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
that thence it appears the word of God doth speak and declare as particularly to a believing soul his union with the Lord Jesus as if it did speak to any soul by name for that light that discovers to the souls sense and feeling or knowledge his union with Christ is but the discovery of the truth of his own heart in believing the written worb speaks as plainly to a particular souls sense and Knowledge his union with the Lord Jesus that is declares to him that he doth particularly believe as it doth declare to any particular rebellious obstinate sinner that he particularly doth sin the word saith whosoever walks thus or thus transgresseth the will of God now this speaks to every particular soul so sinning Que. But the soul may say how can a soul know that those Books of the Old and New Testament are the Lords own word May there not be some mixture of men That the Scriptures are the writen word of God Answ For answer to the question first negatively secondly affirmatively I. Negatively I answer that the soul cannot be assured by all the powers and possibilities of men no not by any created power that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the written word of God Though I deny not that the testimony of men may give some kind of ground to the soul to believe it and I fear the greatest number among us have no other ground yet no testimony of man can assure the soul sufficiently that these are the Lords written word the matter contained in the written word of God is altogether spiritual and therefore it must be a beam of spiritual light that must satisfyingly and sufficiently discover to a soul that the spiritual matter is the truth of God and did proceed from God 2. All the most exquisite reasoning that the most elevated wits of man can extract are not sufficient to demonstrate satisfyingly unto a soul that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the written word of God himself indeed If it were so then the wisest of men should have been ready to receive the word of God as the word of God whereas the Scripture testifies the most wise have been most oppsite to receive it 1. Cor. 1.26 Scribes and Pharisees the wisest of the People were the greatest opposers to our dearest Redeemer 3. The written word of God barely and simply taken without the Mighty Power of the spirit conrurring with the Word is not able to demonstrate it self to be the Word of God Questionless if it were then whoever had been partaker of the Written Word or had heard the Word Preached that is Written must in like manner have given credit to it whereas the Scripture Testify that when Jesus Christ himself spake of those things he had wrought some Opposed and Blasphemed But then I answer affirmatively I. That the Blessed Spirit of God only is able to demonstrate Clearly Evidently Satisfyingly and Infallibly unto a soul that the Written Word of God is the Written Word of God This the Apostle affirms directly 1 Cor. 2.9 to 12 that the spirit had Revealed those things to them which they by the Power of Reason could never comprehend And that all the things given to them of God are Revealed by the spirit to be so given And the Written Word of God is none of the smallest gifts of God to his people Therefore consequently it reveals that also to be given to them So likewise he affirms that it is the Spiritual Man that Judgeth all things that is of truths that is it is only the Man Begotten by the Spirit of Jesus Christ unto God and led by the light of that Blessed spirit of Jesus Christ that is able to Judge of Truths to Judge what Truths have their Original from God and to Judge what have not their Original thence It is the spirit also saith he that searches the deep things of God that discovers the very Mystery of God to them so as to make the Divinity shine forth in them Whereas the most heightned reason of the Accutest Sons of Adam can discern nothing but Foolishness in the deep Mysteries of Godliness v. 14. And indeed were it not the Testimony of that Blessed Spirit to a Believers Heart that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the Lords Written Word that they have their Original from the Lord himself then the Foundation of Believers Faith were not a Divine Authority neither could a Believer say in believing any truth contained in those Books that he knew whom he hath Believed with a Relation to God himself II. When that ever Blessed Spirit doth reveal to any Believing soul the Written Word to be the Written Word of God then the proper light of the Written Word it self shines forth so gloriously as it discovers it self also to be the Lords Word That is to say the matter of the Lords Written Word appears to be so Transcendent so far surpassing the Capacities of weak men yea the quality of the Word appears to be so Holy so Pure and Undefiled so contrary to the Powers of Hell and the Kingdom of the Devil and so contrary to the Tyranny and Dominion that mans Corrupt Affections naturally desire to bear over him yea the quality of the Word appears to be so Unspeakably Unconceivably excellent that the soul sees infinite reason even in the Word it self to perswade it that it is the Lords Word Yea the manner of the Written Word speaking the very Language it speaks favours so much of Heaven that it appears to the Believing soul to be so Cloathed with Power and Irresistable Authority it appears to have such properties of God himself peculiar unto God Soul-Searching Heart-Dividing Properties finding out the Secrets of the Heart that then the Believing soul is Compassed about with Reason Cloathed in with Reason that appears shineing from the Word it self that satisfys the Believing Soul that it is the Word of the Almighty Majesty of Heaven Divinity is then every way Ingraven upon the Written Word in the Believer So that as the spirit in its casting the Pretious Heavenly Light into the Beliving soul did Write his own name upon those Beams of light and made them appear to the soul to be from the spirit So likewise in the souls discerning the light also to proceed from the Lords Written Word there is the name of God Written upon those Beams of light also that the soul knows as well as believes them to proceed from God himself seeing they shine forth from that Word of his that the soul believes with Confidence yea so Satisfyingly and so knowingly to his full contentment it is the Word of the Blessed Majesty of Heaven Would you know you that are Confident this day that a light did shine into your souls to satisfy you concerning your union with Jesus Christ whether this union be from God or no Would you be assured as well to knowledge as to faith that you
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
A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST Wherein is Declared What this Vnion with Jesus Christ is And many False Grounds of Vnion Discovered In which these Two weighty Quest are largely handled viz. I. How Souls do attain the first certain infallible Evidence of their Vnion with Christ II. How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying Evidence of their Vnion with the Lord Jesus may know certainly and infallibly that their Evidence of Vnion with Christ received is really from God and not a Diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a Delusion from the Devils Translation of himself into Angelical Glory By J. L. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 London Printed for J. Hancock at the Three Bibles in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil 1680. The Contents The occasion of the words and opening of them Doct That the purpose and intetns of God in discovering the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the Sons of men is that he might gather together their Souls into union with Jesus Christ that by vertue of their union they might be one with the Father as he and Christ are one p. 5. Three Questions answered Quest What is this union with Jesus Christ What is it to be one with Jesus Christ Answered 1 Negative 2 Affirmatively p. 6. Quest 2. How can the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring the Soul into union with him Answered 1 Negatively 2 Affirmatively p. 9. Quest 3. Why the Lord intends by the revelation of the Gospel to bring Souls into union with Jesus Christ Two premises and 4 answers p. 14. Use 1. Of information in 9 particulars p. 19. Use 2. By way of admonition p. 23. Wherein three great miscarriages of Souls in attending upon Gospel Ordinances are opened Quest Is union with Christ the first intent of God in revealing Gospel truths Doth not the Lord require there should first be a mortifying of corruption a drawing the heart from sin that there should first be a mortifying of corruption a drawing the Heart from sin that there should be a cutting off from the old stock that it might be magnified into the New Vine Jesus Christ Two Premises the Answer p. 24. Use 3. Of Examination Whether we be united to Jesus Christ Four things to urge the necessity of knowing it p. 29 This great Question propounded Quest How shall I know whether I be united to Christ or no Or what is it that may evidence the Souls Vnion Answ 1. Negatively The Souls Vnion with Christ cannot be evidenced these ways 1. Not from any work of the Spirit of God that is effected in or upon the Soul p. 32. 2. Not by any thing inherent in the Soul p. 34. 3. Not by any thing done or effected by the Soul or that can be effected and done p. 38. 4. Not from the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the union of the Soul with Christ cleared in Three particulars p. 45. Some Questions Answered before the Affirmative Answer Quest 1. Whether all those Evidences from something thus inherent in themselves and done them by the Spirit of God be rotten and unsound and no Evidences p. 47. Answered 1. Negatively 1. They are no Evidences of Faith p. 49. 2. They are no Evidences of Knowledge p. 49. Answ 2. Affirmatively those may be improperly called Evidences are Evidences of Opinion p. 50. Five things to be noted about Evidences of Opinion Quest 2. Why doth the Scripture propound the Souls obedience unto God and its love unto God as Signs and Evidences of the Souls union with Christ p. 56. Quest 3. To what purpose are all the Promises made to Qualities inherent in Souls and to the workings of the Spirit of grace in hearts seeing union with Christ cannot be evidenced from it Answered p. 60. Quest 4 Are not the Promises made to Faith and believing as believing that through Faith only a Man can claim right to the Promises Answered p. 66. The use of conditional Promises opened in Four particulars p. 69. Answ 2. The affirmative Answer How a Soul may know his Vnion with the Lord Jesus Four Premises p. 71. The Question must be concerning assurance of Faith and not of knowledge It divideth it self into two Questions 1. How Souls do obtain the first certain infallible Evidence of their union with Christ 2. By what means 3. In what manner Quest From whence do Souls obtain infallible Evidences ef their Vnion with Christ Answ There is but one only proper ground substantially and that is the Lords own free promise cleared in Three particulars p. 80. Quest But it is not from the sight of a Condition to which the Lord hath made some Promise of Christ that a Soul receiveth the infallible evidence of his Vnion p. 82. Vnder what notion the Promises that seem to be made to Conditions are to be understood in 5. particulars p. 87. Two things to clear those Texts that seem to make the Promise run upon Conidition opened in many particulars p. 91. Quest But doth not the Lord reveal first these Graces that he describes his own People by to be in such 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 from p. 96. to 105. Quest How can the Lords absolute Promise be the ground from whence the Soul can have the first infallible evidence of his Vnion seeing there is no absolute Promise of God wherein he discovers his own will to accept any one particular Soul into Vnion with the Lord Christ Answer p. 105. Quest 2. By what means doth a Soul receive the infallible evidence of his Vnion Four Premises the positive Answer p. 113. 118. Three joynt concurring Causes and what they are p. 119. That the Spirit of God is the principal most immediate cause of the Promises evidencing to the Soul his Vnion with Christ p. 123. Cleared in 4. particulars Quest 3. In what manner doth a Soul receive the first infallible evidence of his Vnion with Christ 5. Premises p. 130. The Positive Answer in opening Five Effects that the Spirit of God doth produce in every Soul to whom it doth manifest his Vnion with Christ from the Promise 1. The Spirits Illumination 2. The Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul 3. The Spirits conviction of the Conscience 4. The Spirits excitation 5. The Spirits Attestation or Witness unto the Soul p. 132. 1. The Spirits Illumination p. 133. This consists 1. In the infusion of greater degrees of Divine light into the Soul 2. In the removal of all Impediments these are of Two sorts I. Principles of Darkness of which there are 8. opened in many particulars p. 136. to 178. II. Dark Distempers Six of them opened p. 178. to 233. 2. The spirit
that are pressed so violently unto prayer as they will neglect their callings to multiply duties of prayer I question not though such excitations come from conscience to urge them yet they are originally from the Devil himself And certainly many a soul hath found the sad effect of the Devil in it in causing the soul to be weary of all duties and to cast them off Now in regard the original of the souls works that it performs is thus questionable whether they have their original from the souls union with Christ or from one of these false principles Thence these works are not sufficient in themselves to manifest the souls union with Christ The question must first be answered whether these duties flow from union with Christ or no before the other question can be answered whether those works be the proper effects of union And till that question be answered the soul can never conclude from his works that he is united to Jesus Christ 4. Nothing that is done by the soul can manifest the souls union in regard the union of the soul with Christ cannot be concluded from works as a necessary truth grounded upon an unchangeable and infallible reason That is the great distinction between opinion and knowledge That knowledg is the apprehension of a truth flowing necessarily from an unchangable ground whereas opinion flowes onely from a probable ground Now the works of the soul can never be an unchangeable ground from whence the soul can conclude himself to be united to Christ in three regards 1. In regard no work simply considered in it self without respect to its original can be concluded to be a fruit or consequence of the souls union The same kind of work may be performed from a false original as well by vertue of influences from the Devil into our hearts as from God Therefore till it discern that the original is from Christ that it was by the very motion and stirring of Christ in the heart that the work was done the soul cannot conclude it to be a consequence of his union Now so long as the work cannot appear to be a consequence of the souls union there can be no infallible ground to conclude that he is united to Jesus Christ 2. In regard no works can manifest union but such as are the peculiar and inseperable effects of the souls union with Christ Now no soul can discern his works to be the peculiar inseperable effect of union unless he can discern and conclude his soul shall continue and persevere to the end in those works But now no Soul can discern or conclude from any thing but from a promise of the God of truth which is only unchangable that he shall persevere in any Holy work whatever and no Soul can lay claim to any promise till he can claim right to Union with Jesus Christ therefore no Soul can see his perseverance in any such work till he see his Union with Christ 3. In regard the Judgment that the Soul passeth upon those works is a deceivable Judgment The heart being a bottomless depth that is unsearchable the nature of all his works cannot be discerned by the weak capacity of the Soul thence the Soul cannot draw that conclusion from them as a certain consequence of his Union with Christ Ans 4. Neither can the Union of the Soul with Christ be thus evidenced from the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the Union of the Soul with Christ I do not mean that the Union of the Soul with Christ may not be evidenced by the revelation of the nature and manner of the Union of the Soul with Christ The Lord Christ doth ordinarily through those Revelations of his truth cause the impression of truth to remain upon Spirits The Lord by revealing to Souls a Union to be attained by Christ ordinarily draws Souls into Union and by declaring the nature and manner of the Union doth ordinarily discover to Souls thus their Union with Christ Yet the nature and manner of the revelation of the Union considered in themselves is not enough barely considered in themselves to manifest the Union And that will appear in three things I. Because those outward Revelations reach no higher than Reasons eye Now while the light of Truth pierce no farther than the eye of Reason the right Consequences of it are never effected in the Soul That 's the reason that the revelation of the sweetest perswasions of God to allure Souls into Union take no effect upon the Heart of knowing persons because those outward Revelations reach but to Reasons eye and therefore they must hear and learn of the Father before they come to Christ John 6.45 In the same manner is the Revelation of the Union to Souls United as insufficient to satisfy the Soul concerning his Union as those other Revelations of the Lords will to draw Souls into Union 1. In regard the truth to be apprehended which is the Souls particular Union with Christ is far beyond Reasons Comprehension Now while the light reacheth no higher than to Reasons eye Reason not being able to comprehend the truth needs must the truth be inefficacious 2. All the Wranglings and Objections of the Soul against his Union remain in full Power notwithstanding those Revelations to the eye of Reason Till a higher light be set up in the Soul to be Lord Controler as it were of Reason the Soul is never able to believe that is to receive Christ into Union II. In regard those communicate no light to the eye to which those truths are propounded As it is at first in the Lords Conviction of a Soul by the truth the outward revealing of it is insufficient in regard there is no light by those revealings to convey it to the Souls eye for though the truth be made clear and apparent the eye is still blind therefore the Soul is not Convinced So it is in revealing to the Soul its Union the Revelation is insufficient in regard there is no beam of light comes to the Souls eye And though the eye of the Soul have received light from Heaven yet the light to discern the Souls Union must be a new light III. In regard United Souls that fully understand both the nature and manner of Union may be and are frequently yet unsatisfied about their Union Questionless poor Heman in Psal 88. knew well what it was to be accepted of God in Christ and to be one with him and yet was far from apprehending himself to be United but gave up himself for a dead man David when he made that 22 Psalm typically speaking of Christ though applying it to his own condition knew well enough what it was to have the Lord to be his and did hang upon him yet he cried out fearing God had forsaken him Now if the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the Souls Union with Christ were enough to make the Soul understand its Union then there were no united Soul
of faith building upon the certainty of the Lords word Pre. 2. We must know that the Scripture doth make a distinction between assurances of souls union with Christ As in 1 John 4.16 Saith he We know and believe the love of God the father to us He makes a twofold assurance an assurance of knowledg and an assurance of faith Now indeed both the assurance of knowledg and the assurance of faith may in a large sence be called the assurance of a souls union with Christ in regard they have both the properties of knowledg Knowledg is the gathering of a necessary truth from some unchangable ground Now in both these assurances of knowledg and faith the knowledg of the souls union with Christ ariseth as a necessary truth from an unchangable ground The word of God is the unchangable ground from which the soul by the assurance of faith gathers the conclusion to himself that he is united unto Jesus Christ And the beholding the peculiar inseperable effects of a souls union with Christ is that unchangable ground from whence the soul gathers the assurance of knowledg Pre. 3. Thirdly that both the assurance of faith and knowledg are for the most part associates or companions in the same soul at one time They are for the most part cotemporary that is accompanying one another that when one is in the soul the other is in the soul that when a soul hath assurance of faith he hath also the assurance of knowledg And that for a three-fold reason 1. In regard those graces that are the ground of a souls assurance of knowledge are witnessed or declared by the Spirit of God to be given to the soul Whenever the Lord reveals from his own word unto a soul his willingness to take his particular soul into union with the Lord Christ the Lord doth at the same time witness to the soul his willingness to confer and bestow upon him all the grace his soul wants all the holiness the hungry or empty soul is breathing after He doth at the same time assure the soul he shall have love and delight in God he shall have poverty of spirit and strength over corruption 2. Through the assurance of faith those graces that are the grounds of the souls assurance of knowledg are begotten immediately Now in regard these are thus necessarily begotten thence it is the sight of them cometh to be apparent in the soul at the same time that the sight of a ground for assurance of faith is apparent in the soul 3. The lively workings and motions of all kind of graces are excited and stirred up in every soul by or through the Lords revealing unto the soul a ground for assurance of his faith of his union with Christ It is then the soul mourns for sin more sweetly and melts more preciously in the bosom of God than ever before though it may be there have been some heart-breakings under the sense of his wretchedness formerly It is then the soul is truly poor in himself and loaths and abhors himself more than ever before Pre. 4. Fourthly though they be at the same time for the most part in souls yet the assurance of of faith is the first according to order of nature in the soul For it is impossible there should be infallible evidences of the souls union with Christ drawn from his own graces when there is not some unchangable ground manifested from God unto the soul for the assurance of faith So that the assurance of faith in a right orderly way never flows from the assurance of knowledg but the assurance of knowledg flows from the assurance of faith And that arises upon these two grounds 1. In regard it must be the manifestation of the ground of assurance of faith unto the soul by God that doth procure a ground of the assurance of knowledg in the soul That appears thus The grace or love or favour of God is the ground of the assurance of faith Then the Lord doth draw the the soul to assurance of faith when he doth reveal to the soul his own particular grace and favour to take it into union with Christ out of the meer disposition of his own will alone for no other respect whatever but for his own sake Now the grounds of the assurance of knowledg are the effects of the grace of God revealed or the fruit of it Now those are begotten in the soul not by grace but by the manifestation of grace in particular unto the soul It is through grace revealed that grace hath its right proper effect in a soul and according to the measure of the grace of God revealed to a soul it hath the measure and degree of effect According to that in 1 John 3.2 We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is That is when we behold him through that sight we shall be transformed into the Image of God For the clearing of this you may consult with divers places as John 15.16 Saith Christ You have not chosen me but I have chosen you He doth not mean that they had not chosen Jesus Christ now at present as their portion but they did not choose Christ first But the manifestation of Jesus Christ choosing their souls first is the ground of the souls choosing Jesus Christ And according to the light revealing to a soul Jesus Christs choice of him so is the degree of strength wherewith the will closeth with Jesus Christ in the choice again Now the choice of Jesus Christ is the first act of any habit of grace that ever any soul brings forth There is no gracious act truly graciously acted by any soul till the will of the soul be drawn in upon the sight of the Lords choosing him to union with himself upon which the will also chooseth Jesus Christ into union with him And again you may consult with that known place in 1 John 4.19 Saith he we love him because he first loved us Not that from the essence of Gods love their love did proceed though that be true but from the manifestation of Gods love Now as the Apostle tells us Gala. 5 6. Faith worketh by Love The very first operation of the habit of Faith towards Christ is by love The soul at the same time it reacheth out a hand of Faith to grasp hold of Christ it reacheth out also an hand of Love unto Christ Now then observe the Graces and workings of Graces being the only ground for a soul to gather assurance of knowledge from and those Graces not being begotten in a soul but according to the degree of the Lords manifestation unto souls a ground of assurance of their union with Christ Thence it is that assurance of Faith must needs in order of nature go before the assurance of knowledge 2. The effects of grace which are always the grounds of the souls assurance of knowledge remain dark and hidden and obscure to the
soul when the grace of God that is the favour of God to the soul remains obscure and doubtful The truth of graces appears most clearly from their Original from whence they spring from the root upon which they grow in regard other Fruits may have so near a resemblance to them as they cannot be discerned by the eye of the soul that hath so much darkness in it whilst it remains here below But when the original of grace appears when the soul sees his love flowing meerly from the love of God to his soul that even because of Gods love to the soul therefore the soul loves God again it is then that love appears in the soul to be of the right stamp and indeed never till then So that till the love or poverty of spirit or mourning for Sin appear to the soul it self to be that which is the proper effect the proper consequence of the souls union with Christ the soul cannot be satisfied that his graces are of the right stamp Now in regard the effects of grace are doubtful when the grace of God himself to the soul is obscure and hidden Thence it is that the assurance of Faith must go before in order of nature the assurance of knowledge though for the most part not in order of time Now these things considered when you ask how the soul may know his Union with Jesus Christ The question must be concerning this assurance of Faith and not of the assurance of knowledge for you presuppose your selves not to have any union Therefore observe what question you ask you ask how you may gain an assurance of Faith that your particular souls are united unto Jesus Christ Now this question will divide it self into two questions First how souls do attain the first certain infallible evidence of their union with Christ Secondly How souls that do conceive and judge and estimate themselves to have attained their union with Christ may know whether their union be true whether their evidences be right evidences or whether they be delusions The first question must resolve every poor doubting scrupulous soul about his Union But now observe such souls cannot expect satisfaction from me about the union of their souls nor from any thing that man or the Wisdom of man can reveal unto their souls And that will appear in these four respects 1. In regard the producing Faith in the soul is an act of Almighty Power As you may see Ephe. 1.19 When he prays that they might understand the hope of their calling he prays also that they might understand and know the exceeding greatness of his Power to those that believe according to the working of his Mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead It is called a work of the Lords Power and a Mighty Power that is a Power of God as God as an incomprehensible essence For it was no other Power than the Power of God as God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and the Holy Ghost parallels that Power that draws the soul to believe with the Power of the Godhead 2. The producing the consequence of Faith of assurance in the soul is also another mighty work of the Power of God The consequence is the peace and Harmony in the souls bosom the setling of the poor tossed soul in his own wished for Heaven Now the begetting such Peace in the soul is ascribed to the Power of God Isa 57.18 19. He creates Peace Creation is a work that is proper to God alone as he is God as he is the infinite Divine essence Creation is to make something of nothing and therefore beyond the Power of all Creatures whatever 3. It must be a supernatural Divine light that can reveal to the soul the ground of the assurance of Faith Therefore you shall see Ephe. 1.17 18. how the Apostle desiring that those Ephesians might be brought to understand the depth of the Covenant of grace in their souls he prays to God that he would send into their Hearts the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that they might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints What is the hope of his calling That is what are the things hoped for and propounded as the objects of hope in the Lords calling souls You see there is a necessity both of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Not only of a Spirit of Wisdom that is of an habit of Spiritual Life and understanding infused into the soul but of a Spirit of Revelation that there might be a light of Revelation from the spirit to discover those deep hidden things unto the spirit of understanding that the Lord hath infused into the soul Now all the Revelations of man unto your souls scrupulous about your union can reveal no more than an external and outward light to the outward eye of your understanding And thence it is your scrupulous souls can receive no satisfaction about your union from any thing that can be revealed by man unto your souls But I pray mistake not I do not say the soul may not receive any satisfaction through that as a means but rather I affirm that through those Revelations of truths unto the eye of the natural understanding the Lord doth communicate true light into the spiritual understanding The Lord strikes in with the revelation of truths and puts light upon truths and puts light into the soul to receive those truths 4. In regard the Lord hath appointed a peculiar Officer for that end and hath designed that work of satisfying souls about their union for that Officer as peculiar to him alone Thence you shall see the Lord hath given the Officer a name sutable for that end which is the Comforter John 14.26 and commonly he is called as well by that name alone as the Spirit of God Now the office of the spirit is to lead into all truth John 16.13 and it must be truth that is some revelation of the mind of God that must give such souls satisfaction about their union Now in regard of all this it is evident that souls scrupulous about their union cannot expect satisfaction from any thing revealed by any man to their Souls but only so far as the resolution of this question will give them satisfaction and that 's in two things First in revealing to their Souls the insufficiency of their commonly supposed grounds from whence they seek for evidence of their union Secondly in raising their eyes of expectation to the right original of evidences of union We shall now proceed to the answer of this great question How souls attain the evidence of their union with Christ And yet before this question can be answered it will divide it self into theee Branches First from whence or from what ground souls do attain the infallible evidences of their union with Christ Secondly by what means do souls attain the evidences of their union
to crediting what God propounds by these means 1. The spirits represents the expressions of the Lords love to the soul in the latitude and fulness of them It makes it appear to be so full so compleat and perfect a love as there is not the least imaginable cause of jealousie And surely this is the very intention of the Spirit of God in so often heaping up expressions upon expressions in setting out the love of God in Christ the Spirit of God doth even rise to the highest kind of expressions that is possible in this way for this end seldom names the grace of God that is to say the love of God but he calls it riches of grace nay abundant riches and the exceeding riches of his grace 2. The Spirit in this case reveals the Lords strong confirmation of all those expressions of his love The Spirit reveals how the Lord hath bound himself to the performance of all those expressions of love in the latitude and fulness of them to every Iota and point to the least tittle 1. The Spirit reveals the Lords promise of faithfulness in the expression of his love Then in Hos 2.19 God tells the Church I will betroth thee unto my self in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies 2. The Spirit reveals the Lords confirmation of it by his own hand writing All the Scriptures are given as the hand writing of himself only for the manifestation of the sincerity and integrity of the heart of God in the love he intends to Souls The very end of writing all the Scriptures is primarily to draw Souls to believe and secondarily to believe gradually more and more to perfection till they come to this full assurance of Faith The whole Scriptures of the Lord and New Testament are but one blessed letter of love sent from heaven by God written by the blessed Secretary of heaven the blessed Spirit of God The Inscription is nothing else but this My love to poor loveless rebellious souls through my dearly beloved Son the Lord Jesus The whole matter is nothing else but this Come in and embrace my love 3. The Spirit reaveals that the Lord hath added his oath to it Heb. 6.17 And this he doth that the soul may receive the strongest consolation from the Lords intentions in the reality of his love 4. The Spirit reveals the Lord hath confirmed it by Witnesses 1 John 5.7 8 9. The glorious Trinity the three persons in one Essence they are Witnesses to it Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are Witnesses in Heaven and the Water and Blood are Witnesses on Earth 5. The Spirit reveals that the Lord hath confirmed it by Seals The common broad Seals I mean the Sacraments that are outward Witnessing signs or Confirming signs of the Lords intentions of love to Souls in the Lord Jesus What is the Lords Supper but a meer confirming sign to confirm the Soul in believing the Faithfulness of God and his loving Souls in Jesus Christ To witness to the Soul thus much that as surely as he seeth the Bread broken as he seeth the Wine poured out so surely did the glorious God of Heaven and Earth send the Dearly Beloved of his own Soul cloathed with an humane nature to have his Body broken and his Blood poured out that thereby there might be an union with himself for such a rebellious Soul Nay the Lord hath given his privy Signet which is the Seal of his own Spirit that his Spirit should assuredly Witness and Seal up unto Souls his love in receiving them into Union with the Lord Jesus 3. The Spirit reveals the nature of God himself to the soul It is not the knowledge of what God hath said but the knowledge of what God is in himself that causeth the soul to trust in him Psal 9.10 They that know thy name will trust in thee That is they that know the Lord indeed while the nature of God is unknown unbelief of necessity bares rule in every Soul 4. The Spirit of God reveals the Lords removal of all causes of suspition or Jealousie whatever concerning the Lords faithfulness and love There are but two general grounds of Jealousie First Some experience of the unfaithfulness of God Now the Spirit hath prevented the least imaginary ground this way in regard the Lord hath never failed in performing to the uttermost all the love he expressed hitherto Secondly The second ground of Jealousie must be some fear of the Lords taking dislike of the Soul because of the Souls unfaithfulness to God Now the Spirit of God reveals to the Soul the Lords removal of all grounds of suspition by shewing the Lord intends not to take any mislike from loving of souls whatever imaginary wickedness the Soul should commit against him That is the Spirit reveals the Lords declaration of passing by the treachery and filthiness of the Soul or remembring its iniquity no more That is the Spirit reveals the Lords constant acceptance of Souls after treachery without respect to the treachery to diminish his love for it Jer. 3.1 5. And lastly The Spirit of God reveals the Lords pressing urgent perswasions invitations and commands to a fulness of confidence of all the love to poor Souls that he hath expressed to them Thereupon the Spirit comes to argue thus Wilt thou not trust the Lord that knows his own love and compassions best of all He alone knows himself and thou art not able to comprehend him The light that thou hast is but a small spark saith the Spirit of God to that great light that dwels in him and wilt thou trust to thine own spark of light rather then to the fountain of light Hereby in all these ways the Spirit of God removes this Jealous Distemper plucks out this Beam from the Souls Eyes and brings the Soul into a precious believing frame This is the First part of the Fourth Distemper that the Spirit of God must remove and that is the Jealousie of God There is a second Branch of this Jealousie or a second way how this Distemper of Jealousie works and that is as it works towards the Souls own heart The Devil endeavours to make the Soul Jealous of his own heart and would have him suspect that his own wicked heart cannot receive the will of God rightly and to make it fear it should close falsly if it should think of receiving the blessed will of God This Distemper of Jealousie is hardly healed because it hath so strong a hold it comes under the shape of Godliness It hath a pretence of the greatest sincerity and integrity that is possible it tells the Soul it is a sign of sincerity to be jealous of its own deceitfulness it tells the Soul it were a sign of presumption if it were not jealous This Distemper we shall endeavour to discover and for the clearing of it you must conceive that I do not condemn all jealousie in a Soul There are divers kindes of Jealousie that the
embrace the loveless Soul that makes the bowels of the Soul yern towards Christ again 4. The Soul must discern the sufficiency of the promise to assure the Soul of what it longs after Now it being of necessity that all these must be discerned in the promises of acceptance of the Soul into union with Christ before the Soul can be satisfied from the promises that he is united to Jesus Christ an hours view or a days view in an ordinary way I mean unless the Spirit cast in superlative light extraordinary will not suffice a Soul to discern all these through the promise II. This inconstancy in the Souls resolutions exposes the Soul to the violence of all temptation This will appear in three things 1. In regard the sword of the Spirit to fight against the Temptations with is made void The sword of the Spirit is the pretious word of God Eph. 6.17 Now the Soul being unsettled in his own determinations concerning the truth of the Word of God to his own Soul in particular he hath no pretious use of that pretious sword the Word of God to resist the tempter with 2. The habit of Faith is weakned I mean the readiness of the disposition of Faith to be in exercise is in a great measure hindred The Heart is more indisposed to the exercise of Faith by how much the seldomer Faith is drawn out to exercise 3. Carnal reasonings of the Heart grow strong The more any corruption prevails the more strength it gets Sin is never decrepit the older it grows the stronger it grows Thus carnal reasoning of the Heart growing old by the constant prevailing over the Soul it grows stronger All these concurring a Soul is in a dreadful measure exposed to the tyranny of all Temptations First Temptations that batter down the hopes of Election Secondly Temptations unto slavish fear and dread and horrour of execution of present vengeance Thirdly A Soul is exposed to the power and violence of that temptation that it is wicked abominable presumption for his wretched Soul to have a thought that God will be willing to accept him in Christ III. Through that inconstancy the Devil himself is provoked to tempt It is observed in Scripture that the rule the Lord gives concerning our fighting with Satan is to resist and the rule concerning fighting with sin is fleeing 1 Pet. 5.9 Now it is thought it is upon this occasion the Lord gives this rule because fleeing gives the Devil advantage and makes him more violent in his temptations There is nothing that gives the Devil discouragement in tempting but a sight of an impossibility of prevailing IV. The inconstancy of the Soul in these resolutions and determinations prevents the increase and growth of all the knowledge of Jesus Christ You shall observe in 2 Pet. 3.18 That the Holy Ghost urging the Saints to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he gives them an admonition to take heed they fall not from their own steadfastness intimating thus much while their Souls remain unstable in receiving and giving credit to those pretious Truths of Christ that were revealed there could be no growth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ V. This inconstancy of the Soul doth leave it like a lost one in a meer wilderness It leaves it wandering in devious paths it knows not whither When the Judgment of the Soul is thus unstable concerning those pretious principles forenamed the Soul is left without a Pilot without a Compass so that the Soul knows not how to steer its course to the pretious haven of happiness So that this distemper must be healed before the Soul can discern its union with Christ Now the Spirit heals this distemper two ways 1. By vouchsafing a clear and full manifestation to the Soul of those pretious forenamed principles by casting in such a high degree of divine light as makes the truth of those forenamed conclusions out of question It is according to the evidence the Soul receives of a truth that the judgment is settled either more or less firmly upon it Now the Spirit doth so manifest those pretious Truths and so clears the Eye as it seeth them without scruple and then the Judgment begins to be settled with some firmness upon them 2. The Spirit heals it by a continuation of the first manifestation of those Truths So that a fulness of evidence of the Truth that the Soul concludes upon remaining in the Soul the Soul remains in a fixed settled way cleaving and sticking to those Truths so concluded upon Now thus you have the second work of the Spirit in that first general effect of it upon the Heart opened which is the removal of all impediments that hinder divine light and you have seen what beams of the principles of darkness and also what dark distempers are pulled out before the Soul is fit to discern the light of Jesus Christ held forth Now the third work of the Spirit in this illumination is the Spirits acting by its own power the Divine light communicated to the Soul It is necessary not only that a Soul receive a faculty from the Spirit but also the acting of the faculty too Though all acts of the renewed man be firmly the acts of the Mind yet they are originally the acts of the Spirit it self So that also in this case concerning illumination there is a necessity not only that the Soul hath a seeing Eye but that it must also have the seeing of the Eye from the Spirit Though the Soul hath an Eye disposed to see the divine light that the promise discovers yet there must come in a power from the Spirit also whereby the Soul may be inabled to act that very power received As it is in the cleared Eye it hath a fitness to see any colour but it must be acted by the rational Soul otherwise the inward disposition of the Soul effects nothing that 's the reason the Eye sees not in sleep because the rational Soul is bound up as it were in its operations Thus it is with the divine man though influences be communicated from Jesus Christ to the Soul that the Soul hath a spiritual Eye rightly disposed to see spiritual objects yet there must be also the Spirits power to act that very Eye that is so disposed to see the spiritual object So that thus the Spirit comes in by a renewed power and as it were blows up those holy sparks of divine light that are communicated to the Soul and makes them to work in their own proper natural way to make them see that pretious divine light that the promises of the Lord discover to the poor dark Soul Thus you see the first work or the first effect that the Spirit of God hath upon Souls towards the revealing to them from the promise that they are united to the Lord Jesus The Spirits Irradiation II. We are now to proceed to the second work of the Spirit upon Souls in
the evidencing to them from the promises their union with Christ and that is the manifestation or Irradiation of the promise it self or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ There are two ways how the Spirit doth reveal any thing to a Soul The 1. is by infusing of divine light The 2d is by manifesting the object to that divine light It is not sufficient light communicated to the faculty of discerning that inables it to discern a thing presently but there must be also an enlightning and manifesting of the object to be discovered unto that light communicated The most acute Eye that is of the greatest perspicuity and clearness can discern nothing any further then the things themselves are presented to them So that the Spirit in evidencing to the Soul from the promises must cast as it were beams of light some kind of holy rays from the promise it self upon the Eye as well as light into the Eye to discern the light that is cast upon the Eye That 's the reason that a Soul at one time shall discern the very Heart of Christ towards him in the promises or in the Gospel and at another time looking upon the same Word the same promise with the same diligence and yet it not so much as giveth a sufficient ground for an imperfect hope or an act of Faith in way of adherence and this is from a different manifestation of this Irradiation of the Spirit unto the Soul Now this manifestation or Irradiation doth consist in two things 1. The Spirit presents the Gospel or the promises to the Soul We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 There must be as well an application of the object to the Eye as an application of the Eye to the object and yet both must be also by the Spirit of God Therefore John 14.26 it is put as a part of the office of the comforting Spirit or the evidencing Spirit to bring the pretious things that Christ had spoken to his Disciples to their remembrance again 2. The Spirit doth evidence the promise or the Gospel that it hath presented to the Eye It brings it to remembrance and then opens it and reveals the very nature and intent of it You must conceive there is a twofold evidence of things there is an evidence of narration and an evidence of the matter it self Now the Gospel is always evident in matter of narration that is as spoken from the mouth of God in his written Word But the Gospel is very inevident in regard of the matter or of the thing it self it is an hidden mystery so dark a riddle as cannot be found out without the help of the Spirit it self Now though the evidence only of narration of the Gospel be sufficient to excite the Soul to act Faith by way of adherence and recumbency upon God yet it is not sufficient to excite the Soul to act Faith by way of assurance Divers things there are in the promise or in the Gospel that the Spirit doth evidence to the Soul when it is revealing its union with Christ First beam of divine light First It presents and evidenceth to the Soul the Lord Christ fully unquestionably and everlastingly taking away all sin and wickedness from every Soul that shall embrace him You shall observe Rom. 8.33 34. that it was through the knowledge of this that the Faith of Paul took wing first to mount above in a tryumphant way saith he what shall we say to these things What things Things that he had before spoken of in the beginning of the Epistle especially Chap. 5. where he had made it appear clearly That where sin did abound grace did much more abound super-abound abound without measure in that Grace did triumph over sin through Jesus Christ Now saith he what shall we say to these things He stood in admiration at the thoughts of it and then began to say Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Here Faith began to triumph from the knowledge of Christs compleat removal of all sin from every Soul that did embrace him Now the Spirit evidenceth divers things to the Soul for the clearing of this I. The Spirit makes it evident that the Lord Christ took upon him to be surety for every Soul that would embrace him He became the surety of the new Covenant Heb. 7.22 The Spirit makes the Soul discern that Christ stept into his Father to undertake to be bound to pay all the debts for every Soul that shall hereafter embrace him And herein the Spirit is wont to evidence two things concerning the suretyship of Christ 1. That Christ undertook to be a surety of the whole Covenant for Souls That he undertook to fulfil all that Justice or Mercy it self should require to be fulfilled for those Souls for whom he undertook 2. That he became such a surety as he undertook to pay the debt alone Hence Isa 49.8 he is called the Covenant it self Intimating that the whole Covenant concerning taking away sin is only between God the Father and Jesus Christ Hence it is said 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses to them II. The Spirit evidenceth that Christ as Mediatour stood in the relation of a common person and took upon him to represent all the persons of those that should hereafter believe on him so that whatever satisfaction he should give to his Fathers justice in regard of sin should be not only in stead of satisfaction to be given to the Father by the Souls themselves but also to be done as it were in their stead to be accounted as if they themselves had given satisfaction This the Spirit may evidence from the promise from some such place as 1 Cor. 15.48 which shews that Jesus Christ stood as a common person in stead of all those that should believe on him as Adam the first man stood as a common person to represent all those that should come out of him Or from such a place as that Rom. 5.14 where the old Adam is called a Type of Jesus Christ that was to come The second thing the Spirit clears is the things themselves done by Jesus Christ in those relations unto Souls as he stood as a common person and as the surety for those that should hereafter believe on him I. Therein the Spirit cometh to clear the effusion of the Blood of Christ the offering himself by death as a sacrifice for sin Thence you shall observe the first thing Paul instanceth in when he lets his Faith look upon the removing of all Sin is Christ dying saith he in a holy Triumph of Faith who shall condemn Why Christ hath dyed As if he should say how shall either carnal reason or conscience or unbelief or Justice or Law or Hell or Devil bring any accusation against our Souls seeing Jesus Christ hath died he hath offered up himself by death as a
the full salvation of Souls through his pleading The Father ordained him to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek hence he as an high Priest is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Then the Spirit reveals the things done by Christ in his intercession as a surety Two things there the Spirit reveals First That by Christs intercession as a surety for Souls there is a vertual continuation of the sacrifice of the Blood of Christ for the satisfaction of the Fathers Justice Now from thence the Spirit brings in full evidence for taking away all sin from every Soul that shall embrace Christ in regard the satisfaction is continued in the Fathers Eye Thence it is observable Heb. 8. comparing vers 2 3. with vers 12. That the Apostle from the meditation of the continued Priesthood of Jesus Christ ministring in Heaven doth conclude the firmness and stability of the new Covenant there mentioned in the latter end of the Chapter and concludes from thence Gods remembrance of sins and Iniquities no more Secondly The Spirit evidenceth that through Christs interceding as a surety there is a continual suing out of the benefit of the satisfaction of the Father by his death for sinful Souls according to their necessities Hence you may observe in 1 John 2.1 That the Apostle directs those believers that should sin to be acting of Faith upon Jesus Christ as he was a present advocate with the Father 4. The Spirit manifests to the Soul's Faith from that beam of light in the Gospel that the Lord hath everlastingly removed all sin from all that shall embrace him That the Lord Christ in his intercession with the Father for the perfect Salvation of those that shall embrace him doth plead for nothing but what the Father himself and of himself is as willing to give to those Souls as Jesus Christ is willing to ask it at his Fathers Hand Therefore in Isa 53.10 The whole work of Salvation that Jesus Christ was to accomplish for Souls is called nothing else but the Fathers pleasure The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands Now this the Spirit clears up convincingly and satisfyingly that the Father is altogether ready yea that the Fathers bowels do as much yern after the full Salvation of those that embrace the Lord Jesus as the bowels of Christ himself who is the Head of those Souls Now the Spirit may and doth sometimes evidence this parallel willingness of the Father in these three things First The Spirit clears it that an amity and oneness comprehends all kind of near relation in it and manifests that those that embrace Christ are admitted into unity with the Father himself to be one with the Father According to that in John 17.21 22. That they may be one as thou and I are one and that they may be one in us as thou Father art in me and I in thee Secondly The Spirit may evidence that the relation between the Father and Souls is the very foundation of all relation between Christ and those Souls And therefore there must needs be as great willingness in the Father to accept Christs pleading for perfect Salvation as there is in Christ to plead for it So that though Christ have those that embrace him ingraven as it were upon his Heart yet it was there ingraven by the Hand of his Fathers love John 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me They were made mine because they were first thine Thirdly The Spirit may manifest here that the willingness of Christ to plead for them proceeds from the willingness of the Father that he should so plead that he should become an intercessor Christ in all his pleadings is but a Priest which Priesthood is but an office to which God the Father had ordained him Heb. 5.5 The Spirit evidenceth that Christ in his intercession with the Father for the perfect Salvation of those Souls that shall embrace him pleads for nothing but what he hath power to command to be effected As in Psal 2.6 7. He hath set his King upon the holy hill that is as he that God the Father hath appointed in his own stead and room as Mediator to dispence all things communicable to dispose of all according to his will only God the Father will be acknowledged as a Father to him and he to be a Son therefore the Lord saith in the next verse Ask of me and I will give thee it shall be by intercession yet John 5.22 All judgment is committed to the Son still and he hath the power and command of all Therefore you shall read John 17.24 in that prayer that is the pattern of his intercession in Heaven for Souls he prays thus Father I will that those that thou hast given me be with me he prays as it were in a commanding way Second beam of Divine Light There is a Second beam of the same Spiritual Heavenly light that the Spirit doth necessarily also cause to shine resplendently before the enlightned Souls Eye before Faith can receive such full assurance as to work by way of fulness of confidence and assurance and that 's this The Spirit doth evidence from the Gospel or from the promise The Lord Christs unquestionable willingness to embrace every poor lost sinner that is willing to embrace him Indeed the Lord Christ doth primarily embrace lost sinners into the bosom of his love and joyns them everlastingly to himself yea and compleats the relative union between himself and their Souls whilst they are meer patients altogether under an impossibility of any such Spiritual action or so much as any concurrence with the Lord Jesus in the compleating of the relative union But this union remains invisible till by the vertue of this passive or this relative union the dead Soul is inabled by actual believing actively to close in union with the Lord Jesus and to embrace him to be one with him And therefore to the least degree of the knowledge of a Souls union with Christ of necessity the Spirit must present the Lord Christ with his pretious everlasting arms of love to embrace such loveless sinners as will embrace him that thereby the Soul may be satisfied concerning the object that he believeth and may close with the Lord Christ propounded and make application of that union tendred in the Lord Jesus with himself Now for the Spirit evidencing this to the Soul satisfyingly and to make the Soul in believing to triumph the Spirit is wont to evidence divers particulars 1. The Spirit is wont to evidence the consent and agreement of the blessed Trinity from all eternity in that glorious design of the Lord Jesus entertaining every lost despicable sinner that will embrace him I. The Spirit reveals the consent of God the Father to that glorious design and that in divers particulars 1. In that God the Father imposed a command upon the Lord Jesus to embrace every such despicable lost
act to it self that it becomes the earnest of the souls inheritance That is that it becomes as a small portion given by the Blessed Majesty of Heaven to the soul in hand in Testimony that it shall injoy the full inheritance The spirit is such an earnest in irradiating the souls believing act three ways 1. In regard the spirit manifests its own presence in the believing soul by its irradiating the souls believing act in discovering to the believing soul that it doth uprightly according to the Will of God believe It doth discover Holiness to be infused into the soul and so consequently discover it self to have taken up its Habitation in the believing soul So that the believing soul by the sight that the spirit puts into the believing act making it Visible to his own eye discerns the presence of the holy spirit in his heart and thus indeed there is a pretious earnest given to the soul of his everlasting union and communion with the Lord Jesus 2. In regard the communion between Jesus Christ and the soul by the sight of his believing act appears to the soul to be begun The soul discerns Jesus Christ and himself to be partakers of one and the same life by discerning infallibly the truth of his own believing act 3. In regard it enters the soul into the very fruition of union with Jesus Christ and so becomes indeed a first Fruit of Heaven gives it actual possession of that highest blessedness that sanctifyed souls shall possess in Heaven The fruition of it consists in two things First In the certain knowledge that it hath of union and communion with Christ Secondly In the sense of the sweetness and comfort of union and communion with Christ Nothing though it be possessed can be said to be enjoyed unless the party possessed of it hath a sense of the sweetness and comfort of the good that he is possessed of III. The third thing observable is the effect of the manifestation or the enlightning of the believing act in the soul That is a pretious sweet consciousness in the believing soul in his very act of believing that he doth rightly believe It is by the spirits irradiation of the pretious Gospel of Jesus Christ to the souls understanding that the soul discerns by faith the bosom of that blessed Redeemer the Lord Jesus ready to receive his loveless perishing sinking soul into the nearest union and communion with him so likewise by the spirits irradiation of the souls believing act the spirit makes the soul see also as clearly that it doth as it were creep into the open bosom of the love of the Lord Jesus IV. The fourth and last thing observable in the description of the spirits witness to the souls sense of its union and communion with the Lord Jesus is the inseparable adjunct or concomitant testimony of the spirit unto sense That 's the determination of the renewed Conscience in the believing soul that he is everlastingly one with Christ This is properly the effect of the spirits testimony unto sense whereas the light of every Grace though they be luminous Bodies and proceed from the spirit of light is such a small light in it self that unless there be an addition by the Spirit unto sense it shines not apparently to the believing Soul and therefore the infallible testimony of the Believers own Spirit or of his renewed Understanding or Conscience is but the consummation or the consequent of the Spirits irradiating the Souls believing act yet it is inseparable from it no sooner hath the Spirit witnessed to the Souls sense that it is one with Christ but the renewed Conscience answers also Thou art one with Christ The witness of the Believers Spirit or of the renewed Conscience is but the Eccho of the witness of the Lords own Spirit according to Rom. 9.1 My Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost It is the Spirit as it were that puts words into the mouth of renewed Conscience it doth but answer what is the voice of the Holy Spirit as the Eccho answers our voyce Now when the Spirit hath witnessed unto the Souls Faith that in its cleaving to the Lord Jesus his Soul shall be infallibly admitted into Union and Communion with him and in that witness hath drawn out the believing disposition to act in its strength and then casts a brightness and splendor upon the believing act that it shineth thus apparently in the Souls eye yea so apparently that the renewed Conscience bears witness that the Soul doth rightly believe then doth the Soul say with those in 1 John 4.16 I know and believe the Love that the Father of the Lord Jesus bears to this my Loveless Soul then is the poor wavering Soul established and setled as upon an everlasting Rock the Rock of Ages Then 1. All the beginnings of Hell in his own Spirit are past All the condemning Sentences of Conscience that he was wont to hear every day are obliterated and blotted out I mean so long as the testimony of the Spirit thus continues all the Frowns of Conscience are gone 2. All tormenting Fears are banished The inward perplexity anguish and vexation that perplexed the Soul through the fear of his everlasting separation from the Glory of the presence of the Majesty of Heaven all cease and there is a blessed Calm possesses the Soul and then the Soul is brought like a weather-beaten Ship into the sweetest and most commodious Haven of rest 3. The Spirit of Glory possesseth the believing Soul Then is its contentment in union and communion with the Lord Jesus infinite unspeakable then doth it rejoyce yea triumph in the Lord Jesus Rom. 5.3 Thus through this testimony unto Sense added to the testimony unto Faith the Soul is even set down with one foot as it were into the great City of the King of Heaven sweetly expecting his full fruition of that transcendent Glory that it solaceth it self in the sweetest expectation of till time shall come that Faith and Expectation shall cease and Sight and Vision shall only take place Thus you see what the sealing-witness of the Spirit is unto Sense There are now some Cautions that of necessity must be given to you believing Souls to prevent any sad Mistake about this great Mystery Caution 1 First therefore you must understand That though the fulness of the Souls infallible certainty of his union with the Lord Jesus doth depend upon this attestation of the Spirit unto his Faith and Sense yet the Lord doth vouchsafe much comfortable evidence to many believing Souls of their certain and infallible union with the Lord Jesus to whom he doth not send this blessed Spirit thus to avouch and attest to their Souls their Union with Christ 1. The Spirit may and doth by those four former precious effects upon the believing Souls establish their Souls in a sweet Soul-chearing Soul-reviving confidence of the Lords acceptance of them into union with Christ There is the whole Materiality
to apprehend aright any truth from the blessed Word of God propounded to him Even when the understanding of the soul is renewed and some pretious beam of Heavenly Light Communicated to the poor soul so that in a Metaphorical Sence the blind soul became a seeing soul yet there is a necessity also that the same spirit that Communicated the seeing eye to the understanding should also Communicate the seeing of the eye It is necessary that the same spirit that Communicated the Habit should Communicate also the Act the same spirit that gave a Principle of Divine Knowledge to the soul must also act the same Principle of Spiritual Knowledge to make the soul actually know or understand any Spiritual Holy Mystery aright Now then when the Evidences to the soul of its union with the Lord Jesus actually remains then is the mind and understanding of the soul thus actuated by the Blessed Spirit then is the Principle of Holy Knowledge drawn forth into exercise so that the mind is then inabled to discern into the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ thence it appears that the soul can only then take a Righteous Examination of the Evidences of his union 2. In regard it is then only that the soul is Conquerer over the natural Enmity of the Mind that oppose the Minds consent to the truth that doth evidence unto the soul its union The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God Now in the same degree the believing soul remains unregenerate enmity still possesses the believing mind and then only hath the Believer conquest over those reliques of enmity that possess the mind when he hath actual evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus now it is only then when the enmity of the mind against God is brought into captivity to the Law of faith that the Soul is suitable to take the examination of the truth of his own evidences of his union with Christ in regard the mind now is disposed to accept or agree unto those truths of the Gospel from whence the Spirit doth manifest unto the soul its union with Christ 3. In regard it is then only that the Soul understands and believes what the true Celestial Star is from whence those beams of light that do really come from Gods evidence unto a Soul his union with Christ must flow and arise The pretious word of the ever-living God to every lost sinner declaring that his will is to admit every of those Souls that will to be reconciled to himself in Christ is that precious bright orient Star from whence those beautiful beams of light that do or may discover unto a soul his union with Christ must arise Now it is then only when the beams of light shine from the Word perspicuously and clearly unto a soul declaring his will to admit of reconciliation with them through the Lord Jesus that they understand and believe this to be the true Heavenly Star from whence the light that evidences unto them their union must flow 4. In regard It is then only that the irresistible power that those precious beams of light contain in them that do evidence unto any soul really from God its union with Christ is ready to take impression upon the heart The irresistible power that the beams of light contain in them is the Authority of the blessed Majesty of Heaven They are nothing but the discovery unto the Soul that the Lord hath spoken it that it is his will to receive the soul into union with Christ Now this irresistible power of these beams of light only take impression upon the Heart according to the lively actings of holiness in the heart And the lively actings of holiness in the heart are only according to the degree of light the soul enjoys discovering unto it the Lords will to receive him into union with the Lord Jesus So that when those beams of Heavenly light shine most clearly in the most transcendent beauty then is the heart filled with the most lively holy actings then do love and fear and joy and delight working their power and strength And therefore it is only that the Authority of God speaking or declaring any thing to the soul take the deepest impression upon the soul 5. In regard the believing disposition in the will of the soul is only then in exercise in its power and strength The prime evidence unto a soul of his union hath been discovered to you to be only an evidence unto faith and in like manner the prime demonstration of the truth of that evidence must be a demonstration given to faith only Reason must not aspire so high to be the Judge of faiths action Still it must be another act of faith that must pass a security upon the former act of faith So that thence when the believing disposition infused into the will of the believing soul is strongest in exercise then only is the soul suitable to take a righteous examination of the evidences of his union with Christ 2. It is only then when the evidences of the souls union with Christ are clear and perspicuous that it is suitable to take examination of his evidences rightly in regard of the evidences themselves which then only appears in their native self-discovering glory It is the inseparable property of those beams of Heavenly light that shine from the word of God to discover themselves really to be from God even by their own native lustre and glory Those beams of light come forth with the name of God written upon their foreheads so that the believing soul no sooner beholds them but he reads the name of God written upon them now this their native self-discovering glory never appears to the soul but when these beams of light actually remain in the soul in their perspicuity and clearness and therefore when the spirit suspends its influences then the soul cannot behold those beams of light what they are Quest There is another Question that here interposeth it self which must of necessity be answered Believing souls will now reply in this manner If an impartial examination of any souls evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus can be only taken while the splendor and brightness of his evidences remain in the soul then what use should souls make of the evidences they conceive they had received of their union with Jesus Christ when the lustre and orient brightness of their evidences be eclipsed and their commanding power enervated or wounded that their evidences cease to witness unto them their union with Christ In order to the satisfaction of souls in this scruple we shall lay down divers Propositions Prop. 1. First whenever the celestial glory of those pretious beams of light that the Lord vouchsafes to cast into any believing soul to evidence his union with Jesus Christ be dark and those invincible and impregnable demonstrations that the blessed spirit gives unto the souls faith to prove and demonstrate its union with Christ be weakned yet it is
are not deluded Then see whether that light that shined into your Souls have shined from the Lords written word Yet let me add a caution in this least I might possibly shake some Soul into whose heart some beams of light from the Spirit hath really descended to discover to the Soul his union with Christ though the light that doth shine into every Soul which truly proceeds from God to discover to the Soul its union with Christ doth and ought to shine forth from the Lords written word yet I dare not affirm that whenever the spirit of light doth discover to a Soul its union with Jesus Christ clearly both to faith and sense that then the spirit fastens some particular portions of the Lords word by name from such a Chapter and verse from whence the spirit doth make that light shine forth into that believing Soul certainly the spirit of Jesus Christ may send down precious beams of divine light into a dark Soul to discover to the Soul satisfyingly its union with the Lord Jesus both to faith and sense when such a particular sentence that is written in such a Book in such a Chapter in such a Verse is not brought to the Souls memory But there may be an extract of the quintessence that is of the prime light the most glorious light of many places of Scripture that concur together in one to testifie the fame truth to the Soul there may be an extract made by the Spirit of Christ of the grand truth that the Gospel reveals to faith and of the truth of the Souls believing act that the spirit reveals unto the Souls sense from many places of Scripture so as the light that the spirit causeth to shine into the Soul is still from the written word and the soul discerns it to his own satisfaction while the glory of the light actually remains that it doth shine from the precious written word though it may be the soul could not at that time be able to produce such and such particular sentences from such a Chapter and such a Verse though I dare not but say also but as the soul receiving that certain evidence doth discern that that sweet light that shines into his soul shines from the written word so likewise upon recollecting of himself and upon serious deliberation with himself he might be able to produce such portions of the Lords word as would sufficiently testifie to the truth of what the spirit of Jesus Christ had so revealed to his soul from the word yet observe this that the soul must then so deliberate and so consult with his heart about the matter while the heavenly lustre and commanding power of those evidencing beams of light remain shining into his soul for in case the soul be bereaved again upon any occasion of the lustre and glory of those precious beams of light the soul may so far forget the very sentences that the spirit of Jesus Christ did then dictate to it that the soul through the darkness and obscurity that passes upon him immediately again may for the present be uncapable of discerning in the written word of God what his soul clearly discerned in the same word formerly that the soul may in case the spirit of light should absent it self long perchance begin to draw some sad conclusion that the evidence that the Soul received was not a light shining from the Lords word but some delusion from the Devil transforming himself into Angelical Glory This is the second reason whence a soul may prove that the beam of light received is from God when the soul discerns it to shine from the written word The second sort of demonstrations whereby a soul may prove to himself his union with Jesus Christ must be a demonstration a posteriori A Demonstration taken from the effects that those beams of light that shine into the soul discovering to a soul its union with Jesus Christ do beget in the Soul Now all the effects that any thing that proceeds from God begets in believing Souls are but the accomplishment of the Lords eternal intent they are but the production of the Lords precious thoughts of love towards those believing Souls from before the foundations of the world were laid So that whatever is communicated to any believing Soul if it doth demonstrate it self to proceed from God by its effects that it begets in him it must then conduce in some degree to the effecting of the Lords precious eternal will towards that believing Soul Now those eternal intents of God towards believing Souls they may be reduced to three Heads according as the Spirit of truth sums them in 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come That is Heaven and Earth all are yours that is destinated unto your good to accomplish your Salvation And ye are Christs that is ye believing Souls are destinated to accomplish the glory of Jesus Christ And Christ is Gods that is Christ himself considered mystically as the Mediator is appointed for the manifestation of the Fathers glory for the exaltation of him in the hearts of Saints and Angels and before the eyes of all the world so as all may admire him and adore him There are three intents and precious ends of the Lord from Eternity towards those believing Souls First There is the accomplshment of the glory of those believing Souls Secondly The perfecting of Christs supernatural glory as he is Mediator And Thirdly The perfect manifestation of the Fathers glory through both these And therefore seeing these three are those prime and principal ends the very ultimate end of God the very sum and compendium of all those precious thoughts that wrought in the blessed Majesty of Heaven before the foundations of the world were laid thence whatsoever proceeds from God into a believing soul must in some degree or other tend towards the accomplishment of one of those ends So that it must demonstrate it self to proceed from God by one of those three effects if it any way can be proved by its effects to proceed from God himself Only by the way you must take this distinction for prevention of mistakes the dealings of God towards the Saints do either immediately to the exaltation of the Saints and the exaltation of Christ and the manifestation of the Fathers glory or else they tend immediately The Lords promissive will or the Lords sufferance of a Believer to sin doth not immediately manifest any of these yet mediately it doth perfect all that when the Lord doth suffer the soul to slide and fall yet then through the mighty Power of his love to the believing soul in Christ he doth send down the spirit of Jesus Christ so to work in that believing soul that those very falls and slips and backslidings of that believing soul shall produce more watchfulness over his own ways more charity towards others more abominations of those
were enough to cast them down into the everlasting Lake of burning if the Lord should act in justice with them Hence it is that when Jesus Christ draws forth the sweetest believing actings in the hearts of Believers then they are most ready to accept of any chastisement that the Lord inflicts upon them in respect of their transgressions Lament 3.39 So that thence souls enjoying the clearest beams of light from the spirit of light revealing unto them their union with the Lord Jesus are commonly most filled with acclamations against themselves and all their prayers filled with self-judgings and abhorrings Yea likewise hence it is also that believing souls enjoying the evidences of their union with Jesus Christ are filled with those high admirations and that their souls conceive of the love of God in Jesus Christ to them as a mystery unsearchable past finding out either by Men or Angels because then they apprehend the infinite worthiness of those thousands and ten thousands and Millions of iniquity that they have committed to incense the anger of the Lord against their Souls Yea likewise hence also proceed those enlarged desires after the sweetest meltings of heart for sin from those Souls to whom the spirit of Jesus Christ hath certainly evidenced their union with him But as the Scripture testifies to the truth of this so reason testifies that there cannot but be a connexion between the spirits evidencing to the soul its union with Jesus Christ and the souls sense of worthiness for the least transgression to be punished with everlasting indignation 1. In regard the spirits evidencing unto the soul that it is united to Jesus Christ doth declare and manifest to the soul the equity of a perfect subjection of every soul to the Lords blessed holy will When the spirit bears witness to the soul that the blessed Majesty of Heaven is willing to be reconciled and united to poor despicable rebellious wretches to those whose hearts swell with enmity against the Crown of his glory yea when the spirit testifies that the Lord even seeks and sues for the reconciliation with the soul thence it cannot but be clearly manifested to the Soul that is but infinitely equal that a poor rebellious wretch yea such a desperate enemy to his blessed Majesty should consent to what the Lord propounds Now from this manifestation of the infinite equity of a perfect subjection to be given by every soul to the Lords blessed will from thence there is necessarily such deep apprehensions of the infinite injustice and unsearchable depth of unrighteousness and wickedness that is in the least contradicting that blessed will that the Soul conceives every such transgression or disobedience to that blessed will to be infinitely worthy to be punished with infinite and everlasting indignation 2. The Spirits evidencing unto the Soul that it is united unto Jesus Christ doth declare the absolute perfection of goodness in the Lords blessed will so as it manifests every motion of that will to be absolutely transcendently good When the spirit bears witness unto any soul of its union with Jesus Christ it represents God only as a mass of love in Jesus Christ It represents God willing all kinds and degrees of good unto every Soul that will accept it and thence every act of the Lords blessed will is represented to the Soul as absolutely good now by that means every transgression of the Lords will is represented as in opposition to infinite goodness and thence every transgression cannot but be apprehended as a just occasion for infinite wrath and indignation to burn in its fierceness and extremity against the Soul 3. The Spirits evidencing unto a Soul his union with Christ doth necessarily occasion the soul to declare to the honour of God that the least degree of communion with God causes any Soul to participate in some degree of his holiness This the Apostle testifies in 2. Cor. 3.18 That while they did with open-face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord they were changed into the same in age from glory to glory that is they are conformed into the likeness of God while they see the beams of his excellency glitter upon them through the great truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ yea that gradually according as they behold the glory so they are changed also by degrees from glory unto glory from one degree of likeness unto God to another degree Thus likewise the Apostle testifies 1 John 1.5 6. That God is light that is to say that he is holiness itself purely holy nothing but holy and then bears witness that it is impossible for any soul to have the least fellowship with him but we must be partakers of that holiness if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth as if the Apostle had spoken in these words The Lord is so infinitely transcendently holy such an infinite perfection of holiness dwells in him and an infinite averseness to any thing that is unholy that it is impossible any soul should dwell with him but he must participate of his holiness So in 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked So likewise he testifies the same thing again in 1 John 3. 6. Whosoever abideth in him that is united to Jesus Christ hath union and communion with him sinneth not that is he sins not according to the manner that he sinned before his union with Jesus Christ there are other disposition infused into his heart there are some drops of the holiness of Jesus Christ communicated to his Soul through his union with Jesus Christ whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither knows him that is whoever sins in the same manner that he did when he was void of the knowledge of Christ void of union and communion with him whatever he professeth he had not the experimental knowledge of the love of God that joyned his heart to Christ he never had the true vision of the glory of Jesus Christ he hath not so seen him whereby his Soul was transformed into the likeness of Christ And in regard of this that the spirits evidencing unto the Soul that he is united unto Jesus Christ doth necessarily cause such a declaration that the least degree of communion with God cause the Soul to participate of the holiness of God Thence it is First That the sin and transgression of a Soul enjoying the evidence of his union with Christ is so intollerably burdensom This is the reason why souls enjoying the evidence of their union with Christ melt and break so sweetly under the remembrance of any sin that they are confounded in themselves that they loath and abhor themselves in regard the glory of God is so ecclipsed and thence the remembrance of his own sin wounds so deeply because in effect he by sensual formal unworthy walking doth declare that communion with God doth not make him partaker
Christ So that then only when the Spirit doth actually evidence unto the Soul with most clearness and perspecuity its union with Christ then do all the engagements that believing Souls apprehend that God have said upon them to bind them to exalt God in his holiness come upon them with power and force so as a constraint comes upon the spirit the Soul being drawn as it were by cords to study and exalt the name of God in his holiness As for instance First when the spirit evidenceth to the Soul his union with Christ the Soul is actually at that time sensible that he was chosen from eternity to be a vessel of honour into whom the holiness of God should be poured that the glory of the Lords holiness might appear So that then the Soul stands strongly bent through the strength of this engagement God hath laid upon him to lift up the name of God in his holiness and to make the holiness of the name of God appear Secondly When the spirit evidenceth to the Soul his union with Christ the Soul is actually sensibl◠that the Lord hath created him anew for that ver end that he might glorifie the Lord in his holiness According to that in Eph. 2.10 We are all his workmanship created unto good works that is created unto holiness to fruits of holiness and so consequently to the manifestation of the glory of the Lords holiness Thirdly When the spirit manifests unto the soul his union with Christ it is actually sensible that the very end of God in the communication of any of his holiness unto him is the manifestation of the glory of his holiness through the Soul Thus then in regard the spirits evidence of a souls union with Christ doth occasion a being actually sensible of deep engagements laid upon him by God to be exalting him in his holiness thence the spirits evidence doth necessarily occasion the Soul to declare that the least degree of communion with God doth make it to participate in some degree of the Lords holiness So that it is evident both from Scripture and Reason that this third Testimony concerning the absolute perfection of the Lords holiness whereby he is exalted through any Soul is the necessary certain infallible effect of the spirits evidencing to any soul his union with the Lord Jesus 4. The fourth way whereby God is exalted through the Soul by bearing witness to the perfection of his holiness is this when a Soul doth declare that a perfection of conformity to the Lords blessed will in every thing ought to be the only satisfying object of the desires of any Soul Now even this precious God magnyfying act of a believing Soul is also the necessary effect of the spirits evidencing to any soul its union with Christ Thus you shall observe that the spirit of Jesus Christ produced this blessed effect in Paul's heart to whom the spirit did vouchsafe the clearest revelation and most Soul-ravishing Testimony of his union with Jesus Christ Phil. 3.12 13 14. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are before I press towards the mark of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Here are four or five things the Apostle testifies to be the practice of his own Soul for the exalting of the Lord in his holiness and so consequently testifies it to be the effect of the spirit of Jesus Christ in any believing Soul to whom he reveals his union with Christ First He testifies his estimation of himself that he doth account himself as yet to be altogether imperfect unholy I count not my self to have apprehended he testifies that the power and vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not yet fully made manifest in his Soul that is the sin mortifying vertue of the death of Jesus Christ the quickening and enlivening vertue of the resurrection of Christ is not yet fully attained to in his Soul Secondly He testifies that the only end upon which the eye of his Soul was fixed was ' a perfect conformity unto Christ The fulness of an experimental knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as he tells you ver 12. he follows after that he may apprehend that for which also he was apprehended of Jesus Christ and also he tells us ver 14. he pressed forward towards the mark and ver 10 that the only end of his was to know Christ that is to know him experimentally in the vertue of his death and the power of his resurrection having the sense of the glory vertue and power of his death and resurrection in his own spirit so that herein he testifies that his Soul stands resolved to be satisfyed with no degree of holiness and therein by consequence testifies that nothing but the fulness of likeness to Jesus Christ shall ever satisfie Thirdly he testifies that all his labours and endeavours after this experience of all the vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are acounted by him as nothing I forget saith he those things that are behind ver 13. not that his Soul was forgetful of those precious experiences that the Lord hath given him of the death of Christ in killing his sin and the power of Christ in enlivening his Soul but he minded not all the degree of the 〈◊〉 of the death and resurrection of Christ that his Soul was partaker of so as to please himself with thoughts that he had attained to what he was commanded he minded them not so as to satisfie himself with that measure though questionless the measure was very large seeing he testifies often that he was more than a Conqueror over all the powers of sin and that he was able to do all things through Christ strengthening of him and that he was ready to abound and ready to want his heart being disposed in a holy temper in all condition ready to sanctifie God in all his providences yet saith he I forget all those that is I do not so remember them as to satisfie my self that I had attained so much The whole form of the expression is but an allusion to Runners in a Race that never look how many paces of ground they have passed over so as to hinder them from running to the mark but they keep their eye singly fixed upon the mark that they are to attain to so saith he forget the things that are behind Fourthly He testifies that the strenght of all his affections the whole intention of his soul is bent towards the attaining the fulness of the experience of the vertue and power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this he testifies ver 13. reaching sorth unto those things that are before breathing forth still in a metaphorical way he alludes to Runin a Race that run without stretched arms reaching forth towards the mark the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza renders contending
with the strength of my Soul after the things before after the height of the vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that is the experimental knowledge of the vertue of his death and resurrection that is to say the full communion with Christ in his holiness Fifthly He testifies that he passeth over or leaps over all difficulties all impediments and hindrances in his striving after this perfect conformity to Jesus Christ in his Death and Resurrection which is also contained in that he doth profess towards the mark he doth thrust through all troops of impediments that stand to oppose him in his way and with all the powers and possibilities of his soul extended makes the persuit after the full experience of the vertue of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ Yea likewise he hears witness that every sincere believing soul ought to walk according to this rule to be thus minded ver 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded That is let us thus count of our selves to be infinitely short of that which ought only to satisfie our souls whatever degree of holiness we have apprehended and let us fix our eyes singly and constantly upon the perfect holiness that souls attain to through Communion with Christ in his Death and Resurrection and let us forget all our labours and endeavours and all the degrees of holiness that we have attainted to so as not to satisfy our selves in that measure and degree and let us stretch out our Arms after full Communion with Jesus Christ and let us pass over all difficulties pressing towards the mark the fulness of Conformity to the Lords will which the Lord hath determined to bring beleivers to through Communion with Jesus Christ their Mediatour in his Death and Resurrection Likewise the Apostle John testifies as much in 1 John 3.3 Every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Mark what hope he speaks of The second verse tells you saith he we are the Sons of God and we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is So that the hope that he speaks of is the hope of Adoption the hope of their union with Christ the first-born of all the Elect ones and the hope of their perfect Union and Communion with Jesus Christ in the highest Heavens Now mark what the effect of this hope is Those that have received this hope infused from the spirit of Jesus Christ it occasions the souls to purify themselves as Jesus Christ is pure that is all one as God the Father is pure Christ being but the express image of his Father The Apostle means not that actually any soul having such an evidence of his union with Christ from the spirit as produceth that blessed hope in him is actually purified according to purification of purity that is in Christ But he means that the soul into whom this hope of his union with Christ is infused doth desire breath after long for endeavour with all the intentions of his soul the same purity that is in Jesus Christ satisfying his soul with no degree no measure less then the fulness of likeness unto Jesus Christ himself Likewise it is evident that the spirit revealing unto any soul his union with Christ doth occasion the soul to declare that a conformity to the will of God is the only satisfying object of the desires of any soul in regard the spirit of Christ makes the promises of union and Communion with God in Christ to be the motive unto perfection of holiness 2 Cor. 7.1 Now if the very propounding of the promise be that which excites an heart unto perfect holiness perfect Conformity to the Lords will then much more must the sense of the souls interest of Union and Communion with God in Christ necessarily constrain a soul to pursue with all his strength after perfection of conformity to the Lords will and to declare that no less then Conformity to the Lords will perfectly ought to satisfie the desires of any soul And likewise it might be evident from the very prayer of the Apostle that he always made for believing souls which was for their perfect Conformity to the Lords will 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of Peaee sanctify you wholly in Spirit Soul and Body And he prays that they might be filled with the fulness of God Eph. 4.19 And as Scripture thus Testifies that God is thus exalted in his holiness in any soul to whom the spirit doth reveal its union with Jesus Christ by that souls declaring that a Conformity to the Lords will perfectly ought only to satisfy the desires of any soul So likewise the experience of souls receiving the evidence from the spirit of their union with Christ bears Witness of the same I. Hence it is that those souls that injoy the Evidences of ther union with Christ are unsatisfyed with their most holy duties and acts of purest Obedience to the Lords blessed will So that souls injoying their union with Christ are always complaining of Imperfections and wants in their most holy actings And 1. Hence it is that we shall hear constantly those pretious souls complain with much Bitterness of the narrowness and straitness of the working of their wills in Conformity to the Lords Will. 2. You shall hear them always complaining when Assisted most mightily by the spirit of Christ of their want of singleness of Simplicity of heart in their wills conforming to the Lords will 3. They are constantly complaining of the want of liberty of spirit in the compliance of their wills with the Lords blessed will This David Intimates when cries out 51.12 Restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation and Establish me with thy free Spirit He Apprehended his spirit to be much under Bondage and Thraldom and with much earnestness he desires Communion with God again 4. Hence those souls are always sadly complaining in their acts of purest obedience of their want of fixedness and stability of the workings of the disposition of their wills to comply with Gods will 5. You shall hear them complain of the Weakness and Imperfection of the inward acts of the most pure Obedience that their souls render of the Imperfection of their desires in prayer even when they are drawn out by a mighty power from the spirit of Christ II. It is from hence also that souls injoying the evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus are perpetually groaning after a fuller measure of the sanctifying spirit of Jesus Christ in what measure soever the sanctifying spirit is poured out upon them Thus David often in the 119. Psalm begs for quickening which in a word is but this Lord send down more of the spirit of Life and Holiness from the Lord Jesus Yea this you may observe from the workings of the spirit of the great Apostle Paul Rom 7. how his soul groans after a larger portion of the sanctifying
his union IIII. That the Lord might instruct all others the better by his dealings with some believing souls God instructs weak believers in this that the evidence of union is not essential unto union V. That the glory of the precious Saints may be Vailed and hid and this may be in judgement to the world that they may stumble at the Saints and judge them dispicable fools that spend their time in sadness and melancholy Cau. 4. Fourthly there is a fourth causion and that is this that the efficacy of this blessed Record that the spirit gives to a believing soul of his union with Christ ought to continue when the Record it self doth not actually continue The Record of the blessed spirit is the judicial sentence the spirit casts upon the souls final estate and therefore ought to be totally definitive never to be called in question by that believing soul but the soul for ever after even in the saddest interruption of that blessed spirit ought to say though I do fall I shall arise though I have no vision of the sweetest face of my Redeemer yet I shall see him face to face when I shall be altogether like unto him It is infinite sinfulness for that believing soul ever to call in question the love of the blessed Majesty of Heaven after the spirit hath thus avouched it to the soul Thus you have heard in some measure the grand question opened which is how a soul may certainly and infallibly know that he is united to the Lord Jesus I shall now come to answer to the second question which is this Que. 2. How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus may konw certainly and infallibly that their evidence of this union with Christ received is only from God and not a diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a delusion by the Divels translation of himself into an Angelical glory Now for the clearer explication or unfolding this question there must be divers things premised There be four things I must premise concerning those diabolical inspirations And there are Four things concerning the manner of the Souls trial of his evidence received whether it be a delusion or whether it be from the Lord in Christ Pre. 1. First I must premise that all the dimensions of the implacable malice of the infernal powers is directly set aâ— work against every believers evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus The darkning the pretious evidence of the Souls union is in a manner the Center wherein all the Hellish designs that are practised against a believing soul meet together in one All the fiery darts that he shoots from his Hellish Quiver against Believing souls are intended to batter down the Tower of strong confidence of the Lords acceptance of his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus His most cursed insinuations into any believing heart alluring to any corruption intentionally tends towards the darkning the light of the Lords countenance that shines upon the believing soul certainly the Devils acting with so high a hand against the Apostle Peter that caused him to deny his blessed Lord and Master the Lord Jesus intentionally ended in this to overthrow his confidence in Christ and therefore Christ tells him he had prayed for him that his faith fail not Nay the blessed head of all believing souls the Lord Jesus himself who was a perfect example and pattern to all believing Souls in temptation he was encountred withal in this way by the grand Adversary the Devil the Devil made his close and strongest battery against his confidence of the hypostatical union between the Father and him therefore saith he if thou be the Son of God command these Stones to be made Bread And in like manner all the powers of Hell are in a particular manner employed against every Believers evidence of his union with Christ and therefore he especially endeavours to strike down their faith Whence it was that the Apostle was chiefly over the Devil in that particular 1 Thes 3.5 Saith he I sent to know your faith least by some means the Tempter have tempted you and our labour be in vain Indeed there are many reasons why the peculiar malice of Hell should work in all its strength against believers evidence of their Union with Christ I. In regard the faith that is necessarily drawn forth into exercise with strength and power upon receiving evidence of the souls union with Christ is a peculiar object of the Devils malice And that in Three respects 1. That faith which is drawn forth into exercise is the most direct opposite of the Devil it is the Devils grand Adversary In that lieth all the strength of the believing soul against all the Devils encounters It is the Shield that quenches all the Devils fiery darts Eph. 5.6 It is that whereby the soul resists the Devil till he gains the conquest and puts that infernal Adversary to flight 1 Pet. 5.9 2. In regard it is the most triumphant Conqueror over all his Army that he calls in for his assistance against the believing Soul This is the victory whereby we overcome the World 1 John 5.4 That is all that either within or without the Soul shall concur to the drawing it from obedience to the Lords will 3. That faith that is necessarily drawn out into exercise upon the receiving the evidence of the union is that which gives the Lord his most peculiar glory and honour of his precious truth By this the believing Soul sets to his Seal that God is true John 3.33 Now the Devils peculiar malice being against the blessed Majesty of Heaven thence his malice is against this faith that is drawn out into exercise upon the Souls receiving evidence of union with the Lord Jesus II. In regard the joy and comfort that is the unseparable consequence of the Souls receiving the evidence of his union is another peculiar object of the Devils malice Envy works infinitely in the Devils bosom upon the sight of such unspeakable joy as poor believing Souls are filled with seeing Angels whose nature are more glorious are lefâ— absolutely destitute of joy and comfort Now from these workings of envy hatred works also infinitely and unspeakably in the Devils bosom against the evidence of the Souls union with Christ III. The believers evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus being the peculiar work of the blessed Spirit of necessity must be the peculiar object of the Devils malice there being such a diametrical opposition between the Devil and that blessed Spirit Every work of that blessed Spirit is infinitely abominated by him And thence this evidence of the Souls union is the particular object of the Devils malice in regard it is the Office of the blessed Spirit to be the comforter of those believing Souls IV. In regard the believing Soul through that evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus hath some kind of fruition and enjoyment of
Union and Communion with the Father through Christ The Soul doth not only possess Union and Communion but hath the knowledge of it the sweet and comfort of it and that 's the fruition of Union and Communion Now the Union of Souls with the Father through Christ is the most proper object of all the Devils envie and malice 5. The very first-born power of his malice works against the Believers evidence of his Union in regard Believers through their enjoyment of that evidence of their Union with Christ do hold forth the most orient brightness of the Lords grace love in Christ Now the Lords peculiar delight being in receiving the honour of his love from poor despicable worms thence the Devils malice works infinitely against the Souls receiving evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus because it works infinitely against the Lords receiving his own intended glory Secondly I must premise That all the most profound policy subtilty and craft of all the Princes and Rulers of the Region of darkness is employed in that most cursed insinuation to a believing Soul that the evidence of his Union with Christ received either to faith or sense is but a diabolical delusion The policies of Hell all concur together in its strength in this temptation or insinuation to a believing soul that his evidence is but a delusion I. In regard by the Devils prevailing in this temptation he leads the Soul in the most extricable labyrinth that there is no possibility by all the diligence the soul can use to evade or escape and find the way out The Soul once passing a Sentence against his own evidence that it is nothing but a fancy or a hellish delusion he is lost in a wood as it were of fear and perplexity of questions and scruples he is then caught indeed in the Devils thicket in the bryars that are of Hells own planting There is nothing then left to clear the Souls way I mean if the actual evidence of that Souls Union be suspended until a renewed actual evidence of the same Spirit comes to the Soul There is no way left for the Soul wherein it is possible for it to make a tryal of his own estate The Soul can make no proof from the light of his own Grace that light must be supposed to have been discovered to the Soul in its union received that being rejected no other light can manifest Grace to be in the Soul II. In regard the prevailing in this temptation grieves the very Comforter himself it wearies the Spirit of the Lord whose Office is thus To reveal to the Lord its acceptance into union with Christ it causeth the Soul to make a direct opposition against the blessed Comforter So that now in the Devils prevailing in this insinuation he noâ— only leaves the Soul in a most inextricable labyrinth but provokes the blessed Spirit of the Lord to withdraw himself and to withhold all renewed beams of light from that believing Soul 3. In regard the prevailing of that temptation would bereave the Soul at least of the fruition and benefit of all that 's past over to the Soul in Christ If that temptation take hold upon the Spirit that the Soul draws that conclusion that his evidence is a delusion then all the boldness and freedom of access to the Throne of Grace for supply is vanished in a moment In a word by the prevailing of this the Devil in a manner snatches the believing Soul from among the number of the Friends of the Almighty and sets him among the poor strangers by the prevailing of this he snatches the believing Soul from among the Vessels of honour I mean in the Souls apprehension and in regard of the Souls enjoyment and places it among the Vessels of dishonour it makes the the Soul disclaim all interest right and title to any mercy and love 4. In regard the prevailing of this insinuation with the believing Soul doth reduce or bring back the believing Soul and make it liable and subject to the power and force of all other cursed insinuations from the Devil The prevailing of this suggestion brings the Soul under the force of all those temptations that his Soul was formerly delivered from all the temptations grounded upon the Souls unworthiness all that were grounded upon the Souls long continuance in sin Pre. 3. Thirdly Every believing Soul that hath received the evidence of his union to faith and sense must expect all the rage power and strength that Satan can afford to be employed against the Soul to darken and obscure that evidence 1. All the powet of Hell is employed to suggest false reasonings carnal sensual arguments into the mind of that believing soul 2. All the power in the corrupted Conscience of that believing Soul is and will be employed to accomplish that design to perswade the believing Soul that the evidence of his union received is but a diabolical delusion His power in the corrupted Conscience will be employed to edifie and stir it up to bring in false Accusations against the believing Soul 3. His whole power and strength will be employed in stirring up passions and disordered tumultuous affections in that believing Soul Any believing of fear and terror the Devil will foment and nourish and by his mighty power over those passions and affections make such a confusion and tumult as if the Soul and Hell were to come together immediately The Devil will employ his power over the affections themselves and his power upon the humours of the Body through which those passions and affections work The Devil upon the very suggestion that the Souls evidence of his union is a delusion will exercise his power so upon the humours of the Body as to dispose the Body to a timerous trembling it may be almost every joynt shaking upon the imagination it may be deluded and then nourish and augment by bringing in renewed accusation upon accusation against a believing Soul So that all the false reasonings of the mind and the false accusation of the conscience hath a more power upon the Soul in regard of the disposition of the body and the working of the affections Fourthly I must premise That all the utmost power and possibility of corruption that remains in a true Believer are ready to comply with and second the Devil in the exercise of his malice policie and power against the believing soul to receive that cursed suggestion of Hell that his evidence of his union received is but a delusion Wretched Man in his first transgression joyned a cursed amity with the Devil himself and ever since Mans Heart hath set at the Devils Councel Table joyning all the strength of its policie and power with that infernal Spirit to maintain his tyranny over the poor Soul that whatever Hell-bred design the Devil acts against the believing Soul the Heart doth immediately comply with that hellish design And though indeed Mans corrupt heart be ready to comply with every motion and