A Sermon And Prayer Delivered by FRANCIS STAMPER, In Devonshire-House, May 3rd, 1694.
Sermons by the People Called Quakers. A New Edition. London: Mary Hinde, 1775.
This is The Quaker Online Homiletics Anthology, Section One: The 17th Century.
God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.
This mighty one, that the almighty Lord Jehovah hath laid help upon for man, is the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of his love; and they are blessed of God, that come to partake of the help that is in
him, who said to his disciples and followers in the days past, without me ye can do nothing.
Friends, this is a deep and a very near word, and it behoves us all to consider, whether we have
him or no; for we all owe a service, a duty, and a worship to the everlasting God, and of ourselves
we cannot perform it, without the help and assistance of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ;
and the comfort of all that believe in him, and love him, is this, that he is not only able to help but
willing to help.
Blessed be the Lord God for ever, may all you say, that have been made partakers of his virtue,
and of his power and life; that have found a willingness in him to assist you in all your troubles, all
your exercises, in all your afflictions, in all the bowings of your souls and spirits before the Lord;
who have said in your prayers and supplications, Lord, lend me thy help, let me have thy gracious
aid and assistance: without this help of the Lord Jesus Christ we cannot do that good that
sometimes we desire, but we are even like to poor Israel, when they had forgotten the Lord,
when they had been cleaving to that, that led them in the steps, the end whereof was destruction.
The Lord thus complained by his Prophet; 0 Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself, but thy help is in
me.
And, O Friends! what greater love could the Lord God have shewn to the lost sons of Adam, than
to have sent his Son, his only begotten Son from the bosom of his heavenly love, to redeem man
up to God again, to restore man again, and bring him back again out of that alienated state, and
out of that undone condition, that he was fallen into by his disobedience and transgression against
the Lord: God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, mighty to save.
Is there any poor soul here this day, that wants the salvation of God, that wants to be saved from
sin, that so it may be saved from Hell, saved from woe, saved from distress, saved from misery,
O! come and lay hold on him by faith, that God hath laid help upon.
My friends, turn your minds inward this day, have an eye and a regard in yourselves, to that pure
and divine manifestation of his light and grace and spirit vouchsafed to you; in that light look unto
him. Holy men and holy women, godly men and godly women, waited for this in the Days of old,
and one of them expressed his joy and satisfaction, even old Simeon, when he saw the Lord Jesus
Christ brought into the Temple, he took him up in his arms and blessed God, and said, Lord, now
lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the Glory of thy People Israel, that he might be for salvation to the ends of the earth. Now
here Simeon beheld and saw that which he had long waited for and desired after, and he had this
manifested to him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's
Christ; he saw him and beheld him that he might see he was to come.
So some souls at this day that are now under another dispensation, have waited long, and cried to
the Lord, and said, Lord, when will the time come? When will the day come, that thou wilt open
to me that which my soul hath longed for? Lord, I have finned, against thee, when will the time
come, that I shall have help and power against sin and find strength against sin, and receive power
against sin, and find strength against sin, and receive power from on high against my sins, and to
resist and overcome temptations, and obtain thy favor, and through Jesus Christ, be reconciled to
thee whom I have offended?
Friends, you that have long waited for the consolation of God's Israel, hold fast your hope, keep
your Confidence unto the end, keep your faith and patience. Remember the words of Christ to
church of Philadelphia, these things saith he that is holy and true, thou hast a little strength, and
hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name; because thou hast kept my word, and hast not
denied my name, I also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
My friends, the hour of tribulation is coming apace and hastening it is even at the very door;
therefore lay hold of Christ, that God hath laid help upon: O my friends! that you may find this
help extended to you in this day of your trial and temptation, that they that are the hindmost of the
flock may come up, the poor in Spirit, that are poor in body too, they that are groaning, and
crying, and mourning in solitary places, that they may come, according to the words of Christ,
into his sheepfold, John x. 16. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
This one shepherd is present here, my friends, pray hear his voice this afternoon; his voice is
sweet and lovely, and pierceth the very heart, it calls upon you, open to me my well-beloved; it
calls you out of sin, and out of iniquity, and out of that which offends the Lord. O Friends! this
voice calls, open to me my beloved, you that are turned from this world, from the love of Vanities
and pleasures, from those vain delights that perish with the using, and the desire of your hearts is,
that you may be more acquainted with him that is the good shepherd of your souls, that saith, I
call my own sheep by name: blessed be you that have this new name; I go before them, and they
follow me, and I will give to them eternal life, saith Christ. What greater gift can you have? What
better reward can you have? You that have the help of the Lord, you that have the strength of the
Almighty, you that have your dependance upon him, you that can truly say, the Lord hath laid
help upon one that is mighty, I feel his mighty arm, and his mighty power that hath helped me, and
overcome great things, that I thought I could never overcome. Open the door of thy heart; saith
Christ, and I will overcome that by which thou hast been overcome: all praise, glory, and
thanksgiving be returned, through Christ, to the living God and Father of all.
O my Friends! feel your minds gathered into a sense of God's love, into a pure exercise of his
heavenly life and love, that in this we may go on and travel together; that in this we may be
exercised together, for the glory of God, and the good and peace and welfare of one another.
Friends, God's care is over his people, his divine providence is daily extended towards them, in a
plentiful and wonderful manner. There is one promise of the Lord that comes into the view of my
mind, even that promise made to them in ancient times, my people shall dwell in a sure dwelling,
and shall rest in a quiet habitation. Let us pray that every one of us may be in the number of
God's people that have a sure dwelling; for, my friends, great disappointments, great exercises,
and trouble will overtake the habitations of the wicked, that are hard-hearted and forgetters of
God. Let us keep humble and tender and reverent in the sight of the God of heaven; all our
strength will fail us, and all our own wisdom, if we do not keep faithful to him that God hath laid
help upon. What are we poor worms in comparison of the Almighty? He can do in heaven and
earth whatsoever he pleaseth; man is to be wrought according to his divine will and pleasure: we
are to submit to him, and to come to that in practice, which people have been speaking of in
words.
It is part of that prayer which our blessed Lord taught his followers and disciples, wherein he said,
thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; there is no man or woman can really come to Christ,
but those that have their wills submitted to the will of God, this is the will of God, your
sanctification; it is the will of God that we should be sanctified, that we should be holy and pure;
then the blessing of the God of heaven will be upon us.
Among the many blessing that Christ uttered on the mountain, one was this, blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God; it doth bespeak this, that the sight of God shall be very clear, to
those that are pure in heart, that have come to have their hearts and minds subjected to the will of
God, for he worketh in them both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. O! then they
shall know the virtue of this purity of heart, they shall see God. How precious a thing it is, to have
that purity that can behold the Lord, no confession or acknowledgment will be sufficient.
Thus it was when Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night, he said
unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these
miracles that thou dost, except God be with him. Here was a large concession, that Christ was the
teacher of the way of God aright; yet that would not serve, for Jesus answered and said unto him,
except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Friends, it is a near word that should come home to us, and convince us of this truth of God, that
we fall not short of this regeneration, and of having our hearts and spirits renewed by the God of
heaven; except we be born again we cannot see the Kingdom of God. This new birth is that by
which the blessings of the God of heaven are conveyed to the soul, and that through the Lord
Jesus Christ; God hath sent his Son to bless us, in turning every one of us from our own
iniquities, and from the evil of our ways, from our sin and vanity, from our corruption and
wickedness, to the pure everlasting God. They know it to be thus that come to fear God, and be
partakers of that wisdom that leads to righteousness, Prov. Vii. 20, 21. I wisdom lead in the way
of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may cause those that love me to
inherit substance, and I will fill their treasure: can the treasure of any heart be better filled?
O! That these words of wisdom might take impression upon every one of your hearts, that you
might feel the love of the mighty God shed abroad upon your hearts by the Holy Ghost, that your
desires and breathings may ascend like incense, and be a sweet smelling sacrifice to the Lord this
evening. O! that every one was so qualified as to worship the living God aright, that in the
conclusion of this Meeting, every one's heart may burn within them, and may come, with tender
breathings and inflamed affections, unto God's alter, and find acceptance.
My friends, the goodness of the Lord hath been very great towards you, and his long-suffering
and patience hath been largely extended, he willeth not the death of a sinner, but desires that they
should repent, return, and live: as I live, saith the Lord, I delight not in the death of a sinner; turn
you, turn you, from your evil ways, why will ye die, O house of Israel? Now if thou sayest, I
would fain turn from the evil of my ways, I would fain have power and strength to do good and
overcome evil: then come to him that is might, upon whom God hath laid help, who is able to
save to the uttermost; not from one or two sins only, but from all pollution and wickedness, in all
those that come unto God by him; I am God Almighty, saith God to Abraham, a faithful servant
that followed him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me, and be thou perfect.
But, say some, that is impossible; but pray consider, God hath laid help upon one that is mighty;
and thou mayest do all things through Christ that strengthens thee; by his divine power working in
thy heart, he can effect that work in thee which thou canst not do in thy own strength, that work
which he will accept of, the work of righteousness, holiness, and purity, in which state the
blessing of the God of heaven is conveyed to thy soul; blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God, their eyes being opened to look unto him in whom salvation is: in vain do me look for
help and salvation from the hills and from the mountains; look to me, saith the Lord, and be
saved, all ye ends of the earth. For I am the Lord, I change not, therefore the sons of Jacob are
not consumed, Mal. iii. 6.
O! here is a good encouragement for you who are wrestling with the Lord God, to receive a
blessing fro his divine hand, here is a good encouragement for you to wrestle; Jacob was a
wrestler, and he wrestled with God, and as a prince he prevailed, and he said, I will not let thee
go except thou bless me. Will you be wrestlers with the God of heaven, for a blessing from his
divine hand? Labour to be gathered with a pure mind into the will of God, as humble, lowly, and
meek creatures, submitting yourselves to him, being sensible of your unworthiness, and say, Lord,
what am I that thou shouldest be mindful of me? What I have received thou gavest me, I have no
breath, no good thing but what thou gavest me; I depend on thee for all, and will give thee the
praise of all that I have and hope for.
Thus you must labour to keep yourselves humble, meek, and tender, and in a self-denying frame,
that you may be fit to follow the Lord Jesus, who invites such to come to; come to me all you that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for
I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto you souls, for my yoke is easy, and my
burthen is light; learn of me, saith Christ, for I am meek and lowly. It is as if he had said, be ye so
too, learn that lesson and ye shall find rest to your souls; what more excellent reward than to have
peace with the eternal God! and not only so, but in all our trials, afflictions, and exercises in this
life, to be kept in a quiet and peaceable frame, where the soul can throw itself upon God, and say,
Lord, I will cast all my care upon thee, for thou carest for me.
My friends, look unto the Lord, there will be great need for it; many have been the warnings given to the inhabitants of this nation, and of this city, of the dreadful judgments of God, that he will certainly bring upon the wicked and hard-hearted, and upon the stiff-necked and rebellious, and I hope that, through the divine workings of the divine spirit and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and through his divine and heavenly Light that hath attended these warning and testimonies, may will be stirred up to repentance.
And I have this more to say, that the Lord God in the opening of his divine Word hath
commanded me; thus say to my people in the city of London and elsewhere, where I have ordered
thy lot; be of believing hearts, for the vials of my wrath shall be poured out upon the
transgressors; therefore charge the daughters of Sion, that they touch not with the daughters of
Babylon; and tell them, that if they partake with them in their sins, they shall partake with them
in their plagues, and in the punishments that God will pour down and execute upon the workers
of iniquity; and greater will be their condemnation if they do not repent and believe, than of that
have not had such opportunities.
Therefore, children of Sion, look unto the Lord Jesus Christ, that mighty one, upon whom help is
laid, in whom is divine strength and power, and from whom you may have divine assistance, that
you may perform the good that is required at your hands, and that is incumbent upon you, and
that you owe your Creator, that you may worship him from day to day, and from one time to
another; they that perform this service in the strength of Christ feel the savour of his life upon
them, and find the sweetness of joy and peace in their souls: and when we are in our
employments, and callings, and business, we shall feel the savour of divine life going along with
us, and in all our converse and communion one with another and in our families, we shall instruct,
and correct, and direct our children, and bring them up in the fear of the Lord, that may not do as
the Children of Israel when of their judges were dead, every one did that was right in their own
eyes: let them do what they will, saith Joshua, chuse you this day whom you serve, as for me and
my house we will serve the Lord.
O! get your wills subjected to the will of God, that you may obey his righteous law, and feel
yourselves engaged in his service, and have the powerful working of his Holy Spirit in your souls.
God will by his own almighty arm and heavenly grace, enable you to do what he requires, and is
pleasing in his sight, he will work in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure; by
grace ye are saved, saith the apostle, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: to this divine gift we
are all recommended: now the Lord God almighty gather you all into a sense of it.
The apostle, when he wrote to the Churches committed them to the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, for guiding and governing them in the whole course of their conversations, that they might
live in the pure fear and love of God, and obedience to him, and in love and concord with another;
that God in all things may be glorified, and praise, and honour, and thanksgiving may be offered
up to him, through Jesus Christ his beloved son, and our alone Saviour, who alone is worthy,
who is God over all, blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
The Prayer:
Blessed God of Life, who art the fountain of all our mercies, the .God from whom we receive; all the good we enjoy, our eyes art unto thee, thou art pleased, O Lord! To give unto us all things that we stand in need of, which should engage us always to have an eye unto thee, for thou never failest any that put their trust in thee. Many a time, O Lord! have thy people cried to thee in a sense of their wants, and have bowed before thee, and lifted up their supplications to thee; and Lord, thou hast had regard to them many a time, and for the cry of the poor, and the groaning of the distressed thou hast risen, and been a present help unto them: so that, O Lord! we have had encouragement from time to time to draw near to thee, for thou dost appear in the midst of the assemblies of thy people that do meet together in thy name, and in thy holy fear. O powerful Father of life! we have cause to bless thy name, for we have had a real taste of thy goodness, and of thy mercy to our souls; thou, O Lord! it was that didst appear in the time of thy love, and visitedst the souls of many that were strangers unto thee, and unacquainted with the way of Life and Salvation; thou, O Lord! it was that hadst mercy upon us, in the day there was none to help us, when there was none that could save and deliver, then didst thou make bare thy almighty arm, and didst bring many to the knowledge of thy living way; and all thine whose eyes have been to thee, thou haft crowned with thy loving kindness and tender mercy; praises, praifes be to thy great and excellent name, who livest for ever and evermore. Living God of life, let all thine be preserved by thy eternal arm of power; that they may live in the world to the honour of thy great name. Powerful God of life, our eyes are unto thee, and thou hast given us, to see thee, and to have the light of thy countenance lifted up upon us. Father of mercies, we are not able to keep ourselves, and preserve ourselves, but the Eyes of all thine are unto thee, that they may be acquainted with thee, and have that divine help and strength which thou affordest to thy people, and to thy children, that they may be enabled to run on in that race that thou haft set before them; that at the end of their days, they may come to lay down their heads in peace, and have an abundant entrance into that everlasting Kingdom, which thou hast prepared for those that love and fear thy name. Blessed God of life, be with all thy people here and every where, draw off their minds from the love of this world, and the spirit of it, that they may be brought nearer, and nearer to thee, in their love and affections. Blessed God of life, we hive been waiting upon thee, and thou hast graciously appeared in the midst of us, blessed be thy name; thy living presence is the comfort of all thine that wait upon thee. How poor and empty, and hungry and thirsty have we come into thy presence, yet thou dost not send us empty away, but thou hast filled the hungry with good things, and open a living fountain, that the thirsty souls have known the drinking of: our souls are constrained to offer praises to thee this evening, that we have found comfort and refreshment from thy blessed presence. Lord God of life, go along with us and bless us, and keep us in the fear of thy holy name, that we may live in the world to praise of thy name: Lord bless the present opportunity to all that are here before thee, that we may go away rejoicing in the sense of thy love and goodness to us, and be engaged to walk in humility before thee. Lord let our cry come up to thee, keep us every day, and preserve us, and pity and help all those that are crying to thee, that are under exercises, temptations, afflictions, trials, and weakness of body and mind; be near to them, to help them in their distress, and save and deliver them and us from the enemy of our souls, that goes about like a roaring lion feeding whom he may devour. O powerful God of Life! be with all thine everywhere, and bless them, and keep them while they are in the world, from the evil of it, that, living Father of life, both they and we, for all thy mercies and blessings, which in the dear Son of thy love thou hast bestowed upon us from time to time, may render living praises unto thee; and for all the seasons and opportunities we have enjoyed for the benefit and advantage of our immortal souls, we desire to return thee praise, honour, and glory, though thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, in whom thou art well pleased; for thou alone art worthy, worthy, worthy, who art God over all, blessed in thyself for ever and evermore. Amen.