These Two Cases being thus cleared, (1 That an […] hath no right to any spiritual Good in1 […]: And, 2 That the spirit of God doth never […] known this to such a Soul) Hence its clear: […] manner and order that men have devised to make own the mind of God to a man, and to give comfort the Soul in distress, being cross to these truths now […], is an Erroneous and False way: As for […], You being in distress about your Sins, and […] under the Spirit of Bondage, you must first lay […] in the bottom, lay him in the foundation, Christ […] first be yours, and so united to you, and your […] forgiven by him, before you have any Faith or […] qualification wrought in you; This Opinion […] says, That Christ may be united to the Soul, and […] be Justified and Adopted before he have any […]; it is a dangerous Opinion, a desperate […]; that I may say no worse of it. Mark what […], here's the plot of all profaneness, the ground of looseness and familism: A man may have Christ […] be Justified and Adopted while he is without […], and therefore while he is under the power of Sins and the Spirit of God may witness this; And […] though a man fall into any Sin, or live in any sin […] it be, he may have recourse to this […], this witness of the Spirit, and that's enough; If ⟨p. 30⟩a man say, Prove it: Are you in a state of Grace? Is Christ yours? Prove it then. Prove it? (say they) that I cannot do, but the Spirit witnesses this to me: Ay, but prove this witness of the Spirit, that it is from God according to his Word: They will be forced to confess, I cannot prove it neither to my self, nor to another, only thus, I must believe it, and you must believe me: I was in trouble and distress about my Sins, and then there was a voice from Heaven, the spirit did witness to me, That Christ was mine, and my Sins were pardoned, &c. This is a Spirit of Delusion, the Devil is there; Whatever the Spirit of God says, it is that which the Scriptures say: Therefore if you have a testimony which is not to be found in the Scripture, nor can be proved and made good by the Scripture, it is the testimony of the Devil, not […] the Spirit of God: for the Spirit of God, and the Word of God, ever go together; therefore if you say you Have a witness of the Spirit, and the Word say, No: I'll say, It is a Delusion.2
These Two Cases being thus cleered, (1 That an 〈…〉 hath no right to any spiritual Good in1 〈…〉: And, 2 That the spirit of God doth never 〈…〉 known this to such a Soul) Hence its cleer: 〈…〉 manner and order that men have devised to make own the mind of God to a man, and to give comfort the Soul in distress, being cross to these truths now 〈…〉, is an Erroneous and False way: As for 〈…〉, You being in distress about your Sins, and 〈…〉 under the Spirit of Bondage, you must first lay 〈…〉 in the bottom, lay him in the foundation, Christ 〈…〉 first be yours, and so united to you, and your 〈…〉 forgiven by him, before you have any Faith or 〈…〉 qualification wrought in you; This Opinion 〈…〉 sayes, That Christ may be united to the Soul, and 〈…〉 be Justified and Adopted before he have any 〈…〉; it is a dangerous Opinion, a desperate 〈…〉; that I may say no worse of it. Mark what 〈…〉, here's the plot of all prophaness, the ground of loosness and famalism: A man may have Christ 〈…〉 be Justified and Adopted while he is without 〈…〉, and therefore while he is under the power of Sins and the Spirit of God may witness this; And 〈…〉 though a man fall into any Sin, or live in any sin 〈…〉 it be, he may have recourse to this 〈…〉, this witness of the Spirit, and thats enough; If ⟨p. 30⟩a man say, Prove it: Are you in a state of Grace? Is Christ yours? Prove it then. Prove it? (say they) that I cannot do, but the Spirit witnesses this to me: Ay, but prove this witness of the Spirit, that it is from God according to his Word: They will be forced to confess, I cannot prove it neither to my self, nor to another, only thus, I must beleeve it, and you must beleeve me: I was in trouble and distress about my Sins, and then there was a voyce from Heaven, the spirit did witness to me, That Christ was mine, and my Sins were pardoned, &c. This is a Spirit of Delusion, the Devil is there; Whatever the Spirit of God sayes, it is that which the Scriptures say: Therefore if you have a testimony which is not to be found in the Scripture, nor can be proved and made good by the Scripture, it is the testimony of the Devil, not 〈…〉 the Spirit of God: for the Spirit of God, and the Word of God, ever go together; therefore if you say you Have a witness of the Spirit, and the Word say, No: I'le say, It is a Delusion.2
- 1Infer: 1.
- 2Infer: 2.
