behold some workings in its spirit also some holy act in and upon Jesus Christ At the same time the soul beholds its union with Jesus Christ it beholds its receiving Jesus Christ which is an act of Faith 3. The meaning of the conclusion is this That no works either inward or outward performed by the soul have sufficient light in themselves to manifest themselves unto the soul nor from themselves and their own nature to manifest the union of the soul with Christ Though there is an inward act of soul that is an inseparable evidence of the souls union which is the act of Faith yet that act of Faith in it self considered as is is the meer act and work of the soul hath not sufficient light in it self to discover it self to the soul that it is the inseparable act of the souls union Likewise is every work of the soul inward or outward of the same nature The works of the soul may be works of light and yet the beams of light shine so dimly forth as they cannot discover their own nature to the soul they cannot discover themselves to be those works that the Scripture holds forth to be the infallible consequence of the souls union with Christ And that the works of the soul have not sufficient light in themselves to discover union will appear in divers respects 1. Because all the works of the soul united to Christ may be present in the soul when the union of the soul with Christ is obscure and dark The act of Faith that is the most eminent effect of the souls union with Christ may be very strong in the soul when the soul may be yet dark A clear instance will be given in Mat. 27.46 by the Captain of our Salvation who believed when he hung upon the Cross and exercised Faith in God as appears in those words My God yet the union between Jesus Christ and God the Father as Mediator was dark that made him cry out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me The hypostatical union was firm and as firm as now it is in heaven but the manifestation of that union was obscure when the Lord Christ did bear the greatest burden of the consequence of sin that was possible in bearing the sense of the absence of God from him for a season 2. It appears in regard the union between Christ and the soul is only passive The union is compleat between Jesus Christ and the soul before any one act goes forth from the soul unto Christ It is impossible there should be the least motion of the soul towards the perfecting or compleating of the union between Christ and the soul unless we could conceive there may be motions in dead persons that there may be action where there is no life Now the union being passive there may be a manifestation of the union between Jesus Christ and the soul at the same time at the same moment that the union between Christ and the soul is compleated I do not say it is ordinary but I say there may be a sight of the Lord Christ coming down into the heart in that instant and moment wherein Jesus Christ does take actual possession of the heart and unite it unto himself Now in case the union of the soul should be so evidenced with Christ then should all works either inward or outward in the soul be excluded from having any interest in the manifestation of that union 3. In regard the same kind of works that do arise properly from the union of the soul with Christ though not peculiarly may arise from other principles where there is no union There are three false originals of such outward works 1. God himself may be the Original of such works in some souls though not by vertue of union nor in relation unto union That is though the Lord convey not any influences that are the proper influences peculiar unto union nor though the Lord does not convey those influences into the soul from whence those outward works proceed to bring the soul into union with Jesus Christ Prayer and revealing the truths of God and reading of them and all outward works of a soul may be produced by God in the soul only in relation to other souls that are already united to himself The Lord may convey large streams of gifts and inward affections unto some souls and excite them to the imploying of all those gifts in all outward works of his own worship only in respect to the good of his own peoples souls when the Lord intends not any benefit to the soul that partakes of those gifts Thus the Lord dealt with Cyrus Isa 45.1 and Chap. 44.28 Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall he laid The Lord did convey strength to Cyrus to carry him on in a glorious work of reforming his worship and to build the Temple when the Lord intended no good to Cyrus I mean so as to bring his soul into union with Christ Thus God furnished John with Zeal against Idolatry for the good of his peoples souls and it redounded little to the good of his soul For ought we know Judas was furnished with as good gifts as the rest of the Apostles and seemed to pray with as much earnestness and publish the truths of Christ with as much Zeal as any of the Apostles whereas none of those gifts that Judas had were conveyed by vertue of the union of his soul with Christ nor were given with an intent to bring his soul into union 2. A second false original of such works is the souls own principle of self Self ends self lusts self intendments may be like the spring that may set all the wheels of the affections on work and produce all those outward expressions in the work of God Certainly it was one of the chief intendments in the Pharisees in all their works of holiness and strictness in their conversation that they might advance themselves outwardly and to eternity and thought to tie God to give them heaven for it 3. The third false original of works that properly flow from union is from the Devil himself The workings of prayer of hearing of meditating or forsaking sin in the conversation may come from the Devil himself he taking his opportunity to sail with the wind and row with the tide He seeing the Affections work towards duties of holiness he presses with all his might to the performance of them that he might weary out the soul with them or else cause the confidence of the soul to be placed in them and the soul to promise it self happiness by them Certainly the Zeal of Paul that he had for God and the law of God was acted by the Devil himself And Saul that was so Zealous to offer sacrifice before he went to battle it was from the Devil Those souls
to make his Love glorious in those objects Therefore the End must in order of Nature according to our conception be before the Means though all things are at once and by one Act done by God so that according to our conceptions the Love must be first fixed and setled upon Souls in order of nature I mean the intention of Love must be first unto Souls before the conveyance of that Gift of Love through Christ Thence 't is that the Scripture speaks of Christ not only as given but also called out to the work of Mediatorship Heb. 5.1 He was ordained to be the High Priest by God the Father to offer Sacrifice for Souls 3. There can be no End of the Lords being at that high charge for the effecting of the Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers to Souls that will embrace him but his own praise and his peoples comfort Seeing there was no necessity I speak of absolute and indispensable necessity all this while I would not be mistaken in a thing of so high a nature I say seeing there was no absolute simple necessity for the Lord to be at such high cost in respect of himself and in respect of Souls to partake of this Mercy but it is done freely of God according to his own wisdom Thence it appears there can be no higher End than the Lords own praise the manifesting the Beams of the Lords transcendent Glory more abundantly in the Eyes of Saints and Angels And this you shall find to be the very End of it Eph. 1.4.6 Saith the Apostle He hath chosen us in Christ That is He hath chosen us as the Members of Christ the first Elect of God and that Head of the Mystical Body that God hath glorified himself in This he hath done saith he before the foundation of the world and therefore he destinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Here is the Fathers Love in the Means and in the End v. 6. To the praise of the Glory of his Grace that is of his own Love wherein that is in which Love he hath made us acccepted in the Beloved that is in Christ Now this may be taken rwo wayes Either for his praise actively to be given to him by the Soul that partakes of that Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers Or else passively to be manifested through this way unto those that partake of that Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers In both ways the Lord intended to have his glorious Love admired and adored and himself sanctified in the beholding of it through the effecting and conveying of that his Love and Mercy unto Souls through such cost and charge in giving his dearly beloved Son Now observe it There are especially two wayes how the partaker of that Love and Mercy the Gospel discovers doth actively give the Lord the praise of the glory of his Love 1. In admiring the unmeasurable dimensions of his Love in gazing upon the height and depth and length and breadth of his Love so as to see it unmeasurable and bottomless and to adore God in beholding it 2. In their Souls relying with a fulness of confidence upon God for that his Love in Christ It is alwayes in the same degree wherein a Soul takes up its rest in God for any thing that a Soul sanctifies God in his heart therefore Is 8.13 when the Prophet exhorts them to sanctifie God he saith Fear not their fear but make him your fear and your dread as if he should say therein you shall sanctifie him when your spirits take up their rest in him alone Now as God is thus sanctified in the heart in general so he is sanctified in the heart in respect of every particular Attribute of his in this way only when a Souls confidence is in him alone And thus in particular in respect of his Love God hath the praise of the glory of his Love from the Soul when the Heart takes up its full rest in God with a fulness of confidence for all Love through Christ Now observe these being the two special wayes how the Lord hath the praise of his glorious Love from Souls that partake of the Love that the Gospel discovers and then both these proceeding from a Souls apprehension of the certainty and infallibility of the Lords Love in Christ thence it must needs appear that the Lords being at the high cost to effect all that Love and Mercy discovered in the Gospel for Souls through the death of that dearly beloved of his Soul that this must be on purpose done by God for the making that his Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers more sure and certain unto Souls embracing it in their own apprehensions Thirdly The Spirit discovers the Lords own Bond given out to the persons themselves that shall embrace the Gospel for their assurance of all that the Gospel discovers All the Promises written in the Lords Blessed Book are but as so many Bonds of Gods own writing by the hand of the great Secretary of Heaven the blessed Spirit of God on purpose to confirm and assure Souls of all that the Gospel discovers The Spirit reveals Promise upon Promise to seal to and confirm the same thing as you may see Heb. 6.12 13 14 15. The Promise is said to be given there as a Discovery of the Immutability of the Lords Counsel that is of the infallible and unchangeable certainty of all that the Gospel discovers Fourthly The Spirit riseth higher he adds the confirmation of his own Oath the highest Oath that was possible for God to swear which was by himself that the Soul might have security upon security to his weak apprehension Fifthly The Spirit reveals the adding of the Blood of Christ as the Seal to the Bond. The Spirit manifests the Lord to have employed Jesus Christ to be the Testator to Souls that by the Death of the Testator the Testament or the Will of God revealed in the Gospel might be made unquestionably certain that the Soul might have fulness of security to his poor scrupulous Spirit now security comes in upon security to a superabuddance of it Sixthly The Spirit reveals the Lord to have engaged the Honour and Credit of his ever-blessed Name for the better securing Souls and fuller assuring them of all that the Gospel discovers to them This you shall see in Exod. 33.19 I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee saith God to Moses and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy which doth both include a disposition to be gracious and a free disposition to be gracious and it includeth that Grace of his to be ordered only according to his own will Now did not the Lord freely love loveless sinners upon no other ground but his own will which is the very Sum of all that the Gospel saith then this Title of Gods Honour should be defaced and blemished But God saith
necessary infallible effect of a true beam of light shining from the father of lights into the believing soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus Indeed there is a necessity of such a discovery to a believing Soul of its union with Jesus Christ preceeding the sweetest act of subjection of himself wholly at the foot of God 1. In regard then when such a light shines into the soul to discover its union with Christ the soul apprehends an infinite disproportion between that which he ows to God and his ability and capacity to pay to him He apprehends Men and Angels are never sufficient to render to the Lord according to his benefits bestowed upon his loveless soul 2 It appears to that soul while there is such a discovery of that his union with Christ to be an infinite injury to the Majesty of Heaven that a thought of his heart should not be subject to his blessed will The heart saith within it self so sweetly hath the Lord passed over himself and all his fulness to this empty loveless soul of mine that it were such an accursed requital as might incense the Lord to be incomplacable should my heart be withheld from giving one subjection to him that thence the soul is constrained by an irresistble power by ineffable bands of love to yield all precious subjection to the blessed will of God V. The fifth and last act that must concurr together with all the Four former to the exaltation of the Name of God is the souls taking up a full acquiescense or rest and contentment in God alone It is an infinite unspeakable injury to the Majesty of Heaven that one desire one inclination in the heart should be a Vagrant to wander hither and thither to seek for its satisfaction out of God Now this precious God-exalting act in the believing soul is necessarily certainly and infallibly produced by a true beam of light shining from Heaven into any believing soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus Thus you shall observe it was in David Psal 63.3 4 5. Thy loving kindness is better than life My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness It should be contentment enough for him to enjoy his love only Thus these Five acts which concur together to the exalting of the Lords blessed Name are all the necessary and certain effects of a true beam of light shining from Heaven into the believing soul to discover to it its union with the Lord Jesus So that whatever Soul is partaker of such a blessed beam of the light of Heaven as do truly discover from God to him his union with the Lord Jesus he hath these pretious God-exalting acts necessarily produced in his soul whereby that light that shines into his Soul discovers it self to have its original from God There is a second branch of this great end of God from eternity from whence a Soul that conceives he hath received satisfying evidences of his union with Christ may gather another evidence of his union and that is the exaltation of God through those believing souls This is that you read of Eph. 1.4 5. He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the World that we should be holy having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children through Jesus Christ to himself to the praise of the glory of his grace That is to the end that his glorious love in Jesus Christ might be made manifest through us to give praise to the Lord to declare the excellency of God to publish and tell abroad the glory of God Now the very end unto which God predestinated believing Souls was to the glory of his love to the end they should be like Silver Trumpets to sound aloud and proclaim his glory So that then this being the great end of God from eternity in his love to believing souls that they might be like so many Golden Pillars whereupon the Lord might write the glorious excellency of his love in great Characters that others might read it thence of necessity this must be the effect and consequence in some degree of the Lords Communications of love unto believing souls all the workings of his love necessarily tending in order to their ultimate end So that then a second reason from whence the Soul may demonstrate to himself that the light that himself hath received to discover to him his union with Jesus Christ is really from God is this that the pretious light that shined into his dark soul to reveal to him his union with Christ did necessarily and certainly effect the exaltation of God through him Now that exaltation of God consists only in this in the Souls declaring or manifesting the brightness and perfection of those excellencies to be in God that God hath revealed to be in him in his pretious word But herein we must descend down into particulars First God is exalted through the Soul when the brightness the lustre the perfection that the Lord discovers in that his love in Christ to unlovely sinners is manifested through the believing soul and made conspicuous before others by the believing soul Thence it is you shall observe in Psal 50.23 saith God who so offereth praise glorifieth me Now the offering praise is nothing else taken strictly but a sincere humble declaration of the glorious workings of the Lords love and mercy to poor despicable worms it is but a publishing the glorious works of God and speaking of the excellency and perfection of God Thence in Isa 43.7 The Sons and Daughters of God are said to be Created for the Lords glory which they accomplish by shewing forth his praise v. 21. It is by making manifest what the excellencies of God in himself are Now then God is exalted in a believing soul when the excellency and glory of the Lords love in Christ revealed to Sinners is made manifest through the Soul This is done Three ways 1. When the Soul doth give a real practical testimony to the fulness and perfection of that love of God in Christ to an unlovely Sinner Now this the believing soul doth practically declare in Four or Five things First By rejoycing fully and gloriously in that love When the Heart can rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory in that love of God that is in Christ then is the blessed Name of God exalted through the soul in regard the soul then declares practically and gives a real testimony to other believing souls and to the World too that the blessed God of Heaven is true that his love is according to what he declared in his blessed word that his love to unlovely sinners contains all kind of happiness contentment glory and excellency that is desirable by a believing soul so far as is suitable for him Secondly When the Soul can despise and disregard all kind of difficulty whatsoever for the enjoyment of the sweet fruit and working of that love of God that is in Christ Thence it is that
acting by his own power the divine Light communicated to the soul p. 233. 2. The spirits Irradiation of the Promise or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Diverse things in the Promise or in the Gospel that the Spirit doth evidence to the Soul when it is revealing its Vnion with Christ This is clear in many particulars from p. 234. to 340. The first beam of Divine Light p. 236. A Second Beam of Divine Light p. 254. A Third p. 262. A Fourth p. 267. A Fifth p. 269. A Sixth p. 274. The security given to Souls from the Covenant Oath Seal p. 274. From the many engagement upon God himself p. 305. 3. The Spirits conviction of the Conscience p. 340. What Conscience is The two most eminent works of Conscience The spirits excitation of the habits of grace formerly infused into their proper exercise p. 345. What the spirits excitatioin is p. 350. 5. The Spirits Attestation or Witness unto the Soul Both its Attestation to sense and to faith p. 355. to 392. Quest 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 the evidence of their Vnion with Christ received is really from God and not a Diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a Delusion by the Devils translation of himself into Angelical glory p. 392. Several things concerning Diabolical Inspirations p. 393. The grounds of the different actings of the Devils policy towards Believers and Vnbelievers p. 406. Quest Can the Devil look into the understandings of Men to know what the inward actings of their Minds are p. 425. 2. Satans power upon the Conscience p. 431. 3. Satans power upon the Affections and Passions p. 436. Premises about a Souls tryal of the evidence of his Vnion received whether it it be from God or be a diabolical inspiration p. 437. Four sinful Distempers incident to believing Souls when doubtful of the truth of their Evidencs of their Vnion with Christ which do incapacitate for a just Trial and true examination of the evidences of their Vnion p 445. Quest If souls under the Dominion of impatiency rashness irrational affections prejudicial conceits against the truth of their evidence of their Vnion with Christ and under decays of holiness be unsutable for a right Tryal of their Evidences then what sutable means remains for such souls in these sad conditions under fears that their Eaidences are delusions Answer p. 455. If the examination can only be taken from those Evidences which remain in their perspicity clearness and sanctifying power then Quest What use could souls make of the evidences they conceive they had received of their Vnion with Jesus Christ when the Lustre and orient brightness of their evidences be Eclipsed p. 472. Answered in 4 Propositions Six Holy Vses the soul is to make for former Evidences p. 479. Nine Arguments from former Evidences to plead with the Majesty of Heaven p. 483. From all those Considerations the Question is thus Stated Quest How shall any Soul that conceives he hath received and doth actually injoy certain and sufficient evidence of his Vnion with the Lord Jesus Demonstrate from certain necessary and evident reasons that those his Evidences are really from God p. 491. Answ There are but two kinds of Demonstrations 1. The first and most certain ground is taken from the Causes Now there are but two principal Causes of the Souls Vnion with the Lord Jesus both which concur together and are never Separated one from another that is the Lords Blessed Written Word and that pretious Spirit of Jesus Christ. That the first primary and principal reason from whence a Soul may conclude that the Evidences of his Vnion with Christ received are really from God is that those Evidencing Beams of Light do proceed from the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ Two things opened to clear this 1. That the Light that proceeds from the Spirit to Evidence to any Soul its Vnion with Christ doth Evidence it self to proceed from the spirit p. 493. 2. That the light that proceeds from that spirit to discover to the soul its Vnion with Christ is the most potent invincible Demonstration of its own proceeding from God p. 499. The second Instrumental cause that shineth into any heart really from God to discover its Vnion with Christ is the Lords pretious Word p. 502. Where is cleared that the Scriptures are the Word of God p. 512. 2. The second sort of Demonstrations a posterioti taken from the effects Five acts in Believing Souls whereby they exalt the name of God Souls Confident they shall be everlastingly saved by Christ put upon it to search into their Hearts and seriously lay six things before them to consider of A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST c. Ephes 1.10 That in the Dispensation of the fulness of Times he might gather togather in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are in Earth even in him THE Apostle taking care of the Church of Ephesus after his departure from it writes this Epistle for the Establishing their Hearts in the Riches of the Lords Free Grace in Christ that the Lord had made their Souls Partakers of that thereby he might excite and quicken them to all sutable walking to such Priviledges This being his Scope in this first Chapter the Apostle begins to reckon up all those Glorious Priviledges by their several names in their several Causes and orders and therefore you shall see in ver 3. He breaks out in the very beginning into a Holy Rapture of Praise and Admiration of God to Bless his name for those high Priviledges as Election Justification Vocation and Glorification Now in ver 8. is comprehended the great Priviledge of their Vocation in those words wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence or Understanding That is in which Grace and Love before named the Lord hath abounded towards us through the Communicating that Grace of Wisdom and Understanding to us That is that Grace that made us receive and rest upon the Doctrine of the Wisdom of God to Salvation And having thus named the Priviledge it self ver 9. He opens the manner of the Lords thus effecting this grace upon their Souls in these words having made known unto us the Mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself The manner of the effecting of it is by the Lords manifesting the Mysteries of his will to their Souls And what he means by the Mystery of his will he tells us ver 13 it is the Word of Truth the Gospel of Salvation He means indeed the Salvation Preached in and through the Lord Christ alone which was the great Mystery that the Angels desired to pry into Now by the Revelation of this Mystery the Lord did Communicate that Grace and Understanding to them whereby they did embrace that pretious doctrine that made them wise to salvation
should be broken unless the nature of God can be taken away and the infinite nature of God become finite Answ 2. I shall answer affirmatively The union that the Lord intends by the revelation of the Gospel to bring your souls to in Christ is according as the scriptures name it five-fold 1. There is an union of agreement or an union of peace made up between Christ and the Soul This is called in Scripture the reconciliation of the soul unto God and unto Jesus Christ Then persons are said to be divided when there are jars and quarrels taken up by one person against another but the removing of these quarrels and controversies between those persons is the making those persons one again Now this is the case between God and the soul there was such a blessed harmony and agreement between the Soul and God in Adam as there was not the least jar imaginable in Gods bosom against us nor in our bosom against God but through our cursed transgression in the loyns of Adam we gave God such offence as he hath a quarrel against all the Sons of Adam and our hearts have a cursed quarrel against God whence we are said to be enemies in our minds Now the union God intends to bring the soul to in Christ is an union of agreement that is the removing all those jars and differences between God and the Soul 2. There is an union of Marriage or a Matrimonial union The Lord hath such infinite bowels of mercy in his bosom toward souls that when they had despised that blessed union with himself that he had given them by creation he will make them better again then they were first made by another union he brings them into a marriage union to make the Soul a Spouse to Christ and Christ an Husband to the Soul and that advanceth them in some measure above the Angels They are but ministring spirits to Christ and to the Spouse of Christ they never had such an honour as to be the Spouse of Christ This union you find frequently in Scripture In Eph. 5. speaking of marriage between man and wife saith he I speak concerning Christ and the Church So Rev. 19.7 and Chap. 21.9 3. There is an union of spirit He will communicate of his own spirit to the soul and make his wife partake of the same spirit with himself that the Saints and he shall be one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 4. There is the union of likeness or similitude between Christ and the Soul That is the Lord by the communication of himself unto the Soul makes it to be a lively patern of himself Thence it is that in Rom. 8.29 he tells us he had predestinated us to be conformable to the Image of his Son Hence he saith 2 Pet. 1.3 We are partakers of the divine nature That is of the same nature that Jesus Christ is partaker of that there should be an union of nature between Christ and the Soul that is an union of holiness That as he did partake of the humane nature he will make his Spouse partake of the divine nature Nay we are said to partake of the life of God Eph. 4 18 that is to live the same life of God 5. There is the union of headship That is to say to have Jesus Christ as his head and to be of the same body with Jesus Christ This is commonly called by men the mystical union because it is an hidden union that Christ and the Soul should be but one Body This union is thus that the soul should be of the number of those Elect that the Lord according to the counsel of his will chose to be vessels to which he would communicate of himself to all eternity Quest 2. How can the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring the Soul thus into union with Jesus Christ How can the manifestation of the mysteries of Gods will effect such a gracious work as this to unite the Soul to Christ in all those ways I answer First negatively Secondly affirmatively Ans 1. We must not conceive that the revelation of Gospel truths are the original principal efficient cause of this union of Souls with Christ as though this union of Souls with Christ did depend onely upon the working of those truths of the Gospel of Christ revealed It is the will of God that is the principal efficient cause of union The Lord hath not left the state of souls to be determined by themselves either by resisting or embracing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and therefore you shall see in the Verse before the Text that the revealing of those truths of the Gospel are said to be according to the purpose of the Lords own will 2. Neither must you conceive that those discoveries of the Gospel do by their own effectual vertue produce this union between the Soul and Christ Faith it self which is the uniting grace by which the union is made up does not produce this union by any vertue or efficacy and proper quality in it self but as God hath determined the revelation of the Gospel and saith wrought by those revelations to bring the soul into union 3. Neither do those revelations of the Gospel to the outward ear work this effect of the Souls union with Christ Thence it is said John 6.45 Every one that hath learned of the Father cometh unto me It is not hearing and learning those truths from the mouth of man that immediately produce those effects but hearing from the Father that is by Gods giving inward beams of light to the understanding whereby he doth discover the mysteries of his will to the soul Ans 2. I answer affirmatively The revelation of the truth of the Gospel doth produce this union three ways 1. By discovering the union with Christ to be attained in the Soul-alluring properties of it It is instrumentally that the Lord useth the revelation of the truths of the Gospel to manifest to the soul that an union is to be obtained and to manifest the excellency beauty necessity and sutableness of that union to the souls present condition whereby the soul is drawn to accept of that union Now in regard union cannot be effected between Christ and the Soul without a discovery that there is such an union to be obtained therefore it is said the Lord by revealing the truths of the Gospel to the Soul does gather the soul into union because this is the onely glass as it were whereby the soul may discover the way of attaining an union between Christ and the Soul 2. By conveying sight to the blinded soul to apprehend that union Though the most Orient bright glistering colours be presented to the eyes of a man covered with darkness they could not take up a mans meditations about them neither could he be affected with them Now the eyes of all men naturally are covered with darkness that though the Gospel hold forth the union yet we cannot be taken up with it nor pass
near God he calls for a days-man There is no days-man between us that he might lay his hand upon us both that is there is no mediator to mediate between God and me to bring me near to him till Jesus Christ become a days-man between God and the Soul that by vertue of his mediation there is an union made up God and the Soul stand at enmity there is an high wall of partition built up between God and the Soul Now because the Lord from eternity determined to bring some souls into union with himself therefore for the accomplishing his own will he intends the Gospel instrumentally to draw souls into union with the Lord Jesus for the perfecting union with him self Reas 2. The Lord doth it That he might communicate of his own glorious excellencies into souls Now without this union with the Lord Christ there can be no communications of those excellencies into souls though there may be some influences into souls without this yet not in that glorious way of communicating himself whereby the Lord intends to make himself admired 1. Without this union there can be no communication of the Lords life and image unto souls That is no communicating of the divine dispositions of his own understanding and will into the understanding and wills of his people that they should live a sutable life to his life 2. Without this union there can be no communication of the love of God unto their souls There may be influences of God into souls without union but no influences of love without union and that in two respects 1. In regard the displeasure of Justice is only removed through the union of Souls with Christ And before offended Justice is appeased there can be nothing but wrath in the bosom of God against souls 2. In regard the Adoption is onely purchased by the Lord Christ All the love that the Lord communicates unto any soul is fatherly love the love of Adoption Now adoption comes onely by Christ who purchased Adoption for us I mean materially though originally it comes from God 3. Without this union there can be no communication of any mercy Mercy is love respecting an object as miserable Now man as made miserable by Sin cannot expect the least dram of mercy from God but by a Mediator such a Mediator as shall satisfie Justice Now without union with Christ there is no vertue of Mediation conveyed into the soul and thence none of the mercy of God is conveyed into the soul 4. Without this union there could be no full communication of the Lord unto Souls Though indeed the Lord might glorifie himself in communicating some degrees of his excellency in some way as making himself glorious in Justice and though outward mercies be communicated by the influences of his power in protection and of his wisdom and providence in ordering things 5. There could be no everlasting communication of God without union Were it not for the union of Souls with Christ the sentence past upon souls in the loyns of Adam would be a sentence of death upon them Now the Lord intends to have eternal glory by the eternal communication of himself unto the souls of his Saints and therefore he intends to draw them into union with Christ This the Lord intends in two respects 1. In regard the communication of Gods excellencies are essential unto him It is as natural unto God to be pouring out of his excellencies into souls as it is natural for the Sun to infuse beams of light upon the creatures 2. In regard it is the highest delight and contentment of God to be communicating of himself unto his creatures The Lord takes greatest pleasure in pouring forth his own fulness into the bosoms of empty souls in two respects First in regard the communication of his excellencies unto souls is the manifestation of his own glory The excellency of God is made known by communicating of it to others Then the excellency of his holiness appears when it is poured into souls Then love and grace appear when it is fixed upon the soul of a worthless worm Secondly this communicating of himself is the highest delight and contentment of God in regard it is the pouring forth of himself into his own beloved objects It is so Essential to God to communicate of himself that he takes contentment in it be it to what creature soever be it to an enemy the Lord delights in the act of it in regard he attains his own highest end that ever his eye of intention was fixed upon which is the manifestation of his own glory Much more the Lord takes delight in communicating himself to the souls of his Saints in regard those are chosen to that end Now where there is an object beloved there is always delight in doing good to such an object Therefore the Lord draws souls into union with Jesus Christ that they may be sutable subjects to communicate himself to Reas 3. The Lord intends to draw souls into union with the Lord Christ by revealing the truths of the Gospel because he hath purposed and determined to make the mystical body of Christ the object of his own delight and contentment to all eternity 1. The Lord takes pleasure in dwelling among them and manifesting himself to them 2 Cor. 6.16 It is the priviledge of the Saints to have God dwell among them here much more does the Lord intend to dwell among them to eternity 2. The Lord intends they should be his delight in having sweet familiarity and precious converse with them That converse properly consists in two things First in the Lords opening and revealing to their souls all the secrets of his ways and works that ever were manifested in the world and that in their intended issue and effects That manifestation of the beams of his own glory that shined in all his ways is a kind of familiar talk with the souls of his Saints Secondly it consists in the Lords being among them familiarly without terrifying or affrighting them Then Job shall have his desire Chap. 9.34 Let not his face terrifie me c. 3. That their souls might have perfect communion with him constant communion without interruption and intermission Now when there is a sutableness of the object for the perfection of love then there is a sutableness for the perfection of delight it being nothing but love in rest or love injoying the beloved object Reas 4. The Lord intends this by the Gospel to bring souls into union in regard he intends to manifest the glory of the incomprehensible riches of his own love in and through their souls Isa 43.7 Bring forth my Sons and Daughters that I have created for my glory Now the Lord accounts the manifestation of the riches of his love and compassion to poor worthless man to be one of the most precious bright shining beams of his own glory Therefore when Moses desired his glory to pass before him he proclaimed his name the Lord
gracious c. Vse I. By way of information Is it thus that the Lords intent and purpose in revealing the precious truths of the Gospel is to draw souls into union with Christ 1. Then hence we may see a discovery of the dolefull dreadfull and too too common abuse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ how is the Gospel troden under foot by a multitude of souls How far do they come short when they come to attend upon Gospel Ordinances How few consider that Christ hath appointed his Ordinances to draw their wretched corrupt obstinate hearts into union with Christ 1. Consider The neglect of desiring a conformity to this intent of God in the Gospel is a profanation of the precious Ordinance of God it is a pollution of the great name of God in his Ordinances 2. Consider what a mockery and dissimulation thy attendance upon the Gospel hath been unto God Every Ordinance of God is appointed for God to be worshipped in and thou by thy attending upon an Ordinance professest thou dost worship God Now it is impossible for a soul to worship God whilst he is ignorant or regardless of the intent of God in an Ordinance 3. Thy neglect of this great intent of God in his Ordinance is a direct contrary walking unto God In coming to an Ordinance thou dost come with some intent or other It is inseperable from a rational creature upon a deliberate act to work for some end Now if thou dost always come with an intent and hast neglected the intent of God it follows directly it is a contrary walking to God II. Hence we may learn what a small number of hearts have had the right effect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ upon them How few hearts can be found who are drawn into union with the Lord Christ by the power of the Gospel this day How many are careless and regardless whether they be one with Christ or no III. We may learn hence to behold the working of the heart of God towards us in propounding of Gospel truths it is to bring your souls to be one with Christ IV. Hence learn that every soul that refuseth the Lord Christ tendered upon what ground soever can be imagined is a rejecter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Many poor souls through the cursed delusion of the old Serpent the Devil conceive they do well to stand off from receiving the Lord Christ tendered in the Gospel Take notice of the sad doleful miscarriage of thy heart thou neglectest the very principal command of God remainest disobedient while thou thinkest thou goest on in a way of obedience V. Learn what is the general rule by which we may judge persons to be embracers or refusers of the Gospel of Christ The general rule is whether they appear to be made one with Jesus Christ or no. If fruits can manifest there is an union with Jesus Christ then we may judge such to be embracers of Christ But if fruits manifest there is no union with Christ then can we not charitably judg that they are embracers of the Gospel of Christ for the present VI. Hence learn what the sum perfection and highest end of all Scripture is It is nothing but this the Lord Christ and the soul made one It 's Christ alone that is the Alpha and Omega of the Scriptures Therefore hence we may learn how to read and hear the Scriptures The way is to make Christ the punctum the center of every line that when we find nothing of Christ we are far from reading the Scripture Look upon the Types Ceremonies Genealogies all lead to Christ VII Hence learn what was the end of all those infinite wise counsels of God from before the foundation of the world was laid What was the end of all the mysteries of the Gospel that the Angels desire to pry into The end of all is to bring souls into union with Jesus Christ VIII Hence learn the reason of the near Sympathy of affection between the Lord Christ and those souls upon whom the Gospel hath had its right effect Why is Christs honour the souls honour and Christs advancement the souls advancement And on the contrary the affliction of the soul is Christs affliction the dishonour of the soul is Christs dishonour The reason is because the soul is brought into union with the Lord Christ and where there is such a nearness of relation there will be a nearness of affection IX Hence learn the intrinsical specifical difference between the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments of the Gospel The preaching of the Gospel is to draw souls into union with Christ but the administration of the Sacraments of the Gospel is to manifest communion between souls and Christ already united 1 Cor. 10 16. Thence it is that there is a difference to be made between persons that partake of the Sacraments of the Gospel though not of those that partake of the preaching of the Gospel Every soul is a sutable subject to have the Gospel preached because every soul by nature is a separated soul and therefore hath need to be brought into union with Christ but onely some few souls that are sutable subjects may partake of the Sacraments of the Gospel because they are those that do manifest a soul to have communion therefore they presuppose union Vse II. The second Use is a word of admonition Seeing the purpose of God in revealing Gospel truths is to gather souls into union with the Lord Christ let this warn every soul from heaven to take heed how he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ It is a good caution the holy Ghost gives Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God He means take heed and watch over the affections intents and purposes of your souls when you approach near to God in any duty of his worship Then beware your affections swerve not from God There are three great miscarriages in coming to Gospel Ordinances 1. A carelesness and mindlesness of the nature end and effect of the ordinances of God in approaching to them It may be said of most souls in a Congregation as of those Acts 19.32 In that great assembly the most part knew not wherefore they were come together Consider of two things in this wretched miscarriage of heart in attending upon the Gospel First this heedless frame of spirit is a contempt of God himself When the great God of heaven and earth sends a precious Embassage to thy poor loveless soul and cries to thee come and be one with me in a Mediator and thou sit carelesly neither minding nor regarding the nature of the Embassage how is it possible for thee to cast higher contempt upon God Secondly it is the highest indignity and affront that can be offered in that kind to the glorious Majesty of heaven and earth 2. The second great miscarriage of heart is the taking satisfaction to the soul in attaining other ends by Gospel
first embracing of Christ had strange conceits of a temporal kingdom of Christ and yet no question the union between Christ and their souls was real only through want of clearness of light many disorderly affections were in them which were set in order afterwards Premise 3. Thirdly I must premise also That there is a vast difference to be observed between arguments or confirming signs of union with Christ and evidences of union with Christ Those properly are called evidences that do in their proper nature discover union whenever they are present So that when such things are present the soul cannot question his union with Christ And those cannot properly be called evidences that are not able to clear up union with Christ whenever they are present in the soul Now of that nature are many holy dispositions and holy qualities in the soul that may be present in the soul and not able to clear up the souls union yet these are evidences that may and do clear unquestionably whenever the Lord discovers them The Question you ask is a great question The question is how we shall know our union with Christ That is how we may attain evidences of union our union either being dark or doubtful or else never had clear evidences You that have it do not ask how you shall have it confirmed more and more but how you shall have evidences of your union Now I shall answer First Negatively how you may not Secondly Affirmatively how you may Neg. First negatively how you may not in three or four things Ans 1. First the souls union with Christ cannot be evidenced from any work of the spirit of God that is effected in or upon the soul That is neither by his Illumination Humiliation or Reformation Neither by a restraining work from sin or preventing work of sin or alluring work from sin that the spirit of God hath effected upon the soul All these works are too weak to clear up union to the soul and that upon three grounds 1. In regard all the works of the Spirit upon the Soul that do go before Union may be and are wrought upon Souls that never obtain Union with the Lord Christ As Humiliation sorrow for Sin restraint from Sin some kind of turning the Heart away from Sin some kind of love to the Ordinances of God All those that go before the very instant wherein the Soul is United to Christ may be effected in many Souls that never obtain Union Nay they may be and appear greater in many Souls that never obtained Union than in Souls that attain unto Union with Christ And in regard those works of the Spirit upon Souls are common to Souls that are not United as well as to Souls United thence they are no Evidences of a Souls Union Whatever must evidence Union to a Soul must be proper and peculiar to Souls United that it may be properly said that no Souls that are not compleatly United to Christ can have such a work upon their Hearts Now no such work goes before immediate union but may be common to a Soul never United to Christ For Conviction of Sin and Sorrow for Sin I might instance in Judas In reformation and desire to Ordinances we need go no further than a Wretched Herod Mark 6.20 He heard John Baptist gladly and reformed many things For a Souls Mourning after God apparently we may see it in Esau A Soul out of the sense of want of Union may Mourn most bitterly Now in regard of rhe Commonality of the works to Souls not United as well as unto Souls United they can be no Evidences of Union 2. In regard these works of the Spirit upon the Soul can yield no Divine Witness or Testimony unto the poor doubting Soul Indeed all the works of God Originally are Divine Works and Works of Divine Power yet they have no Power to yield a Divine Testimony Now nothing can be a sufficient ground for the Soul to believe its Union with Christ unless it be a Divine ground The proper object of all Divine Faith must be a Divine ground If it be a Fallible Ground it is a Fallible Faith if an uncertain Ground it is an uncertain Faith if a Humane Ground it is a Humane Faith Now in case upon those grounds as the sight of such works of the Spirit of God the Soul should believe its Union with Christ it should not believe it with a Divine Faith because there is no Divine ground to believe it upon 3. In regard there is no promise of Union with Jesus Christ made by God unto Souls that have these works of the Spirit of God upon them That is no promise to the Soul that is Burdened with Sin or the like I mean thus the Lord doth not engage in any of these promises to Souls that had such and such Works of the Spirit of God upon them that those he would bring into Union and none but those That is because my Soul is burdened with Sin or because the Spirit of God hath now convinced my Soul in this or that manner that therefore I have right to such and such a promise No these Promises are made to Souls in reference to Union with Christ that by Union with Jesus Christ I might have right to these Promises and to the effecting those Qualifications in the Soul too Ans 2. Secondly we cannot evidence our Union by any thing inherent in the Soul That is not by any gracious Quality Habit Inclination or Disposition that is infused from God into the Soul The Graces of the Spirit Communicated to the Soul and dwelling in it are as insufficient to manifest and evidence this interest in Christ as the workings of the Spirit upon the Soul I mean all holy Dispositions and Inclinations that are Communicated to any Soul And that upon these grounds I. In regard of the neer similitude and likeness of Counterfeit Qualities and Graces to all those Holy Qualities and Graces and Habits that can be discovered in a Soul The Devil hath his Artists at work as well as the Spirit of God is at work and there is no precious Jewel of Grace the Spirit frames in the Soul but the Devils Artists can Counterseit a Jewel of as neer Similitude as possible only to delude poor Souls Yea there is such a neerness of likeness in those false Dispositions to those True Precious Holy Qualities as the imperfect sight of the Soul cannot possibly discern the difference when the Union of the Soul is dark As to instance in Poverty of Spirit which is an emptiness of the Soul of all Confidence in it self being nothing in its own eyes Mark what a neer Counterfeit the Devils Artists can make cursed Pride of Spirit so as it can scarce be discerned nay so neer as the Soul commonly mistakes A Soul is convinced of Sin and moved to accept of the Lord Christ tendred Now comes the Devil What such a Cursed Wretch as thou art receive the Lord
Christ tendred The Lord Christ is of Holy Pure Undefiled eyes purer than to behold Iniquity Canst think the Lord will accept of such a forlorn Soul as thine that hath so cursedly Rebelled against him O no saith the Soul I dare not conceive God will look upon me who am such a Cursed Wretch Alas poor Soul thou thinkest this to be Poverty of Spirit when indeed it is Cursed Pride Thou wouldest have some ground of Confidence in thy self that the Lord should accept of thee and thou thinkest it great Humility in thy self like another Peter what Jesus Christ Wash my Feet Now what neer likeness is here between this Pride of Spirit and Poverty of Spirit All the difference is here that the Soul that is truly poor desires never to have any thing in himself to rest upon The Soul hath no hope of ever having any thing as it is in itself and alas this difference is hardly discerned Thus also if you go to Sincerity of Obedience Saith the Soul though I do fail in my purposes yet I hope my Heart is sincere towards God in all that I do and that is given as another evidence of the Souls Union I say it is true but the question is how we shall discern it from the meer working of Ignorance Sincerity is a single eye to the Will of God and to his Honour and Glory in what thou dost but according to the Souls Judgment a Soul acted meerly by the principle of Ignorance may have a single eye at Gods Glory Rom. 10.2 3. The Jews had a Zeal for God but not according to knowledge and so they went about to establish their own Righteousness Hence the Soul will say I think I have Sincerity of heart but I do not certainly know I may be deceived Thus in these chief things there is such a neerness that we can scarce discern the Jewel from the Counterfeit II. In regard those holy Dispositions Inclinations and Habits of Grace do properly proceed from some kind of evidence of a Souls Union and according to the clearness of the Souls evidence of Union so do these Graces increase and according as the Souls Union is eclipsed so do they decrease To begin with that which most promises seem to be made to that is to Mourners Whence does true Mourning for Sin in the Soul proceed Is it not from a sight of the Lord Christ Yea from some sight of the Souls propriety in Christ at least thus far from some sight of probable interest in Christ Is it not from thence the Soul beholds first the cursed nature of Sin Indeed the horridness of the nature of Sin never appears but in the precious glass of the Lords Bowels of Mercy to poor Loveless Souls III. In regard the right nature and truth of those Holy Qualities or Habits of Grace in the Soul cannot be discerned but from the sight of the Union of the Soul with Christ And that in these respects 1. In regard there is not a full conformity in those Holy Qualities inherent in thy Heart to the rule of the Word that doth command those Holy Qualities Should I begin at the lowest which is Sincerity of heart in the Souls Obedience unto God The Soul can seldom I might say never see a Conformity in his Obedience to the rule of the word The rule is in Eph. 6.5 6. it is spoken concerning Servants but it holdeth in every duty Servants be Obedient to them that are your Masters according to the Flesh with fear and Trembling in singleness of your Heart as unto Christ not with eye-Service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the Heart True Sincerity in Obedience to any command it is a singleness of Heart unto Jesus Christ a single eye that is having respect to nothing but Christ alone The species of all the vision of that eye with which he respects the duty being taken from Jesus Christ alone Now how far short shall a Soul see it self of a conformity to the rule When can the soul say his heart was single to Christ in prayer or in any Ordinance Now in regard the soul may behold at all times so great a difference in the holy qualities inherent in his heart to the rule that it ought to be brought to a full conformity to those holy qualities in the heart cannot evidence unto the soul the truth of its union with Christ The truth of them cannot appear in themselves without a sight of the souls union in regard of the imperfection of the souls sight to discern the depths of his own heart Any knowing soul judgeth it self to be far unable to search the depths of his own heart Jer. 17 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Thence it is the soul hath never sufficient evidence of the truth of any holy quality in himself from the quality it self to answer all the objections of a carnal heart because that remains unanswered the heart is deceitful 2. In regard the truth of those holy qualities appear only as they do proceed from faith Therefore unless the soul discerns and knows them to be fruits of faith it cannot conclude them to be holy qualities Hebr. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Now he that discerns faith discerns union with Christ therefore it must needs be that there is a sight of union before a sight of the truth of those holy qualities Answ 3. The third negative answer is this That the union of the soul with Christ cannot be evidenced by any thing done or effected by the soul or that can be effected and done Whether we look upon works internal or works external whether we look upon the inward moving of the affections to to God or whether we look upon the expressions of those affections that is the breaking out of those affections into prayer and constant intercessions with God into reading and hearing and attending upon ordinances into holiness expressed in the conversation by none of these can the union with Jesus Christ be cleared and evidenced Yet for the right understanding of this these three things are to be considered 1. I do not mean that no work of the soul either inward or outward done by the soul is an evidence of the souls union with Christ Though no work of the soul be able to clear the union and evidence it yet the work may be an evidence in it self The inward act of Faith is an infallible evidence of the souls union where the soul is able to understand that act of Faith to be of the right nature the word of God requires Faith to be in the Soul 2. I do not mean neither in this conclusion that the union of the soul with Christ may be evidenced without the souls beholding any work either inward or outward in it self For infallibly and necessarily in the souls beholding its union with the Lord Christ it does
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
performing of that duty by a soul that the Lord requires of it in communicating grace mercies and favours to it is the Lords fulfilling his own Covenant of grace in and to the soul Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.27 Now that which is a part of Gods fulfilling the Covenant cannot go before the Covenant it self So that from thence are two things that you must conclude First that the performing those duties that God requires do give no soul any title or interest in any one promise of the Covenant of grace Secondly that the Lords promise to the Soul hath no dependance upon the souls performance of the duty that God requires him to perform in reference to Gods communicating mercy to the soul Yet I pray here be cautelous I do not say that God requires no duty from souls whilest he is thus communicating his free grace and mercy unto them I do not exempt souls from duty but I only exempt Gods promise from a dependence upon the duty and establish Gods own promise upon its right Basis and Foundations which is only his own will and absolute determination II. The second thing you are to observe for the clearing of these Scriptures is this That those duties required by God from souls in communicating mercies must of necessity go before the Lords intituling the soul to many mercies Though they cannot in order of nature go before any promise of the Covenant of grace yet in order of nature at least if not in order of time they go before the Lords intituling the soul to very many mercies mercies almost of all sorts That is till souls have performed those duties God requires they can claim no right nor title nor have any right nor title unto many mercies And all the right their souls enjoy to many mercies may and must be conveyed to them through the performance of these duties As for example in 1. Kings 8.47 48. God promiseth deliverance to them out of captivity and restauration of them into their own land and many priviledges yet those duties there described by the Holy Ghost to be the way of his peoples approach to him and seeking his face for their return out of captivity could not but of necessity go before at least in order of nature to the Lords intituling that people in the mercy of deliverance so that while those duties were not performed by the soul there could be no right nor title claimed of that deliverance by those persons But now there are four or five things to be observed for the clearing of this 1. That the duties here required by God though they do and must go before the Lords intituling the soul to many mercies yet they do not nor cannot go before the Lords intituling the soul to any absolute mercies Those absolute mercies are conveyed to the soul through the Covenant of grace absolutely without any respect or reference to any duty whatever performed by the soul so as the promise of them should have dependence upon the duty in the least degree But these relative mercies are only included in the Covenant of grace with limitation so as they are mercies considered with such circumstances considered as being communicated to such persons in such order in such manner in such degree Now it is of these mercies only that these duties required by God may go before in order of nature to the Lords intitling the soul to the mercy 2. Observe Though these duties may go before and ordinarily must go before the Lords intitling the soul to such mercies yet it is not the duty that gives the soul the right to those mercies thus to be injoyed Suppose those relative mercies to be conveyed to any particular soul at a sutable time in a sutable manner order measure and degree every way sutable so as they are mercies and then all these mercies are as absolutely promised in the Covenant of grace as those absolute eternal mercies that cannot but be mercies however they are communicated 3. It is not the duty nor the performance of it that gives the soul the right and title to the promise So that the duty is neither the immediate ground of the souls right to the mercy nor the remote ground that is the furthest off ground The furthest off ground is the promise The immediate is that which gives them right to the promise Now the soul must be in the Covenant of grace before the duty be performed and being in the Covenant of grace he hath right to the promise through which he partakes of such relative mercies 4. Though there be an ordinary necessity of these duties required by God preceeding or going before the souls injoying such mercies yet it is not the duty simply considered in its own nature as a duty upon which this necessity lies that it should go before the souls injoyment of the mercies I mean thus it is not prayer that God requires of thy soul that waits for the communication of any mercy or grace considered only as prayer which is to be considered as a duty that this of necessity must go before the souls injoyment of the mercy that is as though the Lord would have this necessity to be upon the performing of the duty because he would have something done by the soul before he will make it partake of his mercies Only the performance of the duty so disposeth the heart as a mercy shall be a mercy to the Soul 5. Observe further That the rise and exercise of the duties thus required by God sometimes to go before the Lords vouchsafing such mercies to souls can be only from the vertue of some promise contained in the Covenant of grace which the Lord fulfills in a soul For without influences from the Covenant of grace were there the most exquisit prayers the most continual strong wrastlings of a soul with God the most powerful Mourning and Weepings and Cryings after God all could not dispose a soul rightly for the injoyment of any of those relative mercies so as they should be mercies unto them when they are communicated 3. There is a third thing also to be observed for the clearing of these Scriptures and that is That these duties that are sometimes precedent in souls before their enjoyment of such relative mercies are absolutely promised to those that are in the Covenant of Grace to be effected by God in their souls This you may see apparent Ezek. 36 comparing v. 27. with v. 37. In v. 37. he saith I will be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them but v. 27. he saith I will put my Spirit in you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and my Judgments to do them And Jer. 31.33 saith the Lord I will write my Law in their hearts and they shall not depart from me The Lord doth even engage himself absolutely to work that in their hearts that he doth require to be done by their souls in his communicating mercies to them Now these
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
receive him tendered to his poor rebellious worthless soul The first command that God lays upon every rebel is to accept of a Mediator God in order of nature first enjoyns the soul to receive Jesus Christ tendered before the doing any thing whatsoever before the sending up one sigh to God or breathing out one petition in regard the Lord commands all poor sinners at enmity with him to come near to him only through a Mediator and no coming by a Mediator till they apply the Mediator to be a Mediator And therefore it is said in 1 John 3.23 It is the command of God that ye believe in the Lord Jesus whom he hath sent And so again John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on whom he hath sent As if there were no other work of God but this But the meaning is that this is the prime principal work without which all other are but works of darkness 4. In regard the Lord takes no pleasure nor delight in the person of any sinner most dejected and plunged into the deepest gulf of sorrow for his sin before he applys the Lord Jesus tendered to his soul more than he did in that soul before there was any of that sorrow Do not mistake me I do not say that the Lord does as much abhor a sinner that is now forbearing the acts of his enmity against God and is faln to cry after God as much as the acts of sin before gradually But yet I say there is as true an abhorrence in the bosom of God of all those prayers mournings and tears as there was of those acts of sin the difference is only in degree Saith he Tit. 1.15 To the impure all things are impure whilst the mind and conscience is defiled And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean whilest the soul is altogether unclean it is impossible a clean desire and motion or a clean tear can come from thence So that now the soul is looked upon as an enemy as a Rebel a Traitor to the Crown of the Lords glory whilst he remains a refuser of the Lord Jesus tendered though he be brought to great degrees of mourning 5. In regard the nearest proportion of sorrow that can be attained unto for sin must proceed from applying the Lord Jesus tendered The soul can never discern what the degree or the heinousness of his sin was till he beholds the Lord Jesus accepting his poor despicable rebellious loveless soul Therefore it is worthy your observation that the same woman that is called the sinner by way of emphasis and eminency Luke 7.37 drank deeply of the cup of sorrow whose tears flowed forth in abundance that she could wash the feet of Jesus Christ This womans sorrow did not proceed from a sight of her sin before her applying the Lord Jesus tendered but from a sight of the Lord Jesus accepting such a despicable desperate sinner as she was The depths of sorrow were never broken up in her heart till she saw the arm of the Lord Jesus reached out to embrace her poor despicable soul You shall see it plain if you compare v. 37 38. with v. 47 48. The whole discourse between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees concerning her is worth our observation for the explaining of it when Jesus sees this woman come and wash his feet he knew the Pharisees hearts rose against her because she was a sinner Now Jesus put forth a parable or similitude Simon saith he there were two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty and when they had nothing to pay the creditor frâ—nkly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Simon answered and said I suppose he to whom he forgave most saith he thou hast rightly judged Now observe it when Jesus Christ had opened to the Pharisees this parable it amounts to this The cause of her mourning is from the sense of the Lords forgiving her for she loved much And he said unto her thy sins are forgiven This he opens to be the cause of her sorrow that she saw Jesus Christ had exercised compassion to her She saw the love of Christ so infinite so unspeakable his compassions so incomprehensible that though she had been such a desperate wretch that Satan had had his Throne in her heart though she had been the Ring-leader of sinners in a City yet he was ready to wash her forlorn soul and make her clean and this made her she knew not how to express her love but she wept So that the cause of her tears was not so much the sense of her sin but the having so much forgiven her So it is observed of Peter when he could deny Christ thrice and forswear him and not Weep when Christ looks upon him his Heart melts and he Weeps bitterly What Peter dost deny me what me that left the Throne of my Glory to stand here before the Judgment Seat saith the look of Christ to the Conception of Peter this melts his Heart The sixth Principle of Darkness is this Principle of darkness That it is very Dangerous for any soul to apply to himself the Lord Jesus too soon It is commonly illustrated by this Similitude If a Chirurgeon applies some healing Salve to a dangerous sore before the Corrosives have had their proper effects if he doth not by Corrosives first eat out all the dead Flesh and by Tents ransack the Wound to the very bottom though the Wound be skinned over it will Fester and Ranckle again and that to the danger of the Patients Life Likewise faith the soul it is thus in regard of the Wound of Sin If any spiritual Physician should apply the Lord Jesus too soon to the soul to heal the souls Wounds before the Corrosive of Terrour and Fear and Horrour have had their proper effects upon the soul it may be dangerous to the Destruction of the soul Or thus saith the soul there may be nutritive nourishment to several Patients that may be destructive to some sick Bodies in regard there ought first to be some Purgations before there be a sutableness to the giving such Cordial Potions Likewise if the pretious Cordials of Comfort that are in the Bosom of Jesus Christ should be applyed to the soul before there hath been the bitter Pill of Terrour of Sorrow and Anguish and Horrour for his Sin given they may be rather destructive to the soul So that this is very dangerous saith the soul to apply the Lord Jesus too soon This Principle of Darkness hath commonly three Grounds or three Foundations upon which it stands and the soul conceives a three-fold Foundation is not easily shaken and therefore conceiveth the Principle to be very firm I. It is built upon this ground That all Divines generally have concluded that it is dangerous to apply Comfort to afflicted Consciences too soon and that it is destructive to give Comfort before the soul be fitted for it
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
Scripture speaks of 1. There is a Jealousie over others least they should miscarry Which is a holy supition mingled with a holy fear of their departing from God and also joyned with a strength of desire of their keeping close unto God This kind of jealousie was in the heart of Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 I am Jealous over you with a Godly Jealousie that I may present you as a chast Virgin unto Christ 2. There may be a jealousie in the heart that is occasioned upon the sight of good in others and the excellency they have attained to That 's a kind of emulation That you shall read of Rom. 11.11 Paul tells the Jows that God had not cast them off altogether out of a purpurpose that they might fall but that through their fall the Gentiles might be called that the Jews might be provoked to Jealousie that is that they might be provoked to a kind of emulation to envy to go beyond the Gentiles Thus a Christians heart may be Jealous least another go before him and attain to a greater degree of holiness then his Soul attainneth to This is a Godly Jealousie 3. There is a Jealousie over the deceitfulness of the heart least the cursed heart should delude it and prove treacherous and joyn hand in hand with the Devil in some cursed Plot against the Soul This is a Godly Jealousie if it be kept within bounds This Jealousie over the heart if it be right is a compounded affection made up of two simple affections of the zeal of love and the zeal of hatred Or rather it is a kind of third thing that ariseth from both these that is a zeal of love to God and the ways of God and a zeal of hatred against whatever is contrary to the will of the blessed God so that there arises a kind of suspition of every thing that may possibly step in to dishonour God This Jeaiousie hath but two objects to which it can work 1. All things that may step in to be corrival with God That is whatever might strive to insinuate into the heart to steal away the heart from God or to be co-sharer with God to be a fellow beloved one with God himself Thus the world and all the world afords comes in to be the object concerning which the Soul exerciseth this Jealousie the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life these strive with all their strength to be corrivals with God in the heart to have as equal a share in the heart as God and to be as highly loved and honoured as God Now over these things the heart may be exceeding Jealous and ought to maintain a constant Jealousie 2. The second object of Jealousie is the Souls own act towards God That is whatever working there may be towards God there may be a disposition in the heart to deal fainedly and hypocritically Now in that regard because the heart is treacherous against it self a heart false to God filled with enmity against God therefore all the actions and motions of the heart are the objects upon which this Jealousie may be exercised in a right holy godly way There may be five acts of Jealousie in every Soul lawfull nay that ought to be 1. The Soul may be so Jealous of it self as to call his heart to a strict account concerning all the motions of it throughout all the whole course of his conversation He may be so suspitious as never to give credit to his heart in any thing any further than it can give a good account to him in all the motions of it First It may call its heart to account in what degree it hath wrought towards any of those objects To call the heart to account whether the affections did not run out too much after the world Secondly It may call its heart to account concerning the occasions it hath had to deal with any object whatever 2. The Soul may discover the danger and spread forth all the evil before the treacherous heart The Spirit of Jealousie may work so far that it may strive to put a bit and bridle into the wanton heart to restrain it It may strive to propound principles that may prevent its treachery 3. A soul may cry mightily to God with all his strength to prevent the wretched deceitfulness of his own heart To discover all the hidden by-paths that his own heart hath to walk in to give him light from heaven to see every step that his heart sets 4. The Soul may summons his own deceitful heart to appear before the Lord to act as in the sight of the heart-searching God in its closing with the Lord Christ tendered 5. It may so work as to cause the soul to renounce all confidence in it self of an uprightness in his own heart in its closing with the Lord Christ tendered So that thus far you see there is a Holy Jealousie of Spirit over the cursed deceitful heart that may possess yea ought to possess any Godly Soul But there is a distempered Jealousie too that darkens the Soul and prevents the Souls receiving assurance to his faith from the promise of his union with Christ and that is when this Spirit of Jealousie works in these four or five ways 1. When the Spirit of Jealousie prevails so far as to obtain the sole command of the heart Now this Jealousie cometh to be the rage of a man so as it becomes a distempered passion in stead of a holy affection So as instead of putting the soul into a precious way of searching out the deceit of his own heart it rather draws conclusions against it self without weighing and examining what the deceits of the heart are that are suspected 2. When this Jealousie makes the Soul negligent or careless of the use of the means to find out the truth of what it suspects So that in stead of this the heart sits down under those fears and suspicions crying out my wretched heart will deceive me I dare not think of receiving the Lord Jesus tendered 3. When the Soul is so overcome with Jealousie that it takes no account of it self of the ground of the working of the Jealousie It is the ordinary distemper of Souls that are overcome with this Jealousie that they never look out to the precious promises wherein the Lord engages himself to prevent the deceitfulness of the heart and its departing from God 4. When this Jealousie so prevails as it is taken up by the Soul as a sufficient Plea against the Souls present believing and receiving the Lord Jesus tendered When the Soul sets this Jealousie over his own deceitfull heart like a bulwark against all that can be propounded to him to make him give credit to the will of God and to yield obedience to the Lord Christ tendered when the heart thinks it is enough that he is able to say truly the very desire of my Soul is to yield obedience to the command of God in
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
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 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
without it self in any of the motions of his love whatever So that thence the spirit evidenceth to the soul that it were a denying of the glory of the God-head to conceive that God should look out of himself for any argument any motive any incentive that should either excite or incline the divine will to any motions of love whatever to wards any creature II. The spirit evidenceth the absolute will of the Father alone to be the first principle and also the only cause of admission of souls into union and communion with the Lord Jesus So that both the purpose of God to accept souls into union and also the execution of that his purpose do depend only upon the Lords bare will and good pleasure According to that in Eph. 1.5 6 compared with ver 9. III. The spirit evidenceth the Lord Christs willingness to accept of souls into union to be only done through the Commission that he received from the good pleasure of his Fathers will concerning such souls According to that in John 6.37 38. When he saith he would reject no one soul in no wise under no consideration whatever he gives this reason for I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me There is a fifth beam of light that the spirit causeth to shine forth from the Gospel and that is Fifth beam of divine light The admirable and incomprehensible fulness of all perfection of love and mercy that is comprehended in this tender of union with the Lord Christ to every particular Soul that will accept it Notwithstanding those former beams of divine light there is a two fold necessity for the Spirit to cause this beam of divine light also to sparkle before the souls eyes I. That there may be a fulness of sufficiency to produce acts of Faith in a soul by way of fulness of confidence and assurance And in this regard there is a necessity of the spirits casting this beam of light also before the souls eyes to open the incomprehensible perfection of all kind of love that the soul soul can imagine he should have the least necessity of II. To excite and quicken the affections to more enlarged operations or workings Though there hath been a former apprehension of the infinite perfection of love in the tender of the union yet there is no answerable working of affection towards the union unless there be that very actual Vision Now when the operation of the affections towards the union tendered are but small then the souls assurance of its acting of Faith by way of fulness of confidence of its union with Christ is but in a small degree Therefore it is in this respect that the spirit doth manifest the absolute compleat incomprehensible perfection of love that is included in the tender of union And this the spirit doth in divers particulars 1. The spirit reveals the Lords tender of passing over himself and all that is in himself wholly unto souls through this union with Christ For the evidencing this the spirit only brings to remembrance the sum of all the promises according to the Lords own abstract and Compendium that he hath made of them And that is this That God hath said he will be the souls God in Christ Here are two particulars included under this one depth First The spirit manifests that the highest interest that is possible to make a soul capable of in the infinite perfection of God himself is offered to be passed over to the soul in the tender of union Secondly The spirit manifests that the Lord offers in this tender of union to interest the soul in himself with such an interest as should be most sutable for the fullest communication of himself to the soul that it shall be as proper and peculiar for God to love the soul as it should be proper to the nature of God to be loving himself 2. The spirit reveals that the Lord hath laid the highest obligation upon himself to be the souls own in all that he is in his passing over himself unto the soul through that union with Christ This the spirit manifests by bringing to remembrance the Lords asseverations and protestations and highest oath that he adds unto that his word that declares him to pass over himself unto souls through their union with Christ Hebr. 6.13 3. The spirit reveals the Lords establishing the transactions of himself and all that is in himself over to the soul through its union with Christ upon his own will alone on purpose that there might be a fulness of all love contained in him Three particular ends the spirit may bring to the Souls remembrance for the clearing of this First That there might be no possibility of an alteration of that perfect love of his to a soul through union with Christ by any Power or Possibility of the soul The Holy Ghost affirms Rom. 11.9 The Lords Election of love to be meerly established upon his own will for that end that the Election might stand being not of Works but of Grace That is that it might be certain being unchangable So as the souls wickedness and wretchedness rising to what height soever yet it might not be able to make an alteration in that perfect love So Rom. 9.16 Secondly That there might be a fulness of love and to make a constant immutable ground for his peoples faith to rest upon him for the perfection of of his love towards them This the spirit may reveal to the soul from that in Hebr. 6.17 18. The Lord is said to add the confirmation of his Oath that there might be two immutable grounds in which it was impossible for God to Lie Thirdly That his people might have a sufficient satisfactory consolation from that fulness of his love in all necessities upon all occasions and at all times That by two immutable things they might have strong consolation 4. The spirit reveals the Lords undertaking to effect in and for the soul the whole transaction of himself over unto the soul through his union with Christ by the Almighty Power of his own love alone Eph. 2.5 The whole work of Salvation is attributed to nothing but love The Spirit reveals this two ways First The spirit reveals that the Lord hath engaged himself by promise to effect the transaction of himself over unto the soul by the Almighty Power of his love Isaiah 41.10 11. Secondly The spirit remembers the soul of the necessity that the Lord hath imposed upon Jesus Christ to effect it John 10.16 5. The spirit reveals that the Lord hath undertaken the sutable tempering and disposing of the soul for all sutable walking in union with the Lord Jesus that is tendered This the spirit may and doth evidence from that in Jer. 31.33 Where the Lord reveals it to be the very Covenant This shall be my Covenant or this shall be the love that I will promise This is part of Gods love to souls
Exod. 3.15 This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial to all generations That is to say this is the distinction whereby I will be known to all generations that I am the God that send out a Redeemer to lost sinners which implicitly and virtually includeth thus much as if God should say Mine own honour the highest Title of my glory should fail if I fail of embracing every loveless sinner through the Lord Jesus that will accept me And thence you shall observe when the Lord made the clearest Revelation of himself to Moses Exod. 34.6 7. The very Name whereby he calls himself is that which includeth all that the Gospel of Christ reveals to sinners The Lord passed by him and proclaimed The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here is the whole Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and nothing else but the Mystery of the Gospel that the Lord owns to be the Name of his Honour that the Lord would have to be his Title whereby he would be distinguished from others and whereby he would be known unto Souls Two things must be opened for the clearing of it sufficiently to the satisfaction of Souls First It must be opened that the whole mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is vertually contained in the name of God Secondly That particular Souls may have security unto themselves from that name of God and may safely through believing look upon the honour of his name as engaged to them to fulfil what the Gospel reveals First It must be opened that the whole mystery of the Gospel or whatever the Gospel reveals is included in the name of God We shall open it from that of Exod. 34.6 7. which God owns as his name There are eight titles that the Lord assumes to himself that make up in the Lords account his name wherein he will be known unto Souls I. The first Title of his honour that concurs to the making up of his name is Merciful the Lord Merciful which includes two things 1. That there are bowels of pitty and compassion in the bosom of God that there are pretious dispositions unto infinite compassions naturally dwelling in God The word is the same with that in Jer. 31.21 which may be rendred Bowels 2. It includes that the Lord is ready to act those bowels of compassion towards Souls drowned in the depths of the most extream misery Misery and Mercy are Relatives and according to the depths of Misery so is the height of the working of Mercy Now under that very one title is comprehended the sum and substance of all that the Gospel discovers There is but one voice that the Gospel of Jesus Christ speaks in and that is this that the Lord is full of bowels of pitty and compassion towards every loveless sinner that will accept his compassions tendered II. The second Title of God is Gracious This implies two things 1. The Lords acceptance of loveless sinners into favour 2. The acceptance of miserable ones into favour meerly out of the freedom of the workings of his own favour from motives out of his own bosom without respect to any desert Therefore the whole voice of the Gospel is by Grace ye are saved III. The third Title that concurs to make up the honourable name of God is The Lord long Suffering or as it may be rendred he is Slow to anger Here are two things included 1. It implies a long time of forbearance in God to execute Judgment upon sinners according to their own demerit 2 Pet. 3.9 2. It implies that that forbearance to execute Judgment upon sinners according to their sins is on purpose that sinners might be accepted into love and favour and prevent the execution of Judgment Isa 30.18 IV. The fourth Title of the Lords honour is The Lord abundant in Goodness or excelling in Kindness That implies three things 1. The compleat fulness of all Goodness that can be necessary for a Soul to be treasured up by God in the bosom of Christ for Souls 2. It implies a transcendency of all supply for empty Souls to be in himself through Christ It implies a Superlative Fulness a Fulness that is more then sufficient a Fulness that infinitely exceeds what ever a Soul can want 3. It implies the readiness and facility of God to be dispensing that goodness unto Souls V. The fifth Title of the Lords name is That he is abundant in Truth Truth doth not here imply Justice and Righteousness but it implies Faithfulness in God to be true according to the Revelation of himself So that Truth implies the certainty the infallibility of the Lords fulfilling unto Souls whatever he promised to be treasured up in himself for them VI. There is a sixth Title that concurs to make up the Lords Honour that is his reserving or his Keeping Mercy for thousands This implies two things 1. A large comprehensiveness of love and mercy to be comprehending multitudes of miserable undone sinners Keeping Mercy for Thousands It is a Synechdochical Speech a finite Number is put for an infinite VII There is a seventh Title that concurs to make up the Lords Honour and that is Forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Here are three several Expressions that in a large sense point at the same thing every iniquity being a transgression and every transgression being a sin yet certainly something is intended by the Blessed God in proclaiming his Name thus Some have conceived by Iniquity to be meant Sins against God himself by Transgression to be meant Sins against our Neighbour and by Sin to be meant Sins against our own Souls Others have made them to be sins of Malice and sins of Infirmity and sins of Ignorance Others conceive by Iniquity because the word comes from a Root in the Original that signifies Crookedness to be meant the Corruption of Nature and by Transgression to be meant the Breach of the Law through infirmity and by Sin to be meant Stubbornness against God However thus much we may affirm to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost that under these three are comprehended all Sins whatever of what nature and degree soever Then this Title of the Lords Honour implies thus much an impossibility for any degree of Sin whatever to hinder the Lord from shewing mercy and being gracious in that way of fulness of Love that he reveals himself to be inclined to and to be his own Nature VIII The eighth Title of the Lords Honour includes a Gospel-Discovery too and that is in those words That will by no means clear the guilty visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the Childrens Children unto the third and to the fourth Generation This seems indeed at first view to have little of Gospel in it But I dare not consent here to the Paraphrase the Translators have given upon the words But the words are to
when he looks out of his own bosom it must arise only from that mystical Body and so consequently the mystical Body being looked upon but as one with one single Eye every Soul in that mystical Body may in the same sence be said to be the object of all the delight of God 4. Every such Soul as shall and will accept Gospel-discoveries is the peculiar object of all the delights and contentments of God that he takes from the contemplation of the result of the mystical workings of his own wisdom in the disposing of all things from the creation of the World to its final dissolution It is the property of God to reflect as it were upon the workings of his own attributes as he did upon the whole world when he had made it to behold how good it was that he might delight himself in beholding the workings of his own excellency Now the Lord only beholds the result of the admirable workings of all his attributes in that mystical Body of Christ And so consequently the mystical Body only is the object of his delight that he takes in the result and issue and consequence of the working of all his attributes Now the Spirit may and doth reveal from hence that there are firm engagements laid upon God himself to fulfil whatever the Gospel discovers to every Soul that shall embrace him I. Hence God is engaged by his express Love to the content and satisfaction of his Soul to let out his Love in the most absolute compleat perfect divine unspeakable workings of it to every loveless sinner that doth embrace and accept Gospel-discoveries So that from hence consequently the Lord stands engaged First To let out his love to work freely with out motive incentive or argument inclining his love to work towards every such Soul embracing Gospel Discoveries The freedom of the working of his love towards souls is one of the Divine Glorious Perfections of love and should that be wanting some degree of the Lords own delight and contentment that he hath resolved to receive from every such soul to himself must also be wanting Secondly Thence the Lord stands engaged to let out his love wonderfully beyond the comprehension of Men and Angels Thirdly Thence he is engaged to let out the Discoveries of his love to such souls as shall embrace Gospel Discoveries fully and compleatly to the satisfaction of the soul Fourthly From hence also the Lord is engaged to let out his love to work infinitely without measure to every soul that shall embrace these Gospel Discoveries The love of God is but God himself and therefore works not according to its perfection till it works infinitely Now from hence 1. Here is full security that the spirit may give any doubting Soul concerning the fulfilling of the Gospel Discoveries into his bosom in his embracing of it when the soul doth doubt because of the indisposedness of his spirit to any duty that the Lord requires of him and because of his inability to those duties 2. Hence the spirit may give full security to the Wavering Unstable soul who stands trembling least he should presume in casting his Forlorn Loveless soul into those everlasting arms of Love because of the abominable Perverseness and Crookedness of his Heart against God in all things 3. Hence the Spirit may give security to any wavering Soul whose hands as it were shake and quiver and dare not with any confidence grasp the blessed tender of Union and Communion with the Lord through Christ because of his wretched abuse of the precious working of the Lords love towards him in Christ already II. Hence also the spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged by the same dearest love to his own delight and satisfaction to dispose every soul that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries into a capacity for the injoyment of neerest most absolute intire Communion with himself Under this particular the Spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged to these three things 1. To remove all the opposition unto Communion with him that remains in any heart to Suppress Overpower yea to Heal all the Crookedness and all the Averseness of any Heart embracing Gospel Discoveries 2. Hence the spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged to infuse into the Soul such Dispositions as shall be fully compleatly sutable to his own nature so as to make so blessed a concurrence between his own purest nature and the Souls Corrupt nature as that there should be nothing in the nature of God himself opposite to the Souls Disposition nor nothing in the Souls Disposition or nature opposite unto God 3. In this the Spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged to heighten or elevate and enlarge the faculties of the Soul that are to receive those Communications and Influences from God Now what abundant security may the Spirit give to any soul that trembles to embrace Gospel Discoveries against fears 1. What security may the Spirit give to Souls fearing to give credit to those Gospel Discoveries because of the Averseness and Contrariety of their Spirits unto Communion with God! Hence the Spirit may say to every Soul without exception that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries it is a chosen object of the highest eternal delight of God in the Communication of his goodness 2. Hence the Spirit may give full security unto the Soul against all fears because of the Unstableness and Fickleness of his Heart in any degree of Communion once attained 3. Hence the spirit may give security fearing that the Gospel Discoveries may not be Grasped and Embraced by the soul because of the Straitness and Narrowness of his Heart void of all Thirstings and Longings yea of all Desires The Spirit may hence declare the Lord to be engaged by his love to the pleasure of his own Soul to enlarge every such Heart to a kind of infinite Capacity for Communion III. Thence the Lord is engaged by his infinite Valuation and Estimation of the delightful Contemplation of his own Transcendent Excellencies as they sparkle forth from the creatures to effect the neerest most intire Union of likeness that is possible between himself and every such Sinner that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries The Lord stands engaged by this to make every such Soul a Partaker of his own spotless Purity and Holiness yea to make it Participate of his Divine Nature of his own life so as the same life that dwells in himself and that himself lives by should also dwell in every such Sinful Soul embracing those Gospel Discoveries Nay the Engagement is so Invincible that if the Lord should not Communicate the highest degree of his Communicable Perfection to every such Loveless Forlorn Sinner as shall and will embrace Gospel Discoveries he should bereave himself of that sweetest Pleasure and Contentment that his Soul takes in the Contemplation of the Beams of his own Glory seeing every such Soul is the chosen object in whom the Lord determins from eternity to delight himself by the
II. Every such Soul is chosen perpetually to behold the Brightness of his Majesty and Glory in Beholding the Glory of Jesus Christ as Mediatour 1. They are chosen to behold the admirable Mystery of the Union of the Divine Person to the Humane Nature That which is now an Inexplicable Mystery to the Believers Eye shall then by Gods choosing them to behold his Glory be Discerned 2. It is chosen to behold all the bright Beams of Glory that appear in the Mystical Union of so many Lost Rebellious Sinking Perishing Souls to the Lord as to one Head 3. Every such Soul is chosen to behold the Transcendent Perfection of the Secret Love of the Lord Jesus to such Unlovely Sinners while they were altogether Loveless while they were altogether Abominable matter of Loathing to his pure Eyes III. Every such Soul is chosen from Eternity to attend upon the Royal Majesty of Heaven in his Sacred Palace that they may behold his Glory in the Brightest manner 1. He is chosen to behold those bright Beams of Majesty and Glory in a positive way 2. It is chosen to behold the Beams of his Transcendent Majesty and Glory in an immediate way There will be no need of Speeches to Represent the Lord to our Understandings as there is now 3. It is chose to behold the Brightness of the Lords Majesty and Glory in a Simple Pure way Not relatively or by Relations as Gospel Embracers for present behold the Light of the Lords Glory As when we conceive of the Glory of the Majesty of Heaven we conceive of him as the most absolute Monarch of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is but Relation but we shall then see the Lord in a sutable way even as he is 4. It is chosen to behold them fully Not to behold the Reflection only but the Sun it self of Glory 5. It is chosen to behold them everlastingly Hence the Soul may discern God to be engaged by his highest Relation of his own Eternal Contentment to perfect both Union and Communion between himself and every Unlovely Sinner that shall and will accept Gospel Discoveries seeing every such Soul as shall accept Gospel Discoveries is Designed by himself from Eternity to be one of his Royal Attendants in his Sacred Palace that should behold the Brightness of his Majesty and Glory Now before I can pass from this second work of the Spirit upon Souls There are Five or Six things that every Soul of us must remember least we misunderstand the manner of the Spirits irradiating the Gospel unto Souls I. We must observe That the Spirit of the Lord doth in a different manner cause these Glorious Beams of Divine light to shine forth from the promise into dark Souls The Spirit in this Blessed work of Irradiation of the Gospel unto dark Souls doth to some reveal only some of those Pretious Soul Ravishing Beams of Light that you have heard opened To others he causeth more abundance of those Pretious Beams of Light to shine into the heart And from hence various Souls have various Degrees of this assurance of Faith and various Degrees of Joy and Peace slowing forth from that assurance of Faith II. You must also observe concerning this work of Irradiation of the Gospel That the Spirit doth manifest those Beams of Divine Light from the Gospel in different Degrees of Clearness unto Souls III. You must also observe that the Lord doth in a different degree continue the manifestation and Irradiation of the Promise or of the Gospel unto different souls I speak still of those souls that do receive through the spirits Irradiation of the Gospel some assurance unto their Faith of their union with Christ IV. You must also understand that the spirit doth reveal the substance of all this Heavenly Light the Sum and Compendium of all that you have heard and cause it to shine into souls from the promise This the spirit doth cause to shine into every soul that attains unto any degree of assurance of Faith Though the spirit works variously in regard of the clearness of revealing what it doth reveal and variously in regard of the time and continuance of its manifestation of that Heavenly Light unto souls yet those pretious Beams of Heavenly Light that the spirit causeth to Glitter forth from the promises unto souls are of necessity to be revealed unto every soul that attains unto any assurance of Faith V. We must observe that the spirit of the Lord doth out of his own infinite Wisdom select the particular truth of the Gospel whereby he will assure any particular soul of his union with Christ Though those particular Beams of Divine Light mentioned be in the substance revealed to the Faith of every soul to whom the spirit gives union yet the particular wherein the spirit makes the Brightness the Glory the Lustre the satisfying and Over-powering Glory of those Beams of light to appear to the souls eye these are selected by the Wisdom of the spirit it self though it is but the substance also or the effect of those particulars whereby we have revealed those Beams of Divine Light to you VI. You must observe that the spirit doth reveal or manifest all the bright shining of Divine Light from the promise at one and the same moment to the soul when it draws forth the souls Faith unto acts of assurance The spirit may be Instructing the dark soul many Years in the Pretious Mystery of the Gospel of Christ before it raiseth the souls Faith unto assuring acts and may be increasing the strength of the souls confidence gradually in every Ordinance in all those years But yet wherever the spirit draws out the God believing Dispositions that it hath infused into any souls to act by way of fulness of confidence then the spirit presents all this Pretious Light of the Gospel at once and gives the soul one Glorious view of it Thirdly the spirit of the Lord proceeds from Illumination of the soul and Irradiation of the Gospel to the soul to Conviction The Spirits Conviction of the Conscience From the Powerful Efficacy of that Divine light infused into the understanding and the Precious Concurrence of the sweetest light of manifestation of the Gospel unto the Light Inherent ariseth a Powerful Inward Conviction of the Conscience According to that in John 16.9 10. The Spirit shall reprove and convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment It shall Convince the World of Righteousness that is of free Justification of Despicable Forlorn Guilty Sinners through the Lord Jesus alone This Conviction of the soul or of the Conscience it is a clear Unquestionable and Infallible Demonstration given by the spirit to the doubtful soul of the Lords Will that even that his particular Forlorn Worthless Stubborn soul shall be received into the nearest union with himself in Christ Or rather it is a Commanding Power of the Spirit of God exercised upon the soul whereby
it constrains it to receive that clear Infallible Demonstration that the Blessed Word of God gives of the Lords Will to receive his Stubborn Rebellious Unworthy Soul into union with the Lord Jesus Indeed by the Spirits Illumination and the manifestation of the Gospel to the Soul there is a most Unquestionable Demonstration given of the Lords Will to accept any one particular soul to be one with him if he will accept him but in the Work of Conviction is most properly the Mighty Overpowring work of the spirit upon the Mind and Conscience constraining it to receive the Demonstration Conviction is properly the silencing all Cavils Doubts of Contradictions of the mind against any truth propounded and a making of it undenyable to it that it dare not make any objection or raise any one Cavil more to what the Lord propounded to his particular Loveless soul but to sit down satisfied and confess the truth of what the Lord propounded to him to confess that it is the Will of the Blessed God indeed that it should be one with himself in the Lord Jesus and enjoy everlasting Communion with him There is a necessity of the Spirits thus convincing the Soul besides its Illumination and its Irradiration of the Gospel to it and that in two respects First in respect of the Mind or Understanding And Secondly in respect of the Conscience First In respect of the mind The Power of Corruption hath so Captivated the Mind and Understanding that both the Illumination of it and Irradiation of the Gospel unto the mind would be Ineffectual should not the spirit strike in to make up the souls Conviction There is a four fold Disposition in the Mind that doth cause a kind of necessity of this Conviction of the spirit besides the Irradiation of the Gospel to the Mind I. There is a Wretched Unteachableness that naturally possesseth all our Minds There is not only Darkness possessing the mind but an opposition against the receiving Light Now in respect of this Disposition of our minds naturally we are unapt to receive any thing the spirit reveals should there not be a further Power and Efficacy of the spirit upon the Heart II. There is a most Superlative incredulity that remains in our minds The God of the World hath blinded the mind 2 Cor. 4.4 not by a privative extinction of Light infused that is beyond the Devils Power but by a positive darkness a positive Ignorance by perswading the minds of all to believe other Principles such as contradict those blessed Principles of Divine Truth Now in respect of this Incredulity that possesses our Minds there is a necessity that the Spirit should have a further work upon the soul than bare Illumination and Manifestation of the Gospel to the soul III. There is an Indisposition in our Minds to receive any thing that they cannot Comprehend Now all the Glorious Discoveries in that Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ being Incomprehensible thence the mind would receive none of those Pretious Discoveries though the Spirit did Irradiate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to it if another Mighty Power of the Spirit should not come in upon the Heart to Convince the Soul of it IV. There is an absolute Enmity in the mind against those Divine Truths Rom. 8.7 The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God Now this Cursed Enmity dwelling in the Unregenerate part makes its constant Opposition with all its Power and Strength against all that the Spirit reveals And so all the Pretious Discoveries of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to the Mind would be ineffectual should not another Mighty Power of the Spirit come in to Conquer the Cursed Enmity and to Constrain the Soul to receive those Demonstrations of the Will of God to receive the Loveless Soul into union with himself as a thing undenyable Secondly there is a necessity of it in regard of the Conscience also The Conscience is a Register Might and Power placed by the Lord in the Understanding What Conscience is to record all the Motions of the whole Man and to Discover the Equity or Iniquity of them and to determine of them either with the Soul or against the Soul Now the Conscience is also so Corrupted that there is a necessity of this Conviction of the Spirit besides this Illumination and Irradiation for the mind and Conscience is defiled Titus 1.15 Now there are two that are the most eminent Works of Conscience I. To Discover the Equity or Iniquity of any thing Propounded to the Soul to be done or of any thing that is done by the Soul Now in this the Conscience is dreadfully Corrupt here the Conscience calls Iniquity Equity and Equity Iniquity calls Good Evil and Evil Good naturally in a great measure Now thence there is necessity of this Conviction of the Spirit also in regard the Conscience will never determine that it is good for the Soul to receive those Pretious Discoveries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to it unless the Spirit Overpowers the Corrupted Conscience and Convince it of the Equity of receiving it II. The second act of Conscience is to determine of any thing that is already done by the Soul Its work is to Accuse and Excuse the Soul both in its doing of things and after the doing of them Now Conscience is so dreadfully Corrupt naturally that like a Corrupt Judge or a Bribed Judge it accuseth when it should Excuse and Excuseth when it should Accuse it Frees the Guilty and Condemns the Innocent Now in respect of this Corruption of the Conscience though the Spirit of the Lord doth Illuminate the Soul in part for its never higher and then present the Gospel to the Enlightned Understanding and gives clear Manifestations of the Lords Will to admit the Soul into Union with himself in Christ yet the Corrupt Conscience will never determine with the soul to Excuse the Soul in receiving those Pretious Discoveries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to it but would and will perpetually Accuse the Soul as a Presumptuous Wretch unless the Spirit of God should exercise this Convincing Power upon the Conscience even after the work of the Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul So that this work of the Spirit in Conviction draws clear unquestionable Demonstrations for the soul from the Gospel to prove that it is an Infallible certainty that it is the Lords Will to accept that Particular Despicable Forlorn Sinner to be one with him and it consists also in the Commanding Power of the Spirit of God upon the Determination whereby it silenceth all Cavillings of the Soul and puts a Holy Constraint upon the Mind and Conscience to receive that Determination as True and Undenyable So that the Spirit maketh him to confess with his own Mouth that it is the Will of the Blessed God that even this my Forlorn Loathsome Despicable Unlovely Soul should be one with himself for ever This is the Spirits Conviction which is the third work of the
Spirit upon the Soul towards the drawing forth its Faith by way of assurance or by which the Spirit doth proceed to give the Soul a full assurance of his Union with Christ There is a fourth effect of the Spirit of God upon Hearts for revealing to them their Union with Christ Certainly and Infallibly The Spirits Excitation so as to give the Demonstration and that is the Spirits Excitation of the Habits of Grace formerly Infused into their proper and peculiar Exercise Now here you must observe the Spirit doth not Quicken Inliven and Actuate all kind of Gratious Dispositions Infused into the Sanctified Soul in any immediate Revelation assuring its Faith of his Acceptance into Union with the Lord For indeed the Souls assurance unto Faith doth not properly arise from any of the actings of those Holy Dispositions that are Infused into it but proceed only from the right Apprehension of the good Will of the Lord in Christ unto Loveless Sinners For indeed the Spirit in this work of Excitation as it stands in Relation to the assuring the Soul through Believing of his Union with Christ hath only and peculiarly the Believing Disposition that was Infused into the Soul at Christs first Comprehending the Soul for its proper Object and as Exercising Influences chiefly flow down from that believing Disposition Now the Spirits Excitation of the Believing Disposition doth necessarily follow the three former effects of the Spirit upon Hearts in regard all these effects of the Spirit upon the heart are but preparative to this fourth effect for indeed it is this fourth effect which is the Spirits drawing forth Believing Dispositions into act which is the Formality of Assurance or Assurance it self The other only are absolutely necessary Preparatives unto the assurance they are Preparations indeed both Privatively and Positively But they are but Preparations First These three acts of the Spirit are Preparations privatively by preventing all Impediments and Obstructions that hinder the Soul from acting Faith by way of assurance I. The first work of the Spirit which is its Illumination that doth privatively prepare the Soul for the assuring act of Faith 1. By preventing the Soul from bottoming its Confidence upon the Sands Before the Blessed work of Illumination souls mistake the right Bottom of their Confidence of the Lords accepting them into Union with Christ and so consequently cast out the Anchor of their Souls upon the ground of their own Humiliation for Sin another time upon the Quickenings and Enlargings of their Hearts through the Sanctifying Spirit and so Consequently never entertain the least Confidence of the Lords accepting of them into Union with Christ any further then they can discern those Quickning Enlargeth 〈◊〉 Inlivenings of that Sanctifying Spirit in their Hearts 2. That doth prepare privatively for the assurance by Preventing the Soul from seeking in a false manner after the attaining of Confidence upon a true bottom Before the Spirits full Illumination the Soul commonly mistakes about the manner of casting out an Anchor of Confidence upon that true ground as conceiving there is no right manner of any Souls casting himself with Confidence upon the Lord unless the Soul doth first discern himself to be a Beleiver II. The second work also of the Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel unto Souls is to prepare privatively for the assuring of the Souls Faith of his Union with Christ Through the Spirits Irradiation all Misapprehensions about the Tender of Union with Christ with the Soul are removed III. By the Spirits Conviction the Soul is prepared Privatively for the assuring his Faith of his union and that three ways 1. By removing of the Contrariety of the reasoning that possessess the Soul Before the Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel in some Degree and Conviction of the Conscience by that Irradiation the Heart is haled hither and thither by an Apprehension of reasoning that always dwells within him The Heart sometimes Inclining to a Dreadful Conclusion that the Lord will never accept of his Forlorn Soul into Union with the Lord Jesus Another time again inclined to believe that the Lord is willing to accept even his Soul into Union with Christ Now by the Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul and the spirits Conviction of the Conscienee the Contrariety of Reasoning in the soul is removed The Reasons for accepting the soul into Union with the Lord Jesus bearing more weight with the spirit than all the Objections and Contradictions that Hell and the Corrupt Heart can make against it So that the soul discerns more ground to imagine that the Lord is willing to accept his soul into Union with Christ than he discerns ground to think the contrary 2. Through the spirits Conviction the Uproar and Tumult in the souls Affections are Allayed and Helped Through the Contrariety of reasoning in the soul all the Affections are put into a Tumult and Rage When one kind of reasoning Prevails then one kind of Affection works strongly and when contrary Reasonings prevail then contrary Affections work as highly 3. The spirits Conviction that is annexed to the spirits Manifestation of the Gospel doth prepare for the souls receiving assurance unto his Faith of his Union with Christ by removing the Distraction that possesses the souls thoughts As the Affections commonly are in a Confusion so the thoughts also the mind is constant in nothing else but unconstancy staying or fixing upon nothing Now this being a great Impediment to the souls receiving assurance unto his Faith of his Union with Christ the spirit privatively to prepare the soul for it removes this Distemper Secondly they are Preparations positively also I. The spirits work of Illumination that doth prepare the subject for assurance It is through that Illumination that the soul is disposed into a possible condition and a capable condition to discern that everlasting Rock of Ages whereupon the Confidence of the souls union with Christ shall be cast II. The spirits Irradiation or Manifestation of the Gospel doth also prepare positively for the assuring the soul of his union with Christ in regard that prepares the very matter of assurance That Discovers the true ground whereupon the soul may be Confident of his Acceptance into union III. The third work of the spirit which is Conviction that prepares the soul for receiving the assurance unto his Faith of his union with Christ by applying the matter of assurance particularly unto souls It is the spirits manifestation of the Gospel that Discovers the ground whereupon souls may be confident of their acceptance into union with Christ It is the spirits Conviction that makes particular application of that ground of Confidence Those three former works of the spirit are only Preparative unto assurance the Formality of assurance is still behind Therefore the spirit comes with this fourth work which is the Exciting and Stirring up this believing Disposition into Exercise Therefore now we must open to you what this Excitation of the Spirit is
and what the particular acts of the Spirit upon the soul are that are Included under this work of the spirits Excitation of the believing Disposition unto its Operation The Spirits Excitation is a Gracious Free Extraordinary Concurrence of the spirit with the believing Manifestation What the Spirits Excitation is formerly Infused into the Soul Or it is a Precious Powerful influence of the spirit upon the believing Disposition The Holy Disposition that Inclines the Heart Habitually to believe is as it were the Seed of assurance Sown in the Heart but there must be the Concurrence of the Spirit with the Seed or the Influence of the Spirit upon the Seed to make it Fructify so as there shall be an act of assuring Faith in the Soul So that this Excitation of the Spirit or the Spirits stirring up the believing Disposition is but a Continuance of that Holy Influence into the Soul that was begun at the Souls first passive Union with the Lord Jesus whereby the Holy Disposition that was then Infused is Maintained Preserved Increased Actuated and Enlivened Yet to open this more particularly I. I say it is a Gracious Concurrence of the Spirit with the believing Disposition I do not call it a Gracious Presence of the Spirit because the Spirit takes up its Everlasting Habitation in the Heart at that passive Union between the Soul and Christ that is when it first Comprehends the Soul and the Habitation of the Spirit may be said to be equal at all times in the Soul but its Conveyance of Grace into the Soul is not always equal II. This Excitation of the Spirit to the believing Disposition is a Gracious and Free Concurrence of the Spirit with the believing Disposition Free not only as other Holy Motions of the Spirit in the Heart are free which is in respect of their sole Dependance upon the free good Will of God to a Loveless Sinner But it is a free Concurrence of the Spirit to the believing Disposition in regard of the Lords absolute freedom that he Exerciseth in Vouchsafing this unto Souls That I may speak the more clearly you must conceive there is a Two-fold Influence of the Spirit into believing Souls The first is an absolutely necessary Influence The other is a more Free Arbitrary Influence The absolute necessary Influence is Two-fold First That that 's absolutely necessary to Maintain the Life of a believing Soul Secondly That which is absolutely necessary to Maintain the Growth of a believing Soul 1. The Influence of the Spirit that is absolutely necessary to Maintain the Life of the Believing Soul Every Creature that hath any Life hath some Maintenance for that Life which Maintenance being withdrawn the Creatures Life would decay However do not mistake me every Living Creature must have some kind of Influence from the first Being of Beings to maintain its Life As the Angels have a more immediate Spiritual kind of Influence from God Now that that the Wisdom of the Lord hath Determined should Maintain the Spiritual Life begotten in a believing Soul is the Influence of the Holy spirit into the soul Now this absolutely necessary Influence is that which is never wanting to any one Believing soul The Covenant of Grace that the Lord freely passeth to the believing soul lays an Engagement upon the Blessed God to maintain the Influence of the Life of the soul So that the Blessed God of Heaven and Earth is no more at Liberty in that he is bound and Obliged to Maintain that Life he begets in a believing soul According to that in Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me they shall never dye again a spiritual death 2. The absolute necessary Influence of the spirit is that which maintains the Growth of the believing soul toward Perfection Now that Influence of the spirit also the Lord hath absolutely engaged in the Covenant of Grace to communicate at all times to a believing soul in regard he hath engaged to perfect the likeness of Jesus Christ in every believing soul and therefore the spirit doth continually issue down life from the head of the Lord Jesus into every believing soul which is a Member unto that Head every Member receives from the Head continually some kind of vertue Now both these Influences of the spirit being absolutely necessary though they be free originally yet the Lord having passed his promise to sinners embracing the promise he stands obliged to Communicate those Influences of the spirit continually But now this other Influence is a free Influence in another manner It is not absolutely necessary to the Life nor Growth of the soul in this manner that we are now speaking of and therefore the Lord is not engaged to Communicate it unto the souls of his People but he stands at his own Liberty to Dispence it to whom he will to send this Exciting spirit into what soul he pleases out of the number of all believing souls So that it may in an eminent superlative manner be said of this Exciting work of the spirit to the believing Disposition what Christ saith of the Breathing of the spirit in general that the spirit breatheth where it listeth It is meerly according to the good pleasure of the Lord that any believing soul partake of this Exciting work of the spirit to the believing Disposition III. You must observe in the Description That it is a Gratious Free and Extraordinary Concurence of the spirit with the believing Disposition infused There is an ordinary Exciting Influence of the spirit to the believing Disposition no Gratious Disposition Infused would shew forth any of its Operation did not the spirit Concur with the Gratious Disposition and so consequently there would be no Operation of Faith at all Now in regard there are constant Operations of Faith in every believing soul in the course of his Conversion in one degree or other therefore it must needs be concluded there is an ordinary Concurrence of the spirit into the believing Disposition that is in every believing soul But this Exciting Influence into the believing soul that I now speak of is not that ordinary but it is extraordinary It is an abundant Breathing of the spirit upon the believing Disposition mightily drawing it forth into Exercise in its full Strength and Power causing the believing Disposition to be Victorious and Triumph Gloriously over all Doubts Objections and Questions This is the spirits Excitation of the believing Disposition infused into the soul Now we may conceive that there are three Particular acts of the spirit on the soul that may be included under the spirits Excitation of the believing Dispositâ—on in the soul which do all tend unto the Full Powerful Mighty Excitation of the believing Disposition in the soul unto exercise I. It affects the Heart sweetly with the Pretious Divine Light Discovered unto the soul by the Manifestation of the Gospel to it The light of truth Discoveries affects not the Heart
any further than the spirit concurs with the Light Revealed Now 1. The spirit causeth the soul to be filled with a Holy Complacency in beholding the Pretious Divine Light that the Gospel Reveals 2. The spirit moves an insatiable Thirst in the soul after the continuance of that Pretious Divine Light shining from the Gospel into his Poor Obscure Heart 3. The spirit melts the Heart by the beholding that Light that the spirit puts into it so as the Heart is made most pretiously Tender and Pliable and Flexible to the Blessed Will of God in every thing 2. The Spirit impels constrains the Soul to believing strongly The Lord rules in the heart of believers by the Royal Scepter of his Word but not as the Word is barely revealed unto a Soul in the letter of it but as the Word is brought into the heart by his own Spirit And therefore when the Spirit sways not the Scepter of the Word in their hearts the word looseth its Imperial Royal Authority that it hath over the Soul and so the Soul lies not under so strong an Obligation to any Duty as it doth when the Spirit brings the Word to the heart 3. The third Act is the inabling the soul powerfully to believe According to that in Phil. 2.13 By him we receive both to will and to do that is both the disposition and the Act of the Disposition both an inward bent of Spirit to believe and power also to act that Disposition This is that mighty Power that works in those that believe Eph. 1.19 So that the Soul that could only Believe waveringly that it was the Lords will to receive his despicable loveless Soul into union with the Lord Jesus shall by the powerful ability of the Spirit infused into the Soul by the Spirit be able to receive it fixedly to believe it undoubtedly unquestionably without the least inconstancy for the present that the blessed God of Love will out of his own free love accept his despicable loveless Soul into the nearest union with the Lord Jesus and himself through him That is the exciting work of the Spirit There is now the fifth and last work of the spirit unto souls for that end to be opened which is the spirits Attestation to the soul The Spirits Attestation that is to say his Witnessing unto the soul that it shall be certainly Infallibly in its Cleaving to Lord Jesus admitted into Union and Communion with him It is the good pleasure of the Lord not only to shew the immutability of his Counsel concerning believing souls and the infallibility of their acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their souls cleaving to him but it is also the good pleasure of the Lord to shew more than Sufficiency the Unchangableness of his Counsel to such souls According to that Pretious place Hebr. 6.17 The Lord willing more abundantly to shew the Immutability of his Councel Ex Abundanti as Beza Translates the Original The Lord having a Pretious good will to shew in a way more and beyond what was necessary to believing souls the Impossibility of their souls failing of Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their cleaving to him he doth therefore now add his Blessed Spirit to be the Comforter of Believing souls not only in a Degree that is necessary for them for which end all those four former Effects of the spirit upon souls were appointed but the Lord appoints the Spirit to be a Comforter beyond what is necessary And therefore after the Spirit hath given to Believing souls a clear Evidence of their Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus so as thereby the spirit had filled their souls with strong Consolation Yet the Lord appoints the Spirit to add a higher work which is its Attestation This Attestation of the Spirit is that you shall find Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye Believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise Or as the Word may be rendered In whom Believing ye were Sealed which Imports the neer Conjunction of these two Blessed works of the Spirit or the immediate following of the Spirits Attestation upon the Spirits Excitation of their Souls to Believing And this work of the Spirit is that you find also in 2 Cor. 1.21 22. Now he that Establisheth us with you in Christ and hath Annointed us is God who hath also Sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts And this you shall find also Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Spirit of God by which you are Sealed unto the day of Redemption And so Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirit thaâ— we are the Children of God Now least any should question whether the Spirit doth thus work in a Witnessing way it would be necessary to clear the Interpretation of most of those places from some other Glosses that are Frequently put upon them It is true say some the Scripture speaks of the Sealing work of the Spirit unto Souls but the meaning of the Spirit of Truth is only that by Graces and Holy Dispositions that the Spirit Communicates unto Believing Souls it doth confirm Souls in the certainty of their Acceptance into Union with Christ So that by the receiving of the Spirit by Beliveâ—s spoken of in the Scripture of Truth is only meant Believers receiving the Precious Working of the Spirit in their Hearts in Holy Habits and Dipsositions For Answer I must acknowledge that by the Spirit is frequently meant in Scripture the Holy Dispositions infused by the Sanctifying Spirit into Believing Souls And I must acknowledge also that the Graces or Holy Habits infused by the Spirit in Believing Souls are spoken of as Witnesses unto Souls of their Union with Christ And indeed it is questionless that an effect may Witness its own proper cause And the Scripture speaks expresly that the works of God are Witness of God Act. 14.17 And so Christs works were Witnesses of his Godhead John 5.36 Yet this is not that which is primarily intended in the former Scriptures by the Spirits Sealing the Believing Soul which may appear to you by two or three Reasons I. In regard the Spirits Sealing the Believing Soul is declared to follow the Souls act of Believing in order of Nature As in Eph. 1.13 In whom after ye Believed ye were Sealed Or In whom ye Believing were Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now all the Pretious Holy Habits that the Sanctifying Spirit Infuses into any Soul are in order of Nature Infused before there is any Believing act in the Soul Though the Believing act in a Believing Soul may be Contemporary that is at one and the same time yet the Infusing of all the Holy Habits and Dispositions into the Soul must be conceived to have a precedency in order of Nature before there can be a Believing act I confess some and those learned ones too have imagined that the Sanctifying Spirit should work as an external
agent an outward agent upon the Soul in the first act of Believing and then take up its Habitation in the Soul through the Souls Believing in the Lord Jesus But reason it self is sufficient Confutation of those Imaginations Reason will tell us of an Impossibility of a man meerly Unregenerate to put forth an act meerly Spiritual Reason will tell us an Habit or Disposition must go before there be an act a Tree there must be before there can be fruit And then also the Spirits Sealing of the Believing Soul being declared to follow at least in order of nature the Souls Believing it cannot be that by the Spirits Sealing spoken of in these Scriptures should be meant the Infusion of the Spirits Graces into the Soul it must be something besides the Graces Infused II. All kind of Holy Habits or Dispositions that are Infused into any one Believing Soul are Infused in order of nature before the Souls Believing Now if the Spirits Sealing were only the Infusion of the Spirits Grace then every Believing Soul should have the same Seal of the Spirit whereas experience brings Testimony enough to the contrary III. The Spirits Sealing mentioned in those former Scriptures is Attributed in a particular manner to the person of the Spirit The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirits It doth not say only the Spirit which might have been meant the Graces of the spirit but the spirit it self even by a personal act the spirit attests to us that we are the Sons of God So it is also in Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after ye Believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance It is Translated Which but it is most agreeable to the Original to say Who is the earnest of our Inheritance The relative being in the person of the spirit not the Gifts of the spirit So that it stands as an Undoubted Truth that the Lord doth add unto Believing souls for their abundant Consolation even a Witness from his own Blessed spirit of their admittance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their cleaving to him besides all those other Blessed necessary works of the Blessed spirit upon their souls Now I must further Observe that this Attestation of the spirit doth not pertain peculiarly and solely unto Faith as having reference unto Faith only and to the begetting of assurance of Faith But by Divine Appointment this Witness of the spirit pertains also to sense to spiritual sense or spiritual Knowledge and doth beget assurance of Sence and Feeling as well as it begets assurance of Faith Yet there is such a sweet Mixture in this Blessed work of the Spirits Attestation that it doth at one and the same time raise the soul to assurance of Faith and Assurance of Sense and Feeling And indeed such is the nature of the spirits Attestation that it never bears Witness to the souls Faith in any measure of clearness that the soul in its Cleaving to the Lord Jesus shall be admitted into Union and Communion with Christ but the spirit bears Witness at the same time to the souls sence that it is actually admitted into Union and Communion with Christ Yet because we are speaking at present of the manner how the spirit doth first reveal to the souls Faith certainly and infallibly his Union with Christ and so assure the souls Faith of Union we must first speak of the spirits Attestation unto the soul in reference unto Faith Though we must also for opening the full work of Attestation open the manner of the spirits Attesting to the souls Sence and Feeling For the opening the first the spirits Attestation in Reference unto the souls Faith to assure Faith of its Union The Spirits Attestation unto Faith I shall open to you two things First Those Respects in which the Lord doth appoint the spirits Attestation to be added to all the former works as a Redundancy of his Mercy and Love to the Despicable soul Secondly We shall open what the spirits Attestation to the souls Faith is For the first There are four or five Respects why the Lord adds this work of Attestation to the souls Faith after he hath perswaded the soul to believe thus powerfully with Confidence I. In respect of the Multitude of fears that remain in the Believing Soul after the clearest Evidence of the Gospel unto the soul and the most full perswasion of the soul by the spirit to Believe There are three kinds of fears that still remain in some degree both in the Seed of them and in the Fruit of them though none of them remain in their absolute Dominion 1. There is both the Seed and Fruit of Slavish Fear Though through the Mighty Exciting Power of the spirit following the spirits Irradiation and Manifestation of the Gospel to the soul it is raised to a fulness of Confidence of the Lords Acceptance of his soul into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Cleaving to him yet there is not a perfection of Confidence And it is only perfect Confidence that begets perfect love and only perfect Love that casts out Slavish Fear 2. There is a pure natural fear that still remains The matter of Believing is of such high concernment that the very remembrance of it strikes the soul with some natural fear It is the venturing the pretious Immortal soul for Eternity and unless there were a Perfection of Confidence a soul cannot be void of fear 3. There is a Spiritual Holy fear that remains also in the Believing soul after the strength of Believing The souls Vision of Union and Communion with Christ Inflames the Believing Souls Heart with Love unto Union and Communion And proportionable to the degree of the Souls Love so is the Souls fear That is to say the Soul fears the loss of Union and Communion in the same degree wherein he loves Union and Communion and this fear is exceeding prone to go beyond its Bounds and to suspect the loss of it where there is no cause of Suspition II. The Lord adds this Attesting work of the spirit to souls In regard there is a natural Distrust that in some degree remains in every Believing soul though raised to a fulness of Confidence There is not only an Indisposition naturally in the soul to give Credit to the Blessed Word of the Majesty of Heaven by reason of its Inability fully to comprehend the reason of the Lords fulfilling such a Word into his Bosom But also there is a natural Disposition in dwelling in every soul that Inclines the Heart strongly to give the Blessed Majesty of Heaven the Lye to distrust that Blessed Record that the Lord bears of his own Son III. There is a Holy Jealousie that possesseth every Believing Soul least his Corrupt Deceitful Heart should Delude him Every Believing soul is so conscious to himself of a Multiplicity and Variety of Couzening Deluding Tricks that his Corrupt Heart hath put upon
him from time to time as it dare not trust its Heart when it deals most Plainly and Uprightly Now from this Holy Jealousie there ariseth a Difficulty to settle and Establish the Heart and to free it from all Wavering in its Conscience Now in respect of this the Lord adds this work of the spirits Attestation that the soul may have a full Satisfaction that there may be no inward Misgivings of Heart in its Confidence of the Lords acceptance of it into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in its Cleaving and Adhering to him IV. There is a natural Unconstancy that possesseth every such Believing soul in some degree Ever since the Heart of Man was drawn from that first Blessed Center it hath naturally been Unconstant in all its Restings Now from this Unconstancy of the spirit the Heart is exceeding prone to have its Confidence shaken when the spirit hath raised it to a high Degree And in respect of that the Lord Vouchsafeth to add the work of Attestation for the perfect Establishing of the Wavering Soul V. There is all the Concurrent Rage of Hell Imployed against every Soul attaining that Confidence of his Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Adhering to him Now should there not be a Witness from Heaven or greater Authority in the souls Apprehension than any Dictates of the Counsel of Hell the Believing soul would soon call in question the Pretious Word of the Majesty of Heaven and Incline to give Credit to the Dictates of Hells Counsel Therefore in respect to this least the Believing soul through this means should be Robbed of that Pretious Joy and Peace in Believing that the Lord intends the Lord hath Determined that his Blessed spirit should become the souls Comforter by way of Attestation to bear Witness to the certainty of the souls Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in the souls Cleaving to him that so the Witness of Heaven might be of higher Authority to the soul than all those Cursed Lying Dictates of Hell frequently propounded to that Believing soul Now the second thing to be opened is what this Attestation or Witness unto the souls Faith is What the Spirits Attestation unto Faith is I conceive that this Attestation unto Faith is a Pretious Beam of Heavenly Light darted into the Understanding whereby the spirit clearly Demonstrateth to the Believing soul the Lords Approbation of the souls act of Believing or Confidence and that with such an unspeakable Divine Authority as is irresistable by the soul so that hereby the soul is Established in a Plerophery or more than a fulness of Confidence There are four things in this Description that you must observe I. This Attestation unto Faith is a Pretious Beam of Heavenly Light darted into the Understanding That is the nature of the Witness This is as commonly called by Divines and Christians a secret Voice or a sweet Whispering of the spirit And thence many have sadly Mistaken and Conceived that Witness to be some strange kind of Revelation by a Voice from Heaven But indeed it is therefore spoken of as a secret Voice because it is a secret Beam of Heavenly Light And thence it is rightly called the Witness of the Spirit of the Lord Witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God Witness that is bear Record give a Testimony Now to give a Testimony is to declare a thing Verbally Now indeed in this respect it is not unfitly called the Voice of the Spirit for a Voice is nothing else but an Expression of the inward Conception of the mind by words Now by this secret Beam of Heavenly Light darted into the understanding the spirit of the Lord doth secretly express the mind of God II. This Attestation or Witness of the spirit unto Faith is such a Beam of Heavenly Light as doth Clearly and Infallibly and Unquestionably Demonstrate or Manifest to the soul the Lords Approbation of his act of Believing or of his act of Confidence All the Unquiet Tossings and Agitations and Perplexing Waverings of souls from what occasion soever they have their Original in some kind of Doubting whether it be according to the Blessed Will of God that their Forlorn Despicable souls should be so Confident of their Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus in their adhering to him Now therefore the Light that the spirit casts into the Understanding is on purpose to clear and make it out of all doubt to the soul that it is Infinitely pleasing to the Blessed God that even that particular soul should be so Confident of his Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus That is the matter it self that the spirit doth Testify to the soul or the Testimony it giveth III. You must observe in the Description That this Attestation of the Spirit is such a Beam of Heavenly Light that so clears to the Believing Soul the Lords Approbation of his act of Believing or his act of Confidence that it carrieth along with it an Inconceivable Divine Authority It is such a Beam of Light as hath such an Impression of the Majesty of the Blessed God upon it that it is impossible for the Heart to make Resistance IV. Observe in the Description that it Establisheth the Soul in a Plerophery a more than a fulness of Confidence a Triumphing Confidence That is the peculiar Inseparable effect of this Testimony that the spirit gives it fixeth the Wavering Unconstant Soul This is the Spirits Attestation unto Faith Now we shall come to the Spirits Attestation unto Sence But there is an Objection will be cast in that must first be opened whereby the depth of this Unspeakable Mystery may be something more Unfolded Obj. Some Soul may say If the Spirit giveth no other Testimony to the Soul than this That his particular Soul shall be Certainly and Infallibly Accepted into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Adhering to him and Produce no other Confidence in the Soul than this that I even I this Unlovely Soul of mine in Adhering to the Lord Jesus shall Infallibly have Union and Communion with him to all Eternity then saith the Soul even after the Witness of the Spirit unto the Soul it may remain doubtful of its Union with Christ still seeing by this Testimony of the Spirit unto Faith the Soul is not assured of his own Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ and seeing the certainty that the Spirit giveth by the Testimony to the Souls Faith of his Union with Christ hath its whole Dependance upon the certainty of the Souls Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ Ans 1. For Answer to this Grand Objection First When this Testimony of the Spirit is given unto the Souls Faith and he is assured that his particular Unlovely Forlorn Soul shall certainly and Infallibly be accepted into union with the Lord Jesus in his resting upon Christ for union it is not then possible that there should be any Solid Ground
for that Believing Soul to question his own Cleaving and Adhering unto Jesus Christ unto all Eternity And that will appear in two things I. In regard there is a sufficient ground revealed to the Soul that hath this Testimony of the Spirit unto his Faith of his Confidence of his Everlasting Cleaving unto Christ as there is of the Lords Acceptance of his Soul into Union and Communion with him in Adhering to him The promises of the Covenant of Grace that are tendred in the Lord Jesus do as perfectly and as clearly contain and include in them strength to inable Souls to Embrace and Accept those Promises as they do contain in them a fulness and alsufficiency of Love and Mercy for those Souls that do Embrace them The Lord that hath said It is my Will that such Perishing Sinking Despicable Souls as will accept my Tender shall be one with me through the Lord Jesus and have Everlasting Communion with me hath also said will Allure and draw your Hearts to Embrace and Accept according to my Will this Union and Communion with me in Christ that I freely tender you According to Jer. 31 32 33. This shall be my Covenant I will put my Law in their inward parts and Write it in their Hearts That is to say I will infuse sutable Dispositions into the Hearts of all the Embracers of the Lord Jesus to Incline Dispose and Inable them to fulfil all my Revealed Will in some Measure and Degree So that the Soul hath as sure a Word Revealed to it to depend upon from whence may arise a Confidence in it that the Lord will Inable him to Cleave and Adhere Everlastingly to Christ as it hath a Word whereupon his Soul may Depend and may be Confident the Lord will accept him into Union and Communion with him in Cleaving unto Christ II. In regard that very Confidence that the Spirit doth produce in the Soul of its Infallible Acceptance into Union and Communion with him is the very act of Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ There are four particular acts of the Soul Included under this Confidence of the Souls Acceptance into Union with Christ in its Cleaving and Adhering to him 1. In this is Included the Election of Union with Christ by the Will of the Soul Now this is but the receiving of Christ that the Gospel requireth To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 Now the consent of the Will to close with Christ in Union and Communion that is tendred to it is the very Receiving of Jesus Christ 2. In that very act of Confidence there is Included the Souls Credence or giving Credit to the Word of God When the Soul is Confident of the Lords Accepting of it into Union and Communion with him in the Souls Cleaving and Adhering to him it is only because of such a Word of Promise from the Mouth of Christ to which the Soul giveth Credit or which the Soul Believeth 3. In this act of Confidence there is a Resignation of the Soul wholly unto Christ Such as that which is spoken of in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am Perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have Committed unto him That is to say I know whose Word it was that I gave Credit to and that I was so Confident of the Truth of That I leaned my Soul upon the Truth of that Word for its Everlasting Happiness So that then in this act of Confidence there is Included that Mutual Interchangable Covenanting that the Word of the Lord requires from Souls in Accepting the Lord Jesus Tendered 4. In this very act of Confidence there is Included a full Dependance of the Soul upon Christ a hanging the Soul upon the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ and his Word So that indeed all the acts that the Gospel Requires from Souls are Included in this one act of Confidence that is produced by this Testimony of the Spirit to the Souls Faith Now the act of the Souls Confidence being also the act of its Cleaving and Adhering unto the Lord Jesus and the Souls Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ being Gradually as strong as the act of its Confidence of Accepting into Union and Communion with Christ in his Cleaving to him Thence it appears that there can be no solid ground of the souls questioning his own Adherence unto the Lord Jesus when the spirit gives this Testimony forementioned unto the souls Faith and produceth 〈◊〉 Confidence in the soul of his Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in Adhering to him In this very thing lies the whole Mystery of assurance unto Faith The very Confidence that the spirit begets in the soul of the Lord Jesus his Accepting it into Union and Communion with him in Cleaving to him the very act of Confidence is the act of the souls Cleaving to him Answ 2. Secondly I Answer further that whenever the Spirit by its Testimony to the souls Faith doth beget that Confidence in the soul that the Lord will Accept it into Union with himself in his Adhering to him then the soul cannot question his own Adhering unto Christ any more than he questions the Lords Acceptance of his soul into Union and Communion with him in his Adhering to him The spirits Testimony unto Faith is or such a nature that it doth equally beget a Confidence in the soul of his Everlasting Cleaving unto Christ to the Confidence that it doth beget of the Lords Acceptance of the soul into Union with himself in the souls Adhering to him And that will appear in three things I. In regard the spirits Attestation unto Faith is concerning the truth of the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ or of all the promises The spirit in the Irradiation of the Gospel clears that it is the Lords Will to have the whole Glorious work of the Union of Loveless Sinners with the Lord Jesus to have its sole dependance upon himself So that it manifests Believing Strength to inable the soul to Cleave and Adhere to the Lord Jesus fully to be tendered in the Covenant of Grace as well as Union with Christ himself is tendered Now then the spirits Attestation which follows this Irradiation of the Gospel is as large as its Irradiation work I mean the spirit doth in a Judicial Authoritative way Witness the truth of all those Gospel Truths Revealed to the soul So that the soul cannot possibly resist that Determination that the spirit gives into its Bosom Now then there being the same Witness of the spirit unto the souls Faith that the Lord will inable it to Cleave and Adhere to the Lord Jesus that there is unto its Faith that the Lord will Accept into Union and Communion with himself in Christ every soul that will Adhere to him Thence it cannot be that a soul should more question his Adhering unto Christ than he should question the Lords Acceptance of him
The readiness of the soul naturally to concur and agree with the testimony of corrupted conscience while it bares witness against Faith The reason is evident in regard the ful bent of the spirit stands to judge of all things according to sense and reason Now therefore the Lord adds this testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling to give matter for conscience to build a new judgement upon concerning the souls everlasting estate II. The Lord addeth the testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling to its testimony unto faith that the evidence of the souls union unto Christ might every way counterpoise the evidences that the soul hath received of its separation from Christ There are three evidences unto a soul of his separation from Christ and this testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling doth parallel the soul with a sufficient evidence of his union with Christ answerable to those three evidences of the souls seperation from Christ 1. There is the blessed word of the Majesty of Heaven determining that every Son and Daughter of Adam is by merrit and desert everlastingly seperated from the Lord Jesus and actually the first moment of his Being void of union and communion with Christ 2. There is the evidence of the souls work The contrary opposite rebellious working of the soul against Christ doth evidently declare that there is no union between Christ and any soul naturally as the Apostle saith 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin that is with full purpose and bent of spirit with a full determination of his judgement and will is of the Devil 3. There is the testimony of conscience founded upon these contrary workings of the Heart unto Christ that a soul is seperated from Christ Now in opposition to these three the spirit gives testimony unto faith that even such a particular despicable lost sinner shall infallibly in his cleaving to the Lord Jesus enjoy everlasting union and communion with him And then the Spirit adds this Testimony also unto sense and feeling whereby he makes the Soul discern even from the moving and working of his Heart towards the Lord Jesus that he is actually united to him and from thence Conscience cannot but bear witness that the Soul is actually united unto Christ III. The Lord doth vouchsafe to make a super-addition of the Spirits Witness to sense that the whole blessed word of God might sweetly concur together in bearing Witness to the Souls union with the Lord Jesus As for example that word in 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that God dwells in us and we in him that is that we have union and communion with God in Christ because he hath given us of his Spirit This vvord bears not Testimony to the Souls Faith of its union vvith Christ but it bears Testimony unto the believing Souls sense that is united vvhen the Soul is sensible that the Spirit is conveyed from God into its Bosom Likevvise that other vvord in 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you that is to say that the life and grace and holiness of Jesus Christ is communicated to you that Jesus Christ acts and vvorks in you and through you knovv ye not this except ye be Reprobates Novv this Word bears no testimony to the Souls faith of its union vvith Christ because the indvvelling of Christ in the Believing soul is not the object of Faith but the object of spiritual sight IV. The Lord adds the testimony of his spirit unto the souls sense that believing souls might receive the earnest of their everlasting union with the Lord Jesus here below according to that Eph. 1.13 Ye were sealed with the Holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession So in 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts The earnest imports two things First That the Lord giveth the soul part of his everlasting portion before hand 2dly That the Lord gives that small portion as a pledge to assure the soul of the enjoyment of the full inheritance Now in the spirits testifying unto sense the souls union the spirit doth clearly manifest the very entrance of the soul into union and its participation of some degree of union with Christ already in regard it discovers some of the graces of Christ to be actually inherent in the soul V. The Lord superadds the testimony of the spirit unto sense unto its testimony unto faith that he might effect the fuller degree of conformity to his whole will in the soul Two commands are impossible for the soul to yield a perfect obedience to without this Testimony of the spirit to the souls sense of his union with Christ First The command of examining and proving the soul whether it be in Christ and all commands of the like nature that enjoyn the soul to examine whether this or that fruit of the spirit be in the soul whether love to God or love to the Brethren be in the soul or no There can be no effectual obedience to any command of that nature without the spirits testimony to the souls sense of his union with Christ in regard it is the proper and peculiar Office of the spirit only to discover all its pretious workings to the soul to be in the soul Secondly The command of perpetual rejoycing in the Lord could not be effectually obeyed without the testimony of the Spirit unto the souls sense Though indeed believing be the primary original of all spiritual joy yet the souls sense of its believing is a necessary adjunct to make up the perfection of that spiritual joy VI. The Lord adds the testimony of the spirit to the souls sense of union with Christ to his testimony to faith that the believing soul might be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory All those glorious portions of the Lords word whereby believers are described by the pretious habits of grace infused into their hearts would be as so many strong holds for the powers of Hell to fortifie in against the Believers soul and would be turned by the policy of Hell into condemning sentences against the soul so as the precious Tower of the souls consolation would be always battered the sweetest streams of comfort would always meet with one interruption or other in their flowing down into the bosom of the soul did not the Lord add the testimony of his spirit unto sense What the Spirits witness is unto sense The third thing to be opened is what the spirits attestation to the souls sense and feeling of his union vvith Christ is It is a precious secret immediate clear and authoritative irradiation of the souls believing act or confidence causing the truth sincerity and uprightness of the heart in believing to shine so resplendently that the soul in the
act of believing is made sweetly conscious to it self that it doth rightly believe whence the renewed Conscience determines boldly that the soul is everlastingly one with Christ That I might the more perspicuously unfold this work of the spirit we shall take the description in peices and open it in parts First You are to understand in the description the act of the spirit in this testimony unto sense The act is an act of irradiation a cloathing the Believers soul with a transparent glory and brightness In a word it is but a precious beam of Heavenly light that the spirit casts upon the act of believing for indeed it is nothing else but light to faith and light to sense that is the original of all the comfort to believing souls There are three acts to be observed concerning this irradiating work of the spirit I. It is an immediate irradiation Nay it proceeds from that blessed spirit so immediately that nothing can concur with the spirit in casting that pretious light upon the souls believing act 1. It is so immediate as none of the precious Ordinances of the Lord can properly be said to effect or produce instrumentally this precious manifestation of the souls believing act to it self Though it is frequently yea constantly through some precious Ordinances that the spirit doth vouchsafe thus to irradiate or manifest to the believing soul the truth of his own believing act yet it is not by vertue of any of these Ordinances 2. It is such an immediate work of the spirit upon the soul that demonstrations either from the antecedent or consequent from the cause or from the effect of believing hath no place here Though it is certain there may be infallible demonstrations drawn by a believing soul from the effect of his believing that his heart was true sincere and upright in believing yet the Spirit doth so immediately manifest this believing act in the truth sincerity and uprightness of it to the believing soul that it doth not send the soul to this or that work to see what holiness or strength of love or affection unto Christ nor what readiness of heart to all obedience to the will of God were the consequence of his believing but the blessed spirit doth immediately in the very moment of the souls acting that believing act cast a beam of Heavenly light upon that very act that there is evidence enough in the act it self that the act is a true believing act according to the evidence of the Lords revealed will 3. This act of the spirit is such an immediate act that the spirit useth not the assistance of the discursive power of the mind to collect from the description of true Believers in the word that his act of believing is upright and sincere according to the Lords will It is certain that in the spirits irradiation of the souls believing act it doth discover clearly infallibly and unquestionably all the properties whereby believers are described in the word to be in the soul also yet in this that is properly called the witness of the spirit unto sense in its manifesting the believing act of the soul it doth not make the discursive power in the mind the instrument whereby the soul should compare together his own believing act and the description of the true believing act that the Lord requireth in the word so as thence to collect by discourse that the believing act is true 2dly It is a clear act full of perspicuity and transparency The spirit in this irradiation casts as clear a light upon the souls believing act to make it discover it self as the rational soul doth cast a natural light upon its own natural act so that it is proportionably evident to the soul that his soul doth believe as it is evident that the soul liveth or that the soul wills or that it hath a being 3dly The act of the spirit in irradiating the souls believing act is authoritative irresistibly powerful This beam of light that the Spirit casts upon the believing souls act hath such a commanding power included in it that it even commands the beâ—… yea it commands undeniably so as it is not possible for the believing soul to shut its eyes but it must see II. The second thing to be observed is the object of this act of the spirit in its testimony unto sense The object named in the description is the souls believing act or confidence That is to say the very act of credit that the soul giveth to the blessed word of God testifying that it is his will that that particular loveless souls should adhere cleave to the Lord Jesus to be one with him to have communion with him and likewise testifying that in the souls giving credit to that word oâ— God it shall everlastingly enjoy union and communion with the Father and the Son and Spirit Now there are 4. things observable under this to prevent mistakes I. You must observe that it is only the present believing act that is the object of the Spirits manifestation or irradiation The Spirit doth not cast those beams of Heavenly light upon the souls former and past acts of believing though they have been multiplied but only upon the present momentany act of believing that the Spirit hath drawn forth from the soul by its manifesting of the Gospel and revealing the tender of union and communion with Jesus Christ to the despicable sinner in its Glory and Brightness II. You are to observe that the believing act of the soul is only the principal and primary Object of the spirits irradiation or manifestation So that the spirit casts beams of Heavenly Light upon no other act in the believing soul at present but only upon that act commonly the spirit doth at the same time so cloath the act of Love with such a Glorious splendor and brightness as that 's also visible in the same moment to the believing soul that it seeth unquestionably his Arms of Love grasping the Lord Jesus as well as he sees the truth of his own confidence in the Word of Christ that he will admit him into union and communion with him III. You must observe the vertue of the spirits irradiating or manifesting this believing act to the soul The Vertue of it is to discover the Truth Sincerity and Uprightness of the heart in believing 1. The Truth and Sincerity To make it unquestionable and Undeniable to the believing soul that his Wretched Corrupt heart doth not delude nor deceive him but that his heart doth rely with some degree of strength and embrace the Lord Jesus tendring union and communion to the soul 2. It makes apparent the uprightness that is the strait Conformity of the heart in some degree to the rule and command of believing IV. You may observe here how the spirit is the earnest of the souls everlasting inheritance or of the souls everlasting union and communion with Christ It is only as the spirit doth irradiate the souls believing
insinuation and suggestion that proceeds from Hell yet there is a more peculiar disposition in a believing Soul to comply with that cursed suggestion of Hell that the evidence of his union received is but a delusion and that upon these Four grounds I. In regard there is a peculiar endeavour of sense in every believing Soul to regain his first dominion to have the prime commanding authority in the believing Heart Hence you shall observe that the most pretious Saints have maintained a mighty battel to the power of their Souls against sense striving to prevail over faith and yet the strongest Saints have been inclined and readily disposed to judge of all by sense that is to judge according to what they see and feel of the dispensations of God to them and workings of God in them So you see the holy Man Gidion Judg. 6.12 The Angel of the Lord which indeed was Jesus Christ himself appeared to him and said the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour but mark now sense strives for the dominion over faith saith Gidion Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where be all his Miracles which our fathers told us of saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites Thus sense saith in another case if the Lord will accept me to be one in Christ why is my heart left thus and thus why are my corruptions thus strong so again you shall observe Psal 73.2 The godly man Asaph confessed that sense did so strive for the mastery that his soul by that had well night lost its standing in faith my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt nay sense wrought so far that you shall observe v. 13. the holy man had concluded that he had cleansed his heart in vain and washed his hands in innocency There is a peculiar disposition in every believing soul to comply with the suggestion of Hell that his evidence of his union with Christ received is but a delusion There is a concurrence in this to all the arguments of sense 1. There is a concurrence with sense in the cause that sense argues against the soul Senses arguments tend all to prove an impossibility to forlorn souls should be united to the Lord Jesus Now this is the very matter of the suggestion that the soul is not united so that there is such a degree of sutableness that the soul is glad of such a suggestion as the proof of what sense maintains against the soul 2. There is a concurrence in the medium that sense useth to disprove the souls union with Christ The grounds of that suggestion from Hell that the believing souls evidence of his union is but a delusion is setched always from some defect or some miscarriage in the believing soul either from some want of holiness or some unsutable working in the spirit to what the soul conceives is the temper of the spirits of those who receive such evidence of their union Now Senses arguments are the same It is always the voice of sense in the believing soul my heart is thus and thus vile I am dead vain and formal blockish carnal sensual sleighty and loose I am little better than a block under Ordinances therefore it cannot be that I should be united to the Lord Jesus 3. By senses complying with this suggestion to the believing soul that his evidence of union is but a delusion sense doth immediately aspire to the Throne again in the believing Heart and doth immediately endeavour the dispossessing of faith If the heart comply with that suggestion that the evidence of his faith is but a delusion then seeing the souls evidence of union was primarily and principally unto faith faith is made wholly subject to the souls sense so that sense then bares the prime and principle rule in the soul II. There is a peculiar disposition in a believing soul to comply with the suggestion of Hell that the evidence of his union with Christ is but a delusion in regard of that desperate enmity of carnal reason against faith in every believing soul The Apostle saith Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind which is the seat of reason is enmity against God so against all the holy workings of God in a soul and therefore in a peculiar manner it is enmity against that special working of the spirit of God in the soul which is the believing disposition There is an irreconciliable opposition between carnal reason and faith in every soul carnal reason cannot comprehend that gracious unspeakable mystery of the union with the Lord Jesus through believing only and because it cannot comprehend it therefore it is opposite to the utmost of his power Carnal Reason is always for self-advancement and therefore directly opposite to the souls believing which is the lowest debasement of the soul and thence carnal reason is opposite to the first act of faith and to every consequent act of faith also so that there could not be a believing act in any soul did not the spirit of the Lord come with a mighty power to throw down those strong carnal reasonings according to that in 2 Cor. 10.45 throwing down the strong holds Imaginations-Original it is as Beza renders it the very reasonings of the flesh are thrown down whereby the flesh had fortified it self against the spirit drawing the soul to believe So opposite is carnal reason to faith that it invents a multitude of false reasons and rotten grounds to perswade the unregenerate soul to a good opinion of his own estate that did not the spirit of God throw down those reasons it were impossible the soul should believe Likewise again after the first act of believing carnal reason turns the mouth of his great ordnance whereby it mannages the Battle against faith another way Then carnal reason mannages it against the right of the soul to believe and perswades the soul it hath not believed and it may not it ought not to believe there is no ground for such a dispicable soul as he to believe Now in regard of this enmity of carnal reason in the heart against faith there is a ready disposition in the soul to comply with the suggestion that his evidence of union with Christ is but a delusion 1. the evidence is sutable to carnal reason Carnal Reason leaps now in the soul in its suggestion and says thus you should not believe and yet you would presume though you were unholy and altogether unsutable to the promise and now you see you have undone your own souls and cast your selves into the inextricable Laborinth 2. In regard there is a powerful inclination in every soul to comply with carnal reason Carnal Reason is our own and because our own we are willing to put our selves under its power 3. In regard there is an oppiniativeness in the soul of the excellency and strength
his Union with Christ without sufficient ground from the Lords Blessed Word Now the soul apprehending the danger of Miscarrying is filled with Fear yea prone to fear where no cause of fear is Every thing makes a man already in fear to be more afraid Fear clouds the Understanding with Darkness and maketh every thing seem black and dreadful So that thence believing souls are sutable Objects for the Devil to work upon by that Perswasion that the Evidence of their Union is a Delusion V. Every believing soul doth prie and search into the Rottenness and Unsoundness and Hypocrisy of his own Heart and discerns some degree both of Unsoundness and Rottenness and Hypocrisy And thence it is that the Devil Imploys his Power against the believing soul in regard he hath a foundation whereupon to build his cursed suggestions that the soul is deluded Now on the contrary the depth of the Devils policie is employed to perswade unbelieving souls of their certain reconciliation with God in Christ upon these grounds I. Because self-flattery hath a high Throne erected in every unbelievers heart There is a cursed Principle of self-love that naturally possesses every heart and from thence proceeds this wretched principle of self-flattery a powerful inclination to speak pleasing things to our own souls Now from the power of self flattery in unbelievers hearts 1. There proceeds an inward aversion or turning their hearts away from all fears and doubts of their own acceptation of God in Christ It is a Thorn in their sides and a Thistle in their Eyes that the Spirit of God should but cast in a doubt whether they be joyned to the Lord in Christ or be still in the state of nature 2. From the power of self-flattery proceeds also an indisposition in every unbelievers heart to examine the ground whereupon he builds his confidence and hope of his union with Christ 3. From the power of this self-flattering proceeds also a readiness in the heart to give credit to all vain hopes and cursed suggestions from Hell to his unbelieving soul Now in regard of the strength of self-flattering in unbelieving souls as it is backed with these three attendants the depth and policie of Hell is employed to perswade unbelieving Souls that they are unquestionably accepted of God in Christ and shall everlastingly be saved by him II. The depth of the policie of Hell is concerning unbelieving souls to delude them with false hopes of their union with Christ in regard there is a dreadful spiritual blindness fallen upon every unbelieving soul whereby the Prince of darkness hath his advantage to lead the blind soul to those cursed paths of darkness First There is a privative blindness fallen upon unbelieving souls Secondly A positive blindness First There is a privative blindness that is various Privative blindness I. There is an inability in the unbelieving Soul to discern the nature of the caelestial mystery of a Souls union with the Lord Jesus All the things of God are but dark to a Soul who is under the power of the Prince of darkness 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of the World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not And 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man cannot discern the things of God because they are spiritually discerned But there is a more peculiar blindness upon an unbelieving soul in the mystery of the Souls union with Christ than in most of the things of God besides because the mystery of union with Christ hath supernaturalness in it and is more contrary to carnal reason Thence it is no great difficulty to perswade the soul that a false groundless qualification is the true believing act that the spirit of God requires that this blind confidence is that strength of assurance that the Lord commands the soul to receive through faith II. There is such a privative blindness in an unbelieving soul that there is an inability an insufficiency to discern in any degree the infinite transcendent excellency of their souls union with Christ The most Eagle-eyed carnalist that ever proceeded from the loyns of Adam the most accurate disputant the most deep sighted politician never saw the least glimpse of the transcendent excellency of a divine union with the Lord Jesus likewise the multltude of unbelievers they conceive of union with Christ in a carnal way apprehending that it should save them from torment and that it should bring them to some kind of joy they know not what nor how Now thence the depth of Satans policie is active in perswading their souls that they are certainly one of Christs III. There is such a privative blindness in unbelieving souls as disenables them to conceive of the infinite danger of the loss of union The multitude of unbelieving souls apprehend nothing but some restless torment that will seize upon them in case they fail of union with God in Christ Now from their ignorance of the danger of the loss of union thence it is that their thoughts are little taken up about their union IV. Such a privative blindness is fallen upon unbelieving souls that there is an inability in their souls to discern the matter and ground of suspition that the Lord should not receive their souls into union with Christ The souls enmity against God and the nature of the enmity is the ground whereupon suspitions are built that the Lord will not accept their souls into union with the Lord Jesus Now unbelieving souls discern not that enmity wherewith their hearts are filled gainst the blessed majesty of Heaven Thence the policie of Hell is employed to perswade them that they are certainly joyned unto the Lord Jesus V. There is such a privative blindness fallen upon unbelieving souls as that there is an utter inability in them to discern the ground and occasion of suspition that their hopes of union with the Lord Jesus are delusions Commonly the experience of that wretched guile and deceitfulness of the corrupt treacherous false heart is the original of those suspitions that their union is but a delusion This unbelievers cannot discern and thence it is that the depth of the policie of Hell work against unbelieving souls in perswading them of their certain union with the Lord Jesus when as they are utterly strangers to him Positive blindness Secondly There is a positive blindness also That is a multitude of false Principles and notions of darkness doctrine of Devils possess the minds of every unbelieving soul commonly unbelievers minds are possessed with wretched Principles that surely God will damn none of those whom himself created Or with that Principle that if Men do what they can surely God will accept them the Lord will take the will for the deed Or else that Principle that such strictness severity and austerity of life such a height of holiness constantly in all their ways is not required of God men may be saved without such strictness of holiness Now from this positive darkness there is some suitableness in
to Heb. 6.17 he confirms it by an Oath that by 2. immutable things two things that were subject to no alteration or diminution that is to say by the word of the Majesty of Heaven and by his Oath also they might have strong consolation that do flee from refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them that is that do accept of the Lord Jesus tendred to them So that the hanging thus the eternal estate of the soul upon the former evidences is too high an use to put the former evidences too It is the truth it self that the former evidencing beams of light manifest that is only destinated to that pretious use to build the confidence of the souls admission into union with Jesus Christ upon even that truth that the Lord doth declare that it is his will to admit even that particular soul into union with Jesus Christ if he will aceept it and whenever scruples and objections and doubts possess the soul concerning the truth of any former evidences the first-born of the souls endeavour should be taken up in in clearing that truth that the soul did conceive some beams of light did evidence to him Prop. 4. There is a strait command from the highest Majesty of Heaven and Earth given unto every believing soul to make a holy use advantage and improvement of his former evidences of his union with Jesus Christ vouchsafed to him That one Scripture gives sufficient testimony Heb. 10.32 Call to remembrance the former days in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions This the Apostle commands them in order to the strengthning of their confidence ver 35. Thus Asaph did Psal 77.5 6. When he was under darkness when the powers of unbelief began to rage in his soul and to tyranize over him then he began to make improvement of his former evidences of the Lords love and favour to him he remembred God and was troubled now he recalls himself and begins to make diligent search into the former testimony of the Lords kindness to him I considered the days of old the years of ancient times I call to remembrance my Song in the Night I commune with mine own Heart and my Spirit made diligent search I call to remembrance my Song in the Night that is the former comfortable Communion I enjoyed in God how God delighted himself in Communion with my soul and my soul delighted it self in Communion with God again how God spake peace to me and I answerably rejoyced in God again And I Commune with mine own Heart I looked over the Records of my Heart and made diligent search to see what experience of truth and goodness and loving kindness of God to my soul are treasured up there Yea then to help himself further ver 10.11 he endeavours to make some improvement of the manifestation of the Lords love and kindness truth and faithfulness even to others I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old There is a command from Heaven upon believing souls to make use of their former evidences and there is some kind of inherent power in every believing Soul to act something in order to this holy use or improvement of his former evidence Now the holy use of those former evidences that believing souls are engaged from Heaven to make they are various We shall endeavour to sum up 5. or 6. 1. Every such soul ought to gather from his former evidences of his union with Jesus Christ some strength to his present confidence that the Lord will admit his soul into union with Christ I beseech you mistake not I speak not of those probable fluctuating hopes that some souls have enjoyed of their union with Jesus Christ from some apprehensions of some present actings of the Holy spirit in their Hearts to clear to them in some degree their union with Jesus Christ and to foster up some hopes of it Those I say though they may be and are frequently such as really descend from the spirit of Jesus Christ yet also from such conceited and supposed actings of the sanctifying spirit of Jesus Christ proceeds most of those soul-deluding hopes that poor blind souls are deluded with by the Prince of Darkness And therefore because the difference between these two is a matter of so great difficulty to discern I durst not perswade any soul who conceives that he hath had evidences of his union with Jesus Christ whose evidences have been only some flashes of light from some conceived actings of the sanctifying Spirit of Christ to believe firmly impregnably and unmoveably that the truth and reality of those his evidences did descend from God when he doth not discern them Those fluctuating evidences unto sense questionless if Souls adhere unto them they must put them upon the tryal by sense again Therefore now observe I speak of the pretious clear infallible evidence given unto a believing soul from the blessed Spirit of light and manifestation to clear unto the Souls faith unquestionably that the Lords good will is to admit his particular Soul into union with Jesus Christ in case his Soul will accept it through which evidence unto faith also the evidence unto sense hath attained a clear beam from the Spirit of light discerning the truth of the close of the believers Heart with the blessed will of God yet mark also that which I speak hath its relation solely to those evidencing beams of light given unto the believers faith of his union with Jesus Christ Now I say though such a soul be unsuitable to take a just examination of those evidencing beams of light formerly given to his faith when their glory is obscured and darkned yet the Soul ought to believe the truth of those evidencing beams of light though it cannot so clearly and sensibly discern it The matter that was evidenced to the Soul is no more than that there lies an Obligation upon the Soul from Heaven continually to believe And therefore the matter that was evidenced being true and the Soul engaged from God to believe it the Soul also stands engaged to believe the truth of that his former evidence that his Soul received concerning the blessed will of God towards him and from the remembrance of such a former mamanifestation given unto the Soul by the blessed Spirit concerning that blessed good will of God towards him the Soul ought to gather heart and strength and courage to renew the confidence of his poor wavering rrembling unstable Heart 2. The believing Soul ought from the remembrance of his former evidences given unto his faith of his union with the Lord Jesus to foster and nourish a lively hope in his soul that the same blessed light of manifestation to manifest unto his faith clearly his union with the Lord Jesus may return That experience that such a Soul have had that there is a time of light and a time of darkness that the wisdom of Heaven seeth
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
the written Word and ought to receive it as certain and infallible because it proceeds from the Written Word This appears I. In regard it is the direct Command of Heaven that believing souls should stick and cleave only to that truth that is discovered in the Lords Written Word And that believing souls should be confirmed in the truth of that Pretious Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is contained in the Lords Written Word in the book of the Old and New Testament This you shall find in that 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee Wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness First it is necessary here to observe the occasion you shall find in the beginning of the Chapter the Apostle had fore-told of perilous times approaching wherein there should be many false Doctors in the World in whose Snares many souls should be taken Captives Therefore least Timothy also should be Insnared the Apostle Writes these Verses on purpose to endeavour to Establish Tymothy's soul in the truth Saith he Continue thou in the things which thou hast Learned knowing of whom thou hast Received them Now the Arguments he useth to settle Timothy in the truth are two First from his Apostolical Call knowing from whom thou hast learned them From an Apostle of Jesus Christ that had received it from Jesus Christ The second Argument is in those next Verses That from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures The Writings of the Prophets and those Holy Men of God that spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God that the Lord caused to be Written as a Rule Now this being his Argument to continue in the truth of the Gospel Received the Apostle doth illustrate it by three or four things First He discovers to him that those Writings of the Holy Men of God that he had been acquainted with were able to make him Wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus that is if his soul did receive those discoveries in those Scriptures by Faith So that the Apostle intimates thus much That it were infinite Folly in Timothy to receive any other Doctrine than what he had taught and what he had learned to be written in the holy Scriptures seeing the Wisdom of God to Salvation was contained in them Secondly He illustrates this Argument by a second reason and that 's taken from the Authority of those Holy Scriptures The matter contained in them saith the Apostle is such as was given by Inspiration of God The matter contained in them was but the Breathing of God into the souls of those men that Wrote it It is Gods Voice to thy soul saith he therefore take heed thou continue in the Doctrine there discovered Thirdly he illustrates this Argument by a reason taken from the use of those Holy Scriptures and that is in these Words It is Profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness It is Profitable for Doctrine that is for all matters of Faith It will instruct thee saith he in every thing that the Lord commands thy soul to believe Yea it is profitable for reproof also for overthrowing all false Opinions that are contrary to the Faith of Jesus Christ Yea for Correction that is for the Reproving all Evil Manners whatever for Correcting all Vitious ways whatever they are Yea for Instruction in Righteousness that is they are profitable to discover what the Will of God is to thee 〈◊〉 full so far as is needful for thee to know Yea the Apostle seems to add a fourth reason to illustrate this Argument and that is in those next Words which he takes for the end of Writing these Holy Scriptures and that is the Perfecting the Man of God That the Man of God might be Perfect throughly Furnished Furnished unto all Perfection II. It appears that the soul ought to receive the light that shines from the written word in regard the written word of the Lord is given by God himself as an everlasting unchangeable rule for the tryal of truth and falsehood Hence it is that Jesus Christ himself when he was to make it manifest to the unbelieving Jews that he himself was the Son of God he fetcheth his highest testimony from the written word as you may observe John 5. in comparing ver 31 and so on and ver 39 together He tells them he would not bear witness of himself least his witness should not have evidenced demonstration enough to bear witness to him because it is from himself but he tells them John the Baptist bears witness to him ver 33. He gives them a second argument from his work ver 36. and ver 37. The Father that sent him bare witness of him but ver 39. to give that that should be an undeniable testimony even unto the apprehensions of the Jews themselves he tells them that the Scriptures the holy writings of those holy men of God they testify of him saith he search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me Hence when Paul began to preach Jesus Christ and to prove that Jesus of Nazereth whom he preached was the Mediator between God and man he perswaded them concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets Acts. 28.23 and thence it is that in Acts 17.11 That those Men of Berea preached by searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Secondly it must be cleared that the written word of God doth particularly reveal unto believing souls their union with Christ both unto their faith and unto their sense First It doth reveal particularly unto their faith their infallible admission into union with the Lord Jesus This appears in regard the Lords testimony that he will admit every soul that will into union with Jesus Christ is absolutely universal without the least acceptation or limitation so that it comprehends every particular soul whatever to whom the Gospel is preached according to that in John 3.15 That whosoever believed on him should not perish but have everlasting Life So in John 6.37 He that cometh to Jesus Christ he will in no wise cast out And in Acts 10.43 That whosover believe in him should have Remission of Sins and that known place Rev. 22.17 Whoever will let him take the water of Life freely wherein it is apparent that every particular soul is included that the Lords testimony to every particular soul is as certain as if the particular soul were named that the soul shall be admitted into union with the Lord Jesus if the soul will accept it if the soul will consent to his truth and
trust to his truth and faithfulness for the fulfilling that his word Now whereas it is objected that no particular word speaks to a particular soul and says thou Thomas and thou John or thou Elisabeth or thou Mary shalt be accepted into union with the Lord Jesus if thou wilt accept him 1. I answer that either every particular is perfectly comprehended in the universal offer and universal command of believing as if the Lord should name every person to whom he speaks or else there can be no faith of assurance concerning any Gospel-truth whatever Else there can be no assurance that our Bodies shall rise again from the dust and appear before the judgement-seat of Christ It is no where said thou Thomas or thou John or thou Mary shalt arise out of the dust again and come to judgement yet I suppose every one that hath the least beam of spiritual light shining down into his soul will acknwledge that the written word of God doth reveal particularly that this soul and that soul even his own soul shall arise from the dust and come to judgemen Now it is apparent that there is as clear a discovery in the written word to any particular souls faith of his certain resurrection from the dead and coming to judgement 2. Either all those particulars are to be fully comprehended in that universal offer and universal unlimited command of believing or else there were no obedience to the will of God commanded to any particular soul whatever nor no disobedience to the will of God reproved It is no where said thou Thomas or thou John shalt worship the Lord in Prayer It is no where said thou Thomas or thou Mary shalt receive me as thy only God and worship me only Likewise no disobedience to the will of God were reproved It is no where said thou Thomas shalt not steal thou John shalt not lye thou Mary shalt not commit adultery yet I conceive thou whose believing disposition is most out of exercise at present darest not say God hath not said to thy soul do not steal do not lye that God hath not commanded thee to worship him in his ordinances appointed So that it is clear the word of God doth reveal to particular souls undoubtedly their certain admission into union with Jesus Christ in case they accept him Secondly The precious written word of God reveals unto particular souls sense their particular union with the Lord Jesus That is to say whenever the spirit of light and manifestation sent from the Lord Jesus shall irradiate the precious written word of God so as to make its own heavenly light shine into a dark heart and also irradiate at the same time or cast beams of light upon the precious believing act that the same spirit of Jesus Christ hath begotten in that soul then that light that the written word of God holds forth particularly declares to such a particular soul its certain actual union with the Lord Jesus Now the written word of God speaks to the sense of a believing soul his union with the Lord Jesus in these two ways 1. In its general description of the nature of that believing act that the Lord requires from the soul Now the written word describing the nature of that believing act that the Lord requires in general and declaring that believing act to be required in the same manner from every soul that written word of God doth particularly reveal unto such a particular souls sense his actual union with the Lord Jesus as thus the written word of the Lord describes the nature of the believing act to be a coming to Jesus Christ Mat. 11.28 to be receiving the testimony of God that he gave concerning his Son selling to its seal that God is true John 3.33 A receiving the Record that God hath given of his Son 1 John 5.7 8 9. To be a receiving of Christ himself John 1.12 To be a will in the soul concurring with what the Lord tenders Rev. 22.17 Now I say in the spirits describing the general nature of that believing act the Lord requires it doth speak particularly to the believing soul when the spirit is so evidencing to him his union with the Lord Jesus and declares the souls certain and infallible union with Jesus Christ As thus the spirit having first revealed to the souls faith the Lords will to admit having sweetly encouraged the soul yea powerfully irresistibly effectually commanded the soul to set to his seal that the Lord is true and to say Lord be it unto thy Servant as thou hast spoken then the same spirit irradiates that written word that describes the general nature of the believing act letting the soul discern that the believing act is a sweet consent of the mind and heart to the truths of the Lord in the tender of the Lord Jesus to him to reconcile the Father and him and then the spirit irradiates also the precious consent of the mind and heart that holy trust and confidence that is then in the soul and then the written word saith particularly that thou dost consent to accept of what the Lord thus tenders in Christ to thee thou art certainly and everlastingly united to the Lord Jesus thou art he who dost receive what the Lord hath propounded in Christ so thee and therefore thou art certainly lodged in the everlasting arms of the Lord Jesus 2. The second way that the written word dclares unto the particular souls sense his particular union with the Lord Jesus is by its description of the constant certain and inseparable operation of the believing disposition describing the manner of the working of the believing disposition or describing the various effects of faith 1. By the written word declaring that the proper operation of faith is by love to Jesus Christ Gal. 5.6 2. By declaring that the proper operation of faith is to abase the soul in it self and make it altogether nothing Rom. 3.27 3. The Scripture doth declare that the proper operation of faith is by purifying the heart cleansing it from all unholy dispositions Acts. 15 9. 4. In declaring that the proper operation of faith is an high and unspeakable estimation of Jesus Christ himself Phil. 3. 8 9. Now thus the written word declaring the proper manner of the operation of faith doth declare particularly unto any particular soul his union with Jesus Christ and so consequently the same written word declares that in whatever heart the believing disposition thus particularly works there is that precious believing act the Lord requires there is that precious faith unfeigned that Jesus Christ commands in his precious Gospel and so it speaks particularly to a particular soul thou dost believe with that precious faith unfeigned that Jesus Christ requires and thus the spirit doth but make this written word of God speak to the souls understanding what it doth always speak in it self which is that that particular soul doth now believe according to the will of God So
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 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
is indeed to be one with him in Christ yea that his Soul is already lodged in that precious bosom of the love of the Lord Jesus then the Soul beholds such an unspeakeable preciousness in the Majesty of Heaven that he waited upon such an unbeliever such a crooked opposite wretch so long that the Soul sets down silently to admire and is swallowed to the depth in admiration 2. There is a Soul amazing brightness appears in the Souls eye in the independance of the Lords love When that bright Beam of light shines from Heaven to discover to the Soul its union with the Lord Jesus the Soul seeth that there was nothing that moved the heart of God to have thoughts of love towards him nothing that enclined his blessed will to admit him into union with Jesus Christ but only his precious disposition only his eternal thoughts of kindness that old loving kindness of his from Eternity then the Soul says as David in 1 Sam. 7.21 for thy words sake and according to thy own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy Servant know them then the believing Soul says though my wretched unbelieving heart could not trust thee yet for thy words sake thou hast fulfilled it according to thine own heart thou hast done it O Lord what could thy purest eye behold in this forlorn Soul of mine What could have moved the Lord thinks the Soul but his own blessed will to chuse such an useless such an unserviceable such an unprofitable such a barren such a foolish yea such a cross hearted wretch as I 3. The glorious irresistible power of the Lords eternal love in Christ to the loveless Soul shineth gloriously When once the light shineth from Heaven that discovered to the believing Soul his union with Christ how many cursed contradictions thinks a believing Soul did the love of Christ suffer from my Soul How often did my vile believing heart give the Majesty of Heaven the lye How many years did I sleight this I stopped my Ears I hearkned to none of his blessed tenders yet then he bored mine Ear and constrained me to hear O think the Soul what a froward perverse hearted Wretch have I been to this dear God of mine Certainly thinks the Soul if rebellion if enmity if the working of a Devils heart could have opposed it it had been turned away from me Fourthly The orient brightness of the Lords infallible truth shines before the Soul These Beams of the Lords glory shines in a peculiar manner before the Souls Eye but there are multitudes of the 〈◊〉 of the Majesty of Heaven that also with these shine in the same moment into the same Soul when a light proceeds from God to discever to a Soul its union then the wisdom of the Lord in contriving the design of Redemption by Christ appears then do the very beauty of justice it self appear in the Lords contriving the Redemption of loveless Souls in such a way wherein justice and mercy might meet together and kiss each other so that indeed a light shines from Heaven that incompasseth the Soul round about that the Soul stands amazed and astonished gazing upon those beams of glory that appear shining forth from the Majesty of Heaven into his Soul II. A second act of a believing Soul wherein the name of God is exalted in the Soul is a sensible apprehension and estimation of the Lord to be infinitely worthy to receive all prefection of glory and honour and praise for ever Now this precious God sanctifying act is also the infallible necessary effect of such a precious beam of light as doth truly shine from the Father of Lights into any Soul to discover his union with the Lord Jesus This was effected in Davids heart upon the Prophets discovering of the Promises made in Jesus to him in 2. Sam. 7.26 Let thy name be magnified for ever saying the Lord of Hosts is the God over Israel yea this act is infallibly produced in a believing Soul by every visible motion of the Lords mercy or love towards the Soul So you may observe in Exod. 15.20 Miriam cried to the rest of the Daughters of Judah sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously So Rev. 4.10 11. The four and twenty Elders fell down that sat before him upon the Throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power Now there are two things that follow upon the Souls vision of his union with the Lord Jesus by the light of the Spirit of Christ that do necessarily produce this apprehension or estimation in the believing Soul 1. Upon the Souls discovery its union with the Lord Jesus there are lively enlarged actings of love produced in the Soul Every renewed vision of love inflames the Believers heart with love again correspondently Now from those quickned and enlarged actings of love do arise necessarily high estimations and glorious conceptions of the Majesty God that thence the Soul apprehends him infinitely to receive honour and glory for ever 2. Upon the Souls discerning his union with the Lord Jesus there follows an apprehension of the souls union with the Lord Jesus there follows an apprehension of the Souls owing all that he is and enjoys unto God by way of retribution Now from a Souls apprehension that he ows more then he is or have unto God he conceives him infinitely worthy to receive honour and glory for ever and ever from all the creation he himself can never render glory sufficient therefore he esteems it to be but equal that the whole Creation should joyn together to exalt this blessed Majesty III. The third act in a believing Soul wherein the name of God is exalted is a sensible apprehension of the dispicableness worthlesness and nothingness of the Soul it self and all that the circumference of the earth affords without God and in comparison of God Now this God-exalting act in the believing Soul is also the necessary effect of such a precious beam of light shining from the Father of Lights to discover to a Soul its union with Christ then indeed is the Soul a worm and no man then is he empty and poor yea absolutely nothing without communion with that his God yea then is all the Creation but meer shadows flying vanities without that God in Christ then do the quintessence of all the beauty of the whole Creation if it could be abstracted appear but as the drop of the bucket as the dust of the ballance yea as vanity without that God in Christ Thus in Psal 8.4 upon the Psalmists apprehension of the infinite glory of God he immediately cries out into admiration of the nothingness of man Lord what is man IV. The fourth act of the believing Soul wherein the name of God is exalted is the Souls actual prostration or subjections of all its powers and possibilities at the foot of the Lords glorious Majesty Now this precious God sanctifying act in the believing Soul is the
the Lord to discover to the Soul its union with Christ must necessarily thus Crucifie the Heart to all things so as to be alive to God in Christ only both in regard the Soul apprehends the doleful sinful miscarriages of his Heart about every of those things what sad snares they are to his Spirit and also he beholds the emptiness and nothingness by comparing things temporal with things eternal and he beholds a full object of all contentment wherein all the desires of his Soul may be concerned together in one wherein is all happiness that his Spirit can breath after and he may bless himself in the full enjoyment of it V. The Fifth means whereby the Soul experimentally manifests the fulness of the Lords love so as the name of God is exalted through him is the fulness of contentment that the Soul takes in the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ only in the absence of all things else Now even this also is produced by such a light evidencing to the Soul his union with the Lord Jesus yea so powerful is this contentment of the Heart in the love of God in Christ in the absence of all things else effected by such a light of Heaven discovering to the Soul his union with Christ that the Soul while the beauty and lustre of that light remains takes not only its full contentment but even more than contentment even glorying in his God in Christ in the want of all things That you may see Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified hy faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and not only so but we glory in tribulation also We glory that is we make our boast of God we bless our selves in him we are able to set the love of God in opposition to all things else and even in tribulations themselves to triumph and glory to conceive our selves so filled with excellence that we even boast our selves of him So that thus all those precious acts of a believing soul whereby he declares and manifests the fulness of the Lords love in Christ to unlovely sinners so as the Name of God is exalted through the Soul by that means all those acts are necessarily and infallibly produced by the power of that light from Heaven that doth discover to any Soul his union with the Lord Jesus And so it appears that this may be a second reason from whence a believing Soul may prove that the evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus received is really from God because it causeth the Name of God to be exalted through him Thus we have opened the first way of the Souls manifestation of that glorious love to be in God that God hath revealed to be in himself that is by the Souls manifesting that unspeakable fulness to be in the love of God in Christ to despicable sinners that all perfections and glorious excellencies whatever that could be suitable to a Soul is compleatly contained in it 2. Secondly A Soul doth manifest that glorious love to be in God which God hath revealed to be in himself unto despicable Sinners By discovering or manifesting such an absolute perfection to be in that love of God in Christ to unlovely Sinners as nothing can prevent and hinder or turn away that love When a Soul shall declare that the infinite multitudes of wickedness that his Soul heaped up before his knowledge of God in Christ and all the infirmities and imperfections that abound in his Soul now yet are no hindrance to the working of the Lords love in Christ to his unlovely Soul yea when the Soul shall triumph against imperfections as Paul did against tribulation and say apparently who shall separate this loathsome Soul of mine from that pretious love of God that is in Christ Jesus Shall my deadness hardness vanity looseness Shall my stubborn opposite backsliding disposition my hopocritical false treacherous disposition separate this loveless Soul of mine from the love of God that is in Christ Nay in all these infirmities and imperfections the love of the Lord in Jesus Christ never ceases its working Nay so glorious is the freedom of that love of God in Christ that it breaks through all such oppositions as my vilest Heart makes against it Then is the Name of God exalted in the glory of his love through the Soul Thus did Paul exalt God when he had been acknowledging that in him that is in his flesh dwelt no good thing Rom. 7.8 That not a spark not a disposition not an inclination to comply with the Lords blessed will dwelt in him and declares the mighty operation of the Law of his members which were the cursed dispositions of his Heart against the Law of his mind which was the blessed disposition in his Heart to comply with God when thus I say he declared that the Law that was in his members was so full of power and might that it maintained a strong battel against Jesus Christ yea that it wounded him and made him a Slave and Vassal to that cursed disposition yet then he exalts God by this occasion breaking out thus Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Mark that word now Now seeing the vile rebellious disposition of my vilest Heart cannot turn away the workings of the Lords free love now seeing though my Heart maintain War against the Spirit of Jesus Christ yea such War as leads my Soul Captive also and even enslaves and enthrals and vassalageth me under the power of sin though it be thus yet the love of God in Jesus Christ can never cease it workings He thus declares to the whole World in a kind of triumphing way that the freedom of Gods love is so absolute and perfect that even now though there be such opposition made against the workings of it by the vilest crooked Heart yet there can never be a turning away of that love never a Sentence of Condemnation drawn out by God against any Soul that accepts that his love in Christ This manifestation that there is such an absolute perfection of freedom in the love of God in Christ that nothing can prevent and turn away that love from any soul that embraceth it this is manifested three ways through which the name of God is exalted through the Soul 1. This is manifested by the souls sensible free acknowledgement of its abhorred vileness and loathsomness when the Lord tenders his love in Christ to it yea when the Lord receives his unlovely Soul into the dearest sweetest embrace of his love When the soul shall readily and freely declare nothing but enmity opposition contradiction to the blessed God of Heaven to have been in his vilest heart when that blessed news came down from Heaven to his hopeless Soul that the Lord was ready and willing to admit of reconciliation peace and agreement and love to be between his soul and himself This indeed is a high exaltation of the name of God
in respect of the glory of that his love that he reveals to be in himself to such unlovely sinners when thus the soul shall declare to the everlasting honour of God that true and faithful is his word he loves upon his own will only and shews mercy to whom he will and because he will And thence you may observe that it is a high dishonour to the name of the blessed God for any soul to make any claim to that love of God that is in Jesus Christ by vertue of any quality or disposition whatever that is in their own souls whereby they are differenced as they conceive from other souls and they have right to claim that love of God in Christ when other souls may not claim it this is a pollution of the name of God by its vilifying the absolute perfection of freedom in the love of God in Christ to unlovely sinners 2. The manifestation of the glory of the Lords love to the exaltation of God through the soul is by the souls unwavering unshaken confidence in the truth and faithfulness of the Lord according to his word to admit the soul into the sweetest Bosom of his love in Christ notwithstanding all the loathsomness and forlornness of the worthless soul When the soul manifests his confidence in that faithfulness of God in the highest degree then is the name of God exalted through the soul when the soul says with Paul 2. Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted notwithstanding all this the wretched and most accursed wickedness of my vilest heart I know he is true and faithful he will let his love that is in Jesus work according as he hath discovered it freely from the disposition of his own will only notwithstanding all my wickedness And mark it iâ— this one of the prime reasons why Jesus Christ in that pattern of all prayer that he hath freely given us commonly called the Lords Prayer hath commanded all souls and so believing souls to pray constantly for forgiveness of their Trespasses for pardon of sin because through that act performed according to the will of Jesus Christ the name of God is constantly exalted through the believing soul I do believe that pleading for pardon of sin by believing souls is much mistaken some souls darkly and blindly I had like to have said superstitiously plead for the use of those very words forgive us our trespasses as though no believinng soul could perform his duty without the repetition of those words and other souls from an abhorrency of the blindness and darkness of those that thus plead for the use of the bare words utterly reject that Petittion that Jesus Christ hath given us as a pattern whereby to frame our Petitions determining it utterly unlawful to make such a Petition or such a Request but certainly were the reason of making the request rightly considered it might give light both to the one and to the other to give them to conceive aright how and why a believing soul may pray and beseech the Lord to pardon his Transgressions though understanding through believing that they are already pardoned There are two things that must concur together for the making of that request The first is a remembring the Lord of his precious promise wherein he offers reconciliation peace and love in Christ to the sinful despicable soul There must be in the thoughts of the believing soul making the request aright an actual apprehension that God hath offered unto his soul reconcliation by Christ and so remission of all his sins freely by Christ and questionless there ought to be some declaring of that promise also before the Lord though sometimes more briefly sometimes more largely sometimes in one manner sometimes in another yet a remembring of the Lord of that his precious word Secondly there must be a sincere desire in the believing soul that his heart and mind might consent to the truth of the Lords word as spoken to his particular soul and consequently a desire to trust to the truth and faithfulness of the Lord to fulfill that his precious word even to his particular soul fully So that the soul that presents the request a right must upon the apprehension of his own most accursed vileness turn his eye to that sweetest tender of reconciliation and peace to his soul in Christ saying secretly at least O Lord thou hast spoken it that thy will is to remit the sins to pass by the enmity of every rebellious soul that will accept the reconciliation thou dost tender in Christ and then the heart must proceed farther saying O Lord seeing thou hast spoken it fulfill that thy word to this rebellious sinful soul of mine my soul desires to trust to thy truth to fulfill it O let it be fulfilled let that enmity be removed and that reconciliation be established between thee and my soul 3. The third way of the souls manifestation of the perfection of freedom that is in the love of God in Christ to despicable sinners by which the name of God is exalted through the soul is by the souls maintaining the same confidence of his in the Lords truth to vouchsafe to be in love with his unlovely soul through Christ notwithstanding all infirmities weakness imperfections and perverse crookedness that his heart shall discern a fresh to be in himself Now when the soul after humble acknowledgement of those cursed dispositions in his corrupt heart shall still act and manifest that precious confidence then doth the soul give glory to the Lord in respect of the freedom that is in his love then doth the soul declare that nothing can turn away or cause to cease the workings oâ— that infinite free love of God in Christ then the soul declares that the love of God in Christ was built upon no other foundation but his precious will and that it was nothing in the soul that was lovely and amiable in the eyes of God that ever inclined the heart of God to six his love upon the soul And on the contrary thence it is that those souls pollute the name of God in their hearts and before others also whose confidence shake and waver upon the sight of every new infirmity and imperfection whose confidence is cast away upon the sight of every new crooked disposition working in their hearts upon every disposition to deadness vanity loosness by this they vail the absolute perfection of the riches of the freedom of love that is in God through Christ to unlovely sinners and declare in effect the love of the Lord in Christ to be built upon the holy actings of the foul towards God yea the soul declares in effect vertually at least that the riches of the Lords love that is in Christ increase and diminish according to the holiness or unholiness that he discerns in his own heart Hence the Apostle exhorts believing fouls upon the account of Christs intercession to come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.15.16 That the
name of God might be exalted through believing souls by holding forth the glorious freedom of that riches of love that is in Christ Jesus Now we shall shew you that this exaltation of God in this manifestation of the perfection of freedom of his love in Christ to unlovely sinners is the necessary inseparable infallible effect of a true beam of light shining from Heaven into any dark heart to reveal to that soul his union with the Lord Jesus This must be opened by shewing you those three acts of believing souls whereby they do thus manifest the glorious freedom of the Lords love to the exaltation of God through them that these three acts are necessarily and certainly produced in souls by discerning a beam of light from Heaven to discover to them their union with Jesus Christ First That sensible and free acknowledgement of the souls abhorred vileness even when the tender of the Lords love in Jesus Christ is made to it yea when the Lord grasps it in the everlasting arm of his love that was in Christ even this sensible and free acknowledgement of the souls most cursed wickedness is the necessary effect of a souls receiving a light from Heaven to evidence its union with the Lord Jesus Christ this you may see 1 Tim. 1.14 Paul tells us that he was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious yet to me the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant not only abundant having more than a fulness of love but exceeding abundant abounding in the most superlative degree in the most inconceivable manner So the third and fourth Chapters to the Romans seem to be written for that very purpose in a great measure to prove nothing but vileness to have been in those souls whom the Lord accepted into the Bosom of his love in Christ Thus the Apostle endeavours to draw forth free acknowledgments of their abhorred vileness while he is remembring them of the riches of the Lords love in Christ to them We shall make it appear in some particulars that the free sensible acknowledgement of the souls abhorred wickedness when the Lord tenders his love in Christ is the necessary effect of receiving a beam of light from Heaven to discover to the soul his union 1. In regard there is an actual view of the most accursed wretchedness of the soul by the power of a beam of light that shines from Heaven to discover to a soul his union with Christ Any beam of true light that shines into a soul is but a discovery of the Gospel message in its clearness extent and latitude it is but an opening and expounding clearly and satisfyingly to the souls capacity the message of glad tydings that Christ sent to poor despicable sinners now that glad tydings is nothing else but the message of reconciliation to every soul that will accept it and thence it cannot be but the same light must present to the souls view the sight of his enmity and opposition of heart it can not be but at the same moment when the soul apprehends his own reconciliation to God in Christ he must apprehend his own enmity formerly to God in Christ Thence it is that in Ezek. 36.31 In the Prophets foretelling the blessed Covenant of Grace that should be established between God and Souls he doth also prophecy that those with whom the Covenant of Grace should be established they shall remember their own evil ways and doings that were not good and shall loath themselves in their own sight for their iniquities and abominations Now any beam of precious light from Heaven thus necessarily presenting to the soul an actual view of its own abhorred vileness thence it cannot but dispose that believing soul for sensible and free acknowledgement of that unspeakable vileness of his when the tender of that love came to him 2. In regard every beam of light enables the soul to comprehend his sinfulness and most accursed wickedness more largely and fully it causeth him to behold the height and depth and length and breath of his own wickedness according to the glory of God apprehended against whom the soul have sinned so are the souls apprehensions or comprehensions of the height of his own vileness now the glory of the light never shines so clearly and transparently upon any soul as it does when such a beam of light comes from the spirit of light and manifestation to discover the glorious riches of love in Christ to the dispicable unlovely soul admitting the loveless worthless soul into the nearest union so that thence there can never be such full comprehensions of his own sinfulness as there is in the very moment when such a beam of light shines from Heaven upon the soul 3. In regard the affections are all drawn forth to work in their strength against the souls sinfulness by such a beam of light shining forth That manifestation of the riches of the Lords love begets answerable correspondent workings of love in the soul towards God again now those workings of love in the soul towards God draws forth the workings of all the other affections against the souls sinfulness Love and Hatred works towards their contrary objects in like degree In the very same measure that the actings of love are drawn out towards God in the same measure is the hatred of the soul the loathing and abhorring of the sinful disposition drawn out This David declares Psal 119.103 That upon his tasting the sweetness of the Lords words which were the actings of love in the soul of David to the word of God he hates every false way ver 104. and vain thoughts ver 13. His love and hatred wrought equally alike towards their object his love to the Law of God made him hate whatever was contrary to it Now the love of the soul towards God is drawn out in its superlative degree of acting by that clear discovery from Heaven that Jesus Christ and the Soul are one and thence likewise all the affections cannnot but work in their highest degree against all the sinfulness of the Soul both hatred of the sinful disposition sorrow and melting and breaking of heart in remembrance of it anger displeasure and indignation against it fear and dread of those iniquities having power over it Now thence it cannot be but the same beam of light discovering to the Soul his union with Christ should necessarily produce sensible and free acknowledgement of the Souls abhorred vileness seeing it fills the heart with the working of strong affection against his own sinfulness apprehended 4. In regard there are constant actings of faith in the believing Soul while the glory of such a beam of light from Heaven shines into the Soul There are such renewed operations of saith continues while that light shines into a Soul that discovers his union with Christ that there seems during the continuation of that light into the Soul to be but one extended drawn forth act of faith Now seeing there are those constant
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
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
Thirdly in what manner those means produce the evidence of the souls union with Christ Quest 1. The first question is from whence Souls attain infallible Evidences of their Vnion with Christ Answ I answer That there is but one only peculiar ground substantially from whence souls can expect to receive infallible evidences of their union and that 's the Lords own free promise past out of the riches of his own grace alone to poor despisable souls wherein the Lord reveals his willingness to confer or bestow the Lord Christ upon their souls Now that this free promise alone is the infallible ground from whence souls can receive the infallible evidence of their union will appear in these three particulars I. In regard a Divine word must be the proper adequate object of a Divine Faith And every particular act of Divine Faith must have a Divine word Thence it is that in Rom. 10.17 The whole Gospel considered as the Gospel is said to be the word from which Faith cometh that is the word which is the foundation of Faith Not that it is the bare hearing of it that produceth Faith but through the hearing of the word the Lord reveals that word unto souls to be a true infallible foundation for souls to build upon And thence it is that the Word of God past out from God as a promise unto souls is made a ground of true hope unto souls Saith David Psal 119.49 Remember thy word that is thy promise unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Now the word of promise thus considered being the only proper object of Divine Faith thence it is that it can only be from a divine promise that a soul can receive the infallible evidence of his union with Christ II. In regard there must be a revelation from God of his free donation and giving Christ unto a soul that must be the ground of the act of every assuring faith It must be through some light and apprehensions the soul hath of the Lords free will concerning his soul that Christ and his soul shall be one that any act of assuring faith can go out of the soul And that may appear in two things 1. In regard faith respects things only as they are revealed by Speech from some person or other and respects the authority of the person speaking as the ground and foundation upon which it acts that is upon which faith does believe Thus the authority of the Lords speaking was the ground of Sarahs faith Heb. 11.11 So the ground of Paul's faith is expressed thus I know whom I have believed and that he is able Now the Lord reveals his mind concerning the eternal condition of such souls only in his promise Thence it follows necessarily there must be some revelation of the mind of God in the word of promise or the Lords donation or giving Christ to the soul before there can follow any act of assuring faith 2. It appears in regard faiths proper exercise consists only in receiving Whence you may observe in Scripture that believing and receiving are both put for one ordinarily John 1.12 and Chap. 3.33 So that of necessity for every right exercise of any act of faith there must be an apprehension of something given that may be received by a soul And thence it is of indispensable necessity that there be an apprehension of the Lords giving Christ to the soul to be one with it before there can be an act of assuring faith in the soul III. It must be from the promise from whence the soul receives the evidence of his union in regard there must be a particular infallible certainty to faiths eye in the ground from whence faith of assurance or faith of evidence doth act Faith working only as a receiver can receive no fuller certainty or have any fuller confidence in it self of any thing to be effected or done than it sees manifest from the grounds from whence it takes that confidence or assurance Now the promises alone are the infallible certainty to the eye of faith Yea the Lord according to his own unchangable counsel hath determined that there should be no other certainty but to the eye of faith Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed And that 's the answer to the first Question from whence souls do receive the infallible evidence of their union with Christ which you see is only from the divine promise But yet here is another Question souls will cast in before we answer the second By what means Quest But may the soul say Is it not from the sight of a condition to which the Lord hath made some promise of Christ that a soul doth receive the infallible evidence of his union It is true it must be from a promise but the promise is not the nearest ground the proximate ground but the remote ground the furthest off ground And the condition of the promise fulfilled in the heart is the nearest ground and the immediate ground from whence the soul receives the evidence of its union For answer to it there are divers things to be premised and then to come to the direct answer of the question Prem 1. First I must premise That it is a general received division of the promises that they are either absolute or conditional Absolute made and founded upon the will of God alone and so to be accomplished only according to his own will and because he will Or else promises are made to some particular condition to be performed in souls upon which the Lord doth also fulfill the promise to the soul Now this division divides the promises into a Covenant of grace and a Covenant of works so it is all one with that known division promises legal and promises evangelical promises according to the Law and promises according to the Gospel Prem 2. Secondly I shall premise That there can be no promises of the Covenant of Grace properly called conditional promises there being not one condition included in the whole Covenant of Grace to which any one promise is made So that the division of the promises into promises absolute and promises conditional cannot hold rightly in the Covenant of Grace but every promise considered in the Covenant of Grace are all absolute promises That is the revelation of Gods will to souls that the Lord hath simply and fully determined to accomplish according to the manner and order and latitude wherein he doth propound them unto souls and that without any impediment or interruption so that whatever can possibly intervene yet the Lords will shall prevail in performing the promise Thence you shall observe Jer. 31.32 that the new Covenant called the Covenant of Grace and Love is distinguished from the old Covenant God made with the Jews as a Nation in that it was a Covenant wholly absolute containing nothing but promises which the Lord intended to
fulfill whatever can intervene Therefore I will not make such a Covenant as I made with your fathers which my Covenant they brake observe that but I will make such a Covenant as they shall not be able to break For saith God I will write my law in their hearts and put my fear in them As if he should say I will do all things for them So that there is not one promise that can properly be called a conditional promise Indeed improperly I grant the promises of the Covenant of Grace may be divided into conditional and absolute promises Some promises of the Covenant of Grace may be called conditional in this respect that there are some limits and bounds set to the promises as these two great bounds his own glory and his peoples good And only in three sorts of promises those limitations hold As 1. In all temporal promises of temporal blessings and favours to his own The Lord hath not absolutely promised riches and honour and prosperity to all the Subjects of the Covenant of Grace though godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come And though he hath tyed his own sufficiency to supply them yet not so as it admits of no limitation but these two come in the Lords glory and his peoples own good And likewise in dispensing all blessings privatively that is the freeing the soul from all temporal evils from afflictions distress and burdens this freedom is promised in the Covenant of Grace yet it admits of this limitation so far as it may concern the Lords glory So that so far as the glory of God is advanced in his peoples groaning under burdens and sufferings for a time the Covenant is nevertheless fulfilled 2. The promise of Gods giving the common gifts of the spirit God is not bound to them in the Covenant without limitation Therefore in 1 Cor. 12. Those common gifts of the spirit God dispenseth them variously one he fills with them and leaves another poor and weak void almost of any of those gifts of the spirit that the glory of God may be advanced in that dispensation and certainly every soul is not sutable to manage such a treasury of common gifts therefore the other limitation comes in also the souls own good 3. Those conditions or limitations hold only in the promises concerning the measure and manner and order of Gods dispencing himself to souls in privative or positive things All spiritual mercies privative as well as positive that is the preservation of the soul from all temptations and buffettings of Satan the preservation of the soul from all desertions this is also included in the Covenant of Grace But it is in this sence but a conditional promise a limited promise so far as may be for the Lords own honour the soul shall be free from temptations Yet now though in this sence under all these three heads there be continual promises yet that which is absolutely necessary for the soul cannot be said to come under any of these limitations Life and Salvation and everlasting Communion with the glorious Trinity and with the glorious Saints and Angels are so absolutely promised as they come not under these limitations but that which is absolutely necessary for the soul the Lord hath bound himself absolutely to convey to the soul Yet these limited promises cannot properly be called conditional but are absolute in themselves as will appear in three particulars 1. These limited promises thus bounded are not left in the limitations of them unto the persons to whom they are made So that they are improperly called conditional promises in regard conditional promises do imply some condition to be performed by the parties to whom the promises are made Now these limitations of such promises are not in the power of persons to whom they are made that they should judg and determine when for their own good and for the Lords glory they should have such and such promises made good to them but they depend upon the sole wisdom of God 2. These promises bounded with these extents are simply and absolutely determined by God to be fulfilled according as they are propounded Now then is a promise absolute when without respect to any thing whatever that can possibly intervene or be interposed it is undertaken to be fulfilled to the person to whom it is made according to the full extent wherein it is propounded Now in the full extent of the propounding of those promises wherein God may have glory and the soul advantage the Lord hath as absolutely engaged to give all common gifts of the spirit all outward blessings whatever possibly can intervene as he hath also any part of the Covenant of Grace 3. These promises pertaining to the Covenant of grace bounded with limitations are by the infinite wisdom of God bounded with such limitations only as make them to be absolute love and Grace from God to the soul For indeed those limitations are no other than preventions of what might make such promises to have evil interwoven with them as well as good and then should they not be absolutely love For observe all Gods promises of temporal mercy to the soul therein come to be love to the soul because God hath bounded with that limitation so far as shall be for the souls own good and advantage So that from these considerations even those limited promises prove as absolute as all the other promises of the Covenant of Grace So that you see there are no promises belonging to the Covenant of Grace but what are meerly Grace No condition may come in to challenge any thing in the Covenant of Grace Prem 3. Thirdly I must premise That all those promises that seem to be made to conditions in souls they are included under one of these five heads 1. They are made to persons having such conditions in them as put them into a case of want and poverty and so the Lord propounds refreshment to them sutable to their wants and poverty Of this nature are the promises made to thirsty and burdened souls 2. Those may be no promises but revelations of the glorious priviledges that God doth freely bestow upon his own people As to instance in those promises that seem to be made to love to God and Christ John 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Here seems to be a promise made to love whereas it is only a revelation of the precious priviledg that belongs to the people of God and a discovery of the precious purpose of God concerning his own out of the meer disposition of his goodness towards them If any promise should be made to that precious grace of love methinks this should it runs every way in the nature of a promise But yet hence it appears it is no promise made to loving Christ as a condition upon which the promise should be fulfilled in regard that disposition
united to him to Write his Law in their Hearts that is to conform their spirits to all his Blessed Will to make their Hearts answerable and sutable to the union with Christ and all the ways of God that they ought to walk in by vertue of that union 6. The Spirit manifests the Lords undertaking the preservation of the Soul by his own power to the full everlasting injoyment of all the fruits of union This the Spirit may and doth reveal it may be from that in Ezek. 36.26 27. when the Lord declares it to be his own resolution concerning those he accepts to be partakers of those promises of Love through union with Christ that his own Spirit shall dwell within them and he will cause them to walk in his Statutes and do them and keep them that they shall not depart from him That it shall not be in the power of the Soul to bereave it self of all those pretious fruits of that blessed union with the Lord Jesus but the Soul must of necessity unless the Almighty power of God should fail injoy the fulness of all love and communion as the consequence of the union with Christ And for the further evidence of this the Spirit may and doth reveal it by two things First The Spirit remembers the Soul that the Lord hath made it his own chosen delight to be carrying on the Soul towards the injoyment of that fulness and perfection of love and through his union even the perfection of communion Secondly The Spirit reveals the Lord to hang the highest manifestation of his glory upon the filllng those with all fulness of love and mercy that are received into that union with the Lord Jesus And hereby the Spirit satisfies the Soul and convinceth it that the Lord himself is so interested in perfecting the fruits and consequences of the Souls union with Christ that unless the Lord should deny himself there is an impossibility of the Lords failing to preserve the Soul by his own power unto the perfect and full injoyment of the perfection of communion as the consequence of the union with Christ The Sixth beam of Light the Spirit manifests from the Gospel is this Sixth beam of Divine Light The Spirit manifests the compleat sufficiency yea the abundancy and superabundancy of security that is given to secure Souls of their injoyment of all the Gospel thus discovers to them Now for the making this beam of light shine forth in its Beauty and Glory the Spirit may and doth evidence many things I. First The Spirit evidenceth the Lords entering into Covenant with Jesus Christ the Mediator and engaging himself in that Covenant to effect the mercy and love that the Gospel discovers for every Soul that shall embrace him Two things are to be opened here First That the Lord did thus enter into Covenant with Christ Secondly What security the believing Soul hath from thence of the Lords effecting of what is so discovered in the Gospel First That the Lord did thus Covenant with Christ himself is apparent 1. In regard all the whole bundle of the promises that make up the whole Covenant of the Gospel they run primarily to Christ and in his name To shew that God and Christ were the Covenanters together that the Covenant was struck up between the Father and the Son from before the foundations of the World were laid If you observe the first promise that ever God the Father gave or the first discovery of Gospel that ever was unto Souls in Gen. 3.15 The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head There is the whole Gospel the whole Covenant but observe in whose name it runs in the name of Christ The seed of the Woman that is Christ that is Christ mystically including his Members too but it is Christ primarily He shall break the Serpents head that is shall triumph over Satan shall get the victory over Hell and spoil him that hath formerly taken Souls captive 2. It appears in regard Christ himself takes God the Father as his God John 20.17 I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God So that hence it appears that God the Father hath engaged himself in a solemn Covenant unto Jesus Christ as Mediator from before the foundations of the World were laid to effect what ever the Gospel discovers for every Soul that should embrace him And it is from thence that Christ prays in John 17.24 Father I will that those that thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory Secondly We may see what assurance this affords unto Souls of their unquestionable infallible injoyment of all that the Gospel thus discovers There is a two fold security from hence 1. In regard God the Father stands engaged in a solemn Covenant to effect all that the Gospel thus discovers unto those Souls that have in believing received Christ to be their Husband and Head 2. The believing Soul is to know and understand the Lord Christ to have represented every Soul that shall embrace him in entering into Covenant with the Father Though the Covenant runs to Christ it was but as Christ was the first Elect of God representing all the other Elect it was but as Christ was a common person a second Adam that had all that should believe in him in his person as the first Adam had all that were to come out of his loins included in him and bound up in him in the first Covenant II. Secondly The Spirit reveals the Father to have paid the highest and dearest price for the effecting it and for every Souls embracing Christ what the Gospel discovers in the surest way unto Souls apprehensions This the Spirit reveals in discovering God the Father to have given the dearly beloved of his Soul for that end to bring about Gospel mercies to be conveyed to Souls in the surest way to Souls own conceptions and apprehensions According to that in John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. For the clearing of this there must be two things opened First That the Father was at the highest cost and charge and did pay the greatest price to effect those mercies for Souls Secondly That one intent of the Father in paying so high a price for Souls was to satisfie Souls of the injoyment of them in their own apprehensions First That the Father paid so high a price for the effecting that mercy and love that the Gospel discovers for Souls that will embrace him will appear in three things 1. In that it cost the Father the abasement for a season of his own essential glory I do not mean as if there could have been an extenuation of the essential glory of God but I mean there was a vailing of that essential glory so as those resplendent beams of his glory shined not forth This the Father did in that his dearly beloved his only begotten Son that had but one
himself to be a poor despicable useless wretch a low contemptible worm not having any thing wherein to be serviceable for the Lords honour as others have yea being far deeper drenched into sin than other Souls are Here is a pattern the Lord hath made to stand upon sacred Record of his fulfilling a promise of mercy and love notwithstanding all unlikelihood that can be imagined 2. Under this comes in that particular case of the Souls inability and insufficiency to receive and embrace that mercy and love the Gospel reveals according as the Lord requires That is when the Soul in gazing upon those blessed tenders of love and mercy begins to say within it self I am so dead in sin that I have not the least ability to receive that mercy and love tendered according as God requires and therefore I shall never be the object of Gospel mercy and love seeing I cannot receive it Now in this case also this pretious pattern that the Lord hath given of Abraham may be brought to the Souls remembrance by the Spirit to testifie that the Lords promise of mercy and love to Abraham was fulfilled when he was in the same case when he could do nothing had not the least ability and power to effect what was necessary to be effected by him for the fulfilling of the promise 3. Under this comes in that particular case of the Souls beholding nothing but opposition in his Heart against that mercy and love that the Gospel reveals So that if the Soul should begin to say within it self it cannot be that he should be admitted by God to be an object of that Gospel mercy and love seeing his Heart nothing else but speaks against it Then the Spirit may bring to the Souls remembrance that which the Lord gave as a promise of mercy and love unto Abraham He against hope believed in hope There was not only no hope but all things against hope of that promise being fulfilled to him that he might be a pattern of believing VIII There is an eighth case of wretched treacherous backsliding from God after mutual closures and embraces between God and the Soul In this case the Lord hath given pretious presidents of his Gospel love and mercy that have been communicated unto Souls so backsliding You may first look upon Aaron's case who was none of the least backsliders Exod. 32.2 3 4 5. Aaron that had made choise of God alone to be his God here became a wretched backslider from the pure worship of God according to his own will to an Idolatrous worship to make a graven Image an Idol after the manner of Egypt and to make an Altar too still all contrary to the way of the Lords worship And yet if you look into Exod. 40.12 13. you shall find this very Aaron notwithstanding this backsliding taken to be an object of that love and mercy so as to be chosen Minister of the Lords Sanctuary to be of the very highest office of the Lords worship here below to be made the most immediate type of representing Jesus Christ that blessed true High Priest Another pattern of backsliding you may behold in Solomon in 1 King 7.11 He built an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab yet this backslider notwithstanding was an object of his special Gospel love and mercy as appears Psal 89.32 33. My love will I never take from him I need not name Peters case and Davids case it is known to you all You see it is apparent the Lord hath given eminent patterns in this case of the Souls backsliding So that herein many particular cases of Souls come in as the case of negligence and slightness of Heart towards God the case of estrangeness from God after it once tasted of communion with him The case of all kind of wretchedness that the Soul can call to remembrance against it self or that possibly the Soul can be guilty of after the injoyment of the discovery of the Lords love and mercy in the Lord Jesus to him So that in case upon any such ground as the Souls wretched wicked dealing with God after union and communion with him and its turning aside from God the Soul should suffer its Confidence to waver concerning the will of God to accept his loveless backsliding Soul into the bosom of his love and mercy then the Spirit may bring to its remembrance those precious parterns that the Lord hath given concerning his acceptance of such backsliding wretches after such discoveries of himself That 's the seventh Particular that the Spirit may reveal and bring to Souls remembrance to shew that the Lord hath given Security upon Security abundance and superabundance of Security to assure Souls of what the Gospel reveals Eighthly The last particular that the Spirit brings to the Souls remembrance or doth or may reveal to it is this That there are peculiar near invaluable Engagements upon God himself in respect of himself to fulfil those precious Gospel-Discoveries to every Soul that shall embrace or accept them The Lord out of his incomprehensible wisdom hath so curiously contrived that Gospel-love to loveless Sinners that he hath sweetly interwoven his own interest with their interest And certainly the Lord hath revealed his own interest thus to be in the compleating of his Gospel-love and mercy to loveless Sinners that shall embrace him on purpose to secure their wavering unstable Spirits and to settle them in a more fulness of confidence in Christ that their Spirits might be filled with joy and peace through believing The engagements that are upon God himself in respect of himself to fulfil Gospel-love and mercy to Sinners that shall embrace him are divers 1. The first Engagement upon God himself in regard of himself from whence Souls may have security is this That the Lord hath chosen every such particular loveless Sinner as shall accept of his Gospel-discovery to be one of his own Family and his own Houshold Hence you shall find in Eph. 3.15 That all Believers are called but one Family And they are called the Houshold of God Eph. 2.19 And in Heb. 3.6 The whole Church is called The House of Christ Now what abundant security may the believing Soul receive concerning fulfilling Gospel-discoveries from the Spirits bringing to remembrance this Engagement of God in respect of himself to fulfil Gospel-discoveries 1. From hence the Soul may behold through believing God himself to be engaged to remove all Jars Differences Breaches and Disagreements from himself and every Soul that shall accept those Gospel-discoveries From thence the Soul may argue sweetly within his own Spirit against all Objections and Scruples concerning its Rebellion and Disobedience and say thus Will not the God of Peace have peace in his own Family in his own Houshold 2. From thence the believing Soul may behold the Lord engaged to compleat and perfect a work of Sanctification in his own Soul if he will embrace the Gospel-discovery though he be altogether unclean though he
be polluted in the most superlative degree The Soul may argue within its own Spirit thus Seeing every Soul that will embrace Gospel-discoveries is chosen to be one of the Lords Houshold his own Family surely the Lords Family shall be all sutable to himself 3. Thence the Soul may discern the Lord to be engaged to communicate all sutable love and mercy to his poor needy Spirit The Soul may say within it self Seeing every Soul that shall embrace or accept Gospel-discoveries is chosen to be one of the Lords Family surely there can be no provision wanting for the Family of God himself 4. Hence the Soul may discern through believing God to be engaged to accomplish perfect and compleat the whole work of Salvation against all impediments whatever if his Soul will embrace those Gospel-discoveries The Soul may say within it self Seeing every Soul that will embrace the Gospel-discoveries is chosen to be of the Family and Houshold of God it is beyond the power of Hell and the corrupt heart to deprive the Lord of any of his own Family 2. A Second Engagement that is laid upon God in respect of himself to fulfil Gospel-discoveries unto loveless Sinners embracing him is That every particular despicable Sinner accepting Gospel-discoveries is chosen by God himself to be one of his peculiar Children According to that in John 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God They are called Christs Brethren John 20.17 Now what full compleat Security may every Soul through believing receive from thence And here first I shall open to you what full Security Souls may have for the fulfilling every Gospel-discovery to them Secondly What security they may have of these Gospel-discoveries being fulfilled to them in every case that it is possible for them to be in when the Gospel-discovery shall come to them First We shall shew you what security Souls may have for the fulfilling every Gospel-discovery to them from the Engagement 1. From hence the Soul through believing may discern the Lord to be engaged to accept every forlorn Sinner that will accept these Gospel-discoveries into the nearest union and conjunction of Love that is possible 2. Hence it may behold the Lord engaged to receive its forlorn Soul into that near union of Love though there is nothing that is amiable in it 3. Hence it may behold the Lord engaged to communicate all fulness of love and mercy that the poor empty Soul shall be capable of if it will accept these Gospel-discoveries If the Soul be chosen to be one of the Lords Children it is chosen to be an Heir Rom. 8.17 4. The Soul may behold the Lord engaged to an everlasting unchangeable continuance of all love and favour to it in its embracing these Gospel-discoveries Secondly Hence the Soul may have a fulness of Security for the fulfilling those precious Gospel-discoveries to it in whatever case it is possible for any Soul to be in to whom these Gospel-discoveries come 1. In case of desperate wickedness and great unworthiness In this case the Soul may have Security and behold the Lord engaged in respect 〈◊〉 himself to fulfil those Gospel-discoveries to it notwithstanding his superlative degree of wickedness and highest unworthiness The Soul may argue thus Will not a tender-hearted Father accept a poor rebellious Child to Amity Love and Agreement with himself though he have been rebellious in the highest degree 2. In the case of the most horrible Temptations The worst the Soul can imagine of it self in this case is this That through some accursed wickedness it should wilfully cast away its own Soul and join in League and Amity with those infernal powers and suppose this yet from hence the Soul may discern the Lord engaged to fulfil all his Gospel-discoveries of love and mercy to his particular Soul in this case if he will accept those Gopel-discoveries 3. Hence it may have Security in the saddest damps straitness and deadness and indisposedness that ever possessed any Soul in Prayer The Soul may say Suppose a tender-hearted Father should have a beloved Child that is sick and distempered that he cannot so much as speak to him for succour but look upon his Fathers face with watery eyes with sighs and groans what thinkest thou O my Soul would not the dearest pangs of compassion in the Father be working towards the Child 4. Hence the Soul may have full Security for fulfilling Gospel-discoveries into his bosom though he be in that doleful state of captivity to an unbelieving heart void of all sensible visible dispositions in his Spirit The Soul in this case may and ought to argue within it self thus O my Soul it is true indeed thou hast neither power nor disposition in thee to yield obedience to the precious Command of the ever blessed God who commands thee to accept of love and mercy tendered to thy loveless Soul in the Lord Jesus but dost thou think it possible that thy want of power to believe should prevent the Lords acceptance of thee into the bosom of his fatherly affection Yea I may add more in this case from this engagement of God to fulfil Gospel-discoveries the Soul may behold him engaged to contribute believing dispositions 5. The Soul may have full Security concerning the fulfilling the Gospel-discoveries to it self though it be in the case of slavery and vassallage to the most crooked untoward perverse heart that ever dwelt in any Son or Daughter of Adam It may thus say O my Soul is it possible for thy crookedness to have an influence upon the heart of the immutable unchangeable God to blot out the Name that is written there from eternity if thou wilt accept Gospel-Discoveries 6. The Soul from hence hath full security of the fulfilling all Gospel-discoveries into his bosom though it be in the saddest backsliding case from what his Spirit was once allured to that ever any was guilty of since the first Apostacy from God in the Loins of Adam Now may it say O my backsliding Soul hath not the blessed Redeemer of poor loveless Sinners said in Luke 15. That the Blessed Father will run to receive such a backsliding wretch as thou art He will fall on his neck and kiss him and call to the Angels to rejoyce at his Return And then may the Soul add and shall not he that dwelt in the bosom of the Father from eternity be credited by thy Soul 3. A third Engagement upon God the Spirit may or doth remember the Soul of is That every Soul that will and shall embrace the precious Gospel-discoveries is chosen from eternity into the Order of Royal Priesthood whereof Jesus Christ himself is Head or High Priest Thence we are said to be Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 16. And to be a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Now from hence the Soul through believing may discern God engaged to fulfill to the uttermost all the precious Gospel-discoveries to every Soul that shall accept
Martyrdom for the Name of Christ is accounted such an high honouring of Jesus Christ and that the Lord testifies such respect to those that do suffer for his Name in regard by those their sufferings wherein they seem to slight their Estates their outward Liberty their Lives for the sake of Christ they declare there is all fulness of contentment in him that there is happiness enough for them that all outward contentments the confluence of all the happiness that the Earth doth afford is not to be compared to the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ and to the pretious manifestation and sweetest operation of it Thirdly When the Soul sends forth the whole strength of his soul in his pursuit of the enjoyment of the sweetest discovery of that love and the most pretious operations of it into and upon his soul Fourthly When there is a deadness in the Heart towards all things else in comparison of the love of God that is in Christ Fifthly When the soul can take its fulness of contentment in that love in the absence of all things else When a soul can actually drink such full drafts of the love of God that is in Christ that is to say promise himself such happiness contentment unspeakable perfection of glory in the enjoyment of that love that the Heart says practically it is enough though the Heavens should withdraw their light and the Earth all her advantages that ever she can afford seeing there is the love of my God in Christ that I shall actually enjoy Now further we are to shew you that this manifestation or declaration practically by the believer that all perfection and glory is eminently contained in God in Christ to unlovely sinners is the necessary certain infallible effect of a beam of light shining from God to a believing soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus So that whenever any beam of light is cast down from Heaven into the dark soul of any believer to manifest certainly its union with the Lord Jesus then certainly also that ever blessed Name of God is exalted through the believing in that that pretious beam of light doth necessarily cause that believer to manifest and declare practically the fulness of the Lords love in Christ that there is all perfection excellency and glory that can possibly be suitable for the believing soul contained in that love eminently transcendently infallibly as will appear further by opening every particular way and means how the believing soul doth practically manifest that there is fulness in the Lords love in Christ to such unlovely sinners as the Lord declares As I. The kind of fulness of joy and rejoycing which is a prime and principal means how the name of God is exalted by a believing soul is the necessary and infallible effect of a beam of light shining from Heaven into a soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus That you may observe from 1 Pet. 1.8 whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory With joy unspeakable Joy that cannot be uttered either by the Tongue of men or Angels Joy it is full of glory that is full of excellency and sweetness delight and contentment Their believing produced this effect an unspeakable joy in their Hearts Then much more a beam of light from the spirit of light discovering unto faith the Lords blessed will to admit the soul into union with Christ and thereby powerfully enabling the believing soul to believe afresh and also a beam of light from the blessed spirit manifesting the souls believing act unto the soul it self and so discovering both unto faith and sense such unspeakable matter of joy and rejoycing much more must this fill the believing soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory According to that in Eph. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy Mark it the proper effect of the spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling in the believing soul is joy then certainly that joy that possesses a believing soul must needs be exceedingly eminently raised to a high strain to a superlative degree when the spirit of Jesus Christ shall dwell so plentifully as it doth when it thus bears testimony to faith and testimony to sense of the Souls union with Jesus Christ Yea such is the nature and power and vertue of a beam of light sent down from God to discover to a soul his union with Christ that it cannot but infallibly produce such a superlative degree of joy and rejoycing in that love of God that is in Christ I. In regard through that beam of light from the spirit and discovering to the Soul its union the enlarged longing restless breathings of that believing soul are in some measure accomplished Now Solomon tells us Prov. 13.12 that the accomplishment of the desire is a tree of life There is such infinite sweetness contentment and satisfaction in the souls attaining his desires that from thence the soul seems to gather Apples of life from a Tree of life II. In regard that light gives the believing soul a pretious taste of his mutual Communion with his God through Christ Every believing act doth occasion some Communion to be between God and the believing soul but much more in that believing act that is heightned by the power of the spirit of Christ to a certainty Then there are large degrees of life and holiness communicated from God to the believing soul and a kind of full communication of all the powers and possibilities of the believing soul to God again then God delights himself in the believing soul sweetly and the soul reciprocally delights himself in God Now the very taste of the communion which is the earnest of the souls full inheritance which is eternal communion with God in Christ that cannot but fill the believing soul with joy and peace III. In regard that light occasions the believing soul to enjoy all that Heaven it self can afford through hope It causes the soul to sit together with Christ by hope Eph. 2.6 It causeth the soul to discern certainly through believing the Lord Jesus as his blessed head to be gone before as an Harbinger to prepare a place for him that the soul by hope sits there already and is saved already 4. That light draws out the actings of faith in such certainty that all the glory of Heaven it self is presented also to the believing soul Faith saith the Apostle in Heb. 11.1 Is the evidence of things not seen That is it is such a disposition as by its pretious working gives things not seen an evident certainty unto the believing soul yea it is the substance of things hoped for The word in the original is very emphatical it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is that which gives a substantial being to things hoped for a being already that the soul not only enjoys all that Heaven affords by hope but through the