his judgment shall be most righteous and reasonable. The Lord hath given unto us his light and grace, if we do not improve it, and live answerably to it, we shall go down into perdition: therefore to day, while it is called to day, let us perform our duty to God, and one another, that it may go well with us for ever.

These things are of great importance which belong to our everlasting peace: these are not chimeras and enthusiastical fancies, but the great realities of religion. God hath been pleased in his admirable love and condescending goodness, to twist his glory and our felicity together, and to require nothing of us, but what is for our own interest and good: He is infinitely blessed in himself, and perfectly happy without us, but we cannot be happy a moment without him; yet we despise the riches of his goodness, that is extended to us: and like a foolish people and unwise, we are ready to frustrate the design of his mercy and kindness, and to receive the grace of God in vain.

Let this opportunity now before us, be carefully improved, in order to our spiritual benefit and advantage. Let our superlative love be set on the Lord Jesus Christ, who should be our husband and head. Let us love him with fervent and inflamed affections, as becomes the living members of his mystical body; as those that are really united to him, and receive vital influences from him. We are now present at the solemnity of a marriage, which is a thing of itself joyous: but O let not our joy be carnal, but spiritual: let us rejoice in Christ Jesus, who for our sakes became a man of sorrows, that we might partake of that joy that is unspeakable and eternal. We may all live a happy and blesssed life, if we will live to his glory that is the giver of it, and set our affections on things above, and live in a deep and daily sense of our duty, to him that made us, and will make us happy for ever, if we be not

இர

wanting to ourselves. When the Lord God first created man, he said, 'It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a help meet for him :' and he caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and took one of his ribs, whereof he made the woman; and brought her unto the man, and Adam said, 'this is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.' Thus you see in the first creation; God made man and woman in one, he then joined them both in one person; then of one, he made them two; and after made them one again: Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.' Gen, ii. 24. It is of very great importance to men and women, to dispose of themselves rightly in marriage: for it is for term of life; and it is that which makes people either easy or uncomfortable in their lives: therefore they must take care to be equally yoked, that they are one in judgment, and in affection. And when they change their condition, to marry in the Lord, that they may be meet helps and blessings one to another. God bath made us sensible of that delight and joy that is proper, both to the outward and inward man, which makes us thirst after the happiness of our souls. This the saints in all ages have borne their testimony to; David who was a mighty hero, and king, a man after God's own heart; he declares to us the temper and disposition of carnal men; they cry out, Who will shew us any good?' but this is the language and longing of the saints, 'Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us,' Psal. iv. 6. That will make our hearts more glad, than those that have their corn and wine increased. The refreshing light of God's countenance, and the sense of his love, is that which in all ages, hath been the consolation of the righteous, ever since the beginning of the world; and will beto the end of it. So (my Friends)we lay great stress and weight upon this, that married persons do not enter into that relation

་

with a mere natural affection, or for worldly interest, or advantage or to gratify a carnal fancy; but we must be in the exercise of a divine and heavenly affection; making the law of God our rule, and his glory our aim and end; remembering that we are none of our own, but are bought with a price : therefore we ought to glorify God, both in our bodies and in our spirits, which are His.

It becometh us to live as strangers and pilgrims on the earth; for we are but terrants at will of the great Lord; let us pass therefore the short time of our sojourning here in fear. The time past, is irrevocable; the time to come, is uncertain; and only the tine present, we can call our own. Let us then improve it, while we have it; and in all our solemn meetings, let us have an awful sense of God upon us and love him, and live unto him; for we are entirely at his disposal. You that are strangers, and present in this meeting, may observe the order and method among us, with respect to nuptial solemnities. It concerns us to vindicate ourselves from those aspersions that have been unjustly cast upon us. We have no clandestine proceedings in any of our marriages, though we have been misrepresented to the world; we do observe that order and method which is set down in the holy scriptures, which are our warrant and direction. We have divers instances in scripture concerning marriages, that of Boaz and Ruth is a very eminent one; he solemnly took Ruth to be his wife, as in the presence of the Lord, and before the congregation, even all the people and the elders, and Boaz said unto them, ye are witnesses this day. And all the people that were in the gate and the elders said, we are witnesses, the Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel, and do thou worthily in Ephrata, and be famous in Bethlehem, so Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife.

Thus let us proceed in all our marriages, as in the presence of the Lord; which none can do, but those that have an awful sense of the divine presence, which is graciously vouchsafed to his people in all their humble and solemn approaches to him; then He will meet them, and bless them.

I shall commit you to the Lord, and to the grace of God that is given to you; for we are not a people so stingy, as not to own the grace communicated to others, as if we engrossed and arrogated all to ourselves; we declare, with the Apostle, that there is a measure of the Spirit given to every man to profit withal.' We are all intrusted with some talents, let us remember we must give an account of them. When we are convinced of sin, let us depart from it, and live in the delightful exercise of a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. Then we shall find there is hope for us in death, and fruition of happiness after death. It will be said unto us, well done good and faithful servants, enter into the joy of your Lord.'

My Friends, consider now that Christ is universally offered to all the sons and daughters of men, and his love is, and is to be, extended to all the habitable parts of the earth. The Sun of righteousness will shine upon them, with healing under his wings; but this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. He that hath given us the knowledge of our duty if we seek it, will also give us strength to perform it, and work in us to will and to do, of his own good pleasure. So that though of ourselves, as of ourselves, we can do nothing, we may say with the Apostle Paul, 'We can do all things through Christ that strengthens us.' Let us therefore labour abundantly in the work of the Lord, and then our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; For if we be faithful to death, we shall receive the crown of life.'

113

CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

A Sermon preached at the Quakers' Meeting-House, in Grace-Church-Street, London, Oct. 7, 1694.

BY GEORGE WHITHEAD,

WITH HIS PRAYER.

AS it is the great concern, so it ought to be the great care of every one to have their minds truly exercised towards God, in that spirit wherewith he hath visited the sons and daughters of men, for the gathering of people unto this the testimony of truth, in the plain evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, hath been brought forth in our age and generation: the word hath been preached, the living word, whereby every one may come to a right understanding by the knowledge of it and the sense of it in their own hearts; the entrance whereof giveth light, and giveth understanding tothe simple; and this is that which worketh the heart into a believing frame, truly to believe in him whom God hath sent. This is the work of God, that ye believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom his heavenly Father hath sent, and that by believing he may be truly confessed as he hath been by a remnant, whom the Lord hath raised up by his own invisible power, and hath fitted and prepared them to bear testimony of that which they have heard and seen with their eyes, which they have looked upon, and which their hands have handled of the word of life, and the living testimo