CHAPTER LXI
“TRY THE SPIRITS”
Sermon Preached to Ministers and Workers at Montwait, Mass.
“Beloved, try the spirits.” There are many spirits we do not want to have anything to do with. There is our own spirit; the flesh and the devil. There are many spirits contending, and many times we let our own spirit rule and make ourselves think it is God; the same, with the flesh and the devil.
Sometimes we know it is not God, but we want to have our own way. If we have the Holy Ghost we can prove the spirits, because everything the Holy Ghost does is confirmed by the Word. We do not want to trust to tongues and interpretations, you must measure things by the word; we must measure tongues and demonstrations by the Word, and if they do not agree with the Word, we must not accept them; everything must be measured by the Word.
We do know God and the voice of God, but the devil can come as an angel of light. When you are in the Holy Ghost, that is the time the devil tries to get in and lead you astray. The Holy Ghost is revealing some secret things; at the same time the devil comes in, and if you are not careful, you will listen to what he has to say and follow him.
Once I was having a wonderful vision, and right in the midst of it, the devil said to me, “You are going to die.” I was very poorly and was worked nearly to death and I listened to the devil for a minute; then I stopped to hear what God wanted to teach me.
I said, “What is this God is showing me? Does this agree with what God is showing?” I saw there was a big difference. God touched my forehead, the seat of intellect and reason; my mouth, signifying courage and power to give forth the message; and I could not die if I was to do this; if I was to give the people His message, I was not going to die.
There was someone in the meeting here God was blessing,
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