Worshippers and therefore no true Receivers of the Promises of God made to those that meet in his Name There is therefore now no condemnation to them which Rom. 8. 1. are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit It appears he knew when there was a time and State of Condemnation and it was before this time that he now speaks of this Man Paul knew several States having been a zealous Man and a Persecutor and then the Lord met with him and smote him to the ground and said to him Saul Saul why persecutes thou me Insomuch as he did it to his People he took it as done to him and without question knew great Condemnation for it and went thorow a great Warfare and tells us how it was with him in his Warfare he found a law in his members warring against the law of his mind and led him captive but afterwards he says now there is no Condemnation But to whom to those that are in Christ and who are they Even those that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me Rom. 8. 2. free from the law of sin and death Here he tells us of a Freedom how he came to be the Lord's Free-man this was while he was in the Body and a sound Testimony against all that plead for Sin term of Life For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. but they that are after the SPIRIT the things of the SPIRIT Here he makes a great difference between these two as if they comprehended all Mankind and the one so contrary to the other that which of these we joyn'd to we either please or displease the Lord For they that walk in the flesh cannot please God but they that walk in the spirit shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Here is a plain Demonstration that this Apostle reckons the Spirit the main means of our being his and that a Man may so have or not so have the Spirit in his account is as he walks in it or obeys it or not walks in it or obeys it for his Servants we are to whom we obey now if we obey not the Spirit of Christ we loose that Priviledge of having it as our Guide to our comfort and yet may have it as to condemn and judge for Disobedience and then we have not the favour and love of it because of Disobedience But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead Rom. 8. 11. dwell in you he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you There is a Testimony of the Spirit that it raised our Lord Jesus from the Dead and how it was to dwell in his People and how it was to quicken them whom it dwelt in I would all People might know a quickening to God by it Rom. 8. Rom. 8. 13. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live Now who are they that live after the Flesh but those that live in Sin for the word Flesh is comprehensive of all the Works of the Flesh and of Iniquity but now the Spirit is to mortifie all these deeds and this is the way to live for People cannot tell us what Sin it is that this cannot mortifie and bring under if any think they can let them shew it us For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of Rom. 8. 14. God And truly if People were led by the Spirit of God they would not be at such uncertainty nor so unstable in their ways for the end of being thus led is to bring the Sons of Men to be the Sons of God Rom. 8. 15. For ye have not received Rom. 8. 15. the spirit of Bondage again to fear but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Here he makes mention of two Spirits the one is the Spirit of Bondage wherein are its Children and there is a Fear attends it a slavish Fear from inward Guilt a Fear of Punishment the other that the Children of God had received was the Spirit of Adoption whereby they could call God Father and gave them evidence that he was their Father Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God A certain evidence of God's Care to his Children that they need not be tossed hither and thither with every windy Doctrine of Men and by the sleighty ways of Mens Invention but that they may come through the Spirit to a settl'd stay'd Mind from among the Lo here 's and Lo there 's to have this Witness in our selves and this Seal in our selves that the Lord knows who are his Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not Rom. 8. 26. how to pray as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Then we ought to mind the help of the Spirit in drawing near to God least when we ask we ask amiss Howbeit when the spirit is come he will guide you into all truth John 16. 13. for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak They that run and the Lord never sent does not profit the People at all And why because they speak and the Lord speaks not by them This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Gal. 5. 16. lusts of the flesh How full the Scriptures are and how many Admonitions left us from time to time to walk in the Spirit and yet many People make a Mock at it But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness Gal. 5. 22. goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law Here is the Fruit of the Spirit made mention of and what Fruits is to be brought forth by it in the Sons of Men. Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word Eph. 1. 13. of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise This Seal of the Holy Spirit is to be waited for and trusted in to receive the Promises of God which are Yea and Amen for ever in Christ Jesus For the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. It searcheth Mans hearts and Womens hearts and with out it the things of God and of his Kingdom cannot be found out Verse 12. Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is
of God that we might know the things freely given us of God Now they that are in the Spirit of the World sees not nor perceives those things but the things of God are made known by his own Spirit Not theives nor drunkards c. shall inherit the kingdom of 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. God and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God He tells us here who shall not inherit God's Kingdom and how they had been such but now they were washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and that by the Spirit of God But the manifestation 1 Cor. 12. 17. of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal The great Love of God to us in giving such manifest Tokens I desire we may all consider the intent and end in giving of it to us it is that we might know a Soul 's profiting by it Verse 13. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether Jews or Gentiles bond or free and have been made to drink into one spirit This is the true substantial saving Baptism and 't is of the Spirit they that witness this Baptism has the Witness in themselves even the Spirit of God bearing witness with their Spirits that they are his Children and that they are baptised by this one Spirit for it is not the washing away the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God this is that Baptism that burns up the Chaff and subdues the light vain airy Mind in Man and Woman and crucifies them to the World and to the Affections and Lusts of it for it cannot be said that Men are truly baptized by this One SPIRIT while the evil Lusts and Uncleanness remains in their Hearts for said John speaking of Christ's Baptism He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire His fan is in his hand he shall throughly purge bis floor that is Peoples hearts that their hearts may be set on heavenly things and he may dwell therein for if ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God The first man Adam was made a living soul the second man 1 Cor. 15. 45. Adam was made a quickening spirit Oh! that all People would come to be quickened by him who is the Repairer of Breaches and the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Now the 2 Cor. 3. 18. Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty He is that quickening Spirit that quickens the Soul to God and proclaims Liberty to the Captives and to those that have been in the Prison-house of Sin to come forth and shew themselves For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by Gal. 5. 5. faith This was a blessed waiting indeed and they waited in a degree of the Spirit and of Faith and Hope for more thereof and they who feel this Hope need not be ashamed to wait upon God for an increase Gal. 6. 8. But he that soweth Gal. 6. 8. to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting And many more faithful Testimonies concerning the Holy Spirit and Man's Duty to obey it are in the Holy Scriptures of Truth of the Pourings forth of it and of the Work of it I have set down these few out of the Old and New Testament that all may regard the same Spirit and thereby see learn and believe what God has done and what he will do and also what he is a doing by his Spirit and Power and reap the Benefit of it and the great Advantage that is by it and for no other end have I laboured in this thing but that all might believe in it and come to the knowledge of the Truth by it and be saved In the Beginning God made and created Man for a purpose of his own Glory in a state of Uprightness and Innocency wherein he was capable to serve God but the Enemy being subtile beguiled and betrayed and drew Man and Woman into Disobedience to their Maker and Creator for which the Curse and the Woe came and still remains upon all the Children of Adam to this day that remain in Disobedience against God for by one man's Disobedience Death came upon all men but by the Obedience of one even our Lord Jesus Christ the Free Gift of God is come upon all men and Life is preached to all men for in him there is Life and this Life is the Light of men and all that ever come to Life must come to him Many make great Professions and yet want Life and the Reason is they abide in Death and they will not believe but many will say We do believe yes but it is but historically There is a Belief in the World that is received by hear-say of a Saviour and a Redeemer without receiving him and they not saved by him As if he would save People from Hell and Punishment and not from Sin that is the cause of it Surely the one is as possible as the other For his name shall be called Jesus he shall save his People from their Sins that Man may come to glorifie his Maker and know his Redeemer For Job said I know that my Redeemer liveth And because He lives we live also Now we must not think to live to follow the Devices and Desires of our own Hearts Lusts and do those things we ought not to do This state we have lived in when we knew no Redeemer when we lived without God in the World but surely this was not the way to know our Redeemer because we were not redeemed by him we did not know his Blood to sprinkle our Hearts from an Evil Conscience and him to wash us as with pure Water but the Temple was defiled divers Lusts dwelt and Uncleanness dwelt therein But now to know our Redeemer is so to know him as to be redeemed by him out of the World 's corrupt Ways and Fashions and ill manner of living that is not to live loosely and wantonly for they that live after this manner live to themselves and will have the Reward of their own Doings from the Hand of the Lord. But now the thing that I would have all People to mind is the Redeemer and Restorer of Mankind out of that fallen Nature and Spirit that so much prevails that so they may come to glorifie God and know him to be their Redeemer CHRIST JESUS to redeem them from an evil State and Conversation that he may present them to his Father without Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing And truly Friends we are to glorifie GOD with our Bodies and Spirits they are the LORD's we were created for this end and we are bought with a great Price for this end we are not our
and truly the 3d Chapter of the first Epistle of John is very full And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin And whosoever abideth in him sinneth not and whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him And then little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now this is the Testimony of John and set down here to perswade all to come to the Work of the Spirit of Truth in their own Hearts that through the same they may come to please God and leave off those things that displeases him for we according to our Measures that we have receiv'd would have all People come to be saved and to see how far they are saved from Sin and also to come to learn Righteousness by the Spirit of Truth that leads into the way of it for in the way of Righteousness there is Peace and Assurance and that for ever and herein we are owned of the Lord he owns us as his Children and gives unto us a Portion or Measure of his Spirit which he giveth to them that truly ask it Truly this is a Portion indeed more to be desired than all that this World can afford and therefore that all may be good Stewards in the manifold Grace of God for God's Love has been manifold his Mercies has not failed to those that are found in their Duty to him and continues as dutiful Children alwaies observing what the Lord requires of them and as we are found obedient he gives us our Portion of Meat in due season He is the Rewarder of all those that truly seek him he doth not long hide his Face from these tho' sometimes he is pleased to try them in the Furnace of Affliction it is that they may come forth as Gold tryed in the Fire that is more pure more weighty more solid more of the nature of Truth may appear in them and through them that others beholding their good Conversations may come to glorifie their Heavenly Father for He is worthy of all the Honour Glory and Renown by us all both now henceforth and for ever saith my Soul Now Friends something relating to the Spirit of God how it wrought in former times even in the Beginning and also to several Generations In the Beginning the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Here is something of the Spirits moving for before it was said that Darkness was upon the face of the Gen. 1. 2. Deep and holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The Spirit of God strove with the old World to reclaim Gen. 6. 2. them from their Wickedness else how shall that place be understood when the Lord says My Spirit shall not always strive with Man because when Men grieve the Spirit of God by continuing in that which the Lord is angry with therefore the Lord said his Spirit should not always strive with Man we all of us ought to mind the day of our Visitation while the Help and Means of the Spirit is afforded to us or else Man's Destruction will be of himself Thou gavest them also thy good Spirit to instruct them and Neh. 9. 20. with hold not thy Manna from their Mouths yet nevertheless they rebelled against thee Oh how many Mercies both spiritual and temporal has the Lord showred down upon Englands Inhabitants also and yet they evilly requite the Lord Yet many years didst thou forbear Neh. 9. 30. and testified against them by thy Spirit in thy Prophets yet would they not give ear they still retained the hardness of their Hearts for which cause the Lord thus complained of them and testified against them by his Spirit and it is the same to this day notwithstanding the great Pretensions of many as not being under the Law but under the Gospel Thus saith the Lord he that created the Heavens and the Isa 42. 5. Earth he that giveth Breath to the People upon it and Spirit to them that walk therein the Breath and Spirit which all People have meet for Body and Soul is given them of God and all People ought to mind his good Spirit that their Souls may live to him But there is a Spirit in Man and the inspiration of the Job 32. 8. Almighty giveth Understanding That is Spiritual Understanding of the things of God that are hid while Man is in Disobedience for the carnal-minded man knows not the things of God neither indeed can he and the reason renderd because they are spiritually discerned and there was some that neither knew the Scriptures nor the Power of GOD this must needs be for want of taking heed to his Spirit or Divine Inspiration Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee Psa 139 7. from thy Presence There is no hiding from the Lord he sees and beholds all the ways of the Children of men and their Works of what sort or kind soever they be He is an All-seeing God and will not be mocked such as every one sows must they such reap and the Spirit of the Lord pursues the wicked and the ungodly man for his Wickedness and all his ungodly Deeds though acted never so secretly Teach me to do thy Will thou art my God thy Spirit is Psa 143. 10 good lead me into the Land of Uprightness This is a good Confession to the Spirit of Truth both as a Leader and a Teacher to do the Will of God and a Leader into the Land of Uprightness then out of the Land of Darkness and out of the Land of Unrighteousness We would to God all men were thus taught and thus led Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high and the Isa 32. 15. Wilderness be a fruitful Field and the fruitful Field be counted for a Forrest Here we may see what we are without the Spirit though our Professions may seem green and fruitful yet when the Spirit of the Lord is poured forth upon us they will be but little accounted of that can turn our barren Wilderness of Profession into a fruitful Field and blessed be God it has done great things for many And the Spirit entered into me when he spake unto me and Ezek. 2. 2. set me upon my Feet so that I heard him that spake unto me Here was the Entrance of the Spirit witnessed and it was said that the entrance of thy Word giveth Light The Spirit and the Word is one and by the entrance of the Spirit he heard the Lord speak to him and his words are Spirit and
own though we have in times past girded our selves and went whither we would or where our own Spirits led us yet now there are many that know another to gird them with the Girdle of Truth and it was good Advice to gird up the loins of your minds watch and be sober and hope to the end It is a good end that crowns all they that endure to the end in well-doing shall be saved and the way both to begin well and endure to the end in well-doing is to have an Eye to our Redeemer he has all Power to him it is given and he gives Power to his People and Faith to his People for Faith is the Gift of God and they who think they have Faith and have not received it from him but by Tradition their Faith is very much to be questioned for as a Body without a Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Now let all People try their Faith shew us their Faith whence it comes and what it leads to for Faith is of the Operation of God by his Spirit and Power in the Heart and they that have not known it so that is Faith to be wrought by the Power of God in the Heart have not known Victory their Faith has not done much for them for true Faith is a very victorious thing it will remove Mountains if you have but Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say to this Mountain Be thou removed and cast into the Sea and it shall be so What Mountain may we suppose this to be Sin is the biggest Mountain between Man and his Maker and wants most to be removed and if we had but true Faith to remove this Mountain what a glorious day would it be then The great reason why this Mountain of Sin is not removed is for want of Faith and that we see plainly for if we ask one or another they will tell us plainly they do not believe it possible But now they that have the true Faith believe it is possible and that all things are possible with God and Jesus Christ the Author of the true Faith And so Friends let us go on with our Eye fix'd in our holy Head CHRIST JESUS he is able to destroy all that has been sown or planted in the Night-time by the Enemy and to build up a spiritual House to God that God may have his Glory from us all and by us all for Moses as a Servant was faithful in his House and desired rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin which is but for a season But now Christ Jesus as a Son has Power and Rules over his own House whose House we are if we hold fast the Confidence in Christ to the end And we may remember the Parable of the Woman that had lost a piece of Silver but when she lighted her Candle and swept her own House she found it and called to her Neighbours and Acquaintance to come and Rejoyce with her And truly the Love of God has been so great that many are calling out to their Neighbours and Relations to come and taste with them here is a Feast of Fat things Wine well refined from the Lees Oh! that all would come away Oh! that the poor Prodigal might now bethink himself of returning to his Fathers House for Relief For Christ Jesus when he was in that Body prepared of the Father to do his Will in says on this wise in my Fathers House there are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you and so let all return to the Fathers House that have been spending away their time Idly and Carelesly and not further trifle away their pretious Time in things that are of no Profit to the Soul for we have a time allotted us in this World to serve God let us see that we answer the End of our Creation and if any have been remiss in this Duty to be so no more but come to know their Redeemer to be come out of Zion it is he that turns away the Ungodliness from Jacob he shall sit as a Refiner with Fire and as a Fuller with Soap Now People may easily know whether or no they have known him to sit so and to Refine them and if not turn in it is there he washeth and cleanseth and purifieth the inside must be made Clean and then the outside will be Clean also Oh! come home every one and see what dwells in your Hearts For if the Heart be polluted It is no matter what Religion thou professest For there are many that make that as a Cloake or Cover to hide themselves but it will not do the searcher of Hearts is come he that sees through all the outside Religions in the World though they seem never so fair to outward Appearance yet if they want a good Bottom or if Men do not build upon the true Foundation all is in vain Their Golden Cups will not do their fair outside Shews and Professions without Life are of no value they are Judged if the Heart be unclean as it was of Old for he said ye draw near to me with your Mouths and with your Lips but your Hearts are afar off Now the Name of Religion is very little if a Mans Heart be far away from the Lord for it is the Heart that the Lord looks at And without question there were such in former Times that seem'd to be Religious and knew no Bridle to their Tongues for the Apostle says if a Man seems to be Religious and Bridles not his Tongue his Religion is vain Now What was Man to know a Bridle to his Tongue for but that he might not offend with it nor speak ill words with it for it was said by one of Old on this wise my eye shall be upon the Faithful of the Land that they may dwell with me for the Wicked shall not dwell with me he that telleth Lies shall not tarry in my sight now lying and Swearing and evil Communications spring from an ill Root and ill Bottom and ill Nature for tho' such may get the Name of Religion yet they are not worthy of that Name But now Friends we would have all People to come to Learn of Christ Jesus he Teaches the best Things he teaches Obedience and leads out of the Disobedience he Teaches how to behave our selves in things that are of gooo Report and things that are honest and true we are to think on these things and the God of all our Mercies will be with us and blessus as we are in the well doing and followers of that which is Good Then who can harm us FINIS