Subjection to Christ in all his ordinances, and appointments, the best means to preserve…

He that thus submits to the Lord Christ; he must first be a man weary of his own counsels, and must loath himself: When the Lord hath wearied a man of his own ways; he says, What am I that the Lord should show me any mercy? And when the Lord calls him to any service; Lord, What am I, that I should now pray to thee? Bless the Lord, when the Lord doth keep thy heart in this frame; but now when men will honour Christ, and yet Saul-like have Christ honour them: Many poor creatures they think it a credit to be in Church-fellowship, and they will seek to know Christ, that they may attain Church-fellowship, and have honour; but know it, till the Lord do pull down thy base ends, and make thee loath thy self, and so to submit to his blessed will; truly till then, the Kingdom of God is not come to thy soul: Think of these things, for if the Kingdom of God be in our hearts, then look for good days; Brethren, let New-England be confident of it: but if this be gone from the souls and hearts of men and women in their several families and places; though they may have the outward Kingdom of Christ, yet the inward Kingdom being not set up: I say no more but what he said, Go to Palestine ⟨p. 52⟩and Bohemia. Certainly, if they had not cast off the Lords government, they had never seen those lamentable days; they had outward Ordinances; Oh, but here was the thing; the inward Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, and subjection to the will of the Lord Jesus, and to be for the Lord Jesus; this the Lord saw, was not in them, therefore the Lord hath left them to be lamentable spectacles. Therefore dear brethren, I do beseech you, pray and beg for this Kingdom. Thou sayest, I fall short of this: Know this Kingdom of God is at first like a grain of Mustard-seed, some little lying under the will of Christ; if it be in truth, blessed be God for it; The Kingdom of God is come, and the soul doth weep and mourn after the Lord, that the Lord would bring every thought into subjection.

He that thus submits to the Lord Christ; he must first be a man wearie of his own counsels, and must loath himself: When the Lord hath wearied a man of his own wayes; he sayes, What am I that the Lord should shew me any mercy? And when the Lord calls him to any service; Lord, What am I, that I should now pray to thee? Blesse the Lord, when the Lord doth keep thy heart in this frame; but now when men will honour Christ, and yet Saul-like have Christ honour them: Many poor creatures they think it a credit to be in Church-fellowship, and they will seek to know Christ, that they may attaine Church-fellowship, and have honour; but know it, till the Lord do pull down thy base ends, and make thee loath thy self, and so to submit to his blessed will; truely till then, the Kingdome of God is not come to thy soul: Think of these things, for if the Kingdome of God be in our hearts, then look for good dayes; Brethren, let New-England be confident of it: but if this be gone from the soules and hearts of men and women in their severall families and places; though they may have the outward Kingdome of Christ, yet the inward Kingdome being not set up: I say no more but what he said, Go to Palestina