I48 j The Secret Southfiger,er begun in thefpirits ye fhould think to be made'perfea by the Ibid.ve.3. flefh ? Ifanyfíefhly or carnal, or external thing be fet up in theroom ofChrift, this is nb leff then Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Delufion : And whatever name the Scripture gives to any ExternalWitchcraft or Sorcery, it is to hold out unto us thatfpiritual, deep, hidden and wonderful Charming that Satan ufeth to caufe us to miflake Jefus Chrift, and that his power may be taken for thepower of Jefus Chrift, and his wifdom andfeeming hohnefs for the wifdom and holineíre ofJefus Chrift. Beloved, thefe things (as our Saviour faith) Havefpoken untoyou, and have often preffed them upou you, That when Jph. 14. afind them true and come to a e e may beleeve : for except 29. } pf3 y ye find thefe things in experience ye cannot beleeve them: But whoever (hall teachno more, but that thefe things are onlyLitterally fulfilled, they do Delude, Deceive, 'Enchant, and Charm you ; but the fame things whichhave been done externally, tunabe fulfilled in us ; for what is it to us what they did, and what theyfain ? what doff thou meddlewith or talkof Chrift his Miracles, and. Sufferings, and Refur- re&ion ,. if thefe things be not done in thee ? art thou ever t Tim. 3. the better for all that was than done ? Without controverfie, A6. great is the M}fiery ofGodlinefs; for as he was manifefded in theflefh, fo he wasjufiiffed in thefpirit : What is it to thee what enjoyments Paulhad, or John or any of theApoflles, if thou experiment not the fame things ? without quefiion, this is the truth. and the life , whatever the -men, or the &rafters ofthe Letter, or oftheCity ofthe Letter fay unto you. The words thatIlpeak,untoyou (faith our Saviour) they arefpirit and theyare life ; they are not onely a deadLetter to the ear and to the underfianding, but they are picklingfpirit decla- ring true death and true life in us. The Scripture in every part thereofholds forth -either evil or good, death or life, light or darkneJfe, heaven or bell, the Temple ofGod or the Temple ofIdols, Chrift or Bellal; that is, either man in his /oft, mife- rable, blind, dark, undone7.and.beNifhcondition ; or elfeChrift theSaviour, the life,. the light, . the glory, the happinefs, the Redeemer of man. Now, ifwe have not experience of either of joh. 6. 63
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