§. VII.
The silent waiting upon God obtained.As there can be nothing more opposite to the natural Will and Wisdom of Man than this silent 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 of Life and Light in themselves, as the most excellent Teacher, which can never be removed into a Corner, came thereby to be taught to wait upon God in the Measure of Life and Grace received from him, and to cease from their own forward Words and Actings, in the natural Willing 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’s Light and Grace 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 holy Dependence upon the Lord, and meeting together not only outwardly in one Place, What it is to meet in Jesus Name.but thus inwardly in one Spirit, and in one 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 his Name comes to be one in all, 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 that divine and spiritual Worship, which the World neither knoweth nor understandeth, which the Vulture’s Eye seeth not into. Advantages of silent 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 such as 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, the Witness of God ariseth in the Heart, and the Light of Christ shineth, 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 Fellowship and Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, by which our inward Man is nourished and fed; which makes us not to dote upon outward Water, and Bread and Wine, 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 the pure Life hath 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 into the 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 the Life is raised in a great Measure, as that one keeps his Place, he will feel a secret Travail for the rest in a Sympathy with the Seed which 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 the Light, and keeps in this divine Work, God oftentimes answers the secret Travail and Breathings of his own Seed through such a one, so that the rest will find themselves secretly smitten without Words, and that one will be as a Midwife through 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 the Life, and it be raised in a good Measure, it will strike Terror into such an one, The Mocker struck with Terror when 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]Is Saul also among the Prophets? 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 this Life; The true Convincement.for when I came into the silent Assemblies of God’s People, I felt a secret Power among 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 a Christian, to whom afterwards the Knowledge and Understanding of Principles will 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 be barren nor unfruitful. 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 the Truths we maintain, yet if they were not sensible of this inward 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 that Cement whereby we are joined as 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 the Truth, speak ever so true Things, and utter them forth with ever so much Excellency of Speech, if this Life were wanting, it would not edify us at all, but be as sounding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal, 1 Cor. xiii. 1.
[97] Isa. 30. 20.
[98] Prov. 27. 19.
[99] Isa. 10. 20. and 26. 3.
[100] Ephes. 4. 3.
[101] 1 Sam. 10. 12.