J. Church

“ Eternity—he is the eternal Spirit—he is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent—he brought creation into order—gave life to all—formed the starry heavens—made man—directs the affairs of providence—endited the Bible—formed the sacred body of Christ—and at last raised it from the dead; he is also worshipped with the Father and the Son, and so must be distinct from both; he is not the godhead of the Son, because he is distinct from the Son, hence he is called the Spirit of his Son. ”

“ Supreme love to his Person, Works, Ways, Ministers, Truths, and Dispensations—submission to his Will—a desire to be conformed to his Image—to be like him—to enjoy much communion with him—and to be for ever with him, in a state of endless felicity.—These effects deaden us to the world, mortify sin, lead us to deny all self-righteousness, keep us near him, humble the soul, and create the most intense desire that others may be made acquainted with this Name. ”

“ May the Lord restore you to truth, or open the eyes of your hearers to see your errors, and your base design in propagating them. But from the Scriptures of truth I am about to prove that the adorable Spirit is something more than a mere breath or an emanation; and that the ever-blessed Spirit is a person God blessed for evermore—and be it at your peril to contradict it. ”

“ There is one blessed effect which the Name of Jesus has upon the mind and conduct of believers, worthy of attention, and that is reverence. The Names of Jesus being precious, lovely, and blessed, are had in particular reverence by all them that fear him. Hence we are said to serve God acceptably, with reverence, and godly fear—that reverence which God approves, himself produces; and this reverence is necessary in the use of his Names—in the godly conversation of saints, and in the public ordinances of his appointment. ”

“ I must come nearer home, even to those who profess better things; and bear my testimony against the prevalent folly of many professors. There appears an inseparable connection between love and fear—I mean that holy, child-like, filial fear that God has promised to give his children—“I will put my fear in their hearts:”—this fear is of especial service to the saints; and when in exercise they can resist almost any temptation—witness Joseph’s conduct. ”

“ I wish great men, and good ministers, to have all the respect paid them becoming their stations, but not at the expence of the Divine honour.—Another part of this folly is evident, from the light and trifling manner in which the Name of God is used in the pulpit—as swearing by his life, which is customary among some good ministers, and their hearers copy after them—so that upon every trifling occasion, we hear the dogmatical and awful oath pronounced, “As God liveth—as the Lord liveth,” it is so and so ”

“ How painful to hear the females come in with pattens on—and others opening and shutting their pews—some coughing and sneezing, so loud as to hurt the feelings, and almost turn the temper of the most amiable ministers in the world, to smother them.—Another species of irreverence I have long noticed with grief, among many dissenters—as soon as the last sentence of the Sermon is pronounced, many directly rush out of Chapel, as though they were glad it was over—in some cases it is excusable; a person may be faint in a warm place—others, in service—some obliged to hasten to their families ”

“ This is our refuge, our joy, our glory—“the Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth in and are safe.” Ye children of the most high God, this Jesus is yours, in the most exalted sense of the word, if you are driven out of every lying refuge, and can say ”

“ What horrid oaths, what dreadful imprecations, what loud and repeated calls on God, on Christ, to blast the members and faculties of soul and body, although God has given many a public signal of his disapprobation of such conduct, by answering their prayers in a moment, and suddenly driving them to destruction and perdition—O! ”