Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 18 - The Marks of the New Birth - Sermons on Several Occasions

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18 - The Marks of the New Birth - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: The marks of the new birth. So is every one
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  Speaker 1: that is born of the spirit. John three, verse eight.
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  Speaker 1: How is everyone that is born of the spirit, that
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  Speaker 1: is born again, born of God? What is meant by
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  Speaker 1: the being born again, the being born of God, or
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  Speaker 1: being born of the Spirit. What is implied in the
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  Speaker 1: being a son or a child of God? Or having
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  Speaker 1: this spirit of adoption? That these privileges, by the free
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  Speaker 1: mercy of God are ordinarily annexed to baptism, which is
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  Speaker 1: hence termed by our Lord in a preceding verse, the
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  Speaker 1: being born of water and of the Spirit. We know,
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  Speaker 1: but we would know what these privileges are. What is
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  Speaker 1: the new birth? Perhaps it is not needful to give
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  Speaker 1: a definition of this, seeing the Scripture gives none. But
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  Speaker 1: as the question is of the deepest concern to every
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  Speaker 1: child of man, since except the man be born again,
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  Speaker 1: born of the Spirit, he cannot see the Kingdom of God,
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  Speaker 1: I propose to lay down the marks of it in
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  Speaker 1: the plainest manner, just as I find them laid down
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  Speaker 1: in Scripture. The first of these and the foundation of
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  Speaker 1: all the rest, is faith. So, Saint Paul, ye are
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  Speaker 1: all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus
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  Speaker 1: Galatians three, verse twenty six. So Saint John to them
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  Speaker 1: gave he power, exusion, right, or privilege. It might rather
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  Speaker 1: be translated to become the sons of God, even to
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  Speaker 1: them that believe on His name, which were born when
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  Speaker 1: they believe, not of blood, nor of the will of
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  Speaker 1: the flesh, not by natural generation, nor of the will
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  Speaker 1: of man, like those children adopted by men, in whom
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  Speaker 1: no inward changes thereby wrought, but of God. John one,
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  Speaker 1: verse twelve and thirteen, and again in his General Epistle.
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  Speaker 1: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
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  Speaker 1: God first John five, verse one. But it is not
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  Speaker 1: a barely notional or speculative faith that is here spoken
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  Speaker 1: of by the apostles. It is not a bare assent
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  Speaker 1: to this proposition Jesus is the Christ, nor indeed to
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  Speaker 1: all the propositions contained in our creed or in the
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  Speaker 1: Old and New Testaments. It is not merely an assent
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  Speaker 1: to any or all these credible things, as credible to
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  Speaker 1: say this were to say, which who could hear that
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  Speaker 1: the devils were born of God? For they have this faith.
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  Speaker 1: They trembling believe both that Jesus is the Christ and
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  Speaker 1: that all scripture, having been given by inspiration of God,
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  Speaker 1: is true as God is true. It is not only
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  Speaker 1: an assent to divine truth upon the testimony of God
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  Speaker 1: or upon the evidence of miracles. For they also heard
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  Speaker 1: the words of his mouth and knew him to be
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  Speaker 1: a faithful and true witness. They could not but receive
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  Speaker 1: the testimony he gave, both of himself and of the
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  Speaker 1: Father which sent him. They saw likewise the mighty works
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  Speaker 1: which he did, and thence believed that he came forth
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  Speaker 1: from God. Yet notwithstanding this faith, they are still reserved
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  Speaker 1: in chains of darkness onto the judgment of the Great day.
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  Speaker 1: For all this is no more than a dead faith.
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  Speaker 1: The true living Christian faith, which whosoever hath is born
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  Speaker 1: of God, is not only an assent an act of understanding,
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  Speaker 1: but a disposition which God hath wrought in his heart,
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  Speaker 1: a sure trust and confidence in God, that through the
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  Speaker 1: merits of Christ, his sins are forgiven and he reconciled
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  Speaker 1: to the favor of God. This implies that a man
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  Speaker 1: first renounce himself, that in order to be found in Christ,
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  Speaker 1: to be accepted through Him, he totally rejects all confidence
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  Speaker 1: in the flesh, that having nothing to pay, having no
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  Speaker 1: trust in his own works of righteousness of any kind,
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  Speaker 1: he comes to God as a lost, miserable, self destroyed,
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  Speaker 1: self condemned, undone, helpless sinner, as one whose mouth is
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  Speaker 1: utterly stopped, and who is altogether guilty before God. Such
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  Speaker 1: a sense of sin commonly called despair by those who
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  Speaker 1: speak evil of the things they know, not together with
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  Speaker 1: a full conviction such as no words can express, that
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  Speaker 1: of Christ. Only cometh our salvation, and an earnest desire
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  Speaker 1: of that salvation must precede a living faith, a trust
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  Speaker 1: in Him who for us paid our ransom by his
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  Speaker 1: death and fulfilled the law of his life. This faith, then,
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  Speaker 1: whereby we are born of God, is not only a
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  Speaker 1: belief of all the articles of our faith, but also
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  Speaker 1: a true confidence of the mercy of God through our
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  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ. Immediate and constant fruit of this faith
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  Speaker 1: whereby we are born of God, a fruit which can
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  Speaker 1: in no wise be separated from it. No, not for
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  Speaker 1: an hour, is power over sin, power over outward sin
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  Speaker 1: of every kind, over every evil word and work. For
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  Speaker 1: wheresoever the blood of Christ is thus applied, it purgeth
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  Speaker 1: the conscience from dead works and over inward sin, for
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  Speaker 1: it purifieth the heart from every unholy desire, and temper
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  Speaker 1: this fruit of faith. Saint Paul has largely described in
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  Speaker 1: the sixth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, how
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  Speaker 1: shall we saith, he who by faith are dead to sin,
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  Speaker 1: live any longer? Therein our old man is crucified with Christ,
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  Speaker 1: that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
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  Speaker 1: we should not serve sin. Likewise, reckon yourselves to be
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  Speaker 1: dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 1: our Lord. Let not sin, therefore reign even in your
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  Speaker 1: mortal body, but yield yourselves unto God as those that
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  Speaker 1: are alive from the dead, For sin shall not have
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  Speaker 1: dominion over you. God be thanked that ye were the
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  Speaker 1: servants of sin, but being made free. The plain meaning
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  Speaker 1: is God be thanked that though ye were, in time
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  Speaker 1: pass the servants of sin, yet now being free from sin,
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  Speaker 1: you are become the servants of righteousness. The same invaluable
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  Speaker 1: privilege of the sons of God is as strongly asserted
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  Speaker 1: by Saint John, particularly with regard to the former branch
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  Speaker 1: of it, namely power over outward sin. After he had
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  Speaker 1: been crying out as one astonished at the depth of
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  Speaker 1: the richest of the goodness of God. Behold what manner
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  Speaker 1: of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we
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  Speaker 1: should be called the sons of God beloved. Now are
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  Speaker 1: we the sons of God? And it doth not yet
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  Speaker 1: appear what we shall be. But we know that when
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  Speaker 1: he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we
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  Speaker 1: shall see him as he is. First John, chapter three,
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  Speaker 1: Verse one. He soon adds, whosoever is born of God
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  Speaker 1: doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him,
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  Speaker 1: and he cannot sin because he is born of God.
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  Speaker 1: First John three nine. But some men will say, true,
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  Speaker 1: whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin habitually habitually?
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  Speaker 1: Whence is that I read it? Not? It is not
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  Speaker 1: written in the book? God plainly saith he doth not
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  Speaker 1: commit sin? And thou addest habitually. Who art thou that
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  Speaker 1: mendest theoricles of God that addest to the words of
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  Speaker 1: this book? Beware, I beseech thee lest God add to
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  Speaker 1: thee all the plagues that are written therein, especially when
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  Speaker 1: the comet thou addest is such as quite swallows up
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  Speaker 1: the text, so that by this methodeia Plain's artful method
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  Speaker 1: of deceiving the precious promise is utterly lost. By this
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  Speaker 1: chipia anthropon tricking and shuffling of men, the word of
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  Speaker 1: God is made of none effect. Oh beware thou that
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  Speaker 1: dost takest from the words of this book, that taking
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  Speaker 1: away the whole meaning and spirit from them, leavest only
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  Speaker 1: what may indeed be termed a dead letter. Lest God
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  Speaker 1: take away thy part out of the Book of Life,
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  Speaker 1: suffer we the apostle to interpret his own words by
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  Speaker 1: the whole tenor of his discourse. In the fifth verse
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  Speaker 1: of this chapter, he had said, ye know that he
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  Speaker 1: Christ was manifested to take away our sins, and in
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  Speaker 1: him is no sin. What is the inference he draws
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  Speaker 1: from this? Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not, whosoever sinneth
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  Speaker 1: hath not seen him, neither know him. First John three,
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  Speaker 1: verse six. To his enforcement of this important doctrine, he
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  Speaker 1: premises a highly necessary caution, little children, Let no man
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  Speaker 1: deceive you First John three, verse seven. For many will
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  Speaker 1: endeavor so to do to persuade you that you may
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  Speaker 1: be unrighteous, that you may commit sin and yet be
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  Speaker 1: children of God. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even
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  Speaker 1: as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of
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  Speaker 1: the devil, For the devil sinneth. From the beginning, then follows,
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  Speaker 1: whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for
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  Speaker 1: his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because
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  Speaker 1: he is born of God. In this as the apostle,
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  Speaker 1: the children of God are manifest, and the children of
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  Speaker 1: the devil. By this plain mark the committing or not
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  Speaker 1: committing sin? Are they distinguished from each other? To the
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  Speaker 1: same effect? Are these those words in his fifth chapter
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  Speaker 1: We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not.
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  Speaker 1: But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and
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  Speaker 1: that wicked one toucheth him not First John three, verse eighteen.
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  Speaker 1: Another fruit of this living faith is peace. For being
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  Speaker 1: justified by faith, having all our sins blotted out, we
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  Speaker 1: have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Romans five,
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  Speaker 1: verse one. This indeed our Lord himself, the night before
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  Speaker 1: his death solemnly bequeathed to all his followers peace saith.
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  Speaker 1: He I leave with you, you who believe in God
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  Speaker 1: and believe also in me. My peace I give unto you,
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  Speaker 1: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
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  Speaker 1: not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid
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  Speaker 1: John fourteen, verse twenty seven. And again these things have
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  Speaker 1: I spoken on to you, that in me ye might
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  Speaker 1: have peace. John sixteen thirty three. This is that peace
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  Speaker 1: of God which passeth all understanding, that serenity of soul,
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  Speaker 1: which it hath not entered into the heart of a
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  Speaker 1: natural man to conceive, and which it is not possible
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  Speaker 1: for even the spiritual man to utter. And it is
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  Speaker 1: a peace which all the powers of earth and hell
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  Speaker 1: are unable to take from him. Waves and storms beat
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  Speaker 1: upon it, but they shake it not, for it is
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  Speaker 1: founded upon a rock. It keepeth the hearts and minds
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  Speaker 1: of the children of God at all times and in
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  Speaker 1: all places, whether they are in ease or in pain,
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  Speaker 1: in sickness or health, in abundance or want, they are
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  Speaker 1: happy in God in every state. They have learned to
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  Speaker 1: be content, yea to give thanks unto God through Christ Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: being well assured that whatsoever is is best, because it
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  Speaker 1: is His will concerning them, so that in all the
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  Speaker 1: vicissitudes of life their heart standeth fast believing in the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: A second scriptural mark of those who are born of
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  Speaker 1: God is hope. Thus, Saint Peter, speaking to all the
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  Speaker 1: children of God who were then scattered abroad, saith, blessed
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  Speaker 1: be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, which,
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  Speaker 1: according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again onto
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  Speaker 1: a lively hope First Peter one three alpet Zossan. A
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  Speaker 1: lively or living hope, saith the apostle, because there is
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  Speaker 1: also a dead hope as well as a dead faith,
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  Speaker 1: a hope which is not from God but from the
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  Speaker 1: enemy of God and Man, as evidently appears by its fruit.
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  Speaker 1: For as it is the offspring of pride, so it
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  Speaker 1: is the parent of every evil word and work. Whereas
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  Speaker 1: every man that hath in him this living hope is holy,
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  Speaker 1: as he that calleth him is holy. Every man that
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  Speaker 1: can truly say to his brethren in Christ, Beloved, Now
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  Speaker 1: are we the sons of God, And we shall see
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  Speaker 1: Him as he is purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
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  Speaker 1: This hope implies, first the testimony of our own spirit
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  Speaker 1: are conscience, that we walk in simplicity and godly sincerity. Second,
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  Speaker 1: the testimony of the Spirit of God bearing witness with
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  Speaker 1: or to our spirit, that we are the children of God.
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  Speaker 1: And if children then heirs heirs of God and joint
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  Speaker 1: errors with Christ. Let us well observe what is here
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  Speaker 1: taught us by God himself, touching this glorious privilege of
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  Speaker 1: His children. Who is it that is here said to
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  Speaker 1: bear witness? Not our spirit only, but another, even the
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  Speaker 1: spirit of God. He it is who beareth witness with
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  Speaker 1: our spirit? What is it he beareth witness of that
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  Speaker 1: we are the children of God? And if children, then
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  Speaker 1: errs heirs of God and joint errors with Christ. Romans eight,
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  Speaker 1: verses sixteen and Night seventeen. If so be that we
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  Speaker 1: suffer with Him, if we deny ourselves, if we take
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  Speaker 1: up our cross daily, if we cheerfully, endure persecution, or
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  Speaker 1: reproach for His sake, that we may also be glorified together.
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  Speaker 1: And in whom doth the Spirit of God bear this witness?
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  Speaker 1: In all who are the children of God? By this
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  Speaker 1: very argument does the apostle prove in the preceding verses
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  Speaker 1: that they are soul as many saith he as are
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  Speaker 1: led by the Spirit of God. They are the sons
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  Speaker 1: of God. For ye have not received the spirit of
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  Speaker 1: bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit
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  Speaker 1: of adoption, whereby we cry Abbah Father. It follows the
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  Speaker 1: spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are
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  Speaker 1: the children of God. Chapter eight, verses fourteen to sixteen.
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  Speaker 1: The variation of the phrase in the fifteenth verse is
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  Speaker 1: worthy of our observation. Ye have received the spirit of adoption,
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  Speaker 1: whereby we cry Abba Father, He as many as are
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  Speaker 1: the sons of God, have in virtue of your sonship,
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  Speaker 1: receive that self same spirit of adoption, whereby we cry
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  Speaker 1: Abba Father. We the apostles, prophets, teachers. For so the
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  Speaker 1: word may not improperly be understood. We through whom you
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  Speaker 1: have believed, the ministers of Christ and stewards of the
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  Speaker 1: mysteries of God. As we and you have one Lord,
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  Speaker 1: so we have one spirit. As we have one faith,
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  Speaker 1: so we have one hope. Also we and you are
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  Speaker 1: sealed with one spirit of promise, the earnest of your
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  Speaker 1: and of our inheritance, the same spirit bearing witness with
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  Speaker 1: your and with our spirit, that we are the children
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  Speaker 1: of God. Roman eighth, verses fourteen to sixteen. And thus
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  Speaker 1: is the scripture fulfilled. Blessed are they that mourn, for
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  Speaker 1: they shall be comforted. For it is easy to believe
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  Speaker 1: that though sorrow may precede this witness of God's Spirit
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  Speaker 1: with our spirit, indeed must in some degree while we
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  Speaker 1: grown under fear in a sense of the wrath of
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  Speaker 1: God abiding on us. Yet as soon as any man
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  Speaker 1: feeleth it in himself, his sorrow is turned into joy,
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  Speaker 1: whatsoever his pain may have been before. Yet as soon
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  Speaker 1: as that our is come, he remembereth the anguish no
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  Speaker 1: more for joy, that he is born of God. It
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  Speaker 1: may be many of you have now sorrow because you
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  Speaker 1: are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, because you are
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  Speaker 1: conscious to yourself that you have not the spirit, that
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  Speaker 1: you are without hope and without God in the world.
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  Speaker 1: But when the comforter is come, then your heart shall
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  Speaker 1: be rejoice. Yea, your joy shall be full, and that
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  Speaker 1: joy no man taketh from you. John sixteen, verse twenty two.
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  Speaker 1: We joy in God. Will you see through our Lord
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement,
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  Speaker 1: by whom we have access into this grace, this state
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  Speaker 1: of grace of favor, or a reconciliation with God. Wherein
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  Speaker 1: we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans,
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  Speaker 1: chapter five, Verse two, Ye, saith, Saint Peter, whom God
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  Speaker 1: hath begotten again onto a lively hope, are kept by
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  Speaker 1: the power of God, onto salvation. Wherein you greatly rejoice,
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  Speaker 1: though now for a season if need be, ye are
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  Speaker 1: in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your
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  Speaker 1: faith may be found onto praise and honor and glory
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  Speaker 1: at the appearing of Jesus Christ, in whom though now
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  Speaker 1: you see him not, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and
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  Speaker 1: full of glory. First Peter one, verse five. Unspeakable. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: it is not for the tongue of man to describe
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  Speaker 1: this joy. In the Holy ghost. It is the hidden manna,
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  Speaker 1: which no man knoweth, save he that receiveth it. But
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  Speaker 1: this we know. It not only remains, but overflows. In
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  Speaker 1: the depth of affliction. Are the consolations of God small
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  Speaker 1: with his children when all earthly comforts fail. Not so,
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  Speaker 1: but when sufferings most abound, the consolations of His Spirit
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  Speaker 1: do much more abound, insomuch that the sons of God
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  Speaker 1: laugh at destruction when it cometh at want, pain, hell
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  Speaker 1: and the grave, as knowing him who hath the keys
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  Speaker 1: of death and hell, and will shortly cast them into
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  Speaker 1: the bottomless pit, as hearing even now the great voice
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  Speaker 1: out of heaven saying, behold, the Tabernacle of God is
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  Speaker 1: with men, and He will dwell with them, and they
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  Speaker 1: shall be His people. And God himself shall be with
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  Speaker 1: them and be their God. And God shall wipe away
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  Speaker 1: all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no
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  Speaker 1: more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be
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  Speaker 1: any more pain, For the former things are past a way.
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  Speaker 1: Revelations twenty one, verse three and four. A third scriptural
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  Speaker 1: mark of those who are born of God, and the
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  Speaker 1: greatest of all is love, even the love of God,
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  Speaker 1: shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which
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  Speaker 1: is given on to them Romans five, verse five. Because
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  Speaker 1: they are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of
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  Speaker 1: His Son in their hearts, crying abba Father, Galatians four,
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  Speaker 1: verse six. By this spirit, continually looking up to God
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  Speaker 1: as they're reconciled and loving Father, they cry to Him
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  Speaker 1: for their daily bread, for all things needful, whether for
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  Speaker 1: their souls or bodies. They continually pour out their hearts
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  Speaker 1: before him, knowing they have the petitions which they ask
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  Speaker 1: of him. First John five, verse fifteen. Their delight is
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  Speaker 1: in him. He is the joy of their heart, their shield,
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  Speaker 1: and their exceeding great reward. Their desire of their soul
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  Speaker 1: is toward him. It is their meat and drink to
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  Speaker 1: do his will. And they are satisfied as with marrow
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  Speaker 1: and fatness, while their mouth praiseth Him with joyful lips
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  Speaker 1: Psalm sixty three, verse five. And in this sense also
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  Speaker 1: everyone who loveth Him that beget loveth him that is
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  Speaker 1: begotten of him. First John five, verse one. His spirit
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  Speaker 1: rejoiceth in God his Savior. He loveth the Lord Jesus
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  Speaker 1: Christ in sincerity. He is so joined onto the Lord
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  Speaker 1: as to be one spirit. His soul hangeth upon him
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  Speaker 1: and chooseth him as altogether lovely. The chief is among
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  Speaker 1: ten thousand. He knoweth he feeleth what that means. My
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  Speaker 1: beloved is mine, and I am his song of Solomon
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  Speaker 1: Chapter two, verse sixteen. Thou art fairer than the children
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  Speaker 1: of men. Full of grace are thy lips, because God
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  Speaker 1: hath anointed thee forever Psalm forty five, verse two. The
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  Speaker 1: necessary very fruit of this love of God is the
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  Speaker 1: love of our neighbor, of every soul, which God hath made,
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  Speaker 1: not accepting our enemies, not accepting those who are now
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  Speaker 1: despitefully using and persecuting us, a love whereby we love
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  Speaker 1: every man as ourselves, as we love our own souls. Nay,
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  Speaker 1: our Lord has expressed it still more strongly, teaching us
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  Speaker 1: to love one another, even as He hath loved us. Accordingly,
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  Speaker 1: the commandment written in the hearts of all those that
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  Speaker 1: love God is no other than this. As I have
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  Speaker 1: loved you, so love ye one another. Now herein perceive
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  Speaker 1: we the love of God in that He laid down
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  Speaker 1: his life for us First John three, verse sixteen. We ought, then,
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  Speaker 1: as the apostle justly infers, to lay down our lives
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  Speaker 1: for the brethren. If we feel ourselves ready to do this,
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  Speaker 1: then do we truly love our neighbor. Then we know
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  Speaker 1: that we have passed from death onto life, because we
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  Speaker 1: thus love the brethren. First John three, verse fourteen. Hereby
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  Speaker 1: know we that we are born of God, that we
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  Speaker 1: dwell in Him and he in us, because He hath
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  Speaker 1: given us of his loving spirit. First John, chapter four,
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  Speaker 1: verse thirteen. For love is of God, and everyone that
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  Speaker 1: thus loveth is born of God and knoweth God. First
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  Speaker 1: John four, verse seven. But some may possibly ask, does
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  Speaker 1: not the apostle say, this is the love of God
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  Speaker 1: that we keep his commandments First John five, verse three. Yea.
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  Speaker 1: And this is the love of our neighbor, also in
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  Speaker 1: the same sense as it is the love of God.
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  Speaker 1: But what would you infer from hence? That the keeping
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  Speaker 1: the outward commandments is all that is implied in loving
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  Speaker 1: God with all your heart, with all your mind and
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  Speaker 1: soul and strength, and in loving your neighbor as yourself.
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  Speaker 1: That the love of God is not an affection of
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  Speaker 1: the soul, but merely an outward service, And that the
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  Speaker 1: love of our our neighbors is not a disposition of heart,
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  Speaker 1: but barely a course of outward works. To mention so
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  Speaker 1: wild an interpretation of the Apostle's words is sufficiently to
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  Speaker 1: confute it. The plain and disputable meaning of that text
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  Speaker 1: is this is the sign of a proof of the
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  Speaker 1: love of God, of our keeping the first and great commandment,
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  Speaker 1: to keep the rest of His commandments for true love,
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  Speaker 1: if it be once shed abroad in our heart, will
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  Speaker 1: constrain us so to do, since whosoever loves God with
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  Speaker 1: all his heart cannot but serve him with all his strength.
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  Speaker 1: A second fruit then of the love of God, so
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  Speaker 1: far as it can be distinguished from it, is universal
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  Speaker 1: obedience to Him we love, and conformity to His will,
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  Speaker 1: obedience to all the commandments of God, internal and external,
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  Speaker 1: obedience of the heart and of the life, in every
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  Speaker 1: temper and in all manner of conversation. And one of
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  Speaker 1: the tempers most obviously implied herein is the being zealous
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  Speaker 1: of good works, the hungering and thirsting to do good
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  Speaker 1: in every possible kind unto all men, the rejoicing to
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  Speaker 1: spend and be spent for them, for every child of man,
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  Speaker 1: not looking for any recompense in this world, but only
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  Speaker 1: in the resurrection of the Just. Thus have I plainly
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  Speaker 1: laid down those marks of the new Birth, which I
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  Speaker 1: find laid down in scripture. Thus doth God himself answer
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  Speaker 1: that weighty question, what is it to be born of God?
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  Speaker 1: Such if the appeal be made to the oracles of God,
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  Speaker 1: is everyone that is born of the Spirit. This it
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  Speaker 1: is in the judgment of the Spirit of God, to
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  Speaker 1: be a son or a child of God. It is
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  Speaker 1: so to believe in God through Christ, as not to
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  Speaker 1: commit sin, and to enjoy at all times and in
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  Speaker 1: all places, that peace of God which passeth all understanding.
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  Speaker 1: It is so to hope in God through the Son
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  Speaker 1: of His Love, as to have not only the testimony
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  Speaker 1: of a good conscience, but also the Spirit of God,
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  Speaker 1: bearing witnesses with your spirits, that ye are the children
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  Speaker 1: of God, whence cannot but spring the rejoicing in Him
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  Speaker 1: through whom you have received the atonement. It is so
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  Speaker 1: to love God, who hath thus loved you as you
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  Speaker 1: never did love any creature, so that ye are constrained
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  Speaker 1: to love all men as yourselves, with a love not
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  Speaker 1: only ever burning in your hearts, but flaming out in
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  Speaker 1: all your actions and conversations, and making your whole life
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  Speaker 1: one labor of love, one continued obedience to those commands.
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  Speaker 1: Be Ye merciful as God is merciful. Be Ye holy,
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  Speaker 1: as I the Lord am holy. Be Ye perfect as
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  Speaker 1: your Father, which is in Heaven is perfect. Who then
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  Speaker 1: are ye that are thus born of God? Ye know
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  Speaker 1: the things which are given to you of God. Ye
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  Speaker 1: well know that ye are the children of God, and
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  Speaker 1: can assure your hearts before him, and every one of
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  Speaker 1: you who has observed these words cannot but feel and
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  Speaker 1: know of a truth. Whether at this hour answer to
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  Speaker 1: God and not to man. You are thus a child
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  Speaker 1: of God or no. The question is not what you
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  Speaker 1: was made and baptism do not evade. But what you
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  Speaker 1: are now is the spirit of adoption. Now in your heart,
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  Speaker 1: to your own heart, let the appeal be made. I
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  Speaker 1: ask not whether you was born of water and of
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  Speaker 1: the spirit, But are you now the temple of the
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Holy Ghost which dwelleth in you? I allow you as
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, as Saint Paul emphatically
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  Speaker 1: terms baptism. But does the spirit of Christ and of
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  Speaker 1: Glory now rest upon you? Else your circumcision is become uncircumcision.
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  Speaker 1: Say not, then in your heart I was once baptized.
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  Speaker 1: Therefore I am now a child of God. Alas that
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  Speaker 1: consequence will by no means whole. How many are the
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  Speaker 1: baptized gluttons and drunkards, the baptized liars and common swearers,
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  Speaker 1: the baptized railers and evil speakers, the baptized warmongers extortioners.
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  Speaker 1: What think you are these now the children of God.
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  Speaker 1: Verily I say unto you, whos whoever you are, unto
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  Speaker 1: whom any one of the preceding characters belongs, Ye are
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  Speaker 1: of your father, the devil, and the works of your father,
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: ye do unto you. I call in the name of
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: him whom you crucify afresh, and in his words to
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: your circumcised predecessors, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers. How
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: can ye escape the damnation of hell? How indeed, except
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  Speaker 1: ye be born again? For ye are now dead in
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  Speaker 1: trespasses and sins. To say then that ye cannot be
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  Speaker 1: born again, that there is no new birth but in baptism,
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  Speaker 1: is to seal you all under damnation, to consign you
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  Speaker 1: to hell without help, without hope. And perhaps some may
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  Speaker 1: think this just and right. In their zeal for the
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  Speaker 1: Lord of hosts. They may say, yea cut off the sinners,
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  Speaker 1: the Amalekites. Let those Gibeonites be utterly destroyed. They deserve
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  Speaker 1: no less, no nor I nor you. Mine, and your
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  Speaker 1: desert as well as theirs, is hell. And it is
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  Speaker 1: Mayor of mercy, free undeserved mercy, that we are not
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  Speaker 1: now in unquestionable fire. You will say, but we are washed.
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: We were born again of water and of the spirit.
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  Speaker 1: So were they This therefore hinders not at all, but
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  Speaker 1: that ye may now be even as they know ye
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: not that what is highly esteemed of men is an
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: abomination in the sight of God. Come forth, ye saints
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: of the world, ye that are honored of men, And
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: see who will cast the first stone at them? At
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: these wretches not fit to live upon the earth, these
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: common harlots, adulterers, murderers. Only learn ye first what that
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: meaneth He that hateth his brother is a murderer. First
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: John three, verse fifteen. He that looketh on a woman
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  Speaker 1: to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: in his way heart Matthew five, verse twenty eight. Ye
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  Speaker 1: adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: the world is enmity with God. James, Chapter four, verse four. Verily, verily,
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  Speaker 1: I say unto you, ye also must be born again.
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  Speaker 1: Except ye also be born again, ye cannot see the
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God. Lean no more on the staff of
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: that broken reed that you were born again in baptism.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: Who denies that ye were then made children of God
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: and heirs of the Kingdom of heaven. But notwithstanding this,
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: ye are now children of the devil. Therefore you must
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: be born again. And let not Satan put it into
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: your heart to cavil at the word. When the thing
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: is clear, ye have heard. What are the marks of
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: the children of God? All ye who have them not
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: on your souls, baptized or unbaptized, must needs receive them,
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  Speaker 1: or without doubt ye will perish everlastingly. And if ye
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: have been baptized, your only hope is this, that those
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  Speaker 1: who were made the children of God by baptism, but
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  Speaker 1: are now the children of the devil, may yet again
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: receive power to become the sons of God, that they
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: may receive again what they have lost, even the spirit
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: of adoption, crying in their hearts. Abba Father, Amen, Lord Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: May everyone who prepareth his heart yet again to seek
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: Thy face receive again that spirit of adoption and cry out,
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: Abba Father. Let him now again have power so to
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  Speaker 1: believe in Thy name, as to become a child of God,
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  Speaker 1: as to know and feel he hath redemption in Thy blood,
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  Speaker 1: even the forgiveness of sins, and that he cannot commit
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: sin because he is born of God. Let him be
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: now begotten again unto a living hope, so as to
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  Speaker 1: purify himself, as thou art pure, and because he is
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: a son, Let the spirit of love and of glory
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  Speaker 1: rest upon him, cleansing him from all filthiness of flesh
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  Speaker 1: and spirit, and teaching him to perfect holiness in the
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  Speaker 1: fear of God. End of Section eighteen.