he is united to Christ Adopted Justified c Surely a certainty of faith cannot be obtained of this because it is unwritten Answ The soule may have a certainty about this as well as other acts of faith if it be in a fit capacitie to judge of any and duely considereth all requisites unto the specificating of an act of faith and all the ingredients or concurring acts of the Spirit in applying of such a promise And the better to evince this and answer the objection I shall lay downe three things which will much conduce to cleare this Coast 1. The act of faith may be a clearer evidence of its being of the right stampe then the object a man may have a right object for his faith yet not having a right act about that object his faith can witnes nothing thus Joh. 2.23 Many beleeved in Christs Name Here was the right object of faith as you may see Joh. 1.12 and yet their faith is vaine v. 24 25. and no evidence So Joh. 8.30 31. They beleeved on Christ and yet they had not God but the Devil for their Father v. 34 39.44 So Act. 8. v. 13. Yea Jam. 2.19 The Devils beleeve that there is one God and tremble and the Apostle declareth this purposely to prove the defectivenes of faith though it may have a Scriptural object A man may put forth but a natural act about a supernatural object may have but a humane faith about Divine things 1 Cor. 2.5 There is more required unto the specificating of true faith then this that there be a crediting or assenting to what is written Now if the Nature or Quality of the act of faith be considerable and must be discerned before Son-ship can be concluded from it then seing those differencing things about the act are to be found in that faith which is drawne out in the application of witnessing words hence a man is no more liable to be deceived in this then in other acts of faith 2. The Scriptures declare such as doe rightly beleeve to be adopted and justified and determineth what faith is Joh. 1.12 Rom. 5.1 Act. 13.39 By him all that beleeve are justified And the giving such a Characteristicall note must needs be a particularizing of them as well as if the Lord should call them by name and say thou John Thomas thou art justified or Adopted If Legacies be given though their names which they are given to be not expressely mentioned in the Will yet a distinguishing Character is equivalent to a naming of them so faith is made a character of Adopted ones and so it is written and by good Consequence it may be concluded from the Word who are adopted 3. The supervenient act of the Spirit in the effectual application of a word is enough to particularize it unto the soule and then the Word it selfe is witnessing it is no where written in Scripture in expresse termes that Luther or Calvin shall be raised up at the last day yet seing the generall words about the resurrection doe include all particulars under them hence it is not improper to say it is written that they shall rise againe but though the Scripture saith it yet it was the Spirits application of those generall words that caused them to beleeve their owne resurrection It is no where written that this or that person shall beleeve or that he shall have convictions or supportments c. by this or that Sermon or that this Scripture shall be usefull to these ends to one soule and another Scripture for the same ends to another c. but there are some special operations of the Spirit necessary and hereby a generall Call is made particular and so this soule beleeveth on Christ when many that heare the same Sermon and by the written word had a Call as well as he yet beleeve not And hence many Scriptures are pressed that have a direct tendency to worke a conviction upon a man and prevaile not but as last one word is singled out and worketh mightily that way At the same word Act. 17. some mocked v. 32. others beleeved v. 34. hence many words sutable to a soules condition may be viewed and yet are not succouring and at last one culled out from rest affordeth much releife to it All which doe abundantly evidence that the operation of the Spirit is sufficient to particularize a word to a soule and that the Spirit is ordinarily afforded for such ends No soule is converted but there is such an appropriating of Gospell invitations to it And the like Concurrences of the Spirit with some words will make them witnessing which make those convincing converting supporting c. and the testimonie will be as scriptural as any of those other works which are frequently wrought by the Spirit as all grant And seing in those testifying acts by a word the Spirit operateth as efficaciously and usually in a more eminent way then at other times hence they are as visible and acts of faith here as evident as about other words All which being laid together I cannot but reckon the assurance of salvation to be a certainty of faith The Conclusion being drawne from Scripture both directly and by Consequence Though the word alone doth not witnesse yet by the Spirits application of it to the soule it doth and that must be by faith Indeed the Spirit properly could not be said to witnesse that we are the Sons of God nor hardly were a witnes at all if the testimonie were not a certainty of faith and to be received upon the credit of the revealer so as if it came from another as Satan c. it were not to be owned And hence 1 Joh. 4.16 We have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us And it is a hainous sin not to give credit to it and that because the Spirit is the witnes 1 Joh. 5.9 And heaven or Eternal life is absolutely promised unto all beleevers Hebr. 9.15 That by the meanes of his death they which are called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance Jam. 2.5 Joh. 3.15 That faith and hope are to act upon these as well as other words is undenyable what use else doe they serve to and how else can those that are called receive them see Gal. 3. v. 18.22.29 1 Thes 5.8 Let us put on for an helmet the hope of salvation Titus 1. v. 2. In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie promised whither this faith and hope be raised by a present particular application of the promise or by a reflexion upon foregoing acts of faith either way they must be Divine because built and bottomed upon the promise of God who cannot lie And if the latter way that strongly proveth that the interveening of reflex acts cannot hinder assurance from being a certainty of Divine faith I might give other secondary evidences of this immediate testimonie as the soule is enabled to discerne many of its former experiences at such
3. At another time being againe brought to the enjoyment of God after long shutting up that of David came to minde I was as a weaned Childe I was weaned from all things from repute amongst men from outward Comforts c. and stayed much upon the Lord. I apprehended it was the Lords end in Desertion to make way for establishment and to render unblameable before God and our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus with all his Saints FINIS THE CONTENTS THe words opened and the point raised from page 1. to p. 7. Qu 1. What is the Witnessing worke of the Spirit Ans It is a worke whereby the Spirit by some manifest and speciall acts and operations of its owne doth raise a perswasion in a soule by the Word or Gospell of its Adoption opened in many particulars from p. 7. to p. 25. Qu 2. How doth the Spirit witnes to a soule its Adoption Ans 1. The Spirit witnesseth more immediately by it selfe p. 25. That the Spirit hath such a distinct way of witnessing from Water and Blood is proved 1. From the Apostles ascribing it to the Spirit himselfe p. 27. 2. From the aptitude of many written words or promises by application to witnesse p. 28. 3. From the number of witnesses which the Gospell owneth p. 36. 4. From the experience of the Saints p. 38. Ans 2. The Spirit witnesseth by Water i. e. Sanctification p. 41. Proved diverse wayes Qu Whither a soule can injoy any other testimonie when Sanctification lieth darke p. 45. Ans 3 The Spirit witnesseth by Blood i. e. the blood of Christ as usefull to Justification p. 47. Qu. 3. Who are capable of attaining the witnessings of the Spirit p. 50. Ans Weake beleevers are capable of attaining them Severall things are premised and then it is proved 1. From the Spirits being given to all beleevers as a witnes p. 56. 2. From the extensivenesse of the promise p. 59. 3. From cleare Scriptures p. 60. 4. From the Lords requiring of them selfe-examination p. 61. Qu. 4. How may a soule know whither it injoyeth the witnessings of the Spirit or not p. 63. Qu. 1. How may a soule know whither the Spirit hath witnessed its Adoption to it in that more immediate way p. 64. Ans 1. The Spirit it selfe doth primarily evidence the proceeding of its owne witnessing acts from it selfe p. 67. Proved by diverse arguments Ans 2. The Secondary Evidence of the more immediate testimonie is faith p. 81. Object When is a word received by faith or when doth faith evidence a testimonie to be no Delusion p. 82. Answered in foure particulars to p. 88. Proved that Assurance is a Certainty of Divine faith from p. 88. to p. 94. How the testimonie of the Spirit is differenced from those flashes of joy c. that unbeleevers may have under the word from p. 94. to p. 98. Qu 2. How may a soule know that the Spirit hath witnessed its Adoption by blood Ans 1. From the New Covenant or free promise p. 98. 2. From cordial acts of faith p. 99. 3. From its preferring that blood before all other things p. 102. 4. From the renuntiation of what soever standeth in competition with the blood of Christ in the uses it serveth to p. 104. 5. From its freenes in choosing and accepting of the blood of Christ p. 107. 6. From the strength of drawings that way p. 110. 7. From its feeling the efficaciousnesse of that blood p. 111. Qu. 3. How may a soule know that the Spirit hath witnessed its Adoption by Water i. e. Sanctification p. 112. This Question is divided into two Qu 1. How may a soule know that its heart is separated from sin or that sin hath not dominion over it p. 115. Foure distinctions are premised There is a difference 1. Between the indwelling of sin and the reigning of sin ibid. 2. Between the Soveraignty of sin and the Tyranny of sin seaven differences are layd downe ibid. 3. Between an habituall frame of heart towards sin and an occasionall falling into sinne p. 117. 4. Between infirmities and grosser enormities p. 118. What sins are to be reckoned of infirmitie Answ Sin hath not dominion over a soule when it chooseth freedome from or consenteth with all its heart upon Evangelicall accounts to part with sin p. 121. 1. When the choice is free without coaction ibid. 2. When it is universall without limitation p. 123. 3. When the choice is absolute without condition p. 124. 4. When there is a Conflict between the flesh and the Spirit p. 125. 5. When there is a mortification of sin p. 127. 6. When there is irreconciliable opposion against sin ibid. 7. When it is upon spirituall and Evangelicall accounts p. 128. Opened in six particulars to p. 132. 8. When sin is in subjection p. 132. Qu Whither it be possible to retaine Assurance after falling into sinne Answered in five particulars from p. 134. to p. 137. Qu How may one know that his heart is separated to God and Christ Ans 1. From his esteeming of God and Christ above all other things p. 137. 2. From his spending his highest desires and endeavours after attaining Communion with God in Christ p. 138. 3. From his willingnes to part with all other things at Christs Call or for his sake p. 139. 4. From the carriage of his heart under his withdrawings ibid. 5. From his enjoyment of the leadings of the Spirit ibid. Qu When doth a soule injoy the leadings of the Spirit Answered in six particulars from p. 140. to p. 150. Ten Secondary Generall Evidences that a testimonie of Adoption is from the Spirit from p. 150. to p. 164. Foure Objections Object 1. Seing Satan counterfeiteth the workes of the Spirit and the heart is so deceitfull how should I know that I have passed a right judgment on my condition Answered from p. 164. to p. 172. Object 2. But my heart hath deceived me in other matters and therefore I feare I am deceived in all Answered from p. 172. to p. 174. where are layd downe foure Symptomes of delusions Object 3. But may there not be some sin I am ignorant of harboured in my soule that may render me deceived in passing judgement on my owne condition Answered from p. 174 to 176. Object 4. But I have found a great impression by a word and I cannot tell whither it be from the Spirit or Satan what am I to doe in this Case Answered from p. 176. to 178. Qu. 5. By what meanes may the witnessings of the Spirit be attained strengthened and preserved Ans 1. Wait for the Spirit p. 178. 2. Maintaine a perswasion that it is thy duty to seeke after them p. 179. 3. Beware of those things that tend to keepe off from Assurance p. 180. 4. Be much in selfe-examination p. 181. 5. Be much in the observation of Gods dealings with your owne soules p. 182. 6. Be often renewing acts of faith ibid. 7. In all importunities with God for Assurance make use of arguments drawne from God himselfe p. 186. 8. Seeâ—e for much inward acquaintance with the written word p. 187. Severall rules about making use of Scriptures and about the hintings and givings in of words from p. 188. to p. 195. 9. Hold fost the doctrine of perseverance p. 195. FINIS
it Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindnes he not onely offereth it to the soule and leaves it to freedome whither it will own it or not but he exerciseth his Soveraignty and useth a Commanding voyce that his loving kindnesses must visit it and that in a sensible way for he addeth his Song shall be with me Psal 111. v. 9. He hath sent redemption to his people he hath Commanded his Covenant as when he cometh with a word of Conviction he commandeth stout-hearted ones to a submission so he commandeth his Covenant i.e. his promises unto his people by causing them to owne him therein Psal 133.3 He commanded blessing Thus the Spirit commandeth assurance into the Saints by promises and commandeth faith to owne his loving kindnesses and so not barely a perswasion that this promise or that mercy is mine doth make the act of faith evidencing but that Divine authoritie that attended the word to the heart and caused it to give credit thereunto out of respect and reverence to the Lord the Speaker Not every one that hath a perswasion that Christ is his doth injoy the witnessings of the Spirit for Baalim said My God Numb 22.18 and yet had not interest in God as his God and they Matth. 7.22 shall be consident of their interest in Christ and yet shall be found without it Satan doth raise such false confidences in many prophane wretches and backeth them with some Scriptures as that God willeth not the death of a sinner and Christ came to save sinners c. and their owne Spirits conclude that they are the sinners he came to save But unlesse such words have commanded the heart into such a perswasion out of respect to the Lord they are not evidencing 2. When those undoubtedly sinfull objections that swarmed in the soule before are suppressed by the reception of the word unbeliefe is the great sin yet soules are more unapt to be sensible of and affected with that then with other sins But if the Spirit hath acted faith upon Christ in any promise then it is pained and afflicted with the remembrance of its former mistrustfulnes and riseth up in opposition against it as Psal 42. v. 5.8 Why art thou cast downe O my soule why art thou disquieted within me hope in God Before it gave way to and fed the carnal reasonings of its owne Spirit against the free promise of God but now it calls off its heart from these and calleth it up to trusting in God Faith is called an Evidence Heb. 11.1 it is a Logical terme importing a Conviction by way of dispute As reason doth by premises draw up certain Conclusions about matters within its Sphaere so faith doth something answerable though the things it is conversant about be out of the reach of sense and reason that doth in able the soule by scriptural principles and grounds to dispute downe cavils and carnal reasonings against the free promise and thus it is an Evidence Delusions doe stupifie men that they seeke not for a satisfactory deliverance from objections but the Spirit like the Sun causeth such mists of darknes to flee away and putteth enough into the mouth to answer Satan in all 3. When its reception of the word or promise causeth selfe-abasement Matth. 15.27 The woman was so deeply sensible of her unworthines that she acknowledgeth her selfe to be a dog and then presently Christ owneth her faith v. 28. O woman great is thy faith Great faith causeth great selfe-abasement When all matter of discouragement that is throwne in the soules way to its mercy tendeth to the making it sensible of its owne nothingnes and yet causeth it to lay faster hold of the promise and when the stronger its assurance of the mercy be the greater selfe-annihilation and the lesse selfe-confidence then faith is acting and Christ taketh notice of and setteth a Character of respect upon such acts of faith But that which causeth selfe-advancement is the voyce of thy owne Spirit or a delusion of Satan Mark 14.31 Peter was carried out with vehemency of affection and resolution for Christ he declared his preferring Christ before his owne life and yet this was but the voyce of his owne Spirit because it did spring from selfe-confidence which is opposite unto faith 4. When the heart is carryed out Christ-ward by the reception of any promise beleeving is often called a coming to Christ as Joh. 6. v. 35.37 And on the other side soule departures from God are resolved into unbeleife Heb. 3.12 when there is not onely a perswasion wrought by the promise that Christ is mine c. but the whole heart runneth out after Christ upon the application of it If it taketh the promise as from his hand Eph. 3.6 and owneth him in the purchase of the mercies it is assured of builds its confidence upon him for the communication of them and is layd under strong obligations engagements to Christ for them it cryeth out What shall I render to him Psal 116.12 accounting nothing too deare for him and maketh improvement of them by and for Christ then the word is from Christ So Rom. 8. v. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ i.e. from that love wherewith we love Christ and thence he addeth Shall tribulations or distresse or persecution or famine c. i. e. None of these hardships shall breake off our love to him v. 36. As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long And when was their love to Christ so strong v. 33.38 39. It was when their perswasion was as strong of the love of God in Christ to them And now they oppose Christ without them against all charges v. 33. and not the perswasion within themselves yet that perswasion was usefull that way not abstractively from Christ but as it was a furtherance to their heartie owning of him Faith maketh use of such a generall as that Christ dyed against all charges that are brought in against a particular soule You may have such strong confidences of your interest in the love of God in Christ as no arguments a man can use can beate you off from these and yet you may be deluded if your hearts be not answerably drawne out after Christ to the strength of your confidences But if they be built and botromed upon him and his free favour in the free promises as Psal 30.7 And if your affection to Christ rise as high and be as strong as your perswasion of his love then you have injoyed the witnessings of the Spirit And thus there are many things in that faith which receiveth witnessing words besides the perswasion of the thing witnessed which may difference a testimony of the Spirit in this more Immediate way from a delusion of Satan or our owne Spirits Object 2. But may I not be very liable to be deceived about such acts of faith seing no Scripture either expressely or by Consequence saith of any particular man that
things proceeded from the Divine Spirit and were not Delusions of Satan Answ 1. I know it was of God by the evidence the Spirit did give of it selfe in its owne testimonie 2. By Gods faithfulnesse in his promise 3. There was then given me a review of my former experiences of the Lords workings in reference unto Conversion and of passages since and I had a certainty of all those workes that they were true and from the Spirit 4. My weaknes in naturall parts and incapacitie of my selfe for such things doth make it conspicuous that all this is from the Lord. 5. By the Effects which this worke hath produced upon me I am since looking for participations and fruitions of Christ and seeking for Sanctification and transformations and this is my busines and I finde corruption is not prevalent as before but so soone as I goe to the Lord Christ for transformations I have them Experiences of J. M. Concerning beleeving 1. BEing in a great streight not knowing which way to get out it pleased God to cast my eye upon a promise which was sutable to my present streight yet did I not finde such lively strength in it as to deliver me but I was enabled to lay my condition and the promise together downe at the feet of the Lord and found much quietnes of Spirit thereupon 2. Being once troubled about the difficulty of beleeving I had such a hint as this that I should view the promise i. e. looke againe and againe and venture upon it it may be I shall not speed in obtaining that which the promise holdeth out to me yet however I will as duty injoyneth me it being the great Commandement to beleeve put it to the tryall and stay upon it abide and continue to roule and repose the whole weight of all my wants upon the promise and I saw plainly that though I did so yet I did miscarry As 1. I looked at the matter of the promise more then upon the promiser ex gr I looked at comfort and deliverance that should come in by the promise more then at Christ himselfe 2. I did come desirous to obtaine what the promise held out yet was not thankfull for what I had already received as in this promise I will take away the stony heart and give you an heart of flesh I came to the promise as one that had nothing at all of it and it pleased the Lord to suffer such a frame of heart upon me as I apprehended my heart was altogether stony hereby shewing me my evill for I should have blessed God for any measure of softnes of heart which he had bestowed on me 3. I came to the promise in my owne strength I had this apprehension as God hath given the promise so the Spirit of promise also to apply it and going to it I should as a poore empty nothing creature look in the strength of the Spirit to apply it I have found that whil'st I have been beleeving a quiet waiting Gods time for the performance of promises and not making such hast as the unquietnes and over-eager hastines of my Spirit hath put me upon at other times 3. I have had such a sight of God as to make the creature and all its power rage actings c. to be as nothing 4. I have been for a time as bold as a Lion and have not met with such failings of heart as at other times 5. Hearing a Christian in private utter these words faith worketh by love I had a very sweet apprehension that our faith eying the sweet love of the Father and the deare tender love of the Son did gather strength thence and worke effectually by the strength of that love 6. Being brought to a great stand by reason of the actings of some corruptions in me and almost beaten off from beleeving that was brought to minde with comfort and encouragement to the worke of faith Joseph went and asked the body of Christ boldly so I should venture by beleeving on a crucified Christ 7. At another time being exceedingly low by reason of some corruptions breaking forth I came into the society of some godly people and hearing one in prayer mention this concerning Christs Intercession If there were one moment wherein the people of God were not presented to the Father in the blood of Christ it were very sad with them I found faith recovering a little hence as one that hath received a wound doth begin to recover out of the swouning fitt it cast him into 8. Soone after my faith being as it were a bleeding and languishing it was thus revived my thoughts are not your thoughts nor my wayes your wayes I had an extraordinary light into that Scripture at that time which did set me a breathing after the Lord. 9. Being once through extraordinary buffetings of Satan brought to such extremity that I fell into such kinde of thoughts as these were it not better for me to give over and never minde any thing of God more is it a duty for me to beleeve should I not be in great peace if I did at once cast off all This came to relieve me If need be ye are in heavines for a moment Now you have sorrow but I will see you againe and ye shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you Thus was my faith a little revived againe The very next day I was more sadly set upon then ever and then this consideration Abraham beleeved God upon the greatdst disadvantages and so gave glory to God so ought I now and hereby a way was made for my escape Concerning Temptation I being sadly tempted and finding Satan buffeting me violently partly upbraiding me for former sins and partly putting me on to sin I was in great perplexity insomuch that I was constrained to cry out by reason of the bitternes of my soule and also to call in the helpe of a Christian friend to pray with me he was much affected with my condition himselfe having been under such temptations I would have beleeved but could not I would have put away thoughts of temptation but could not the temptation grew stronger and stronger my heart was broken by reason of sorrow yet for a time marvellously kept up to strive I saw I could not hold out and was ready to yeeld and give over the combat But I found the Lord coming in for my helpe in a needfull time when I was without strength I apprehended the power of Christ very sensibly set against the power of the Devill and he began to give ground I had sustained many hundred charges concerning the odious nature of my sinne and the sad curse denounced against the same After a little retreate of the enemy I began to take a little boldnes but never with more trembling and despairing in my selfe or more cleaving to Christ as a Conquerour I could then truely say my rejoycing is in another and I have no confidence in the flesh And 1. I