Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Concerning the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Anti-Chriſt.
THe whole ſtate of mans Life is governed in Thoughts, Words and Actions, by the Power of the Spirit, which hath the Commanding part in man, who is either governed by the Spirit of Chriſt, or the Spirit of Antichriſt, which is the Devil; for there are but two Spirits which rule, the Spirit of God, through Jeſus Chriſt, which rules in the Righteous, whoſe Thoughts Words and Actions are governed by the Power of Gods Spirit, which brings the Thoughts of the Faithful to be ſubject, in Obedience to the Power of his own Spirit, in and through Faith by Jeſus Chriſt. Now the Spirit of the Devil, is that Anti-Chriſt, which Gods Power permits to rule in the Children of Diſobedience, whoſe Thoughts, Words and Actions are governed by the Spirit of the Devil, ſo that men are Servants unto that Power which they obey; for the Thoughts of mans Mind are in a continual motion, and where God is not retained in the Thoughts, they cannot be of any ſervice to him for the Souls benefit, but are in ſervitude to him unto whom they yeild their Obedience, which Work altogether tends for Diſtruction of the ſoul; therefore People ought to be diligent with that gift of divine Light which God hath given, to find out the hidden things of Darkneſs, in the heart of man, who by Obedience to the gift of Gods Grace, may come to underſtand the Lords Will to be done in their Thoughts, Words, and Actions, which work will bring honour to the Name of the Lord, and Peace to their own Souls; for he that brings his Deeds to the Light, they are made manifeſt by the Light, whether they are wrought in God, through faith and Obedience to the gift of his Grace; for the promiſe of God by Chriſt, is to the obedient part) for his Children are made a free and Willing People, to ſerve him with uprightneſs of Heart, Mind, Thoughts, Word and Actions) for the carnal Thoughts of man brings Death over the ſoul, but the ſpiritual Thoughts of man bring Life; for to be carnally minded, is Death, but to be ſpiritually minded, is Life and Peace with God in Chriſt. S… as there is but two Spirits which bare rule, the one or the other hath the Commanding part, in the heart and mind of man; for the Mind cannot ſerve two Maſters, that is, no man can ſerve God and Mammon; for while the Mind is in obedience to the Spirit of Life, it overcomes the Spirit of Death, but while it remains in obedience to the Spirit of Anti-Chriſt, it becomes dead, & remains with Death, which ſtate hath no relation to the things of Chriſts Kingdom; for God is not a God o… that which is dead in ſin and Tre…paſs againſt the heavenly divine gift of his Spirit of Grace, Life and Light, which come by Jeſus Chriſt, whole Spirit is not of this World, neither are they of this World, whoſe Minds are begotten of God, thorough him, to live in Obedience to his holy Truth, but the Spirit of Anti-Chriſt is of this World, and rules the Thoughts Words and Actions of them who are the Children of this World, which by ſubjecting to his Power, they believe that in the beſt of men, ſin remaineth all the dayes of this Life, which Faith is begotten by the ſpirit of Anti-chriſt, which rules in the Children of Diſobedience, whoſe minds are drawn into works of Darkneſs, which are begotten by their Father, the Devil, the Prince & Power of the Air, whoſe …iry Kingdom remains in the Heart and Mind of all Unrighteous men, who are bewitched by the ſpirit of Anti-Chriſt, that they ſhould not obey the Truth of God, made manifeſt by Jeſus Chriſt, Gal. 3.1. by whoſe Spirit the heart and mind in the righteous are governed from vain and evil Thoughts; for every Thought, Word and Action that tends not to the honour of God, it proceeds from the luſt of the corrupted Deſire, which yeilds its Obedience to the Spirit & Power of Anti-chriſt, who is that Devil and Enemy to God and all Mankind, and his they are if they obey; for his Servants ye are, to whom ye obey, whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteouſneſs, Rom. 6.16. So that Death, Hell and Deſtruction remains in all Thoughts Words and Actions, which proceed not from the Power of God, in Obedience to the gift of his Spirit by Jeſus Chriſt; for all that is not of Gods Righteouſneſs by the Spirit and Power of Chriſt, is of Unrighteouſneſs, by the Spirit and Power of Anti-Chriſt. So that all ſin is of Unrighteouſneſs, and all unrighteouſneſs, is of the Devil, who ſinneth from the beginning; and he that committeth ſin, it is of the Devil; but whoſoever is born of God, doth not commit ſin, for his ſeed remnineth in him, and he cannot Sin, becauſe he is born of God, 1 Joh. 3.8.9. Then let no man be deceived by the Spirit of Anti-Chriſt, or by any of his Diſciples, for he that doth Righteouſneſs, is righteous, even as he is Righteous, 1 Joh. 3.7. for whoſoever committeth Sin, is a Servant to ſin, Joh. 8.34. Then he that is a Servant to ſin, is free from Righteouſneſs; for the wages of ſin is Death, and God is not a God of the Dead, but a God of them that are made alive, by the Power of his Spirit, in and thorough the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe gift of Righteouſneſs is Life eternal, that is, to them that keep cloſe in their minds with the Lord, by which they may not be drawn into the Anti-Chriſtian Faith of any one thing, with which the Devil ſeeks to deſtroy the Soul; for God is not mocked, whatſoever men ſome, that they ſhall alſo reap; for he that ſoweth to his fleſh, ſhall of the fleſh reap Corruption, but he that ſoveth to the Spirit, ſhall of the Spirit reap Life everlaſting, Gal 6.7.8. Now every-Spirit that confeſſeth that Jeſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is of God, and every Spirit that confeſſeth not that Jeſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is not of God. 1 Joh. 4 2.3. Then that which appears from a ſpirit in men, which doth not lead from ſinning againſt the duplicate page duplicate page gift of Gods holy Spirit, their ſo living doth manifeſtu… a unrighteous Life is towards God, and that unrighteous Life is in obedience to the Spirit of Anti-Chriſt, which denyeth that Chriſt is come in the fleſh; of which Spirit there are many, which have entered the falſe Prophets, which are gone out into the World, by which many are deceived; for they are of the World, and ſpeak of the World, and the World heareth them, 1 …oh. 4.5. but the Children of God are begotten by the Power of his own Spirit, in and thorough the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and by Grace, through Faith in him, their works are of Righteouſneſs before him, who is the Author and the Finiſher of his own Work, in all them whoſe Works of Righteouſneſs manifeſt Jeſus Chriſt to be come in the fleſh, which the works of the Unrighteous do not do.