John Wesley Christian Library is a theWord module pack with many works (Volumes) written by John Wesley, methodist preacher.
Wesley John A Christian Library – Part1
Posted on October 3, 2022 by Pastor David Cox
A Christian Library by John Wesley – Part1 is a very large library of Wesleyan view works, consisting of 16 volumes of works in this single module.
Table of Contents
A Christian Library by John Wesley – Part1
A Christian Library by John Wesley – Part1 is a very large library of Wesleyan view works, consisting of 16 volumes of works in this single module. Please read the Excerpts below. This module is a large library.
Table of Contents of A Christian Library by John Wesley – Part1
Volume 1
The Epistles Of The Apostolical Fathers, St. Clement, St. Ignatius, St. Polycarp,The Martyrdoms Of St. Ignatius And St. Polycarp.
The Homilies Of Macarius
An Extract Of John Arndt’s True Christianity, Part I
An Extract Of John Arndt’s True Christianity, Part II
The Second Book, Part I
The Second Book, Part II
The Third Book
The Fourth Book
Volume 2
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part I
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part II
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part III
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part IV
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part V
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part VI
Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, Part VII
Volume 3
Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part I
Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part II
Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part III
Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part IV
Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part V
Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part VI
Supplement To Mr. Fox’s Martyrology By Mr. Samuel Clark: Part I
Supplement To Mr. Fox’s Martyrology By Mr. Samuel Clark: Part II
Supplement To Mr. Fox’s Martyrology By Mr. Samuel Clark: Part III
Volume 4
Clark’s Supplement To Fox’s Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part I
Clark’s Supplement To Fox’s Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part II
Clark’s Supplement To Fox’s Acts And Monuments Of The Christian Martyrs Part III
Meditations And Vows. Divine And Moral, By Bishop Hall
Heaven Upon Earth, Or Of True Peace Of Mind
Letters On Several Occasion
Extracts From The Works Of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part I
Extracts From The Works Of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part II
Extracts From The Works Of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part III
Volume 5
Extracts from the Works of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part I
Extracts from the Works of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part II
Extracts from the Works of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part III
Extracts from the Works of Rev. Robert Bolton, B.D., Part IV
Extracts from the Works of Rev. John Preston, D.D., His Life
Extracts from the Works of Rev. John Preston, D.D., Part I. Of Faith
Extracts from the Works of Rev. John Preston, D.D., Part II. Of Effectual Faith
Extracts from the Works of Rev. John Preston, D.D., Part III. Of Love
Volume 6
Extracts from the works of Rev. John Preston, D.D., The New Covenant, or Saint’s Portion
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Richard Sibs, D.D. Part I
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Richard Sibs, D.D. Part II
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Richard Sibs, D.D. Part III
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Thomas Goodwin, D.D. Part I
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Thomas Goodwin, D.D. Part II
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Thomas Goodwin, Christ the Object and Support of Faith
Extracts from the Works of the Rev. Thomas Goodwin, The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth.-In Three Parts
Volume 7
Extracts From The Works Of Rev. Thomas Goodwin, D.D.
The Trial Of A Christian’s Growth
Extracts From The Works Of William Dell
Extracts And Sermons From The Works Of Thomas Manton, D.D, Part I
Extracts And Sermons From The Works Of Thomas Manton, D.D, Part II
Extracts And Sermons From The Works Of Thomas Manton, D.D, Part III
Extracts From The Works Of Mr. Isaac Ambrose
Directions To A Man In The Act Of A New Birth
Volume 8
Extract From The Works Of Isaac Ambrose Of Duties In General, Of Self Denial, Of The Life Of Faith
Of Family Duties
Looking Unto Jesus: The First Book
Looking Unto Jesus: The Second Book
Looking Unto Jesus: The Third Book
Looking Unto Jesus: The Fourth Book
Looking Unto Jesus: The Fifth Book
Looking Unto Jesus: The Sixth Book
Volume 9
Looking Unto Jesus, In His Ascension, Session, And Mission Of His Spirit, The Seventh Book
Looking Unto- Jesus, In His Intercession, The Eighth Book
Looking Unto Jesus In His Second Coming, The Ninth Book
Extracts From The Works Of Jer. Taylor, D.D., Chapters I-III
Chapter IV – On The Christian Religion
The Rules And Exercises Of Holy Dying, Chapters I-V
Academia Celestis
The Life Of Christ The Pith And Kernel Of All Religion
Volume 10
Extract From The Works Of Nathaniel Culverwell
Extracts From The Works Of John Owen, D.D.
Nature, Power, Deceit, And Prevalence Of The Remainders Of Indwelling Sin In Believers, Part I
Nature, Power, Deceit, And Prevalence Of The Remainders Of Indwelling Sin In Believers, Part II
Of Temptation, The Nature And Power Of It
Christologia: Or, A Declaration Of The Glorious Mystery Of The Person Of Christ, God And Man, Part I
Christologia: Or, A Declaration Of The Glorious Mystery Of The Person Of Christ, God And Man, Part II
Christologia: Or, A Declaration Of The Glorious Mystery Of The Person Of Christ, God And Man, Part III
Of Communion With God The Father, Son, And Holy Ghost
Volume 11
Works of John Owen, D.D., Part I
Works of John Owen, D.D., Part II
Works of John Owen, D.D., Part III
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: A Short Discourse on Atheism
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: Concerning the Nature and Existence of God
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: The Nature of Prophecy
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: Treating Legal Righteousness
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: Vanity of Pharisaic Righteousness, Part I
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: Vanity of Pharisaic Righteousness, Part II
Extracts from the Works of Mr. John Smith: Christian Conflicts and Conquests
Volume 12
Memorials Of Godliness And Christianity
An Extract From The Whole Duty Of Man, Chap I-III
An Extract From The Whole Duty Of Man, Part IV-VIII
An Extract From The Whole Duty Of Man, Part IX-XII
Private Devotions For Several Occasions
A Collection Of Prayers For Families
Directions For Married Persons, Chap I-VIII
Directions For Married Persons, Chap IX-XV
Extracts From The Works Of Bishop Sanderson, Part I
Extracts From The Works Of Bishop Sanderson, Part II
Volume 13
A Discourse Concerning Comparative Religion
Thoughts On Religion And Other Subjects, Chap I-XII
Thoughts On Religion And Other Subjects, Chap XIII-XXIV
Thoughts On Religion And Other Subjects, Chap XXV-XXX
The Great Duty Of Self-Resignation To The Divine Will, Part I
The Great Duty Of Self-Resignation To The Divine Will, Part II, Chap I-VIII
The Great Duty Of Self-Resignation To The Divine Will, Part II, Chap IX-XII
Extracts From Bishop Ken
Volume 14
Extracts From The Works Of Mr. Joseph Allein
An Alarm To Unconverted Sinners, Part I
An Alarm To Unconverted Sinners, Part II
A Counsel For Personal And Family Godliness
Extracts From The Works Of Mr. Samuel Shaw, Chap. I-IV
Extracts From The Works Of Mr. Samuel Shaw, Chap. V-VII
Communion With God
A Sermon On The Final Judgment
The Assembly’s Shorter Catechism
Volume 15
The Lives Of Various Eminent Persons Chiefly Extracted From Mr. Samuel Clark
The Lives of Galeacius Caracciolus and Bernard Gilpin
The Lives of William Whitaker, Philip De Morney, John Bruen, and Richard Blarckerby
The Lives of Henry Alting, Fredrick Spanheim, Philip Sidney, Richard Mather, and John Row
The Lives of Jospeh Woodward, Nicholos Leverton, Sir. Nathanael Barnardiston, and Samuel Fairclough
The Lives of Richard Hooker, Sir Henry Wotton, Dr. Donne, and George Herbert
Vol 01 – THE EPISTLES OF THE APOSTOLICAL FATHERS
THE EPISTLES OF THE APOSTOLICAL FATHERS
ST. CLEMENT, ST. IGNATIUS, ST. POLYCARP:
AND THE MARTYRDOMS OF ST. IGNATIUS
AND ST. POLYCARP. PARTLY TRANSLATED,
AND PARTLY ABRIDGED
Excerpt #1 What Tranquility is, and wherein it consists
SECT. 2 What Tranquility is, and wherein it consists.
YET something grace scorneth not to learn of nature, as Moses may take good counsel of a Midianite. Nature has ever had more skill in the end, than in the way to it; and whether she has discoursed of the good estate of the mind, which we call Tranquility, or the best, which is Happiness, has more happily guessed at the general definition of them, than at the means to attain them. She teacheth us, therefore, that the tranquility of the mind is, as of the sea and weather, when no wind stirreth, when the waves do not tumultuously rise and fall upon each other; but when the face both of the heaven and waters is still, fair, and equable. And this composedness of mind we require; not for some short fits, but with the condition of perpetuity. So then the calm mind must be settled in an habitual rest; not then firm when there is nothing to shake it, but then least shaken, when, it is most assailed….
SECT. 5 The Remedy of an unquiet Conscience.
THERE can be therefore no peace without reconciliation; you can not be friends with thyself, till with God. For thy conscience, which is thy best friend while you sinnest not, like an honest servant, takes his master’s part against thee, when you have sinned. There can be no reconciliation without remission. God can neither forget the injury of sin, nor dissemble hatred. There can be no remission without satisfaction; neither dealeth God with us, as we men with some desperate debtors, whom we altogether let go for disability, or at least dismiss them upon an easy composition. All sins are debts; all God’s debts must be discharged. It is a bold word, but a true one; God could not be just, if any of his debts should pass unsatisfied. The conceit of the profane vulgar makes him a God of all mercies; and thereupon hopes for pardon without payment.
Fond and ignorant presumption, to disjoin mercy and justice in him in whom they are both essential; to make mercy exceed justice in him, in whom both are infinite. Darest you hope God can be so kind to thee, as to be unjust to himself God will be just. Go you on to presume and perish. There can be no satisfaction by any recompense of ours. An infinite justice is offended, an infinite punishment is deserved by every sin, and every man’s sins are as near to infinite, as number can make them. Our best endeavor is finite, imperfect, and faulty. If it could be perfect, we owe it all at present; what we are bound to do at present, cannot make amends for what we have done in time past. And where shall we then find a payment of infinite value, but in him who is only and all infinite The dignity of whose person being infinite, gave such worth to his satisfaction, that what he suffered in a short time, was proportionable to what we should have suffered beyond all times. He did all, suffered all, payed all, for us.
Where shall I begin to wonder at thee, O you Divine eternal peace-maker, the Savior of men, the Anointed of GOD, Mediator between God and man, in whom there is nothing which does not exceed, not only the conception, but the very wonder of angels, who saw thee in thy humiliation with silence, and adore thee in thy glory with perpetual praises! You wast for ever of thyself, as God; of the Father, as the Son; the eternal Son of an eternal.Father; riot later in being, not less in dignity, nor other in substance. Begotten without diminution of him that begot thee, while he communicated that wholly to thee, which he retained wholly in himself, because both were infinite without inequality of nature, without division of essence; when being in this state, thine infinite love and mercy to desperate mankind, caused thee, O Savior, to empty thyself of thy glory, that you might put on our shame and misery. Wherefore, not ceasing to be GOD, you didst begin to be man; to the end that you might be a perfect. Mediator between God and man, who wast both in one person; GOD, that you might satisfy; man, that you might suffer: that since man had sinned, and God was offended, You, who vast God and man, might satisfy God for man.
None but thyself, who art the Eternal Word, can express the depth of this mystery, that God should be clothed with flesh, come down to men, and become man, that man might be exalted into the highest heavens; and that our nature might be taken into the fellowship of the Deity. That he, to whom all powers in heaven bowed, and thought it their honor to be serviceable, should come down to be a servant to his slaves, a ransom for his enemies; together with our nature taking up our infirmities, our shame, our torments, and bearing our sins without sin. That You, whom the heavens were too strait to contain, should lay thyself in an obscure manger! You, who wast attended of angels, should be derided of men, rejected of thine own, persecuted by tyrants, tempted with devils, betrayed of thy servant, crucified among thieves, and, (which is worse than all these,) for the time as forsaken of thy Father!
That You, whom our sins had pierced, should for our sins, both sweat drops of blood in the garden, and pour out streams of blood upon the cross! O the invaluable purchase of our peace! O ransom enough for more worlds You, who wast in the council of thy Father, the Lamb slain from the beginning of time, tamest now infulness of time to be slain by man, for man; being at once the sacrifice offered, the priest that did offer, and the God to whom it was offered. How graciously didst you proclaim our peace, as a prophet in the time of thy life upon earth, and purchase it by thy blood as a priest at thy death, and now confirmest and appliest it as a king in heaven! By thee only it was procured, by thee it is proffered. O mercy without example, without measure! God offers peace to man, the holy seeks to the unjust, the potter to the clay, the king to the traitor. We are unworthy that we should be received to peace though we desired it; what are we then that we should have peace offered for the receiving An easy condition of so great a benefit: he requires us not to earn it, but to accept it of him. What could he give more What could he require less of us
from 192. Vol 04 – HEAVEN UPON EARTH;OR,OF TRUE PEACE OF MIND.
Excerpt #2 Directions To A Man In The Act Of A New Birth
CHAP. 1 The Soul’s Preparation.
BEFORE the soul can share in CHRIST’s merits, (to speak in the author’s language, without any alteration,) two things are required. 1. A preparation to receive CHRIST. 2. An implantation of the soul into CHRIST. That there must be a preparation, is the first ground we lay; and herein observe we, the matter, the manner, and the means of this preparation.
I. For matter: the soul of a sinner must be prepared for CHRIST, before he can entertain him. When kings go to any place, they send, (to make readiness,) their harbingers before them; if CHRIST (the King of saints) come into a soul, there must be a preparation before he enter: and good reason, for he is not a mere man, an ordinary person, but a king, a king of glory.
2. The manner of this preparation consists in these three passages: 1. The soul breaks, league which formerly it had with corruptions. 2. The soul is willing to give way to CHRIST JESUS, and to let him overthrow whatsoever shall oppose him. 3. The soul is content that GOD should rule all, not only the eye, or hand, or tongue, or heart, but the whole man; it opens all the gates, and desires CHRIST to come, and take all the keys of the house upon him.
3. The means of this preparation is the powerful ministry which God has appointed for this work, and it is discovered in three particulars: First, in a particular application of the truth to the souls of men. Secondly, in confirmation of the truth by the soundness of argument, and plain evidence of Scriptures. Thirdly, in a kind of spiritual heat in the hearts and affections of the minister, answerable to that which he communicates to the people. If any soul that has enjoyed these means any while, is not yet fitted and prepared, it is a fearful sign; the state of that soul is extremely dangerous. Go home then, (if there be any such,) and plead, saying, “Lord, why am I not yet humbled and prepared Will exhortations never prevail with me Will terrors and reproofs never break my heart into pieces I have heard sermons that would have shaken the very stones; the fire of hell has flashed in my face; and if anything can do me any good, why not these exhortations, admonitions, and reproofs.” The Lord turns the heart of such a poor sinner, that he may lay hold on mercy in due time.
from 350. Vol 07 – Directions To A Man In The Act Of A New Birth and 51. Vol 07 – CHAP. 1
Excerpt #3 The Rules And Exercises Of Holy Dying
SECT. 3: Rules and Spiritual parts of lengthening our Days.
In the accounts of a man’s life, we do not reckon that portion of days in which we were shut up in the prison of the womb; we tell our years from the day of our birth. Arid the same reason that makes our reckoning to stay so long, says also, that then it begins too soon. For then we are beholden to others to make the account for us. For we know not of a long time, whether we be alive or not, having but some little approaches and symptoms of life. To feed, and sleep, and move a little; and imperfectly, is the state’ of an unborn child; and when he is born, he does no more for a good while. And what is it that shall make him be esteemed to live the life of a -man And when shall that account begin For we should be, does to have the accounts of our age taken by the measures of a beast; and fools and distracted persons are reckoned as civilly dead; they are no parts of the commonwealth, nor subject to laws, but secured by them in charity, and kept from violence as a man keeps his ox. And the third part of our life is spent before we enter into a higher order, into the state of a man.
2. Neither must we think that the life of a man begins when he can feed himself, or walk alone; when he can fight, or beget his like; for so he is contemporary with a camel or a cow. But he is first a man when he comes to a steady use of reason, according to his proportion; and when that is, all the world of men cannot tell precisely. Some are called at age at fourteen, some at one-and twenty, some never; but all men late enough, for the life of a man comes upon him slowly and. insensibly. But as when the sun approaches towards the gates of the morning, he first opens a little eye of heaven, and sends away the spirits of darkness, and gives light to a cock, and calls up the lark to matters, and by and by gilds the fringes of a cloud, and peeps over the Eastern hills, thrusting out his golden horns, like those which decked the brow of Moses, when he was forced to wear a veil, because he had seen the face of God; and still while a man tells the story, the sun gets up higher, till he shows a fair face and a full light, and then he shines one whole day, under a cloud often, and sometimes weeping great and little showers, and sets quickly. So is a man’s reason and his life. He first begins to perceive himself to see or taste, making little reflections upon his actions of sense, and can discourse of flies and dogs, shells and play, horses and liberty: but when he is strong enough to enter into arts, and little institutions, he is at first entertained with trifles and impertinent things., not because he needs them, but because his understanding is no larger, and little images of things are laid before him, like a cock-boat to a whale, only to play withal. But before a man comes to be wise, he is half dead with gouts and consumptions, with catarrhs and aches, with sore eyes and a worn-out body. So that if we must not reckon the life of a man but by the accounts of his reason, it is long before his soul be dressed; and he is not to be called a man without a wise and an adorned soul, a soul at least furnished with what is necessary to his well-being. But by that time his soul is thus furnished, his body is decayed; and then Thou can hardly reckon him to be alive, when his body is possessed by so many degrees of death.
3. But there is yet another arrest. At first he wants strength of body, and then he wants the use of reason, and when that is come, it is ten to one but he stops by the impediments of vice, and wants the strengths of the Spirit. Arid now let us consider what that thing is which we call years of discretion. The young man has passed his tutors, and arrived at the bondage of a caitiff spirit;. he has run from discipline, and is let loose to passion; the man by this time has wit enough to choose his vice, to court his mistress, to talk confidently, and ignorantly, and perpetually, to despise his betters, to deny nothing to his appetite, to do things that when he is indeed a man he must for ever be ashamed of. For this is all the discretion that most men show in the first stage of their manhood; they can discern good from evil; and they prove their skill by leaving all that is good, and wallowing in the evils of folly and an unbridled appetite. And by this time the young man has contracted vicious habits, and is a beast in manners, and therefore it will not be fitting to reckon this the beginning of his life. He is a fool in his understanding, and that is a sad death; and he is dead in trespasses and sins, and that is a sadder. So that he has no life but a natural, the life of a beast or a tree; in all other capacities he is dead; he neither has the intellectual nor the spiritual life; neither the life of a man nor of a Christian; and this. sad truth lasts too long. For old age seizes upon most men, while they still retain the minds of boys, doing actions from principles of great folly, and a mighty ignorance, admiring things useless and hurtful, and filling up all the dimensions of their abode with empty affairs, being at leisure to attend no virtue. They cannot pray, because they are busy, and because they are passionate. They cannot communicate, because they have quarrels and intrigues of perplexed causes; and therefore they cannot attend to the things of God; little considering that they must find a time to die in; that when death comes, they must be at leisure for that. Such men are like sailors loosing from a port, and tossed immediately with a perpetual tempest, lasting till their cordage crack, and either they sink, or return back again to the same place. They did not make a voyage, Though they were long at sea. The business and impertinent affairs of most men steal all their time, and they are restless in a foolish motion. But this is not the progress of a man; he is no farther advanced in the course of life, Though he reckon many years; for still his soul is childish, and trifling like an untaught boy.
If the parts of this sad complaint find their remedy, we have by the same means cured the evils and the vanity of a short life. Therefore,
1. Be infinitely curious Thou do not set back Your life in the accounts of GOD by the intermingling criminal actions, or contracting vicious habits. There are some vices which carry a sword in their hand, and cut a man off before his time. There is a sword of the Lord, and there is a sword of a man, and there is a sword of the devil. Lust or rage, ambition or revenge, is a sword of safari put into the hands of a man. These are the destroying angels; sin is the Apollyon. the destroyer that is gone out, not from the Lord but from the tempter; and we hug the poison, and twist willingly with the vipers, till they bring us into the regions of an irrecoverable sorrow.
from 30. Vol 09 – The Rules And Exercises Of Holy Dying, Chapters I-V and following chapters
Excerpt #4 Of Communion With God The Father, Son, And Holy Ghost
IN the first epistle of John, chap. 1: ver. 3, the apostle assures them to whom he wrote, that the fellowship of believers is with the Father, and with his Son JESUS CHRIST. And this he does with such an unusual kind of expression as bears the force of an asseveration.
The outward appearances and condition of the saints in those days being very mean and contemptible, their leaders being accounted as the filth of this world, and as the off-scouring of all things, the inviting others to fellow-ship with them, and a participation of the precious things which they enjoyed, seems to have been exposed to many contrary reasonings and objections. What benefit was there in communion with them Was it any thing else but to be,sharers in troubles, reproaches, all manner, of evils
To prevent, or remove these and the like exceptions, the apostle gives them, to whom he wrote, to know, and that with some earnestness of expression, that, notwithstanding all the disadvantages their fellowship lay under, yet in truth it was, and would be found to be, very honor-able, glorious, and desirable: for ” truly,” says he, ” our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son JESUS CHRIST.” This being asserted by the apostle, we may boldly follow him with our affirmation, viz. That the saints of GOD have communion with him.
By nature, since the entrance of sin, no man has any communion with GOD. He is light, we are darkness; and what communion has light with darkness He is life, we are dead; he is love, we are enmity; and what agreement can there be between us Men in such a condition, having neither CHRIST, nor hope, nor GOD in the world; ” being alienated from the life of GOD through the ignorance that was in them.” Now, ” two cannot walk together unless they be agreed.” Whilst there is this distance between GOD and man, there is no walking together for them in any fellowship or communion. Our first interest in GOD was so lost by sin that there was left to us (in ourselves) no possibility of a recovery. As we had deprived ourselves of all power for a return, so GOD had not revealed any way of access unto himself. Not any work that GOD had made, not any attribute that he had revealed, could give the least light into such a dispensation.
…
That the Saints have this Communion distinctly, with the Father, Son, and Spirit.
That the saints have communion with GOD has been declared. The manner how this communion is carried on, and the matter wherein it does consist, comes next under consideration. For the first, in respect of the distinct persons of the Godhead; with whom they have this fellowship, it is either distinct and peculiar, or else, obtained and exercised jointly, and common. That the saints have distinct communion with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that is, distinctly with the Father, and distinctly with the Son, and distinctly with the Holy Spirit; and in what this distinct communion does consist, must in the first place be made manifest.
1Jn 5:7, the apostle tells us, ” There’ are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit.” In heaven they are, and bear witness to us. And what is it they bear witness to Unto the Sonship of CHRIST, and salvation of believers through his blood. Of the carrying on of that, both by blood and water, justification and sanctification, is he there treating. Now how do they bear witness hereto Even as three, as three distinct witnesses. When GOD witnesseth concerning our salvation, surely it is incumbent on us to receive his testimony. And as he beareth witness, so are we to receive it. Now this is done distinctly. The Father beareth witness, the Son beareth witness, and the Holy Spirit beareth witness; for they are three distinct witnesses. So then are we to receive their several testimonies; and in doing so we have communion with them severally; for in this giving and receiving testimony consists no small part of our fellowship with GOD.
From 516. Vol 10 – Of Communion With God The Father, Son, And Holy Ghost and following chapters
Excerpt #5 A Sermon On The Final Judgment
Ecc 11:9.
But know You, that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgment.
THE great and general design of the ministry and preaching of the gospel, is to bring men to Christianity; not merely in the outward profession, but in the true spirit and power thereof; to the end that they may be justified, and sanctified, and finally saved through CHRIST’ for ever. The particular design of this day’s observation is to ” humble ourselves under the mighty hand of GOD,” in consideration of his judgments, especially that late one, which consumed with fire the ancient and noble metropolis of this nation; and to endeavor to appease the wrath of GOD, gone out against us.
To compass both these designs, 1 know no better expedient, than to reason a while upon the important argument suggested in the text. Who can think upon the conflagration of our late glorious city, and not call to mind the great and terrible day of judgment Who can think seriously of judgment, and not be compelled to come in, (driven to Christianity,) that he may be ” saved from the wrath to come ”
The great instructer and example of Christian Preachers (he who says of himself, that CHRIST sent him “to preach, and not to baptize,”) found no means so powerful to persuade men to Christianity as to reason upon this argument; as first to lay before them the terror of judgment, and then (whilst that was warm upon their hearts) to make them a tender of the Gospel. This is the great advantage and use which the Apostle makes of the doctrine of the text. “We must all appear,” says he, “before the judgment-seat of CHRIST:—Knowing therefore the terror of the LORD, we persuade men.”
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I. There is a Judgment to come.
II. You shall be brought to Judgment.
III. GOD will bring thee to Judgment.
IV. GOD will bring thee to Judgment for these things, —the ways of thy heart.
V. GOD will bring thee to Judgment for all these things.
VI. All this is certain and evident; for it is not said Think,” or ” Believe,” but ” Know—that for all these things GOD will bring thee to Judgment.”
from 83. Vol 14 – A Sermon On The Final Judgment and following chapters