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Days of King Jofiah. And when Simeon took the Child Jefus up in his Arms and blessed him, there was one Anna a Prophetess, which departed not from the Temple, but ferved God with Fafting and Prayers Night and Day, and fhe coming in that InIftant, gave Thanks likewife unto the Lord, and fpake of him to all them that look'd for Redemption in Jerufalem. Had Anna the Privilege allow'd her by the Jews to speak in the Temple, and fhall Chriftians deny a Woman the Privilege of Speaking in the Church, to all them that look for Redemption in this Gospel Day?

As the Ifraelites were journeying towards the promis'd Land, the Spirit of the Lord refted upon Eldad and Medad, and they prophefied in the Camp, and when Joshua the Son of Nun would have had Mofes to forbid them, Mofes faid unto him, Envieft thou for my Sake? Would God that all the Lord's People were Prophets, and that the Lord would put bis Spirit upon them. Was it thus under the Law, that Women, and the Meanest of the People, fuch as were not appointed for the Service of the Tabernacle, had the Spirit of Prophefie given them; and fhall any of the Profeffors of Christianity, not only envy as Joshua did, but even difallow and deny that the Lord in this Day

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Our Lord at his Refurrection appear'd firft of all to Wo men, and they were Apoftles to the Apoftles, that Men might be ashamed not to have fought Him whom the weaker Sex had found.

Part of the 68th Pfalm is by Chryfoftom and others, thought to respect the Time of the Gospel, and Ferom fays, that the Words of the 14th Verse respect thofe Women who publifh'd the Refurrection to the Apoftles, for according to the Hebrew the Words are, The Lord fhall give the Word, Great is the Hoft of the Women Evangelifts. In Hebræo habet, quæ evangelizantur, hoc eft, Mulieribus quæ evangelizabant A poftolis; ubi dicitur, euntes dicite Fratribus meis, &c.

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29.

puts his Spirit upon Sons and Daughters, and thereby qualifies them for the Service of the Gospel?

How very like to that meek Man Mofes, who would that ALL the Lord's People were Prophets, was the Apostle Paul, who faid to the Corinthians, I would that ye ALL fpake with Tongues, but rather that ye prophefied; the Word ALL in both thefe Places comprehending the whole Church, it follows that both Mofes and Paul defir'd that Women might prophefie as well as Men: What then must we think of thofe call'd Chriftians, who fay that all Prophefie, or speaking by the Spirit, is ceas'd fince the Apoftle's Days.

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* To fay the Holy Spirit only dwelt in Chriftians whilft the extraordinary Gifts and Afflatus ⚫ of the Holy Spirit were continued to the Church, and they lay under Perfecution from the Heathen Emperors, is not only to contradict the Tenor of the Scriptures, which declare that All • Chrift's living Members are thus united by the Spirit to their Head, 1 Cor. xii. 13. and that if any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift dwelling n him, he is none of his, Rom. viii. 9. He can• not be the Son of God, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God, ver. 14. He hath no Right to call God Father, ver. 15. No Interest in the Adoption, and the Inheritance of Sons, ver. 17. But it is alfo to e nervate the Virtue of all the Promises of Chrift, and the Confolation of Chriftians of all Future Ages under their Sufferings for the Sake of • Chrift; yea, it is in Effect to make the Dispenfation of the Gospel ceafe; the Difference betwixt that and the Law, being by the Apostle placed

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* See Dr. Whitby's Appendix to the 6th Chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Corinthians.

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placed in this, that the One is the Miniftration of the Letter only, the Other alfo of the Spirit. And if this were fo only whilft thefe extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit lafted; then from the Time that they have ceafed, the Gofpel doth not in this differ from the Law, or deferve to be prefer'd above it on that Account.

HERE We have a Doctor of the Church of England vindicating one of the main Points of the Doctrine of the People commonly call'd Quakers, namely, the Indwelling and Teaching of the Holy Spirit: And this is agreeable to what Irenæus fays of the Church of Chrift, * Where a Church is, there the Spirit of God is, and where the Spirit of God is, there is a Church and every Gift of his. And our bleffed Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift, has faid, Where Two or Three are met together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them. Now this Promise is general, and not limited to Time or Place, and 'tis plain that Irenæus who liv'd foon after the Apostles Times, was of the fame Opi

nion.

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AND, befides that general Promife of Christ, which is an Encouragement to all who meet in his Name, to expect his Prefence with them, there are other Promifes relating to the Times of the Gofpel, which give Affurance of the Teachings of God's Spirit. All thy Children fhall be taught of Ila. 54. the Lord, this Promife Chrift feems to allude to, when he fays, It is written in the Prophets, they fhall Joh. 6.45. All be taught of God, every Man therefore that hath beard, and hath learn'd of the Father, cometh unto me. And by Jeremiah God promis'd that he would make a New Covenant with the Houfe of Ifrael, I Jerem.31. will 33.

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*Irenæi Liber 3. Cap. 40. Ubi enim Ecclefia, ibi & Spiritus Dei, & ubi Spiritus Dei, illic Ecclefia, & omnis gra tia Spiritus autem veritas.

will but my Law in their inward Parts, and write it in their Hearts, and will be their God, and they fhall be my People. And that univerfal Promife of God by the Prophet Joel, in which Women as Joel 2:28. well as Men are exprefly concluded. I will pour out my Spirit npon all Flesh, and your Sons aud your Daughters ball prophefie. Now we are affured that all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen, in Jesus Christ. *

2Cor.1.20.

Luke 11.

9, 13.

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AND farther, in Vindication of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit's Affiftance and Influence now, as well as in the Days of the Apostles, Dr. Whitby fays, If God by his Spirit hath no Influence upon the Heart, or Soul, how doth he encline or draw it? If none upon the Understanding, how • doth he enlighten or inftru&t it? —And that • Paffage of St. Luke, Ask and ye shall receive, Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you; for if evil Parents give good Gifts to their Children, how much more will your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him, • must be of no Ufe or Virtue to us. For what in these Expreffions can we pray for, but the Affiftance of the Holy Spirit? And what Affif⚫tance can he afford us, if he doth not OPERATE • at all upon our Souls?

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To fay this Promife is to be confined to the Apoftles Days, feems not agreeable to Reason; ⚫ for why then do we hear of it in the Sermon on the Mount, which certainly was spoken es dinods • Tλaï, in the Audience of the Multitude? Why

• doth

* Pool's Annot. All the Promises of Grace, whatsoever is promised to Believers, fhall be verified by him, that fo God may be glorified, and have from Men the Honour of being always efteemed a true and faithful God, one that sannot fail or falfifie his Word.

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16.

doth it run in Words fo general, mas yip, for • EVERY ONE that afks receives? Moreover, those Spiritual and Ordinary Effects, for which the Holy Spirit was then given, those Fruits of the Spirit they produced in them, are as needful, and as fpiritually good for Chriftians Now, as when our Saviour fpake thefe Words; for as the Holy Spirit was needful Then, to strengthen Chrift's Servants in the inward Man to do his Will, to comfort them in Tribulations, and Ephef. 3, fupport them under Fiery Trials, and to preferve them from the Subtleties of Satan, and the Temptations of the wicked World, fo is there the fame Need of his Affiftance now for all thefe gracious Ends, and therefore the fame. Reason to expect him ftill to all thefe Purposes. Moreover, the Conditions of this Promife, may be performed by us Now as well as Then ; we may be now fincerely defirous to obey the holy • Will of God, and with true Fervency and Im. portunity may beg the Holy Spirit to this End. And if we may acceptably perform those Du• ties to which this Promife is annexed, why may • we not as confidently expect the Bleffing promif⚫ed from the God of Truth? For the Encourage<ment here given to expect the Affiftance of the Holy Spirit is this, That we ask him of our Heavenly Father. Now this most comfortable

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• Relation God bears to all his Children of what
Age foever, he is the fame Yesterday, to Day, and
for Ever; and therefore there is Now, and ever
will be, the fame Benignity in God, the fame
good Will and Readiness in him, to give his
Holy Spirit Now unto his Children for all needful
Purpofes, as in all former Ages. If therefore
in like Manner we do ask, we must have equal
• Reason to expect we should receive him.
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