and the same time and they are both but witnessing one and the same thing and helping the soul to draw one and the same Conclusion at the same time III. There is the manifestation of the true inseparable effects of union with Jesus Christ to be in the soul That is the souls beholding the very juice of Jesus Christ the precious Vine flowing down into his soul as into one of his Branches The soul finding the same graces that are in Jesus Christ the head drop down into his Bosom So that the soul concludes he must needs be a Member to the Head having influences from it Now there are three things to be opened about this which are concauses which may clear up to our understandings what may be safely holden forth in these 1. That none of these neither the shining of Faith nor the Testimony of Conscience nor the inseparable effects of union are concauses in evidencing unto the soul the Will of God in taking the particular soul into union with Christ The promise it self affords this light to the soul by the sole aid of the Spirit of God without respect to any Dispositions Inclinations believing qualifications whatever can be imagined 2. These three are only concauses in producing to the soul the effects of that first evidence That is in producing in the soul the conclusion of his own union with Jesus Christ that doth arise from the first evidence of the Lords will to take his soul into union with Christ 3. That it is only the first of those three things which is the shining forth of the light of Faith that 's properly a coadjoyning cause in the making up a souls evidence from the promise of his union with Christ Those two latter do follow after the first clear evidence in the soul of his union with Christ from the promise and so cannot come in as joynt concauses to make up the evidence Answ 3. Thirdly I answer There are indeed three joynt concurring causes for the making up this union to the souls Faith of its union with Christ And that is the Spirit of God the light of Faith and the Witness of Conscience taking the Witness of Conscience only for an experimental knowledge that soul doth receive and hath received the Lord Jesus freely given by God to be one with the soul so that Conscience doth only answer as it were like a precious Eccho to the soul the voice of the Spirit of God to the soul The Spirit of God revealing the light of the promise or applying the promise to the soul The light of Faith shewing the souls receiving of the promise And the voice of Conscience consenting to the voice of the Spirit of God or giving the Echo to the voice of the Spirit of God in the soul Answ 4. Fourthly I answer There be some that may be said to be concauses or joyn concurring causes in the evidencing to the soul his union in the promise Yet they are all but subordinate causes to one prime principal cause which is the Spirit of God Should I take these three which some have conceived to be joynt concurring causes which is the light of Faith the Witness of Conscience and the manifestation of the inseparable effects of union yet all these come in a way of Subordination to the principal Efficient Instrumental cause which is the Spirit of God As you may see if you look upon the light of Faith 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God You see the internal Vision or internal Light they have of any grace of any gifts is by the light of the Spirit of God put upon those gifts or put into the soul to discern those gifts So likewise of the second the Testimony of Conscience whatever Testimony Conscience would give be it either through practical or experimental reason drawn from the Word of God Or be it only to bear Witness to the souls own act and so taken only for a sense of the souls own beleiving yet also this Witness of Conscience hath its Subordination to that principal cause the Spirit of God As Rom. 9.1 When the Conscience is said to bear Witness of any good act in the soul it s said to be through the Spirit And indead the Conscience being altogether corrupt naturally the habit of Spiritual Light and discerning by which it Judge being only from the Spirit of God Thence it must necessarily follow also that every acting of that renewed light that the Spirit of God hath infused into the Conscience must be by the Spirit of God For out of all question the acting of every habit of grace received doth as well depend upon the Spirit of God as the first infusion of it into the soul did And if you look upon the third also which is the manifestation of all the effects of union that comes under that in 1 Cor. 2.12 All gifts All gifts of grace through union must be discerned through the Spirit of Wisdom in the heart inabling souls to discern the things freely given them of God As the Apostle doth well Illustrate it v. 11 comparing the light that the Spirit which they have received gives to them to discern the gift of God to the light of Conscience to discern what is in man What man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Whereby he makes it evident that the use of the Spirit of God dwelling in the soul is the same for the discovering of all the workings of the soul to it as the use of the Spirit of a man is to discover to him the heart of man as man Answ 5. Fifthly I answer That the Spirit of God alone is the principal most immediate and natural Instrumental efficient cause of the promises evidencing to the soul his union with Christ Though you see there be divers causes that may afar off have some kind of influence yet no Influences further then they have a dependance upon the Spirit of God working in them and through them And however the sight of Faith and the Testimony of Conscience may in some measure be said to be concauses yet the Instrumental efficient cause that hath the Alpha and Omega that which strikes the first and last stroke that assures the souls Faith that he is united to Christ that 's the Spirit of God alone It s that which set on work all other means for that end Now that the Spirit of God alone is this principal efficient instrumental cause I shall clear to you by some demonstrations I. It appears by the general office of the Spirit of God The Spirit is designed to that office alone to reveal truths or to guide souls into all truth as appears John 16.43 When the Spirit of truth is come he will
are really from God Now I beseech you every Soul believing or unbelieving remember as far as possible all the considerations that have been premised about this Question and withall these fixed and established in your minds proceed with me to make a righteous trial of the evidences that you conceive your Souls have received of your union with the Lord Jesus So then all these considerations premised our Question propounded must be thus staâ—ed Quest How shall any Soul that conceiveth he hath received and doth actually enjoy certain and sufficient evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus demonstrate from certain necessary and evident reasons that those his evidences are really from God Answ For Answer then directly to the Question There are but two kind of Demonstrations whereby a Soul can demonstrate to its self the reality of his evidence received proceeding from God You must understand we are now speaking of knowledge and what was spoken before of faith must not come into our remembrance in this thing For you must remember we gave you a distinction between knowledge faith and opinion we look not for opinion now That is some probable ground of our union with Jesus Christ nor we do not look to faith which is the declaration of Gods will to admit it into union with Jesus Christ But we look to knowledge and there are but Two Demonstrations a Demonstration Priori and a Demonstration à Posteriori A Demonstration taken from the Causes and a Demonstration taken from the Effects The first and most certain ground whereupon the Soul may prove its union from God is taken from the causes now the Causes are various But the Two Principal Reasons must be taken from the Two Principal Causes Now there are but Two Principal Causes of the Souls union with the Lord Jesus both which concur together and are never separated one from another The Two efficient Causes instrumental is the Lords blessed written Word and that pretious Spirit of Jesus Christ The written Word is the more remote cause and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is the more immediate efficient cause Now because the reason whereby we may draw any conclusion is most strong that it is taken from the most immediate cause of any thing And in respect that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is the most immediate efficient cause though but still instrumental because the Spirit doth more immediately send down those beams of light that do most clearly reveal to faith the Lords will to take the Soul into union with Christ and also those beams of light that discover to the Soul the integrity of his Heart in believing Thence we shall first speak of that reason which is taken from the blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ and so I answer thus That the first primary and principal reason from whence a Soul may conclude that the evidences of his union received are really from God is that those evidencing beams of light doth proceed from the blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ And it is the knowledge of this that they are those beams of light proceeding from the Spirit of Christ by which a Soul attains the most certain and infallible knowledge that his evidences were from God by this he attains that which is most properly called knowledge according as the Philosophers say to know a thing is to discern the nature or being of it by its most proper immediate cause But now least the Soul should say you here answer one doubt by another which is as great a doubt and leads the Soul but on into further darkness the Soul is as doubtful of this you will say whether those beams of light proceed from the Spirit of Jesus Christ as it is whether they were from God Therefore for your satisfaction here must be Two things opened First That the light that doth proceed from the blessed Spirit of Christ to evidence unto any Soul its union with Jesus Christ doth evidence that it doth proceed from the blessed Spirit Secondly It must be opened that the light that so proceeds from the Spirit to evidence to the Soul its union with Christ is the most potent and powerful demonstration that begets the most certain knowledge of the Souls union with Christ even the most proper and highest kind of knowledge First It must be manifested that the light that proceeds from the Spirit to evidence to any Soul its union with Christ doth evidence it self to proceed from the Spirit There are such sparklings of Divinity in those pretious Beams of Light that the spirit sends down into any Believing soul to discover its union that the eye that beholds those Beams of Light see the very Divinity of them he seeth that they come out from God There is such Coruscations or Bright shinings of Heavenly Glory upon those Beams of Divine Light as gives a satisfying discovery that they are from the Spirit of God Those beams of light they bear the Image of God upon them they have in a manner the name of the blessed spirit of Jesus Christ Ingraven upon them that the soul that beholds them even reads the name of the blessed spirit Ingraven there So that those Beams of light by an inseparable property that the Lord hath annexed to them do so discover their Original to be from the spirit of God as they do satisfy every soul to whom they are sent down and make it unquestionable that they are from the Spirit of God Yea the name of the spirit of God is so palinly Ingraven upon those beams of Light that the soul so easily discerns it that all Fears Doubts and Suspitions all workings of Jealousie that those evidencing beams of light are not from the spirit are Banished by their Mighty Power I mean the soul injoying those at that instant while their lustre their Hevenly bright shining Coruscations and Glory continue the soul fears not that they are Delusions he doth not so much as question that they are Delusions According to that in 1 John 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have Received of him abideth in you That is the spirit of Jesus Christ Communicated to you abides in you which is here called the Anointing because according to that in Isa 61.1 2. The pouring out of the spirit of Grace and Holiness upon Christ as Mediatour is called the Anointing of Christ for his Mediatorial Office and so the participating of the spirit by Believers is called the Anointing of Believers to partake of their head Now saith he the Anointing abides in you that is the spirit abides in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teaches you all things and is truth and is no lye The spirit teaches you all things He doth not mean of all truth and the whole Counsel of God for that no believing soul yet understood while he dwelt in Houses of Clay Paul himself understanding but in part but he speaks of the truths forenamed the grand Gospel Truths
distinctions about causes or means that are necessary to be understood for understanding this question By what means the promise is made sufficient to evidence to the soul his union with Christ 1. The soul must understand the distinction between the Principal instrumental efficient cause and the less principal instrumental efficient cause Though there be properly unto every action but one principal cause yet in respect of instrumental causes there may be many things that may have the respect of efficient causes for the producing one and the same thing though there can be but one principal instrumental efficient neither unless it be co-ordinate 2. You must understand That the means or instrumental efficient causes are divided again into Natural instrumental efficient causes and Artificial The natural instrumental cause is that which works by its own natural in-bred vertue that is by a proper disposition of its own and by a power that it hath in it self without dependance upon any created cause though nothing that is an instrumental cause can be said to work by his own vertue in respect of the principal efficient cause 3. You must understand That instrumental efficient causes are to be considered again either as those that are mediate causes or immediate causes The mediate efficient cause is that which contributes something to the producing the effect That is that which hath some influence into the great effect of the souls assurance either directly or indirectly though it be but a far off there being many immediate things that come between that make up the souls evidence The immediate cause that 's the cause that works so immediately that nothing intervenes between the effect which is the souls assurance and the cause That which hath the last stroke as I may say that 's properly the immediate cause That which being once effected in the soul the soul doth immediately and without intermission of time draw the conclusion that he is united to Jesus Christ that 's the immediate efficient cause 4. Instrumental causes are such as either solitary efficient causes or combined efficient causes That is such causes as work by themselves without others to produce such an effect Or else such as work by other causes not without respect There is an efficient cause alone and a concause with another and both contribute assistance to the same thing 5. These efficient instrumental causes are divided again into subordinate causes or co-ordinate causes That is such instrumental causes that though they work together are in a subordination to one instrumental efficient cause Or else such as produce an equal power joyntly together for the effecting the same thing It s then that efficient instrumental causes are subordinate when one hath the supremacy and all have dependance upon one though many things have influence into the same thing And they are co-ordinate when they have equal dependance one upon another one not being able to work without another Now all these distinctions of causes must be understood for a right clear understanding of this question By what means a soul doth attain the evidence of his union Now these things being premised I shall lay down the answer in positive conclusions Answ 1. First I answer directly to the question That there are divers mediate and less principal causes that do afar off help something for the evidencing to the soul his union with Christ from the absolute promise There are divers such causes that are partly artificial and partly natural Of this nature I may reckon up divers As the ministry of the word in the opening and clearing the nature the largeness of the extent and the excellency of those absolute promises to a soul Likewise the dispensation of the Sacraments either of Baptism or the Lords Supper The element of water in one being appointed by Christ himself in the use of it to discover the souls partaking of the death of Christ by being buried in the water And to signifie the souls partaking of the resurrection of Christ by rising out of the water and so consequently communion with Christ in all the effects of his death and life Consequently sealing to the soul that Jesus Christ died for him and lived for him So the other Sacrament the elements of bread and wine being appointed by Jesus Christ to signifie to the soul the breaking of the body of Christ and the effusion of his bloud And the application of those elements to him being elements by which his body shall be refreshed and cleared being appointed to shew the life and nourishment of his soul to be from Christ alone These Sacraments in their right institution may be instrumental immediate causes afar off to contribute to a soul something of his union So Prayer Meditation and Christian Conference enquiring into the freeness of the promise and the latitude of it and every spiritual ordinance of God wherein the promises of God are brought to any remembrance may contribute something to the Souls union with Christ which are properly artificial causes not natural but of a mixt kind partly artificial and partly natural And all these being in this kind instrumental efficient causes they may be said to be means by which the Soul attains the infallible evidence of his union And it is very seldom if I may not say never but God useth one of these means to clear up to the Soul his union with Christ in the absolute promise Answ 2. Secondly I answer That it is commonly â—â—â—eived that there are three more immediate joynt concurring causes to make up to the soul the evidence of his union from the promise Though those forenamed means do work Instrumentally for that end yet there are some that do work more inwardly that are commonly received to be joynt causes working for one and the same end I mean for assuring the soul from the promise of his union with Christ As I. The Irradiation I mean the bright shining light of Faith That is set up as a precious Heavenly Lamp that shines so clearly into the dark soul that it makes the soul see in a sensible way that he doth receive the promise and embrace the Lord Jesus given in that promise Faith gives the soul such a feeling experience that it doth receive the promise of Jesus Christ given even when it is receiving of it his soul graspeth Jesus Christ so powerfully as he feels his arms grasp Jesus Christ in the promise II. There is the Conclusion renewed conscience draws by the strength of spiritual and experimental reasons that the promise is unto his particular soul and that he is united unto Jesus Christ as appears from the promise The truth of it appears from Rom. 8.16 The Spirit of God beareth Witness with our Spirits that we are Sons of God There is a two fold Witness the Witness of the Spirit and our Spirits which can be nothing but the renewed understanding or conscience that gives the Testimony and both of them Witness at one
should be broken unless the nature of God can be taken away and the infinite nature of God become finite Answ 2. I shall answer affirmatively The union that the Lord intends by the revelation of the Gospel to bring your souls to in Christ is according as the scriptures name it five-fold 1. There is an union of agreement or an union of peace made up between Christ and the Soul This is called in Scripture the reconciliation of the soul unto God and unto Jesus Christ Then persons are said to be divided when there are jars and quarrels taken up by one person against another but the removing of these quarrels and controversies between those persons is the making those persons one again Now this is the case between God and the soul there was such a blessed harmony and agreement between the Soul and God in Adam as there was not the least jar imaginable in Gods bosom against us nor in our bosom against God but through our cursed transgression in the loyns of Adam we gave God such offence as he hath a quarrel against all the Sons of Adam and our hearts have a cursed quarrel against God whence we are said to be enemies in our minds Now the union God intends to bring the soul to in Christ is an union of agreement that is the removing all those jars and differences between God and the Soul 2. There is an union of Marriage or a Matrimonial union The Lord hath such infinite bowels of mercy in his bosom toward souls that when they had despised that blessed union with himself that he had given them by creation he will make them better again then they were first made by another union he brings them into a marriage union to make the Soul a Spouse to Christ and Christ an Husband to the Soul and that advanceth them in some measure above the Angels They are but ministring spirits to Christ and to the Spouse of Christ they never had such an honour as to be the Spouse of Christ This union you find frequently in Scripture In Eph. 5. speaking of marriage between man and wife saith he I speak concerning Christ and the Church So Rev. 19.7 and Chap. 21.9 3. There is an union of spirit He will communicate of his own spirit to the soul and make his wife partake of the same spirit with himself that the Saints and he shall be one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 4. There is the union of likeness or similitude between Christ and the Soul That is the Lord by the communication of himself unto the Soul makes it to be a lively patern of himself Thence it is that in Rom. 8.29 he tells us he had predestinated us to be conformable to the Image of his Son Hence he saith 2 Pet. 1.3 We are partakers of the divine nature That is of the same nature that Jesus Christ is partaker of that there should be an union of nature between Christ and the Soul that is an union of holiness That as he did partake of the humane nature he will make his Spouse partake of the divine nature Nay we are said to partake of the life of God Eph. 4 18 that is to live the same life of God 5. There is the union of headship That is to say to have Jesus Christ as his head and to be of the same body with Jesus Christ This is commonly called by men the mystical union because it is an hidden union that Christ and the Soul should be but one Body This union is thus that the soul should be of the number of those Elect that the Lord according to the counsel of his will chose to be vessels to which he would communicate of himself to all eternity Quest 2. How can the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring the Soul thus into union with Jesus Christ How can the manifestation of the mysteries of Gods will effect such a gracious work as this to unite the Soul to Christ in all those ways I answer First negatively Secondly affirmatively Ans 1. We must not conceive that the revelation of Gospel truths are the original principal efficient cause of this union of Souls with Christ as though this union of Souls with Christ did depend onely upon the working of those truths of the Gospel of Christ revealed It is the will of God that is the principal efficient cause of union The Lord hath not left the state of souls to be determined by themselves either by resisting or embracing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and therefore you shall see in the Verse before the Text that the revealing of those truths of the Gospel are said to be according to the purpose of the Lords own will 2. Neither must you conceive that those discoveries of the Gospel do by their own effectual vertue produce this union between the Soul and Christ Faith it self which is the uniting grace by which the union is made up does not produce this union by any vertue or efficacy and proper quality in it self but as God hath determined the revelation of the Gospel and saith wrought by those revelations to bring the soul into union 3. Neither do those revelations of the Gospel to the outward ear work this effect of the Souls union with Christ Thence it is said John 6.45 Every one that hath learned of the Father cometh unto me It is not hearing and learning those truths from the mouth of man that immediately produce those effects but hearing from the Father that is by Gods giving inward beams of light to the understanding whereby he doth discover the mysteries of his will to the soul Ans 2. I answer affirmatively The revelation of the truth of the Gospel doth produce this union three ways 1. By discovering the union with Christ to be attained in the Soul-alluring properties of it It is instrumentally that the Lord useth the revelation of the truths of the Gospel to manifest to the soul that an union is to be obtained and to manifest the excellency beauty necessity and sutableness of that union to the souls present condition whereby the soul is drawn to accept of that union Now in regard union cannot be effected between Christ and the Soul without a discovery that there is such an union to be obtained therefore it is said the Lord by revealing the truths of the Gospel to the Soul does gather the soul into union because this is the onely glass as it were whereby the soul may discover the way of attaining an union between Christ and the Soul 2. By conveying sight to the blinded soul to apprehend that union Though the most Orient bright glistering colours be presented to the eyes of a man covered with darkness they could not take up a mans meditations about them neither could he be affected with them Now the eyes of all men naturally are covered with darkness that though the Gospel hold forth the union yet we cannot be taken up with it nor pass
judgment upon it till the eye be opened Therefore the Gospel presents an union to be obtained and gives eyes to see that union Hence it is said to be part of Christs office Isa 42.6 7. to open the eyes of the blind And thence we are said in 1 John 5.2 to receive an understanding to know the Lord and this is done by the revelation of the truths of the Gospel 3. By infusing a disposition into the will to embrace that union propounded unto the soul in Christ The Lord by those inward revelations doth convey an holy inclination into the perverse obstinate will whereby the will is drawn to consent to the union propounded to the eye of the understanding When once the soul hath received a spiritual eye by those revelations of Gospel truths to apprehend an union tendered to the soul in Christ in the beauty excellency necessity and sutableness of it that very vision of that union with the properties of it doth change the disposition of the soul that wrought in opposition against God formerly and causeth the will to desire that union propounded in Christ The reason is because then by the light communicated to the soul by these truths revealed the soul apprehends that union as the onely chief good and then the will cannot but close with it and embrace it Then by the consent of the will to embrace that union the union is made up between Christ and the soul in the four respects mentioned from whence do necessarily follow the union of likeness and similitude And that is made up from those former unions two ways 1. In regard of the necessary communion that is between Christ and the soul upon those first unions made up No sooner does Christ become a head to the soul and the soul a member of Christ by consent of will but some influences flow from the head to the members now those influences are part of his divine nature part of his holiness 2. The union of likeness follows by the constraining arguments of the understanding unto the souls likeness unto Christ When once the will through the disposition infused into it by beholding the truths of the Gospel of Christ consents the understanding presently draws such arguments from various particulars or adjuncts that always attend the union of the Soul with Christ that thence the Soul is constrained to a likeness to Christ 1. Then the understanding begins to constrain the soul to a remembrance of the intent of Jesus Christ in uniting the soul unto himself Thence the understanding compels the soul to a full conformity to Christ as you may see Rom. 6.5 6. If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death that is if we have partaken of the vertue of the death of Christ we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection If we be like Christ in his death we shall be like him in his life How Knowing that our old man is crucified with him that the body of death might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin That is thus Our understandings arguing and discussing thus If Christ died for us then we have a part in his death then were our sins crucified in his death knowing this by this discussive power of the understanding that our old man is crucified with him That is thus through the apprehension of the Lord Jesus tendered to make satisfaction to divine justice for all the injuries and indignities the soul hath offered to him and the soul apprehending a willingness in the Lord to receive it into union with himself in Christ whereby the will consents to what the Lord propounds to it then the understanding begins to argue thus what art thou united to Jesus Christ then the intent of Christ is that thou shouldest be conformable to his Image and canst thou walk contrary to Christ 2. The understanding constrains from the remembrance of its engagement to be like to Christ First the understanding will urge the engagement of Gods honour If thou beest one of Christs then thou art engaged to hold up the name of Christ to bear the Image of Christ to hold forth the likeness of Christ in thy conversation thou art to be a golden pillar whereupon the excellency of the Image of Christ should be written in great characters Secondly the union of likeness follows by reason of the agreement and sutableness of the likeness of Christ to the souls disposition Through the consent of the will to embrace union propounded with Christ there is such a disposition prevailing in the soul as sweetly closeth with the likeness of Christ and it becomes an intolerable burden to the soul that the heart is so unlike to him Quest 3. Why does the Lord intend by the revelation of the Gospel to bring souls into union with Christ For the answering this question two things must first be premised in general 1. That there is no one act of the Lords will that is the proper efficient cause of another act of his will It is not because Gods will hath determined to bring to pass one thing that therefore the Lord doth also determine to bring to pass another thing as though the first act were the cause of the second act of Gods will for Gods will is God himself and so according to the simple act of Gods will he wills all things together and at once 2. That there is nothihg that the Lord determines that moves inwardly the will of God to determine another thing as the consequent of that It is one of the absolute perfections of the divine Essence that all his operations are dependent in himself yet as some things in the order of the creation are effected by others so properly it may be said the Lord wills one thing for another that is the Lord wills one thing to produce such an end As the Lord wills the Sun Moon and Stars to have an influence into all things below to preserve them in their being and keep the natural vertues communicated to them Though the influences of the Sun Moon and Stars be not the cause of Gods will yet they are willed to that end These things being premised there are divers ends which may improperly be called causes of the Lords intent by the revelation of precious Gospel truths to bring Souls into union with Christ Reas 1. Because the union of God the Father with Souls is effected by and through the union of the Soul with the Lord Christ Col. 1.19 20. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwel and having made peace by the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself It was by the pleasure of the Father that all things should be reconciled to himself that should ever be brought to an union of agreement with God so that the mediation of the Son is that bond of connexion between God and any Soul As in Job 9.33 where Job complains he could not come
with himself Conclu 2. There is as great a fulness of sufficiency in the absolute promise to assure the soul of his union with Christ as there is to give the soul a ground of particular dependence upon God in Christ for union This will appear in two particulars 1. In regard confidence of the particularity of the promise is of the Essence and Being both of faith of dependance and faith of assurance Take away particular confidence of the Lords particular will towards such a particular soul to receive his soul into union with Christ and you destroy the faith of adherence Take away the particular confidence and there remains nothing but a bare general belief of the truth of the promise of God as it is tendered 2. Both the confidence in the saith of dependance and faith of assurance are of one and the same kind Though indeed that the confidence that the soul hath when he once acts faith by way of assurance differs gradually that is in many degrees from the faith of dependance and adherence yet they are both of one and the same kind they are both substantially the same They are but a confidence of the Lords willingness to take his soul into union with Christ he receiving of him Only this differs in a circumstance of time That faith of assurance acts that confidence by way of the time past that the Lord out of his good will alone hath received his soul into union with Christ whereas that confidence that is in the act of dependance or adherence may work thus that it is the Lords will now at this present to receive my soul into union with Jesus Christ Now all men grant that the absolute promise is sufficient to build saith of adherence or dependance upon otherwise you must take away all grounds upon which a soul must believe and you must leave a soul under a command to believe having no bottom upon which to set his faith We shall now proceed to the opening of the second question and that is Quest 2. By what means doth a soul receive the infallible evidences of his union It hath been determined that the absolute promise of God to give the Lord Jesus to every poor despicable loveless forlorn soul that will receive him is the only unchangable ground from whence the soul doth first gather the certain infallible evidence of his union But now saith the soul By what means is the promise made efficacious for this end How comes it to pass that the bare absolute promise of God doth manifest to the particular soul that he is united to Jesus Christ For the answer of this question I must first premise divers things for the right understanding of it and then lay down the answer in positive Conclusions Prem 1. First I must premise That the absolute promise of God hath a fulness of sufficiency in it self to discover at all times to every particular soul in what condition soever under what Temptations in what clouds and darkness soever that the will of God is to receive his particular soul into union with Jesus Christ And that he should accept the good will of God and receive Jesus Christ into union with himself Though indeed the promise works this effect very rarely in souls yet at all times the promise hath that sufficiency in it self and there is no addition made by God to the promise neither by word nor light neither by way of particularizing souls nor by way of comprehensiveness to make it conclude souls Neither doth the soul build upon any thing added to the promise But the promise it self is the absolute ground that the soul always builds upon in receiving evidence from it Now because the promise it self doth not at every time and in every condition manifest unto that soul thus his union with Christ to whom it hath evidenced his union therefore think some souls it is somthing superadded to the promise And some again are ready on the other side to conclude from the position it self that the absolute promise should give the soul assurance of Jesus Christ That it must be from some revelation of God that is added to the promise A kind of revelation of the souls name to be written in the book of life and so the soul should not build upon the word of God but upon some superadded revelation But neither of both these must be conceived But the promise hath always a sufficiency of light to discover to the soul the Lords willingness to receive him into union with himself Only this promise of God or discovery of the will of God to be laid as the Tower of the souls assurance must have a wise Master builder to lay it It is with this foundation as with other foundations when the timber is hewed and squared fit for a groundsel it must have a wise Master builder to lay it for a foundation So the soul must have instruction from the wisdom of God to lay this foundation so as he may see his assurance stand firm upon it Prem 2. Secondly I must premise That whatsoever is imployed by God in a subordination to his will for the effecting any end that is intended by God that 's the means of producing or effecting such an end This I premise that we may understand what is meant by means when we say by what means is this promise made sufficient to give the soul evidence of his union God is to be considered as the primary efficient cause upon which all things have their dependance And all things imployed by God for effecting that are inferiour causes and in respect of God himself they are called means though in respect of created causes some such inferiour causes may be called a principal cause So that whatever is imployed by God for effecting this end of assuring the soul of union with Christ that 's the means by which the promise is made effectual for that use Prem 3. Thirdly I must premise That there are divers and various means that do commonly concur together for effecting one and the same end though they have divers relations unto the end and work diversly for the effecting of it There may be divers kinds of influences from divers things to one and the same end And whatever hath influence into the end comes under the notion of a cause and in respect of the principal cause it comes under the notion of a means So in this great matter of evidencing to a soul its union with Christ there are many things that may and do concur for effecting that blessed end in the soul for enabling the soul to draw from the absolute promise the conclusion that he is united to Jesus Christ though those various things work in a various manner and one have influence into the end and another have another influence and so be looked at as divers in relation to this great matter of assurance Prem 4. Fourthly I must premise That there are four or five
guide you into all truth and observe why for he shall not speak of himself but whatever he shall hear that shall he speak He shall have a Commission from Heaven as it were to lead them into all truth Now in this guiding the soul into all truth there are two offices that the Spirit of God is designed to First the making known of truth to the soul Secondly the application of truth made known First The making known of truth to the soul It is the office of the Spirit to cast in the precious principles of Spiritual knowledge whereby the soul should be any ways apprehensive of any truth This making known of truth to the soul consists in three things 1. In the communicating of Spiritual light to the soul or in giving the soul a Spiritual eye of discerning We are all like poor Bartimeus born Blind The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit for they are Foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Now it is the office of the Spirit alone to make a precious Eye Salve that may restore spiritual sight to the soul and make it capable of discerning truth Therefore it is said in 1 John 5.20 In Conversion we are said to receive a mind to know him that is a disposition to know him an understanding capable of knowing him 2. The Spirit presents truth to that Spiritual eye tâ—â—t that he hath communicated Therefore in Eph. 1.17 The Apostle prays for a spirit of wisdom and revelation Not only a spirit of wisdom that is an internal spiritual habit of spiritual light to discern truth But a spirit of revelation also that is of manifesting the truth unto the Soul 3. In making known spiritual truths the spirit of God removes all impediments that do prevent the discerning of truths presented Though the spirit gives eyes and presents truths there may be such impediments between the Souls eyes and the truth that may prevent the Souls discerning There may be some films or some corrupt humours some film of lust or selfishness that may hinder the sight of the truth Secondly The Spirit makes application of the truth known The first truth that God discovers to a Soul which is his own sin his guilt and danger of condemnation must as well be applied to the Soul by the Spirit as revealed to the Soul by the Spirit Therefore John 16.8 The office of the Spirit is to reprove or convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment to make it clear to the conscience of every particular man that there is a judgment for him that he is one of those sinful wretches that believe not That the Spirit also must make this application will appear in two things 1. In that there should be an equal and proportionable sense of the effects of Sin and Wrath according to the measure and degree of every sinners understanding sin and wrath If it were not the Spirit alone that did make application of the truth made known it could not be then but so far as every Soul did understand what Sin and Wrath was the effect both of the knowledge of Sin and of Wrath would remain in such a heart But alas experience enough teacheth us that many sinners that have large knowledge of the nature of sin and of the consequences and effects of sin which is Wrath and condemnation yet have not the knowledge of this effect in the least manner The effects are two Condemnation in the Souls Judgment Horrour and anguish in the sense of condemnation He that understands sin rightly in the least degree understand it to be damnable therefore the effects of it must needs be condemnation in his own Soul But nothing is more common than for men to confess every sin to be damnable and to confess themselves to be sinners but far off from drawing a sentence of condemnation They will be sure enough of the conclusion though they conclude sin to be damnable yet they will not conclude themselves to be in a damnable condition So if you look upon the second effect that follows the knowledge of Sin and that 's Horrour and Sense of the dreadfulness of that Condemnation Though it may be sometimes a soul goes so far as almost to conclude it self to be in a Damned condition yet far is it from letting it take effect upon his heart so as to lie heavy upon his heart as an intolerable burthen Therefore it is plain not only the revealing of the truth but the application of truth revealed depends upon the Spirit of God The Spirit must say here is thy Sin and yonder is the Pit of Misery before a man can apply those truths to his own soul 2. It must be the Spirit of God that makes the applicationâ— in regard the Terrours and Horrours for Sin are appropriated by the Scripture to the Spirit and to his work alone Whence you shall see Rom. 8.16 Fear is said to be the work of the Spirit of Bondage You have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear that is the Spirit of Bondage again working Fear and Anguish and Vexation of soul in respect of the guilt of Sin 2. The Spirit alone must be the principal efficient cause in evidencing to the soul from the promise his union with Christ in regard of the Spirits particular and peculiar office that it is appointed unto by Jesus Christ The Spirit hath its office and that is to Comfort and Refresh the souls of the peculiar ones of Christ Hence the name of the Spirit is the Comforter John 16.17 Now this being the peculiar office of the Spirit of Christ to comfort those that are the the Members of Jesus Christ it must needs be that that must needs be the principal Instrumental efficient cause in revealing to the soul his union with Christ in the promise And that will appear in two things 1. In regard the Word of promise alone is the ground of all Consolation unto the souls Faith Now the Spirit should give souls but small comfort could he not give them Comfort unto Faith did not the Lord reveal the everlasting Inheritance to be theirs everlasting Union and Communion with Christ to be theirs and then let them see Holiness in them to be a drop of the Inheritance that the soul shall feed it self with to Eternity the Comfort were but small 2. In regard it must be by appropriating the thing promised that the promise is able to afford any Consolation There must be two things for the soul to receive comfort from the promise Propriety and Security The Soul must see propriety or else no love at least no satisfaction to the heart and while there is not the satiating of the soul there is no comfort Comfort is the content the soul hath in beholding his desired satisfaction Now whatever the soul sees it satisfieth not till it hath a propriety in it And till there be a security