Divine Service, (If I may fo call it) though too little of the Power of Divinity is often there, as we may fee by the Effect in Gillingham: and no Wonder, when the Watchman, inftead of endeavouring to convert Sinners from the Error of their Ways, ftudies to, ridicule the Godly, and teach their Auditors to do the fame, by ftigmatizing them with the opprobrious Name of Enthufiafts or Methodists, which is the cant Name given to all converted Souls, that begin to walk religioufly in the Fear of God. It is horrible to tell, and forrowful to fee, in a Proteftant Country, he that dares to own Chrift openly, is by fome Jew-hearted, Popeheaded Minifters judged fit to be caft out of the Synagogue, John xxii. 34. But Believers do know thofe fort of Minifters are Lovers of Pleasure more than Lovers of God, 2 Tim. iii. 4. Having only the Form of Godliness, but deny the Power, (having never felt it) from fuch lifelefs, erronious Teachers we ought to turn away our Ear, 2 Tim. iii. 5. Those letter-learned, proud-boafting, goatfeeding Teachers do by ridiculing the Godly, together with their worldly Converfation mixed with Scoffing (with Griet 1 fpeak it) confirm proud Naamans in their Ignorance and Blindness, which will prove a Curfe to them at laft, for Curfed is be that maketh the Blind to wander out of the Way, Deut. xxvii. 18. It was faid of the Pharifees, they neither go in to the Kingdom of Heaven themfelves, nor fuffer them that are entring to go in, Matt. xxiii. 13. which is truly the very Case in our Days. And therefore proud Naamans do continue in Rage to cry out faying, Are not the Doctrines of our Churches better than the Doctrines of the Methodists? may we not go there, wash and be clean? But, Query, Where does God bestow his Bieffings? My dear Neighbours, I

declare

declare before God that I pay a great Refpect to the fundamental Doctrines of the Church of England, as by Law eftablished, perhaps beyond most of you, for in the Doctrine contained in the Seventeenth Article of the Church of England, which is the Bulwark and Defence of the Church, I place my whole Confolation. The Doctrines of the Church of England are like an Apothecary's Shop, having all Sort of Ingredients for falutary Ends, fit for Exhortation, Reproof, and Admonition, cutting and healing, killing and curing. But if an unfkilful, unexperienced Phyfician, injudiciously adminifters thofe Ingredients, the Patient might be killed instead of cured: "For a natural Man discerneth not, nor receiveth the Things of the Spirit of God (though learned in the Letter) for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. But he that is fpiritual judgeth all Things, even the deep Things of God; although he himself is judged of no (unconverted) Man," 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15. Therefore, an Unbeliever, that hath not been justified by Faith, and tafted the Sweets of Forgivenefs of Sins, that pleads there is no fuch Thing attainable in this Life! fuch, I fay, can have no Fellowship with gracious Souls, no more than Darkness have with Light, 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. And now thou proud Naaman, behold and hearken diligently, if the Doctrines of our Church, or the Waters of Ifrael, God's Word, flow out, cleanse and fanctity a peculiar People to God, who by Virtue of the Power, Operation, and inward Teaching of God's Spirit preach and pray extempore, he or they being skilled in the Word of Righteoufnefs, will advise thee, as the Man of God did Naaman, to wash seven Times in Jordan, compofed of the seven (the manifold) Streams of Chrift's Blood,

G 2

which

which flowed out for thy Recovery: for as Chrift thed his precious Blood feven Times, or from feven different Parts of his holy Body for Man's Salvation, viz. by Circumcifion, Scourging, Crowning with Thorns, the Spear in his Side, Nails in his two Hands, and the Nail in his Feet; and each Stream being mysterious and meritorious, being the Blood of Immanuel, and the indenting and fealing Blood of the Covenant, it becometh us to think and speak refpectfully thereof; and as Chrift commanded his Difciples to gather up the Fragments of natural Bread, that nothing might be loft, John vi. 12. Doubtless we ought to have an Eye to all the Sufferings of Chrift, which is the Soul's Bread of Life; and with great Humility and Thankfulness wafh feven Times, that is, frequently and effectually, in this bleffed Jordan, that we may be clean: For the Blood of Jefus Chrift cleanfeth the penitent Sinner from all Sin, 1 John i. 7. Thus, we fee (bleffed be God) Unbelievers become Believers, and being made Priests and Kings unto God, Rev. i. 6. can by Faith carry Christ, the Ark of the Covenant, Ifa. lxii. 6. feven Times, &c. round the Walls of Jericho (viz. the Devil's Kingdom) and blow through weak Rams Horns in mighty Prayer and Supplication, 'till the Walls of Jericho (or Satan's ftrong Holds) fall down, Joshua vi. 20. and 2 Cor. x. 4. But if God's Word, or the Waters of Ifrael, or Doctrines of the Church of England are not made Ufe of in Ifrael's ground, but carried into a strange Land, and ufed by one whose Heart and Nature was never changed, who never prevailed with God in mighty Prayer, (as Jacob did when he obtained his new Name Ifrael, and received Power from God, Gen..xxxii. 28.) Neither knows the Joys of the new birth, nor can say, I remember the Love of my Efpoufals, Can. iii. 2. Jer.

ii. 2. Being never married to Chrift, that he might bring forth Fruit unto God, Rom. vii. 4. And was never fent, nor effectually called by the Lord to work in his Vineyard, Matt. xx. I. But ran for the fake of filthy Lucre, 1 Peter v. 2. although God never fent him, Jer. xxiii. 21. I fay, if this is the Cafe, (which is too often, the more the Pity) then thou mighteft dip or wash here, but thou wilt never be likely under fuch a blind Guide, to find the Confolation of Ifrael, neither will thy Leprofy depart from thee, unlefs the Almighty in a miraculous Manner turns Preacher to thy Soul, fo long as thou liveft. Therefore I exhort thee to prove all Things, and bold feft that which is good, 1 Thef. v. 21. For the Doctrines of the Church of England are often preached better out of the Church Walls by faithful Laymen, than within the Walls by unenlightened Clergy, who are Lovers of Pleajure more than Lovers of God, 2 Tim. iii. 4. Therefore thou must come among God's Ifrael, who have obtained the Bleffing, Gen. xxxii. 29. Who are Ifraelites indeed, in whom there is no allowed Sin, John i. 47. For "he that keeps Company with wife Men, fhall be wife; but the Companion of Fools fhall be destroyed," Prov. xiii. 20. But God's Ifrael shall be faved with an everlasting Salvation, Ifa. xlv. 17.

Such

who are spoken of by Chrift, viz. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna, and will give him a white Stone, and in the Stone a new Name written, which no Man knoweth, faving he that receiveth it," Rev. ii. 17. They are included in that "great Multitude which no Man could number, who had washed their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb, having come out of great Tribulation," great Hatred of the World, &c. and why fhould I and my Fellow-pilgrims expect otherwife than to fuffer Reproach,

xiii. I.

66

Reproach, while we follow the Lamb here below, Rev. vii. 14. It is enough if we bear that honourable Appellation, viz. " Holy Brethren, Partakers of the heavenly Calling, Fellow-citizens of Heaven, and Joint heirs with Christ," Rom. viii. 17. And we defire to continue with one Consent to direct all Lepers to the cleanfing Streams. Come away then my Fellow finners, and beloved Neighbours, to the balmy River of this fpiritual Jordan, which runs through the Land of Ifrael: (Believers Hearts) And this balmy Blood of Chrift, the Fountain of Happiness, fhall alfo wash away your Leprofy, as I truft thro' Mercy it hath washed away mine for ever. This is the Fountain, even the Blood of Jefus, that was opened for the House of Ifrael, for all Believers to wash and be clean, Zech. In the Day when God fmote him for our Sins on the Crofs; according as it was fore-fpoken by the Prophet, "Awake, O Sword, against my Shepherd, and against the Man that is my Fellow, faith the Lord of Hofts, fmite the Shepherd, and the Sheep fhall be scattered," ver. 7. (where obferve the Sheep are sometimes scattered): God for wife Ends hides his Face, for a Season, from his own dear (Blood-bought) People, to fhew them their Weakness, that they might not think of themfelves more highly than they ought to think, Rom. xii. 3. And in order to make them meet to receive more Grace: "For he that humbleth himself, or is humbled under the mighty Hand of God, fhall in due Time be exalted," Luke xiv. 11. God by this Means emptied the Disciples of Self-fufficiency and fpiritual Pride: for they all in a cowardly manner forfook him and shamefully fled, Mark xiv. 50. leaving their Lord and Master, the Captain of their Salvation in the Field of Battle by himself, to combat with all his Enemies, who fcourged him

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