THE SPIRITS VOICE Concerning HIMSELFE OR A Faithful and Clear DISCOVERY Of the Operations of the SPIRIT IN The Hearts of the Saints Omnes enim quando oramus mendici Dei sumus antè januam magni patris familias stamus imò etiam prosternimur supplices ingemiscimus aliquid volentes accipere ipsum aliquid ipse Deus est August de verbis Domini Serm. 15. Ad omnem sanctà m operationem ab homine peragendam requiritur non modo gratià regenerationis hominem habitualiter disponens sed motio Dei gratiosa ipsum actualiter movens sinè qua vel sola licet propter grataim regenerationis dicatur posse bene operari fieri non potest ut actubene operetur Twiss Vind. Gratiae c. BY PETER ATKINSON Minister of the everlasting GOSPEL LONDON Printed by Thomas Lock for the Author 1659. To the Christian Reader IN trial of spirits Christian Reader keep alwayes in mind this necessary Truth concerning the Spirit of Truth which is Joh. 16.14 That the Spirit of truth glorifies Jesus Christ Hence thou mayest safely conclude That those spirits that deny Jesus Christ that rob him of his glory are not of God Those that with the Arians Familists and Paul Best none of the best deny Christs Divinity or with the Eutychians his Humanity or with the Nestorians teach that he bath two persons or with the Monothelites that he hath onely one Will or with the Macedonians and Valentinians that he brought his Body from Heaven or with the Socinians deny his incarnation and satisfaction for sin or with the Quaker deny justification by the sufferings of Christ at Jerusalem these do not glorifie but dishonor Christ and so are not led by the holy Ghost This Caution may be one preservative against poyson If thou wouldest know more concerning the holy spirit read over this little Treatise the time will not be long thy labour J hope will not be lost it 's short good reason the world is full of Bookes The Communion of the Holy Ghost be with thee Amen Thine â— P. â—… THE SPIRITS VOICE CONCERNING HIMSELF ALthough some scoff at the Saints of God in reference to their having the spirit of Grace in them and others deluded and presumptuous boast of the Spirit of God who are indeed inspired with an evil spirit as Zedekiah the false Prophet 1 King 22.24 and some audaciously assert That grace may be lost and the spirit taken away from such as are truly Saints yet the truth is the spirit of grace is in all those onely in those and never departs from any of those who are indeed born of him and renewed by him Search Divine Records you shall find how God hath promised to pour his spirit upon his people Isa 44.3,4,5 as also that he shall not depart from them Isa 59.21 He is said to be given unto them Rom. 5.5 To dwell in them Rom. 8.11 1 Cor. 3.16 to abide with them John 15.16 They are the habitation of â—od by his spirit Eph. 2.22 the House of God Heb. 3 6. they are the temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 yea their bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Now for the prevention of self-deceiving and for our singular comfort and encouragement in God's wayes let us diligently examine our selves whether the spirit be in us by these blessed effects of the spirit following 1. They that have the spirit know all things as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 2.20 Ye have an unction from that holy one that 's the spirit from Christ your Head and ye know all things in the Syriac it is Ye know or discern every man as if St. John had said Ye know those false Teachers that went out from us and were not of us and it 's according to that of our Saviour Ye shall know them by their fruits partly by their pride contention seperation partly by their Doctrine for if any man do Gods will he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God the Saints know false Doctrine so as not to know it own it but disallow it They know not saith Christ the voice of strangers Also they know false Teachers by the fruit of their Doctrine in their followers which is neglect of duty looseness of life But this is not all for in the 27. verse the spirit is said to teach them so that they needed not that any man should teach them and it s said also That he had thus taught them see the words that is They needed not that any man should teach them any other thing any otherwise then the spirit had taught them Now for the spirits teaching observe how God is said to send his word by his spirit in his Prophets Zech. 7.12 the spirit of the Lord was upon Christ to preach the Gospel Luke 4.18 and the Apostles are said to speak the things of God in the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 therefore the Holy Ghost taught the Saints by the Prophets Christ the Apostles and so the words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles are the words of the Holy Ghost these words he teacheth and makes known unto the Saints other words they needed not know none are like these nor more words these make wise unto salvation Further they know all things necessary to be known they know the first Principles of the Oracles of God they know Christ and him crucified they know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ how that being rich for their sakes he became poor that they through his poverty might be made rich They know that they are translated from death to life that they have everlasting life that all things work together for their good 2. The spirit of God being in a man doth bear witness with his spirit that he is a child of God Rom. 8.16 These two spirits the spirit of man spiritualized the conscience purged from dead works which is a thousand witnesses and the Holy Ghost the spirit of truth joining with man's spirit for confirmation of this necessary truth do make use of the spirit's words in Scripture and the spirit's work upon man's heart after this manner Those that come out from amongst the ungodly are seperate and touch not the unclean thing they are God's children he hath promised to be a Father to such and that they shall be unto him sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6.16,17 But thou art say these witnesses to a man come out art seperate dost not touch the unclean thing therefore thou art a child of God Further they testifie after this manner Those that are poor in spirit mourn hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed and so Gods children but thou art poor in spirit dost mourn hunger and thirst after righteousness Ergo thou art a childe of God And thus these that receive Christ to them he gives power to become the sons of God those that love those that are begotten are also begotten of God and are