Christ 1. That the love of Christ to those souls is augmented There is no more prevailing argument of love than suffering evil for the beloved one 2. The spirit evidenceth from thence that Jesus Christ hath a nearer interest in them The propriety of Christ is as well augmented by his sufferings as his love Therefore saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Ye are not your own why for ye are bought with a price 3. The spirit reveals that there is a higher degree of Joy in the bosom of Christ in the obtaining of union with them Therefore Isa 53.11 Christ is said to see of the travel of his soul and to be satisfied That is he shall see souls gathered in to him as the fruit of all his sufferings and this shall satisfie him Now from hence the spirit reveals the unsatiable longings of Christ after the union of those souls that shall embrace him 3. The spirit reveals the sensibleness of the Lord Christ of his own duty as he is Mediator to gather such lost souls as will embrace him into union with him This you may find John 10.15 16. Saith Christ I have other sheep which are not of this fold them also I must bring in As if Christ should have said there is necessity I am engaged by duty to my father in respect of the command my father laid upon me to gather those lost souls into union with me 4. The spirit reveals that it is onely sutable to the nature of Jesus Christ to be gathering lost undone Sinners into union with him His nature is nothing but an abstract or quintessence of love as Mediator and therefore it is only natural to him to be pouring out of his love into empty souls Secondly the spirit evidenceth the expressions of those longings of Jesus Christ by himself I. The spirit presents Jesus Christ seeking after such lost sinners to gather them into union with him when their backs are altogether turned upon him and when they have altogether forgotten him This spirit causeth the soul to hear from the mouth of God himself Luke 19.10 The Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost It is my office saith Christ for which I came down from heaven II. The spirit manifests the Lord Christs strong compassionate cries of love after such souls to accept of a blessed union and communion with himself This the spirit causeth the soul to hear Rev. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely So Isa 55.1 2. Ho every one that is in any want in any necessity any poor thirsty soul come ye saith he buy wine and milk without money and without price Here the spirit causeth the soul 1. To discerern the loud cry of Jesus Christ after such poor dead sluggish souls to embrace them 2. The spirit causeth the soul to see the redoubling of his cry and call Come ye saith Christ yea again come and again come as if his bowels yearned 3. The spirit lots the soul see his propounding all the precious arguments that can possibly be imagined to prevail with souls Come saith Christ buy Wine and Milk take the most precious soul-ravishing comforts the sweetest Cordials to thy poor needy fainting soul III. The spirit reveals the low condescention of Jesus Christ to become an intreater a beseecher of souls to accept of that union propounded According to 2. Cor. 5.20 We are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God that is be ye one with God IV. The spirit reveals that the Lord Christ hath put his own Spirit in commission for that end to make all these longings of his evident to the soul and these expressions of his longings in his Cries and Intreaties effectual upon souls The spirit reveals to the soul the strength of the desires of Jesus Christ to be so superlative as to take care least after all the expressions of his longings the soul should still remain unconquered and therefore he adds as it were a supplement to all his former desires of union with him he adds his own spirit to stand as a constant Officer for that end to convince the soul of his longings that they should have union with him Therefore he sends the comforter John 16.7 V. The spirit reveals the Lords Tender Pittiful Compassionate discovery of the dreadful danger of neglect of union with him According to that in John 3.17 18. God sent not his Son into the World to condemn but that the World through him might be saved I tell you souls saith Christ the very intention of my Father in sending me is not to augment your Sins that your condemnation should be augmented but it is his intention that you might be saved And then v. 18. he reveals to them the desperate state of them that neglect this Salvation that he brings He that believeth not is condemned already VI. The spirit reveals that the Lord waits to be gracious and even waits as it were the leisure of poor lost undone souls to accept of that blessed union tendered The spirit presents the Lord Jesus standing at the door of hearts and knocking till his head is wet with the dew and his locks with the drops of the night waiting for the souls accepting of that blessed union with himself that he tenders There is a fourth beam of divine light the spirit causeth further to sparkle forth from the Gospel in this work of Irradiation or manifestation of it Fourth beam of divine light and that is this The absolute independency of this willingness of Jesus Christ to accept souls into union upon any thing in the Souls whom he is thus willing to accept and after union with him his soul thus longs There can be no act of Faith by way of fulness of confidence or assurance till there be such a clear apprehension of the acceptance of the particular soul into union with the Lord Jesus that all matter of fear vanisheth and all occasion of doubt is taken away by the clearness of that light that the spirit casts into the understanding and by the clear satisfaction it gives the soul concerning his acceptance by Jesus Christ to be one with him Therefore the spirit in respect to those Multitudes of fears that commonly arise in souls concerning the unsutableness of themselves to be taken into union with Christ for the taking away those occasions of fear doth reveal to the soul that the willingness of the Lord Jesus to accept it into union and the longings of Jesus Christ after union with souls hath not the least dependance upon any thing in the soul it self whence he accepts it into union Now for the evidencing of this the spirit may and doth evidence these three things to the soul I. The spirit evidenceth the impossibility of the will of the glorious Deity to be moved 〈◊〉 any thing
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
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
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
I shall desire to clear from divers particulars 1. In regard the immediate ground of the certainty of the promise or of the Covenant of Grace unto the Soul can be nothing else but the gift of God Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 4.16 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 the immediate ground of the certainty of the promise must be gift alone appears in two things First In regard the foundation of all must be Grace Eph. 1.6 7. That we might be to the glory of his Grace Therefore in Ezek. 16.62 63. I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord There 's the absolute promise What is the end That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. This is strange one would think that they should be ashamed and consounded when God is pacified and reveals himself to be pacified But here is the mystery of it The Lord lays Grace as the foundation of all his ways towards them purposely that the glory of all that God communicates to Souls might be to himself alone Secondly In regard there can be nothing else the object of faith There are but two things that can be grounds of certainty It must be either Grace in God or Grace in the Soul Either the love of God or the effects of the love of God in the Soul Now the effects of the love of God in the Soul are things seen ad therefore not the objects of Faith Heb. 11.1 2. The discovery of the absolute will of God must be the only ground of assurance in regard faith can discern no certainty of Gods differencing one soul from another but what the Word of God reveals Now the Word of God reveals no other ground of the Lords differencing one soul from another but only his own will Rom. 9.12.18 3. In regard the sight of the certainty of the souls right of receiving Christ into union with himself doth wholly depend upon a sight of the certainty of the Lords will to recieve the soul into union with Christ Though the Spirit of God hath secretly allured the heart from those dark Visions of Christ to embrace him truly so as there is a real union between Christ and the soul yet the soul cannot judg aright of his receiving the Lord Christ so tendred to be given to his soul till he sees that he did receive the Lord Christ upon the right ground 4. In that it is the souls duty to receive the gifts of God in that order wherein the Lord manifests his giving of his gifts Now the order wherein the Lord propounds his gifts is first the gift of the Lord Christ and then the gift of all graces as the adjunct of the gift of the Lord Christ And thence the Lord invites the soul and commands the soul first in order to receive Christ that so it might partake of all the graces of Christ and all those dispositions of Holiness the soul longs for 5. In that the Lord judgeth it sufficient for assuring the Wavering Trembling soul of a poor sinner fearing the indignation of God against him for his sin You shall read Gen. 3.15 That all the promise that God gave to Adam when out of question the poor man was in great distress was only this That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents Head A meer discovery of his absolute free will without respect to any thing in souls themselves that he would deliver solely by a way devised by his own Wisdom by a Mediatour by taking upon him the humane nature and conquering the powers of Hell that did then hold poor souls captive Could Adam have received no evidence nor no assurance of the Lords accepting his soul into union with himself again in Christ from that promise the soul of Adam had been left altogether comfortless there being no description given by God of any graces that his own spirit did communicate to the souls of such that he had accepted into union with himself 6. In regard the patterns holden forth in Scripture of such as have received their union with Christ received the evidence of their union from the Lords absolute promise from the discovery of his will alone to do good unto their souls In Gen. 15.6 7 8 compared with Rom. 4.18 19. you shall see Abraham the Father of all believers he received the evidence of the Lords blessing him in Christ which is all one with taking into union with Christ only by the discovery of the Lords absolute will towards him Another pattern you see Isa 6.5 6 7 In the sense of his own wretchedness crying out Wo is me I am undone c. A Seraphim flew unto him having a live coal in his hand which he took off the Altar and laid it upon his mouth you must conceive it was done in a Vision and said loe this hath touched thy lips and thine Iniquity is taken away and thy Sin purged Here is an absolute promise of the Lords free love to Isaiah It gives him no Characters at all but tells him his Iniquity is taken away and this satisfied the soul of Isaiah as you may see v. 8. by his readiness to obey the command of God here I am send me And the case is every way parallel only this particularizeth the person of Isaiah whereas other promises are holden forth generally but yet every particular soul is as fully included and the promise is as absolutely spoken to every soul receiving it as it was unto Isaiah And it is the light of the Spirit that shines forth in the promise that doth put as much particularity and doth as much particularize the promise to any one soul as this promise was particularized to Isaiah in a Vision So that it is from the Lords absolute will alone that the soul receives a full ground of his union with Christ That 's the first branch of the 5th Conclusion The second branch of the fifth Conclusion was That it was not the discovery of the graces of the scrupulous soul doubtful of his union that did thus evidence unto the soul his union Now the discovery of graces in the soul still dark in his union cannot be in order the first ground from whence the soul doth receive the evidence of his union Though at the very same instant the soul may by the discovering of those graces see his union and conclude his union from the sight of those graces yet in order of nature this is not the immediate ground that gives the certainty to the soul And that will appear I. In regard the gift of the Lord Christ cannot be first received of a soul by Faith as a soul is gratious or by the soul being considered under the notion of a soul that
either in his heart or life 1. To convince him of all his voluntary defects By discerning how the principles of other Christians are improved to the honour of God the soul may convince himself of his wilfull defects that he that hath received the same principle should walk so far contrary to God 2. The Soul may indeavour to convince it self of all his unsuitable walking to his Profession by gazing upon the brightness of that principle of Christianity professed by other Christians that shine forth in their Conversations 3. The Soul may indeavour to convince it self of his own unsutableness in his walking to his engagements unto God 4. And lastly of his unsuitableness to the rest of the Members of the Body of Christ V. Every Soul ought to endeavour to break his own Heart for any disproportion he can discern between his own Life and the Lives of other Christians between his own Grace and their Graces There are many pretious Soul-melting arguments that a Soul may help it self to towards the breaking of his own heart for any unsutable walking towards Jesus Christ by measuring his own Life and Graces with the Graces of other Christians 1. The Soul may be helped to a clearer sight of the transcendency of the riches of the Lords Grace in Christ to his Soul 2. The Soul may have a discovery of the superlative degree of the perverseness of his Heart to God Seeing the disproportion between himself and other Christians he may say Lord what a cursed crooked hellish perverse Heart have I 3. The Soul may have a discovery of the height of dishonour done to Jesus Christ by him when he shall see that those that he professes himself to be fellow members with so bearing up the brightness of the Image of Jesus Christ in their Conversations and then reflect upon himself and see scarce so much as any spark of that glorious Image of Christ to shine forth in him 4. From thence the Soul may have an inward holy shame to seize upon it to see the growth and increase of the Members of Christ his Brethren and see himself so barren so empty and poor VI. Every Soul may and ought to pass the sentence of condemnation against his own Soul from a discovery of any unsutableness in his Heart and Life to the Hearts and Lives of other Christians VII A Soul may measure himself so far by the Graces of others as to draw quickning arguments from thence to awaken his Heart to more watchfulness diligence and circumspection 1. From the sight of the Graces of other Christians excelling his own a Soul may and ought to propound to himself the Lords separation of his Soul as only peculiar to himself as well as the Souls of those that so much excel him in Grace 2. A Soul may from thence propound to himself the Lords predestination of him to as full a a participation of the fulness of Christ as any of those that he sees excel him in Grace From thence the Soul may argue with God why should others have such a large spark of Grace from Christ when I am so empty and poor and have scarce any thing of Christ 3. A Soul may from hence find out this argument that the glory and honour of Jesus Christ as much depends upon his Soul as upon the Souls of other Christians that so far excel him in Grace 4. The Soul may from thence propound to himself a necessity of conformity between all the members of Jesus Christ and thereby awaken his Heart to strive for the height of perfection or Grace that he discerns in any Christian VIII And lastly the Soul may and ought to keep a constant view of the Graces of all other Christians within his sight with a constant reflection upon his own Heart so as to provoke him to Jealousie to a kind of Emulation least other Christians should magnifie and exalt the name of Jesus Christ by a sutable conversation more than he Thus you see how far it is lawful for any Christian to measure himself by other Christians by their Hearts and Lives their Graces and Duties The second thing to be opened is when a Soul measuring himself by other Christians becomes a dark sinful distemper or when a Soul measures himself too too much by other Christians so that by measuring himself by others he keeps himself from that blessed heavenly light that should shine into his Heart whereby he might receive satisfaction of his union with Christ There are four ways how this measuring a mans self by other Christians becomes a dark distemper I. When a man makes his conformity to the Graces and Duties of other Christians to be the ground of his Faith either in the first act of Faith in consenting to the blessed will of God revealed or else in the renewed exercise of Faith again upon any occasion That is thus when the Soul conceives himself to have good grounds to hope that the Lord is willing to accept his Soul into union with Christ when he sees the same holiness and activity of Spirit for God the same Heavenliness and Spirituality the same pretious Dispositions working in their strength in his Soul to God that he discerns to be in other Christians And on the contrary the Soul conceives himself to have no good ground to believe the Lords willingness to accept his loveless Soul in Christ when he discerns a great disproportion between his Heart and other Christians when he beholds his own Heart dead and other Christians lively his own Heart shut up and others inlarged in all their faculties towards God This distemper is both exceeding sinful and exceeding dark when it grows once to this 1. It is a proportioning the love of God towards poor loveless Souls according to the proportion of Grace and Holiness in that Soul Yea the Soul by this makes the Eternal unchangeable love of God to be alterable various and changeable according to the alterations and variations of Mans Heart 2. It is a vailing and eclipsing at least if not a nullifying the freedom of the Lords love in Christ to poor loveless despicable Souls It is a making the Lords love to depend upon the Graces and Holiness in Souls and to be conveyed into Souls upon that ground 3. It makes the Soul nullifie undervalue and wretchedly disparage all the pretious promises in Gods blessed Book The Soul makes those unchangeable Words of God insufficient to support and uphold a poor sinking troubled laden Soul and to satisfie it concerning Gods will to receive it into union with himself in the Lord Jesus 4. It is a departing from the pretious Springs of Consolation digged by the Omnipotent God for thirsty Souls and a choosing a poor empty dry brook II. When a Soul in making a just parallel between himself and others makes every defect that he beholds in the proportion of his own Graces and Duties to the Graces and Duties of other Christians to be a sufficient ground
degrees of Grace First In regard of the concord and agreement in the whole Body of Christ that is necessary to be attained It is for the bettering of the union of the Body of Christ that Christians have particular different Graces as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Secondly It it necessary to preserve the beauty and comliness of the Body of Christ that the whole Body should be so compacted together that one member should not receive all the excellencies of the other members Thirdly That there might be a full manifestation of the absolute freedom of God in the manifestation of all his Graces The Lord will not only have the glory of his free love in dispensing Grace to whom he pleases but the glory of his free Grace in dispensing it in what manner and degree he please 2. From the necessity of different degrees of Grace arises a necessity of the dispensation of various Gifts II. The second distemper upon which this principle doth arise is this That the Soul doth conceive there must be a large portion of Grace go before the Souls attaining unto the assurance of Faith that he is united to the Lord Christ And thence the Soul seeks into the Lives and Hearts of other Christians and measures himself by those thinking upon a sight of a conformity in himself to them in their Graces and Duties he might then proceed to the actings of Faith in a way of assurance and then have some confidence of his union with Christ And hence so long as the Soul conceives a defect in himself in those Graces he beholds to be in other Christians he sits down discouraged from the exercise of Faith That this also is a vile principle of darkness must be also made appear Yet first for the clearing of it I must premise two things I. That the very act of Faith in a way of full assurance of the Lords accepting the Soul to be one with him in Christ is a most superlative degree of Grace II. That every Soul that attains unto that assurance of Faith to receive with a fulness of confidence the Lords good will concerning his own Soul to accept him to be one with him in the Lord Christ doth attain a large portion of all kind of Graces also There are the special workings of the love of God in the Spirit of holiness where-ever there is this assurance unto Faith of the Souls union with Christ To make it clear 1. There is a large portion of knowledge Ignorance of God is the mother of all vice the very womb wherein unbelief is conceived withal its Brats withal its scruples and objections whatever And according to the degree wherein that Ignorance of God is healed so is the degree of the Souls attaining towards the assurance of Faith 2. There is a large portion of Spiritual life begotten in the Soul 3. There is a large portion of contentment in God and Christ 4. There is a large portion of love to God in Jesus Christ communicated to him Love begets love and according to the degree wherein a Soul apprehends the love of God to his Soul in Christ so is the answerable degree of the workings of love towards God in Christ again 5. There is a large portion of raisedness of Spirit above all things below I give but a taste of the large portion of Grace which of necessity must be in Souls where Faith of assurance is attained But now to speak more directly to the principle it self notwithstanding this yet the principle it self is a dark principle I. In regard there is no necessity of a large portion of Grace going before the Souls assurance of Faith to prepare the Soul for assurance Only in this sence that the habit of Grace prepares the Soul for the acting of Grace so the habit of Faith is received before there be an act of Faith and so a Soul may be said to be prepared for assurance unto Faith II. There is no necessity of any large portions of Grace to give the Soul any better ground to act Faith in fulness of assurance and confidence The only ground of the Souls confidence of the Lords will to accept his loveless Soul into union with Christ is the Lords word wherein he reveals that his blessed will Now the Lords word speaks as plainly and reveals his will as clearly to the Soul not having the least portion of Grace to accept his loveless Soul into union with Christ as it doth to those that have the largest portion of Grace III. There is no necessity of any portion of Grace to make the actings of Faith of assurance to be the Souls duty Even when a Soul is a rebel when he is an enemy the Lord doth as strictly command him from Heaven to give credit to his blessed Word revealing his good will to accept his loveless Soul if he will be one with him in Christ as he doth command the Soul to believe it after the communication of all Grace IV. Those very portions of Grace great or small that are attained to when the Soul hath assurance unto Faith they are all attained through the Souls believing with that fulness of assurance Faith is the Alpha and Omega of Sanctification and of the whole work of Grace The Sixth and last dark distemper is Dark distemper The Souls unconstancy This unconstancy is of two kinds the one in the thoughts and imaginations the second is the unconstancy of the Souls determinations and conclusions Naturally we are unstable as water seldom stay a moment in the same place For the right understanding of this distemper there must be divers things opened I. We must know it is not a strict close unmovable adherence to their determinations of truth that are once drawn up in a Soul that these commands require from any Soul that may be as bad a distemper on the other hand Therefore observe there are three cases in which a Soul may be too much settled and adhere too fast to his own conclusions 1. When the Soul sticks fast to any conclusion without Spiritual divine light compelling and constraining the Soul to it 2. When a Soul is so taken with any determination that he hath drawn up in his own Spirit concerning truth that his own Spirit will not suffer him to take a right view of any thing that the Scripture seems to propound to the contrary 3. When a Soul is so affected with any determination drawn up in his own Spirit that he hath a prejudicial opinion against whatever seems to contradict that his own determination II. You must know there are cases wherein there must and ought to be alterations and changes in a Souls own determination concerning Truth and concerning the State of his own Soul And those cases are especially two 1. Where there is clearer evidence concerning the object conveyed into a Soul 2. When there is a clearer evidence in regard of the Soul it self which we commonly call a clearer
evidence in regard of the subject If a Soul through weakness of light received conclude or determine of any thing concerning his Soul then there must and ought to be a change of these determinations when there is a clearer evidence come into his Soul III. There may lawfully be a suspicion and a jealousie over it self in regard of its own unconstancy A Soul may have a holy fear of his own deceitful Heart when he sees it settled upon a conclusion lest it should not be so rightly settled as God requires There are two acts a Soul may do upon this ground 1. He may be making a continual search into the grounds of those conclusions and determinations that are in his own Spirit 2. A Soul may and ought to draw up his Spirit unto God and to bring his determinations into the presence of God and the ground of his determinations and lay them all open before the Lord. Now it must be opened when a Soul is guilty of this sad distemper of unconstancy in his determinations and resolutions There are three cases wherein the Soul is guilty of this I. When the Soul remains wavering in an unfixed unsettled frame of Spirit upon any determination that it doth draw up within it self When a Soul apprehends reason on both sides and weight in both reasons and thereupon suffers his Soul to stand like Scales with weights in both Scales almost in an equipoise now turning this way then that way and stand steadfast no way Now he conceives it is the will of God to accept his Soul into union with him the next morning he conceives no surely it cannot be that God should have a thought of kindness for such a wretch as he Yet do not mistake here for I must grant there may be such an equipoised Spirit in Souls without sin so it be with these limitations 1. That the truth of Christ concerning which the Soul remains in this wavering state be not a matter of duty that God requires from the Souls hands Some truths are more Theoretical some more Practical now if it be not a practical truth that God requires from the Soul it may not be sin But if it be a practical truth concerning the Souls acting of Faith upon Jesus Christ tendred or the Souls worshipping God in some ordinances of continual use then though it be through weakness and want of light that the Soul is not able to have his Spirit settled upon a conclusion yet I dare not excuse the Soul from sin for I suppose no case can come but the Soul is guilty of too much ignorance that he might have avoided or guilty of unbelief that keeps his Spirit in the present case unswayed 2. Take this limitation That such an unsettledness of Spirit concerning a truth be after a Souls strict endeavouring for a full satisfaction and determination of his Spirit concerning that truth II. The Soul is guilty of this inconstancy when the strength of imagination only doth unsettle the Soul from any determination or conclusion concerning that truth of Christ that he hath formerly drawn up in his own Spirit The Devil hath a secret door into every Heart through the fancy it is as it were the Devils back door it is his secret sally-port door that he comes out of to fight against the Soul The Devil steals into the Heart by the fancy before ever the Soul is aware of it without any alarm and by the working of the fancy he doth suggest strange imaginations in the Soul without suggesting a ground and foundation upon which such imaginations are built III. Then a Soul is guilty of this sad distemper when it is unsettled and removed from its determinations and conclusions with every just objection without a just comparison of the strength of the objection and the reasoning of the objection with the strength of the reasoning of the former perswasion and determination This is that sad distemper the Scripture speaks of To be carried up and down with every wind of Doctrine and to be soon shaken in mind 2 Thes 2.1 2. Now the distemper being thus opened in general you must note that there are three special conclusions in reference to the case in hand concerning which a Soul becomes guilty of this distemper of unconstancy 1. That the tender of union with the Lord Jesus do reach to every particular Soul The Devil and the corrupt Heart strive to maintain a constancy of Spirit in this determination either keeping the Soul wavering here not daring to resolve this blessed Truth to be a Truth or else in suggesting strong imaginations to keep the Soul from giving firm credit to that Truth or by keeping up objection upon objection against that pretious Truth that the Heart may not be settled upon that conclusion but if it be settled upon it in the evening if possible it shall be removed in the morning 2. That no wickedness wretchedness nor desperate vileness that can be imagined is any impediment to the Lords acceptance of the Soul into union with the Lord Jesus All the strength of reasoning that the Machiavilian brains of Hell can produce shall be brought to evade this Truth 3. That it is the duty of every particular Soul immediately and at all times without the least delay to give credit to the Lord and believe that he is willing to accept that particular loveless Soul into union with Christ These pretious Truths being that pretious heavenly Christal glass through which the Spiritual eye comes to discern the very Heart of God towards it in Christ if it be possible that either the power or policy of Hell can foment that distemper in the Heart concerning this principle to prevent the Soul from settling a full conclusion in this particular it shall be effected Now this distemper prevents the Souls evidence of union with Christ from the promises by these five several effects that it hath upon the Heart I. It prevents the Soul of the injoyment of a sufficient time to discern the inward of the Lords promise of accepting a Soul into union with Christ even when he doth behold the promise There are four things that a Soul must discern in a promise in reference to the discerning of his union with Christ from the promise 1. The Soul must discern the largeness of the extent of that promise of acceptance of a Soul into union with Christ He must discern the compass of the promise to be so wide as to take in his own particular Soul 2. A Soul must discern the infinite freedom of God in the tendering of the promise to accept the Soul into union with Christ It must see that God requires nothing either to prepare or dispose the Soul aright for the injoyment of the promise or to give the Soul a right and title to the promise 3. The Soul must see the very bowels of the mercies of Jesus Christ in the promises It is the sight of the readiness of the Heart of Christ to
by Christ to be fully done Sitting imports a rest after a work fulfilled Heb. 10.1 Secondly The Spirit evidenceth that high favour that Jesus Christ had in Heaven as he was a surety for those sinners that should embrace him to be their Mediator Heb. 1.5 2. The Spirit evidenceth from Christs Ascension that he as a surety for all those sinners that should embrace him hath fully prepared Heaven Now this Spirit evidenceth by two things First That the very end of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven to sit at the right Hand of the Father was to prepare places in Heaven for all that should embrace him John 14.2 Secondly That Jesus Christ is gone to Heaven as a fore-runner of those that should embrace him Heb. 6.20 Now a fore-runner implys many followers 3. The Spirit evidenceth from Christs Ascension that he hath a Soveraignty and Supremacy of all power committed to him This Christ himself hints Matth. 26.64 Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sit at the right Hand of power That is exalted in the highest power So Eph. 1.20 21. And thence in two things the Spirit evidenceth the Lord Christs taking away all kind of sin from the Soul First The Spirit evidenceth that Christ hath such a supremacy of power over all things that it is impossible that the power of sins guilt should prevail against any for whom Jesus Christ hath undertaken seeing he hath the keys of Hell and of Death and hath all things under his Feet in a vassalage to him Secondly The Spirit evidenceth to this supremacy of Christ as Mediator that the Lord was well pleased with him as a surety for such Souls as should embrace him 4. From the ascension of Jesus Christ to the right Hand of God the Spirit evidenceth that the Lord Christ had the highest authority of Judgement committed to him Sitting is the posture of Judges Prov. 20.8 and John 5.21 22. The Father hath committed all Judgement unto the Son Thence in Eph. 1.21 22. he is said to have all things put under his Feet and was given to be Head of all things to the Church Now from hence the Spirit evidenceth by two things the Lords full compleat taking away all sin from every Soul that shall embrace him First In that no Judgment of condemnation can be passed upon such a Soul but what Judgment Christ as surety passeth seeing all Judgement was committed to him as the Son and as Mediator And what can be more sure than that all sin and guilt shall be compleatly removed seeing the Son himself that is the surety for Souls must pass the Judgment concerning all guilt that must be imputed to lie upon Souls Secondly In that no Judgment of condemnation or guilt can pass against those Souls that shall embrace him as their Mediator but what shall pass against themselves The Spirit manifests that whoever embraces Christ must be interessed in every sentence of Judgment that pass out because the Judgment that Christ passeth as he is the surety of Souls and represents them it must pass out in their names even with their votes So that no Judgment of condemnation for guilt can pass out against them without their joynt vote and consent IV. The Spirit evidenceth the intercession of Jesus Christ with the Father for all those Souls that shall embrace him Therefore in Rom. 8.34 the Apostle proceeds to that step Who shall condemn It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again that sitteth at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Now in the Spirits manifesting this it doth manifest divers things for the satisfying of the Soul for the full and everlasting taking away all sins by Christ for every Soul that shall embrace him 1. In the Spirits evidencing the intercession of Christ for sinners with the Father it doth evidence the Lord Christ to be a Son to the Father and to plead as a Son with the Father for sinners This you shall see Heb. 7.25 compared with vers 28. he tells you he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him and vers 28. he puts an emphasis upon it that he was a Son This the Spirit commonly reveals to Souls in drawing them to Faith of assurance that Jesus Christ as the natural Son of God intercedeth in Heaven for Souls Now from thence there are two evidences given to a Soul of Christs fully taking away sin from every Soul that shall embrace him First The Spirit evidenceth that it is impossible that any guilt whatever should cleave to the Soul in regard the Son can ask nothing but what the Father will The Father and I am one saith Christ so their wills are one and their thoughts and dispositions one Secondly The Spirit evidencing that it is impossible for the pleading of Jesus Christ to be denied There is such a complacency and acquiescence of delight of the Father in Jesus Christ that the Father hath no more power to deny what the Lord Christ pleadeth for then he hath power to deny himself and that is impossible 2. The Spirit evidenceth the intercession of Christ doth evidence that the Lord Christ pleads with the Father as an obedient Son to his Fathers will Now from this the Holy Ghost evidenceth in two things the full compleat everlasting taking away of sin from every Soul that shall embrace him First The Spirit evidenceth that there is an obligation upon the Father to accept his Sons intreaty for poor sinners Secondly The Spirit evidenceth that it was the fulfilling the same will of the Father that Jesus Christ pleaded for when he pleaded for the pardon of the sins of those that embrace him It was his Fathers design originally out of his love to poor lost wretches to take away their sins only it was his purpose to effect it through Jesus Christ doing and satisfying his Justice for sin So that Jesus Christ in yielding obedience unto his Father unto Death did it to effect the end of his Father in the pardon of the sins of lost sinners 3. The Spirit evidenceth in this intercession of Christ that though he died as a common person and rose as a common person yet he doth not intercede as a common person not in their steads but for them That you shall observe Heb. 7. comparing vers 22. with vers 25. He was made the surety of the new Covenant vers 22. And then he tells you He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him There are two things the Spirit evidenceth in that First It evidenceth that he pleaded as a surety appointed by his Father for Souls According to Heb. 5.5 he did not glorifie himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee His Father ordained him to the office of an high Priest which contains the suretiship Secondly He pleads as a surety to his Father to accomplish
sinner that would give him entertainment as his Mediator This you shall see in John 6.37 38. whoever cometh unto me saith Christ I will in no wise cast him out that is whoever receiveth me through believing I will in no wise reject him or cast him off or refuse to be a Mediator between God and him I will in no wise cast him out that is under no respect no notion or consideration that can be imagined Now observe what 's the reason of this you shall see vers 38. For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me and this is the Fathers will that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing that is of all that he should draw to believe on me I should lose none but should raise him up at the last day and this is the will of him that sent me that he that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life So John 10.15 to 18. 2. The Spirit reveals God the Fathers infusion of a disposition of love into the Heart of Jesus Christ purposely that he might embrace every lost sinner that would entertain him as his Mediator Saith he Psal 40.7 8. Lo I come to do thy will O my God thy Law is within my Heart that is a disposition to yield obedience to this thy will and in effect it was a disposition of love the Law of being a Mediator was nothing but a Law of love and this Law was written in the Heart by God the Father 3. That the Father prepared a sutable body for the second person in Trinity to become Mediator in Heb. 10.4 A body hast thou prepared me that is thou hast prepared me a Body fit to be offered up for sin that is fit to become a ready willing sacrifice for poor lost sinners that I might redeem them 4. In that God the Father did engage the Lord Jesus by his own love to him to love every such lost undone sinner as should embrace him This you shall see if you compare John 10.17 18 with John 15.10 Saith Christ therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again And saith Christ to his Disciples If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love Hence Christ intimateth not only that his Father loved him for his undertaking that work of mercy and pitty to poor lost undone sinners but that his Father did lay the engagement of his love upon him So that as he respects his Fathers love and desires the continuance of it to him so he should be pittifull to every lost sinner that embraceth him II. The consent of the Son the Lord Jesus himself is revealed by the Spirit for the clearing of this And that the Spirit may and doth reveal in two things 1. In the free ready consent of the Lord Jesus to the blessed will of his Father The Lord Christ made no objection against the blessed command though take it in all the latitude of it it was the hardest command that ever was imposed upon any creature in heaven or earth a command to spend his dearest innocent blood a command to become a curse a command to deprive himself of the ravishing vision of his Fathers face yet this command he never stuck at but saith in the Volumn of the Book it is written Lo I come to do thy will 2. In that he took infinite delight in the yielding obedience to this his Fathers will Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God He took pleasure in it and was straightned in his Spirit till it was accomplished III. The Spirit reveals the consent of the blessed Spirit proceeding both from God the Father and God the Son in this blessed design And that 's in this that the spirit freely and in the very fulness of it took up his habitation in the Lord Christ thus constituted to be Mediator to fill him with grace and love and pitty for the accomplishment of this blessed work of gathering in lost sinners into union with himself This the Spirit reveals in two things 1. In the manner or form of the Spirit descending down upon Christ Luke 3.22 It came down in the shape of a Dove to shew it came on purpose to furnish the Mediator with mercy and pitty to poor despicable loveless sinners that he might be nothing but a lump of love wrapped up in flesh 2. The Spirit reveals the end for which the Spirit was thus poured out upon him in the fulness of it The end is revealed Isa 61.1 2 3. To preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken hearted that is poor captivated inslaved souls under the power of their hellish enemy and the opening of the prison to them that are bound that is deliverance of them that are held fast in the chains of darkness under the power of the Prince of darkness to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Secondly The Spirit reveals the sutable Office that is established upon the Lord Christ purposely to engage him to shew mercy and pitty to every lost sinner that should embrace him The Spirit manifests that he is ordained by God the father to be an High Priest to sacrifice for the sins of the people Here the Spirit reveals two things 1. That the qualifications that God looks upon in Christ in ordaining him to be the High-Priest were sutable dispositions to shew mercy and pitty to poor undone Sinners This you shall find in Heb. 5.2 He can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way Therefore Heb. 4.25 That 's made a special qualification in Christ as High Priest that he was one who had a fellow feeling of those that he was High Priest to that he had a sweet sympathy rolling in his bowels to them under the infirmity of Sin and misery 2. The Spirit reveals that the end of that Office of the Priest-hood that was established upon him was to shew mercy to poor despicable undone sinners You shall see in Heb. 5.1 what are the ends of an High Priest First he is ordained to come to the Mercy-seat for man that is for the good of poor miserable men Secondly that he might offer gifts and sacrifice for sins that he might pacifie the angry God that was incensed against sinners that he might reconcile perishing lost undone sinners to God the father Thirdly For evidencing that unquestionable willingness of the Lord Jesus to accept every sinner that will embrace him the spirit reveals the exact and exquisite care the Lord Jesus hath taken to reveal himself to prevail with poor undone sinners to gather them into union with himself This the spirit evidenceth in five things 1. By revealing the provision of Officers that Jesus Christ hath made to allure and beseech souls to accept the Lord Christ to
be one with them After Christ was gone into heaven and had left pleading with undone sinners with his own blessed lips you see Eph. 4.11 12. he sends out others in his own room such as might be Embassadors representing his own person to beseech and pray undone sinners to accept of reconciliation with the father through their union with him 2. By revealing that the Lord Christ took care to furnish such as he sent forth to allure undone sinners into union with him with a sutable spirit for that work Therefore before Jesus Christ would go to his father John 20.22 he goes to his Disciples and giveth them a Commission to allure souls into union with himself and when he had given them the Commission he breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy spirit 3. By revealing the Lords assimilating those whom he betrusts to reveal himself to lost sinners Not only in furnishing them with abilities of the spirit but also in conforming them in their very dispositions unto his own likeness he conveyed his own bowels of mercy and pitty and compassion into them that their bowels might yearn towards the gathering lost sinners into communion with him as the bowels of Jesus Christ himself yearned This you shall see Eph. 1.8 That Paul tells them he longed after them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ That is I longed after your perfection in union and communion with Christ in the bowels that Jesus Christ hath infused into me as some interpret it But indeed the interpretation may rather be of Jesus Christ in the same bowels that Jesus Christ longed after souls in the same kind of pitty and compassion that Jesus Christ had working in his bosom towards undone sinners 4. By revealing the Lord Jesus chusing out some desperate sinners on purpose to be as patterns of love before the eyes of other lost sinners that he would take into union with himself This is declared by the spirit 1 Tim. 1.15 16. to be the end of God to shew mercy to that blasphemer that persecuter that injurious one to Jesus Christ that he might shew forth a pattern to other sinners that should hereafter believe on him 5. By revealing the Lord Christ to have improved all his interest in those that are his own to engage them to help forward the work in gathering lost sinners into union with him As in John 21.15 16 17. when Jesus Christ was to leave the earth and would engage Peter to do some great thing for him he engaged him to reveal himself to poor miserable souls that 's under the term or notion here of feeding his Lambs and Sheep IV. For the evidencing the willingness of the Lord Christ to accept into union every loveless sinner that will embrace him the spirit reveals the absolute engagement of Christ by his own joy and by his own glory that is supernatural to embrace every loveless sinner that is willing to entertain him The Lord Christ considered as head to a mystical body may be said to be imperfect till all sinners that shall ever belong to him be gathered in And Jesus Christ even wants his Joy and Glory that he shall enjoy as a Mediator so long as there is but one lost sinner belonging to that mystical body to be gathered in Therefore it is impossible for Jesus Christ to reject one sinner that shall embrace him unless he will reject himself There is a third beam of divine light and that is Third beam of divine light The insatiable longing and thirsting of the Lord Jesus to embrace every soul into union that would be united to him The spirit is leading the soul from one degree of satisfaction to his faith to another till at last he cometh to give a full ground of satisfaction to the soul to make his union with Christ appear that faith hath ground not only of confidence but of triumph Now the spirit doth evidence this unto the soul for his satisfaction two ways First The spirit reveals the grounds from whence the longings of Jesus Christ after union with the soul do proceed Secondly The spirit reveals the expression of those longings of Jesus Christ by himself First The spirit reveals the ground whence those longings proceed 1. The spirit evidenceth the near alliance and precious relations that Jesus Christ accounts himself to have unto all those lost Sinners that long after union with him or that ever shall be brought into union with him 1. The Spirit reveals that the Lord Christ accounts all those lost Souls his Brethren Therefore Christ in John 20.17 when he sends Mary to tell the blessed news of his resurrection to his Disciples saith he Go tell my brethren that I ascend unto my father and your father to my God and your God Go tell my brethren That is those that are joynt adopted ones by my father as my brethren the joynt beloved ones as I am beloved of the father as Mediator Now from hence the spirit manifests that the soul of Christ cannot but long after union with all those souls that will embrace him into union 2. The spirit reveals that the Lord Christ accounts all those that shall embrace him to be as his Spouse as those that are to be married to him Jesus Christ hath infinite longings after himself and his own glory and then Eph. 2.28 He that loveth his wife loveth himself therefore Jesus Christ doth but love himself and his own glory in desiring the union of souls with himself and therefore his longings cannot be less than infinite and incomprehensible 3. The spirit evidenceth that Jesus Christ accounts all souls that shall embrace him as his own members without which he is not compleat as Mediator The fulness of Christ mysticall is the Church and he accounts not himself perfect till all his mysticall body be gathered to him Now hence the spirit manifests infinite longings in the bosom of Jesus Christ after every soul that would be one with him as he longs after his own good 4. The spirit reveals that the Lord Christ accounts every soul that will embrace him to be a part of his own glory Christ accounts not his own glory to be full till all those lost souls that ever shall embrace him be perfectly and compleatly joyned to him Now hence the spirit manifests that there cannot but be infinite longings in the bosom of Jesus Christ after the union of such souls with himself as would have union with him or are willing to embrace him seeing he cannot but infinitely long after the perfection of his own glory And seeing he cannot long after his own glory in the perection of it but he must long after the union of every lost soul that will embrace him into union with himself 2. The spirit also remembers the soul of those dreadful sufferings of Jesus Christ for all those souls that ever shall embrace him Now from thence the spirit evidenceth three ways that there cannot but be such longings of
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
of his Mercy and Love revealed in the Gospel from the bare word of God alone but if they could see any fruit of that Love and Mercy in their bosoms then they think they should believe You see the Spirit hath here in this case also evidenced the Lord to have afforded a real experiment of his Mercy and Love to a Soul in the case of unbelieving Thomas who was not only inclined to see ground of believing in a visible way from the sight of his Eyes and the feelings of his Hands but he was resolved to have it that way or no way unless I see thus and thus I will not believe III. A third case wherein the Lord hath given presidents is in the case of loathsom horrible dreadful and most hateful imaginations working in the Heart against God In this case the Lord hath not left himself without some experimental witness of the discovery of his Mercy and Love Now the case being very high I find an experiment of Gospel Mercy and Love discovered in a case that is as high In this case the Lord hath left Jesus Christ himself as a pattern his Heart and Spirit was perplexed and troubled with as hateful horrible imaginations propounded to him as ever were propounded to any Soul in Matth. 4.6 9. the Devil propounded to him that he should murder himself If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down Secondly That he should presume upon his Fathers promise to him and be careless of walking according to his Fathers will saith the Devil He hath said that his Angels should have charge over him least he should dash his foot against a stone There is a third sort of thoughts propounded to his imagination worse then these and that is that he should worship the Devil What more hateful and horrible thoughts could be injected into any bosom than this to worship the Devil himself Now under this general are comprehended these two particular cases 1. There is comprehended the cases of all blasphemous thoughts that are wont to perplex distressed Souls That if a Soul should say within himself sure never any object of the Lords Love ever had such hellish thoughts as are presented to my mind such thoughts as my Heart trembles to name the Spirit may then bring to the Souls remembrance this pretious pattern of Christ the Devil injecting into his pure mind thoughts that were as dreadfully derogatory to the honour of the Lords highest Majesty thoughts that had as much of the poison of Hell in them as ever thought that was injected into thy cursed Heart 2. Under this comes in all kind of Temptations concerning self murder or self destruction In this case the Spirit may bring to remembrance the Lord Christ himself as the Souls president or pattern the Lords letting him be perplexed with temptations of the same kind IV. A fourth case is the want of all sensible manifestations of God to the Soul either in quickning and reviving or in comforting In this case you may take the dearly beloved one of God David Psal 22. wherein indeed he speaks typically relating to Christ especially yet also speaks but the thoughts of his own Spirit at that time too saith he v. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring And v. 14. so Psal 77.3 4. I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my Spirit was overwhelmed c. Another pattern the Lord gives us of the Holy man Job he cries out Chap. 6.4 The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit c. So Chap. 13.24 25 26. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy c. Now under this come in two particular cases of the Soul 1. The case of the defect of all the workings of the quickning Spirit into the Soul 2. Under this comes in the case of the Souls wanting the manifesting light of the Spirit to reveal the Gospel in its beauty and glory to its Soul So that if any Soul wanting this manifesting light of the Spirit should begin to cast off all confidence and to waver and stagger and doubt least the Lord should not be willing to accept it to be an object of Gospel love then the Spirit may and doth sometimes bring to remembrance these eminent patterns of those who were in the very same temper under the same wants and yet they were really the objects of that love and mercy that the Gospel in Christ reveals V. A fifth case is the case of fruitlesness inefficacy of the breathings of the Soul after God in prayer In this case also the Lord hath given eminent patterns Those two forenamed ones both Job and David you shall find to have been in the same case Job 23.8 9. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him c. His meaning is he used all kind of means the utmost diligence in seeking after God but he would not be found So if you look upon David Psal 22.2 O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season I am not silent So that here God shews Souls an experiment of some who were in the same case and yet objects of his love and mercy VI. A sixth case is the inability of the Soul to pour out requests That in Isa 63.17 will shew the Lord to have left his whole Church as a pattern in that case Why hast thou made us to err from thy ways and hardned our hearts from thy fear These Souls complain of the Lords suffering such senslesness and blockishness of Spirit to be upon them as made them unsutable for every duty of the Lords worship and yet notwithstanding these were objects of mercy and love VII A seventh case is the beholding all arguments that are possible to be imagined in a Soul against those promises of love and mercy that the Gospel tenders In this case the Lord hath given that pretious pattern of Abraham whom he chose to be the pattern of all believers Rom. 4.18 19. He against hope believed in hope that is against all ground and reason and arguments of hope that could be imagined Though he saw all possibility against that promise of love and mercy that the Lord had given him concerning the Messiah to come through his loins to be his lawful seed by Sarah yet notwithstanding he believed though he saw his own body dead and the deadness of Sarahs womb yet it is said v. 20. he staggered not at the promise through unbelief his Spirit did not so much as waver Under this general may be comprehended these three particular cases of the Soul 1. The case of the Souls thinking himself to be the most unlikely under Heaven to be an object of Gospel mercy and love The Soul considering
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
them 1. Thereby God is engaged by his dearest love to his own delight and contentment in the ministration of all his holy things here below to make the person of every Soul that shall accept Gospel-discoveries to be compleatly acceptable and well pleasing in his own eyes The delight of the Lord in every act of his own Worship hath its primary dependence upon the delight that the Lord takes in the Worshippers as in Mal. 1.10 Saith the Lord to them I have no pleasure in you neither will I accept an offering at your hand Their persons were not amiable in Gods eyes and therefore their offering could not be acceptable And so it is said The Lord had respect to Abel and to his Offering It was through the respect the Lord had to Abel's person that he had any respect to his Offering So that now seeing the Lord hath predestinated every such Soul accepting Gospel-discoveries to be a Priest to minister to himself in all his holy things should not the Lord make the person of every such Soul compleatly acceptable in his own eyes he must rob himself of all his Contentment and delight he should take in all his holy things here below 2. Hereby the Lord is engaged by his tender care of preserving his holy things from pollution to purifie cleanse and sanctifie the most unclean polluted Soul that shall accept those Gospel-discoveries Every approach to God with an uncircumcised heart was accounted by God a pollution of his own Sanctuary Ezek. 44.7 And likewise the Lord accounts every approach to himself by an unregenerate and unsanctified heart now in Gopel-times to be a pollution of any Ordinance whatever that the soul maketh his approach to God in This the Lord typically signified to his Church in its minority in the manner of the consecrating the Priests to himself that were to offer those Legal Sacrifices Lev. 1.6 When Moses consecrated Aaron and his Sons he washed them which signified the cleansing of them from pollutions the Lord intending to reveal this that they were only sanctified cleansed purified hearts who were sutable to offer any Spiritual Sacrifice that should be acceptable in his eyes Neither must you conceive this to be a bare revelation to Souls of what their hearts ought to be in their approach to God but it is also a revelation what the Lord intended they should be through his mighty power working in their hearts Now hence the Spirit may give the Soul full security concerning the fulfilling Gospel-discoveries to it in its embracing and accepting them 1. When the heart is staggering and wavering in regard of the want of all holy enlivened heavenly dispositions in his Spirit and finding uncleanness and filthiness The Spirit may here reveal the Lord to be engaged that in case the polluted unclean heart of his shall accept Gospel-Discoveries it shall be sanctified cleansed purified 2. When the strength and tyrannizing power of any cursed Lust is causing the Soul to question whether love and mercy revealed for loveless sinners that will accept it should be made out to his Soul in his embracing it The Spirit may here discover the Lord as well to be engaged in the Souls reliance upon him to make him the Object of that love and mercy to cleanse his Soul from that cursed pollution to deliver it from under the tyranny of such a hellish disposition as well as to be engaged to make out love and mercy to the Soul in any other kind whatever 4. A Fourth Engagement the Lord hath laid upon himself for the fulfilling Gospel-discoveries is this That every Soul accepting those Gospel-discoveries is the peculiar chosen Vessel of the Lords most superlative mercies and compassions This you may see in Rom. 9.23 That he might make known the riches of his Glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory You may observe that every called Soul that is every Soul answering those sweet Soul-melting invitations of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus is here affirmed to be a Vessel of mercy prepared by God himself from eternity for that very end Now from hence the Spirit may give abundant security to the questioning scrupulous Soul of the infallible fulfilling of all the Gospel-discoveries to every Soul that shall embrace them 1. Herein the Spirit may manifest the Lord to be engaged by his intire and infinite love to his own glory and mercy to redeem and deliver every Soul that is plunged into the most bottomless depth of sin and misery if he will and shall accept those pretious Gospel-discoveries to it So that the Lord through his own admirable contrivance of his design of love towards loveless forlorn sinners hath so interested himself in the perfecting of that pretious design that he stands engaged as strongly and powerfully to give perfect redemption and deliverance to lost sinners that shall embrace Gospel-discoveries as he stands engaged to maintain and support the honour of those his glorious Attributes of his own mercy and compassion Now there are three things wherein the honour of the Lords mercy consists First In the free workings of it towards the most miserable objects that are the most unworthy of any pitty and compassion that can be imagined Secondly In the transcendency of its operations or motions Thirdly In the infinite Almighty power of its workings towards such unworthy objects of it That 's thus it hath such an Almighty power in it not only to succour and relieve those perishing undone ones in their misery but also to confer the highest degree of all happiness upon them Now the honour of the Lords mercy and compassion consisting in this hence the Lord stands engaged by his dearest love to that honour of this his mercy to give perfect redemption to the Soul that is plunged in the most unfathomed depth of sin and misery if the Soul shall and will embrace those Gospel-discoveries 2. Hence the Spirit may manifest the Lord to be engaged by the inseperable properties of his Divine nature to communicate a fulness of all mercy and compassion to every Soul accepting those Gospel-discoveries The Essential property of the Divine nature is to be issuing forth the bottomless depths of perfection that are included in it into the bosom of poor needy empty penurious ones It is as natural to the Divine nature to be communicating of its own perfections as it is natural for the Sun to send forth its own pretious raies And then this being the very nature of the Essence and being of any good by how much the higher the goodness of any thing is by so much the more strongly is it inclined and disposed to the communicating of himself So that goodness it self in its perfection being in the Divine nature thence it is that it is the inseparable property of the Divine nature to be communicating all its perfections so far as they are communicable Now thence the Spirit may cause the Soul to conclude that seeing it is
the property of the Divine nature to communicate all its perfections so far as they can be communicable and also seeing every Soul embracing Gospel-discoveries is the proper object to which that perfection of the Lords mercy and compassion is to be communicated thence the Spirit may cause the Soul to conclude that the Lord stands engaged by the inseparable property of his Divine nature to make every such Soul accepting Gospel discoveries to be the object of the highest mercy and compassion Now from hence the Spirit may give the Soul full security of the fulfilling the Gospel discoveries into his bosom whatever objections it is possible for the wisdom of Hell and the corrupt Heart to make against it All the objections that are possible to be imagined by the extract and quintessence of all Wisdom that is enmity against God say no more but this concerning the Soul that it is a miserable lost undone Soul If the Soul objects the superlative height of his own wickedness if Iâ— object the long continuance in its wickedness if it object the wretched contempt of mercy and love tendered if it object the want of holiness the want of every good disposition imaginable if it object the most cursed crookedness and enmity of Heart against the blessed tenders of love and begin to draw these conclusions from these premises therefore surely Gospel discoveries cannot be fulfilled into my bosom if I should rely upon the Lord for the fulfilling of them yet the Soul in all these objections says but this one thing I am a poor miserable despicable wretch in the depth of misery Now then the Spirit may manifest to the Soul that in its accepting those Gospel discoveries it shall be the proper object of all mercy and compassions So that God shall be engaged by the inseparable property of his own nature to let out his transcendent bowels of mercy and compassion in their freedom of working towards the Soul so as to fill it with the fulness of mercy and compassion And thence the Spirit may convince the Soul that either he must conclude that his finite misery exceeds the infiniteness of the Lords mercies and compassions or else the Soul must conclude that notwithstanding all objections that can be imagined yet in his accepting the Gospel discoveries they shall infallibly be fulfilled to the utmost into his bosom 3. Hereby the Spirit may manifest the Lord to be engaged by all his sweetest contentments his most pleasing delight that he naturally takes in beholding the workings of his own perfections towards poor imperfect creatures to supply every want that can possibly be imagined to be in any Soul As it is the property of the Lords nature to be dispensing of his fulness to empty ones so it is the Lords infinite delight to behold those streams of his fulness running down in a sutable way into their Souls Now the Spirit may manifest the Lord to be engaged by that his own contentment that he naturally takes in beholding his own perfections communicated unto others to communicate all sutable succour relief help and comfort to every such Soul as shall embrace those Gospel discoveries 5. A fifth engagement the Lord hath laid upon himself to fulfill Gospel discoveries is That every particular Soul that shall and will embrace Gospel discoveries is the peculiar chosen object of the Lords highest most unspeakable everlasting delight and contentment Thence it is that the Word reveals that the Lord taketh such infinite pleasure in his own as in Psal 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in those that fear him in those that hope in his mercy I pray observe it in this is comprehended every Soul that doth in the lowest degree embrace Gospel discoveries This manifests that the Soul that doth in the most trembling timerous way but reach out a feeble Hand of hope to lay hold upon that rich mercy tendered in the Lord Jesus to it is the object of the Lords pleasure and contentment even those Souls that are far from drawing any conclusion only they cast out the anchor of hope and venture their lost perishing Souls upon the rock of mercy that is discovered in the Lord Jesus 1. The Spirit may reveal them to be the object of the highest most superlative everlasting delight and contentment that is the object of the highest delight that God takes in any object out of himself The same superlative delight that the Father takes in Jesus Christ as Mediator he takes in the Soul united to him 2. Every such Soul is destinated to be the object wherein the Lord would as it were concenter together in one all the blessed motions of his own delight and contentment Jesus Christ mystically considered that is considered with his Body of holy Angels and Souls of those that were lost sinners united to him is the very center wherein all the lines of the Lords delight and contentment meet perfectly together in one Now every Soul embracing Gospel discoveries being taken into the perfect unity of the mystical Body becomes through its union into the mystical Body as it were a part of the center wherein all the lines of the delight of God meet together There are four kinds of the Lords delight that every such Soul that embraceth Gospel discoveries is the chosen object of 1. Every such Soul is the chosen object of all the highest everlasting delight of God that he takes in the letting out his love in its perfection towards any thing without himself The Lords most natural peculiar delight is in love because his Essence and being is love Now every such Soul is the chosen object of the highest perfection of love considered as one of that mystical Body Hence it is said Zeph. 3.17 He will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love that is to say he will take satisfaction and contentment to his own Soul in loving of thee for indeed delight is nothing else but love in rest as desire is love in motion 2. Every such Soul so considered is the object of all the most superlative delight of God that he takes in the actual communication of his goodness It is so natural for God who is goodness it self to be communicating his goodness to others that his Soul is filled with pleasure and contentment in the letting forth of his goodness 3. Every such Soul embracing Gospel discoveries is the object of all the delights and contentments that the Lord takes in himself in the contemplation of the transcendent glory of his own supereminent excellency Now there are no other objects than that mystical Body of Christ that are the objects of any of the delights of God that he takes from the contemplation of his own superlative glory seeing his own excellencies that he contemplateth upon are no other then he communicateth to that mystical Body So that all the delight pleasure and contentment that the Lord can receive from the pretious views of the brightness of his own glory
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
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
into Union through his Adhering to him II. In regard the spirits Excitation of the Believing Disposition into Exercise is General and Universal Now there being strength to Inable the soul to Adhere unto Christ tendered as well as Union with Jesus Christ is tendered and the spirits Exciting work being thus General and Universal it cannot be but the Heart should be Established in the constant Expectation of the one as of the other To be as Confident of the souls everlasting Cleaving unto Christ as of his Acceptance into Union with Christ upon his Cleaving to him III. In regard the spirit doth Adjoyn a Testimony unto the soul that it doth Cleave unto Christ to its Testimony that it gives to its Faith that it shall be admitted to the Lord Jesus infallibly in cleaving unto him The Spirit is so blessed a Comforter that it sends down living streams of refreshing both to faith and spiritual sense when it hath once testified to the souls faith that unquestionably and infallibly that particular soul shall be accepted into union with the Lord Jesus in his embracing of him it then also testifies to the soul that it hath embraced Christ and that the soul is already actually instated in union and communion with him Now having opened the spirits attestation unto the souls faith The spirits attestation unto sense The second act of the attestation of the spirit is it's attestation unto the souls spiritual sense in this we must open three things to you First that there is such a witness of the spirit to the souls sense and feeling besides the former Record that it gives unto Faith Secondly In what respects this witness of the spirit is added unto the spirits witness unto the souls faith Thirdly what this witness of the spirit to the souls sense and feeling is First that there is such a testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling may appear from that one place alone Rom. 8.16 The spirit it self beareth witness mith our spirits that we are the sons of God this holds forth that there must be a witness of the spirit unto the soul above and besides those holy dispositions or precious gracious habits that the spirit doth communicate unto souls and therefore that there is such a witness of the spirit unto faith Now from hence appears that there is such a witness of the spirit unto the souls sense and feeling in that the spirit is said to give a particular testimony unto particular souls of their actual union with the Lord Jesus The spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sons of God that we it is not only a determinating sentence that the spirit passeth upon the truth of what the Gospel reveals in general unto every soul that shall embrace him for that is only thus that thou or thou or that particular soul in his accepting the Lord Jesus tendered shall infallibly be one with Christ which is still a testimony unto faith but the Scripture speaks it plainly the spirit gives testimony of their souls real accepting of Jesus Christ tendered The spirits testimony of saith could be only thus much to witness from the promise that this or that particular soul shall be adopted to be a Child of the Blessed Majesty of Heaven in his accepting the Lord Jesus tendered But this testimony is a witness to the particular soul of it's actual adoption already that we are the sons of God therefore this must be a testimony of the spirit unto the souls sense and feeling in regard the proper object of faith is to receive what is promised not receive what is done 2. The spirit is said to be a Co-witness with believers spirits that they are united unto Christ and adopted sons and daughters of God through their union with Christ Saith the Original the spirit doth bare witness together with our spirits so that the spirit is said here to bear witness to the soul of the same things that the souls own spirit that is the renewed understanding or the sanctified Conscience bares witness to Now the renewed conscience in the believing soul can only bear witness unto the souls sense and feeling and therefore the spiris witnessing the same thing that the renewed conscience in a believing soul doth witness it must needs be that this witness of the spirit must be a witness to the souls sense and feeling III. It appears from the peculiar office to which the spirit of the Lord is destinated The spirit is appointed to be the comforter the most superlative eminent comforter now should not the spirit witness unto the souls sence and feelâ—ng spiritually it's union with Christ it could not comfort in the highest manner There are three degrees of spiritual comfort 1. A souls appehension that union and communion with the Lord Jesus is tendered to his despicable lost soul There is a degree of comfort from the possibility that his poor lost sinking soul may be admitted into union and communion with Christ but alas this is weak 2. There is the souls actual embracing this union with the Lord Jesus tendered There is infinite sweetness and peace in that very believing act of the soul though as yet there is no sensibleness in the soul of that his own believing and so no sensibleness of his union with Christ 3. Which is the Top Stone of the Souls Consolation and that is the sensibleness of the souls union with the Lord through believing Now if the spirit should not give such a witness to the believing soul as this to witness to the souls actual close with Christ in union and communion the blessed spririt who is sent from the Lord Jesus on purpose to be a comfort to believing souls should not comfort in the highest manner he should not be the most eminent comforter II. The second thing to be opened is the reasons of the additions of the spirits testimony unto the souls sense and feeling to the testimony that it gives to the souls faith There are five or six reasons of it I. To prevent the souls receiving that determination of its corrupt conscience concerning its everlasting estate In all the various actings of conscience as a Law Witness and Judge it is corrupted by vertue of our first Transgression so that in whatsoever state the soul remains when its conscience worketh according to its natural disposition and inclination it bears false witness and passeth false judgement Now therefore doth the Lord vouchsafe to add the spirits testimony of the souls union unto sense and feeling that the false sentence that conscience passeth upon the soul might not be received by it There are three respects wherein the Lord vouchsafeth to add the spirits testimony to sense unto the the testimony it gives to faith 1. The depravedness and perverseness of conscience in its testimony 2. The unavoidableness of the souls hearing that testimony that conscience gives when the soul is once alive through the life of Jesus Christ 3.
to close with and accept of the precious tender of the Lord Jesus to the Soul now when the Spirits light of manifestation whereby it doth irradiate the word to the Soul is withdrawn the Soul must needs be uncapable to examine the truth of his own evidences for it is only through the Spirits irradiation or manifestation of the word that any believing Soul doth at first clearly and satisfyingly and unquestionably discern the Lords will to accept his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus and therefore when this Light of manifestation from the Spirit is withdrawn again it cannot be that the believing Soul should clearly discern their precious truth and so long as the Soul enjoy not this evidence unto his saith of his certain acceptance of union with Christ it is impossible the Soul should have any evidence unto sense seeing the evidence unto sense doth wholly depend upon the evidence unto faith 2. In regard all the opposite powers of corruption in his Soul unto the Souls evidence of union with Christ do renew in some degree their Tyrranny over the Soul Yea not only so but all the powers of corruption that do oppose the Souls union with Christ are then furnished with renewed arguments and objections against the poor Souls acceptance into union yea with such objections as nothing can answer but saith it self As for example 1. Then carnal Reasons ' mouth is filled with new matter of objection against the Souls union Carnal Reason that said formerly thou art a Rebel an Enemy that have continued thus many years in enmity therefore cannot be admitted into union with the Lord Jesus can now say more thou hast now dealt unfaithfully with God thou art an Hypocrite a Bacstslider it is impossible that the Lord that bore thy enmity and rebellion should bare thy falseness and hypocrisy 2. Natural Distrust of God cursed Jealousies and Suspitions of the Faithfulness of God do renew their Tyranny also when Holiness decay Now natural Distrust and cursed Jelousy of God can say what dost thou think it is possible for the Majesty of Heaven who is so just who hath said he will avenge himself upon those that go on in their wickedness should ever accept theâ— into reconciliation with himself 3. The corrupt Conscience renews his Tyrannizing Power when the Soul decay in Holiness Now Conscience is furnished with a new Bill of Indictment against the Soul it can now lay to the Souls charge guile and deceitfulness of heart with God and willing Apostacy from God so that now it can with a full mouth pass the sentence of Condemnation against the Soul afresh and is furnished with such arguments as nothing but Faith can answer nothing but a renewed vision of the Lords will declared in his blessed word to accept of every poor undone perishing Soul be he as bad as an incarnate Devil in case the Soul will accept of union with him can satisfy either carnal reason or suspitious argmments or consciences accusations 3. The Soul decaying in Holiness is unsutable to examine the evidence of his union in regard the Soul remain under an inevitable an unavoidable necessity to submit to the Judgement that Sense shall pass upon his Soul Now Sense can pass no other Judgemennt upon a Souls estate that is decayed in Holiness but that certainly the evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus that he conceive he had received were delusions Sense can see none of those precious inseparable effects of a Souls evidence of union with Christ and sense can pass no other Judgement unless it be captivated unto the power of Faith 4. In regard there is apparent defect in such a Soul of the proper inseparable effects of the true manifestation to a Soul that it is united to the Lord Jesus The inseparable effects of an evidence unto a Soul that it is united to the Lord Jesus is an heighth of Holiness now when Holiness is decayed Satan can say by a fallacious argument thy evidences of thy union that thou thoughtest thou hadst are delusions indeed dost not see by the effects of the evidences those that have evidences of their union with Christ have their hearts in an adoring admiring frame of God they have their hearts enlarged to the utmost towards God in Christ but thou hast a blockish senselese careless heartless mindless unprofitable Spirit surely thy evidences therefore are delusions Now indeed here is a fallacy in Satans arguments that is hard to be discerned here is a depth of Satan here is one of those cunning devices that most Souls are ignorant of He fails of nothing in his argument but only in time His arguments should have run thus only Souls that have true evidence of their union with Christ whilst those evidences remain they are in an admiring adoring frame and their hearts elivated and enlarged in all kind of Holiness If this had been Satans major proposition his assumption must have been false then he could not have said but thou in that moment and instant when those evidennes were given to the during the continuance of those evidences in their clear light that thou wert united thy heart was not enlarged in all kind of Holiness and taken with a precious admiration of the Lord Jesus 5. In regard the Soul is under an actual provocation of the Lord to a penal suspension of all kind of manifestation unto the Soul either that the Lord would admit him into union with Christ or that he is admitted The Soul he can never discern the truth of his own evidence satisfyingly and infallibly without the manifestation of the same light both manifesting the word to the believing disposition and manifesting the believing act also to the Souls apprehension Now therefore the Soul must needs be unsutable to examine the truth of his evidence of union with Christ while he is actually provoking the Lord to withdraw that blessed Spirit and to suâ—pend his operations unto the Soul Now here is a question necessarily cast in to be opened by the way before we can proceed any farther Que. But will the Soul say if Souls under the dominion of impatiency rashness irrational affections prejudicial conceits against the truth of the evidence of their union with Christ and Souls under decays of Holiness be unsutable for a right tryal of their evidences then what sutable means remain for such Souls under fear that the evidences of their union are delusions Ans First I answer that the only immediate effectual means of redemption of such Souls from such torturing fears suspitions and jealousies that the evidences of their union with Christ are but delusions is a renewed act of confidence in the truth of the Lords word to their particular Souls wherein the Lord doth declare his will to give the Lord Jesus freely to every perishing Sinner that shall accept him to mediate a reconciliation with the Father for him though plunged into the most bottomless depth of Sin The Universal Unlimitted Offer
to apprehend aright any truth from the blessed Word of God propounded to him Even when the understanding of the soul is renewed and some pretious beam of Heavenly Light Communicated to the poor soul so that in a Metaphorical Sence the blind soul became a seeing soul yet there is a necessity also that the same spirit that Communicated the seeing eye to the understanding should also Communicate the seeing of the eye It is necessary that the same spirit that Communicated the Habit should Communicate also the Act the same spirit that gave a Principle of Divine Knowledge to the soul must also act the same Principle of Spiritual Knowledge to make the soul actually know or understand any Spiritual Holy Mystery aright Now then when the Evidences to the soul of its union with the Lord Jesus actually remains then is the mind and understanding of the soul thus actuated by the Blessed Spirit then is the Principle of Holy Knowledge drawn forth into exercise so that the mind is then inabled to discern into the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ thence it appears that the soul can only then take a Righteous Examination of the Evidences of his union 2. In regard it is then only that the soul is Conquerer over the natural Enmity of the Mind that oppose the Minds consent to the truth that doth evidence unto the soul its union The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God Now in the same degree the believing soul remains unregenerate enmity still possesses the believing mind and then only hath the Believer conquest over those reliques of enmity that possess the mind when he hath actual evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus now it is only then when the enmity of the mind against God is brought into captivity to the Law of faith that the Soul is suitable to take the examination of the truth of his own evidences of his union with Christ in regard the mind now is disposed to accept or agree unto those truths of the Gospel from whence the Spirit doth manifest unto the soul its union with Christ 3. In regard it is then only that the Soul understands and believes what the true Celestial Star is from whence those beams of light that do really come from Gods evidence unto a Soul his union with Christ must flow and arise The pretious word of the ever-living God to every lost sinner declaring that his will is to admit every of those Souls that will to be reconciled to himself in Christ is that precious bright orient Star from whence those beautiful beams of light that do or may discover unto a soul his union with Christ must arise Now it is then only when the beams of light shine from the Word perspicuously and clearly unto a soul declaring his will to admit of reconciliation with them through the Lord Jesus that they understand and believe this to be the true Heavenly Star from whence the light that evidences unto them their union must flow 4. In regard It is then only that the irresistible power that those precious beams of light contain in them that do evidence unto any soul really from God its union with Christ is ready to take impression upon the heart The irresistible power that the beams of light contain in them is the Authority of the blessed Majesty of Heaven They are nothing but the discovery unto the Soul that the Lord hath spoken it that it is his will to receive the soul into union with Christ Now this irresistible power of these beams of light only take impression upon the Heart according to the lively actings of holiness in the heart And the lively actings of holiness in the heart are only according to the degree of light the soul enjoys discovering unto it the Lords will to receive him into union with the Lord Jesus So that when those beams of Heavenly light shine most clearly in the most transcendent beauty then is the heart filled with the most lively holy actings then do love and fear and joy and delight working their power and strength And therefore it is only that the Authority of God speaking or declaring any thing to the soul take the deepest impression upon the soul 5. In regard the believing disposition in the will of the soul is only then in exercise in its power and strength The prime evidence unto a soul of his union hath been discovered to you to be only an evidence unto faith and in like manner the prime demonstration of the truth of that evidence must be a demonstration given to faith only Reason must not aspire so high to be the Judge of faiths action Still it must be another act of faith that must pass a security upon the former act of faith So that thence when the believing disposition infused into the will of the believing soul is strongest in exercise then only is the soul suitable to take a righteous examination of the evidences of his union with Christ 2. It is only then when the evidences of the souls union with Christ are clear and perspicuous that it is suitable to take examination of his evidences rightly in regard of the evidences themselves which then only appears in their native self-discovering glory It is the inseparable property of those beams of Heavenly light that shine from the word of God to discover themselves really to be from God even by their own native lustre and glory Those beams of light come forth with the name of God written upon their foreheads so that the believing soul no sooner beholds them but he reads the name of God written upon them now this their native self-discovering glory never appears to the soul but when these beams of light actually remain in the soul in their perspicuity and clearness and therefore when the spirit suspends its influences then the soul cannot behold those beams of light what they are Quest There is another Question that here interposeth it self which must of necessity be answered Believing souls will now reply in this manner If an impartial examination of any souls evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus can be only taken while the splendor and brightness of his evidences remain in the soul then what use should souls make of the evidences they conceive they had received of their union with Jesus Christ when the lustre and orient brightness of their evidences be eclipsed and their commanding power enervated or wounded that their evidences cease to witness unto them their union with Christ In order to the satisfaction of souls in this scruple we shall lay down divers Propositions Prop. 1. First whenever the celestial glory of those pretious beams of light that the Lord vouchsafes to cast into any believing soul to evidence his union with Jesus Christ be dark and those invincible and impregnable demonstrations that the blessed spirit gives unto the souls faith to prove and demonstrate its union with Christ be weakned yet it is
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
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
actings till this mortal shall have put on immortality Fourthly There is a want of an absolute nothingness in the Soul in the precious holy actings of the Soul That vile principle of Self-confidence is so firmly rooted in our natures that when the sanctifying Spirit of Jesus Christ hath had a blessed work upon the unholy heart yet then the bitter root of Self-confidence will be sending forth some cursed sprigs be will sprouting forth in some unholy actings even in the midst of the Souls actings the Soul being never perfectly and absolutely nothing in himself in his holy actings Thence you may observe from your experience an infinite difficulty that you find after great enlargements of heart in a holy duty then to think no better of your selves for the duty It must be a mighty power of the spirit that must draw forth from a Soul at such a time that voice in sincerity saying not I but the grace of God that was in me Now that Light that discovers unto a believing Soul those unholinesses of his whereof the believing Soul is constantly guilty in some degree in all his holy actings is an unseparable attendant upon the Spirit of Light evidencing to the Soul its union with the Lord Jesus There is only the light of the Lords Love in Christ to the worthless nothing-like Soul that discovers the want of pure Love in the Souls actings of holiness It is the vision of the Lords Love unto the Soul that excites and stirs up actings of Love in the Soul unto God So likewise the vision of the Lords Love in Christ unto the Soul enables the Soul to discern the want of pure perfect Love in his Soul unto God It is then when a Soul sees that Love of God in Christ unto his unlovely unspeakable soul that he apprehends deeply that the most superlative actings of his Love are due from him unto God again and then doth the Soul discern the great evil of the imperfection of the actings of his own Love so as to answer the actings of the Lords will out of pure Love only Thence it is when the Spirit of Jesus Christ doth evidence unto it his union with Christ then any slavish workings of fear are tedious and burdensom unto the Soul whereas before the Soul thought those actings of fear if they brought sorth but some Tears to be precious actings but now it loaths them So likewise it is only the Light of the Lords Love in Jesus Christ to the worthless soul that discovers clearly the want of freedom and liberty in the heart in its holy actings Then indeed the soul groans not only for the want of his heart answering the Lords will in obedience and so for want of holy actings but he groans under the want of freedom of spirit in those holy actings also So likewise the want of perfect rest and complacency of the Soul in his holy actings is made manifest only through the light of the glorious Love of the Lord in Jesus Christ to the loveless Soul No Soul can discern matter wherein he may take up a fulness of rest only in obedience to the Lords will till he discerns God as he is in Jesus Christ to his unlovely Soul and therefore the want of the Souls fulness of contentment in the actings of holiness can never be made clearly manifest till the light of the Lords love in Jesus Christ shines upon it yea the lively beauty excellency and glory that is in the bare fulfilling of the Lords holy will only shines clearly to the Soul through the light of the Lords love in Jesus Christ Yea the want of an absolute nothingness in himself in his holy actings is made apparent to the Soul through the light of the Lords Love in Jesus Christ shining upon him Never can a Soul apprehend that all that he is and all that the powers and possibilities of his Soul can perform and infinitely more is due from his Soul unto God till the glorious light of the Lords love in Christ shine upon him It is only when the light of that love shines that the heart says in sincerity to it self what thinkest thou O my heart is due to thee though now thou hast been enlarged by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ in this holy duty Art not an unprofitable Servant not having given to the Lord the hundred thousandth part what thou dost owe to him IV. When the Spirit evidenceth unto any Soul his union with the Lord Jesus sensible free acknowledgements of an infinite disproportion in the most holy actings of the Soul to the Lords holy blessed will are necessarily drawn forth in regard the unholiness that constantly attends in some degree the actings of holiness in Souls are at the same time most cross and opposite to the Souls desires The desires of the soul being but the reachings forth of love and the highest actings of love being the necessary effect of those highest discoveries of the Lords love to the soul thence necessarily the highest desires of the soul are raised to a superlative height after fulness of unity and perfect communion with God in Christ when the spirit evidenceth to the soul his union with Jesus Christ V. When the spirit evidenceth to the soul its union with Christ the spiritual sense of the soul is then most lively The spirit of Jesus Christ being constantly a quickening spirit where he is a comforting spirit the soul being filled with comfort cannot but be filled with life and when the soul is filled with life sense is also lively so that thence the soul at that time is most sensible of his own unholiness and thence necessarily is constrained to acknowledge sensibly the disagreement of his will in his most holy actings to the Lords most holy blessed will 2. The spirit evidencing to any soul its union with the Lord Jesus doth certainly draw forth free declarations from the soul that the least transgression of the Lords blessed will is just occasion of incensing the wrath of God infinitely and eternally against the soul and just occasion of unspeakable perplexipy and grief to the soul So that through this a soul declares that blessed will of God to be so absolutely so perfectly holy that the least opposing of that blessed will might justly deprive him of acceptance Thus you may observe when the spirit of Jesus Christ stirred up the heart of the Church to precious believing Acts Lament 3.22 23 24. then did the same spirit draw from their mouths sensible declarations that the least of their transgressions did justly expose them to the everlasting burning to be consumed in the fire of the Lords Indignation then she cries out It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fails not So likewise in Psal 130.3 when the heart of the Psalmist was up in believing actings then saith he If thou shouldest mark iniquity who shall stand The least iniquity that remains in the most sanctified souls
were enough to cast them down into the everlasting Lake of burning if the Lord should act in justice with them Hence it is that when Jesus Christ draws forth the sweetest believing actings in the hearts of Believers then they are most ready to accept of any chastisement that the Lord inflicts upon them in respect of their transgressions Lament 3.39 So that thence souls enjoying the clearest beams of light from the spirit of light revealing unto them their union with the Lord Jesus are commonly most filled with acclamations against themselves and all their prayers filled with self-judgings and abhorrings Yea likewise hence it is also that believing souls enjoying the evidences of their union with Jesus Christ are filled with those high admirations and that their souls conceive of the love of God in Jesus Christ to them as a mystery unsearchable past finding out either by Men or Angels because then they apprehend the infinite worthiness of those thousands and ten thousands and Millions of iniquity that they have committed to incense the anger of the Lord against their Souls Yea likewise hence also proceed those enlarged desires after the sweetest meltings of heart for sin from those Souls to whom the spirit of Jesus Christ hath certainly evidenced their union with him But as the Scripture testifies to the truth of this so reason testifies that there cannot but be a connexion between the spirits evidencing to the soul its union with Jesus Christ and the souls sense of worthiness for the least transgression to be punished with everlasting indignation 1. In regard the spirits evidencing unto the soul that it is united to Jesus Christ doth declare and manifest to the soul the equity of a perfect subjection of every soul to the Lords blessed holy will When the spirit bears witness to the soul that the blessed Majesty of Heaven is willing to be reconciled and united to poor despicable rebellious wretches to those whose hearts swell with enmity against the Crown of his glory yea when the spirit testifies that the Lord even seeks and sues for the reconciliation with the soul thence it cannot but be clearly manifested to the Soul that is but infinitely equal that a poor rebellious wretch yea such a desperate enemy to his blessed Majesty should consent to what the Lord propounds Now from this manifestation of the infinite equity of a perfect subjection to be given by every soul to the Lords blessed will from thence there is necessarily such deep apprehensions of the infinite injustice and unsearchable depth of unrighteousness and wickedness that is in the least contradicting that blessed will that the Soul conceives every such transgression or disobedience to that blessed will to be infinitely worthy to be punished with infinite and everlasting indignation 2. The Spirits evidencing unto the Soul that it is united unto Jesus Christ doth declare the absolute perfection of goodness in the Lords blessed will so as it manifests every motion of that will to be absolutely transcendently good When the spirit bears witness unto any soul of its union with Jesus Christ it represents God only as a mass of love in Jesus Christ It represents God willing all kinds and degrees of good unto every Soul that will accept it and thence every act of the Lords blessed will is represented to the Soul as absolutely good now by that means every transgression of the Lords will is represented as in opposition to infinite goodness and thence every transgression cannot but be apprehended as a just occasion for infinite wrath and indignation to burn in its fierceness and extremity against the Soul 3. The Spirits evidencing unto a Soul his union with Christ doth necessarily occasion the soul to declare to the honour of God that the least degree of communion with God causes any Soul to participate in some degree of his holiness This the Apostle testifies in 2. Cor. 3.18 That while they did with open-face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord they were changed into the same in age from glory to glory that is they are conformed into the likeness of God while they see the beams of his excellency glitter upon them through the great truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ yea that gradually according as they behold the glory so they are changed also by degrees from glory unto glory from one degree of likeness unto God to another degree Thus likewise the Apostle testifies 1 John 1.5 6. That God is light that is to say that he is holiness itself purely holy nothing but holy and then bears witness that it is impossible for any soul to have the least fellowship with him but we must be partakers of that holiness if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth as if the Apostle had spoken in these words The Lord is so infinitely transcendently holy such an infinite perfection of holiness dwells in him and an infinite averseness to any thing that is unholy that it is impossible any soul should dwell with him but he must participate of his holiness So in 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked So likewise he testifies the same thing again in 1 John 3. 6. Whosoever abideth in him that is united to Jesus Christ hath union and communion with him sinneth not that is he sins not according to the manner that he sinned before his union with Jesus Christ there are other disposition infused into his heart there are some drops of the holiness of Jesus Christ communicated to his Soul through his union with Jesus Christ whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither knows him that is whoever sins in the same manner that he did when he was void of the knowledge of Christ void of union and communion with him whatever he professeth he had not the experimental knowledge of the love of God that joyned his heart to Christ he never had the true vision of the glory of Jesus Christ he hath not so seen him whereby his Soul was transformed into the likeness of Christ And in regard of this that the spirits evidencing unto the Soul that he is united unto Jesus Christ doth necessarily cause such a declaration that the least degree of communion with God cause the Soul to participate of the holiness of God Thence it is First That the sin and transgression of a Soul enjoying the evidence of his union with Christ is so intollerably burdensom This is the reason why souls enjoying the evidence of their union with Christ melt and break so sweetly under the remembrance of any sin that they are confounded in themselves that they loath and abhor themselves in regard the glory of God is so ecclipsed and thence the remembrance of his own sin wounds so deeply because in effect he by sensual formal unworthy walking doth declare that communion with God doth not make him partaker
worthless unlovely sinners by manifesting such an absolute perfection of the love of God in Christ to sinful Souls as that love is subject to no variation alteration or shadow change When the Soul so walks as he declares practically that the rich love of God in Christ to his unworthy Soul is the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever the foundation thereof standing firm and unmoveable like Mount Sion that cannot be moved then doth the brightness of the Lords glorious love shine through the Soul so as the name of God is exalted through it Thus God glorified himself before the eyes of Balak through the mouth of the false Prophet Balaam to give testimony to the unchangeableness of the love of God in Christ to his People Israel by sending that message to Balaam Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should lye neither the son of man that he should repent that is not like the sons of men that his thoughts should change what he hath spoken shall it not come to pass His words concerning his People shall certainly be fulfilled So likewise when the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet Malachie intended to lift up his name in his Peoples hearts Mal. 3.6 he discovers to them his precious thoughts of love concerning them in declaring the coming of Jesus Christ with the blessed effect of it and saith he I am the Lord I change not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed So the Church exalts the name of God by bearing witness to the unchangeableness of his love to her Lament 3.22.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassion fail not Now a Soul manifests the unchangeableness of the Lords love in Christ to his unworthy Soul by its constancy and unmoveableness in that precious confidence of his union with the Lord Jesus that was once raised in his heart by the power of that evidence of his union And doubtless it is for that end that believing Souls might thus exalt the name of God in the unchangeableness of his love towards them that the Lord hath prepared unchangeable Grounds unmoveable Rocks for the feet of their Faith to stand upon he hath added his oath to his word Heb. 6.17 18. That by two immutable things by which it is impossible that God should lye they might have strong consolation that receive Jesus Christ tendered It is for this end that he hath given those unchangeable grounds for faith to build upon 1. That those Ecclipses of the glory of Gods love in Christ in its unchangeableness by the constancy of the actings of Faith might be prevented Surely it was the bowels of the compassions of our tender God in Christ that wrought towards the unlovely Soul that caused him to stoop down so low as to add an oath to his word which gives no security in it self to a Soul more but only a fuller security to our unbelieving hearts in our low apprehensions of God that thereby the precious consolations of his People might not change and it was the ultimate end of God in the workings of those compassions that the glory of his own love might not be vailed by the unconstancy and fickleness of the actings of faith so as Souls should declare by believing when their hearts are filled with holy actings that there was a glorious love in God through Christ to unlovely sinners and when the apprehension of the liveliness of those holy actings in their hearts should cease that then they should again declare that the love of God in Christ is withdrawn again from them 2. That the glory of his love in its unchangeableness might shine forth in its brightness with transparent glory so as the Soul under the saddest defect of holy actings and workings in his own heart might still declare the precious love of God in Christ to his unlovely to be the same sounded upon his own will only which can never be moved The constancy and unmoveableness of the Soul in his confidence of his union with Christ that the evidence of union with Christ begets is always the effect of such a beam of light from Heaven to reveal to a Soul his union so long as the light continues shining into the Soul in its lustre and glory This you may observe of Paul in 2 Cor. 5.5 6. Having received the earnest of the spirit what then we are always confident of everlasting communion with God that is we are confident at all times constantly our confidence is unmoveable Yea doubtless seeing the spirit of light from the spirit of light shining into any Soul is but an act of the conforming office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ it cannot be but that light shining from the Spirit of light to evidence to the Soul its union must necessarily establish the heart in that confidence of his union with Jesus Christ that so long as that light remains the confidence must remain also and that in its power and strength Thus you have the first way opened how the name of God is exalted through a Soul which is by the Souls bearing testimony to the truth of the record that the Lord hath given to his love in Jesus Christ by the souls manifesting the same glory of the love of God in Christ to sinful souls that God himself hath revealed to be in him Secondly God is exalted through the Soul by the souls manifestation that an incomprehensible perfection of purity and holiness dwels in God God hath revealed himself in his word not only to be holy but holiness it self Amos 4.2 The Lord hath sworn by his holeness that is he hath sworn by himself He hath discovered such absolute perfection of holiness to be in him that he hath an absolute unspeakable abhorrency of all that is cross and contrary unto holiness in its perfection Hab. 1.13 yea the brightness of the perfection of holiness dwell in him Exod. 15.11 Now then is the name of God exalted through a Soul when the Soul conceives of God as thus excellent and wonderful in holiness when the Soul declares before the world that his God in Christ is purity and holiness it self Hence it is that the holy Angels are said to cry to the Lord Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts Isa 6.3 and also the office of the dispencers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is described Rev. 4.8 9. by their crying Night and Day without ceasing Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty it is for this reason because the name of God is exalted when there are such manifestations and declarations of an absolute perfection of holiness to dwell in God Now a Soul may manifest this absolute perfection of holiness to dwell in God these three or four several ways I. By a precious sensible acknowledgement of an infinite disproportion and disagreement in his most holy exact exquisite actions when the Soul is most mightily assisted by the spirit of God to the Lords blessed holy
will When a Soul freely declares his righteousness and all the actings of holiness in his heart to be but unholiness compared with the exact perfect holy will of God when it acknowledges with the Church Isa 64.16 That its righteousness is but as filthy rags as a menstruous Cloath all pollution and defilement it self in comparison of that most blessed holy will of God then doth the Soul exalt the Lord by declaring an absolute perfection of holiness to dwell in him And thence it is that confession of sin is necessary for believing Souls though sin be pardoned and though there be large manifestations also of the pardon of sin renewed because those confessions of sin and the large acknowledgements of the vile cursed workings of the corrupt heart and the vast disproportion between the Lords blessed holy will and his unholy will the Soul exalts the name of God by bearing testimony to the perfection of holiness that dwells in God II. By declaring the least aberration or deviation from the Lords blessed will to be just matter of infinite wrath to be executed upon the Soul and just matter of endless perplexity trouble and vexation unto the Soul When a Soul manifests the least stragling wandring thought from God the least indisposedness of the heart to comply with the Lords blessed will to be just occasion for the Lord to let his fiery indignation burn for ever against the Soul then doth the Soul bear testimony to that unspeakable perfection of holiness that dwels in God Then doth the Soul say virtually Thy will O Lord is so perfectly holy that it is infinitely equal that thy will should be obeyed in all things in that thou commandest nothing but is so absolutely and perfectly good that he that neglects obedience to that thy blessed will in the least is worthy to have exact vengeance executed upon him for a cross crooked rebellious-hearted wretch Thus the Church Lam. 3.22 acknowledges it is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Likewise the Psalmist Psal 130.3 O Lord if thou shouldst mark iniquitie who shall stand that is to say Lord the least iniquity if thou dost execute the just desert of it upon any Soul none then should ever stand before thee every Soul should perish to eternity Thus God is exalted through the Soul and mark it this is the use of all those self-judgings that believing Souls are so frequent in the true holy use of it is for this reason that you shall hear believing Souls both publick and private passing the sentence of condemnation against themselves though they know the sentence of condemnation shall not pass against them though their pardon is shared in the Court of their consciences yea when the pardon is most evidently sealed to them then you shall hear them most full of those judgements past against themselves saying we are worthy O Lord to be confounded it were but righteous in our God considered in our selves to make us an everlasting abhorrence to his purest eyes Thus by these self judgings they bear publick testimony to the most exact exquisite perfection of holiness that dwels in God III. By manifesting that the least communion with God in Christ doth necessarily sanctifie any Soul in some degree When a Soul declares practically that it is impossible for any Soul to have communion with God in Christ but he shall participate in some degree of the holiness of God the disposition of his corrupt will shall be changed then doth a Soul manifest a perfection of holiness to dwell in God IV. By declaring that a perfection of conformity to the Lords blessed will ought to be the only satisfying object of the desires of any soul When a Soul manifests practically and apparently that no Soul ought to take up any rest in any degree of holiness less then a perfect conformity to the Lords blessed will Now this perfect conformity to the Lords will consists in three or four particulars 1. When he declares that every Soul ought to will every thing that the Lord himself wills 2. When he declares that every object that the will of the Soul ought to close with ought to be closed with only because God wills it 3. when the Soul wills only that which the blessed Majesty of God wills 4. When the Soul wills every thing in the same manner that God himself wills it Now there are four things to be considered in the manner of the Lords willing any thing 1. Whatever the Lord wills he wills with infinite freedom So that then the perfect conformity of the Souls will consists in the freedom of the Souls compliance with the will of God when he wills what God himself wills and wills it freely according as God wills it 2. Whatever the Lord wills he wills purely he wills it because he wills it 3. Whatever the Lord wills he wills with facilility and easiness 4. In the Lords willing that which is holy his will moves necessarily though yet with infinite freedom It is with infinite freedom that the Lord wills holiness but yet there is such a necessity from the essence and being of God that his will wills holiness only and that he can will nothing else but what is holy Thus when the Soul shall practically manifest that the groanings and thirstings and pantings and breathings of every Soul should never cease till there be this blessed union of wills between God and them that their wills should even move as it were in a circle of holiness as the blessed will of God moves then doth a Soul declare that an infinite perfection of holiness dwells in God and then is God exalted through the Soul Now it remains to be opened that the name of God is exalted through every believing Soul in this transcendent glory of his holiness to whom the spirit doth reveal certainly his union with the Lord Jesus This must appear by the manifesting that the spirit of Jesus Christ in revealing to any Soul his union with Christ doth certainly cause the Soul to walk in those ways through which the name of God is exalted in the brightness and perfection of the glory of his holiness through the Soul I. The Spirit of Christ in evidencing to the Soul his union with Christ doth necessarily draw forth those sensible free acknowledgements from the Soul of an infinite disproportion and disagreement in the most exact exquisite action that ever the Soul performed to the Lords infinite holy will This you may observe in Isa 64. comparing ver 4. and ver 6. saith the Church From the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for them that wait for him that is for the believing Soul for waiting is but an extended act of faith And then under those apprehensions of the unspeakeableness of the Lords Love in Christ to every believing Soul she breaks out but