And fo in the right fenfe of it.

The falle

ful, that it is not they that speak, but the Spirit of their Father that fpeaks in them; yea and the whole Gofpel is called, the Miniftration of the Spirit..

Now the true Prophets, fpeaking the Word of God by and in his Spirit, do alfo fpeak it in the Right Senfe, and after the true mind of Chrift, as Paul faith of himself, and of other Believers, who had received the Spirit, We have the mind of Christ.

But the falfe Prophets, though they speak the fpeak with word of the Letter exactly, and that accordingly out the Spi-to the very Original, and curiofity of Criticisms, yet fpeaking it without the Spirit, they are falle Prophets before God and his true Church; feeing all Right Prophefie hath proceeded from the Spirit in all Ages of the World, but especially it must fo proceed in the days of the New Teftament, wherein God hath promifed the largest effufion of his Spirit.

And fo do miftake the

mind of Chrift.

And they fpeaking the Word of the Letter with out the Spirit, do wholly mistake the Mind of Christ'in all, and under the outward Letter of the word of God, do only bring in the Mind of Man. And this is one of the greatest Delufions, and most mischievous Snares that can be laid in the Church, to bring in the word of Chrift, without the mind of Chrift, yea, to bring in the word of Christ, against the mind of Chrift, and according to the mind of Antichrift; this is the effectual Operation of Error, whereby all Hypocrites and falfe Chriftians are deceived, and that without all hope of recovery.

And thus you fee, that the true Prophets bring the true word, and bring it alfo by the true Spirit, and this manifefts them to be of God; but the false, either bring not the true word, or if they bring the word in the letter, yet they bring it without the Spirit, and thus it is manifeft, they are not of God.

Obje

LE

3

1

man defti

Object. But fome will Object here: If a man Objection preach the word in the Letter, even good, found, whether a and orthodox Doctrine, no doubt but fuch a man tute of the is to be heard, and he may do much good in the Spirit, may Church, though he want Chrifts Spirit: This 1not be a profitable have heard from very many, who have thought Preacher. they have said something.

Anfw. But to this I anfwer: That they who want Anfwer. Chrifts Spirit, which is the Spirit of Prophefie, though they preach the exact letter of the word, yet are falfe Prophets, and not to be heard by the Sheep.

1. Because under the New Teftament we are not to regard the Letter without the Spirit, but the Spirit as well as the Letter, yea the Spirit more than the Letter; and therefore Paul faith, that Christ fhall destroy Antichrift with the Spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his Coming; he scarce takes any notice of the Letter, but calls the true preaching of the Gospel, the Spirit of Chrifts mouth, or the Miniftration of the Spirit. And therefore the Spiritual People cannot joyn to that Ministry, where the Spirit of Chrift is wanting, though there be the outward letter of the word in it.

2. They that preach only the outward letter of the word without the true Spirit, they make all things outward in the Church, and fo carry the People, with whom they prevail, only to outward Things, to an Outward Word, to Outward Worship, Outward Ordinances, Outward Church, Outward Government, &c. whereas in the true Kingdom of Christ all things are Inward and Spiritual; and all the true Religion of Chrift is written in the Soul and Spirit of man, by the Spirit of God; and the Believer is the only Book in which God himself writes his New Testament.

3. They who preach the outward letter of the word, though never fo truly without the Spirit,

Ii 2

do

2.

3.

5.

4.

do (as hath been faid, wholly mistake the Mind of Chrift in the word for want of the Spirit, which is the only true and infallible Interpreter of his Mind; and fo under the outward letter of the word, preach their own mind, and not Chrifts Mind; and do make all the Scriptures ferve their own turns; even their own worldly Ends and Advantages, and nothing else.

4. They that preach the Outward Letter of the word without the Spirit, can with fuch a word both live themselves, in all the inward Evils of corrupted Nature, and allow others to do so too. And thus the Gofpel, which in the Spirit of it, is the Judgment of Sin, is made in the Letter of it, the Covering for fin, and the encourarger of it; feeing fuch Men, who have the letter of the word in their mouth, do live in the inward Corruptions of their Hearts, more fecurely and quietly than other men.

5. Laft of all, let us know, that whoever doth agree with Chrift, never fo exactly in the Letter, and yet differs from him in Spirit, is very Antichrift. And therefore when the Devils in him that was poffeffed, faid to Chrift, We know thee who then art, the holy One of God, and fo agreed very exactly with the Gospel in the Letter, yet Chrift forbad them to fpeak, because they spake not by a right Spirit. And Chrift hath faid, Whoever is not with me (that is, in the Spirit) is against me, though he have the fame outward Letter of the word with him.

And fo, as Chrift builds up his Church by his Spirit through his word; fo Antichrift builds up his Church by the Word without the Spirit; and and Chrifts Church and Antichrifts, do often differ very little or nothing in word or Letter, yet do always infinitely differ in Spirit.

Wherefore

Wherefore to conclude, Let us know, that that Church that hath the Word, if it wants the Spirit, is Antichrifts Church; and that that Miniftry that ufeth the Word, and wants the Spirit, is Antichrifts Miniftry; and that all works, duties, prayings, preaching, fafting, thanksgiving, &c. with out Chrifts Spirit, are nothing but the very kingdom of Antichrift, and the Abomination of Defola

tion.

General

And fo I proceed to the fecond general Rule of The fecond Tryall, which I propounded, whereby we may Rule of the difcern the true Prophets of Chrift, from the falfe Tryal of Prophets of Antrchift, and that is:

By the Truth of the Life of Chrift, in reference to his
Office in the Word.

And here I fhall give you many Tryals, you may certainly know and difcern the falfe phets of Antichrift from the true, humble, faithful Minifters of Jefus Chrift.

Spirits.

how The truc Prophets Pro-are known and by the truth

And the Lord Jefus Chrift, before whom we are all present this day, and before whofe Tribunal we shall all be Judged, He knows, that I fhall not purposely speak any thing at this time, either to please My felf, or to displease You; But I fhall defire to speak all out of very faithfulness to Him, who hath remembred me when I was in low condition, for his Mercy endureth for ever.

of the Life of Chrift.

The first Sign then, whereby the true Prophets may be sign difcerned from the falfe, is this:

First, the true Prophets are all fent of God. So was The true Prophets Mofes, whom God fent to the Children of Ifrael, are fent of and bid him tell them, that I AM, even the God Chrift. of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, hath sent him to them: and he gave him a proportionable measure of his presence, to caufe them to believe it. And Chrift a greater Prophet than Mofes, even the Head of

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all

God hath

not com

hi Minifters

all the Children of God, (faid by Isaiah, chap. 48. 16. Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not Spoken in fecret from the beginning, and now the Lord and his Spirit bath fent me. And every where in the Gospel, he ftill declares, how he came not of Himfelf, but his Father fent him.

And as the Father fent Chrift, fo Chrift fends all his Seed, the true Minifters of the Gofpel, as is manifeft, Joh. 20. 21. where Chrift faid to his Difciples, As my Father fent Me, fo fend I You; which he spake not only touching Them, but touching All that should believe in his Name, through their word; And Paul also faith, Rom. 10. 15. How shall they teach except they be fent? So that true Preaching comes from true Sending; and this comes from the grace of God.

Now I defire you farther to take notice, that mitted the God hath reckoned the Choice of his Minifters, one choice or of the weightieft things that belong unto his to any fort Kingdom; wherefore he would never commit the truft of this to any fort of men whatsoever. Yea, Christ himself did not choose his Difciples at his own Humane Will, but only at the Will of God, and therefore was much in Prayer before he chofe thein.

of men.

And the Apostles themselves durft not of themfelves, when they were all met together, choose any one into the room of Judas, but they betook themselves to Prayer,and the Lord defired to fhew whom He had chofen. And Acts 13.The Spirit faid,Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I I have called them. And Paul tells the Galatians, that he was an Apostle, not of Men, nor by Men, but by Fefus Chrift, and God the Father.

By all which Scriptures we may perceive what Care the Lord hath always had, to fend his own Minifters Himself into his own Church, and would have his true Church receive no Minifters but fuch as He fends them.

And