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have any inward Witnefs, he must make God a Liar; becaufe (faith St. John) He hath not believed the Record that God gave of his Son. And this is the Record that God hath given to us eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son. He that bath the Son bath Life, and be that hath not the Son of God hath not Life. In thefe Words alfo he fheweth most evidently, that every Believer hath Chrift his Life dwelling in him; fo that a Believer can fay as St. Paul, I live, and yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me, and the Life that. I now live in the Flesh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, Gal. ii. 20. So writing to the Colof fians he faith, When Christ, who is our Life, fhall appear, then ball you also appear with him in Glory, Col. iii. 4. And after the Apostle had faid, that the Record which God giveth us is eternal Life, and that this Life is in the Son: he faith, Whofo bath the Son, bath Life; that is, he liveth unto GOD, Chrift liveth in him; as Chrift himself faith, John vi. 56. And to prove that all others are dead to GOD, and not quickened by Chrift, that quickening Spirit, he faith, He that hath not the Son of God, hath not Life. Again, where the Apoftle was fpeaking of the Witness in Heaven, he alfo fpeaketh of a Witnefs in Earth; that is, the fecret Manifeftation of Chrift to his Sheep, as is not known unto the World; for as every Shepherd marketh his Sheep, fo alfo doth the good Shepherd of Ifrael; he giveth them a new Name which no Man knoweth, faving be that receiveth it. This is that inward Witnefs, of which I have been hitherto speaking, even the Witnefs of the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood. The Spirit itfelf beareth Witness with our Spirit (faith Paul) that we are the Sons of God, Kom. viii. 16. that is, that we are begotten and born into a new Life, and made GOD's Heirs by Adoption,

Adoption, having the Spirit of his Son in our Hearts, whereby we can call GOD, as Jefus did, my Father. He beareth Witness alfo, that we are washed from all our Guilt and Sin, through the Power of his mighty working, in the Blood of the Lamb. Some, because they would fain look on themselves as Believers, want to find out a Way to prove the Spirit of Adoption in them, unknown to them. But to anfwer fuch, I would here recite a few more Scriptures, wherein is proved, the Knowledge of Chrift in us the Hope of Glory, and the Affurance the Children of GOD have in him. The Holy Spirit is by our Saviour often called the Comforter: Now he cannot be. faid to be our Comforter, if we don't know whether he be in us or no; yea, if we don't know him ours, we are left in an uncomfortable and deftitute Condition. Neither can it be faid he is our Witness, when we know nothing of him, neither can fo much as fay, we have received him. Our Saviour fpeaks much to affure his Children of their having the Spirit, he faith, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you, John xiv. 18. and of the Holy Ghoft he faith, I will fend him unto you, Chap. xvi. 7. In that Day shall ye know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you, Chap. xiv. 20. He fall receive of mine, and fall here it unto you, John xvi. 14. Again, He that bath my Commandments and keepeth them, be it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeft myself to him, Chap. St. John faith, Hereby we know that be abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, John iii. 24. And again, Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and be in us, because ke hath given us of his Spirit, 1 John iv. 13. And St. Paul faith the fame, Now we have received

xiv. 21.

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not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God, 1 Cor. ii. 12° And

he teaches the Churches to examine themselves whether they be in the true Faith, faying, Prove your own felves; know ye not your own felves how that Fefus Chrift is in you, except ye be Reprobates? 2 Cor. xiii. 5. And again, Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you, 1 Cor. iii. 16. And again, Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you, which ye have of God, Chap. vi. 19. So alfo in another Place, he faith, Our Hope maketh us not ashamed, because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghoft, Rom. v. 5. In the Acts alfo is it written, Then had the Churches Reft, and were edified, and walked in the Fear of the Lord, and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost, Acts ix. 31. Nor is this glorious Liberty denied to any who follow Jefus, as he faith, I am the Light of the World, he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness, but shall have the Light of Life, John viii. 12. And again another Scripture faith, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty, 2 Cor. 3. 17. The fame Apoftle to the Ephefians faith, After that ye believed, ye were fealed with that Holy Spirit of Promife, which is the Earnest of our Inheritance, until the Redemption of the purchafed Poffeffion, unto the Praise of bis Glory, Eph. i. 13, 14. And again in the fame Epistle, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the Day of Redemption, Chap. iv. 30. To the Corinthians he faith, Now he which tablish-: eth us with you in Chrift, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also fealed us, and given the Earneft of the Spirit in our Hearts, 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. And again, Who hath alfo given unto us the Earneft of the Spirit, Chap. v. 5. St. John in

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another Place speaking of the fame holy Anointing of the Spirit, faith, Even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him, 1 John ii. 27, What shall I fay more? for the Time would fail me, to fay all that I might fay, to prove the Things that I have written true. Lo! all the Prophets and Apoftles are Witneffes of thefe Things. May thofe to whofe Hand this fhall then come, fearch daily as the Bereans did, As xvii. 11. if I have faid the Truth; and if I have, O may that fame Spirit of which I have been long teftifying, fo inlighten your Understanding that you may believe unto Life, and be Witnesses to all the World of thefe Things, while ye shall call to them and say, Thus hath God done for my Soul. Know ye then that (as Elibu faith) The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth us Understanding, Job xxxii. 8. And in another Place, Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my Words unto you, Prov. i. 23. To him Omay the Simple come, and learn Knowledge, even that which is able to make you wife unto Salvation! I have done now that which I purpofed. I have proved from the Scriptures that ye must have the Spirit of Chrift, or be none of his; and to their Comfort have I proved, that whofoever is endued with the fame Spirit dwelling in them, Shall of the Jame Spirit reap Life everlafting, Gal. vi. 8. And, That there is now no Condemnation to them that are in Chrift Fefus, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus, bath made them free from the Law of Sin and Death, Rom. viii. 1,2. I teftify the Things I do know, and what I have seen with the Father; nor doubt I but those who are of GOD, will hear his Word, which I have here spoken; and being ripened, and filled with the Spirit of the Lord Jefus, fhall fhortly by him be born into the glorious Church gone before, who once drank of the fame Spirit, and the fame Faith with us, and who are now reaping of the Spirit Life Everlafting! Among whofe bleffed Armies in the Bofom of GOD, may the Lord haften our Appearing! even fo, Lord Jejus. Amen.

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