5. Ye may all be living witnesses of these things: of remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. _If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Who among you is there, that feareth the Lord_, and yet _walketh on in darkness, and hath no light_? I ask thee in the name of Jesus, believest thou that _his arm is not shortned at all_? That he is still _mighty to save_? That he is _the same yesterday, to day, and for ever_? That he hath _now_ power, _on earth_ to forgive sins? _Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven._ God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven thee. Receive this, _not as the word of man; but as it is, indeed, the word of God_; and thou art _justified freely through faith_. Thou shalt be sanctified also through faith which is in Jesus, and shalt set to thy seal, even thine, that God _hath_ given unto us _eternal life, and this life is in his Son_.
6. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you; and _suffer ye the word of exhortation_, even from one the least esteemed in the church. Your conscience beareth you witness in the Holy Ghost, that these things are so, _if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. This is eternal life, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent._ This experimental knowledge, and this alone, is true Christianity. He is a Christian, who hath received the Spirit of Christ. He is not a Christian, who hath not received him. Neither is it possible to have received him and not know it. For _at that day_[9] (when he cometh, saith our Lord) _ye shall know, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you_. This is that _Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him. But ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you._
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 with a 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?