------------~~~~~~~-----------~ to theEPH E S I AN S. Jmow rhe Spirit. IF this were the R;cafo~why meri, did not receiv~ \he Holy~-.; Ghof/,noman in the world Omuld rece!ve htm; therefore the meal)mg mull h.eeds Ser. XV. , be this Till men have fome expenence of the work of the Spmt upon their~ hearts ;' till he halh been a Sanctifiet:Jn them, an~ cauf~d t~em , to believe, they eannot receive him as Comforter: Why? Becaufe there ts not matter wherewithal to comfort them; they mull fir!! be in the fiate of Grace before they can be comforted, by being in the llate of Grace. They iriiill therefore receive him as a Sanctifier, before they can receive hirh as a Comforter. . . . I fhall name one Striptllre inote, it is-AB. 1 'i .8,g. You Jhall fee there that the Holy Gbofl was poured out in the Primitive times after believing. At Hie 71/J verfe he fpeaks of the Gentiles, that they heard the word of t!Je Go(ptl, and 6Weved; and faith he, verje 8, God whrchknoweth the hearts, (knowing they believed) bare them witneff,givitJg th'lm ih• HclyGhojl, evmM h• did u11to.zu. So rhat now,the giving of the Holy Ghojl,as he Bid to the Apollles,as aCol'flforter, as a Sealer t9 t.hem of falvation, is, when they have believed, when God whci knoweth their hearts, knowerh them to beholy; . . .. And, my Brethren; the Reafon is clear and evident; for Jefus Chrifi mull fir!l: be mine before I can fay he is mine,the thing mull be fir!!; now he is made mine by Faith, I then receive him to be mine. They were without Chrijl i11 the world (he faith of thelll EphejimJS) ti!J they b.tieved, when they believed theii Chri!l: is theirs, therefore necelfarily an act of F3ith mull go before an act of Alfurance ; for Affi•raiJcedoth tell you, that Chrill is yours, and that aGcording to the rule of the Word. Now according to the rule of the Word; though he may be yours irj God's fecret Purpofe,yet you are without Cbri!t before you believe. Things mu!l: be, before I believe them to be. . . . Then it is equal, that God /hould be l!onou.red fir~ by meer,iru{iit~f,; by meer hdrevmg, before he honoure~h your Faah wtrh fettmg to h1s Seal: Join. B· H~ th,116dieveth hath frt to hu Seal, that God u trtlt. Well, when a man bath done that, now faith God I will fer to my Seal, that he believeth, and that he is my Child. But God will have y<>u tru!l him fir!! with a meer act of trufl,. as ihe Woman did that tru!led the Prophet;Jhe had no more MttJinor no moreOil rhari would fave their lives one meal more. Well, faith he, I will be tru!led, Mak• me thereof a Cakefir(l, rmdlwil1g it to me that I may <at of it, a11d rijier make fo;; tiJfermdfor thy So11. God will be tru!led lirll; and when you have fet to your Seal thar God is true in his, God will fet to his Seal after your believingi SER.~
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