Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit…

(§ 25.) Discerning of Spirits is the next Gift of the Spirit here enumerated, [Greek or Hebrew], To another the Discernings of Spirits; the Ability and Faculty of Judging of Spirits. The Dijudication of Spirits. This Gift I have upon another occasion formerly given an Account of, and therefore shall here but briefly touch upon it. All Gospel-Administrations were in those Days avowedly executed by Virtue of Spiritual Gifts. No Man then durst set his Hand unto this Work, but such as either really had, or highly pretended unto a Participation of the Holy Ghost. For the Administration of the Gospel is the Dispensation of the Spirit. This therefore was pleaded by all in the preaching of the Word, whether in private Assemblies, or publicly to the World. But it came also then to pass, as it did in all Ages of the Church, that where ⟨p. 193⟩God gave unto any the extraordinary Gifts of his Spirit for the Reformation or Edification of the Church, there Satan suborned some to make a Pretence thereunto unto it's Trouble and Destruction: So was it under the Old Testament, and so was it foretold that it should be under the New. So the Apostle Peter having declared the Nature and Excellency, Use and Certainty of that Prophecy which was of old, 2 Pet. 1. 19, 20, 21. adds thereunto, But there were false Prophets also among the People, Chap. 2. 1. That is, when God granted that signal Privilege unto the Church, of the Immediate Revelation of his Will unto them by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, which constituted Men true Prophets of the Lord: Satan stirred up others to pretend unto the same Spirit of Prophecy for his own malicious Ends, whereby there were false Prophets also among the People. But it may be it will be otherwise now under the Gospel Church State. No, saith he; There shall be false Teachers among you; that is, Persons pretending to the same Spiritual Gift that the Apostles and Evangelists had, yet bringing in thereby damnable Heresies. Now all their damnable Opinions they Fathered upon immediate Revelations of the Spirit. This gave occasion to the Holy Apostle John to give that Caution, with his Reason of it, which is expressed 1 John 4. 1, 2, 3. which Words we have opened before. And this false Pretence unto extraordinary Spiritual Gifts, the Church was tried and pestered withal, so long as there was any occasion to give it Countenance;