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strong wrath," Prov. xxi. 14. And though I was troubled on every side, yet I could see that I was not forsaken of God, but my hope was strengthened in him, that he would be with me and support me; and I found him, as he hath promised, a present help in trouble. Unto God I committed my cause and waited upon him, watching his hand; the Lord sustained me; and, though the trial was sharp, yet under God it worked for my good, and has been of great use to me since. My afflictions were many, but the Lord in his own time delivered me out of them; it is God that avengeth me, and girdeth me with strength, therefore "Bless thou the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

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The next heavy trial was the division that took place in the church. After we had met together for some years heresy crept in amongst us. simus came with his airy visions, and beguiled many unstable souls; this enemy sowed his tares amongst us, and then went his way; but after his departure the leaven which was communicated, continued to ferment, and it was not long before it's dreadful effects were seen, as many amongst us gave heed to this seducing spirit, and soon shewed that they were subverted thereby; so that we found it to be as Paul says, "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them," Acts xx. 30. Some withdrew, and set up for teachers, while others followed after them. "They went out

from us, but they were not of us, for, if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us," 1 John ii. 19. Howbeit, though many were taken with his wild and extravagant notions, yet not all; for some stood fast in the truth which they had received, and withstood him, though he prated against our manner of worship with malicious words. John says that he had no greater joy than to hear that his children walked in truth; and Paul saith, "Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord," 1 Thess. iii. 8. And some were enabled so to do; for by what we had already experienced, we well knew that our way of assembling together was approved of God, and that what this deceiver brought forth was not according to the gospel we had received. The Lord had met with us and blessed us, therefore we knew that we had not followed cunning devised fables. An outcry was raised against reading other men's works, and preaching in general, without making any distinction between right and wrong; in short, every thing was found fault with, but nothing established; much confusion wrought, and the greater part knew not for what they were come together; for it was utterly impossible to know what was aimed at, as nothing but wind and confusion was brought forth. But some who were like the Athenians of old, always fond of either telling or hearing some new thing,

Acts xvii. 21, were much charmed, and were all alive; and it was amazing to see how this strange fire spread itself amongst many; it served as a fan, by which the floor was purged: when the chaff is blown away the wheat becomes more consolidated together; "There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest," 1 Cor. xi. 19. There are some, Paul says, which received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie," 2 Thess. ii. 11. They that cannot endure sound doctrine, after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Some there are, who are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: and many there be who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; " and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in the time of temptation fall away," Luke viii. 13. When men are puffed up, and become vain in their imagination, their foolish hearts are soon darkened; and, when once they get wise above what is written, God soon makes them fools in religion; " They have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" Jer. viii. 9. These lack moisture, and therefore wither; "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived," 2 Tim. iii. 13. Paul says,

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ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him;" and he exhorts us, whereunto we have attained, to walk by the same rule and mind the same thing. When this wonder of wonders first appeared I begun to try his spirit, whether it was of God; for which purpose I brought what he advanced to the test of scripture and my own experience; and I perceived that what he brought forth was not agreeable either to the scriptures, or what God had taught me, and I believed he was an utter stranger to that power in which the kingdom of God stands. Paul says, "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed," Gal. i. 9; and exhorts us not to give heed to seducing spirits, for by them the minds of many are corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, in the same way as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. God is the author of peace, but not of such confusion as this man brought forth; he erred, not knowing the power of God; " Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God." "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed." God has promised his holy Spirit to guide his children into all truth; "The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught

you, ye shall abide in him," 1 John ii. 27. "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his." Paul laid the foundation as a wise master builder, and warns every man to take heed how he buildeth this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble." Here are two sorts of builders, and the materials are very different: one sort the fire will not burn, but refine; the other will be consumed by it. Sharp trials discover many that are not sound in the faith. It is one thing to receive the knowledge of the truth into the natural understanding, in the letter of it; and it is another to receive the love of the truth in the heart; and, when the fiery trial comes, by which every man's work is to be revealed, many fall away, the work is burnt up, and then it is made manifest of what sort it is.

thereupon; "Now, if any man build upon

Many seem to run well for a time, and then draw back, and become so degenerate, that there is not a shadow of truth about them; they go from a tolerably sound judgment into Arminianism, and sink into the worst of errors; and it is often seen that such are greater enemies to the vital power of godliness than they who have never made a profession; the scribes and pharisees were the worst enemies to Christ. The preaching of the gospel is compared to a net cast into the sea, which gathered of every kind; the servants did as they were commanded, and gathered together as many as they found, both

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