13. This repentance, this faith, this peace, joy, love; this change from glory to glory, is what the wisdom of the world has voted to be madness, mere enthusiasm, utter distraction. But thou, O man of _God_, regard them not: be thou moved by none of these things. Thou knowest in whom thou hast believed. See that no man take thy crown. Whereunto thou hast already attained hold fast; and follow, till thou attain all the great and precious promises. And thou who hast not yet known him, let not vain men make thee ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Be thou in nothing terrified by those who speak evil of the things which they know not. God will soon turn thy heaviness into joy. O let not thy hands hang down. Yet a little longer, and he will take away thy fears, and give thee the spirit of a sound mind. _He is nigh that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea rather that rose again; who is even now at the right-hand of God, making intercession for thee._ Now cast thyself on the Lamb of God, with all thy sins, how many soever they be; and _an entrance shall_ now _be ministred unto_ thee, _into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ_! SERMON VIII. THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. ROM. viii. 1. _There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit._ 1. BY _them which are in Christ Jesus_, St. _Paul_ evidently means, those who truly believe in him: those who _being justified by faith, have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ_. They who thus believe do no longer _walk after the flesh_, no longer follow the motions of corrupt nature: but _after the Spirit_: both their thoughts, words and works, are under the direction of the blessed Spirit of God. 2. _There is therefore now no condemnation to_ these. There is no condemnation to them from God: for he hath _justified_ them _freely by his grace, thro’ the redemption that is in Jesus_. He hath forgiven all their iniquities, and blotted out all their sins. And there is no condemnation to them from within: for they _have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that they might know the things which are freely given to them of God:[23] Which Spirit beareth witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God_. And to this is added, _the testimony of_ their _conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God_, they _have had_ their _conversation in the world_.[24]