019s back_.  It is now my\nmost sincere desire to glorify God, to speak good of his name, to be of\nuse to his dear people, and to make manifest the savoriness of divine\ntruth in every place; but this cannot be done, either by a minister or\nprivate believer, without opposition.  This leads me to the following\nnames, which in the experience of God\u2019s saints are inseparable\u2014\n\nMETHUSELAH, which signifies _the sending forth of Death_\u2014and LAMECH, _the\ncutting down_.  Indeed what was death ever sent for but to cut down?\nDeath penal, temporal, spiritual, or eternal.  It appears the above\ncharacters were the father and grand-father of _Noah_, and seem to be\nprophetic of the Flood which should destroy an ungodly world; that at the\ndeath, or soon after the death of _Methuselah_ the Flood would break out,\nand cut or sweep away the old world, which was soon accomplished.  But,\nto carry on the figure, as expressive of the Work of the Spirit, may not\nthese Names set forth that internal war which every convinced, mourning,\nilluminated believer experiences in his own soul?  There is a warfare\nbefore we know our part and lot in Jesus; and there is a perpetual one\nafter\u2014the one before, is between hope and despair; the life, or salvation\nof the soul, hanging in doubt for years together; but upon the\naccomplishment of this warfare, through the application of pardon, and\nreceiving the double exchange of _Beauty for ashes_, _the oil of joy for\nmourning_, _and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness_, as\nthe light of God\u2019s countenance and his glory shines upon the soul\u2014this is\nthe sending forth of death, to cut down the old man with his deeds; and\nas the new man receives and enjoys the above blessings, so the old man is\nput off, nor can our weaker passions dare consent to sin, for God is\nthere.  But is it not a truth in the experience of God\u2019s elect, in a\ngreater or less degree, that they are weaned from the milk, and drawn\nfrom the breast, that they must be conformed to their Covenant Head in\nsuffering?\u2014that as our blessed Jesus, after his glorious baptism, was led\ninto the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil, so must his followers,\nelse what is the use of the spiritual armoury, whereon there hangs a\nthousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men\u2014the very idea of conquest\nmust, of course, imply a war; and this is carried on between the flesh\nand the spirit, the old man and the new; these are yet like the\nPhilistines and Israelites\u2014we are in the field, with our spiritual David,\nand Goliah, the Devil, at the head of each\u2014army, against army\u2014the flesh\nlusteth, warreth against the spirit, the spirit warreth against the\nflesh\u2014these are contrary, the one to the other, as light and darkness,\nsin and grace, God and the Devil can be.  He that has sent forth light to\nsee and enjoy God\u2019s salvation, sends forth death to the old man\u2014so the\nApostle says, _We are dead to sin by the body of Christ_; sin is not dead\nto us, though we die to it, through an application of the atonement; and\nas we live upon it from day to day, this leads us to long for the time\nwhen we shall get entirely rid of it.  But into the field of battle we\nare led, to prove our spiritual armour; to make use of the helmet of\nsalvation, the shield of faith, the breast plate of righteousness, the\nsword of the Spirit, and the iron shoes of Gospel peace; all of which\ncentre in one word, and that is CHRIST\u2014this is the Captain of our\nsalvation; he heads the train of graces, for they are all given to us, to\nbe exercised on Christ and his finished salvation; and as they are\nexercised on him so they are a death blow to all that oppose, both within\nand without, and we rejoice in hope that as he has bruised the Devil\u2019s\nhead on the cross, and in our hearts, he has dethroned him; so he will,\nshortly, bruise Satan under our feet this is our prospect, nor shall we\nbe disappointed\u2014our way to the kingdom is hard and rugged, through the\ncorruptions of the human heart and the wiles of the Devil; he has the\nimpudence, at times, to dispute every inch of ground.  We have been\nbrought to raise up some sin in our nature, to oppose some grace in the\nnew man; this I find in my own experience\u2014and if any tried, benighted\ntravellers can get any comfort from my afflictions they are welcome to\nit; but the true state of the case is this, _I find a law in my members_,\n_warring against the law in my mind_, always trying _to bring me into\ncaptivity_ to the power of _sin_ and _death_\u2014but I am happy at times that\nChrist has engaged that _grace shall reign_, nor do I wish a greater\nfelicity in death than to be enabled to exclaim, _Grace reigns_!  Faith\nand Unbelief strive in their turns for the mastery\u2014Hope and Despondency,\nLove and Hatred, Joy and Sorrow, Patience and Murmuring, Resignation and\nComplaints, Carnality and Spirituality\u2014sometimes I am really overcome by\nthis troop; but as soon as Jesus puts fresh strength in these graces, the\nenemy is routed, and I can sing, _Nay_, _in all these things we are more\nthan conquerors_, _through him that hath loved us_\u2014his appearance cuts\ndown all my foes; as soon as he is gone they all come again, and vex my\nsoul.  As he shines upon my faith, leads forth my love, and invigorates\nmy hope, I die to the world, to sin, to self, to the creature, and live\nonly to, as I live only upon, a precious Saviour!  This is a little of\nwhat I do know of the subject, but must not enlarge here, only remark,\nthat as this world is not our rest, nor the arm of the creature our\nstrength, so the blessed Sprit by this warfare, leads us to see the\nvanity of the world, the emptiness of the creature, the vast importance\nof a Work of Grace upon the heart, and the malice of the Devil, the\ndeceitfulness of our own hearts, and all this, that we may highly prize,\nmake much of, and find rest and consolation only in Jesus.  This leads us\nto the Name,\n\nNOAH, _Rest_ or _Consolation_.\u2014This only is to be found in Christ; hence\nDavid said, upon the reflection of his sad troubles, _Return unto thy\nrest_, _O my soul_!\u2014the learned say in the original it is _Noah_, perhaps\nin allusion to the Dove, who was sent out of the Ark, but could find no\nrest for the soul of its foot, till it returned.  So we find it,\nexperimentally, in all seasons of worldly-mindedness, carnality, and\nbacksliding; we are truly miserable, we are out of our element; we can\nget no consolation, no rest, till we have a sweet, cordial reception from\nour dear Lord again\u2014the Spirit has engaged to glorify Jesus, and he does\nit in presenting him in his beauty and glory to the mind, by bringing us\nto enjoy him, to prize him, and keep near him; hence the command, _Abide\nin me_.  So the blessed Spirit carrying on the Work of Faith in our\nminds, by exercising it on the Person, Work, and Love of Jesus, here we\nfind rest; _we which believe do enter into rest_; Christ is our rest\u2014here\nwe cease from legal striving, and find a Sabath rest in Christ\nalone:\u2014hence he is called _the consolation of Israel_, and we want him,\nas such, all the way to glory.\u2014Considering the sins, the trials, the\ncrosses, losses, and disappointments of God\u2019s children, no doubt sent on\npurpose to keep us near the Saviour, and that we might make up all our\nhappiness in him; hence he says, _Cease ye from man_, _whose breath is in\nhis nostrils_.  We must learn to cease from the best of men\u2014God often\ntries his people with his people; perhaps this made the Prophet exclaim,\n_the best of them is a briar_, _the most upright it sharper than a thorn\nedge_.  How wisely has our English poet expressed it\u2014\n\n    I can not on earth; \u2019twill pierce thee to the heart!\n    A broken reed at best, but oft a spear;\n    On its sharp point Peace bleeds and Hope expires!\n\nThis is designed to lead us to Jesus, as our consolation\u2014Christ is set\nbefore us as our rest, a resting and a dwelling place; and if I may\nexpress a few words on this part of the subject, I must confess that I\nhave found, and do find rest alone in him; in his precious Atonement I\nget rest from sin\u2014in his imputed Righteousness, I cease from legal\nstriving and rest alone on it\u2014in the witness of the Spirit I find rest\nfrom doubts, fears, and the accusations of Satan, and a quickened\nconscience\u2014in point of felicity, I feel rest in the eternity of his love,\nthe unalterableness of his covenant, the immutability of his nature,\ndecrees, and purposes; and although that declaration made me tremble in\nmy first setting out, I rejoice in it now\u2014he is in one mind and none can\nturn him; this is our mercy and our rest; this is what Satan, by the\ninstrumentality of false preachers, labours to destroy\u2014but if the\nfoundation be removed, what can the righteous do?  This warfare, and the\nconsolation we find in Jesus, proves to us our Adoption; _as this is a\npath no fowl knoweth_, _and the Vulture\u2019s eye hath not seen_, so, on the\ncontrary, the blessed Spirit leads his people into this path\u2014a way of\nholiness, and an highway.  This leading, teaching, and witnessing,\nevidences we have a place in his heart, in his covenant, in his house,\nand that we belong to God\u2014hence the Apostle says, _As many as are led by\nthe Spirit of God they are the Sons of God_.  This naturally leads me to\nthe 11th Name,\n\nSHEM.  This word signifies a _Name_ or _Renown_.  Are not God\u2019s children\nrenowned\u2014some for faith, others for love, for wisdom, for devotedness,\nand above all, for objects of eternal discriminating grace?  Has not our\ndear Lord given them a name, even that of Sons and Daughters\u2014of\nChildren\u2014of Beloved\u2014of a Spouse?\u2014and, to shew our Union to Christ, were\nnot the Disciples first called Christians at Antioch?  And no one has a\njust right to this name who has not received the Spirit of Christ;\u2014hence,\nit was long before prophesied that they should be called by a new name,\nwhich the mouth of the Lord should name.  So when God makes our eternal\nelection manifest, he says, _I know thee by name_.  He knew our persons,\nand what names we should be called by, even literally, before the world\nwas made; and appointed all the circumstances which should bring about\nour birth and name; and this he does in a very singular way, to many of\nhis people, to shew we are preserved in Christ Jesus, until called.\nPerhaps many in infancy and youth, have met with great pain, poverty,\nwant, and cruelty, from parents, friends, and guardians; others have been\nin deaths oft, yet could not be destroyed, for of such was the kingdom of\nGod to be composed; others have been forsaken of parents entirely, they\nhave forgot their sucking children, and left them to perish in helpless\ninfancy, either through want, shame, or cruelty.  I, myself, was so left,\nforsaken by parents and friends, if report be true; and according to my\nname I was left in a Church, as it is usual to name Foundlings where they\nare found.  This was really the case with my brother, Moses, who was\nfound in the bulrushes by Pharoah\u2019s daughter, and she called him Moses,\n(_drawn out of the water_) because she took him out of the water.  Yes,\nmy parents, whoever they were, forsook me in infancy, and left me,\nprobably, to perish!\n\n    Left on the world\u2019s bleak waste, forlorn,\n    In sin conceiv\u2019d, to sorrow born;\n    No guide the devious maze to tread,\n    Above no friendly shelter spread.\n\nBut,\n\n    When parents, deaf to nature\u2019s voice,\n    Their helpless charge forsook;\n    Then, nature\u2019s God, who heard my cries,\n    Compassion on me took.\n\nThus I can testify to the truth of the Prophet, _In thee the fatherless\nfindeth mercy_; for _when my father and my mother forsook me_, _then the\nLord took me up_, and gave me the name he had appointed me from\neternity.\u2014This is our mercy\u2014adopted into his family as his Sons and his\nDaughters, he has given a name, _Ye shall be called the children of\nGod_\u2014and to be favored with the witness of our adoption in the soul, is\nan unspeakable blessing indeed; every sweet view of this privilege is\ncalculated to warm the heart, animate the mind, fill it with holy\nfervour, inflame the affection, and fill it with burning zeal.  This is\nincluded in the 12th Name,\n\nHAM, which signifies _Warmth_ or _Heat_.  This, in one sense,\ndistinguishes the mere nominal professor and the real professor; one may\nhave some light, be in the judgment clear, and like a frosty night,\nclear, but very cold; but God has promised to his children these two\nshould go together\u2014_a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning_.  When\nwe are favored with peculiar seasons of holy familiarity with God our\ncovenant Father, when divine love is shed abroad, and flows out to Jesus,\nin sweet return\u2014when we meet with a brother in Christ, and he gives a\nsweet account of the Lord\u2019s gracious dealings with him\u2014when we are\nparticularly blest under the word, or impressed with grand and precious\nideas of Jesus, these things kindle a holy flame in the spirit.  Or when\nwe fall in company with the enemies to Jesus, to the Father or the\nSpirit, or to any of the leading Doctrines of the Gospel, we may be\nsilent a little, while musing on their errors, boldness, and effrontery;\nbut while we are silent his word is as a fire shut up in our bones; we\nare weary with forbearing, and at last, speak we must; the fire of holy\nzeal is kindled in the heart, and though we can say but little, yet we\nmust plead for our master\u2019s honour, his perfection, and his saints.  This\nzeal is discovered, at times, by the enemies of truth, and by them called\nBigotry, or a bad spirit.  But holy zeal is tempered with love to God and\ntruth, and springing from a real spiritual knowledge, can never be a bad\nspirit.\u2014The many storms a child of God meets with from Satan, the world,\na body of sin and death, persecution, and infirmities, these wean him\nfrom the world, while the love of God sweetly operating upon his mind, he\nlongs to be dissolved and be with Christ, which is far better for him.\nHis soul feels at times like a bird in a cage; it beats its pinions, and\nlongs for enlargements.  This leads me to the last name,\n\nJAPHETH\u2014this signifies _Enlargement_.  Hence the Promise and Prophecy,\n_God shall enlarge Japheth_, _and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem_.\nThis is a sweet hint dropped of the salvation of the Gentiles, and a\ngracious promise of a Saviour\u2014_he_, (that is) _God_, shall dwell in the\ntents of Shem.\u2014This was verified when the word was made flesh and dwelt\namong us, and when the Gentiles were fellow heirs with the believing\nJews, in a Gospel Church State.  This name was figurative of that\nenlargement the souls of God\u2019s dear people experience in life, and in the\narticle of death, when the spirit is freed from its cumberance.  Perhaps\nthe greatest part of a believer\u2019s life is in a state of bondage; this\ncomes from various quarters, and on many accounts; this makes him sigh,\nfor in this we groan being burdened; and feeling this we exclaim, _Bring\nmy soul out of prison_, _that I may praise thy name_.  While the Gospel\nis a proclamation of liberty to the captive, the holy Spirit brings that\nenlargement to the mind; and every child of God is sensible when he is in\nliberty and when in bondage\u2014when shut up and when at large.  Perhaps the\nfrequent enlargements with which we are favored, are the earnests of our\nentire discharge from earth to heaven.  \u2019Tis blessed to notice these\nenlargements in our own experience, and compare them with what the saints\nof old have experienced; the Apostle Paul knew these things, and at one\ntime speaks of being straitened\u2014at another he says, Our mouth is opened\nunto you, our heart is enlarged.  I must confess I am glad these were the\nfeelings of an Apostle, as I have felt them so frequently\u2014in many\nsermons, alas, how I have been shut up\u2014often in prayer\u2014in the company of\nGod\u2019s people, and in the presence of his adversaries.  At other times I\nhave felt sweet liberty in speaking of the glory of God\u2019s kingdom, and\ntalking of his power.  So, also, in the defence of truth, God has given\nme a mouth and wisdom, that no adversary could gainsay or resist.  The\nfirst enlargement I found was when God led my mind to Jesus, as my\nSurety, Advocate, Ransom, Righteousness, and Remedy.  When he shed abroad\nhis love, I lost that kind of fear that tormented me, and I could say, _O\nthou whom my soul loveth_\u2014and in sweet confidence\u2014he loved me; my mouth\nwas enlarged to pray, to praise, and bless my God\u2014his ways were\npleasantness, and his paths peace, and I could run the way of his\ncommandments, while his love enlarged my heart\u2014though many things have\ntoo often occurred to bring me into bondage again, which has raised the\ncry in my soul, _Restore unto me the joys of thy salvation_\u2014and the\npiteous moan of one of old, _He hath fenced up my way that I cannot\npass_, _and he hath set darkness in my paths_; while I sensibly, at\ntimes, felt a backwardness to all that was good\u2014no pleasure in the\nBible\u2014reluctantly going to a throne of grace\u2014fit for no\ncompany\u2014ordinances very dry to me\u2014my love cold, hope low, faith weak, and\nevery thing God did, my heart fretted against him for it, so that I was\nready to cry out to all the people of God I was acquainted with\u2014\n\n    Ye that love the Lord, indeed,\n    Tell me\u2014is it so with you?\n\nThus I generally remained till the application of a promise\u2014one sweet\nword under a sermon\u2014or a part of an hymn\u2014or opening the mind to plead the\npromises at a throne of grace\u2014or a sweet ray of light let in upon the\nmind, that led me to review the way I was led\u2014this brought enlargement\nagain\u2014the above I have experienced many times.  \u2019Tis this makes our life\na warfare; while our inbred sins gaining the ascendancy, brings the mind\ninto sad bondage\u2014this even works for our good, leads us to hate self, see\nthe malice of Satan, the need of divine keeping, and constrains us from\nnecessity to pray, _Hold thou me up and I shall be safe_.  This warfare\nmust be accomplished, this combat must have an end, the sooner the\nbetter; our happy release must come, we must soon be put in possession of\nthat glory which we are favored with the earnest of, even eternal light,\nlife, and love.  Feeling, knowing, and enjoying these things, we shall\nhave the glorious fruition of them by and by; the way to it is painful,\nand much dreaded by the best of men, but God has always been better to\nthem than their fears, they have been made willing to go; nature has\nshuddered, but faith has gained the victory; their fears and unbelief has\noften suggested, _Who shall roll away the stone from the door_?\u2014but lo,\nthe angel of the Lord descends in time, to roll it away; hence the\nRedeemer says, _I will come again and receive you to myself_, _that where\nI am ye may be also_.  _Thou shalt come to thy grave in full age_, _like\na shock of corn_, _fully ripe_, _that cometh in his season_\u2014the wicked is\ndriven away in his wickedness, but the other comes to his grave, or like\na lily full blown; for, _My beloved_ (says the Church) _has gone down to\nhis garden to gather lillies_\u2014and as sure as we are gathered from the\nworld, gathered into his Church by effectual calling, so surely shall we\nbe gathered into his garner.  O what an enlargement!\u2014now safe arrives the\nheavenly mariner; the battering storm, the hurricane of life, all dies\naway in one eternal calm.\n\n    With joy divine, and transport in his breast,\n    He gains the port of everlasting rest.\n\nThis will be an enlargement, or freedom from sin, from all temptations to\nit, from its dominion, from the commission of it, from the very inbeing\nof it.  Now shall that promise have its accomplishment, _There shall be\nno more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord_\u2014from Satan and his\ntemptations, from evil men, they that offend will be gathered out of this\nkingdom, from bodily afflictions; _the Inhabitants shall no more say I am\nsick_\u2014here we shall be at liberty, enjoy Father, Son, and Spirit; hold\nfellowship with him without interruption, be favored with clear\napprehensions of his perfections and glory, as they shine in Christ.\nThen we shall see, love, admire, and adore the Lamb in the midst of the\nthrone\u2014see the glory of his person, with the eyes of the soul, and his\nbody with our bodily eyes\u2014the glory of his human nature: see him in that\nnature that bore our sins, wearing the very marks and scars he received\nfor us; that dear head that was once crowned with thorns! that dear face\nthat was once marred more than any! those dear hands, feet, and side,\nthat were wounded!  We shall then see him in all his glory\u2014_This is the\njoy set before us_, for which we endure the cross; we shall see him as he\nis, and be like him for ever\u2014_This is the glory to be revealed in the\nsaints_, beyond all comparison; this will be a joy unspeakable, and full\nof glory.  How sweet the promise, _The ransomed of the Lord shall\nreturn_, _and come to Zion with songs_, _and everlasting joy upon their\nheads_; _they shall obtain joy and gladness_, _and sorrow and sighing\nshall flee away_!  This shall be the high priviledge of every vessel of\nmercy.\n\nI close this Sermon with an excellent quotation from Mr. _Huntington\u2019s_\n\u201cSpiritual Sea Voyage;\u201d which book has often entertained me.\n\n       \u201cFree grace and her crew all arrived at last,\n    No sailor was miss\u2019d, when the muster was past;\n    By thousands and millions the angels appear\u2019d,\n    And welcomed us with the anthems we heard.\n    We sung of Redemption, in Jesus the Lord\u2014\n    Of sovereign Love, and how we were restor\u2019d\u2014\n    The dangers we met, and the helps that appear\u2019d\u2014\n    Of infinite Wisdom, by which we were steer\u2019d.\n    Delightful the Union, and great was the throng,\n    The melody charming, delightful the song:\n    An order came forth for ascending the throne,\n    And when we were seated the judgment came on.\u201d\n\nThus, christian reader, I have shewn my opinion of the _Names of the\nPatriarchs_.  I have not written all I wished, lest it should swell this\nSermon to a volume.  I have noticed some of the Lord\u2019s dealings with my\nown soul\u2014every minister ought to give some account of a Work of Grace\nupon his own heart; I have not made myself all in all, rather nothing at\nall; I only aimed at the exaltation of that grace it is God\u2019s delight to\ndisplay.  I have chosen this method of sending it into the world,\nbecause, as I went over these Names, various parts of my own experience\nappeared so clear I could not forbear mentioning them, to the honour of\nGod.  I originally intended to publish an Account of the Dealings of the\nLord with me, in a Series of Letters, when I could have been more\nexplicit and regular in my Narrative; but as I intend those Letters, only\nfor a few thoughts on some interesting passages of Scripture, I have made\nmention of the above in this Sermon; this will no doubt procure me much\nmore opposition from friend and foe; however, what I have written is the\ntruth; to the God of all truth I commit it, hoping it will be blessed to\nthe friends of truth\u2014remembering divine Love, or Charity, rejoiceth not\nin iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, hopeth all\nthings, _endureth all things_.\n\n                                  FINIS.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n   The Author wishes to inform his friends, that, he has some remaining\n             Copies left (Price 1s.) of the SERMON entitled,\n\n      _Spiritual Victories_, _or the Sword of the Lord & of Gideon_.\n\n              Likewise, shortly will be published, a SERMON,\n\n    _On the Difference the Lord has put between the Egyptians and the\n                    Israelites_.\u2014_From Exodus xi_, 7.\n\n         The Reader will please to observe the following Errata.\n\nTitle Page.  Instead of thine Eye; read thine Age.  And in the last line\nof Page 7 (after Enoch) introduce,\n\nMETHUSELAH, sending forth Death.\u2014LAMECH, cutting down.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                    Thomas, Printer, Red Lion St. Borough.","title":"The Thirteen Names of the First Patriarchs, Considered as Figurative of the Progressive Influence of the Spirit.: Being the Substance of Two Sermons, Preached on Wednesday March 24, and April 3, 1811, at the Obelisk Chapel","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":10259}