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Sermons . Eight discourses on several subjects (1734)
Sermons Eight discourses on several subjects - 1734 Author:John Sharp Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: of; and confequently, that their Portion is like to be very miferable. But in truth, neither the one nor the other of thefe Per- fons I have now reprelented, do ... more »reafon right in this Matter. The former are not one whit the better or the fafer for their comfortable Perfuafion of themfelves: Nor are the latter in any more Danger for their melancholy Apprehenfions concerning their Condition. Both the one and the other muft be tried by the Fruits they bring forth in their Lives, and not by unaccountable Im- pulfes. The moft fanguine Man, the moft confident and affured Perfon, if he do not bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit I have now named, hath no Teftimony from the Holy Ghoft, (whatever he fancies) that he is the Child of God. And again, the moft dejected and melancholy Soul, if he do in his Life and Converfation bring forth thefe Fruits, he hath the Witnefs of the Spirit that he is the Child of God, tho' he be not aware of it; and tho' through the prefent Diforders of his Mind he is not capable of receiving any Comforts from it. 3. But laftly, and to conclude, fince all the Evidence we can give to ourfelves that we in particular are the Children of God, is that the Holy Spirit dwelleth within us; how infinitely doth it concern us, both to endeavour that the Holy Ghoft fhould take up his Habitation in our Hearts; and alfo, C 3 after after he hath fb done, to be careful that we do not by our ill Treatment of him give him Caufe to depart from us. Would we invite and prevail with the Holy Spirit to come and dwell within us ? The Way is, to forfake our Sins, and to devote ourfelves entirely to God's Service; and to follicite him moft earneftly with our daily Prayers, that he would purify our Hearts, that they may become a Temple fit for him to dwell in; and withal to encourage...« less