Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

1 04 Porver com1nunieated unto tbe Office of Chrifl for 2. The Rule of Chrift as King of the Church 'is internal andJpiritualover the Minds,Souls and Confciences of all that do believe. There is no one gracious affing of Soulin any one Believer at any time in the whole World, either in oppofition unto Sin, or the Performance of Duty, but it is influenced and ~mder the Guidance of the Kingly Po\ver of Chrift. I fuppofe we have herein not only the Common Faith, but alfo the common fpiritual fenfe and experience of them all. They know that in their Spiritual life it is he that liveth in them as the efficient caufe ofall its acrs, and that without him they can do nothing. Unto him they ~avc refpecr in every the moft fecret and retir~d afrings of rrace, not only performed as under his E)'e, but /;y his a.f!iflm;Fe; on every oc– cafion do they immediately in the internaJ acrings of their minds look unto him, as one more preftmt with their fouls 1 than they are with themfelves ; and have no thought~ of the leaft diftance of his Knowledge or Power. And two things · are required hereto. 1. That he be "..9f~'Y"c.5'in5, that he have an actual In- ' jpeffion into all theJrames, difpofitions_, thoughts and inter.:. nal afrings of all Be~rs in the whole world, at all timrs, and every moment. Without this, he cannot bear that Rule in their Souls and Confciences which we have defcribed, nor can they aCt Faith in him, as their occafions do rel_iuire. No man can live by Faith on Chrifr, no man can depend on his Soveraign Power, who is not perfwaded, that all the frames ·of his heart, all the fecret groan~ andjighs ofhis jjirit, all the inward labourings of his foul agamfi fin, and after con– formity to himfelf, are continually under his Eye and Cog– nizance. Wherefore it is faid that all things are naked and opened u. nto his eyes, Heb. 4· I~· And he faies of himfelf, that lie fearcheth, that is, knoweth the hearts and reins of men, Rev. 1. 2 3· And if thefe things are not the peculiar Properties

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