7. The world cannot receive him, but utterly reject the promise of the Father, contradicting and blaspheming. But every spirit which confesseth not this, is not of God. Yea, this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard, that it should come into the world, and even now it is in the world. * He is antichrist whosoever denies the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, or that the indwelling Spirit of God is the common privilege of all believers, the blessing of the gospel, the unspeakable gift, the universal promise, the criterion of a real Christian.
8. It nothing helps them to say, “We do not deny the assistance of God’s Spirit; but only this inspiration, this receiving the Holy Ghost, and being sensible of it. It is only this feeling of the Spirit, this being moved by the Spirit, or filled with it, which we deny to have any place in sound religion.” But in only denying this, you deny the whole scriptures, the whole truth and promise and testimony of God.
9. Our own excellent church knows nothing of this devilish distinction: but speaks plainly of feeling the Spirit of Christ[10]; of being moved by the Holy Ghost[11], and knowing and feeling there is no other name than that of Jesus[12],whereby we can receive life and salvation.She teaches us all to pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit[13], yea, that we may be filled with the Holy Ghost[14]. Nay, and every presbyter of hers, professes to receive the Holy Ghost by the imposition of hands. Therefore to deny any of these, is in effect, to renounce the church of England, as well as the whole Christian revelation.
10. But the wisdom of God was always foolishness with men. No marvel then, that the great mystery of the gospel, should be now also hid from the wise and prudent, as well as in the days of old; that it should be almost universally denied, ridiculed and exploded as mere frenzy: and that all who dare avow it still, are branded with the names of madmen and enthusiasts. This is that falling away which was to come: that general apostacy, of all orders and degrees of men, which we even now find to have overspread the earth. Run to and fro in the streets of Jerusalem, and see if ye can find a man; a man that loveth the Lord his God with all his heart, and serveth him with all his strength? How does our own land mourn (that we look no farther) under the overflowings of ungodliness? What villanies of every kind are committed day by day; yea, too often with impunity, by those who sin witha high hand, and glory in their shame? Who can reckon up the oaths, curses, profaneness, blasphemies, the lying, slandering, evil-speaking, the sabbath-breaking, gluttony, drunkenness, revenge, the whoredoms, adulteries, and various uncleanness, the frauds, injustice, oppression, extortion, which overspread our land as a flood?
11. * And even among those who have kept themselves pure from these grosser abominations; how much anger and pride, how much sloth and idleness, how much softness and effeminacy, how much luxury and self-indulgence, how much covetousness and ambition, how much thirst of praise, how much love of the world, how much fear of man is to be found? Meanwhile, how little of true religion? For where is he that loveth either God or his neighbour, as he hath given us commandment? On the one hand are those, who have not so much as the form of godliness: on the other those who have the form only; there stands the open, there the painted sepulchre. So that in very deed, whosoever were earnestly to behold any publick gathering together of the people, (I fear, those in our churches are not to be excepted) might easily perceive, that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees: the one having almost as little concern about religion, as if there were no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; andthe other making it a mere lifeless form, a dull round of external performances, without either true faith, or the love of God, or joy in the Holy Ghost.
12. Would to God I could except us of this place. Brethren, my heart’s desire, and prayer to God for you is, that ye may be saved from this overflowing of ungodliness, and that here may its proud waves be stay’d! But is it so indeed? God knoweth, yea, and our own conscience, it is not. Ye have not kept yourselves pure. Corrupt are we also and abominable; and few are there that understand any more, few that worship God in spirit and in truth. We too are a generation that set not our hearts aright, and whose Spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God: He hath appointed us indeed to be the salt of the earth. But if the salt have lost its savour, it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
13. And shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Yea, we know not how soon he may say to the sword, Sword, go through this land! He hath given us long space to repent. He lets us alone this year also: but he warns and awakens us by thunder. His judgments are abroad in the earth. And we have all reason to expect that heaviest of all, even that he should come unto us quickly, and remove ourcandlestick out of its place, except we repent and do the first works: unless we return to the principles of the reformation, the truth and simplicity of the gospel. Perhaps we are now resisting the last effort of divine grace to save us. Perhaps we have well nigh filled up the measure of our iniquities, by rejecting the counsel of God against ourselves, and calling out his messengers.
14. O God, in the midst of wrath remember mercy! Be glorified in our reformation, not in our destruction. Let us hear the rod, and him that appointed it. Now that thy judgments are abroad in the earth, let the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
15. My brethren, it is high time for us, to awake out of sleep; before the great trumpet of the Lord be blown, and our land become a field of blood. O may we speedily see the things that make for our peace, before they are hid from our eyes! Turn thou us, O good Lord, and let thine anger cease from us. O Lord, look down from heaven, behold and visit this vine; and cause us to know the time of our visitation. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; O deliver us, and be merciful to our sins, for thy names sake. And so will we not go back from thee: O let us live, and we shall call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.