PROPOSITION XI.

PROPOSITION XI.ConcerningWorship.What the true Worship is, that is acceptable to God.All true and acceptableWorshipto God is offered in the inward and immediate Moving and Drawing of his own Spirit, which is neither limited to Places, Times, nor Persons. For though we are to worship him always, and continually to fear before him;How to be performed.yet as to the outward Signification thereof, inPrayers,Praises, orPreachings, we ought not to do it in our ownWill,whereandwhenwe will; butwhereandwhenwe are moved thereunto by the Stirring and secret Inspiration of the Spirit of God in our Hearts; which God heareth and accepteth of, and is never wanting to move as thereunto, when Need is; of which he himself is the alone proper Judge. All otherWorshipthen, bothPraises,PrayersorPreachings, which Man sets about in his own Will, and at his own Appointment, which he can both begin and end at his Pleasure, do or leave undone as himself seeth meet, whether they be aprescribed Form, as aLiturgy, &c. orPrayersconceivedextemporeby the natural Strength and Faculty of the Mind, they are all butSuperstition,Will-worship, andabominable Idolatryin the Sight of God, which are now to be denied and rejected, and separated from, in this Day of his spiritual Arising:Superstition and Will-worship, Idolatry.However it might have pleased him (who winked at the Times of Ignorance, with a Respect to the Simplicity and Integrity of some, and of his own innocentSeed, which lay as it were buried in theHeartsof Men under that Mass ofSuperstition)to blow upon the dead and dry Bones, and to raise some Breathings of his own, and answer them; and that until theDayshould more clearlydawnandbreak forth.§. I.TheDuty of Mantowards God lieth chiefly in these two Generals. 1.In an holy Conformity to the pure Law and Light of God, so as both to forsake the Evil, and be found in the Practice of those perpetual and moral Precepts of Righteousness and Equity.And 2.In rendering that Reverence, Honour and Adoration to God, that he requires and demands of us; which is comprehended underWorship. Of theformerwe have already spoken, as also of the different Relations ofChristians, as they are distinguished by the several Measures of Grace received, and given to every one; and in that Respect have their several Offices in theBody of Christ, which is theChurch. Now I come to speak ofWorship, or of those Acts, whether private or publick, general or particular, whereby Man renders to God that Part of his Duty which relates immediately to him: And asObedience is better than Sacrifice, so neither is any Sacrificeacceptable, but that which is done according to the Will of him to whom it isoffered. But Men, finding it easier tosacrificein their own Wills, than obey God’s Will, have heaped upSacrificeswithoutObedience;TrueWorship and Duty to God-wards corrupted.and thinking to deceive God, as they do one another, give him a Shew of Reverence, Honour and Worship, while they are both inwardly estranged and alienated from his holy and righteous Life, and wholly Strangers to the pure Breathings of his Spirit, in which the acceptable Sacrifice and Worship is only offered up. Hence it is, that there is not any Thing relating to Man’s Duty towards God, which among all Sorts of People hath been more vitiated, and in which the Devil hath more prevailed, than in abusing Man’s Mind concerning this Thing: And as among many others, so among those calledChristians, nothing hath been more out of Order, and more corrupted, as somePapistsand allProtestants, do acknowledge. As I freely approve whatsoever theProtestantshave reformed fromPapistsin this Respect; so I meddle not at this Time with their Controversies about it:ThePopish Mass (Idolatry)denied, with all theirTrumpery.Only it suffices me with them to deny, as no Part of the true Worship of God, that abominable Superstition and Idolatry thePopish Mass, theAdorationof Saints and Angels, theVeneration of Relicks, theVisitation of Sepulchres, and all those other superstitious Ceremonies,Confraternities, andendless Pilgrimagesof theRomish Synagogue. Which all may suffice to evince toProtestants, thatAntichristhath wrought more in this than in any other Part of theChristian Religion;IfProtestantshave made aperfect Reformation.and so it concerns them narrowly to consider, whether herein they have made a clear and perfect Reformation; as to which stands the Controversy betwixt them and us. For we find many of the Branches lopt off by them, but the Root yet remaining; to wit, aWorshipacted in and from Man’s Will and Spirit, and not by and from the Spirit of God: For the trueChristianandSpiritual Worship of Godhath been so early lost, and Man’s Wisdom and Will hath so quickly and throughly mixed itself herein, that both theApostasyin this Respect hath been greatest, and theReformationherefrom, as to the evil Root, most difficult. Therefore let not theReadersuddenly stumble at the Account of ourPropositionin this Matter, but patiently hear us explain ourselves in this Respect, and I hope (by the Assistance of God) to make it appear, that though our Manner of Speaking and Doctrine seem most singular and different from all other Sorts ofChristians; yet it is most according to the purestChristian Religion, and indeed most needful to be observed and followed. And that there be no Ground of Mistake (for that I was necessitated to speak in few Words, and therefore more obscurely and dubiously in thePropositionitself) it is fit in the first Place to declare and explain our Sense, and clear theState of the Controversy.§. II.I.WhatWorshiphere is spoken of.And first, let it be considered, that what is here affirmed, is spoken of theWorship of Godin theseGospel-times, and not of the Worship that was under or before theLaw: For the particular Commands of God to Menthen, are not sufficient to authorize usnowto do the same Things; else we might be supposed at present acceptably to offer Sacrifice as they did, which all acknowledge to be ceased. So that what might have been both commendable and acceptable under theLaw,may justly now be charged with Superstition, yea, and Idolatry. So that impertinently, in this Respect, dothArnoldusrage against this Proposition, [Exercit. Theolog.Sect. 44.] saying;That I deny all publick Worship, and that according to me, such as inEnoch’s Time publickly began to call upon the Name of the Lord; and such as at the Command of God went thrice up toJerusalemto worship; and thatAnna,Simeon,Mary, &c. were Idolaters, because they used the publick Worship of those Times; such a Consequence is most impertinent; and no less foolish and absurd, than if I should infer fromPaul’s expostulating with theGalatiansfor their returning to theJewish Ceremonies, that he therefore condemnedMosesand all theProphetsas foolish and ignorant, because they used those Things: The forward Man, not heeding the different Dispensation of Times, ran into this Impertinency.Ceremonies under the Law were not essential to trueWorship.Though a spiritual Worship might have been, and no Doubt was practised by many under theLawin great Simplicity; yet will it not follow, that it were no Superstition to use all thoseCeremoniesthat they used, which were by God dispensed to theJews, not as being essential totrue Worship, or necessary as of themselves for transmitting and entertaining anholy Fellowshipbetwixt him and his People; but in Condescension to them, who were inclinable to Idolatry. Albeit then in this, as in most other Things, the Substance was enjoyed under theLawby such as were spiritual indeed; yet was it veiled and surrounded with manyRitesandCeremonies, which it is no Ways lawful for us to use now under theGospel.§. III.II. True Worshipis not limited to Place or Person.Secondly, Albeit I say, that thisWorshipis neither limited to Times, Places nor Persons; yet I would not be understood, as if I intended the putting away of all set Times and Places to worship: God forbid I should think of such an Opinion. Nay, we are none of those thatforsake the Assembling of ourselvestogether; but have even certain Times and Places, in which we carefully meet together (nor can we be driven therefrom by the Threats and Persecutions of Men) towait upon God, andworship him.Necessity of Meetings.Tomeet togetherwe think necessary for the People of God; because, so long as we are clothed withthis outward Tabernacle, there is a Necessity to the entertaining of a joint and visible Fellowship, and bearing of an outward Testimony for God, and seeing of the Faces of one another, that we concur with our Persons as well as Spirits: To be accompanied with that inward Love and Unity of Spirit, doth greatly tend to encourage and refresh the Saints.1. Will-worshipdoth limit the Spirit of God.But theLimitationwe condemn is, that whereas the Spirit of God should be the immediate Actor, Mover, Persuader and Influencer of Man in the particular Acts of Worship, when the Saints are met together, this Spirit islimitedin its Operations, by setting up a particular Man or Men to preach and pray in Man’s Will; and all the rest are excluded from so much as believing that they are to wait for God’s Spirit to move them in such Things: And so they neglecting that in themselves which should quicken them, and not waiting to feel the pure Breathings of God’s Spirit, so as to obey them, are led merely to depend upon the Preacher, and hear what he will say.2.TrueTeachingof the Word of God.Secondly, In that these peculiar Men come not thither to meet with the Lord, and to wait for the inward Motions and Operations of his Spirit; and so to pray as they feel the Spirit to breathethroughthem, andinthem; and to preach, as they find themselves actuated and moved by God’s Spirit, and as he gives Utterance, so as to speak a Word in Season to refresh weary Souls, and as the present Condition and State of the People’s Hearts require; suffering God by his Spirit both to prepare People’s Hearts, and also give the Preacher to speak what may be fit and seasonable for them: But he (viz.the Preacher) hath hammered together in his Closet, according to his own Will, by his human Wisdom and Literature, and by stealing the Words of Truth from the Letter of the Scriptures, and patching together other Men’s Writings and Observations, so much as will hold him speaking an Hour, while the Glass runs;Priestspreach by Hap-hazard their studied Sermons.and without waiting or feeling the inward Influence of the Spirit of God, he declaims that by Hap-hazard, whether it be fit orseasonable for the People’s Condition, or not; and when he has ended his Sermon, he saith his Prayer also in his own Will; and sothere is an End of the Business. Whichcustomary Worship, as it is no Ways acceptable to God, so how unfruitful it is, and unprofitable to those that are found in it, the present Condition of the Nations doth sufficiently declare. It appears then, that we are not againstset Timesfor Worship, asArnoldusagainst this Proposition,Sect. 45. no less impertinently allegeth; offering needlesly to prove that which is not denied: Only these Times being appointed for outward Conveniency, we may not therefore think with thePapists, that these Days areholy, and lead People into a superstitious Observation of them; being persuaded thatall Days are alike holy in the Sight of God.Whether Days are holy.And although it be not my present Purpose to make a long Digression concerning the Debates amongProtestantsabout thefirst Day of the Week, commonly called theLord’s Day, yet forasmuch as it comes fitly in here, I shall briefly signify our Sense thereof.§. IV.Of theFirst Dayof theWeek, commonly called theLord’s Day.We, not seeing any Ground in Scripture for it, cannot be so superstitious as to believe, that either theJewish Sabbathnow continues, or that thefirst Dayof theWeekis theAnti-typethereof, or the trueChristian Sabbath; which withCalvinwe believe to have a morespiritual Sense: And therefore we know no moral Obligation by thefourth Command, or elsewhere, to keep thefirst Day of the Weekmore than any other, or any Holiness inherent in it. ButFirst, forasmuch as it is necessary that there be some Time set apart for the Saints to meet together to wait upon God; and thatSecondly, it is fit at some Times they be freed from their other outward Affairs; and thatThirdly, Reason and Equity doth allow that Servants and Beasts have some Time allowed them to be eased from their continual Labour; and thatFourthly, it appears that the Apostles and Primitive Christians did use thefirst Day of the Weekfor these Purposes; we find ourselves sufficiently moved for these Causes to do so also, without superstitiously straining the Scriptures for another Reason: Which, that it is not to be there found, manyProtestants, yea,Calvinhimself, upon thefourth Command, hath abundantly evinced. And though we therefore meet, and abstain from working upon thisDay, yet doth not that hinder us from havingMeetingsalso forWorshipat other Times.§. V.Thirdly, Though according to the Knowledge of God, revealed unto us by the Spirit, through that morefull Dispensation of Lightwhich we believe the Lord hath brought about in this Day, we judge it our Duty to hold forth that pure and spiritual Worship which is acceptable to God, and answerable to the Testimony of Christ and his Apostles, and likewise to testify against and deny not only manifest Superstition and Idolatry, but also all formal Will-worship, which stands not in the Power of God;TheWorshipin the Apostasy.yet, I say, we do not deny the whole Worship of all those that have borne the Name ofChristianseven in the Apostasy, as if God had never heard their Prayers, nor accepted any of them: God forbid we should be so void of Charity! The latter Part of the Proposition sheweth the Contrary. And as we would not be soabsurdon the one Hand to conclude, because of the Errors and Darkness that many were covered and surrounded with inBabylon, that none of their Prayers were heard or accepted of God, so will we not be sounwaryon the other, as to conclude, that because God heard and pitied them, so we ought to continue in these Errors and Darkness, and not come out ofBabylon, when it is by God discovered unto us.The Popish Mass or Vespers.ThePopish MassandVespersI do believe to be, as to the Matter of them,abominable IdolatryandSuperstition, and so also believe theProtestants; yet will neitherIortheyaffirm, that in the Darkness ofPoperyno Upright-hearted Men, though zealous in these Abominations, have been heard of God, or accepted of him:BernardandBonaventure, Taulerus, Tho. à Kempis,have tasted of the Love of God.Who can deny, but that bothBernardandBonaventure, Taulerus, Thomas à Kempis,and divers others have both known and tasted of the Love of God, and felt the Power and Virtue of God’s Spirit working with them for their Salvation? And yet ought we not to forsake and deny those Superstitions which they were found in? TheCalvinistical Presbyteriansdomuch upbraid (and I say not without Reason) the Formality and Deadness of theEpiscopalianandLutheran Liturgies;The Bishops Liturgy.and yet, as they will not deny but there have been some good Men among them, so neither dare they refuse, but that when that good Step was brought in by them, of turning the publick Prayers into the vulgar Tongues, though continued in aLiturgy, it was acceptable to God, and sometimes accompanied with his Power and Presence: Yet will not thePresbyterianshave it from thence concluded, that theCommon Prayersshould still continue; so likewise, though we should confess, that, through the Mercy and wonderful Condescension of God, there have been upright in Heart, both amongPapistsandProtestants, yet can we not therefore approve of their Way in the General, or not go on to the upholding of thatspiritual Worship, which the Lord is calling all to, and so to the testifying against whatsoever stands in the Way of it.§. VI.Assemblies of Worship in Publick described.Fourthly, To come then to theState of the Controversy, as to thepublick Worship, we judge it the Duty of all to be diligent in the Assembling of themselves together (and what we have been, and are, in this Matter, our Enemies inGreat Britain, who have used all Means to hinder our assembling together to worship God, may bear Witness) and when assembled, the great Work of one and all ought to be to wait upon God; and returning out of their own Thoughts and Imaginations, to feel the Lord’s Presence, and know aGathering into his Nameindeed, where he isin the Midst, according to his Promise. And as every one is thus gathered, and so met together inwardly in their Spirits, as well as outwardly in their Persons, there the secret Power and Virtue of Life is known to refresh the Soul, and the pure Motions and Breathings of God’s Spirit are felt to arise; from which, as Words of Declaration, Prayers or Praises arise, the acceptable Worship is known, which edifies the Church, and is well-pleasing to God. And no Man here limits the Spirit of God, nor bringeth forth his own conned and gathered Stuff; but every one puts that forth which the Lord puts into theirHearts: And it is uttered forth not in Man’s Will and Wisdom, butin the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit, and of Power.Its gloriousDispensation.Yea, though there be not a Word spoken, yet is the true spiritual Worship performed, and the Body of Christ edified; yea, it may, and hath often fallen out among us, that divers Meetings have past without one Word; and yet our Souls have been greatly edified and refreshed, and our Hearts wonderfully overcome with the secret Sense of God’s Power and Spirit, which without Words hath been ministered from one Vessel to another. This is indeed strange and incredible to the mere natural and carnally-minded Man, who will be apt to judge all Time lost where there is not something spoken that is obvious to the outward Senses; and therefore I shall insist a little upon this Subject, as one that can speak from a certain Experience, and not by mere Hearsay, of this wonderful and glorious Dispensation; which hath so much the more of the Wisdom and Glory of God in it, as it is contrary to the Nature of Man’s Spirit, Will, and Wisdom.§. VII.The silent waiting upon God obtained.As there can be nothing more opposite to the natural Will and Wisdom of Man than thissilent Waiting upon God, so neither can it be obtained, nor rightly comprehended by Man, but as he layeth down his own Wisdom and Will, so as to be content to be throughly subject to God. And therefore it was not preached, nor can be so practised, but by such as find no outward Ceremony, no Observations, no Words, yea, not the best and purest Words, even the Words of Scripture, able to satisfy their weary and afflicted Souls: Because where all these may be, the Life, Power, and Virtue, which make such Things effectual, may be wanting. Such, I say, were necessitated to cease from all Externals, and to be silent before the Lord; and[97]being directed to that inward Principle ofLifeandLightin themselves, as the most excellent Teacher, whichcan never be removed into a Corner, came thereby to be taught to wait upon God in the Measure ofLifeandGracereceived from him, and to cease from their own forward Words and Actings, in the naturalWilling and Comprehension, and feel after this inward Seed of Life; that, as it moveth, they may move with it, and be actuated by its Power, and influenced, whether to pray, preach or sing. And so from this Principle of Man’s being silent, and not acting in the Things of God of himself, until thus actuated by God’sLightandGrace in the Heart, did naturally spring that Manner of sitting silent together, and waiting together upon the Lord. For many thus principled, meeting together in the pure Fear of the Lord, did not apply themselves presently to speak, pray, or sing,&c.being afraid to be found acting forwardly in their own Wills, but each made it their Work to retire inwardly to the Measure of Grace in themselves, not being only silent as to Words, but even abstaining from all their own Thoughts, Imaginations and Desires; so watching in a holyDependenceupon the Lord, and meeting together not only outwardly in one Place,What it is to meet inJesusName.but thus inwardly inone Spirit, and inone Name of Jesus, which is his Power and Virtue, they come thereby to enjoy and feel the Arisings of this Life, which, as it prevails in each Particular, becomes as a Flood of Refreshment, and overspreads the whole Meeting: For Man, and Man’s Part and Wisdom, being denied and chained down in every Individual, and God exalted, and his Grace in Dominion in the Heart, thus hisNamecomes to beoneinall, and his Glory breaks forth, and covers all; and there is such a holy Awe and Reverence upon every Soul, that if the natural Part should arise in any, or the wise Part, or what is not one with the Life, it would presently be chained down, and judged out. And when any are, through the Breaking forth of this Power, constrained to utter a Sentence of Exhortation or Praise, or to breathe to the Lord in Prayer, then all are sensible of it; for the same Life in them answers to it,[98]as in Water Face answereth to Face. This is thatdivineandspiritual Worship, which the World neither knoweth nor understandeth, which theVulture’s Eye seeth not into.Advantages ofsilent Meetings.Yet many and great are the Advantages which my Soul, with many others, hath tasted of hereby, and which would be found of all suchas would seriously apply themselves hereunto: For, when People are gathered thus together, not merely to hear Men, nor depend upon them, but[99]all are inwardly taught to stay their Minds upon the Lord, and wait for his Appearance in their Hearts; thereby the forward Working of the Spirit of Man is stayed and hindered from mixing itself with the Worship of God; and the Form of this Worship is so naked and void of all outward and worldly Splendor, that all Occasion for Man’s Wisdom to be exercised in that Superstition and Idolatry hath no Lodging here; and so there being also an inward Quietness and Retiredness of Mind, theWitness of Godarisethin the Heart, and theLight of Christshineth, whereby the Soul cometh to see its own Condition. And there being many joined together in the same Work, there is an inward Travail and Wrestling; and also, as the Measure of Grace is abode in, an Overcoming of the Power and Spirit of Darkness; and thus we are often greatly strengthened and renewed in the Spirits of our Minds without a Word, and we enjoy and possess the[100]holy FellowshipandCommunion of the Body and Blood of Christ, by which our inward Man is nourished and fed; which makes us not to dote upon outwardWater, andBreadandWine, in our spiritual Things. Now as many thus gathered together grow up in the Strength, Power, and Virtue of Truth, and as Truth comes thus to have Victory and Dominion in their Souls, then they receive an Utterance, and speak steadily to the Edification of their Brethren, and thepure Lifehath a free Passage through them, and what is thus spoken edifieth the Body indeed.Speaking to Edification.Such is the evident Certainty of that divine Strength that is communicated by thus meeting together, and waiting in Silence upon God, that sometimes when one hath come in that hath been unwatchful and wandering in his Mind, or suddenly out of the Hurry of outward Business, and so not inwardly gathered with the rest, so soon as he retires himself inwardly, this Power being in a good Measure raised in the whole Meeting, will suddenly lay Hold upon his Spirit, and wonderfully help to raise up the Good in him, and beget him intothe Sense of the same Power, to the Melting and Warming of his Heart; even as the Warmth would take Hold upon a Man that is cold coming into a Stove, or as a Flame will lay Hold upon some little combustible Matter being near unto it. Yea, if it fall out that several met together be straying in their Minds, though outwardly silent, and so wandering from the Measure of Grace in themselves (which through the Working of the Enemy, and Negligence of some, may fall out) if either one come in, or may be in, who is watchful, and in whom theLifeis raised in a great Measure, as that one keeps his Place, he will feel a secret Travail for the rest in a Sympathy with theSeedwhich is oppressed in the other, and kept from arising by their Thoughts and Wanderings;A secret Travail one for another in silent Meetings.and as such a faithful one waits in theLight, and keeps in thisdivine Work, God oftentimes answers the secret Travail and Breathings of his ownSeedthrough such a one, so that the rest will find themselvessecretly smittenwithout Words, and that one will be as aMidwifethrough the secret Travails of his Soul to bring forth the Life in them, just as a little Water thrown into a Pump brings up the rest, whereby Life will come to be raised in all, and the vain Imaginations brought down; and such a one is felt by the rest to minister Life unto them without Words. Yea, sometimes when there is not a Word in the Meeting, but all are silently waiting, if one come in that is rude and wicked, and in whom the Power of Darkness prevaileth much, perhaps with an Intention to mock or do Mischief, if the whole Meeting be gathered into theLife, and it be raised in a good Measure, it will strike Terror into such an one,The Mocker struck withTerrorwhen no Word is spoken.and he will feel himself unable to resist; but by the secret Strength and Virtue thereof, the Power of Darkness in him will be chained down: And if the Day of his Visitation be not expired, it will reach to the Measure of Grace in him, and raise it up to the Redeeming of his Soul. And this we often bear Witness of, so that we have had frequent Occasion in this Respect, since God hath gathered us to be a People, to renew this old Saying of many,[101]IsSaulalso among theProphets?For not a few have come to be convinced of the Truth after this Manner, of which I myself, in Part, am a true Witness, who not by Strength of Arguments, or by a particular Disquisition of each Doctrine, and Convincement of my Understanding thereby, came to receive and bear Witness of the Truth, but by being secretly reached by thisLife;The true Convincement.for when I came into thesilent Assembliesof God’s People, I felt asecret Poweramong them, which touched my Heart, and as I gave Way unto it, I found the Evil weakening in me, and the Good raised up, and so I became thus knit and united unto them, hungering more and more after the Increase of this Power and Life, whereby I might feel myself perfectly redeemed. And indeed this is the surest Way to become aChristian, to whom afterwards the Knowledge and Understanding ofPrincipleswill not be wanting, but will grow up so much as is needful, as the natural Fruit of this good Root, and such a Knowledge will not bebarrennorunfruitful. After this Manner we desire therefore all that come among us to be proselyted, knowing that though Thousands should be convinced in their Understanding of all theTruthswe maintain, yet if they were not sensible of thisinward Life, and their Souls not changed from Unrighteousness to Righteousness, they could add nothing to us.1 Cor. 6. 17.The Life of Righteousness doth join us to the Lord.For this is thatCementwhereby we are joinedas to the Lord, so to one another, and without this none can worship with us. Yea, if such should come among us, and from that Understanding and Convincement they have of theTruth, speak ever so true Things, and utter them forth with ever so much Excellency of Speech, if thisLifewere wanting, it would not edify us at all, but be assounding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal, 1 Cor. xiii. 1.[97]Isa. 30. 20.[98]Prov. 27. 19.[99]Isa. 10. 20.and26. 3.[100]Ephes. 4. 3.[101]1 Sam. 10. 12.§. VIII.Our Work and Worship in our Meetings.OurWorkthen andWorshipis, when we meet together, for every one towatch and wait upon God in themselves, and to begatheredfrom all Visibles thereunto. And as every one is thus stated, they come to find theGoodarise over theEvil, and thePureover theImpure, in which God reveals himself, and draweth near to every Individual, and so he is in the Midst in the General, whereby eachnot only partakes of the particular Refreshment and Strength which comes from the Good in himself, but is a Sharer in the whole Body, as being a living Member of the Body, having a joint Fellowship and Communion with all. And as this Worship is stedfastly preached and kept to, it becomes easy, though it be very hard at first to the natural Man, whose roving Imaginations and running worldly Desires are not so easily brought to Silence. And therefore the Lord Often-times, when any turn towards him, and have true Desires thus to Wait upon him, and find great Difficulty through the Unstayedness of their Minds, doth in Condescension and Compassion cause his Power to break forth in a more strong and powerful Manner. And when the Mind sinks down, and waits for the Appearance ofLife, and that the Power of Darkness in the Soul wrestles and works against it, then the good Seed, as it ariseth, will be found to work as Physick in the Soul, especially if such a weak one be in the Assembly of divers others in whom the Life is arisen in greater Dominion, and through the contrary Workings of the Power of Darkness there will be found an inward Striving in the Soul as really in the Mystery as everEsauandJacobstrove inRebecca’s Womb.EsauandJacobstrove inRebecca’s Womb.And from this inward Travail, while theDarknessseeks to obscure theLight, and theLightbreaks through theDarkness, which it always will do, if the Soul gives not its Strength to the Darkness, there will be such a painful Travail found in the Soul, that will even work upon the outward Man, so that Often-times, through the Working thereof, the Body will be greatly shaken, and many Groans, and Sighs, and Tears, even as the Pangs of a Woman in Travail, will lay hold upon it; yea, and this not only as to one, but when the Enemy, who when theChildren of Godassemble together is not wanting to be present, to see if he can let their Comfort, hath prevailed in any Measure in a whole Meeting, and strongly worketh against it by spreading and propagating his dark Power, and by drawing out the Minds of such as are met from the Life in them, as they come to be sensible of this Power of histhat works against them, and to wrestle with it by theArmour of Light,The Travail crowned with a victorious Song.sometimes the Power of God will break forth into a whole Meeting, and there will be such an inward Travail, while each is seeking to overcome the Evil in themselves, that by the strong contrary Workings of these opposite Powers, like the Going of two contrary Tides, every Individual will be strongly exercised as in a Day of Battle, and thereby Trembling and a Motion of Body will be upon most, if not upon all, which, as the Power of Truth prevails, will from Pangs and Groans end with asweet Sound of ThanksgivingandPraise.The Name ofQuakerswhence it sprung.And from this the Name ofQuakers, i. e.Tremblers, was first reproachfully cast upon us; which though it be none of our Choosing, yet in this Respect we are not ashamed of it, but have rather Reason to rejoice therefore, even that we are sensible of this Power that hath oftentimes laid hold of our Adversaries, and made them yield unto us, and join with us, and confess to the Truth, before they had any distinct or discursive Knowledge of ourDoctrines, so that sometimes many at one Meeting have been thus convinced: And this Power would sometimes also reach to and wonderfully work even in little Children, to the Admiration and Astonishment of many.§. IX.Many are the blessed Experiences which I could relate of thisSilenceand Manner ofWorship;Yet Silence is no Law, but Words may follow.yet I do not so much commend and speak ofSilenceas if we had bound ourselves by any Law to excludePrayingorPreaching, or tied ourselves thereunto; not at all: For as ourWorshipconsisteth not inWords, so neither inSilence, asSilence; butin an holy Dependence of the Mind upon God: From which DependenceSilencenecessarily follows in the first Place, untilWordscan be brought forth, which are from God’s Spirit. And God is not wanting to move in hisChildrento bring forth Words of Exhortation or Prayer, when it is needful; so that of the many Gatherings and Meetings of such as are convinced of the Truth, there is scarce any in whom God raiseth not up some or other to minister to his Brethren; and there are few Meetings that arealtogethersilent. For when many are met together in this one Life and Name, it doth most naturally and frequently excite them toprayto andpraise God, and stir up one another by mutual Exhortation and Instructions; yet we judge it needful there be in the first Place some Time ofSilence, during which every one may be gatheredinwardlyto the Word and Gift of Grace, from which he that ministereth may receive Strength to bring forth what he ministereth; and that they that hear may have a Sense to discern betwixt thePreciousand theVile, and not to hurry into the Exercise of these Things so soon as the Bell rings, as otherChristiansdo. Yea, and we doubt not, but assuredly know, that the Meeting may be good and refreshful, though from the sitting down to the rising up thereof there hath not been a Word as outwardly spoken, and yetLifemay have been known to abound in each Particular, and an inward growing up therein and thereby, yea, so as Words might have been spoken acceptably, and from the Life:No absolute Necessity for Words, though from the Life at Times.Yet there being no absolute Necessity laid upon any so to do, all might have chosen ratherquietlyandsilentlyto possess and enjoy the Lord in themselves, which is very sweet and comfortable to the Soul that hath thus learned to be gathered out of all its own Thoughts and Workings, to feel the Lord to bring forth both the Will and the Deed, which many can declare by a blessed Experience: Though indeed it cannot but be hard for the natural Man to receive or believe thisDoctrine, and therefore it must be rather by a sensible Experience, and by coming to make Proof of it, than by Arguments, that such can be convinced of this Thing, seeing it is not enough tobelieveit, if they come not also toenjoyandpossessit; yet in Condescension to, and for the Sake of, such as may be the more willing to apply themselves to the Practice and Experience hereof, if they found their Understandings convinced of it, and that it is founded upon Scripture and Reason, I find a Freedom of Mind to add some few Considerations of this Kind, for the Confirmation hereof, besides what is before mentioned of our Experience.§. X.Towaitandwatchcommanded in the Scripture.Thatto wait upon God, and towatch before him, is a Duty incumbent upon all, I suppose none will deny; and that this also isa Part of Worshipwill not be called in Question, since there is scarce any other so frequently commanded in the holy Scriptures, as may appear fromPsalmxxvii. 14. and xxxvii. 7. 34.Prov.xx. 22.Isa.xxx. 18.Hoseaxii. 6.Zech.iii. 8.Matt.xxiv. 42. and xxv. 13. and xxvi. 41.Markxiii. 33. 35. 37.Lukexxi. 36.Actsi. 4. and xx. 31. 1Cor.xvi. 13.Col.iv. 2. 1Thess.v. 6. 2Tim.iv. 5. 1Pet.iv. 7. Also this Duty is often recommended with very great and precious Promises, asPsalmxxv. 3. and xxxvii. 9. and lxix. 6.Isa.xlii. 23.Lam.iii. 25, 26.They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength, &c.Isa.xl. 31. Now how is thiswaiting upon God, orwatching before him, but by thisSilenceof which we have spoken? Which as it is in itself agreatandprincipal Duty, so it necessarily in order both ofNatureandTimeprecedeth all other. But that it may be the better and more perfectly understood, as it is not only anoutward Silenceof the Body, but aninward Silenceof the Mind from all its own Imaginations and Self-cogitations, let it be considered according toTruth, and to thePrinciplesandDoctrinesheretofore affirmed and proved, that Man is to be considered in a twofold Respect, to wit, in hisnatural, unregenerate, and fallen State, and in hisspiritual and renewed Condition; from whence ariseth that Distinction of thenaturalandspiritual Manso much used by the Apostle, and heretofore spoken of. Also thesetwo Birthsof the Mind proceed from thetwo Seedsin Man respectively, to wit, thegood Seedand theevil; and from theevil Seeddoth not only proceed all Manner of gross and abominable Wickedness and Profanity, but also Hypocrisy, and thoseWickednesseswhich the Scripture callsspiritual,Whence Wickednessesarise that are spiritual.because it is theSerpentworking in and by the natural Man in Things that arespiritual, which having a Shew and Appearance of Good, are so much the more hurtful and dangerous, as it isSatan transformedandtransforming himself into an Angel of Light; and therefore doth the Scripture so pressingly and frequently, as we have heretofore hadOccasionto observe, shut out and exclude the natural Man from meddling with theThings of God, denying his Endeavours therein, though acted and performed by the most eminent of his Parts, as of Wisdom and Utterance.Also thisspiritual Wickednessis of two Sorts, though both one in Kind, as proceeding from one Root, yet differing in their Degrees, and in the Subjects also sometimes. The one is, when as the natural Man, meddling with and working in the Things ofReligion, doth from his own Conceptions and Divinations affirm or propose wrong and erroneous Notions and Opinions of God and Things spiritual, and invent Superstitions, Ceremonies, Observations, and Rites in Worship, from whence have sprung all the Heresies and Superstitions that are amongChristians.From whence all Heresies did spring.The other is, when as the natural Man, from a mere Conviction of his Understanding, doth in the Forwardness of his own Will, and by his own natural Strength, without the Influence and Leading of God’s Spirit, go about either in his Understanding to imagine, conceive, or think of the Things of God, or actually to perform them by preaching or praying.TrueChristianity,wherein it consists not.TheFirstis a Missing both in Matter and Form; theSecondis a Retaining of the Form without the Life and Substance ofChristianity; becauseChristian Religionconsisteth not in a mere Belief of trueDoctrines, or a mere Performance ofActsgood in themselves, or else the bare Letter of the Scripture, though spoken by aDrunkard, or aDevil, might be said to beSpiritandLife, which I judge none will be so absurd as to affirm; and also it would follow, that where the Form of Godliness is, there the Power is also, which is contrary to the express Words of the Apostle. For the Form of Godliness cannot be said to be, where either the Notions and Opinions believed are erroneous and ungodly, or the Acts performed evil and wicked; for then it would be the Form of Ungodliness, and not of Godliness: But of this more hereafter, when we shall speak particularly of Preaching and Praying. Now though this last be not so bad as the former, yet it hath made Way for it; for Men having first departed from the Life and Substance of trueReligionandWorship, to wit, from the inward Power and Virtue of the Spirit, so as therein to act, and thereby to have all their Actions enlivened, have only retained the Form and Shew, to wit, the true Words and Appearance; and so acting in their own natural and unrenewed Wills in this Form, the Form could not but quickly decay, and be vitiated. For the working and active Spirit of Man could not contain itself within the Simplicity and Plainness of Truth, but giving Way to his own numerous Inventions and Imaginations, began to vary in the Form, and adapt it to his own Inventions, until by Degrees the Form of Godliness for the most Part came to be lost, as well as the Power.Idolatrydoes hug its own Conceivings.For this Kind ofIdolatry, whereby Man loveth, idolizeth, and embraceth his own Conceptions, Inventions, and Product of his own Brain, is so incident unto him, and feared in his fallen Nature, that so long as his natural Spirit is the first Author and Actor of him, and is that by which he only is guided and moved in his Worship towards God, so as not first to wait for another Guide to direct him, he can never perform the pure spiritual Worship, nor bring forth any Thing but the Fruit of the first, fallen, natural, and corrupt Root. Wherefore the Time appointed of God being come, wherein byJesus Christhe hath been pleased to restore the truespiritual Worship, and the outward Form ofWorship, which was appointed by God to theJews, and whereof the Manner and Time of its Performance was particularly determined by God himself, being come to an End,No Form ofWorshipbut the Spirit prescribed by Christ.we find thatJesus Christ, the Author of theChristian Religion, prescribes noset Form of Worshipto his Children, under the more pure Administration of theNew Covenant,[102]save that he only tellsthem, That theWorship now to be performed is spiritual, andin the Spirit. And it is especially to be observed, that in the wholeNew Testamentthere is no Order nor Command given in this Thing, but to follow the Revelation of the Spirit, save only that general one ofmeeting together; a Thing dearly owned and diligently practised by us, as shall hereafter more appear.Pray, preach,andsingin Spirit.True it is, Mention is made of the Duties ofPraying,Preaching, andSinging; but what Order or Method should be kept in so doing, or that presently they should be set about so soon as the Saints are gathered, there is not one Word to be found: Yea, these Duties, as shall afterwards be made appear, are always annexed to the Assistance, Leadings, and Motions of God’s Spirit. Since then Man in his natural State is thus excluded from acting or moving in Thingsspiritual, how or what Way shall he exercise this first and previous Duty ofwaiting upon Godbut bySilence, and by bringing that natural Part toSilence?Towait on God, by what it is performed.Which is no other Ways but by abstaining from his own Thoughts and Imaginations, and from all the Self-workings and Motions of his own Mind, as well in Things materiallygoodasevil; that he beingsilent, God mayspeak in him, and thegood Seedmay arise. This, though hard to the natural Man, is so answerable to Reason, and even natural Experience in other Things, that it cannot be denied. He that cometh to learn of a Master, if he expect to hear his Master and be instructed by him, must not continually be speaking of the Matter to be taught, and never be quiet, otherwise how shall his Master have Time to instruct him?A Simile of a Master and his Scholar.Yea, though the Scholar were never so earnest to learn theScience, yet would the Master have Reason to reprove him, as untoward and indocile, if he would always be meddling of himself, and still speaking, and not wait inSilence patiently to hear his Master instructing and teaching him, who ought not to open his Mouth until by his Master he were commanded and allowed so to do.Of a Prince and his Servant.So also if one were about to attend a great Prince, he would be thought an impertinent and imprudent Servant, who, while he ought patiently and readily to wait, that he might answer the King when he speaks, and have his Eye upon him to observe the least Motions and Inclinations of his Will, and to do accordingly, would be still deafening him with Discourse, though it were in Praises of him; and running to and fro, without any particular and immediate Order, to do Things that perhaps might be good in themselves, or might have been commanded at other Times to others. Would the Kings of the Earth accept of such Servants or Service?To wait in Silence.Since then we are commanded towait upon God diligently, and in so doing it is promised that ourStrength shall be renewed, thisWaitingcannot be performed but by aSilenceorCessationof the natural Part on our Side, since God manifests himself not to the outward Man or Senses, so much as to the inward, to wit, to the Soul and Spirit.The thinking busy Soul excludes the Voice of God.If the Soul be still thinking and working in her own Will, and busily exercised in her own Imaginations, though the Matters as in themselves may begoodconcerning God, yet thereby she incapacitates herself from discerning thestill, small Voiceof the Spirit, and so hurts herself greatly, in that she neglects her chief Business ofwaiting upon the Lord: Nothing less than if I should busy myself, crying out and speaking of a Business, while in the mean Time I neglect to hear one who is quietly whispering into my Ear, and informing me in those Things which are most needful for me to hear and know concerning that Business. And since it is the chief Work of aChristianto know thenatural Willin its own proper Motionscrucified, that God may both move in the Act and in the Will, the Lord chiefly regards this profound Subjection and Self-denial.Religious Speculations.For some Men please themselves as much, and gratify their own sensual Wills and Humours in high and curiousSpeculationsofReligion, affecting a Name and Reputation that Way,or because those Things by Custom or otherways are become pleasant and habitual to them, though not a Whit more regenerated or inwardly sanctified in their Spirits,Sensual Recreations.as others gratify their Lusts inActsofSensuality, and therefore both are alike hurtful to Men, and sinful in the Sight of God, it being nothing but the mere Fruit and Effect of Man’s natural and unrenewed Will and Spirit.Thoughtsof Death and Hell to keep outSinare Fig-leaves.Yea, should one, as many no Doubt do, from a Sense of Sin, and Fear of Punishment, seek to terrify themselves from Sin, by multiplying Thoughts of Death, Hell, and Judgment, and by presenting to their Imaginations the Happiness and Joys of Heaven, and also by multiplying Prayers and other religious Performances, as these Things could never deliver him from one Iniquity, without the secret and inward Power of God’s Spirit and Grace, so would they signify no more than theFig-leaveswherewithAdamthought to cover hisNakedness. And seeing it is only the Product of Man’s own natural Will, proceeding from a Self-love, and seeking to save himself, and not arising purely from thatdivine SeedofRighteousnesswhich is given of God to all for Grace and Salvation, it is rejected of God, and no Ways acceptable unto him; since the natural Man, as natural, while he stands in that State, is, with all his Arts, Parts, and Actings, reprobated by him.Denial of one’s Self.This great Duty then of waiting upon God, must needs be exercised in Man’s denying Self, both inwardly and outwardly, in a still and mere Dependence upon God, in abstracting from all the Workings, Imaginations, and Speculations of his own Mind, that being emptied as it were of himself, and so throughly crucified to the natural Products thereof, he may be fit to receive the Lord, who will have no Co-partner nor Co-rival of his Glory and Power. And Man being thus stated, the little Seed of Righteousness which God hath planted in his Soul, and Christ hath purchased for him, even the Measure ofGraceandLife, which is burdened and crucified by Man’s naturalThoughtsandImaginations, receives a Place to arise, and becometh a holy Birth and GenitureinMan;The holy Birth.and is thatdivine Airin and by which Man’s Soul andSpirit comes to be leavened; and by waiting therein he comes to be accepted in the Sight of God, to stand in his Presence, hear his Voice, and observe the Motions of his holy Spirit. And so Man’s Place is to wait in this; and as hereby there are any Objects presented to his Mind concerning God, or Things relating to Religion, his Soul may be exercised in them without Hurt, and to the great Profit both of himself and others; because those Things have their Rise not from his own Will, but from God’s Spirit: And therefore as in the Arisings and Movings of this his Mind is still to be exercised in thinking and meditating, so also in the more obvious Acts of Preaching and Praying.NoQuakersare against a meditating Mind.And so it may hence appear we are not against Meditation, as some have sought falsely to infer from our Doctrine;From Nature’s Thoughts all Errors rise.but we are against theThoughtsandImaginationsof the natural Man in his own Will, from which all Errors and Heresies concerning the Christian Religion in the whole World have proceeded. But if it please God at any Time, when one or more are waiting upon him, not to present such Objects as give them Occasion to exercise their Minds inThoughtsandImaginations, but purely to keep them in this holy Dependence, and as they persist therein, to cause his secret Refreshment and the pure Incomes of his holy Life to flow in upon them, then they have good Reason to be content, because by this, as we know by good and blessed Experience, the Soul is more strengthened, renewed, and confirmed in the Love of God, and armed against the Power of Sin, than any Way else;The Soul renewed,by what?The holy Life of God.this being a Fore-taste of that real and sensible Enjoyment of God, which the Saints in Heaven daily possess, which God frequently affords to his Children here for their Comfort and Encouragement, especially when they are assembled together towait upon him.

ConcerningWorship.

What the true Worship is, that is acceptable to God.All true and acceptableWorshipto God is offered in the inward and immediate Moving and Drawing of his own Spirit, which is neither limited to Places, Times, nor Persons. For though we are to worship him always, and continually to fear before him;How to be performed.yet as to the outward Signification thereof, inPrayers,Praises, orPreachings, we ought not to do it in our ownWill,whereandwhenwe will; butwhereandwhenwe are moved thereunto by the Stirring and secret Inspiration of the Spirit of God in our Hearts; which God heareth and accepteth of, and is never wanting to move as thereunto, when Need is; of which he himself is the alone proper Judge. All otherWorshipthen, bothPraises,PrayersorPreachings, which Man sets about in his own Will, and at his own Appointment, which he can both begin and end at his Pleasure, do or leave undone as himself seeth meet, whether they be aprescribed Form, as aLiturgy, &c. orPrayersconceivedextemporeby the natural Strength and Faculty of the Mind, they are all butSuperstition,Will-worship, andabominable Idolatryin the Sight of God, which are now to be denied and rejected, and separated from, in this Day of his spiritual Arising:Superstition and Will-worship, Idolatry.However it might have pleased him (who winked at the Times of Ignorance, with a Respect to the Simplicity and Integrity of some, and of his own innocentSeed, which lay as it were buried in theHeartsof Men under that Mass ofSuperstition)to blow upon the dead and dry Bones, and to raise some Breathings of his own, and answer them; and that until theDayshould more clearlydawnandbreak forth.

§. I.TheDuty of Mantowards God lieth chiefly in these two Generals. 1.In an holy Conformity to the pure Law and Light of God, so as both to forsake the Evil, and be found in the Practice of those perpetual and moral Precepts of Righteousness and Equity.And 2.In rendering that Reverence, Honour and Adoration to God, that he requires and demands of us; which is comprehended underWorship. Of theformerwe have already spoken, as also of the different Relations ofChristians, as they are distinguished by the several Measures of Grace received, and given to every one; and in that Respect have their several Offices in theBody of Christ, which is theChurch. Now I come to speak ofWorship, or of those Acts, whether private or publick, general or particular, whereby Man renders to God that Part of his Duty which relates immediately to him: And asObedience is better than Sacrifice, so neither is any Sacrificeacceptable, but that which is done according to the Will of him to whom it isoffered. But Men, finding it easier tosacrificein their own Wills, than obey God’s Will, have heaped upSacrificeswithoutObedience;TrueWorship and Duty to God-wards corrupted.and thinking to deceive God, as they do one another, give him a Shew of Reverence, Honour and Worship, while they are both inwardly estranged and alienated from his holy and righteous Life, and wholly Strangers to the pure Breathings of his Spirit, in which the acceptable Sacrifice and Worship is only offered up. Hence it is, that there is not any Thing relating to Man’s Duty towards God, which among all Sorts of People hath been more vitiated, and in which the Devil hath more prevailed, than in abusing Man’s Mind concerning this Thing: And as among many others, so among those calledChristians, nothing hath been more out of Order, and more corrupted, as somePapistsand allProtestants, do acknowledge. As I freely approve whatsoever theProtestantshave reformed fromPapistsin this Respect; so I meddle not at this Time with their Controversies about it:ThePopish Mass (Idolatry)denied, with all theirTrumpery.Only it suffices me with them to deny, as no Part of the true Worship of God, that abominable Superstition and Idolatry thePopish Mass, theAdorationof Saints and Angels, theVeneration of Relicks, theVisitation of Sepulchres, and all those other superstitious Ceremonies,Confraternities, andendless Pilgrimagesof theRomish Synagogue. Which all may suffice to evince toProtestants, thatAntichristhath wrought more in this than in any other Part of theChristian Religion;IfProtestantshave made aperfect Reformation.and so it concerns them narrowly to consider, whether herein they have made a clear and perfect Reformation; as to which stands the Controversy betwixt them and us. For we find many of the Branches lopt off by them, but the Root yet remaining; to wit, aWorshipacted in and from Man’s Will and Spirit, and not by and from the Spirit of God: For the trueChristianandSpiritual Worship of Godhath been so early lost, and Man’s Wisdom and Will hath so quickly and throughly mixed itself herein, that both theApostasyin this Respect hath been greatest, and theReformationherefrom, as to the evil Root, most difficult. Therefore let not theReadersuddenly stumble at the Account of ourPropositionin this Matter, but patiently hear us explain ourselves in this Respect, and I hope (by the Assistance of God) to make it appear, that though our Manner of Speaking and Doctrine seem most singular and different from all other Sorts ofChristians; yet it is most according to the purestChristian Religion, and indeed most needful to be observed and followed. And that there be no Ground of Mistake (for that I was necessitated to speak in few Words, and therefore more obscurely and dubiously in thePropositionitself) it is fit in the first Place to declare and explain our Sense, and clear theState of the Controversy.

§. II.I.WhatWorshiphere is spoken of.And first, let it be considered, that what is here affirmed, is spoken of theWorship of Godin theseGospel-times, and not of the Worship that was under or before theLaw: For the particular Commands of God to Menthen, are not sufficient to authorize usnowto do the same Things; else we might be supposed at present acceptably to offer Sacrifice as they did, which all acknowledge to be ceased. So that what might have been both commendable and acceptable under theLaw,may justly now be charged with Superstition, yea, and Idolatry. So that impertinently, in this Respect, dothArnoldusrage against this Proposition, [Exercit. Theolog.Sect. 44.] saying;That I deny all publick Worship, and that according to me, such as inEnoch’s Time publickly began to call upon the Name of the Lord; and such as at the Command of God went thrice up toJerusalemto worship; and thatAnna,Simeon,Mary, &c. were Idolaters, because they used the publick Worship of those Times; such a Consequence is most impertinent; and no less foolish and absurd, than if I should infer fromPaul’s expostulating with theGalatiansfor their returning to theJewish Ceremonies, that he therefore condemnedMosesand all theProphetsas foolish and ignorant, because they used those Things: The forward Man, not heeding the different Dispensation of Times, ran into this Impertinency.Ceremonies under the Law were not essential to trueWorship.Though a spiritual Worship might have been, and no Doubt was practised by many under theLawin great Simplicity; yet will it not follow, that it were no Superstition to use all thoseCeremoniesthat they used, which were by God dispensed to theJews, not as being essential totrue Worship, or necessary as of themselves for transmitting and entertaining anholy Fellowshipbetwixt him and his People; but in Condescension to them, who were inclinable to Idolatry. Albeit then in this, as in most other Things, the Substance was enjoyed under theLawby such as were spiritual indeed; yet was it veiled and surrounded with manyRitesandCeremonies, which it is no Ways lawful for us to use now under theGospel.

§. III.II. True Worshipis not limited to Place or Person.Secondly, Albeit I say, that thisWorshipis neither limited to Times, Places nor Persons; yet I would not be understood, as if I intended the putting away of all set Times and Places to worship: God forbid I should think of such an Opinion. Nay, we are none of those thatforsake the Assembling of ourselvestogether; but have even certain Times and Places, in which we carefully meet together (nor can we be driven therefrom by the Threats and Persecutions of Men) towait upon God, andworship him.Necessity of Meetings.Tomeet togetherwe think necessary for the People of God; because, so long as we are clothed withthis outward Tabernacle, there is a Necessity to the entertaining of a joint and visible Fellowship, and bearing of an outward Testimony for God, and seeing of the Faces of one another, that we concur with our Persons as well as Spirits: To be accompanied with that inward Love and Unity of Spirit, doth greatly tend to encourage and refresh the Saints.

1. Will-worshipdoth limit the Spirit of God.But theLimitationwe condemn is, that whereas the Spirit of God should be the immediate Actor, Mover, Persuader and Influencer of Man in the particular Acts of Worship, when the Saints are met together, this Spirit islimitedin its Operations, by setting up a particular Man or Men to preach and pray in Man’s Will; and all the rest are excluded from so much as believing that they are to wait for God’s Spirit to move them in such Things: And so they neglecting that in themselves which should quicken them, and not waiting to feel the pure Breathings of God’s Spirit, so as to obey them, are led merely to depend upon the Preacher, and hear what he will say.

2.TrueTeachingof the Word of God.Secondly, In that these peculiar Men come not thither to meet with the Lord, and to wait for the inward Motions and Operations of his Spirit; and so to pray as they feel the Spirit to breathethroughthem, andinthem; and to preach, as they find themselves actuated and moved by God’s Spirit, and as he gives Utterance, so as to speak a Word in Season to refresh weary Souls, and as the present Condition and State of the People’s Hearts require; suffering God by his Spirit both to prepare People’s Hearts, and also give the Preacher to speak what may be fit and seasonable for them: But he (viz.the Preacher) hath hammered together in his Closet, according to his own Will, by his human Wisdom and Literature, and by stealing the Words of Truth from the Letter of the Scriptures, and patching together other Men’s Writings and Observations, so much as will hold him speaking an Hour, while the Glass runs;Priestspreach by Hap-hazard their studied Sermons.and without waiting or feeling the inward Influence of the Spirit of God, he declaims that by Hap-hazard, whether it be fit orseasonable for the People’s Condition, or not; and when he has ended his Sermon, he saith his Prayer also in his own Will; and sothere is an End of the Business. Whichcustomary Worship, as it is no Ways acceptable to God, so how unfruitful it is, and unprofitable to those that are found in it, the present Condition of the Nations doth sufficiently declare. It appears then, that we are not againstset Timesfor Worship, asArnoldusagainst this Proposition,Sect. 45. no less impertinently allegeth; offering needlesly to prove that which is not denied: Only these Times being appointed for outward Conveniency, we may not therefore think with thePapists, that these Days areholy, and lead People into a superstitious Observation of them; being persuaded thatall Days are alike holy in the Sight of God.Whether Days are holy.And although it be not my present Purpose to make a long Digression concerning the Debates amongProtestantsabout thefirst Day of the Week, commonly called theLord’s Day, yet forasmuch as it comes fitly in here, I shall briefly signify our Sense thereof.

§. IV.Of theFirst Dayof theWeek, commonly called theLord’s Day.We, not seeing any Ground in Scripture for it, cannot be so superstitious as to believe, that either theJewish Sabbathnow continues, or that thefirst Dayof theWeekis theAnti-typethereof, or the trueChristian Sabbath; which withCalvinwe believe to have a morespiritual Sense: And therefore we know no moral Obligation by thefourth Command, or elsewhere, to keep thefirst Day of the Weekmore than any other, or any Holiness inherent in it. ButFirst, forasmuch as it is necessary that there be some Time set apart for the Saints to meet together to wait upon God; and thatSecondly, it is fit at some Times they be freed from their other outward Affairs; and thatThirdly, Reason and Equity doth allow that Servants and Beasts have some Time allowed them to be eased from their continual Labour; and thatFourthly, it appears that the Apostles and Primitive Christians did use thefirst Day of the Weekfor these Purposes; we find ourselves sufficiently moved for these Causes to do so also, without superstitiously straining the Scriptures for another Reason: Which, that it is not to be there found, manyProtestants, yea,Calvinhimself, upon thefourth Command, hath abundantly evinced. And though we therefore meet, and abstain from working upon thisDay, yet doth not that hinder us from havingMeetingsalso forWorshipat other Times.

§. V.Thirdly, Though according to the Knowledge of God, revealed unto us by the Spirit, through that morefull Dispensation of Lightwhich we believe the Lord hath brought about in this Day, we judge it our Duty to hold forth that pure and spiritual Worship which is acceptable to God, and answerable to the Testimony of Christ and his Apostles, and likewise to testify against and deny not only manifest Superstition and Idolatry, but also all formal Will-worship, which stands not in the Power of God;TheWorshipin the Apostasy.yet, I say, we do not deny the whole Worship of all those that have borne the Name ofChristianseven in the Apostasy, as if God had never heard their Prayers, nor accepted any of them: God forbid we should be so void of Charity! The latter Part of the Proposition sheweth the Contrary. And as we would not be soabsurdon the one Hand to conclude, because of the Errors and Darkness that many were covered and surrounded with inBabylon, that none of their Prayers were heard or accepted of God, so will we not be sounwaryon the other, as to conclude, that because God heard and pitied them, so we ought to continue in these Errors and Darkness, and not come out ofBabylon, when it is by God discovered unto us.The Popish Mass or Vespers.ThePopish MassandVespersI do believe to be, as to the Matter of them,abominable IdolatryandSuperstition, and so also believe theProtestants; yet will neitherIortheyaffirm, that in the Darkness ofPoperyno Upright-hearted Men, though zealous in these Abominations, have been heard of God, or accepted of him:BernardandBonaventure, Taulerus, Tho. à Kempis,have tasted of the Love of God.Who can deny, but that bothBernardandBonaventure, Taulerus, Thomas à Kempis,and divers others have both known and tasted of the Love of God, and felt the Power and Virtue of God’s Spirit working with them for their Salvation? And yet ought we not to forsake and deny those Superstitions which they were found in? TheCalvinistical Presbyteriansdomuch upbraid (and I say not without Reason) the Formality and Deadness of theEpiscopalianandLutheran Liturgies;The Bishops Liturgy.and yet, as they will not deny but there have been some good Men among them, so neither dare they refuse, but that when that good Step was brought in by them, of turning the publick Prayers into the vulgar Tongues, though continued in aLiturgy, it was acceptable to God, and sometimes accompanied with his Power and Presence: Yet will not thePresbyterianshave it from thence concluded, that theCommon Prayersshould still continue; so likewise, though we should confess, that, through the Mercy and wonderful Condescension of God, there have been upright in Heart, both amongPapistsandProtestants, yet can we not therefore approve of their Way in the General, or not go on to the upholding of thatspiritual Worship, which the Lord is calling all to, and so to the testifying against whatsoever stands in the Way of it.

§. VI.Assemblies of Worship in Publick described.Fourthly, To come then to theState of the Controversy, as to thepublick Worship, we judge it the Duty of all to be diligent in the Assembling of themselves together (and what we have been, and are, in this Matter, our Enemies inGreat Britain, who have used all Means to hinder our assembling together to worship God, may bear Witness) and when assembled, the great Work of one and all ought to be to wait upon God; and returning out of their own Thoughts and Imaginations, to feel the Lord’s Presence, and know aGathering into his Nameindeed, where he isin the Midst, according to his Promise. And as every one is thus gathered, and so met together inwardly in their Spirits, as well as outwardly in their Persons, there the secret Power and Virtue of Life is known to refresh the Soul, and the pure Motions and Breathings of God’s Spirit are felt to arise; from which, as Words of Declaration, Prayers or Praises arise, the acceptable Worship is known, which edifies the Church, and is well-pleasing to God. And no Man here limits the Spirit of God, nor bringeth forth his own conned and gathered Stuff; but every one puts that forth which the Lord puts into theirHearts: And it is uttered forth not in Man’s Will and Wisdom, butin the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit, and of Power.Its gloriousDispensation.Yea, though there be not a Word spoken, yet is the true spiritual Worship performed, and the Body of Christ edified; yea, it may, and hath often fallen out among us, that divers Meetings have past without one Word; and yet our Souls have been greatly edified and refreshed, and our Hearts wonderfully overcome with the secret Sense of God’s Power and Spirit, which without Words hath been ministered from one Vessel to another. This is indeed strange and incredible to the mere natural and carnally-minded Man, who will be apt to judge all Time lost where there is not something spoken that is obvious to the outward Senses; and therefore I shall insist a little upon this Subject, as one that can speak from a certain Experience, and not by mere Hearsay, of this wonderful and glorious Dispensation; which hath so much the more of the Wisdom and Glory of God in it, as it is contrary to the Nature of Man’s Spirit, Will, and Wisdom.

§. VII.The silent waiting upon God obtained.As there can be nothing more opposite to the natural Will and Wisdom of Man than thissilent Waiting upon God, so neither can it be obtained, nor rightly comprehended by Man, but as he layeth down his own Wisdom and Will, so as to be content to be throughly subject to God. And therefore it was not preached, nor can be so practised, but by such as find no outward Ceremony, no Observations, no Words, yea, not the best and purest Words, even the Words of Scripture, able to satisfy their weary and afflicted Souls: Because where all these may be, the Life, Power, and Virtue, which make such Things effectual, may be wanting. Such, I say, were necessitated to cease from all Externals, and to be silent before the Lord; and[97]being directed to that inward Principle ofLifeandLightin themselves, as the most excellent Teacher, whichcan never be removed into a Corner, came thereby to be taught to wait upon God in the Measure ofLifeandGracereceived from him, and to cease from their own forward Words and Actings, in the naturalWilling and Comprehension, and feel after this inward Seed of Life; that, as it moveth, they may move with it, and be actuated by its Power, and influenced, whether to pray, preach or sing. And so from this Principle of Man’s being silent, and not acting in the Things of God of himself, until thus actuated by God’sLightandGrace in the Heart, did naturally spring that Manner of sitting silent together, and waiting together upon the Lord. For many thus principled, meeting together in the pure Fear of the Lord, did not apply themselves presently to speak, pray, or sing,&c.being afraid to be found acting forwardly in their own Wills, but each made it their Work to retire inwardly to the Measure of Grace in themselves, not being only silent as to Words, but even abstaining from all their own Thoughts, Imaginations and Desires; so watching in a holyDependenceupon the Lord, and meeting together not only outwardly in one Place,What it is to meet inJesusName.but thus inwardly inone Spirit, and inone Name of Jesus, which is his Power and Virtue, they come thereby to enjoy and feel the Arisings of this Life, which, as it prevails in each Particular, becomes as a Flood of Refreshment, and overspreads the whole Meeting: For Man, and Man’s Part and Wisdom, being denied and chained down in every Individual, and God exalted, and his Grace in Dominion in the Heart, thus hisNamecomes to beoneinall, and his Glory breaks forth, and covers all; and there is such a holy Awe and Reverence upon every Soul, that if the natural Part should arise in any, or the wise Part, or what is not one with the Life, it would presently be chained down, and judged out. And when any are, through the Breaking forth of this Power, constrained to utter a Sentence of Exhortation or Praise, or to breathe to the Lord in Prayer, then all are sensible of it; for the same Life in them answers to it,[98]as in Water Face answereth to Face. This is thatdivineandspiritual Worship, which the World neither knoweth nor understandeth, which theVulture’s Eye seeth not into.Advantages ofsilent Meetings.Yet many and great are the Advantages which my Soul, with many others, hath tasted of hereby, and which would be found of all suchas would seriously apply themselves hereunto: For, when People are gathered thus together, not merely to hear Men, nor depend upon them, but[99]all are inwardly taught to stay their Minds upon the Lord, and wait for his Appearance in their Hearts; thereby the forward Working of the Spirit of Man is stayed and hindered from mixing itself with the Worship of God; and the Form of this Worship is so naked and void of all outward and worldly Splendor, that all Occasion for Man’s Wisdom to be exercised in that Superstition and Idolatry hath no Lodging here; and so there being also an inward Quietness and Retiredness of Mind, theWitness of Godarisethin the Heart, and theLight of Christshineth, whereby the Soul cometh to see its own Condition. And there being many joined together in the same Work, there is an inward Travail and Wrestling; and also, as the Measure of Grace is abode in, an Overcoming of the Power and Spirit of Darkness; and thus we are often greatly strengthened and renewed in the Spirits of our Minds without a Word, and we enjoy and possess the[100]holy FellowshipandCommunion of the Body and Blood of Christ, by which our inward Man is nourished and fed; which makes us not to dote upon outwardWater, andBreadandWine, in our spiritual Things. Now as many thus gathered together grow up in the Strength, Power, and Virtue of Truth, and as Truth comes thus to have Victory and Dominion in their Souls, then they receive an Utterance, and speak steadily to the Edification of their Brethren, and thepure Lifehath a free Passage through them, and what is thus spoken edifieth the Body indeed.Speaking to Edification.Such is the evident Certainty of that divine Strength that is communicated by thus meeting together, and waiting in Silence upon God, that sometimes when one hath come in that hath been unwatchful and wandering in his Mind, or suddenly out of the Hurry of outward Business, and so not inwardly gathered with the rest, so soon as he retires himself inwardly, this Power being in a good Measure raised in the whole Meeting, will suddenly lay Hold upon his Spirit, and wonderfully help to raise up the Good in him, and beget him intothe Sense of the same Power, to the Melting and Warming of his Heart; even as the Warmth would take Hold upon a Man that is cold coming into a Stove, or as a Flame will lay Hold upon some little combustible Matter being near unto it. Yea, if it fall out that several met together be straying in their Minds, though outwardly silent, and so wandering from the Measure of Grace in themselves (which through the Working of the Enemy, and Negligence of some, may fall out) if either one come in, or may be in, who is watchful, and in whom theLifeis raised in a great Measure, as that one keeps his Place, he will feel a secret Travail for the rest in a Sympathy with theSeedwhich is oppressed in the other, and kept from arising by their Thoughts and Wanderings;A secret Travail one for another in silent Meetings.and as such a faithful one waits in theLight, and keeps in thisdivine Work, God oftentimes answers the secret Travail and Breathings of his ownSeedthrough such a one, so that the rest will find themselvessecretly smittenwithout Words, and that one will be as aMidwifethrough the secret Travails of his Soul to bring forth the Life in them, just as a little Water thrown into a Pump brings up the rest, whereby Life will come to be raised in all, and the vain Imaginations brought down; and such a one is felt by the rest to minister Life unto them without Words. Yea, sometimes when there is not a Word in the Meeting, but all are silently waiting, if one come in that is rude and wicked, and in whom the Power of Darkness prevaileth much, perhaps with an Intention to mock or do Mischief, if the whole Meeting be gathered into theLife, and it be raised in a good Measure, it will strike Terror into such an one,The Mocker struck withTerrorwhen no Word is spoken.and he will feel himself unable to resist; but by the secret Strength and Virtue thereof, the Power of Darkness in him will be chained down: And if the Day of his Visitation be not expired, it will reach to the Measure of Grace in him, and raise it up to the Redeeming of his Soul. And this we often bear Witness of, so that we have had frequent Occasion in this Respect, since God hath gathered us to be a People, to renew this old Saying of many,[101]IsSaulalso among theProphets?For not a few have come to be convinced of the Truth after this Manner, of which I myself, in Part, am a true Witness, who not by Strength of Arguments, or by a particular Disquisition of each Doctrine, and Convincement of my Understanding thereby, came to receive and bear Witness of the Truth, but by being secretly reached by thisLife;The true Convincement.for when I came into thesilent Assembliesof God’s People, I felt asecret Poweramong them, which touched my Heart, and as I gave Way unto it, I found the Evil weakening in me, and the Good raised up, and so I became thus knit and united unto them, hungering more and more after the Increase of this Power and Life, whereby I might feel myself perfectly redeemed. And indeed this is the surest Way to become aChristian, to whom afterwards the Knowledge and Understanding ofPrincipleswill not be wanting, but will grow up so much as is needful, as the natural Fruit of this good Root, and such a Knowledge will not bebarrennorunfruitful. After this Manner we desire therefore all that come among us to be proselyted, knowing that though Thousands should be convinced in their Understanding of all theTruthswe maintain, yet if they were not sensible of thisinward Life, and their Souls not changed from Unrighteousness to Righteousness, they could add nothing to us.1 Cor. 6. 17.The Life of Righteousness doth join us to the Lord.For this is thatCementwhereby we are joinedas to the Lord, so to one another, and without this none can worship with us. Yea, if such should come among us, and from that Understanding and Convincement they have of theTruth, speak ever so true Things, and utter them forth with ever so much Excellency of Speech, if thisLifewere wanting, it would not edify us at all, but be assounding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal, 1 Cor. xiii. 1.

[97]Isa. 30. 20.

[97]Isa. 30. 20.

[98]Prov. 27. 19.

[98]Prov. 27. 19.

[99]Isa. 10. 20.and26. 3.

[99]Isa. 10. 20.and26. 3.

[100]Ephes. 4. 3.

[100]Ephes. 4. 3.

[101]1 Sam. 10. 12.

[101]1 Sam. 10. 12.

§. VIII.Our Work and Worship in our Meetings.OurWorkthen andWorshipis, when we meet together, for every one towatch and wait upon God in themselves, and to begatheredfrom all Visibles thereunto. And as every one is thus stated, they come to find theGoodarise over theEvil, and thePureover theImpure, in which God reveals himself, and draweth near to every Individual, and so he is in the Midst in the General, whereby eachnot only partakes of the particular Refreshment and Strength which comes from the Good in himself, but is a Sharer in the whole Body, as being a living Member of the Body, having a joint Fellowship and Communion with all. And as this Worship is stedfastly preached and kept to, it becomes easy, though it be very hard at first to the natural Man, whose roving Imaginations and running worldly Desires are not so easily brought to Silence. And therefore the Lord Often-times, when any turn towards him, and have true Desires thus to Wait upon him, and find great Difficulty through the Unstayedness of their Minds, doth in Condescension and Compassion cause his Power to break forth in a more strong and powerful Manner. And when the Mind sinks down, and waits for the Appearance ofLife, and that the Power of Darkness in the Soul wrestles and works against it, then the good Seed, as it ariseth, will be found to work as Physick in the Soul, especially if such a weak one be in the Assembly of divers others in whom the Life is arisen in greater Dominion, and through the contrary Workings of the Power of Darkness there will be found an inward Striving in the Soul as really in the Mystery as everEsauandJacobstrove inRebecca’s Womb.EsauandJacobstrove inRebecca’s Womb.And from this inward Travail, while theDarknessseeks to obscure theLight, and theLightbreaks through theDarkness, which it always will do, if the Soul gives not its Strength to the Darkness, there will be such a painful Travail found in the Soul, that will even work upon the outward Man, so that Often-times, through the Working thereof, the Body will be greatly shaken, and many Groans, and Sighs, and Tears, even as the Pangs of a Woman in Travail, will lay hold upon it; yea, and this not only as to one, but when the Enemy, who when theChildren of Godassemble together is not wanting to be present, to see if he can let their Comfort, hath prevailed in any Measure in a whole Meeting, and strongly worketh against it by spreading and propagating his dark Power, and by drawing out the Minds of such as are met from the Life in them, as they come to be sensible of this Power of histhat works against them, and to wrestle with it by theArmour of Light,The Travail crowned with a victorious Song.sometimes the Power of God will break forth into a whole Meeting, and there will be such an inward Travail, while each is seeking to overcome the Evil in themselves, that by the strong contrary Workings of these opposite Powers, like the Going of two contrary Tides, every Individual will be strongly exercised as in a Day of Battle, and thereby Trembling and a Motion of Body will be upon most, if not upon all, which, as the Power of Truth prevails, will from Pangs and Groans end with asweet Sound of ThanksgivingandPraise.The Name ofQuakerswhence it sprung.And from this the Name ofQuakers, i. e.Tremblers, was first reproachfully cast upon us; which though it be none of our Choosing, yet in this Respect we are not ashamed of it, but have rather Reason to rejoice therefore, even that we are sensible of this Power that hath oftentimes laid hold of our Adversaries, and made them yield unto us, and join with us, and confess to the Truth, before they had any distinct or discursive Knowledge of ourDoctrines, so that sometimes many at one Meeting have been thus convinced: And this Power would sometimes also reach to and wonderfully work even in little Children, to the Admiration and Astonishment of many.

§. IX.Many are the blessed Experiences which I could relate of thisSilenceand Manner ofWorship;Yet Silence is no Law, but Words may follow.yet I do not so much commend and speak ofSilenceas if we had bound ourselves by any Law to excludePrayingorPreaching, or tied ourselves thereunto; not at all: For as ourWorshipconsisteth not inWords, so neither inSilence, asSilence; butin an holy Dependence of the Mind upon God: From which DependenceSilencenecessarily follows in the first Place, untilWordscan be brought forth, which are from God’s Spirit. And God is not wanting to move in hisChildrento bring forth Words of Exhortation or Prayer, when it is needful; so that of the many Gatherings and Meetings of such as are convinced of the Truth, there is scarce any in whom God raiseth not up some or other to minister to his Brethren; and there are few Meetings that arealtogethersilent. For when many are met together in this one Life and Name, it doth most naturally and frequently excite them toprayto andpraise God, and stir up one another by mutual Exhortation and Instructions; yet we judge it needful there be in the first Place some Time ofSilence, during which every one may be gatheredinwardlyto the Word and Gift of Grace, from which he that ministereth may receive Strength to bring forth what he ministereth; and that they that hear may have a Sense to discern betwixt thePreciousand theVile, and not to hurry into the Exercise of these Things so soon as the Bell rings, as otherChristiansdo. Yea, and we doubt not, but assuredly know, that the Meeting may be good and refreshful, though from the sitting down to the rising up thereof there hath not been a Word as outwardly spoken, and yetLifemay have been known to abound in each Particular, and an inward growing up therein and thereby, yea, so as Words might have been spoken acceptably, and from the Life:No absolute Necessity for Words, though from the Life at Times.Yet there being no absolute Necessity laid upon any so to do, all might have chosen ratherquietlyandsilentlyto possess and enjoy the Lord in themselves, which is very sweet and comfortable to the Soul that hath thus learned to be gathered out of all its own Thoughts and Workings, to feel the Lord to bring forth both the Will and the Deed, which many can declare by a blessed Experience: Though indeed it cannot but be hard for the natural Man to receive or believe thisDoctrine, and therefore it must be rather by a sensible Experience, and by coming to make Proof of it, than by Arguments, that such can be convinced of this Thing, seeing it is not enough tobelieveit, if they come not also toenjoyandpossessit; yet in Condescension to, and for the Sake of, such as may be the more willing to apply themselves to the Practice and Experience hereof, if they found their Understandings convinced of it, and that it is founded upon Scripture and Reason, I find a Freedom of Mind to add some few Considerations of this Kind, for the Confirmation hereof, besides what is before mentioned of our Experience.

§. X.Towaitandwatchcommanded in the Scripture.Thatto wait upon God, and towatch before him, is a Duty incumbent upon all, I suppose none will deny; and that this also isa Part of Worshipwill not be called in Question, since there is scarce any other so frequently commanded in the holy Scriptures, as may appear fromPsalmxxvii. 14. and xxxvii. 7. 34.Prov.xx. 22.Isa.xxx. 18.Hoseaxii. 6.Zech.iii. 8.Matt.xxiv. 42. and xxv. 13. and xxvi. 41.Markxiii. 33. 35. 37.Lukexxi. 36.Actsi. 4. and xx. 31. 1Cor.xvi. 13.Col.iv. 2. 1Thess.v. 6. 2Tim.iv. 5. 1Pet.iv. 7. Also this Duty is often recommended with very great and precious Promises, asPsalmxxv. 3. and xxxvii. 9. and lxix. 6.Isa.xlii. 23.Lam.iii. 25, 26.They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength, &c.Isa.xl. 31. Now how is thiswaiting upon God, orwatching before him, but by thisSilenceof which we have spoken? Which as it is in itself agreatandprincipal Duty, so it necessarily in order both ofNatureandTimeprecedeth all other. But that it may be the better and more perfectly understood, as it is not only anoutward Silenceof the Body, but aninward Silenceof the Mind from all its own Imaginations and Self-cogitations, let it be considered according toTruth, and to thePrinciplesandDoctrinesheretofore affirmed and proved, that Man is to be considered in a twofold Respect, to wit, in hisnatural, unregenerate, and fallen State, and in hisspiritual and renewed Condition; from whence ariseth that Distinction of thenaturalandspiritual Manso much used by the Apostle, and heretofore spoken of. Also thesetwo Birthsof the Mind proceed from thetwo Seedsin Man respectively, to wit, thegood Seedand theevil; and from theevil Seeddoth not only proceed all Manner of gross and abominable Wickedness and Profanity, but also Hypocrisy, and thoseWickednesseswhich the Scripture callsspiritual,Whence Wickednessesarise that are spiritual.because it is theSerpentworking in and by the natural Man in Things that arespiritual, which having a Shew and Appearance of Good, are so much the more hurtful and dangerous, as it isSatan transformedandtransforming himself into an Angel of Light; and therefore doth the Scripture so pressingly and frequently, as we have heretofore hadOccasionto observe, shut out and exclude the natural Man from meddling with theThings of God, denying his Endeavours therein, though acted and performed by the most eminent of his Parts, as of Wisdom and Utterance.

Also thisspiritual Wickednessis of two Sorts, though both one in Kind, as proceeding from one Root, yet differing in their Degrees, and in the Subjects also sometimes. The one is, when as the natural Man, meddling with and working in the Things ofReligion, doth from his own Conceptions and Divinations affirm or propose wrong and erroneous Notions and Opinions of God and Things spiritual, and invent Superstitions, Ceremonies, Observations, and Rites in Worship, from whence have sprung all the Heresies and Superstitions that are amongChristians.From whence all Heresies did spring.The other is, when as the natural Man, from a mere Conviction of his Understanding, doth in the Forwardness of his own Will, and by his own natural Strength, without the Influence and Leading of God’s Spirit, go about either in his Understanding to imagine, conceive, or think of the Things of God, or actually to perform them by preaching or praying.TrueChristianity,wherein it consists not.TheFirstis a Missing both in Matter and Form; theSecondis a Retaining of the Form without the Life and Substance ofChristianity; becauseChristian Religionconsisteth not in a mere Belief of trueDoctrines, or a mere Performance ofActsgood in themselves, or else the bare Letter of the Scripture, though spoken by aDrunkard, or aDevil, might be said to beSpiritandLife, which I judge none will be so absurd as to affirm; and also it would follow, that where the Form of Godliness is, there the Power is also, which is contrary to the express Words of the Apostle. For the Form of Godliness cannot be said to be, where either the Notions and Opinions believed are erroneous and ungodly, or the Acts performed evil and wicked; for then it would be the Form of Ungodliness, and not of Godliness: But of this more hereafter, when we shall speak particularly of Preaching and Praying. Now though this last be not so bad as the former, yet it hath made Way for it; for Men having first departed from the Life and Substance of trueReligionandWorship, to wit, from the inward Power and Virtue of the Spirit, so as therein to act, and thereby to have all their Actions enlivened, have only retained the Form and Shew, to wit, the true Words and Appearance; and so acting in their own natural and unrenewed Wills in this Form, the Form could not but quickly decay, and be vitiated. For the working and active Spirit of Man could not contain itself within the Simplicity and Plainness of Truth, but giving Way to his own numerous Inventions and Imaginations, began to vary in the Form, and adapt it to his own Inventions, until by Degrees the Form of Godliness for the most Part came to be lost, as well as the Power.Idolatrydoes hug its own Conceivings.For this Kind ofIdolatry, whereby Man loveth, idolizeth, and embraceth his own Conceptions, Inventions, and Product of his own Brain, is so incident unto him, and feared in his fallen Nature, that so long as his natural Spirit is the first Author and Actor of him, and is that by which he only is guided and moved in his Worship towards God, so as not first to wait for another Guide to direct him, he can never perform the pure spiritual Worship, nor bring forth any Thing but the Fruit of the first, fallen, natural, and corrupt Root. Wherefore the Time appointed of God being come, wherein byJesus Christhe hath been pleased to restore the truespiritual Worship, and the outward Form ofWorship, which was appointed by God to theJews, and whereof the Manner and Time of its Performance was particularly determined by God himself, being come to an End,No Form ofWorshipbut the Spirit prescribed by Christ.we find thatJesus Christ, the Author of theChristian Religion, prescribes noset Form of Worshipto his Children, under the more pure Administration of theNew Covenant,[102]save that he only tellsthem, That theWorship now to be performed is spiritual, andin the Spirit. And it is especially to be observed, that in the wholeNew Testamentthere is no Order nor Command given in this Thing, but to follow the Revelation of the Spirit, save only that general one ofmeeting together; a Thing dearly owned and diligently practised by us, as shall hereafter more appear.Pray, preach,andsingin Spirit.True it is, Mention is made of the Duties ofPraying,Preaching, andSinging; but what Order or Method should be kept in so doing, or that presently they should be set about so soon as the Saints are gathered, there is not one Word to be found: Yea, these Duties, as shall afterwards be made appear, are always annexed to the Assistance, Leadings, and Motions of God’s Spirit. Since then Man in his natural State is thus excluded from acting or moving in Thingsspiritual, how or what Way shall he exercise this first and previous Duty ofwaiting upon Godbut bySilence, and by bringing that natural Part toSilence?Towait on God, by what it is performed.Which is no other Ways but by abstaining from his own Thoughts and Imaginations, and from all the Self-workings and Motions of his own Mind, as well in Things materiallygoodasevil; that he beingsilent, God mayspeak in him, and thegood Seedmay arise. This, though hard to the natural Man, is so answerable to Reason, and even natural Experience in other Things, that it cannot be denied. He that cometh to learn of a Master, if he expect to hear his Master and be instructed by him, must not continually be speaking of the Matter to be taught, and never be quiet, otherwise how shall his Master have Time to instruct him?A Simile of a Master and his Scholar.Yea, though the Scholar were never so earnest to learn theScience, yet would the Master have Reason to reprove him, as untoward and indocile, if he would always be meddling of himself, and still speaking, and not wait inSilence patiently to hear his Master instructing and teaching him, who ought not to open his Mouth until by his Master he were commanded and allowed so to do.Of a Prince and his Servant.So also if one were about to attend a great Prince, he would be thought an impertinent and imprudent Servant, who, while he ought patiently and readily to wait, that he might answer the King when he speaks, and have his Eye upon him to observe the least Motions and Inclinations of his Will, and to do accordingly, would be still deafening him with Discourse, though it were in Praises of him; and running to and fro, without any particular and immediate Order, to do Things that perhaps might be good in themselves, or might have been commanded at other Times to others. Would the Kings of the Earth accept of such Servants or Service?To wait in Silence.Since then we are commanded towait upon God diligently, and in so doing it is promised that ourStrength shall be renewed, thisWaitingcannot be performed but by aSilenceorCessationof the natural Part on our Side, since God manifests himself not to the outward Man or Senses, so much as to the inward, to wit, to the Soul and Spirit.The thinking busy Soul excludes the Voice of God.If the Soul be still thinking and working in her own Will, and busily exercised in her own Imaginations, though the Matters as in themselves may begoodconcerning God, yet thereby she incapacitates herself from discerning thestill, small Voiceof the Spirit, and so hurts herself greatly, in that she neglects her chief Business ofwaiting upon the Lord: Nothing less than if I should busy myself, crying out and speaking of a Business, while in the mean Time I neglect to hear one who is quietly whispering into my Ear, and informing me in those Things which are most needful for me to hear and know concerning that Business. And since it is the chief Work of aChristianto know thenatural Willin its own proper Motionscrucified, that God may both move in the Act and in the Will, the Lord chiefly regards this profound Subjection and Self-denial.Religious Speculations.For some Men please themselves as much, and gratify their own sensual Wills and Humours in high and curiousSpeculationsofReligion, affecting a Name and Reputation that Way,or because those Things by Custom or otherways are become pleasant and habitual to them, though not a Whit more regenerated or inwardly sanctified in their Spirits,Sensual Recreations.as others gratify their Lusts inActsofSensuality, and therefore both are alike hurtful to Men, and sinful in the Sight of God, it being nothing but the mere Fruit and Effect of Man’s natural and unrenewed Will and Spirit.Thoughtsof Death and Hell to keep outSinare Fig-leaves.Yea, should one, as many no Doubt do, from a Sense of Sin, and Fear of Punishment, seek to terrify themselves from Sin, by multiplying Thoughts of Death, Hell, and Judgment, and by presenting to their Imaginations the Happiness and Joys of Heaven, and also by multiplying Prayers and other religious Performances, as these Things could never deliver him from one Iniquity, without the secret and inward Power of God’s Spirit and Grace, so would they signify no more than theFig-leaveswherewithAdamthought to cover hisNakedness. And seeing it is only the Product of Man’s own natural Will, proceeding from a Self-love, and seeking to save himself, and not arising purely from thatdivine SeedofRighteousnesswhich is given of God to all for Grace and Salvation, it is rejected of God, and no Ways acceptable unto him; since the natural Man, as natural, while he stands in that State, is, with all his Arts, Parts, and Actings, reprobated by him.Denial of one’s Self.This great Duty then of waiting upon God, must needs be exercised in Man’s denying Self, both inwardly and outwardly, in a still and mere Dependence upon God, in abstracting from all the Workings, Imaginations, and Speculations of his own Mind, that being emptied as it were of himself, and so throughly crucified to the natural Products thereof, he may be fit to receive the Lord, who will have no Co-partner nor Co-rival of his Glory and Power. And Man being thus stated, the little Seed of Righteousness which God hath planted in his Soul, and Christ hath purchased for him, even the Measure ofGraceandLife, which is burdened and crucified by Man’s naturalThoughtsandImaginations, receives a Place to arise, and becometh a holy Birth and GenitureinMan;The holy Birth.and is thatdivine Airin and by which Man’s Soul andSpirit comes to be leavened; and by waiting therein he comes to be accepted in the Sight of God, to stand in his Presence, hear his Voice, and observe the Motions of his holy Spirit. And so Man’s Place is to wait in this; and as hereby there are any Objects presented to his Mind concerning God, or Things relating to Religion, his Soul may be exercised in them without Hurt, and to the great Profit both of himself and others; because those Things have their Rise not from his own Will, but from God’s Spirit: And therefore as in the Arisings and Movings of this his Mind is still to be exercised in thinking and meditating, so also in the more obvious Acts of Preaching and Praying.NoQuakersare against a meditating Mind.And so it may hence appear we are not against Meditation, as some have sought falsely to infer from our Doctrine;From Nature’s Thoughts all Errors rise.but we are against theThoughtsandImaginationsof the natural Man in his own Will, from which all Errors and Heresies concerning the Christian Religion in the whole World have proceeded. But if it please God at any Time, when one or more are waiting upon him, not to present such Objects as give them Occasion to exercise their Minds inThoughtsandImaginations, but purely to keep them in this holy Dependence, and as they persist therein, to cause his secret Refreshment and the pure Incomes of his holy Life to flow in upon them, then they have good Reason to be content, because by this, as we know by good and blessed Experience, the Soul is more strengthened, renewed, and confirmed in the Love of God, and armed against the Power of Sin, than any Way else;The Soul renewed,by what?The holy Life of God.this being a Fore-taste of that real and sensible Enjoyment of God, which the Saints in Heaven daily possess, which God frequently affords to his Children here for their Comfort and Encouragement, especially when they are assembled together towait upon him.

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