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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A44414 A sermon preach'd before my lord major at Guild-Hall Chappel on the 30th of Octob., 1681 by George Hooper ... Hooper, George, 1640-1727. 1682 (1682) Wing H2705; ESTC R4457 20,330 39

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their doctrine does not at last determine and center here it is Christian Religion falsely so called it is counterfeit and has not to it the Witness of the Holy Ghost 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and good Conscience and Faith unfeign'd Gal. 5.6 for in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love So Contradictorily do they Act to our holy Religion who think they may be malicious disorderly false perjur'd in its defence so little do they consider the Nature of God who consecrate their wicked Passions and offer the Service of their Hatred and Anger to his Name who like the Pope give Absolution to all Lusts that List themselves in a pretended holy War For the Works of the flesh are manifest says our Apostle which are these Adultery Fornication Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Aemulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in Times past that they who do such Things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But as the Text continues the Fruit of the Spirit is Love c. By this Fruit are all Christians to be Sav'd But 2. Those are oblig'd to abound in this Fruit in a more particular manner who make a more peculiar claim to the Holy Spirit Those that pretend to the Gifts of the Holy Ghost happy are they if they have attain'd them They seem sensible of those blessed Influences every good Christian is to expect and to Cherish And pretend to no more then what is necessary to the Salvation of each Believer Neither is he yet partaker in any Measure of the Heavenly gift that shall Envy it to any that are called by the Name of Christ Such a thought suits neither with the Love of God nor of his Brother Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets Num. 11.29 said the meek Moses when those that shar'd of the Spirit were too to have their part in the Government Besides that the Holy Ghost himself has inform'd us in his first Speech after his Descent how largely he intended his Bounty The Promise says he by the mouth of St. Peter is made to you and to your Children Acts 2.39 and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall Call God fulfill his Gracious Promise and make all these Partakers of the Gift that own it But on the other side because a good Opinion of one's self may be taken for the Holy Ghost and we may not impose only on others but our selves because there cannot be a more dangerous delusion then to mistake the lying Spirit for the Spirit of Truth and to be Possessed instead of being Inspir'd we are therefore commanded to make Tryal of the Spirits whether they be of God When then the Holy Spirit its self is content to be tryed he will betray a great want of it that is not meek enough to submit to the Examination And here too the Proof is to be by the Product By their Fruits too shall ye know the Spirits And the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Life will not fail presently to discover it self by sensible signs by strong vital indications But the Effects we are to Expect are not Miracles Curing of the sick or Raising of the Dead they were Illustrious signs of the Divine presence are not heard of after the first Ages nor mentioned here They are not Talents of Eloquence and Discourse Copiousness of Language or a fluent Volubility in publick this seems to be of the same kind with the Gift of Tongues and to have been but of Temporary use here we are sure not expressed They are no other then those you find recounted in our Text they are Love Joy Peace c. Things not so glorious indeed in the Eyes of Carnal men but the most proper most natural Effects of the Holy Ghost as visible Marks and as Convincing Proofs of his Presence as the louder and seemingly more mighty Works He then that lays a more particular Claim to the Possession of the Holy Spirit is to shew it by a Love more exalted towards God and more enlarg'd toward man extended in all its Dimensions Height Breadth Length and Depth to God our Soveraign in chief to his Vicegerent to all Magistrates all Superiors to Equals on all sides and Inferiors of all kinds He is to do Miracles of Charity to be a wonder of Contentedness Peaceableness Gentleness Lowlyness and Condescention His mighty works will be in Temperance Goodness and Fidelity The Fathers of the Hermites of Syria are said to have try'd the Spirit of an Anchorite of a new kind in one of these Qualifications in Meekness if he shew'd Submission and Humility they Presum'd the singularity of his Posture guilty of no Affectation nor Design We may make a more certain Judgment from all these signs the Text affords us Nor will it be a Difficult thing to view the Conversation of men and to discern whether their behaviour be more quiet and Peaceable whether they are Patient freer from murmuring and Complaint Easie Gentle and Tractable not Censorious nor Backbiters not Proud nor disobedient not given to the World and its desires to Ambition Covetousness or Cernality Happy is he on whom the difference is found against him there is no Law He is to be Cherished and esteem'd by all to be Blessed and imitated by all good men But on the contrary when a man is readier to Hate then to Love so far from affecting his Brother for God's sake that he endures not his next Image upon Earth his immediate Representative so full of Rancour and Malice that the abundance of the Heart breaks out at the Mouth where one searches for Occasions of Complaint and is fond of Grievance and Discontent is weary of Peace wishes and prepares for War so little Long suffering that he is under Indulgence as if he were under Persecution Insolent Provoking despising Dominion pardoning not the least defects tho in his Father and Prince Calumniating Slandering Libelling even Autority it self making and delighting in a Lye suborning Falshood and Confounding truth Heady Refractory and disobedient The Evidences against this man's Pretences are so great that did he work Miracles they must find no Credit they too must be ascribed not to the blessed Spirit but to him that works in the Children of Disobedience To assign them to a Divine cause would be a Slander against the Righteousness of God would be to Blaspheme against the Holy Ghost If there are among ye strifes and Envying and Seditions are ye not Carnal and walk as men In the name then of God and of Religion let men in Pretences of so high a Nature at least dissemble well let there be some colour of Love some disguise of Gentleness Humility and Obedience let men see something of the