worthless unlovely sinners by manifesting such an absolute perfection of the love of God in Christ to sinful Souls as that love is subject to no variation alteration or shadow change When the Soul so walks as he declares practically that the rich love of God in Christ to his unworthy Soul is the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever the foundation thereof standing firm and unmoveable like Mount Sion that cannot be moved then doth the brightness of the Lords glorious love shine through the Soul so as the name of God is exalted through it Thus God glorified himself before the eyes of Balak through the mouth of the false Prophet Balaam to give testimony to the unchangeableness of the love of God in Christ to his People Israel by sending that message to Balaam Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should lye neither the son of man that he should repent that is not like the sons of men that his thoughts should change what he hath spoken shall it not come to pass His words concerning his People shall certainly be fulfilled So likewise when the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet Malachie intended to lift up his name in his Peoples hearts Mal. 3.6 he discovers to them his precious thoughts of love concerning them in declaring the coming of Jesus Christ with the blessed effect of it and saith he I am the Lord I change not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed So the Church exalts the name of God by bearing witness to the unchangeableness of his love to her Lament 3.22.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassion fail not Now a Soul manifests the unchangeableness of the Lords love in Christ to his unworthy Soul by its constancy and unmoveableness in that precious confidence of his union with the Lord Jesus that was once raised in his heart by the power of that evidence of his union And doubtless it is for that end that believing Souls might thus exalt the name of God in the unchangeableness of his love towards them that the Lord hath prepared unchangeable Grounds unmoveable Rocks for the feet of their Faith to stand upon he hath added his oath to his word Heb. 6.17 18. That by two immutable things by which it is impossible that God should lye they might have strong consolation that receive Jesus Christ tendered It is for this end that he hath given those unchangeable grounds for faith to build upon 1. That those Ecclipses of the glory of Gods love in Christ in its unchangeableness by the constancy of the actings of Faith might be prevented Surely it was the bowels of the compassions of our tender God in Christ that wrought towards the unlovely Soul that caused him to stoop down so low as to add an oath to his word which gives no security in it self to a Soul more but only a fuller security to our unbelieving hearts in our low apprehensions of God that thereby the precious consolations of his People might not change and it was the ultimate end of God in the workings of those compassions that the glory of his own love might not be vailed by the unconstancy and fickleness of the actings of faith so as Souls should declare by believing when their hearts are filled with holy actings that there was a glorious love in God through Christ to unlovely sinners and when the apprehension of the liveliness of those holy actings in their hearts should cease that then they should again declare that the love of God in Christ is withdrawn again from them 2. That the glory of his love in its unchangeableness might shine forth in its brightness with transparent glory so as the Soul under the saddest defect of holy actings and workings in his own heart might still declare the precious love of God in Christ to his unlovely to be the same sounded upon his own will only which can never be moved The constancy and unmoveableness of the Soul in his confidence of his union with Christ that the evidence of union with Christ begets is always the effect of such a beam of light from Heaven to reveal to a Soul his union so long as the light continues shining into the Soul in its lustre and glory This you may observe of Paul in 2 Cor. 5.5 6. Having received the earnest of the spirit what then we are always confident of everlasting communion with God that is we are confident at all times constantly our confidence is unmoveable Yea doubtless seeing the spirit of light from the spirit of light shining into any Soul is but an act of the conforming office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ it cannot be but that light shining from the Spirit of light to evidence to the Soul its union must necessarily establish the heart in that confidence of his union with Jesus Christ that so long as that light remains the confidence must remain also and that in its power and strength Thus you have the first way opened how the name of God is exalted through a Soul which is by the Souls bearing testimony to the truth of the record that the Lord hath given to his love in Jesus Christ by the souls manifesting the same glory of the love of God in Christ to sinful souls that God himself hath revealed to be in him Secondly God is exalted through the Soul by the souls manifestation that an incomprehensible perfection of purity and holiness dwels in God God hath revealed himself in his word not only to be holy but holiness it self Amos 4.2 The Lord hath sworn by his holeness that is he hath sworn by himself He hath discovered such absolute perfection of holiness to be in him that he hath an absolute unspeakable abhorrency of all that is cross and contrary unto holiness in its perfection Hab. 1.13 yea the brightness of the perfection of holiness dwell in him Exod. 15.11 Now then is the name of God exalted through a Soul when the Soul conceives of God as thus excellent and wonderful in holiness when the Soul declares before the world that his God in Christ is purity and holiness it self Hence it is that the holy Angels are said to cry to the Lord Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts Isa 6.3 and also the office of the dispencers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is described Rev. 4.8 9. by their crying Night and Day without ceasing Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty it is for this reason because the name of God is exalted when there are such manifestations and declarations of an absolute perfection of holiness to dwell in God Now a Soul may manifest this absolute perfection of holiness to dwell in God these three or four several ways I. By a precious sensible acknowledgement of an infinite disproportion and disagreement in his most holy exact exquisite actions when the Soul is most mightily assisted by the spirit of God to the Lords blessed holy
we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness all our duties and performances our most holy actings they are but as filthy raggs Likewise it is observable in the holy man Job who stood much upon his own uprightness and integrity Chap. 23.11 12. and Chap. 27.5 6. Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me that is I will not deny my innocency and righteousness I have walked before God with a perfect heart I will never reproach my self till I die so Chap. 31.6 Let me be weighed in an even Ballance that God may know my integrity yet in Chap. 4.3 4. this Job that could declare so many righteous acts of his own begins freely to acknowledge that all his righteousness was as vileness though those actions of righteousness had been performed by him with much integrity yet there was an infinite disproportion between the holy actings of the Lords blessed will then saith Job behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I have laid my hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further I will not call to God to weigh me in a Ballance any more that he may know my integrity so Chap. 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes repent that is the thoughts of my self now change I am so ashamed I loath and abhor my self in the sight of all my integrity and righteousness that I so much stood upon And certainly there is an infallible necessity of a Souls exalting the name of God through those sensible free acknowledgements of the infinite disproportion between the holy actings of his will and the holy actings of the Lords will whenever the spirit of Christ do reveal to any Soul his union 1. In regard the faculty of the Souls spiritual sight was then lively active and ready for exercise The eye of the Soul is as it were open and in every duty that he performs to God he can behold the least inward sluggishness and indisposedness so as the least of those infirmities is burdensom and mark that is the reason that believing Souls once decaying in the life of holiness lose the sense of the evidence to their Souls of their union with Christ because every day their own formality hardness blockishness insensibleness is less burdensom to them because the faculty of spiritual sight is out of exercise And that 's the reason also that under the clearest sight of the Souls union with Christ there is the largest confession of the Souls own vileness the spiritual faculty of sight in the believing Soul is then drawn up in its strength that 's one of the great reasons why those Souls that enjoy the clearest revelations of the Lords love in Christ are the most abased Souls 2. When the spirit reveals to the Soul its union with Christ then the precious heavenly light that discovers all the unsutableness of the Souls will to Gods will shines clearly and actually The transparent light of the Lords love in Christ to so unlovely a Soul is like a blessed heavenly Lamp lighted up within the Believers heart through the light of which the Soul may see every unsutableness in his will to the Lords blessed will and that in its vileness in its most odious native colours yea that light of the Lords Love in Christ to the loveless Soul causes the infinite right that the Lord hath to claim all the powers and possibilities of the Soul to be subject to him to shine clearly in the Soul it makes the heart say within it self O how infinitely due is every acting of my Soul to God to be employed only for his blessed pleasure so that now there is light without to enable the Soul to see the unsutableness of its will to Gods will as well as there is light within that the Soul seeth not only like a man having a perfect sight but as a man with a perfect sight in a clear Sun-shine day that shall discern every more in the Sun Beams that a man with a clear sight in a dark day cannot behold and thence it is that the evidence unto the Soul of its union with Christ cannot but draw sorth an acknowledgement of the infinite disproportion of the Souls actings to the Lords holy will in regard the Soul is then enabled to discern the smallest unsutableness that is in his will to the Lords will 3. In regard that light that shines into the Soul at that time discovers those unholinesses in the holy actings of the Soul whereof a believing Soul is most peculiarly guilty in all his holy actings There are four wants of holiness in all the actings of believing Souls in some measure and degree First The want of pure Love in all the holy actings of the Soul The want of the Souls aiming meerly at the exaltation and glory of his dearest Father in the Lord Jesus and so acting in obedience to the Fathers blessed will from a pure Child-like disposition working in the heart that disposes him to comply with the Fathers will only only because his Fathers will This is pure Love when the Soul out of Love to God himself without relation to any benefit or advantage that the Soul enjoys without relation to any fear of any loss or dammage that the Soul should suffer through disobedience to aim at and intend only the fulfilling of his blessed Fathers will now this in every holy duty the Soul performs is in some degree of its perfection wanting Secondly There is the want of freedom of Spirit or liberty in their holy actings in their wills agreeing with the Lords blessed will When the Spirit of Jesus Christ breaths upon the holy disposition and inclination infused into Believers wills most sweetly and powerfully and assist them strongly in their exercise yet then while they dwell in these Bodies of Clay while the old man remains not wholly crucified there wants some perfection of Liberty in their Spirits in these holy actings the soul is not wholly void of some inclination and disposition acting secretly that bends the soul from those holy actings that yet the Soul is exercised in Thirdly In the holy actings of believing Souls there is a want of fulness of complacency delight and contentment in those holy actings The flesh mutters and murmurs against the actings of the Spirit this made Paul say with my mind I serve the Law of God and with my flesh the Law of Sin and I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man still there is an opposite party that is not satisfyed in those holy actings the Spirit is willing saith Christ concerning his Apostles but the flesh is weak the flesh will never answer the spirits readiness perfectly so as all the whole powers and possibilities of Soul and Body should run parallel with one another in their holy
hath any Graces or Holy Habits or Qualities inherent in him But the first sight of the gift of the Lord Christ to the soul formerly dark about his union must have respect and relation to the necessities of the soul to whom the gift is manifested else the gift cannot be closed with as sutable Thence it must be manifested as a gift of a Mediatour to a poor despicable and desperate Rebellious Wretch against the highest Majesty of Heaven to mediate with the great Commander of Heaven for pardon to such a poor despicable Rebel It must be received as a gift of a days man that may lay his hand upon both partaies upon God and the Soul as at difference to make up an union Whence it is that the Apostle in opening the work of receiving the Lord Christ by Faith considers the soul under the notion of an Ungodly one in the receiving of it Rom. 4 5. II. It cannot be that the discovery of graces should be first in order to such a soul in regard the first manifestation of the gift of God to the soul that hath hitherto set in darkness must be a manifestation unto his Faith of the gift of those very graces And the graces themselves considered as given are no proper objects of Faith and therefore can give no assurance unto Faith But it is only the promise wherein the Lord holds forth his free will both to Christ and those Graces that must be the only ground from whence the soul can receive the evidence unto his Faith of his union with Christ Thus you have the first question opened the ground from whence souls receive the evidence of their union The second thing to be opened is the means by which What means the Lord useth to make the promise efficacious for this end to give the soul assurance of his union with Christ But before we come to answer this question there is another question to be opened that arises from the former Quest But saith the Soul can the Lords absolute promise be the ground from whence the Soul can have the first infallible evidence of his union seeing there is no absolute promise of God wherein he discovers his own will to accept any one particular soul into union with the Lord Christ All the absolute promises saith the Soul are made to the Church and people of God But the Lord in those absolute promises doth not reveal the particular Souls that are his own Therefore How can I or any other know that I am the particular soul in the promise there being no particularizing of any soul Answ For Answer to this Question I shall first open what is generally granted by every soul by way of premise for the right understanding of things And then lay down two Conclusions for the full answer of the question Pre. 1. First it is generally granted by all that it is by vertue of the Lords absolute promise of accepting souls into union with Christ that souls are united unto Christ The absolute promise alone is like Jacobs Ladder it is the Heavenly Ladder upon which the Lord Christ alone comes down into any soul It is the absolute promise that is the precious Golden Chain that binds the Lord Christ to the soul and the soul to Christ That the precious Marriage knot of union is only knit by that Chain of the absolute promise This will appear in three things 1. If it were not by vertue of the absolute promise that the soul were united to Jesus Christ then the absolute good will unto souls were not the primary or first ground of union between Jesus Christ and souls For the promises are nothing else but the Revelations or Discoveries of the Lords good will concerning souls Now thence it is if it were not by vertue of the Lords absolute promise that souls were united then it were not primarily and in the first place by vertue of the determination of the Lords will from eternity And so union with Christ should not be a mercy flowing down from the Fountain of the Lords elective love but rather the first and primary cause of the souls union should be from something in the soul it self and so quite contrary to the stream of Scripture truth it should be of him that willeth and runneth and not of him that sheweth mercy 2. If it were not so then there must be some grace acceptable to God presupposed to be in the soul before union with Christ unto which the Lord hath made some promise of union with him It must be either by vertue of a conditional promise or an absolute promise that the soul is united Now if by vertue of any condition or holy quality in the soul then such a holy quality must be conceived to be in the soul as is acceptable unto God Now if it were possible there could be any holy quality conceived to be in the soul acceptable to God before union then either the soul must receive some holy quality that flows not from Jesus Christ and so deny the fulness of Christ which is contrary to that in Col. 1.9 and John 1.16 Or else we should conclude that some graces some holy qualities should be conveyed into the soul that should not be conveyed by vertue of the souls union and so there should be a Communication of the graces of Christ unto the soul when the soul still remains a stranger to God 3. If there were the least quality acceptable unto God before union then the soul should be a beloved one of God out of Jesus Christ and it should not be by his dearly beloved Son alone in whom the Lord is well pleased Pre. 2. That the first proper actings of Faith in union are ever by or in the way of the application of those absolute promises unto their particular souls That will appear in two things 1. If the first actings of Faith in union were not by particular application of those absolute promises then the Devils Faith should hold equal proportion to the Faith of souls united to Jesus Christ The Devils themselves do as fully believe the truth of all those pretious absolute promises as any united soul and do as fully expect the certain accomplishment of them unto the Church of God 2. Then should the souls dependance upon Jesus Christ be without the sight of the sutable ground for the dependance The first act of Faith can have no ground but the absolute promise of God in regard all those graces that are described in any word of God that should seem to be conditional promises those are not discovered at the first actings of Faith and therefore unless the absolute promises prove a particular ground to the souls apprehension that the soul in that absolute promise sees the Lord particularly tendring himself to accept it into union with Jesus Christ there should be no ground for that dependence Prem 3. It is also granted that this particular application of the absolute promise unto Souls
the punishment of the Devils that could only make him see the merit of sin but it could not make him see himself worse than a Devil There is a Second branch of this ground and that is for the souls advantage and benefit that he does for a time lie under the heaviness and weight of his own iniquity and not dare to apply the Lord Jesus There are also two reasons rendred of that 1. Say they it doth drive the soul more vehemently to the Lord Jesus for justification life and salvation and set the soul in a more hot persuit af-Jesus Christ so as not to be satisfied without him 2. Say they it hath advantage for sanctification in regard fear makes him depart from iniquity and pursue more vehemently after holiness from Jesus Christ For answer to this First I must premise thus much That the Lord can and doth improve every providence whatever for the fulfilling of his own will in a soul So that the Lords will being effectually to draw a heart to the Lord Christ to make him partake of holiness and of union with himself the Lord can and it may be doth improve the affliction of the souls conscience for sin for that end to put him upon a violent pursuit after Jesus Christ But I say this is only accidentally But properly and by it self the souls resting under affliction of conscience for his sin before the applying the Lord Jesus to himself doth not in any measure make for the benefit of the soul in pressing the soul one step towards Jesus Christ either for justification or sanctification either for life union with God in Christ or holiness And that will appear in two things 1. In regard all apprehensions of God out of Christ do but drive away the soul from the presence of God and terrifie and amaze and astonish and afright the poor soul I mean thus so long as the soul looks upon God and doth not behold the Lord willing to accept his poor despicable soul in that precious Mediator the Lord Jesus the more it beholds the justice of God and the more it feels of the effects of his justice in the conscience the further the soul runs from God No sooner had Adam transgressed the will of God and had his conscience wounded but he fled from the presence of God when God called him Thus when Judas was sensible of his sin against God presently he went and hanged himself 2. In regard it is only through the infusion of the habit of grace into the soul that the heart is any way drawn towards Jesus Christ Saith Christ John 6.44 No man can come unto me except the father draw him So the Spouse Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee The heart is altogether opposite to leave those cursed ways of enmity against Jesus Christ after the longest time that ever any soul lay under the affliction of conscience for sin till the Lord by an infusion of a precious habitual disposition from Christ inclines the soul to receive Jesus Christ tendered Now that this is a principle of darkness we shall make it appear divers ways 1. The similitude it self by which the soul illustrates this principle of darkness is meerly impertinent and improperly applyed to the souls case The similitude you know was that there must be corrosives applyed to the wound to eat out the dead flesh before a healing medicine be applied Now this is improperly applied to the souls case in regard there is no medicine to be applied neither corrosive nor lenitive but only the Lord Christ himself for he is the only balm of Gilead It is Jesus Christ alone by the power of his own death in the flesh that slew sin and it is he only that hath power against sin and hell Ps 68.18 he led captivity captive That is Sin Death and the Devil that led poor souls captive Now Jesus Christ being the only Medicine to heal Souls I shall retort the Souls own Similitude against it self by way of contraries You say there must be a corrosive applied to the Soul before a lenitive that is before there be a healing medicine there must be some gnawing thing some tent to ransake the wound Now I say Jesus Christ being the only medicine the danger will be far greater in not applying the Lord Jesus presently in regard there is no salve either corrosive or lenitive that is applied to the Soul wherein Jesus Christ is neglected If it be dangerous to the body to apply lenitives before corrosives then how dangerous is it to leave the Soul without any medicine at all 2. Jesus Christ is the very powerfull corrosive I is only he that must let the wound be ransaked to the bottom I mean he only doth give in light to see into the bottom of the wound It is only he that must eat out all the corrupt matter unless you can think that sin can be killed without the application of the power of the death of Jesus Christ and then indeed is Christ dead in vain 3. It is impossible that any soul should too soon answer the call of God Now observe the Lord calls thy soul whatever thou art at this moment to apply Jesus Christ tendered Saith God Thou poor rebell and traytor to the Crown of Heaven I command thee to receive the Lord Jesus It is my will thou shouldst receive Jesus Christ as a Mediator to make up a union between thy self and me Now dost think thou canst answer too soon to this call You read of the five foolish Virgins Mat. 25. That for want of being ready presently to hear and answer when the Bridegroom should come they were shut out and could never enter into the Bridegrooms Chamber to have Communion with Jesus Christ You read also Mat. 22.7 That when the King invited the people to the Marriage of his Son that is the Lord Jesus because they neglected that call the King was exceeding wrath 4. A soul can never too soon come into a capableness of doing any thing that may be acceptable to God God calls for prayer at thy hand this night dost think it is too soon to be in a posture wherein thy prayer may be heard Is it too soon to come from under the hatred of God to be in a state of amity and love It is more clear than the Sun at noon day that it is a cursed principle of darkness that the soul should take heed that it doth not too soon apply to himself the Lord Jesus tendered But though this be a principle of darkness yet by some Hell-bred Devilish Policy the Devil can improve it both ways for though he cast in this principle to hinder souls from coming to Christ yet on the contrary he perswades some in a confused disorderly way to apply in some kind the Lord Jesus too too soon And therefore there are two or three things to be anexed to this principle of darkness 1. Though the Lord Jesus cannot be applyed
of thy judgment declaring the excellency of Jesus Christ tendered that thy affections did work so powerfully 2. It would be considered whether the Lord may not and doth not more frequently stir up higher affections in souls in the first holding forth of the Gospel to them than he always intends afterwards to them Do you think that the Prodigal Luke 15.44 had always those expressions of his fathers delight in his return that he had when he first returned Then there must be the best robe put upon him and a feast and musick But it is a question whether his father put him on such apparel every day and make him a feast every day So the Lord may and I believe doth at the first revealing of his truth give more affections than he intends to continue and more stirrings of grace infused than he intends afterwards constantly to continue yet though there remain not the same activity vivacity liveliness of affection yet there may be the same affection remain nay it may be the affection may be grown in its fixedness and steadiness and in its orderly way of working towards Jesus Christ though it appear not working so powerfully and mightily as it did before You see plainly the conclusion is rashly drawn though from a true principle considered in some sense A third Distemper is fearfulness the timerous disposition of the soul Dark Distemper Now you must rightly understand this distemper for though the Devil cast in the distemper of fearfulness into some souls to keep them from union with Christ yet he casts in the distemper of presumption into more souls to prevent them from seeing the face of God in the glass of the Gospel and so leads their souls into the pit of darkness We shall clear it in two or three conclusions 1. There cannot be too much holy fear possessing any heart That is there cannot be too much awfull reverence of the holy Majesty of God nor too much awfull respect of God as he presents himself cloathed with the precious robe of mercy loving kindness goodness This fear God requires Ps 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared 2. There is a fear which is a terrour and dread and horrour of the avenging justice of the Almighty God There is a fear of displeasing this God appearing in this manner least his anger should be so kindled that flames of indignation should proceed from him to the consuming of soul and body for ever And it is this fear that is too much in the souls of Gods dear ones This kind of fear is but a Judas his fear and a Cain's fear and a Saul's fear 3. There is a natural affection of fear that possesseth the hearts of men and women as men and women That 's this a perturbation or a troubling or perplexing or causing the heart to suffer through the motions of the blood and animal spirits to and fro upon the souls apprehending some evil that he is in danger to suffer This kind of fear is not an evil fear absolutely considered But this fear becomes a sinfull distemper through the inordinateness of it As 1. When it exceeds the bounds of reason That is when the heart is perplexed with some evil he shall suffer and can give no ground of this fear The soul is afraid of the loss of heaven and the glorious priviledges tendered in Christ and can render no good account according to reason why his soul is thus afraid 2. When it exceeds the bounds of Grace That is when it exceeds the bounds God hath appointed in his word when it proves a distracting fear and unfits the soul for the duty God requires at his hand And this distemper arises from three principles and accordingly produces three effects whereby the soul is prevented from discerning the light the promise holds forth 1. Commonly it arises from the sense of the souls own guiltiness The sense of a soul to be a guilty person naturally stirs up fear of punishment according to the disposition of men as men and working with natural conscience it stirs up fear of divine vengeance hereafter and so by this means that sinful fear prevails and clouds the soul 2. It ariseth from the souls apprehension of the height of the consequence of the souls right establishment Fear is begotten by looking upon the danger It is like a man standing upon a high Tower and looking upon the downfall though he stands firm it pales the man and makes him afraid So they standing upon the Tower of Eternity come to be sensible of the great danger and thence arises this fear of heart 3. This fear ariseth from the darkness and ignorance wherein the soul remains I mean his ignorance of the way of the right establishment of the soul his ignorance of the nature and large extent of those promises that God vouchsafes to his soul Like a blind man that is in continual fear lest he meet with danger and stumble and fall Walking in darkness strikes a fear naturally in any person much more doth this spiritual darkness produce fear in the soul Now this darkness thus risen hath three effects to prevent the soul from the sight of the promise held forth 1. It causeth the soul to create strange unheard of dangers to himself through the strength of imagination working by fear The very strength of fancy when this distemper of fear prevails causeth the soul to make new dangers to it self every moment and to fear where no fear is And thence he multiplies one objection upon another and the answering of one objection is but the bringing in of another objection 2. This distemper of fearfulness doth prevent the souls right use of the appointed means for the Prevention of real danger discovered The soul thinking to escape presumption by receiving Jesus Christ lest it have no right to him prevents it self of the use of the right means to come to Christ it makes the soul mindless of what the promise holds forth 3. This distemper darkens the reason of the soul and clouds the precious divine light that God hath infused into it It looks upon God in Christ through the dark glass of fear and so is driven from God in Christ rather then drawn to a close with fuller confidence Now there are two things the spirit of God is to do for the removing of this distemper 1. The Spirit of God presents the Lord in his love compassions and tender nature cloathed with the nature of loving-kindness and thereupon begins to allay that passion of fear to prevent the rage and dominion of it The spirit presents the Lord as it were coming down with a still gentle voice speaking to the soul in a precious alluring soul-conquering heart-inamouring way and thereby the heart begins to have dispositions begotten in it to close with God to draw near to God whereas it stood before afar off afrighted and astonished 2. The spirit useth to expostulate with the
believing sain would I receive the Lord Jesus tendered but alas I have such a cursed deceitfull heart that I dare not least my heart delude me 5. When the Jealousie over the heart prevails so much as the Soul spends all his thoughts in finding out the uprightness of his heart in closing before the soul venture upon an actual closing with the Lord Jesus as tendered When a Soul through this Jealousie sets porcing and gazing upon the many windings and turnings of his own spirit and calling to remembrance how wretchedly his heart deluded him formerly and hereupon concludes with himself that he may not close till he can see the uprightness of his heart in closing with the Lord Jesus And so thereupon afterwards spends all his prayers and pours out all his desires to God for uprightness for integrity of heart in closing and in the mean time forbearing that actual closing that the Lord requires without the least delay from every Soul Thus you see also how this Jealousie comes to work in a sinfull way and becomes a sinfull Distemper And indeed when 〈◊〉 cometh thus work it exceedingly darkens the Soul and prevents its discerning what the promise holds forth 1. In regard Jealousie prevents the souls gazing upon the absolute promise that is tendered to the soul Now the soul must needs be kept from discerning what the promise holds forth when it is kept from so much as looking into the promise for though there be habitual divine light in the promise yet that 's not usefull till it be drawn out into exercise Habitual divine light in the understanding is like the eye when it is asleep or like the eye when it is shut It is the exercise of that that makes the soul discern any thing that the Lord discovers in the promises And then it is the very gazing upon the promise that draws out that divine light formerly received in exercise also 2. This Distemper of Jealousie maintains perpetual fear in the soul of its false applying of the promise of the Lord Jesus Fear is always the companion of Jealousie the more fearful the soul is the more jealous and the more jealous the soul is the more fearful and those fears are like a thick fog or mist that darkens the divine light received So that by this means the soul is kept from discerning any of those beams of divine light in any clearness that the promise of God holds forth and thereby the soul is kept from discerning his union with the Lord Jesus that might be discerned from the promises Now this jealousie over the heart it self must be healed before the soul can receive clear satisfaction to it self of its union with Christ Two ways the spirit of God usually heals this 1. The spirit presseth with all urgency upon the soul the present immediate necessity of his yielding obedience to the command of God without any pretence whatever of any delay and deferring Commonly upon these distempers of Jealousie prevailing the soul denies not the Lord Jesus tendered only conceiveth himself to have sufficient ground to delay and defer a while till he see clearly a more sutable uprightness in his heart to close Now the spirit comes upon the soul and presses it upon his heart to be his duty immediately without the least delay Hereby the soul begins to be drawn to adventure to believe though it be with trembling lest his wretched heart should deceive him 2. The spirit discovers to the soul the independency of his own interest in the promise upon any act of his own considered in himself The spirit clears to the soul the Lords engagement of himself as well to make the heart faithful and true and upright in receiving the Lord Jesus tendered as to give the Lord Jesus to the soul that would receive him The spirit it may be brings such a promise as that Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and reveals to the soul from thence the Lords engagement of himself to put in faithfulness into the deceitful hypocritical heart whereby the close shall be in truth and sincerity notwithstanding all the wretched wickedness of his own heart striving to deceive him The Fifth Dark Distemper is The souls measuring and judging its self too too much by other Christians Dark Distemper by the graces and excellencies that shine forth in other souls We shall open it to you how far it is lawful for a soul thus to measure himself by other Christians and by the rule of their graces And then how this distemper comes to prevail and how it works It must be concluded that there is a lawfulness in a souls measuring himself by the rule and line of the graces of other Christians to try his own heart and way by comparing his own heart way by the heart way of other Christians as far as he can discern There are seven or eight particular acts that are not only lawful for a soul in this case but the soul is bound to them 1. Every soul allured towards the Lord Jesus ought with the greatest diligence and circumspection that is possible to have a full prospect a full view into the hearts and lives of other Christians The Lord hath intended from eternity to propose the whole number of Saints like so many glorious heavenly Stars set in the lower region of the earth from whence the beams of his own excellency may shine forth They are set like so many Suns in the Firmament for all the World to gaze upon according to Prov. 4.18 The righteous is like the Sun that shineth more and more untill the perfect day Yea further The precious beams of the Lords own glory are appointed to shine forth through their light So that every soul neglects the beholding of the glory of God himself in the precious glasses that he hath appointed for his people to see the reflection of his glory in when they neglect to make a diligent search into the hearts of all Christians within view 2. Every soul ought in the view that he takes of the hearts and lives of Saints and their graces to have a reflection upon his heart and life and his own grace Every soul ought to look upon these Saints as we look upon glasses that we may discern our own faces 3. Every Christian ought to compare his own graces with the graces he discerns in all Christians within his view First they ought to measure the graces themselves Secondly the expressions of those graces in their duties First they ought to measure the graces themselves even the inward habits of grace so far as they can discern them in others 1. They ought to compare the strength of their own graces with the strength and vigor of those graces they discern in other Christians 2. They ought to compare the strength of their own graces with the graces of
Lords conferring temporal blessings upon it And he pries into the understanding to discern what Judgment it passes upon the Lords withdrawing temporal blessings and inflicting sore evils and according to ordinary and common conceptions of the understanding upon such providences of God he may also propound his lying arguments of the souls union with Christ Thence it is you shall observe that the Devil takes much advantage to confirm some poor ignorant ones in their Soul-deluding confidence of their Peace and Union and Reconciliation with God from the constant influence of all Temporal Blessings in their Bosoms And thence it is that other souls he confirms in their soul killing hopes of their Union with Christ and Peace with God from the multitude of Crosses and Tribulations they meet withal here below Thence are those Speeches that you shall hear from many Ignorant ones I hope the Lord looks upon me as his Child because he thus Chastises me I hope saith another that I have my Punishment for my Sins here below III. The third Act of Power that the Devil exerciseth upon the Mind and Understanding is this He doth Secretly Inwardly and Indiscernably Communicate these his lying Arguments his Rotten False reasons from whence he falsly insinuates into souls their Union with Christ As the Prince of Darkness was a Created Angel he hath a kind of neer though mediate aceess to the Minds and Understandings of Men so that he can secretly Propound all his lying Reasons yea he can suggest them so indiscernably that the person to whom they are suggested shall not Understand in the least that they are from the Devil but shall rather conclude they are the right Reasonings of his own faculty of reason that God hath Communicated or they are the Workings of the Lords Blessed spirit Thus the Devil was a lying spirit to Ahab in the Mouths of the Prophets 2 Chron. 18.23 The way of this neer access of the Devil to the Understanding to Communicate his lying Argument to them of their Union with Christ undiscernably is by these two means 1. By means of the Subtility of his nature by which he is able to Pierce insensibly and indiscernably into the very Bodies of Men they neither Seeing Perceiving nor Feeling that Penetration of Satan into their Bodies So that by this he enters insensibly into the very brains of Men which is the very Organ of the common Senses 2. He doth both discern and stir up and Collect together the Species and Images of things that are in the inward Senses that is to say the Fancy and by moving and stirring all those Phantasms those Images of things that are in the Fancy he doth secretly Convey all his own lying Reasons into the Mind and Understanding so as the persons to whom those lying Reasons concerning their Union with Christ are suggested perceive them not to be from Satan but either imagine they are true Reasonings from the Word of God or from the Spirit of God cast in their Minds IV. The Fourth act of Power that the Devil exercises upon the Mind is this That he doth through his Neer and Familiar access through the Fancy to the Mind and Understanding Suggest and Propound Frequently and Importunately his Rotten Arguments and Fallacious grounds of Souls Union with Christ He doth renew again and again the same lying Arguments unto Souls of their Union with Christ so as they shall scarse pass out of their Thoughts and Mind And this indeed hath no small Power upon the Understanding to settle the Mind and Understanding in a Conceit of the truth of those his lying Arguments The very Frequency of Thoughts and Imaginations have the secret force of an Argument to perswade the Mind that the thing is so You shall observe it when any matter runs in our Mind Frequently Familiarly and almost Constantly we will then easily believe there is something in it The frequent suggesting of those reasonings is a kind of Importuning the mind to consent to them and embrace them As that unjust Judge Luke 18.5 condescended to the Widow because of her importunity though the justice of her cause that she propounded bore no sway in his unjust mind so though the reason it self at first suggested should bear little sway yet the importunity of the Devil in suggesting the reason prevails much with the mind to consent to it and close with it 5. A fifth act of the Devils power upon the mind and understanding is this that he doth through his accute and clear knowledge of the Images of things together in the fancy and through his power to collect and gather them together in the fancy suggest a multitude for his lying arguments his false rotten reasonings fo the souls union with Christ at one and the same time He doth so multiply his deluding grounds of the Souls union that the number of the arguments for the union hath a power upon the understanding when the arguments themselves have little power The Devil deals with Souls as he did with Jesus Christ in his tempting of him he presented all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye that so it might have had some perswasion in the mind of Christ thus the Devil doth at once set almost all his rotten reasons that are sutable to that understanding whom at present he is to delude thus you shall observe the Pharisee in that 18. Luke whom the Devil deluded concerning his acceptance with God he had at once in his thoughts the great difference that was between him and others that he was not as other men were and also his exactness and strictness according to the Lords Law paying Tithes of all things his extraordinary frequency in solemn duties his fasting twice a week and it is probable all that ever the Devil could say concerning the Souls acceptation with God was propounded at once to him so that what one rotten lying reason want to perswade the soul of his union with Christ another may supply 6. The sixth act of the Devils power upon the understanding for this purpose is that he holds and retains the mind and understanding with its full intention and strength upon those lying arguments and rotten reasons of the souls union with Christ that he suggests to him This the Prince of Darkness effects two ways I. By diverting or turning away the mind from all those thoughts that should contradict those lying reasons for its union Now in this Satan doth exeecise a three-fold power First he doth excite and secretly draw into exercise the natural loathness unwillingness and indisposedness of the mind to any poor holy thoughts suggested by the blessed sanctified Spirit Secondly Satan doth excite the vanity instability and wantonness of the mind Thirdly The Prince of Darkness stirs up the inward enmity in the mind against all such thoughts II. He doth hold and retain the mind upon its lying reasons for its union by a constant application of these his lying reaions to the
Christ did ever engrave that great Maxim in your hearts that nothing ought to satisfie your souls but a full conformity to the Lords will that thence you have ever since been enquiring and making diligent search to find out the hidden iniquities of your own hearts Do not many of your Consciences attest this before the Lord that it was never made your work one moment to search what iniquity was in your hearts undiscovered 4. Was ever your spirit so caused to apprehend that nothing ought to satsfie your souls but a perfect conformity to the Lords will by your apprehension of your being saved by Christ that thence you have appealed to the Lord to be the trier and examiner of your rotten deceitful hearts to find out your Iniquities for you that your wills might be brought into a more precious conformity to his blessed will Did ever your souls breath forth one such request before the Lord to this day Nay let me ask you whether you durst now in the presence of the heart-searching God come to say Lord search me try me see if there be any way of wickedness in me If so then how far are you from receiving the true evidence whose descent is from heaven whose Father is God that evidence that proceeds from the spirit of Christ of our union with Christ and salvation by him 5. Did ever your apprehensions of your salvation by Christ so confirm in your Souls that great Gospel-Truth that the Lords blessed will ought to have the most absolute perfect subjection from the will of any soul that thence your Souls have delighted and taken contentment in the light of the Lords precious Truth revealing the Lords will to you and revealing the disagreement of your own wills to the Lords will Are not your souls to this day so far from delighting in the discovery of the Lords will to your souls as your spirits loath and hate those blessed discoveries of the Lords will to you and your hearts inwardly bulk and swell against the discoveries of the Lords will that you have hard thoughts and think if God require such holiness such praying such watching over the heart words and thoughts this is a hard Master indeed to require such strictness as no holy heart can observe and answer How then can you say confidently that you shall be saved by Christ when your apprehensions of salvation by Christ cannot testifie in the least degree from this effect of the causing the Name of God to be exalted through you that the descent is from God 6. Lastly Examine whether your apprehension of being saved by Christ begat such a principle in you that nothing could satisfie you but a perfect conformity of your wills to the will of Christ that your hearts have groaned after a dissolution after the time of breaking the corrupt union between Body and Soul that you might no longer be detained under corruption and a necessity of sinning that you might no longer have your wills opposite to the Lords will Alas do not your souls answer that such a time of dissolution is rather a time of horrour to your souls Do not your hearts answer that want of unity to the Lords will is so little burdensom to you that could you dwell in your corrupt bodies it would be accounted happiness to enjoy the pleasures of sin for ever rather than that perfect union and communion with God in Christ If your hearts answer any of these things I beseech you see how far you are from being able to prove to your own souls that the apprehension of your salvation by Christ did descend from God Questionless did they proceed from God they would cause the Name of God and his Holiness to be exalted through you they would cause your souls to bear record to the glory of the Lords holiness do testifie that such a perfection of holiness dwells in God that his will ought to be the Rule for the conforming of the will of every Soul FINIS ERRATA Pag. 6. l. 29. read dependance p. 38. l. 1. for in r. of p. 44. l. 12. r. knowledge p. 83. l. 21. r. but promises p. 87. l. 3. for it r. them p. 93. l. 17. for of r. to p. 94. l. 26. for proceeding r. preceding p. 121. l. 17. for Union to r. Evidences to p. 174. l. 2. for into r. upon p. 188 l. 31. r. receive him p. 189. l. 19. r. make them p. 115. l. 30. r. have one p. 121. l. 32. r. or joynt p. 129. l. 33. r. to recieve p. 132. l. 26. r. in every p. 146. l. 27. dele to p. 160. l. 22. r. of that l. 25. for af r. after p. 193. l. 26. for Lord. r. old p. 205. l. 16. for to r. in p. 213. l. 33. r. fruitfulness p. 241. l. 12. r. glorious subject p. 244. l. 12. 14. 16. for imputed r. reputed p. 259. l. 6. r. Hebr. 4 15. p. 263. l. 32. for perection r. perfection p. 265. l. 28. r. to discern p. 268. l. 12. for to any r. by any p. 284. l. 33. r. superabundance p. 292. l. 17. r. name p. 311. l. 9. r. Rev. 1.6 p. 330. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 20. r. he nearer p. 331. l. 18. 19. for Ministers r. miseries p. 350. l. 15. for into r. in p. 352. l. 13. dele of p. 354. l. 1. r. discovered p. 381. for be r. believer to p. 393. l. 7. for there are r. three or p 394. l. 12. r. chiefly jealous p. 395. l. 24. for less r. left p. 39â— l. 5. r. inextricable l. 27. for Lord. r. Soul p. 399. l. 8. for edifie r. excite p. 401. l. 27. for to r. that p. 407. l. 33. r. a believing soul p. 410. l. 12. for fahen r. fallen p. 415. l. 7. r. compass l. 31. for fafly r. falsely p. 417. l. 22. for charge r. chang p 422. l. 12. for also r. able l. 32. dele that p. 423. l. 16. for declare r. compare l. 22. for act r. art dele into p. 428. l. 17. for for r. of l. 18. for so r. for p. 4â—9 l. 22. for poor r. pure p. 430. l. 21. for abstrenuous r. obstreperous p. 441. l. 20. for them r. view p. 432. l. 2. after to add make p. 445. l. 10. after admission add into Vnion p. 448. l. 7. for Confusions r. Conclusions p. 449. l. 7. r. easy l. 31. r. view of p. 450. l. 8. for safe r. false l. 13. for Contradiction r. conclusion l. 27. for but. r and. l. 26. for shalt r. hast l. 30. for God r. good p. 451. l. 35. for of r. into p. 452. l. 30. for dust r. dost l. 34. for them r. the. p. 454. l. 26 r. evidences p. 455 l. 12. 13. r. suspend p. 456. l. 31. for hath r. have p. 460. l. 25. for Lord. r. soul p. 464. l. 5. r. excluded l. 7. r. I beseech l. 28. r. blessed p. 170. l. 16. r. really from God l. 17. for slow r. flow p. 471. l. 15. for then r. when l. 19. r. work in l. 20. r. only then p 476. l. 20. for sealed r. are ceased p. 477. l. 29. for from r. for p. 482 l. 9. for will r. would p. 486. l. 20. for their r. the. p. 488. l. 15. foâ— is r. are so p. 400. l. 10. p. 492. l. 10. p. 494. l. 5. p 462. l. 16. dele in l. 32. for doth r. do p 496. l. 15. r. union l. 32. r. necessarily p. 50â— l. 15. for was r. i as l. 28. for his r their