things being thus cleared the question that the soul propounds cannot stand The question was whether it was not from the sight of the condition to which the promise was made and fulfilled in the soul that the soul did conclude his right to the promise and so had his evidence of union with Christ There being no condition in the whole Covenant of Grace to which God hath made any promise it cannot be that it should be from the sight of any such condition that a soul should have his evidence of his union with Christ But then the question will be resolved into this question Quest But saith the soul Doth not the Lord first reveal those graces that he describes his own people by to be in souls and then through the sight of them clear to souls that he hath given them the Lord Christ out of his own good will alone through the promise And so it must be through the sight of such graces as God describes to be in his people that a soul must see himself to be one of Gods people Answ 1. Now to this I answer First That the Lord doth reserve to himself his own liberty concerning his own particular word from whence he doth reveal to souls infallibly their union with Christ The Lord doth not bind himself from a revealing unto souls their union with Christ by some word describing the Graces of the people united unto Christ nor from some word only inviting souls unto Christ Answ 2. Secondly I answer That the Lord doth not evidence unto souls their union with Christ without the sight of those graces in some measure or degree that the holy Ghost describes the Lords own people by When the Lord reveals his own free gift of Christ to the soul he doth reveal to the soul his willing accepting of Christ so given And that 's all one as if I should say the soul sees his own faith and so consequently doth see such graces to be in his soul Answ 3. Thirdly I answer That the Lord doth never reveal any Graces of the Spirit to any Soul as the ground or cause of evidencing unto the soul his union with Christ There are two things intended in this First That the Lord never reveals those graces in souls to be that which gives the soul right to the promise of the gift of Christ The Lord never manifests unto any soul that because there are such and such holy dispositions or precious heavenly qualities that he hath communicated to him that therefore he is enclined towards him and is willing to confer the Lord Jesus upon him or to accept him into union through Christ But the Lord reveals himself willing to accept souls into union with himself in Christ as they are considered under the notion of poor despicable worthless Souls without the least good disposition or holy inclination that can possibly be imagined in their hearts Secondly The Lord never reveals those Graces in the Soul to be the foundation of the Souls assurance That is the Lord doth not manifest to the Soul that because there are such Graces or such precious habits in his Soul therefore upon the sight of those the Soul ought to believe the Lords free sender and free gift of the Lord Christ to it The Lord doth not make those Graces to be the foundation of the Souls faith So that the Souls hope and comfort should rest upon the sight of those Graces that God should discover to be communicated to the Soul And that will appear in two things First If the Lord should cause the Soul by discovering Graces to be in him to bottom its hope upon the sight of those Graces then should the Graces of the Spirit in the Soul be the object of Faith and so Faith should not be the evidence of things not seen but rather the evidence of things seen Now the Scripture never propounds any holy quality in the Soul to be the object of Faith considering the quality as being inherent in the Soul It is out of all question the Scripture propounds believing without the sight of any of those qualities as that which every soul ought to seek after with his greatest strength John 20.29 Secondly Should the Lord manifest Graces to be in Souls first so as to bottom the hopes of their union with Christ upon the sight of those Graces then the Lord should not settle the faith of such Souls upon an immutable unchangable ground The Spirit it self in all its workings both in regard of the person in whom it works in regard of the manner and time of such workings is well compared by Christ to the wind that bloweth where and when it listeth And so all the graces of the Spirit and the workings of those Graces may be said to be changable things and should the Lord ground the Faith of a Soul upon a changable ground he should walk contrary to his revealed will Heb. 6.18 he hath given two immutable grounds his word and oath the Lords will is there should be everlasting constant unchangable grounds upon which every act of Faith should be built in relation to the Lord Christ that there may be unmoveable and unchangable consolation Answ 4. Fourthly I answer That the Lord may and doth to some Souls reveal Graces to be in them before he doth evidence unto their Faith their Union with Christ The Lord may manifest that there is some poverty of Spirit some broken heartedness for Sin some precious change before he doth assure unto their Faith their Union with Christ But then there are two things to be noted for the clearing of this conclusion First That the Lord doth not reveal the truth of such Graces to be in such a Soul unquestionably so as to enable the Soul to conclude from thence the acceptance of his Soul into Union with Christ The dreadfull storm of fear and terrour that may be risen upon the soul may be much alayed but alas there will be many a wave go over the Soul still Secondly That the evidence of the truth of those Graces in the Soul holds equal proportion with that evidence the Lord gives to Faith of the Souls Union with Christ or of the Lords free gift of Christ to him The evidence of the truth of those Graces and the evidence unto Faith runs parallel together They are dark and clear together holding one equal proportion And therefore untill God assure the Faith of the Soul that he is willing to accept him into union with Christ the Soul hath not an unquestionable assurance of the truth of those Graces that are in his Soul Answ 5. It is not the discovery of Grace in a poor doubting Soul but the discovery of the Lords absolute uncontroulable will to receive a Soul into union with the Lord Christ that is the ground from whence the Souls Faith is assured of his Union with Christ that is the ground from whence the Soul is assured of his Union with him Now this
II. Every such Soul is chosen perpetually to behold the Brightness of his Majesty and Glory in Beholding the Glory of Jesus Christ as Mediatour 1. They are chosen to behold the admirable Mystery of the Union of the Divine Person to the Humane Nature That which is now an Inexplicable Mystery to the Believers Eye shall then by Gods choosing them to behold his Glory be Discerned 2. It is chosen to behold all the bright Beams of Glory that appear in the Mystical Union of so many Lost Rebellious Sinking Perishing Souls to the Lord as to one Head 3. Every such Soul is chosen to behold the Transcendent Perfection of the Secret Love of the Lord Jesus to such Unlovely Sinners while they were altogether Loveless while they were altogether Abominable matter of Loathing to his pure Eyes III. Every such Soul is chosen from Eternity to attend upon the Royal Majesty of Heaven in his Sacred Palace that they may behold his Glory in the Brightest manner 1. He is chosen to behold those bright Beams of Majesty and Glory in a positive way 2. It is chosen to behold the Beams of his Transcendent Majesty and Glory in an immediate way There will be no need of Speeches to Represent the Lord to our Understandings as there is now 3. It is chose to behold the Brightness of the Lords Majesty and Glory in a Simple Pure way Not relatively or by Relations as Gospel Embracers for present behold the Light of the Lords Glory As when we conceive of the Glory of the Majesty of Heaven we conceive of him as the most absolute Monarch of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is but Relation but we shall then see the Lord in a sutable way even as he is 4. It is chosen to behold them fully Not to behold the Reflection only but the Sun it self of Glory 5. It is chosen to behold them everlastingly Hence the Soul may discern God to be engaged by his highest Relation of his own Eternal Contentment to perfect both Union and Communion between himself and every Unlovely Sinner that shall and will accept Gospel Discoveries seeing every such Soul as shall accept Gospel Discoveries is Designed by himself from Eternity to be one of his Royal Attendants in his Sacred Palace that should behold the Brightness of his Majesty and Glory Now before I can pass from this second work of the Spirit upon Souls There are Five or Six things that every Soul of us must remember least we misunderstand the manner of the Spirits irradiating the Gospel unto Souls I. We must observe That the Spirit of the Lord doth in a different manner cause these Glorious Beams of Divine light to shine forth from the promise into dark Souls The Spirit in this Blessed work of Irradiation of the Gospel unto dark Souls doth to some reveal only some of those Pretious Soul Ravishing Beams of Light that you have heard opened To others he causeth more abundance of those Pretious Beams of Light to shine into the heart And from hence various Souls have various Degrees of this assurance of Faith and various Degrees of Joy and Peace slowing forth from that assurance of Faith II. You must also observe concerning this work of Irradiation of the Gospel That the Spirit doth manifest those Beams of Divine Light from the Gospel in different Degrees of Clearness unto Souls III. You must also observe that the Lord doth in a different degree continue the manifestation and Irradiation of the Promise or of the Gospel unto different souls I speak still of those souls that do receive through the spirits Irradiation of the Gospel some assurance unto their Faith of their union with Christ IV. You must also understand that the spirit doth reveal the substance of all this Heavenly Light the Sum and Compendium of all that you have heard and cause it to shine into souls from the promise This the spirit doth cause to shine into every soul that attains unto any degree of assurance of Faith Though the spirit works variously in regard of the clearness of revealing what it doth reveal and variously in regard of the time and continuance of its manifestation of that Heavenly Light unto souls yet those pretious Beams of Heavenly Light that the spirit causeth to Glitter forth from the promises unto souls are of necessity to be revealed unto every soul that attains unto any assurance of Faith V. We must observe that the spirit of the Lord doth out of his own infinite Wisdom select the particular truth of the Gospel whereby he will assure any particular soul of his union with Christ Though those particular Beams of Divine Light mentioned be in the substance revealed to the Faith of every soul to whom the spirit gives union yet the particular wherein the spirit makes the Brightness the Glory the Lustre the satisfying and Over-powering Glory of those Beams of light to appear to the souls eye these are selected by the Wisdom of the spirit it self though it is but the substance also or the effect of those particulars whereby we have revealed those Beams of Divine Light to you VI. You must observe that the spirit doth reveal or manifest all the bright shining of Divine Light from the promise at one and the same moment to the soul when it draws forth the souls Faith unto acts of assurance The spirit may be Instructing the dark soul many Years in the Pretious Mystery of the Gospel of Christ before it raiseth the souls Faith unto assuring acts and may be increasing the strength of the souls confidence gradually in every Ordinance in all those years But yet wherever the spirit draws out the God believing Dispositions that it hath infused into any souls to act by way of fulness of confidence then the spirit presents all this Pretious Light of the Gospel at once and gives the soul one Glorious view of it Thirdly the spirit of the Lord proceeds from Illumination of the soul and Irradiation of the Gospel to the soul to Conviction The Spirits Conviction of the Conscience From the Powerful Efficacy of that Divine light infused into the understanding and the Precious Concurrence of the sweetest light of manifestation of the Gospel unto the Light Inherent ariseth a Powerful Inward Conviction of the Conscience According to that in John 16.9 10. The Spirit shall reprove and convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment It shall Convince the World of Righteousness that is of free Justification of Despicable Forlorn Guilty Sinners through the Lord Jesus alone This Conviction of the soul or of the Conscience it is a clear Unquestionable and Infallible Demonstration given by the spirit to the doubtful soul of the Lords Will that even that his particular Forlorn Worthless Stubborn soul shall be received into the nearest union with himself in Christ Or rather it is a Commanding Power of the Spirit of God exercised upon the soul whereby
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
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
any further than the spirit concurs with the Light Revealed Now 1. The spirit causeth the soul to be filled with a Holy Complacency in beholding the Pretious Divine Light that the Gospel Reveals 2. The spirit moves an insatiable Thirst in the soul after the continuance of that Pretious Divine Light shining from the Gospel into his Poor Obscure Heart 3. The spirit melts the Heart by the beholding that Light that the spirit puts into it so as the Heart is made most pretiously Tender and Pliable and Flexible to the Blessed Will of God in every thing 2. The Spirit impels constrains the Soul to believing strongly The Lord rules in the heart of believers by the Royal Scepter of his Word but not as the Word is barely revealed unto a Soul in the letter of it but as the Word is brought into the heart by his own Spirit And therefore when the Spirit sways not the Scepter of the Word in their hearts the word looseth its Imperial Royal Authority that it hath over the Soul and so the Soul lies not under so strong an Obligation to any Duty as it doth when the Spirit brings the Word to the heart 3. The third Act is the inabling the soul powerfully to believe According to that in Phil. 2.13 By him we receive both to will and to do that is both the disposition and the Act of the Disposition both an inward bent of Spirit to believe and power also to act that Disposition This is that mighty Power that works in those that believe Eph. 1.19 So that the Soul that could only Believe waveringly that it was the Lords will to receive his despicable loveless Soul into union with the Lord Jesus shall by the powerful ability of the Spirit infused into the Soul by the Spirit be able to receive it fixedly to believe it undoubtedly unquestionably without the least inconstancy for the present that the blessed God of Love will out of his own free love accept his despicable loveless Soul into the nearest union with the Lord Jesus and himself through him That is the exciting work of the Spirit There is now the fifth and last work of the spirit unto souls for that end to be opened which is the spirits Attestation to the soul The Spirits Attestation that is to say his Witnessing unto the soul that it shall be certainly Infallibly in its Cleaving to Lord Jesus admitted into Union and Communion with him It is the good pleasure of the Lord not only to shew the immutability of his Counsel concerning believing souls and the infallibility of their acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their souls cleaving to him but it is also the good pleasure of the Lord to shew more than Sufficiency the Unchangableness of his Counsel to such souls According to that Pretious place Hebr. 6.17 The Lord willing more abundantly to shew the Immutability of his Councel Ex Abundanti as Beza Translates the Original The Lord having a Pretious good will to shew in a way more and beyond what was necessary to believing souls the Impossibility of their souls failing of Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their cleaving to him he doth therefore now add his Blessed Spirit to be the Comforter of Believing souls not only in a Degree that is necessary for them for which end all those four former Effects of the spirit upon souls were appointed but the Lord appoints the Spirit to be a Comforter beyond what is necessary And therefore after the Spirit hath given to Believing souls a clear Evidence of their Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus so as thereby the spirit had filled their souls with strong Consolation Yet the Lord appoints the Spirit to add a higher work which is its Attestation This Attestation of the Spirit is that you shall find Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye Believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise Or as the Word may be rendered In whom Believing ye were Sealed which Imports the neer Conjunction of these two Blessed works of the Spirit or the immediate following of the Spirits Attestation upon the Spirits Excitation of their Souls to Believing And this work of the Spirit is that you find also in 2 Cor. 1.21 22. Now he that Establisheth us with you in Christ and hath Annointed us is God who hath also Sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts And this you shall find also Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Spirit of God by which you are Sealed unto the day of Redemption And so Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirit thaâ— we are the Children of God Now least any should question whether the Spirit doth thus work in a Witnessing way it would be necessary to clear the Interpretation of most of those places from some other Glosses that are Frequently put upon them It is true say some the Scripture speaks of the Sealing work of the Spirit unto Souls but the meaning of the Spirit of Truth is only that by Graces and Holy Dispositions that the Spirit Communicates unto Believing Souls it doth confirm Souls in the certainty of their Acceptance into Union with Christ So that by the receiving of the Spirit by Beliveâ—s spoken of in the Scripture of Truth is only meant Believers receiving the Precious Working of the Spirit in their Hearts in Holy Habits and Dipsositions For Answer I must acknowledge that by the Spirit is frequently meant in Scripture the Holy Dispositions infused by the Sanctifying Spirit into Believing Souls And I must acknowledge also that the Graces or Holy Habits infused by the Spirit in Believing Souls are spoken of as Witnesses unto Souls of their Union with Christ And indeed it is questionless that an effect may Witness its own proper cause And the Scripture speaks expresly that the works of God are Witness of God Act. 14.17 And so Christs works were Witnesses of his Godhead John 5.36 Yet this is not that which is primarily intended in the former Scriptures by the Spirits Sealing the Believing Soul which may appear to you by two or three Reasons I. In regard the Spirits Sealing the Believing Soul is declared to follow the Souls act of Believing in order of Nature As in Eph. 1.13 In whom after ye Believed ye were Sealed Or In whom ye Believing were Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now all the Pretious Holy Habits that the Sanctifying Spirit Infuses into any Soul are in order of Nature Infused before there is any Believing act in the Soul Though the Believing act in a Believing Soul may be Contemporary that is at one and the same time yet the Infusing of all the Holy Habits and Dispositions into the Soul must be conceived to have a precedency in order of Nature before there can be a Believing act I confess some and those learned ones too have imagined that the Sanctifying Spirit should work as an external
agent an outward agent upon the Soul in the first act of Believing and then take up its Habitation in the Soul through the Souls Believing in the Lord Jesus But reason it self is sufficient Confutation of those Imaginations Reason will tell us of an Impossibility of a man meerly Unregenerate to put forth an act meerly Spiritual Reason will tell us an Habit or Disposition must go before there be an act a Tree there must be before there can be fruit And then also the Spirits Sealing of the Believing Soul being declared to follow at least in order of nature the Souls Believing it cannot be that by the Spirits Sealing spoken of in these Scriptures should be meant the Infusion of the Spirits Graces into the Soul it must be something besides the Graces Infused II. All kind of Holy Habits or Dispositions that are Infused into any one Believing Soul are Infused in order of nature before the Souls Believing Now if the Spirits Sealing were only the Infusion of the Spirits Grace then every Believing Soul should have the same Seal of the Spirit whereas experience brings Testimony enough to the contrary III. The Spirits Sealing mentioned in those former Scriptures is Attributed in a particular manner to the person of the Spirit The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirits It doth not say only the Spirit which might have been meant the Graces of the spirit but the spirit it self even by a personal act the spirit attests to us that we are the Sons of God So it is also in Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after ye Believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance It is Translated Which but it is most agreeable to the Original to say Who is the earnest of our Inheritance The relative being in the person of the spirit not the Gifts of the spirit So that it stands as an Undoubted Truth that the Lord doth add unto Believing souls for their abundant Consolation even a Witness from his own Blessed spirit of their admittance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their cleaving to him besides all those other Blessed necessary works of the Blessed spirit upon their souls Now I must further Observe that this Attestation of the spirit doth not pertain peculiarly and solely unto Faith as having reference unto Faith only and to the begetting of assurance of Faith But by Divine Appointment this Witness of the spirit pertains also to sense to spiritual sense or spiritual Knowledge and doth beget assurance of Sence and Feeling as well as it begets assurance of Faith Yet there is such a sweet Mixture in this Blessed work of the Spirits Attestation that it doth at one and the same time raise the soul to assurance of Faith and Assurance of Sense and Feeling And indeed such is the nature of the spirits Attestation that it never bears Witness to the souls Faith in any measure of clearness that the soul in its Cleaving to the Lord Jesus shall be admitted into Union and Communion with Christ but the spirit bears Witness at the same time to the souls sence that it is actually admitted into Union and Communion with Christ Yet because we are speaking at present of the manner how the spirit doth first reveal to the souls Faith certainly and infallibly his Union with Christ and so assure the souls Faith of Union we must first speak of the spirits Attestation unto the soul in reference unto Faith Though we must also for opening the full work of Attestation open the manner of the spirits Attesting to the souls Sence and Feeling For the opening the first the spirits Attestation in Reference unto the souls Faith to assure Faith of its Union The Spirits Attestation unto Faith I shall open to you two things First Those Respects in which the Lord doth appoint the spirits Attestation to be added to all the former works as a Redundancy of his Mercy and Love to the Despicable soul Secondly We shall open what the spirits Attestation to the souls Faith is For the first There are four or five Respects why the Lord adds this work of Attestation to the souls Faith after he hath perswaded the soul to believe thus powerfully with Confidence I. In respect of the Multitude of fears that remain in the Believing Soul after the clearest Evidence of the Gospel unto the soul and the most full perswasion of the soul by the spirit to Believe There are three kinds of fears that still remain in some degree both in the Seed of them and in the Fruit of them though none of them remain in their absolute Dominion 1. There is both the Seed and Fruit of Slavish Fear Though through the Mighty Exciting Power of the spirit following the spirits Irradiation and Manifestation of the Gospel to the soul it is raised to a fulness of Confidence of the Lords Acceptance of his soul into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Cleaving to him yet there is not a perfection of Confidence And it is only perfect Confidence that begets perfect love and only perfect Love that casts out Slavish Fear 2. There is a pure natural fear that still remains The matter of Believing is of such high concernment that the very remembrance of it strikes the soul with some natural fear It is the venturing the pretious Immortal soul for Eternity and unless there were a Perfection of Confidence a soul cannot be void of fear 3. There is a Spiritual Holy fear that remains also in the Believing soul after the strength of Believing The souls Vision of Union and Communion with Christ Inflames the Believing Souls Heart with Love unto Union and Communion And proportionable to the degree of the Souls Love so is the Souls fear That is to say the Soul fears the loss of Union and Communion in the same degree wherein he loves Union and Communion and this fear is exceeding prone to go beyond its Bounds and to suspect the loss of it where there is no cause of Suspition II. The Lord adds this Attesting work of the spirit to souls In regard there is a natural Distrust that in some degree remains in every Believing soul though raised to a fulness of Confidence There is not only an Indisposition naturally in the soul to give Credit to the Blessed Word of the Majesty of Heaven by reason of its Inability fully to comprehend the reason of the Lords fulfilling such a Word into his Bosom But also there is a natural Disposition in dwelling in every soul that Inclines the Heart strongly to give the Blessed Majesty of Heaven the Lye to distrust that Blessed Record that the Lord bears of his own Son III. There is a Holy Jealousie that possesseth every Believing Soul least his Corrupt Deceitful Heart should Delude him Every Believing soul is so conscious to himself of a Multiplicity and Variety of Couzening Deluding Tricks that his Corrupt Heart hath put upon
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
spirit of Jesus Christ is only the spirit of light whatever Holy Dispositions whatever Pretious Heavenly Quality any Believing soul shall discern in it self it must be discerned by a Beam of light from the Spirit of Jesus Christ Secondly The second thing to be opened is That the light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to the soul its union with Christ is the most Potent Invincible Demonstration of its own proceeding from God which begets the most Certain and Infallible knowledge in the soul of his union with Christ That pretious light of the spirit of Jesus Christ doth so clearly discover it self to be from the spirit of Christ that there can be no reason that can make any Addition or Increase of that pretious clearness It shines so brightly with the very Image of the spirit of Jesus Christ upon it as nothing can make it more manifest to be from the spirit than its own light This will appear in divers particulars I. In regard that Beam of light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to the soul its union with Christ discovers nothing but what is infallibly true Not only what is infallibly true in it self but it discovers nothing but what is infallibly true to the souls Apprehension to whom it doth discover it Now when the Principles of a Demonstration are infallibly true then hath it the first property of the highest and most Potent Demonstration II. In regard that light which discovers the first light of the spirit to be the light of the spirit doth also again Evidence it self to be the light of the spirit also Now that 's the highest demonstrative Reason to prove that any thing proceeds from God that is to say that it is discovered by the spirit of God Now that light of the spirits first light doth plainly demonstrate that to the soul that it comes from the spirit of God So that there is no other Medium no other reason that can be imagined higher to prove that the first light from the spirit that discovers to the soul its union with Christ was from God III. In regard it is the most evident perspicuous discovery of those beams of light to be from God that can possibly be given Every reason from whence any Conclusion is Collected must be clearer and more evident than the Conclusion it self Now it is only the light of the spirit of Jesus Christ which is more evident and clear than the Conclusion it self drawn that the Evidences are really from God So that if it were possible for a higher proof to be made of the certainty of the beams of light that discovers to a soul its union with Christ of the certainty of their being from God then this very light that these Beams of light contain in themselves then there must be some light clearer than the very first light that proceeds from the spirit of light and manifestation whose office it is to discover all things to the soul IV. In regard it is that light only that can truly inforce or cause the Conclusion to be drawn that the Beams of light that did discover to the soul its union with Christ were from God Now that 's the highest kind of demonstrative Reason to shew the truth or reality of any thing when the principles that is the reasons from whence the Conclusion is Collected are the cause of the Conclusion Now thus the light of the spirit was those Beams of light that discovered to my soul its union with the Lord Jesus was really from God why because they came from the spirit of God Such Premises as these to say what the spirit of God reveals and discovers that must of necessity proceed from God doth even force the Conclusion to be drawn Whereas nothing else hath so much power in it to cause the Conclusion to be drawn as that light that proceeds from the spirit Now from these things opened you may hence take notice that every soul to whole Faith and Sence the spirit of Christ hath truly Revealed their union with Christ have full satisfaction clear undoubted satisfaction concerning his union with the Lord Jesus in all its most Serious Deliberate Meditations and Contemplations So that so long as those Pretious Beams of light from the spirit do remain actually shining into the soul there is no kind of Doubt Scruple or Darkness in the soul about its union with the Lord Jesus So that any soul that hath received this truâ—… discovery from the spirit of light both unto Faith and Sense of his union with the Lord Jesus need not inquire for any more proofs than his own soul possesseth at that instant that God and his soul are one through Christ § Secondly The second Instrumental cause that shines into any heart really from God to discover to that heart his union with Jesus Christ is the Lords Pretious Word That Heavenly light that shines into any dark and doubtful heart to reveal its union with the Lord Jesus to it clearly is only a pretious spark that sparkles forth from the Pretious Burning Lamp of the Lords Written Word And it is the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ that doth as it were Incense and Inflame that burning lamp of the Lords Blessed Word and cause it to send forth those Blessed sparks into dark hearts And it is that same Blessed spirit also that enlightens those dark hearts to see discern and behold those sparks that that burning lamp of the Lords Word send forth So that the spirit of Jesus Christ and the Written Word are but Concauses that joyntly and sweetly joyn together to enlighten the Doubtful soul and clearly reveal its union with the Lord Jesus So that the soul hath for his assurance the hand of the ever Blessed God and the Testimony of God that it is his own hand He hath that secret light that discovers it self to be of God which discovers to the souls faith his union with Christ and to his sense the truth of his own believing act And hath the Written Word which is a Letter Written from the Almighty to loveless souls that bears Witness also to the same thing So that then the second reason next to the prime reason that the light that the soul receiveth proceeds from the spirit of God is this that the soul beholds it clearly shine forth from the Lords Written Word But to clear this there must be two things opened First That a believing soul ought to receive the light that discovers to him his union with the Lord Jesus from the Written Word of God and ought to receive that light as certain and infallible because it shines from the Written Word Secondly That the Lords Pretious Written Word doth discover to particular believing souls their particular union with the Lord Jesus both unto their Faith and unto their Sence First It must be cleared That a believing soul ought to receive the light that discovers to his soul his union with the Lord Jesus from