secondly it evidenceth the sutableness of the satisfaction and that in two things 1. In regard of the things suffered by Christ to give satisfaction Those things every way sutable to what Justice could require from the Soul it self in regard of his sin Two things sin declareth the Soul hath merited to suffer for ever First The Death of the Body wherein sin is acted and committed Secondly The Death of the Soul it self in the separation of it from God which was the chief actor in the transgression of the Law Now the Spirit evidences the Death of Christ a sutable satisfaction in regard of the things suffered by Christ First In regard the humane Body died that stood in the stead of those that had been the transgressors of the Law he took upon him flesh and so died for sin in the flesh in the same nature in the same kind of Body that sin was acted in Secondly In that there was a separation of the Soul of Christ from injoyment of communion with his Father as appears Matth. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That is why hast thou deprived me of communion with thee And though indeed the separation was not eternal yet in regard of the person bearing the separation it was equivalent to an eternal separation One moment of separation was as great an evil inflicted upon such a person as an eternal separation could have been to have been inflicted upon a poor finite Creature 2. The Spirit evidenceth the sutableness of satisfaction to the Father in regard of the sins themselves laid to the charge of Christ in his suffering what Justice could require should be suffered by the transgressor and that both in the kind of sin and also in the degree of sin yea and also in the circumstance of sin too That which was equivalent to all kind of sin was imputed to Christ to be suffered that should have been suffered by transgressors Apostacy from God was imputed to him by being imputed to be a Devil Enmity to God in the highest degree was imputed to him in that he was imputed the Prince of Devils All kind of fighting against God was imputed to him in that he was imputed a Blasphemer and a striver to sit down in the Throne of God himself and an impostor and deceiver So that no kind of sin that Conscience can object against the Soul but the Spirit can and doth evidence at such a time was imputed to Christ and Christ suffered for such a sin that was equivalent to that kind of sin II. In the Spirits evidencing the Lord Christ to have fully and everlastingly taken away all the wickedness of what kind soever from every Soul that shall embrace him it evidenceth the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead This is clear Rom. 8.34 It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again In this the Spirit evidenceth three things to the Soul 1. It evidenceth the Fathers acknowledgment of his own satisfaction for the sins of all the persons that should ever embrace Christ and believe on him The Spirit evidenceth to the Soul Christ having once taken upon him as a surety to bear the transgressions of all that should believe on him having entred into Bond to pay all their debts and suffered himself to be arrested by the Justice of God yea to be carried to the prison of the Grave by the Hand of Justice for those transgressions he must never have come out till he had paid the uttermost farthing And that 's the reason that in 1 Cor. 15.14 the Apostle tells them That their Faith is vain and their Preaching of Christ is vain unless Christ be risen Whence the Apostle noteth That though the Death of Jesus Christ was the matter of sattisfaction to the Justice of the Father for the Justifying of all the persons that Christ sustained yet there is no evidence unto Faith that God the Father is satisfied for those transgressions by the Death of Christ unless Christ be risen 2. The Spirit evidenceth to the Soul Christs own triumphant victory over sin and all the concomitants and consequents of sin Now therein the Spirit evidenceth Christs removal of all kind of sin from every Soul that shall hereafter embrace him in regard he hath now captivated sin he hath got sin under his own power to trample under his Feet and to do with as he please he hath taken sin and tied it to his Chariot wheel as the word imports 3. The Spirit doth evidence in and from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as he was a surety that the Lord doth account his acquittance given to Jesus Christ for sin that was charged upon him to be an acquittance of all those that ever should embrace Christ through believing and also that Christ in receiving that acquittance from God did receive it in the room and in the stead of all that ever should embrace him And thence the Spirit evidenceth to the Soul that the Scripture attributes unto every believer a participation of the resurrection of Christ yea that it attributes to them a Co-resurrection with Christ Col. 2.13 You being dead in your sins hath he quickned together with him that is hath made you partakers of the vertue of his resurrection and raised you with himself and vers 14. Blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross that is Justifying our Souls from all that ever Sin Conscience the Law or the Devil could bring against us III. The Spirit evidenceth to the Soul the Ascension of Jesus Christ to the right Hand of the Father as he was a surety and as he did represent sinners that should receive him to be their Mediator Thus Rom. 8.34 Paul through the Spirits manifestation of Jesus Christ at the right Hand of the Father had such a full evidence as he could make a challenge to the Law and to Sin and Hell and the Devil to bring all their accusations and see if they could lay any thing to his charge Who shall condemn saith he Jesus Christ is gone to the right Hand of the Father Now from Christ's Ascension to the right Hand of the Father the Spirit is wont to evidence these four things 1. That the Lord Christ as a surety for all sinners that should embrace him as their Mediator hath now received an acknowledgment in Heaven that he hath fully taken away all the sins of all that ever so receive him The Spirit brings to the Souls remembrance what welcom as it were Jesus Christ had into Heaven It shews the Soul from such a place as that Psal 110.1 The Father said to Christ when he came into Heaven Well done thou obedient Son sit thou down at my right Hand There are two things observable in that First In that welcom given by the Father there is an evidence that the Father acknowledgeth the work
spirit of Christ complaining to will is present with him but to do is not yet present that when the law of the spirit begins to work the law of the flesh opposeth it by which complaint he doth in effect but breath after a more mighty power of the sanctifying spirit of Christ which might not only beget a compliance in his will to the Lords holy will but might also carry it forth to perfection that might cause his soul not only to bring forth the bud of holiness but the ripe fruit of it and his complaints are but the desiring of a power of the spirit that the Law of the spirit that is the disposition infused by the spirit might overcome the Law of the members that is the corrupt dispositions that were naturally in him so that his soul might be more then conquerer over Sin III. Hence also it is that souls injoyning the evidence of their union with Jesus Christ from the spirit of Christ are constantly enquiring into and searching to find out the secret Iniquities of their own hearts That principle being firmly rooted in them by the spirit of Revelation that discovers to them their union with Christ that a perfect conformity to the Lords will ought only to satisfie the desires oâ— any soul Thence they being always conscious to themselves of a depth of wickedness that secretly possesseth their hearts they are searching after the secret wickedness those vailed and inclosed iniquities that their hearts would even lock up as it were in dark Dungeons that the soul might never discern IV. Hence souls injoyning their evidence of their union with Christ are calling in the assistance of the heart searching God to find out their Iniquities for them According as you shall find David Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts the holy mans meaning is that the Lord should so search him as to make him understand his own heart and to know his own thoughts see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Thus he crys that the eye of the blessed Majesty of heaven might pierce through his heart to discover all his wickedness and contrary walkings to the will of God that then God might send down a conquering power to deliver him from those corruptions and lead him into the path of holiness that is into a full conformity of the Lords blessed will V. Hence it is that souls injoying the evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus are so delighted with the precious heavenly light of the Lords word in its discovery of the Souls unholiness and in its discovery of the Lords blessed will concerning the Soul Surely it was from hence that David in Psal 19.10 was so delighted with the Lords word that he professed it was sweeter than the honey and the honey comb to him because it revealed the pretious will of God to him and discovered his own heart to him and thence was a help to conform his will to the Lords blessed will that was the only satisfying object of his Souls desires VI. Hence it is also that Souls injoying the evidence of their union with Christ are so frequently breathing after the time of their dissolution It is in regard their Souls never attain the fulness of rest that satisfying object of their desires till the time of their dissolution Hence they groan being burdened with iniquity and secretly cry out O when shall I be worshipping of God purely When shall I be free from this body of sin and death that there may be a blessed union of Wills between thee and me that this my vilest corrupt will shall never oppose and contradict thy will more So that it is evident from experience that the spirits revealing unto any soul its union with the Lord Jesus doth occasion the soul necessarily to declare that a perfect conformity to the Lords will ought only to satisfy the desires of any soul Yea likewise it is evident also from reason that the spirits discovery of a souls union with Jesus Christ doth necessarily cause the soul it self to be satisfied with no portion of holiness but a full conformity to the Lords will I. In regard the spirits evidence of any souls union with Christ doth cause the Soul to discern clearly that a perfect conformity and subjection to the Lords will is infinitely due from every creature Whenever that precious light shines from the spirit of revelation into the soul then the soul is filled with such high thoughts of the transcendency of the Lords glory that thence the soul is convinced that every creature in heaven and earth owes absolute perfect subjection to the Lords blessed will Now hence the soul cannot be satisfied with any degree of conformity to the Lords will less than an absolute perfection of conformity and likewise hence the soul is constrained to declare that absolute conformity to the Lords will ought only to be the center whereon the soul should rest II. The spirits revealing unto any soul its union with Christ doth cause the soul to apprehend so clearly the ravishing beauty and unspeakable lustre of the holiness of the Lords will that thence a full subjection and conformity to the blessed holy will appears as the highest thing that can be desirable by any soul That sweetest discovery from the spirit of Christ unto a soul of its union with Christ makes the soul apprehend the Majesty of Heaven to be so cloathed with a garment of love and makes the soul apprehend such a height and depth and length and breadth of love to be in God towards forlorn unlovely sinners that thence the will of God appears in all things to be so good towards poor sinners as the very beauty of it makes a full conformity in that will in a manner infinitely desired by the soul Yea the soul is then so strongly convinced of the absolute goodness of the blessed will of God in all its motions that thence the soul can take no rest nor contentment while his will disagreeth from that purest holy will that is so absolutely good in all its motions III. The spirits revealing to any soul his union with Christ doth establish that blessed principle in the soul that the most superlative happiness of every soul consists in perfect union and communion with God in Christ the unity and community of wills between God and the soul Through the spirits light cast into the dark soul to discover the souls union with Christ the heavenly brightness and glittering resplendent Glory of the Lords goodness so shines round about the soul that thence the soul discerns clearly that that the highest and most supream degree of the happiness of any soul must necessarily consist in the conjunction and communion of the soul with that infinite goodness in the souls nearest and largest participation of it Thence that blessed principle is rooted in the soul that the union and communion of
man cannot walk nor move neither can a dead soul without union with Jesus Christ either walk or move in the least measure So that there cannot be the least step set from one corruption while the soul remains without union I deny not but the Lord may cause the branches of sin to be cut off and the acts of sin to be suspended through the terrours and horrours of the law and fear of the wrath of God but the habit of sin remains the same still and the enmity works as strongly in the bosom against Jesus Christ as before though it doth not appear so much Therefore it is impossible there should be a departing from sin till the soul be brought into union with Jesus Christ much less that it should be acting any holiness or performing any spiritual duty whatsoever Now in regard the Lord requires the soul at the same moment that he receives the Gospel to depart from all iniquity and requires all spiritual duties in their perfection therefore the Lord requires the means to be performed by the soul to yield obedience to the great command that is the receiving Jesus Christ into union 4. There are no degrees tending to the perfection of the union of the soul with Christ nor nothing that can in its own nature tend in an orderly way to the procuring of that union of the soul with Christ I deny not but the Lord may according to his own pleasure use and imploy many things as antecedents going before this union but after the effecting of all these things in the heart that thou conceivest tend in order to union with Jesus Christ the soul is no nearer union than it was before any of these things were effected in the heart The reason is plain there is no medium between union and separation and disjunction The nearest point the soul can stand at is enmity Now all that can be effected in the heart before compleating union takes not away the enmity The soul moralized or civilized humbled and brought to prayer is still an enemy There is but terminus à quo and ad quem the term from which and the term to which without any medium or middle State Nay there is no degree of the union but a soul passeth from a State of enmity to perfect union in one instant in one moment That soul that this moment was an enemy at an infinite distance from God the next moment the Lord coming in by an inevitable light into the understanding and irresistable power into the will is as compleatly united to Christ as any soul in heaven Vse III. The third use is by way of examination to see if the precious Gospel truths have had their effects upon our hearts And to this end search into your hearts to see whether you be united to Jesus Christ Either you are united to Christ or you are not united Either you are sinking in the depths of sin or you are upon the rock Christ and all depends upon the knowing of this Consider these three of four things I. What a cursed stupidity and blockishness 't is not to know whether Jesus Christ be united to thee or at a distance from thee Would we not think that man a block that knows not whether he be alive or dead II. Consider how cursedly thou dost despise the Lord Christ Wilt thou ride an hundred miles to make sure of an earthly estate and shall the great treasure of heaven stand open to thee and either 't is thine or 't is not thine and thou knowest not III. Consider how wretchedly thy soul destroys the vertue of all Gospel Ordinances by disregarding this search While thy soul perseveres carelesly not regarding nor examining whether Jesus Christ be one with thee impossible it is that any of the most powerful Gospel Ordinances should ever convey the least benefit into thy Soul And that in two respects 1. In that thou makest thy self an unsutable subject for every Gospel Ordinance Ordinances have but two ends either to allure thy soul into union or else to seal that union and let thy soul enjoy that blessed fruit thereof Now whilst thou never mindest whether Christ be one with thee or no thou art unsutable for every Ordinance of that kind 2. Thou preventest the efficacy of every Gospel Ordinance upon thy soul What concernment is it of to thy soul when the most precious arguments of love are set forth by the mouth of a messenger of God when thou mindest it not First it prevents the efficacy of all Gospel Ordinances in regard there can be no sense of the want of union while thy soul neglects the search Till the prodigal came to consider he was from his fathers house where there was bread enough he had no desire to return but was content to feed upon husks Secondly there can be no sense of the Lords choosing thy soul into union Though the sense of the want of union be of absolute necessity to every soul before Gospel Ordinances take effect yet this is not sufficient some think there must be a sense of the Lords choosing of the soul before the soul can close in union with Christ and till then there can never be a consent of the will Now how can there be a sense of the Lords choosing thee into union when thou mindest not whether thou beest already united to Christ or no IV. Consider how wrongfully thou usurpest the name of a Christian to thy self when thou regardest not whether union between Christ and thy Soul be made up The name of a Christian at least presupposeth an union of peace then it presupposeth a time when it was made up and if such an union be not made up thou dost wrongfully usurp that holy name to thy self But here may be a Question propounded by the Soul Quest How shall I know whether I be united to Christ or no Or what is it that may evidence the souls union I shall first premise two or three things and then give an answer to the question Premise 1. First I shall premise That the union between the Lord Christ and the Soul may be invisible to the Soul it self Though the marriage knot may be knit yet the soul may not be able to discern it The rational soul is united to the body of a poor infant in the womb while it is a poor Embrio yet the rational soul knows it not through the weakness of the organs by which it should work Thus it may be with the soul It may be begotten to the Lord Christ by his spirit and yet the soul being but a babe in Christ through the imperfection of knowledge may not be able to discern himself united to Christ Premise 2. Secondly I must premise That there may be a true and real union between Christ and the soul and yet the soul may discern many disorders and sad miscarriages in it self when the union was effected or produced in that soul The Apostles themselves at their
first embracing of Christ had strange conceits of a temporal kingdom of Christ and yet no question the union between Christ and their souls was real only through want of clearness of light many disorderly affections were in them which were set in order afterwards Premise 3. Thirdly I must premise also That there is a vast difference to be observed between arguments or confirming signs of union with Christ and evidences of union with Christ Those properly are called evidences that do in their proper nature discover union whenever they are present So that when such things are present the soul cannot question his union with Christ And those cannot properly be called evidences that are not able to clear up union with Christ whenever they are present in the soul Now of that nature are many holy dispositions and holy qualities in the soul that may be present in the soul and not able to clear up the souls union yet these are evidences that may and do clear unquestionably whenever the Lord discovers them The Question you ask is a great question The question is how we shall know our union with Christ That is how we may attain evidences of union our union either being dark or doubtful or else never had clear evidences You that have it do not ask how you shall have it confirmed more and more but how you shall have evidences of your union Now I shall answer First Negatively how you may not Secondly Affirmatively how you may Neg. First negatively how you may not in three or four things Ans 1. First the souls union with Christ cannot be evidenced from any work of the spirit of God that is effected in or upon the soul That is neither by his Illumination Humiliation or Reformation Neither by a restraining work from sin or preventing work of sin or alluring work from sin that the spirit of God hath effected upon the soul All these works are too weak to clear up union to the soul and that upon three grounds 1. In regard all the works of the Spirit upon the Soul that do go before Union may be and are wrought upon Souls that never obtain Union with the Lord Christ As Humiliation sorrow for Sin restraint from Sin some kind of turning the Heart away from Sin some kind of love to the Ordinances of God All those that go before the very instant wherein the Soul is United to Christ may be effected in many Souls that never obtain Union Nay they may be and appear greater in many Souls that never obtained Union than in Souls that attain unto Union with Christ And in regard those works of the Spirit upon Souls are common to Souls that are not United as well as to Souls United thence they are no Evidences of a Souls Union Whatever must evidence Union to a Soul must be proper and peculiar to Souls United that it may be properly said that no Souls that are not compleatly United to Christ can have such a work upon their Hearts Now no such work goes before immediate union but may be common to a Soul never United to Christ For Conviction of Sin and Sorrow for Sin I might instance in Judas In reformation and desire to Ordinances we need go no further than a Wretched Herod Mark 6.20 He heard John Baptist gladly and reformed many things For a Souls Mourning after God apparently we may see it in Esau A Soul out of the sense of want of Union may Mourn most bitterly Now in regard of rhe Commonality of the works to Souls not United as well as unto Souls United they can be no Evidences of Union 2. In regard these works of the Spirit upon the Soul can yield no Divine Witness or Testimony unto the poor doubting Soul Indeed all the works of God Originally are Divine Works and Works of Divine Power yet they have no Power to yield a Divine Testimony Now nothing can be a sufficient ground for the Soul to believe its Union with Christ unless it be a Divine ground The proper object of all Divine Faith must be a Divine ground If it be a Fallible Ground it is a Fallible Faith if an uncertain Ground it is an uncertain Faith if a Humane Ground it is a Humane Faith Now in case upon those grounds as the sight of such works of the Spirit of God the Soul should believe its Union with Christ it should not believe it with a Divine Faith because there is no Divine ground to believe it upon 3. In regard there is no promise of Union with Jesus Christ made by God unto Souls that have these works of the Spirit of God upon them That is no promise to the Soul that is Burdened with Sin or the like I mean thus the Lord doth not engage in any of these promises to Souls that had such and such Works of the Spirit of God upon them that those he would bring into Union and none but those That is because my Soul is burdened with Sin or because the Spirit of God hath now convinced my Soul in this or that manner that therefore I have right to such and such a promise No these Promises are made to Souls in reference to Union with Christ that by Union with Jesus Christ I might have right to these Promises and to the effecting those Qualifications in the Soul too Ans 2. Secondly we cannot evidence our Union by any thing inherent in the Soul That is not by any gracious Quality Habit Inclination or Disposition that is infused from God into the Soul The Graces of the Spirit Communicated to the Soul and dwelling in it are as insufficient to manifest and evidence this interest in Christ as the workings of the Spirit upon the Soul I mean all holy Dispositions and Inclinations that are Communicated to any Soul And that upon these grounds I. In regard of the neer similitude and likeness of Counterfeit Qualities and Graces to all those Holy Qualities and Graces and Habits that can be discovered in a Soul The Devil hath his Artists at work as well as the Spirit of God is at work and there is no precious Jewel of Grace the Spirit frames in the Soul but the Devils Artists can Counterseit a Jewel of as neer Similitude as possible only to delude poor Souls Yea there is such a neerness of likeness in those false Dispositions to those True Precious Holy Qualities as the imperfect sight of the Soul cannot possibly discern the difference when the Union of the Soul is dark As to instance in Poverty of Spirit which is an emptiness of the Soul of all Confidence in it self being nothing in its own eyes Mark what a neer Counterfeit the Devils Artists can make cursed Pride of Spirit so as it can scarce be discerned nay so neer as the Soul commonly mistakes A Soul is convinced of Sin and moved to accept of the Lord Christ tendred Now comes the Devil What such a Cursed Wretch as thou art receive the Lord
soul when the grace of God that is the favour of God to the soul remains obscure and doubtful The truth of graces appears most clearly from their Original from whence they spring from the root upon which they grow in regard other Fruits may have so near a resemblance to them as they cannot be discerned by the eye of the soul that hath so much darkness in it whilst it remains here below But when the original of grace appears when the soul sees his love flowing meerly from the love of God to his soul that even because of Gods love to the soul therefore the soul loves God again it is then that love appears in the soul to be of the right stamp and indeed never till then So that till the love or poverty of spirit or mourning for Sin appear to the soul it self to be that which is the proper effect the proper consequence of the souls union with Christ the soul cannot be satisfied that his graces are of the right stamp Now in regard the effects of grace are doubtful when the grace of God himself to the soul is obscure and hidden Thence it is that the assurance of Faith must go before in order of nature the assurance of knowledge though for the most part not in order of time Now these things considered when you ask how the soul may know his Union with Jesus Christ The question must be concerning this assurance of Faith and not of the assurance of knowledge for you presuppose your selves not to have any union Therefore observe what question you ask you ask how you may gain an assurance of Faith that your particular souls are united unto Jesus Christ Now this question will divide it self into two questions First how souls do attain the first certain infallible evidence of their union with Christ Secondly How souls that do conceive and judge and estimate themselves to have attained their union with Christ may know whether their union be true whether their evidences be right evidences or whether they be delusions The first question must resolve every poor doubting scrupulous soul about his Union But now observe such souls cannot expect satisfaction from me about the union of their souls nor from any thing that man or the Wisdom of man can reveal unto their souls And that will appear in these four respects 1. In regard the producing Faith in the soul is an act of Almighty Power As you may see Ephe. 1.19 When he prays that they might understand the hope of their calling he prays also that they might understand and know the exceeding greatness of his Power to those that believe according to the working of his Mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead It is called a work of the Lords Power and a Mighty Power that is a Power of God as God as an incomprehensible essence For it was no other Power than the Power of God as God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and the Holy Ghost parallels that Power that draws the soul to believe with the Power of the Godhead 2. The producing the consequence of Faith of assurance in the soul is also another mighty work of the Power of God The consequence is the peace and Harmony in the souls bosom the setling of the poor tossed soul in his own wished for Heaven Now the begetting such Peace in the soul is ascribed to the Power of God Isa 57.18 19. He creates Peace Creation is a work that is proper to God alone as he is God as he is the infinite Divine essence Creation is to make something of nothing and therefore beyond the Power of all Creatures whatever 3. It must be a supernatural Divine light that can reveal to the soul the ground of the assurance of Faith Therefore you shall see Ephe. 1.17 18. how the Apostle desiring that those Ephesians might be brought to understand the depth of the Covenant of grace in their souls he prays to God that he would send into their Hearts the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that they might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints What is the hope of his calling That is what are the things hoped for and propounded as the objects of hope in the Lords calling souls You see there is a necessity both of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Not only of a Spirit of Wisdom that is of an habit of Spiritual Life and understanding infused into the soul but of a Spirit of Revelation that there might be a light of Revelation from the spirit to discover those deep hidden things unto the spirit of understanding that the Lord hath infused into the soul Now all the Revelations of man unto your souls scrupulous about your union can reveal no more than an external and outward light to the outward eye of your understanding And thence it is your scrupulous souls can receive no satisfaction about your union from any thing that can be revealed by man unto your souls But I pray mistake not I do not say the soul may not receive any satisfaction through that as a means but rather I affirm that through those Revelations of truths unto the eye of the natural understanding the Lord doth communicate true light into the spiritual understanding The Lord strikes in with the revelation of truths and puts light upon truths and puts light into the soul to receive those truths 4. In regard the Lord hath appointed a peculiar Officer for that end and hath designed that work of satisfying souls about their union for that Officer as peculiar to him alone Thence you shall see the Lord hath given the Officer a name sutable for that end which is the Comforter John 14.26 and commonly he is called as well by that name alone as the Spirit of God Now the office of the spirit is to lead into all truth John 16.13 and it must be truth that is some revelation of the mind of God that must give such souls satisfaction about their union Now in regard of all this it is evident that souls scrupulous about their union cannot expect satisfaction from any thing revealed by any man to their Souls but only so far as the resolution of this question will give them satisfaction and that 's in two things First in revealing to their Souls the insufficiency of their commonly supposed grounds from whence they seek for evidence of their union Secondly in raising their eyes of expectation to the right original of evidences of union We shall now proceed to the answer of this great question How souls attain the evidence of their union with Christ And yet before this question can be answered it will divide it self into theee Branches First from whence or from what ground souls do attain the infallible evidences of their union with Christ Secondly by what means do souls attain the evidences of their union
things being thus cleared the question that the soul propounds cannot stand The question was whether it was not from the sight of the condition to which the promise was made and fulfilled in the soul that the soul did conclude his right to the promise and so had his evidence of union with Christ There being no condition in the whole Covenant of Grace to which God hath made any promise it cannot be that it should be from the sight of any such condition that a soul should have his evidence of his union with Christ But then the question will be resolved into this question Quest But saith the soul Doth not the Lord first reveal those graces that he describes his own people by to be in souls and then through the sight of them clear to souls that he hath given them the Lord Christ out of his own good will alone through the promise And so it must be through the sight of such graces as God describes to be in his people that a soul must see himself to be one of Gods people Answ 1. Now to this I answer First That the Lord doth reserve to himself his own liberty concerning his own particular word from whence he doth reveal to souls infallibly their union with Christ The Lord doth not bind himself from a revealing unto souls their union with Christ by some word describing the Graces of the people united unto Christ nor from some word only inviting souls unto Christ Answ 2. Secondly I answer That the Lord doth not evidence unto souls their union with Christ without the sight of those graces in some measure or degree that the holy Ghost describes the Lords own people by When the Lord reveals his own free gift of Christ to the soul he doth reveal to the soul his willing accepting of Christ so given And that 's all one as if I should say the soul sees his own faith and so consequently doth see such graces to be in his soul Answ 3. Thirdly I answer That the Lord doth never reveal any Graces of the Spirit to any Soul as the ground or cause of evidencing unto the soul his union with Christ There are two things intended in this First That the Lord never reveals those graces in souls to be that which gives the soul right to the promise of the gift of Christ The Lord never manifests unto any soul that because there are such and such holy dispositions or precious heavenly qualities that he hath communicated to him that therefore he is enclined towards him and is willing to confer the Lord Jesus upon him or to accept him into union through Christ But the Lord reveals himself willing to accept souls into union with himself in Christ as they are considered under the notion of poor despicable worthless Souls without the least good disposition or holy inclination that can possibly be imagined in their hearts Secondly The Lord never reveals those Graces in the Soul to be the foundation of the Souls assurance That is the Lord doth not manifest to the Soul that because there are such Graces or such precious habits in his Soul therefore upon the sight of those the Soul ought to believe the Lords free sender and free gift of the Lord Christ to it The Lord doth not make those Graces to be the foundation of the Souls faith So that the Souls hope and comfort should rest upon the sight of those Graces that God should discover to be communicated to the Soul And that will appear in two things First If the Lord should cause the Soul by discovering Graces to be in him to bottom its hope upon the sight of those Graces then should the Graces of the Spirit in the Soul be the object of Faith and so Faith should not be the evidence of things not seen but rather the evidence of things seen Now the Scripture never propounds any holy quality in the Soul to be the object of Faith considering the quality as being inherent in the Soul It is out of all question the Scripture propounds believing without the sight of any of those qualities as that which every soul ought to seek after with his greatest strength John 20.29 Secondly Should the Lord manifest Graces to be in Souls first so as to bottom the hopes of their union with Christ upon the sight of those Graces then the Lord should not settle the faith of such Souls upon an immutable unchangable ground The Spirit it self in all its workings both in regard of the person in whom it works in regard of the manner and time of such workings is well compared by Christ to the wind that bloweth where and when it listeth And so all the graces of the Spirit and the workings of those Graces may be said to be changable things and should the Lord ground the Faith of a Soul upon a changable ground he should walk contrary to his revealed will Heb. 6.18 he hath given two immutable grounds his word and oath the Lords will is there should be everlasting constant unchangable grounds upon which every act of Faith should be built in relation to the Lord Christ that there may be unmoveable and unchangable consolation Answ 4. Fourthly I answer That the Lord may and doth to some Souls reveal Graces to be in them before he doth evidence unto their Faith their Union with Christ The Lord may manifest that there is some poverty of Spirit some broken heartedness for Sin some precious change before he doth assure unto their Faith their Union with Christ But then there are two things to be noted for the clearing of this conclusion First That the Lord doth not reveal the truth of such Graces to be in such a Soul unquestionably so as to enable the Soul to conclude from thence the acceptance of his Soul into Union with Christ The dreadfull storm of fear and terrour that may be risen upon the soul may be much alayed but alas there will be many a wave go over the Soul still Secondly That the evidence of the truth of those Graces in the Soul holds equal proportion with that evidence the Lord gives to Faith of the Souls Union with Christ or of the Lords free gift of Christ to him The evidence of the truth of those Graces and the evidence unto Faith runs parallel together They are dark and clear together holding one equal proportion And therefore untill God assure the Faith of the Soul that he is willing to accept him into union with Christ the Soul hath not an unquestionable assurance of the truth of those Graces that are in his Soul Answ 5. It is not the discovery of Grace in a poor doubting Soul but the discovery of the Lords absolute uncontroulable will to receive a Soul into union with the Lord Christ that is the ground from whence the Souls Faith is assured of his Union with Christ that is the ground from whence the Soul is assured of his Union with him Now this
guide you into all truth and observe why for he shall not speak of himself but whatever he shall hear that shall he speak He shall have a Commission from Heaven as it were to lead them into all truth Now in this guiding the soul into all truth there are two offices that the Spirit of God is designed to First the making known of truth to the soul Secondly the application of truth made known First The making known of truth to the soul It is the office of the Spirit to cast in the precious principles of Spiritual knowledge whereby the soul should be any ways apprehensive of any truth This making known of truth to the soul consists in three things 1. In the communicating of Spiritual light to the soul or in giving the soul a Spiritual eye of discerning We are all like poor Bartimeus born Blind The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit for they are Foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Now it is the office of the Spirit alone to make a precious Eye Salve that may restore spiritual sight to the soul and make it capable of discerning truth Therefore it is said in 1 John 5.20 In Conversion we are said to receive a mind to know him that is a disposition to know him an understanding capable of knowing him 2. The Spirit presents truth to that Spiritual eye tâ—â—t that he hath communicated Therefore in Eph. 1.17 The Apostle prays for a spirit of wisdom and revelation Not only a spirit of wisdom that is an internal spiritual habit of spiritual light to discern truth But a spirit of revelation also that is of manifesting the truth unto the Soul 3. In making known spiritual truths the spirit of God removes all impediments that do prevent the discerning of truths presented Though the spirit gives eyes and presents truths there may be such impediments between the Souls eyes and the truth that may prevent the Souls discerning There may be some films or some corrupt humours some film of lust or selfishness that may hinder the sight of the truth Secondly The Spirit makes application of the truth known The first truth that God discovers to a Soul which is his own sin his guilt and danger of condemnation must as well be applied to the Soul by the Spirit as revealed to the Soul by the Spirit Therefore John 16.8 The office of the Spirit is to reprove or convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment to make it clear to the conscience of every particular man that there is a judgment for him that he is one of those sinful wretches that believe not That the Spirit also must make this application will appear in two things 1. In that there should be an equal and proportionable sense of the effects of Sin and Wrath according to the measure and degree of every sinners understanding sin and wrath If it were not the Spirit alone that did make application of the truth made known it could not be then but so far as every Soul did understand what Sin and Wrath was the effect both of the knowledge of Sin and of Wrath would remain in such a heart But alas experience enough teacheth us that many sinners that have large knowledge of the nature of sin and of the consequences and effects of sin which is Wrath and condemnation yet have not the knowledge of this effect in the least manner The effects are two Condemnation in the Souls Judgment Horrour and anguish in the sense of condemnation He that understands sin rightly in the least degree understand it to be damnable therefore the effects of it must needs be condemnation in his own Soul But nothing is more common than for men to confess every sin to be damnable and to confess themselves to be sinners but far off from drawing a sentence of condemnation They will be sure enough of the conclusion though they conclude sin to be damnable yet they will not conclude themselves to be in a damnable condition So if you look upon the second effect that follows the knowledge of Sin and that 's Horrour and Sense of the dreadfulness of that Condemnation Though it may be sometimes a soul goes so far as almost to conclude it self to be in a Damned condition yet far is it from letting it take effect upon his heart so as to lie heavy upon his heart as an intolerable burthen Therefore it is plain not only the revealing of the truth but the application of truth revealed depends upon the Spirit of God The Spirit must say here is thy Sin and yonder is the Pit of Misery before a man can apply those truths to his own soul 2. It must be the Spirit of God that makes the applicationâ— in regard the Terrours and Horrours for Sin are appropriated by the Scripture to the Spirit and to his work alone Whence you shall see Rom. 8.16 Fear is said to be the work of the Spirit of Bondage You have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear that is the Spirit of Bondage again working Fear and Anguish and Vexation of soul in respect of the guilt of Sin 2. The Spirit alone must be the principal efficient cause in evidencing to the soul from the promise his union with Christ in regard of the Spirits particular and peculiar office that it is appointed unto by Jesus Christ The Spirit hath its office and that is to Comfort and Refresh the souls of the peculiar ones of Christ Hence the name of the Spirit is the Comforter John 16.17 Now this being the peculiar office of the Spirit of Christ to comfort those that are the the Members of Jesus Christ it must needs be that that must needs be the principal Instrumental efficient cause in revealing to the soul his union with Christ in the promise And that will appear in two things 1. In regard the Word of promise alone is the ground of all Consolation unto the souls Faith Now the Spirit should give souls but small comfort could he not give them Comfort unto Faith did not the Lord reveal the everlasting Inheritance to be theirs everlasting Union and Communion with Christ to be theirs and then let them see Holiness in them to be a drop of the Inheritance that the soul shall feed it self with to Eternity the Comfort were but small 2. In regard it must be by appropriating the thing promised that the promise is able to afford any Consolation There must be two things for the soul to receive comfort from the promise Propriety and Security The Soul must see propriety or else no love at least no satisfaction to the heart and while there is not the satiating of the soul there is no comfort Comfort is the content the soul hath in beholding his desired satisfaction Now whatever the soul sees it satisfieth not till it hath a propriety in it And till there be a security
in that propriety he is not satisfied fears and doubts arise of losing it again Could the soul see union with Christ unless the voice say thus I am thine and will never separate from thee it would give no true comfort The soul would be more afraid of the loss of that happiness then rejoyce in the present good injoyed 3. It will appear in regard there is nothing sufficient to evidence to the soul his union from the promise satisfyingly but the Spirit There must be an equal authority in the revelation to the soul of his union with Christ to that that was in the revelation to the soul of his Sin Guilt and Subjection to everlasting Damnation before the soul can receive any satisfaction or any true freedom from those dreadful Horrours that possess a soul upon the true revelation of his dreadful estate of Sin Wo and Misery Now its apparent that it is the Spirit of God alone that reveals with Power the Condemnation of the soul through his own Sin And therefore unless the Spirit of God should come again with another voice which hath as great a power to pronounce the absolution of the soul from Condemnation through Christ the soul could never receive any satisfaction nor be free from receiving the sentence of Condemnation in himself IIII. The Scripture it self testifies that it is the proper peculiar office of the Spirit I need quote only that one place Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God When he would rise to the highest evidence he rises to that the Spirit of God Witnesseth with our Spirit There are two or three things in the Text that will clear it that it must be meant the special operation of the Spirit it self and that by a special peculiar application of the promise 1. It is said it is the Spirit it self Intimating it is not the gifts of the Spirit nor the graces of the Spirit as sometimes the Spirit is taken in Scripture But in a way of distinction from graces he puts the Emphasis upon it the Spirit it self that Witnesseth with our Spirits Intimating that it is the person of the Spirit whose office it is thus to Witness to the soul 2. He puts it as a distinct Witness it Witnesseth with our Spirits 3. It is by particular application It Witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the Sons of God It Witnesseth Adoption Now we cannot believe our Adoption without the Witness of the Spirit and that from a Word and therefore that can be nothing but the application of the promise to the soul Thus you have the second question opened that is by what means a soul doth receive the infallible evidence of his union There is a third question Quest 3. In what manner doth the soul receive the first infallible evidence of his union with Christ It was concluded from the first Question That the absolute promise of God receive any Poor Despicable Loveless Forlorn Soul that would into Vnion with the Lord Jesus was the first infallible ground of the Souls evividence of union And it was eoncluded that there were various means that did concur together to inable the soul to receive his union from this absolute promise Though there was one immediate means that works in the promise assuring the Souls Faith in the promise that he is united to Jesus Christ The Question now remains how this means doth produce this end Or how the Lord worketh in and through these means to make the absolute promise efficacious and effectual to manifest to the poor doubting soul his Vnion with Christ For the opening of it I must premise something for the right understanding of it and then lay down the answer to it in positive conclusions Prem 1. First I must premise That all the Influences that any means whatsoever do contribute unto the evidencing unto any doubtful soul his union with the Lord Christ only produce the same kind of effects in that soul that doth receive the evidence of his union with Christ As suppose it is through seeking the face of God in prayer that the Lord doth at one time bring to mind the absolute promise in the clearness of light it holds forth and makes application of that promise for the satisfying of the soul about his union with Christ And suppose another time the Ministry of the Word is appointed by God for the effecting of this end Still there is the same effect begotten by these various means whereby the soul is inabled to receive the evidence of his union Prem 2. Secondly I shall premise That all the Influences that any means do contribute for the evidencing from the promise the souls union with Christ are comprehended under the Influences of the spirit of God alone So that the efficacy of the word or of prayer or any ordinance towards the effecting of that blessed end in the soul may properly be said to be the efficacy of the spirit of God in regard those means contribute not the least in themselves otherwise than the spirit of God imploys them as his own instruments for assuring to the soul his faith in Christ from the promise Prem 3. Thirdly I must premise That in regard of the manner of the working of the spirit of God for assuring the souls faith of union in the promise that the spirit of God hath not limited himself to any constant particular order in assuring unto souls their union with Christ from the promise The spirit of God is truly the spiritual wind that blows where and how it listeth There is no limitation propounded in the word whereby it should appear the spirit should bind himself to work in the same order in all souls to evidence to them their union with Christ And in like manner the spirit of God hath set no bounds to himself of any degree of those effects that it doth produce to souls whereby the promise is made efficacious to assure to the souls faith his union with Christ but it works variously in the heart Prem 4. Fourthly I must premise that the explication of the manner of the Spirits working in assuring to the Soul from the promise his union with Christ to the full and life of it is altogether unspeakable and inexpressable Surely that in 1 Cor. 2.9 is meant only of those Gospel joys that are the effects of this union that eye never saw nor ear never heard neither did it ever enter into the heart of man as man to conceive the things that God hath laid up for those that love him And likewise well may that place be applied that no man knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 12. Neither doth any man or Angel know those secret discoveries of the Lords mind and opening of his heart to the Souls Faith whom he doth assure from the promise that he is united unto Christ Prem 5. There is a fifth premise Though the Spirit of God
the union Between the act and the object there must be a Similarity a kind of likeness and neer Similitude and Relation 2. Jesus Christ considered in his personal excellency in his precious Beauty and Glory is rather the object of Love than the object of Faith that is the object of Assiance and Dependance Christ is not properly to be depended upon as he is Holy but as he is appointed by God as a Rock to lay the hope of Salvation upon that is as a Mediator and Saviour II. It appears it is a Principle of Darkness In regard the most special access of Souls unto Christ is as he is a Saviour unto souls The most pressing arguments that are prest upon souls to constrain them to come to Jesus Christ are that they might come for Salvation You shall see it in that Declaration of the Commission of the Apostles themselves 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Now we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye Reconciled to God As if he should say thus God hath appointed his Gospel that we should go out to poor rebels to invite them to come and accept of propositions of peace And you see the reason of this v. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him That is that we might have the righteousness that God doth convey through him And in Heb. 7.25 you shall see what is held forth to be the office of Jesus Christ now in heaven He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them I pray observe it here is the lowest act of faith expressed coming to God by Christ and you see the coming is for Salvation 3. Christ considered as a Saviour is primarily sutable unto souls Christ in his personal excellency is sutable unto Angels and Angels will count it their glory to have him their Head and be married to him as a Spouse But it is only as he is considered as a Saviour that he is primarily sutable unto Souls here below in regard the first thing that is necessary for such Souls is Salvation And thence you shall see it is the name that God puts upon him his name shall be called Jesus a Saviour and the reason is why For he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 So that it appears this is another principle of darkness to perswade souls not to come to Jesus Christ for Salvation Yet there are two things to be observed here 1. That many excellencies that are contained in the person of Jesus Christ by vertue of the hypostatical union of the humane nature with the second person in the Trinity may have efficacy upon a soul to allure him to come God may let the beams of his beauty so shine forth as may ravish the heart in his coming and though primarily the Souls faith is established upon him as a Saviour yet his love may at the same time close with all the excellencies of Jesus Christ 2. The love of the personal excellency of Jesus Christ is an infallible consequence of the Souls coming to Christ and flows and proceeds from the Souls receiving the Lord Christ as a Saviour though there be no such true love before coming to Jesus Christ for Salvation The fifth Principle of Darkness is That there must be a proportion between the Souls sorrow for sin Principle of darkness and sin it self before it may apply the promise of Jesus Christ Saith the Soul it is common among Divines to lay down this principle That a Soul must drink so many buckets full of the tears of repentance as he hath drank of the stoln waters of sin And to this purpose saith the soul you shall see that great sinners had always great sorrow Those that were the murderers of Christ Act. 2.36 37. were pricked at the heart they were much wounded before they had a promise applyed to to them So it is observed saith the Soul that Paul that was formerly Saul being a notorious sinner a blasphemer a murderer of the Saints he was filled with abundance of sorrow before God applyed comfort to him Act. 9. compared with Rom. 7.11 Sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me So Luke 7.36 37 The woman that was a great sinner and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinner the woman that was a sinner Say Divines every one is a sinner but this woman is called a sinner by way of eminency passing the ordinary degree of sin now this woman had great sorrow v. 38. before she received any word of pardon from Christ she wept and washed his feet with her tears As she drank in buckets full of sin so she wept buckets full of tears Now that this is a principle of darkness I shall make it clear thus 1. That there is an impossibility that there should be any proportion between a souls sorrow for sin and a souls sin Every iniquity is a transgression that hath a kind of infiniteness in regard of the object against whom it is committed which is against the infinite God Now the sorrow of the soul can never rise thus high because it can never be so sutable to the will of God as the other was directly contrary to his will So that you must understand the meaning of all Divines to be this as some of them distinguish it not that there should be an Arithmetical proportion but a Geometrical proportion between sin and sorrow That is not that there should be a proportionable sorrow to sin but the greater sorrow where there have been the greatest sins 2. It appears In that the Lord hath left himself to his liberty in the afflicting Consciences for sin before and in and after Conversion God is a free agent and according to his own pleasure he fills one soul with greater degrees of honour and terrour and lets him lie longer under woe and anguish before he give him any quiet of spirit He strikes one soul to death with the keen arrow of compunction shoots at the heart of him whereas he lets another sinner be set upon the rock higher than himself some souls God doth prick their hearts with a needle and others he puts a sword to them like a Chyrurgion that lanceth one sore above another and yet brings both to a perfect cure You read of nothing in Lydia but only the Lord opened her heart And Paul was struck with trembling and astonishment You read of nothing in the Jaylor but crying out what to do to be saved being in fear of perishing and presently God gives him joy in believing and calms his spirit 3. In regard there is no command nor injunction from God that a soul should attain the least degree of sorrow for sin before he should dare to apply the Lord Jesus and
and Afflicted in Conscience but it is only to such as are truly afflicted that is such whose Hearts are truly Broken and truly Contrite Isa 66.2 Now herein are two mistakes to be observed 1. That though it should be true that the promises of Life and Salvation are made only to such as were thus Broken and Contrite the contrary to which you have heard formerly opened yet first the tender of the promise of the gift of Jesus Christ is made to souls that have not the least degree of Contrition nor the least degree of Sorrow That is to say the Lords Declaration of his Will to receive every soul that will into union with Jesus Christ is as well propounded to souls not having the least degree of Contrition in their Hearts as it is to those that are the most Contrite and the most Broken 2. If the promise of Life and Salvation were made only to those that were Contrite yet that Contrition could proceed from nothing else but the particular application of the Lord Jesus to himself All fulness is appointed by the Father to dwell in Christ and whatever grace the soul receives must be an Influence that flows down from the grace of Jesus Christ III. There is a third ground and that is this That it is for the Glory and Honour of God and for the advantage of the soul that it should lie under affliction of Conscience and under the Burden of his Sin some time before he doth apply the Lord Jesus Here I must Premise one thing and that is That the Glory and Honour of God is the result of all his ways to his people The Lord being the Fountain of Wisdom cannot work without an end And his own self alone that is the manifestation of his own Glory is the highest end Therefore of necessity in all the ways of God that end must be attended This Premised I answer That properly and by it self the souls lying under the Spirit of Bondage or affliction of Conscience for Sin is neither for the Glory of God nor for the souls advantage It is ordinarily concluded that the soul lying under the Spirit of Bondage doth make for the manifestation of the Glory of God 1. In the Glory of his Justice to the Soul Saith the soul it makes much for the magnifying the Justice of God in the eye and Heart that the soul hath deserved according to justice to be plunged into the everlasting Pit of Wo that he is liable to all the dreadful Torments that the Wisdom of God can invent against such a cursed Rebel for breaking such a Righteous and Holy Law And it magnifies justice also in the eyes of others when others shall see that those souls do acknowledge themselves that they did expect nothing according to the strictness and of justice but everlasting Wrath and Indignation 2. That it doth make for the magnifying of God in his mercy Say they it makes mercy more sweet to the soul and more highly to be prized by it when the spirit of bondage hath lain upon the soul and afflicted the conscience for a time Now though at first view it should seem thus yet properly the afflicting the soul for sin that is the spirit of bondage working fear and terrour for sin doth not magnifie God neither in his justice nor mercy First It doth not magnifie God in his justice properly And that will appear because the magnifying of the justice of God in the heart of any is only by causing it clearly to apprehend his own infinite worthiness to lie under the wrath and indignation of God to all eternity Now the soul is thus made apprehensive of his worthiness to have the utmost justice of God executed upon him only through receiving the Lord Jesus tendered There are two things that must necessarily concur to make up this apprehension of his worthiness to have justice executed in his utmost indignation upon him and so consequently to make justice to be sanctified in any soul 1. A spiritual discerning to behold the nature of sin Now this must be received from Jesus Christ and that by infusion of influences from Christ to the soul by vertue of union between Christ and the soul A spiritual object cannot be discerned in the spirituality of it but by a spiritual eye Now both the justice of God and sin when looked upon aright it must be by a spiritual eye that is sutable to apprehend such an object 2. There must be a discovery of the dimensions of sin that is the height length and breadth of it before there can be a sanctifying the justice of God in the heart Now the dimensions of sin are only discovered to the soul through the application of the Lord Jesus tendered Till the soul seeth the right object against whom sin is committed he never seeth sin in the heinousness and abominable wickedness of it Now the soul never apprehends God aright till he beholds him in Jesus Christ as the object against whom he hath committed all his wickedness So that the aggravations of a souls sin appearing only from the right apprehension of Jesus Christ thence it appears it doth not make for the glory of the justice of God that the soul should lie a time under affliction of conscience for sin in regard the Justice of God is more exalted and magnified in the heart in one moment in the right application of the Lord Jesus than it can be in twenty years should the soul lie under the affliction of conscience all that time not applying the Lord Jesus to himself Neither can the justice of God be more magnified in the eyes of others in case the spirit of bondage lieth upon it for a season before the tender of Jesus Christ more than it can by the application of that tender immediately as soon as he is tendered The justice of God is magnified before others only by discovering before them his thoughts of himself of his own unworthiness and desert according to justice to be everlastingly tumbling up and down in the gulf of wo and misery Now the clearest apprehension of the unspeakableness of his own unworthiness proceeds only from the tender of Jesus Christ to his soul Secondly Hence also it necessarily follows That the name of God is not properly magnified in his mercy in the soul that partaketh of it by the spirit of bondage working upon the heart for a season before the application of the Lord Jesus to the soul The more clearly the soul apprehends its own wretched rebellion and cursed trechery against the Crown of the Lords glory the more clear is the Lords mercy manifested to the soul Now this is made more apparent by the application of the Lord Jesus to himself than it could be though the soul could discern the dreadfull everlasting burnings Nay if he could discern by a sense and feeling the justice of God reaching of him though he were in hell for a season and should partake of
to crediting what God propounds by these means 1. The spirits represents the expressions of the Lords love to the soul in the latitude and fulness of them It makes it appear to be so full so compleat and perfect a love as there is not the least imaginable cause of jealousie And surely this is the very intention of the Spirit of God in so often heaping up expressions upon expressions in setting out the love of God in Christ the Spirit of God doth even rise to the highest kind of expressions that is possible in this way for this end seldom names the grace of God that is to say the love of God but he calls it riches of grace nay abundant riches and the exceeding riches of his grace 2. The Spirit in this case reveals the Lords strong confirmation of all those expressions of his love The Spirit reveals how the Lord hath bound himself to the performance of all those expressions of love in the latitude and fulness of them to every Iota and point to the least tittle 1. The Spirit reveals the Lords promise of faithfulness in the expression of his love Then in Hos 2.19 God tells the Church I will betroth thee unto my self in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies 2. The Spirit reveals the Lords confirmation of it by his own hand writing All the Scriptures are given as the hand writing of himself only for the manifestation of the sincerity and integrity of the heart of God in the love he intends to Souls The very end of writing all the Scriptures is primarily to draw Souls to believe and secondarily to believe gradually more and more to perfection till they come to this full assurance of Faith The whole Scriptures of the Lord and New Testament are but one blessed letter of love sent from heaven by God written by the blessed Secretary of heaven the blessed Spirit of God The Inscription is nothing else but this My love to poor loveless rebellious souls through my dearly beloved Son the Lord Jesus The whole matter is nothing else but this Come in and embrace my love 3. The Spirit reaveals that the Lord hath added his oath to it Heb. 6.17 And this he doth that the soul may receive the strongest consolation from the Lords intentions in the reality of his love 4. The Spirit reveals the Lord hath confirmed it by Witnesses 1 John 5.7 8 9. The glorious Trinity the three persons in one Essence they are Witnesses to it Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are Witnesses in Heaven and the Water and Blood are Witnesses on Earth 5. The Spirit reveals that the Lord hath confirmed it by Seals The common broad Seals I mean the Sacraments that are outward Witnessing signs or Confirming signs of the Lords intentions of love to Souls in the Lord Jesus What is the Lords Supper but a meer confirming sign to confirm the Soul in believing the Faithfulness of God and his loving Souls in Jesus Christ To witness to the Soul thus much that as surely as he seeth the Bread broken as he seeth the Wine poured out so surely did the glorious God of Heaven and Earth send the Dearly Beloved of his own Soul cloathed with an humane nature to have his Body broken and his Blood poured out that thereby there might be an union with himself for such a rebellious Soul Nay the Lord hath given his privy Signet which is the Seal of his own Spirit that his Spirit should assuredly Witness and Seal up unto Souls his love in receiving them into Union with the Lord Jesus 3. The Spirit reveals the nature of God himself to the soul It is not the knowledge of what God hath said but the knowledge of what God is in himself that causeth the soul to trust in him Psal 9.10 They that know thy name will trust in thee That is they that know the Lord indeed while the nature of God is unknown unbelief of necessity bares rule in every Soul 4. The Spirit of God reveals the Lords removal of all causes of suspition or Jealousie whatever concerning the Lords faithfulness and love There are but two general grounds of Jealousie First Some experience of the unfaithfulness of God Now the Spirit hath prevented the least imaginary ground this way in regard the Lord hath never failed in performing to the uttermost all the love he expressed hitherto Secondly The second ground of Jealousie must be some fear of the Lords taking dislike of the Soul because of the Souls unfaithfulness to God Now the Spirit of God reveals to the Soul the Lords removal of all grounds of suspition by shewing the Lord intends not to take any mislike from loving of souls whatever imaginary wickedness the Soul should commit against him That is the Spirit reveals the Lords declaration of passing by the treachery and filthiness of the Soul or remembring its iniquity no more That is the Spirit reveals the Lords constant acceptance of Souls after treachery without respect to the treachery to diminish his love for it Jer. 3.1 5. And lastly The Spirit of God reveals the Lords pressing urgent perswasions invitations and commands to a fulness of confidence of all the love to poor Souls that he hath expressed to them Thereupon the Spirit comes to argue thus Wilt thou not trust the Lord that knows his own love and compassions best of all He alone knows himself and thou art not able to comprehend him The light that thou hast is but a small spark saith the Spirit of God to that great light that dwels in him and wilt thou trust to thine own spark of light rather then to the fountain of light Hereby in all these ways the Spirit of God removes this Jealous Distemper plucks out this Beam from the Souls Eyes and brings the Soul into a precious believing frame This is the First part of the Fourth Distemper that the Spirit of God must remove and that is the Jealousie of God There is a second Branch of this Jealousie or a second way how this Distemper of Jealousie works and that is as it works towards the Souls own heart The Devil endeavours to make the Soul Jealous of his own heart and would have him suspect that his own wicked heart cannot receive the will of God rightly and to make it fear it should close falsly if it should think of receiving the blessed will of God This Distemper of Jealousie is hardly healed because it hath so strong a hold it comes under the shape of Godliness It hath a pretence of the greatest sincerity and integrity that is possible it tells the Soul it is a sign of sincerity to be jealous of its own deceitfulness it tells the Soul it were a sign of presumption if it were not jealous This Distemper we shall endeavour to discover and for the clearing of it you must conceive that I do not condemn all jealousie in a Soul There are divers kindes of Jealousie that the
disproportion a Soul finds out between himself and other Christians his Graces and their Graces his Duties and their Duties are made a sufficient ground for the Soul to draw a final conclusion of his own estate from As thus when a Soul argueth in this manner I see there are none of those pretious workings of the Spirit of God in my Spirit that I behold and see apparent are in the Spirits of such and such Christians they have their Hearts so powerfully drawn by Jesus Christ to close with him in a way of union that they are inabled by a mighty power from God to believe but saith the Soul I do not find that God draws my Heart and comes with a mighty power to constrain my Soul to close with the Lord Jesus tendred and therefore surely God never intended good to my Soul That this is a dark and sinful distemper will appear in divers things for there may be many disproportions between one Christian and another that are not sinful disproportions 1. There may be a disproportion without a mans sin in the manner and order and degree yea in the very Being of all the workings of God in the Soul before the actual union of the Soul with Christ by any act of believing First There may be a disproportion in the fear of Conscience that other Christians have had upon them before their actual consent to the Lord Christ tendred and the fear of Conscience that thou hast hitherto had Secondly A disproportion may be in the grief of mind for sin that other Christians have had upon them for sin before their union with Christ and the grief of mind thy Soul hath hitherto had upon thâ—â— Thirdly There may be a disproportion in the effects that fear of Conscience and grief of mind do naturally produce in Souls As doubtfulness and multitude of scruples and objections against thine own Soul These indeed are the common effects that grief of mind and the fear of conscience produce And there may be a great disproportion between thy doubtings and the doubtings of other Christians and yet no sin neither as appears in this because neither fear of Conscience nor doubt of mind nor scruples and objections against the Soul do in the least commend any Soul to God As all things are sin before union with Christ so is the fear of Conscience and grief of mind sin and all those doubts and objections sin and therefore have not the least vertue in them to commend a Soul to God 2. There may be a disproportion in the degrees of Grace without sin First There may have been a difference in the time of the growth of his Grace and the Graces of others by which he measures himself It may be he yet remains but a green tender plant in the House of the Lord and measures himself by an old flourishing green Olive in Gods house Secondly There may be a difference in the helps and means of growth The field is not blamed because it is not so fruitful as the garden when the garden is daily watred and dressed 3. There may be a disproportion in the actings of Grace and yet no sin First In regard there may not be the same necessity to occasion to act Grace in thee that is in others The occasions are like the Wind to the Ship that set the Ship a going They are but the heavenly Winds as it were that blow upon Grace that set Graces a working and various Graces must and ought to work according to the variety of occasions Now according to the necessity of the Soul so God binds himself in Covenant to provide for the Soul Secondly The Graces of other Christians may be acted by an extraordinary influence of the quickning Spirit of Christ I call it extraordinary in regard it is that which is not common at all times to all Christians that have some of the influences of the quickning Spirit of Christ so that by some extraordinary gale from Heaven his Graces may be acted and through thy want of those quicknings of the Spirit of Christ thy Graces may not be so acted and yet not sin Thirdly There may be a difference in the outward excitation and quickning unto the actings of Grace A Soul stands not only in necessity of the inward breathings of the Spirit of Christ but of the outward excitation too in regard it is through the outward excitation that the Lord hath appointed those inward breathings of his quickning Spirit Now if other Christians by whom thy Soul do measure it self should injoy more excitations that is that they have more Bellows blowing upon Grace in their Hearts than thine though there may be difference in the acting the bare disproportion may not be thy sin Secondly There may be many sinful disproportions that yet destroy not the Being of the Souls union with Christ 1. There may be a disproportion in Faith it self First There may be a want of most of the highest and excellent operations of Faith and yet not the Being of union destroyed Secondly Faith may be oppressed with doubting and distrust and yet not be suppressed Thirdly There may be the want of almost all stedfastness stability and constancy in the acting of Faith so that a Soul can seldom keep his Heart in a believing frame one moment and yet that sinful defect may not nullifie the union with Christ 2. There may be a sinful disproportion in all the Spiritual life of the Soul and yet the union with Christ hold That is all the principles of Spiritual motion towards God may be unactive when thou seest others full of life and activity and yet this sinfull disproportion doth not destroy the union Now it appears to be a sad distemper thus to measure the Soul by others 1. In regard there is such a disproportion between the one and other Christians that can possibly be found out discovers nothing but the heinousness of the Souls sin in its neglect of union with Christ Now from hence to conclude God intends no good to the Soul is contrary to the blessed will of God revealed Isa 55.7 where God hath promised abundantly to pardon to multiply to pardon 2. In regard when the greatest disproportion between the one and other Christians is found out yet thou art one of those that Jesus Christ now comes to woo and perswade and beseech to be one with his Father Now I shall shew you the grounds of this distemper upon which it is built or whence it arises in Souls I. It is commonly built upon this principle That the Lord maintains a proportion in his Gifts and Graces unto his people Now what a dark blind principle is this For the clearing of it 1. You must conceive the Lord doth equally dispense to all his peoples Souls all kind of Graces He leaves suitable dispositions in the Heart to yield obedience to all his blessed will Thus far the Lord proportions Grace but then the Lord doth not proportion the
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
the evidencing to them from the promises their union with Christ and that is the manifestation or Irradiation of the promise it self or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ There are two ways how the Spirit doth reveal any thing to a Soul The 1. is by infusing of divine light The 2d is by manifesting the object to that divine light It is not sufficient light communicated to the faculty of discerning that inables it to discern a thing presently but there must be also an enlightning and manifesting of the object to be discovered unto that light communicated The most acute Eye that is of the greatest perspicuity and clearness can discern nothing any further then the things themselves are presented to them So that the Spirit in evidencing to the Soul from the promises must cast as it were beams of light some kind of holy rays from the promise it self upon the Eye as well as light into the Eye to discern the light that is cast upon the Eye That 's the reason that a Soul at one time shall discern the very Heart of Christ towards him in the promises or in the Gospel and at another time looking upon the same Word the same promise with the same diligence and yet it not so much as giveth a sufficient ground for an imperfect hope or an act of Faith in way of adherence and this is from a different manifestation of this Irradiation of the Spirit unto the Soul Now this manifestation or Irradiation doth consist in two things 1. The Spirit presents the Gospel or the promises to the Soul We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 There must be as well an application of the object to the Eye as an application of the Eye to the object and yet both must be also by the Spirit of God Therefore John 14.26 it is put as a part of the office of the comforting Spirit or the evidencing Spirit to bring the pretious things that Christ had spoken to his Disciples to their remembrance again 2. The Spirit doth evidence the promise or the Gospel that it hath presented to the Eye It brings it to remembrance and then opens it and reveals the very nature and intent of it You must conceive there is a twofold evidence of things there is an evidence of narration and an evidence of the matter it self Now the Gospel is always evident in matter of narration that is as spoken from the mouth of God in his written Word But the Gospel is very inevident in regard of the matter or of the thing it self it is an hidden mystery so dark a riddle as cannot be found out without the help of the Spirit it self Now though the evidence only of narration of the Gospel be sufficient to excite the Soul to act Faith by way of adherence and recumbency upon God yet it is not sufficient to excite the Soul to act Faith by way of assurance Divers things there are in the promise or in the Gospel that the Spirit doth evidence to the Soul when it is revealing its union with Christ First beam of divine light First It presents and evidenceth to the Soul the Lord Christ fully unquestionably and everlastingly taking away all sin and wickedness from every Soul that shall embrace him You shall observe Rom. 8.33 34. that it was through the knowledge of this that the Faith of Paul took wing first to mount above in a tryumphant way saith he what shall we say to these things What things Things that he had before spoken of in the beginning of the Epistle especially Chap. 5. where he had made it appear clearly That where sin did abound grace did much more abound super-abound abound without measure in that Grace did triumph over sin through Jesus Christ Now saith he what shall we say to these things He stood in admiration at the thoughts of it and then began to say Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Here Faith began to triumph from the knowledge of Christs compleat removal of all sin from every Soul that did embrace him Now the Spirit evidenceth divers things to the Soul for the clearing of this I. The Spirit makes it evident that the Lord Christ took upon him to be surety for every Soul that would embrace him He became the surety of the new Covenant Heb. 7.22 The Spirit makes the Soul discern that Christ stept into his Father to undertake to be bound to pay all the debts for every Soul that shall hereafter embrace him And herein the Spirit is wont to evidence two things concerning the suretyship of Christ 1. That Christ undertook to be a surety of the whole Covenant for Souls That he undertook to fulfil all that Justice or Mercy it self should require to be fulfilled for those Souls for whom he undertook 2. That he became such a surety as he undertook to pay the debt alone Hence Isa 49.8 he is called the Covenant it self Intimating that the whole Covenant concerning taking away sin is only between God the Father and Jesus Christ Hence it is said 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses to them II. The Spirit evidenceth that Christ as Mediatour stood in the relation of a common person and took upon him to represent all the persons of those that should hereafter believe on him so that whatever satisfaction he should give to his Fathers justice in regard of sin should be not only in stead of satisfaction to be given to the Father by the Souls themselves but also to be done as it were in their stead to be accounted as if they themselves had given satisfaction This the Spirit may evidence from the promise from some such place as 1 Cor. 15.48 which shews that Jesus Christ stood as a common person in stead of all those that should believe on him as Adam the first man stood as a common person to represent all those that should come out of him Or from such a place as that Rom. 5.14 where the old Adam is called a Type of Jesus Christ that was to come The second thing the Spirit clears is the things themselves done by Jesus Christ in those relations unto Souls as he stood as a common person and as the surety for those that should hereafter believe on him I. Therein the Spirit cometh to clear the effusion of the Blood of Christ the offering himself by death as a sacrifice for sin Thence you shall observe the first thing Paul instanceth in when he lets his Faith look upon the removing of all Sin is Christ dying saith he in a holy Triumph of Faith who shall condemn Why Christ hath dyed As if he should say how shall either carnal reason or conscience or unbelief or Justice or Law or Hell or Devil bring any accusation against our Souls seeing Jesus Christ hath died he hath offered up himself by death as a
propitiatory sacrifice for sin out of a purpose and intent fully to take away the sins of all those that shall believe on him Hence the Spirit evidenceth such a place as that 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him That we might have remission of sins and that justification that God had prepared for Souls by him Or such a place as that in 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all men to be received that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chies That Jesus Christ undertook to be humbled so deeply to vail the brightness of his own glory in such obscurity as to come down from Heaven into the World to take away the sins of poor perishing wretches Now in the Spirits evidencing this fulness of satisfaction it ordinarily evidenceth these things for the satisfying Faith so fully as it may work by way of assurance and fulness of confidence 1. It evidenceth the full satisfaction of the Father by his death in regard it was the Law-maker himself that was subject to the Law and made under the power of the Law to satisfie for the transgression of the Law 2. In regard the brightness of the Fathers glory was debased by Christs debasement in opposition to the debasement of the Fathers glory that was by the transgression of the Law What can conscience or carnal reason say more concerning the nature of sin and the height of its merit but only that it is a debasement of the King of Kings the Lord of Lords it is a vailing and eclipsing of the highest Majesty of Heaven it is a bringing a cloud as it were over those pretious unspotted beams of the Lords excellency over the Lords high Soveraignty in commanding Souls and over Gods holiness and equity in commanding and therefore the merit of sin is infinite Now the Spirit can answer by evidencing to the Death of Christ a fulness of satisfaction in regard it was Jesus Christ that was debased he that was the express image of his Father the lively pattern of his Fathers glory and therefore the Spirit evidenceth from the Gospel that God himself speaks in a way as if he were more than satisfied as if Grace through Christ did triumph over sin According to that in Rom. 5.17 If by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which have received abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Much more they which receive that is they that partake of the merit of the death of Christ much more shall they reign As if there were a higher degree of equity that such should reign then there was that such Souls that were before under sin should die So Paul speaks in 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was more than enough There was more than a sufficiency of Grace through Jesus Christ still speaking as if God had so satisfied himself through the contrivance of the death of Christ for sin that he had satisfaction as it were over and over again 3. In that it was the Godhead it self cloathed in flesh that gave the satisfaction Now herein the Spirit evidenceth a fulness and abundance of sufficiency of satisfaction in regard there is a higher worth upon the satisfaction to the Godhead from the Godhead cloathed in the flesh then there could be evil by offending of the Godhead that was done by man The Godhead was only the object against whom the sin was committed but in the satisfaction the Godhead it self cloathed in the flesh became the subject from whom the satisfaction is given as well as to whom the satisfaction is given so as the satisfaction doth in a manner in the worth and height of it transcend and go beyond the height of the offence the satisfaction going from a higher subject a more subject than the offence was committed by 4. In regard of the full weight of sin that Jesus Christ bore in his giving full satisfaction to the Father He died under the reputation of the vilest of sinners that can be imagined and though this was unjust in regard of men that did so repute him yet not in regard of God who had ordained that the iniquities of all that should embrace him should be laid upon him And indeed their iniquities were laid upon him to the highest if you consider under what notion of sin he died he died under the notion of a Traytor to his own Prince as one that took pleasure in all kind of sin a friend of publicans and sinners as they reputed him he died as a wretched blasphemer of the most high God as one that did strike at the Throne of God to dethrone God himself and he died as an imposture as a vile seducer Nay more he died under the notion of a Devil yea the Prince of Devils they say of him that by Belzebub the Prince of Devils he cast out Devils Now therein the Spirit evidenceth a fulness of satisfaction to the Father in the Death of Christ in regard Christ who is holiness it self who was the spotless Lamb without the least blemish that he should take upon him to be accounted and so to suffer as the highest kind of sinner that can possibly be imagined The Spirit can evidence here clearly a sufficiency and fulness of satisfaction for the sin of every Soul that shall embrace him whatever Conscience can object against the Soul seeing Conscience cannot object a higher kind of wickedness than was laid upon the back of Christ as a surety 5. In regard the Lord Christ took a fulness of pleasure and contentment in bearing the Justice of the Father executed upon him as a sinner Justice receiveth satisfaction when its sentence is executed fully against any transgressor that it passeth sentence against and thus Justice was satisfied through the Death of Christ But there is a satisfaction as it were over and above when the sentence of Justice past out against a transgressor is not only executed upon the transgressor or him that stands in stead of the transgressor but the sentence is received with delight pleasure and contentment Now thus Jesus Christ through his Death gave fulness of satisfaction in that it was the pleasure of his Soul to bear the determined will of his Father for sinners in this way saith he Psal 40.8 Lo I come to do thy will my God expressing the readiness and willingness of his Heart to beat that will of his Father for sinners Nay so great was his delight in bearing the sentence of Justice past upon him as he stood as a transgressor and sinner that he saith himself be was even straitned till it be accomplished Luke 12.50 Now as the Spirit evidenceth by the effusion of Christ's Blood a satisfaction given to the Father So
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
the full salvation of Souls through his pleading The Father ordained him to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek hence he as an high Priest is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Then the Spirit reveals the things done by Christ in his intercession as a surety Two things there the Spirit reveals First That by Christs intercession as a surety for Souls there is a vertual continuation of the sacrifice of the Blood of Christ for the satisfaction of the Fathers Justice Now from thence the Spirit brings in full evidence for taking away all sin from every Soul that shall embrace Christ in regard the satisfaction is continued in the Fathers Eye Thence it is observable Heb. 8. comparing vers 2 3. with vers 12. That the Apostle from the meditation of the continued Priesthood of Jesus Christ ministring in Heaven doth conclude the firmness and stability of the new Covenant there mentioned in the latter end of the Chapter and concludes from thence Gods remembrance of sins and Iniquities no more Secondly The Spirit evidenceth that through Christs interceding as a surety there is a continual suing out of the benefit of the satisfaction of the Father by his death for sinful Souls according to their necessities Hence you may observe in 1 John 2.1 That the Apostle directs those believers that should sin to be acting of Faith upon Jesus Christ as he was a present advocate with the Father 4. The Spirit manifests to the Soul's Faith from that beam of light in the Gospel that the Lord hath everlastingly removed all sin from all that shall embrace him That the Lord Christ in his intercession with the Father for the perfect Salvation of those that shall embrace him doth plead for nothing but what the Father himself and of himself is as willing to give to those Souls as Jesus Christ is willing to ask it at his Fathers Hand Therefore in Isa 53.10 The whole work of Salvation that Jesus Christ was to accomplish for Souls is called nothing else but the Fathers pleasure The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands Now this the Spirit clears up convincingly and satisfyingly that the Father is altogether ready yea that the Fathers bowels do as much yern after the full Salvation of those that embrace the Lord Jesus as the bowels of Christ himself who is the Head of those Souls Now the Spirit may and doth sometimes evidence this parallel willingness of the Father in these three things First The Spirit clears it that an amity and oneness comprehends all kind of near relation in it and manifests that those that embrace Christ are admitted into unity with the Father himself to be one with the Father According to that in John 17.21 22. That they may be one as thou and I are one and that they may be one in us as thou Father art in me and I in thee Secondly The Spirit may evidence that the relation between the Father and Souls is the very foundation of all relation between Christ and those Souls And therefore there must needs be as great willingness in the Father to accept Christs pleading for perfect Salvation as there is in Christ to plead for it So that though Christ have those that embrace him ingraven as it were upon his Heart yet it was there ingraven by the Hand of his Fathers love John 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me They were made mine because they were first thine Thirdly The Spirit may manifest here that the willingness of Christ to plead for them proceeds from the willingness of the Father that he should so plead that he should become an intercessor Christ in all his pleadings is but a Priest which Priesthood is but an office to which God the Father had ordained him Heb. 5.5 The Spirit evidenceth that Christ in his intercession with the Father for the perfect Salvation of those Souls that shall embrace him pleads for nothing but what he hath power to command to be effected As in Psal 2.6 7. He hath set his King upon the holy hill that is as he that God the Father hath appointed in his own stead and room as Mediator to dispence all things communicable to dispose of all according to his will only God the Father will be acknowledged as a Father to him and he to be a Son therefore the Lord saith in the next verse Ask of me and I will give thee it shall be by intercession yet John 5.22 All judgment is committed to the Son still and he hath the power and command of all Therefore you shall read John 17.24 in that prayer that is the pattern of his intercession in Heaven for Souls he prays thus Father I will that those that thou hast given me be with me he prays as it were in a commanding way Second beam of Divine Light There is a Second beam of the same Spiritual Heavenly light that the Spirit doth necessarily also cause to shine resplendently before the enlightned Souls Eye before Faith can receive such full assurance as to work by way of fulness of confidence and assurance and that 's this The Spirit doth evidence from the Gospel or from the promise The Lord Christs unquestionable willingness to embrace every poor lost sinner that is willing to embrace him Indeed the Lord Christ doth primarily embrace lost sinners into the bosom of his love and joyns them everlastingly to himself yea and compleats the relative union between himself and their Souls whilst they are meer patients altogether under an impossibility of any such Spiritual action or so much as any concurrence with the Lord Jesus in the compleating of the relative union But this union remains invisible till by the vertue of this passive or this relative union the dead Soul is inabled by actual believing actively to close in union with the Lord Jesus and to embrace him to be one with him And therefore to the least degree of the knowledge of a Souls union with Christ of necessity the Spirit must present the Lord Christ with his pretious everlasting arms of love to embrace such loveless sinners as will embrace him that thereby the Soul may be satisfied concerning the object that he believeth and may close with the Lord Christ propounded and make application of that union tendred in the Lord Jesus with himself Now for the Spirit evidencing this to the Soul satisfyingly and to make the Soul in believing to triumph the Spirit is wont to evidence divers particulars 1. The Spirit is wont to evidence the consent and agreement of the blessed Trinity from all eternity in that glorious design of the Lord Jesus entertaining every lost despicable sinner that will embrace him I. The Spirit reveals the consent of God the Father to that glorious design and that in divers particulars 1. In that God the Father imposed a command upon the Lord Jesus to embrace every such despicable lost
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
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
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
when he looks out of his own bosom it must arise only from that mystical Body and so consequently the mystical Body being looked upon but as one with one single Eye every Soul in that mystical Body may in the same sence be said to be the object of all the delight of God 4. Every such Soul as shall and will accept Gospel-discoveries is the peculiar object of all the delights and contentments of God that he takes from the contemplation of the result of the mystical workings of his own wisdom in the disposing of all things from the creation of the World to its final dissolution It is the property of God to reflect as it were upon the workings of his own attributes as he did upon the whole world when he had made it to behold how good it was that he might delight himself in beholding the workings of his own excellency Now the Lord only beholds the result of the admirable workings of all his attributes in that mystical Body of Christ And so consequently the mystical Body only is the object of his delight that he takes in the result and issue and consequence of the working of all his attributes Now the Spirit may and doth reveal from hence that there are firm engagements laid upon God himself to fulfil whatever the Gospel discovers to every Soul that shall embrace him I. Hence God is engaged by his express Love to the content and satisfaction of his Soul to let out his Love in the most absolute compleat perfect divine unspeakable workings of it to every loveless sinner that doth embrace and accept Gospel-discoveries So that from hence consequently the Lord stands engaged First To let out his love to work freely with out motive incentive or argument inclining his love to work towards every such Soul embracing Gospel Discoveries The freedom of the working of his love towards souls is one of the Divine Glorious Perfections of love and should that be wanting some degree of the Lords own delight and contentment that he hath resolved to receive from every such soul to himself must also be wanting Secondly Thence the Lord stands engaged to let out his love wonderfully beyond the comprehension of Men and Angels Thirdly Thence he is engaged to let out the Discoveries of his love to such souls as shall embrace Gospel Discoveries fully and compleatly to the satisfaction of the soul Fourthly From hence also the Lord is engaged to let out his love to work infinitely without measure to every soul that shall embrace these Gospel Discoveries The love of God is but God himself and therefore works not according to its perfection till it works infinitely Now from hence 1. Here is full security that the spirit may give any doubting Soul concerning the fulfilling of the Gospel Discoveries into his bosom in his embracing of it when the soul doth doubt because of the indisposedness of his spirit to any duty that the Lord requires of him and because of his inability to those duties 2. Hence the spirit may give full security to the Wavering Unstable soul who stands trembling least he should presume in casting his Forlorn Loveless soul into those everlasting arms of Love because of the abominable Perverseness and Crookedness of his Heart against God in all things 3. Hence the Spirit may give security to any wavering Soul whose hands as it were shake and quiver and dare not with any confidence grasp the blessed tender of Union and Communion with the Lord through Christ because of his wretched abuse of the precious working of the Lords love towards him in Christ already II. Hence also the spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged by the same dearest love to his own delight and satisfaction to dispose every soul that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries into a capacity for the injoyment of neerest most absolute intire Communion with himself Under this particular the Spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged to these three things 1. To remove all the opposition unto Communion with him that remains in any heart to Suppress Overpower yea to Heal all the Crookedness and all the Averseness of any Heart embracing Gospel Discoveries 2. Hence the spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged to infuse into the Soul such Dispositions as shall be fully compleatly sutable to his own nature so as to make so blessed a concurrence between his own purest nature and the Souls Corrupt nature as that there should be nothing in the nature of God himself opposite to the Souls Disposition nor nothing in the Souls Disposition or nature opposite unto God 3. In this the Spirit may reveal the Lord to be engaged to heighten or elevate and enlarge the faculties of the Soul that are to receive those Communications and Influences from God Now what abundant security may the Spirit give to any soul that trembles to embrace Gospel Discoveries against fears 1. What security may the Spirit give to Souls fearing to give credit to those Gospel Discoveries because of the Averseness and Contrariety of their Spirits unto Communion with God! Hence the Spirit may say to every Soul without exception that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries it is a chosen object of the highest eternal delight of God in the Communication of his goodness 2. Hence the Spirit may give full security unto the Soul against all fears because of the Unstableness and Fickleness of his Heart in any degree of Communion once attained 3. Hence the spirit may give security fearing that the Gospel Discoveries may not be Grasped and Embraced by the soul because of the Straitness and Narrowness of his Heart void of all Thirstings and Longings yea of all Desires The Spirit may hence declare the Lord to be engaged by his love to the pleasure of his own Soul to enlarge every such Heart to a kind of infinite Capacity for Communion III. Thence the Lord is engaged by his infinite Valuation and Estimation of the delightful Contemplation of his own Transcendent Excellencies as they sparkle forth from the creatures to effect the neerest most intire Union of likeness that is possible between himself and every such Sinner that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries The Lord stands engaged by this to make every such Soul a Partaker of his own spotless Purity and Holiness yea to make it Participate of his Divine Nature of his own life so as the same life that dwells in himself and that himself lives by should also dwell in every such Sinful Soul embracing those Gospel Discoveries Nay the Engagement is so Invincible that if the Lord should not Communicate the highest degree of his Communicable Perfection to every such Loveless Forlorn Sinner as shall and will embrace Gospel Discoveries he should bereave himself of that sweetest Pleasure and Contentment that his Soul takes in the Contemplation of the Beams of his own Glory seeing every such Soul is the chosen object in whom the Lord determins from eternity to delight himself by the
own Glory to Compleat and Perfect an Union between the Lord Jesus and every Loveless Sinner that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries The Crown of the Fathers Glory being but the Issue and Result of the Glory of the Lord Jesus and then the Glory of Christ having its full and sole Dependance upon the compleat Union of all those with himself that shall embrace the Gospel thence the Father stands engaged to Perfect and Compleat that Union between Christ and all those Souls seeing his natural Disposition doth necessarily incline him to be compleating the Crown of his own Glory 2. The spirit may reveal to the Soul that the Lord stands engaged by the property of his own precious Nature to Love Compleatly and Perfectly every Gospel Embracer without the least Dependance upon any thing in the Soul or any thing to be done by the Soul Now what abundant security may every Soul Trembling and Fearing least the Lord should not be willing to accept it into Union and Communion with himself receive from hence against all his fears 3. From this consideration the Lord stands engaged by all his tender respects to the bright Shining Splendor of his own Imperial Crown to Beautify and Adorn every Forlorn Sinner Embracing Gospel Discoveries with the most Glistering Beams of his own Matchless Perfection that can be comprehended by any Finite Creature Now Gospel Embraces being chosen by the Lord from Eternity to be the precious matter whereof he will Compose that his everlasting Crown of Glory whereby his Honour and Majesty should Glitter forth before the eyes of Saints and Angels brighter than ten Thousand Suns in their Strength Thence if every Gospel Embracer shall not be Beautified and adorned with the most Sparkling touch of Perfection that they are Capable of the Blessed Majesty of Heaven should become negligent of Dignifying himself with the Brightness of Majesty and Honour through the Transparent Brightness of his Imperial Crown of Glory And therefore according to this 1. The Scripture reveals that the Celestial Glory and Surpassing Excellency wherewith every Gospel Embracer shall be Adorned and Beautified doth Transcend and go beyond all Comprehension of Finite Brains and Created Understandings According to that in 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for those that love him Mark what the Apostle affirms He affirms that the Sublime Mysterious Workings of Heavenly Wisdom about Gospel Embracers was never Comprehended yet with any finite brain by any mortal heart and O how infinitely unconceivable then are the workings of that heavenly wisdom in themselves Alas what the Gospel reveals of them is but like a small reflection of the Sun beams to the Sun it self It is but a small grain to a golden Mine it is but a drop of the bucket to the great Ocean O then how great an exaltation of such unlovely Sinners to most superlative perfection and unconceivable glory must needs be the effect of such a depth of heavenly divine wisdom being imployed about them from eternity This depth of the mystery of divine wisdom about Gospel embracers was never fathomed by Angelical Understandings 1 Pet. 1.12 which things the Angels desire to look into saith the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into which things the Angels earnestly with all their strength and intention of mind desire to look into The word signifies such a looking into things as to stoop down with the head and bow down with the body that it might be the thing it looks upon to discern it fully It is the same word the Apostle useth John 20.11 concerning Mary Magdalen she stooped down and lookked into the Sepulchre that she might see narrowly into the thing 2. The Scripture reveals more particularly that most unconceivable perfection most celestial glory shall be put upon the persons of Gospel-embracers in every part power and faculty that belongs to them I. According to this Engagement of God he resolves that the very bodies of Gospel-embracers shall be beautified and indued with most transcendent bright shining glory with almost incomparable perfection That one Scripture is enough to clear it out Phil. 3.21 He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body O how did the quintessence of all perfection meet together in the glorious body of Christ You may remember in the Transfiguration of Christ which was but a glimpse of his beauty and glory the hearts of Peter and John were amazed their Souls were ravished to behold it they were transported beyond themselves and began to cry out let us make Tabernacles Let us dwell here to behold this Glory for ever But how much more transcendently excellent is the Glory of the Body of Jesus Christ now he is exalted to all Glory And yet the Bodies of Gospel Embracers must be like his Glorious Body 1. All Privative Perfection shall be put upon them An everlasting Exemption and perfect Freedom from all Defects and Imperfections all Infirmities and Deformities all Pains Perplexities Ministries so as there shall be no necessity of the Aid and Assistance of their fellow Creatures to support and uphold to relieve and Refresh them as there is here below but their Bodies shall be like Angels Mat. 22.30 2. The Scripture reveals that there shall be most admirable Positive Perfection put upon them Immortality it self their lives shall be extended to duration equal with the Life of the eternal God they shall run Parallel with the Life of God in the longest lines of Eternity 1 Cor. 15.54 This mortal shall put on immortality 3. They shall be indued with Incorruptibleness They shall in a manner be made impassive not being made capable of any passion by any corrupt quality 1 Cor. 15.42 It is Sown in Corruption it is Raised in Incorruption 4. They shall be indued with almost Incredible Angelical Power Potency Might and Strength They shall be made every way sutable to the desire of the Souls themselves and made sutable for he Soul to act in the highest way in the most Sublime way of Operation without Weariness without Interruption without Intermission They shall be able to bear the infinite weight of Glory the least drop whereof they are not able to bear for the present 5. The body shall be indued with most excellent spirituality 1 Cor. 15.44 It is Sown a Natural Body it is Raised a Spiritual Body They shall not be turned into spirits but the Body shall be made so spiritual through the fulness of the spirit in it that it shall be as ready to the Blessed Will of God in every thing as the soul it self that shall be purely Holy And also it shall have a Wonderful Nimbleness and Agility and Activeness to be able at the souls desire to move hither or thither with most Incredible speed 6. The Scripture reveals the very Perfection and Quintessence of Beauty it self shall be put upon the
II. Every such Soul is chosen perpetually to behold the Brightness of his Majesty and Glory in Beholding the Glory of Jesus Christ as Mediatour 1. They are chosen to behold the admirable Mystery of the Union of the Divine Person to the Humane Nature That which is now an Inexplicable Mystery to the Believers Eye shall then by Gods choosing them to behold his Glory be Discerned 2. It is chosen to behold all the bright Beams of Glory that appear in the Mystical Union of so many Lost Rebellious Sinking Perishing Souls to the Lord as to one Head 3. Every such Soul is chosen to behold the Transcendent Perfection of the Secret Love of the Lord Jesus to such Unlovely Sinners while they were altogether Loveless while they were altogether Abominable matter of Loathing to his pure Eyes III. Every such Soul is chosen from Eternity to attend upon the Royal Majesty of Heaven in his Sacred Palace that they may behold his Glory in the Brightest manner 1. He is chosen to behold those bright Beams of Majesty and Glory in a positive way 2. It is chosen to behold the Beams of his Transcendent Majesty and Glory in an immediate way There will be no need of Speeches to Represent the Lord to our Understandings as there is now 3. It is chose to behold the Brightness of the Lords Majesty and Glory in a Simple Pure way Not relatively or by Relations as Gospel Embracers for present behold the Light of the Lords Glory As when we conceive of the Glory of the Majesty of Heaven we conceive of him as the most absolute Monarch of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is but Relation but we shall then see the Lord in a sutable way even as he is 4. It is chosen to behold them fully Not to behold the Reflection only but the Sun it self of Glory 5. It is chosen to behold them everlastingly Hence the Soul may discern God to be engaged by his highest Relation of his own Eternal Contentment to perfect both Union and Communion between himself and every Unlovely Sinner that shall and will accept Gospel Discoveries seeing every such Soul as shall accept Gospel Discoveries is Designed by himself from Eternity to be one of his Royal Attendants in his Sacred Palace that should behold the Brightness of his Majesty and Glory Now before I can pass from this second work of the Spirit upon Souls There are Five or Six things that every Soul of us must remember least we misunderstand the manner of the Spirits irradiating the Gospel unto Souls I. We must observe That the Spirit of the Lord doth in a different manner cause these Glorious Beams of Divine light to shine forth from the promise into dark Souls The Spirit in this Blessed work of Irradiation of the Gospel unto dark Souls doth to some reveal only some of those Pretious Soul Ravishing Beams of Light that you have heard opened To others he causeth more abundance of those Pretious Beams of Light to shine into the heart And from hence various Souls have various Degrees of this assurance of Faith and various Degrees of Joy and Peace slowing forth from that assurance of Faith II. You must also observe concerning this work of Irradiation of the Gospel That the Spirit doth manifest those Beams of Divine Light from the Gospel in different Degrees of Clearness unto Souls III. You must also observe that the Lord doth in a different degree continue the manifestation and Irradiation of the Promise or of the Gospel unto different souls I speak still of those souls that do receive through the spirits Irradiation of the Gospel some assurance unto their Faith of their union with Christ IV. You must also understand that the spirit doth reveal the substance of all this Heavenly Light the Sum and Compendium of all that you have heard and cause it to shine into souls from the promise This the spirit doth cause to shine into every soul that attains unto any degree of assurance of Faith Though the spirit works variously in regard of the clearness of revealing what it doth reveal and variously in regard of the time and continuance of its manifestation of that Heavenly Light unto souls yet those pretious Beams of Heavenly Light that the spirit causeth to Glitter forth from the promises unto souls are of necessity to be revealed unto every soul that attains unto any assurance of Faith V. We must observe that the spirit of the Lord doth out of his own infinite Wisdom select the particular truth of the Gospel whereby he will assure any particular soul of his union with Christ Though those particular Beams of Divine Light mentioned be in the substance revealed to the Faith of every soul to whom the spirit gives union yet the particular wherein the spirit makes the Brightness the Glory the Lustre the satisfying and Over-powering Glory of those Beams of light to appear to the souls eye these are selected by the Wisdom of the spirit it self though it is but the substance also or the effect of those particulars whereby we have revealed those Beams of Divine Light to you VI. You must observe that the spirit doth reveal or manifest all the bright shining of Divine Light from the promise at one and the same moment to the soul when it draws forth the souls Faith unto acts of assurance The spirit may be Instructing the dark soul many Years in the Pretious Mystery of the Gospel of Christ before it raiseth the souls Faith unto assuring acts and may be increasing the strength of the souls confidence gradually in every Ordinance in all those years But yet wherever the spirit draws out the God believing Dispositions that it hath infused into any souls to act by way of fulness of confidence then the spirit presents all this Pretious Light of the Gospel at once and gives the soul one Glorious view of it Thirdly the spirit of the Lord proceeds from Illumination of the soul and Irradiation of the Gospel to the soul to Conviction The Spirits Conviction of the Conscience From the Powerful Efficacy of that Divine light infused into the understanding and the Precious Concurrence of the sweetest light of manifestation of the Gospel unto the Light Inherent ariseth a Powerful Inward Conviction of the Conscience According to that in John 16.9 10. The Spirit shall reprove and convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment It shall Convince the World of Righteousness that is of free Justification of Despicable Forlorn Guilty Sinners through the Lord Jesus alone This Conviction of the soul or of the Conscience it is a clear Unquestionable and Infallible Demonstration given by the spirit to the doubtful soul of the Lords Will that even that his particular Forlorn Worthless Stubborn soul shall be received into the nearest union with himself in Christ Or rather it is a Commanding Power of the Spirit of God exercised upon the soul whereby
act to it self that it becomes the earnest of the souls inheritance That is that it becomes as a small portion given by the Blessed Majesty of Heaven to the soul in hand in Testimony that it shall injoy the full inheritance The spirit is such an earnest in irradiating the souls believing act three ways 1. In regard the spirit manifests its own presence in the believing soul by its irradiating the souls believing act in discovering to the believing soul that it doth uprightly according to the Will of God believe It doth discover Holiness to be infused into the soul and so consequently discover it self to have taken up its Habitation in the believing soul So that the believing soul by the sight that the spirit puts into the believing act making it Visible to his own eye discerns the presence of the holy spirit in his heart and thus indeed there is a pretious earnest given to the soul of his everlasting union and communion with the Lord Jesus 2. In regard the communion between Jesus Christ and the soul by the sight of his believing act appears to the soul to be begun The soul discerns Jesus Christ and himself to be partakers of one and the same life by discerning infallibly the truth of his own believing act 3. In regard it enters the soul into the very fruition of union with Jesus Christ and so becomes indeed a first Fruit of Heaven gives it actual possession of that highest blessedness that sanctifyed souls shall possess in Heaven The fruition of it consists in two things First In the certain knowledge that it hath of union and communion with Christ Secondly In the sense of the sweetness and comfort of union and communion with Christ Nothing though it be possessed can be said to be enjoyed unless the party possessed of it hath a sense of the sweetness and comfort of the good that he is possessed of III. The third thing observable is the effect of the manifestation or the enlightning of the believing act in the soul That is a pretious sweet consciousness in the believing soul in his very act of believing that he doth rightly believe It is by the spirits irradiation of the pretious Gospel of Jesus Christ to the souls understanding that the soul discerns by faith the bosom of that blessed Redeemer the Lord Jesus ready to receive his loveless perishing sinking soul into the nearest union and communion with him so likewise by the spirits irradiation of the souls believing act the spirit makes the soul see also as clearly that it doth as it were creep into the open bosom of the love of the Lord Jesus IV. The fourth and last thing observable in the description of the spirits witness to the souls sense of its union and communion with the Lord Jesus is the inseparable adjunct or concomitant testimony of the spirit unto sense That 's the determination of the renewed Conscience in the believing soul that he is everlastingly one with Christ This is properly the effect of the spirits testimony unto sense whereas the light of every Grace though they be luminous Bodies and proceed from the spirit of light is such a small light in it self that unless there be an addition by the Spirit unto sense it shines not apparently to the believing Soul and therefore the infallible testimony of the Believers own Spirit or of his renewed Understanding or Conscience is but the consummation or the consequent of the Spirits irradiating the Souls believing act yet it is inseparable from it no sooner hath the Spirit witnessed to the Souls sense that it is one with Christ but the renewed Conscience answers also Thou art one with Christ The witness of the Believers Spirit or of the renewed Conscience is but the Eccho of the witness of the Lords own Spirit according to Rom. 9.1 My Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost It is the Spirit as it were that puts words into the mouth of renewed Conscience it doth but answer what is the voice of the Holy Spirit as the Eccho answers our voyce Now when the Spirit hath witnessed unto the Souls Faith that in its cleaving to the Lord Jesus his Soul shall be infallibly admitted into Union and Communion with him and in that witness hath drawn out the believing disposition to act in its strength and then casts a brightness and splendor upon the believing act that it shineth thus apparently in the Souls eye yea so apparently that the renewed Conscience bears witness that the Soul doth rightly believe then doth the Soul say with those in 1 John 4.16 I know and believe the Love that the Father of the Lord Jesus bears to this my Loveless Soul then is the poor wavering Soul established and setled as upon an everlasting Rock the Rock of Ages Then 1. All the beginnings of Hell in his own Spirit are past All the condemning Sentences of Conscience that he was wont to hear every day are obliterated and blotted out I mean so long as the testimony of the Spirit thus continues all the Frowns of Conscience are gone 2. All tormenting Fears are banished The inward perplexity anguish and vexation that perplexed the Soul through the fear of his everlasting separation from the Glory of the presence of the Majesty of Heaven all cease and there is a blessed Calm possesses the Soul and then the Soul is brought like a weather-beaten Ship into the sweetest and most commodious Haven of rest 3. The Spirit of Glory possesseth the believing Soul Then is its contentment in union and communion with the Lord Jesus infinite unspeakable then doth it rejoyce yea triumph in the Lord Jesus Rom. 5.3 Thus through this testimony unto Sense added to the testimony unto Faith the Soul is even set down with one foot as it were into the great City of the King of Heaven sweetly expecting his full fruition of that transcendent Glory that it solaceth it self in the sweetest expectation of till time shall come that Faith and Expectation shall cease and Sight and Vision shall only take place Thus you see what the sealing-witness of the Spirit is unto Sense There are now some Cautions that of necessity must be given to you believing Souls to prevent any sad Mistake about this great Mystery Caution 1 First therefore you must understand That though the fulness of the Souls infallible certainty of his union with the Lord Jesus doth depend upon this attestation of the Spirit unto his Faith and Sense yet the Lord doth vouchsafe much comfortable evidence to many believing Souls of their certain and infallible union with the Lord Jesus to whom he doth not send this blessed Spirit thus to avouch and attest to their Souls their Union with Christ 1. The Spirit may and doth by those four former precious effects upon the believing Souls establish their Souls in a sweet Soul-chearing Soul-reviving confidence of the Lords acceptance of them into union with Christ There is the whole Materiality
Jesus would Blemish the Equity and seeming right Rectitude of Satans application of such a Lying Argument of the Souls Union with Christ yea it would discover the false application of such a Lying Argument of his Union III. The third Defilement or Corruption of Conscience is its Insensibleness or Regardlesness of Sins Committed when discerned This the Devil Maintains Foments and Increases with all his Power in reference to the Deluding the Soul with a foolish dream of Union with Christ 1. In regard hereby Satan presents the Frequency and Strictness of the Souls enquiring into the nature of his own hopes of Union with Jesus Christ 2. Hereby the positive slightness in the matter of hopes for Union with Christ is Begotten in the Soul Now this slightness of Spirit in the matter of their hoping for Union with the Lord Jesus doth dispose their poor Foolish Souls readily to receive any suggestion from Hell that they are United without any fear of danger whatever 3. Hereby the Jealousie of Satans suggestion to the Soul that he is United is wholly prevented IV. The fourth Corruption or Defilement of Conscience is the Unfaithfulness of its Recording or Registring the Souls Iniquities Now Satan exerciseth this Power upon the Defilement of the Conscience also 1. In regard hereby he doth prevent the Souls whom he Deludeth from discerning or beholding the Contradicting reasons to their reasons from whence they hope that they are United to the Lord Jesus Every Sin is a reason of mighty weight to perswade the Soul that he could never be United and every Aggravation of those Sins but above all the rejecting of Union with Jesus Christ Tendred Now Satan well understanding that his Foolish Suggestions unto Souls that they are United to the Lord Jesus and his Reasonless Reasons to perswade them that they are United would never be admitted of did the Souls to whom he Suggests that they are United discern the Multitude of Reasons that might perswade them it is Impossible that ever they should be United thence it is he doth exercise his utmost Power upon the Unfaithfulness of Conscience in Registring the Souls Iniquities that so it may not bring one of those Iniquities to the Souls Remembrance of a Thousand 2. By this Unfaithfulness of Conscience in Registring the Souls Iniquities the Infiniteness and Unspeakableness of the danger of the loss of Union is Undiscerned also by those Souls The greater Apprehension of Guilt the greater Apprehension of danger in case the Guilt should not be removed from their Souls Now by Satans Fostering up Conscience in its Unfaithfulness in Registring up the Souls Iniquities it Apprehends but a small slighty superficial view of his own Guilt and therefore hath but slighty Thoughts about the loss of Union in case he be Deprived of it V. The fifth Corruption in the Conscience is the Unjustness in passing Sentence upon the Souls Estate Conscience is so Corrupted that it will be passing Unjust Sentences Accusing when it should be Excusing and Excusing when it should be Accusing Now this Unjustness in the Conscience in passing Sentence upon the Soul Satan exerciseth all his Power upon to Augment and Increase it to the utmost that by this means Conscience may be ready to Comply with any Suggestion of his that the Soul is United and according to his bare Suggestion to pass the Sentence upon the Souls Final Estate that it shall be Everlastingly Saved by the Lord Jesus Sect. 3. Thirdly The third Power that Satan exerciseth upon the Affections or Passions There is a Two-fold Power that he exerciseth upon the Affections or Passions There is a Moral Power and a Physical Power I. There is a Moral Power he exerciseth upon the Affections that is by propounding Objects sutable to stir and move those Affections Thus in propounding to the Soul its certain Acceptance with God in Christ and Everlasting Salvation by him he propounds an Object sutable to move false Joy and Delight and Contentment and so by that means heightens the Self-deluding Joying and Rejoycing in those Deluded Souls II. There is a Physical Power he Excerciseth upon the Affections and that is an Immediate Power that he exerciseth upon the humours of the Body through which those sensible motions of the Will work It is the property of Affections to cause the blood and the Animal Spirits to move to and fro from the Heart and thereby to make the Body suffer Now Satan can immediately stir those humours in the Body which the Affections do in their workings also stir and thence raise an Affection beyond its bounds Now Satan exerciseth these two Powers of his upon the Affections 1. In regard hereby the Confidence in Deluded Souls of their Union with the Lord Jesus is occasioned to work with a Mighty Violence with a kind of Irresistableness 2. Hence that Confidence of his Deluded ones that they are United to the Lord Jesus is made Irrational Through the Violent working of such Affections their Judgment is blinded their Reason darkned and obscured and when the matter passeth to the affections all Judgment perisheth then you shall have many Deluded Souls that will hold with much Confidence and Boldness the Conclusion that they shall be saved by Jesus Chyist when they are driven out of all their Reasons whereupon they Build this hope that they are United There are now secondly some Consideratios about the Tryal of a Souls Evidence of his Union received whither it be from God or whether it be a Diabolical Inspiration that are requisite to be Premised before a direct Answer to the Question Pre. 1. First that every Believing Soul to whom the Lord hath vouchsafed a clear Evidence of his Union with the Lord Jesus is powerfully incited by the Subtility of Hell to a Dubious Anxious Solicitous Tryal and Examination of the Evidence of his Union with the Lord Jesus Received The Subtility of Hell works this way in three Respects I. In regard the Believing Souls Evidence of his Union with the Lord Jesus Received is Enervated made of no force by a Souls Consent to a Dubious and Anxious Examination of his own Evidence of Union Received By this means the eye of the Beleiving Soul is off from his Evidence Received and now he Conceives that his Work and Imployment that God calls for at present from his Soul is to find out some other clear satisfying Evidence of the truth of that his former Evidence and whatever light shines from the former Evidence is of no Validity to the Soul unless it be backed with some other light that shines from some other Principle either in the Soul or without the Soul So that there is a Bottomless Depth of the Subtility of Hell appears in this he doth secretly and indiscernably despoyl the Soul of that Pretious Jewel the Evidence of his Union while he solicits him to a Dubious Tryal II. In regard the believing soul is led in a Devious Path to weary his Perplexed soul in wherein
of the Lord Jesus to every particular perishing and lost Soul that will accept it is the prime foundation of all the righteous hopes that ever dwelt in a believing Soul all the expecttations and hopes of believing Souls are but the building upon that foundation now when the building of the Souls hope shake the only means to establish the building is to add strength to the foundation This you shall observe was the remedy of the poor distressed Church Lament 3.40 after many distractions in her spirit many tossings and tumblings this way and that way when she had fed upon gaul and wormwood for a long time at last she was constrained to take this course to search and trie her ways and turn again to the Lord she was constrained now to make a new converting work of the matter according as Christ tells his Disciples except ye be converted when they were already converted that is unless you renew the close of your spirits with me whereby you may have power against this particular sin and I conceive this also may be intended by the spirit of God Isa 50.10 in that sweet councel to poor distressed souls in this case that walk in darkness and hath no light that is no refreshment no comforting hope to trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is first a renewed act of Faith immediately commanded to such a distressed soul let him trust in the name of the Lord. Secondly here is a direct act of Faith an act of Faith proper to the soul that did never put forth a believing act formerly Here is an act of Faith required and commanded to be done by these souls without respect to any thing in themselves without respect to their former comforts whether they 〈◊〉 be true or false without respect to their receiving grace whether they have received grace or not received grace It is worth the clearing that this should be the only immediate means to deliver such declined souls from under the fears that the evidences of their union with Christ are but delusions This will appear in three things 1. In regard it is in this renewed act only that the former evidences and manifestations given to such souls of their union with Christ do shine forth in their perspicuity clearness and satisfying power Then only when the soul doth thus close afresh with that union with the Lord Jesus offered to it there is both light within and light without whereby the soul is able to discern the former manifestation unto the soul of its union with the Lord Jesus in their glory and power afresh 2. In regard through this renewed act only the proper effects of evidence of union with Jesus Christ are again stirred up and drawn forth into their powerful operation Now it is the souls apprehension of the want of those precious effects that evidences of union with Christ do naturally beget in believing souls that do occasion the poor distressed soul to suspect his own evidences and to be Jealous they are but delusions Now the only means to deliver these dark and doubtful souls from under the Tyrannical Power of these Jealousies and Suspitions must be this renewed believing act this renewed confidence in that truth of the Lords word wherein he tender Christ in general to every sinner in regard these blessed effects the evidence of union with Christ do naturally beget in souls are only made visible to these believing souls again by that means 3. In regard both the incapacity of souls for the tryal of their evidences and the unsutableness of souls for tryal also are removed by that renewed believing act in regard those distempers are healed These are healed two ways First By a more general influence of that believing act Secondly by a more particular influence First By a more general inffuence of the believing act into those distempers The believing Soul closes with the Lord Jesus tendered so as he accept of a redemption from his sin and from under the power of corruption through Christ the notion under which the Lord makes the proffer of Christ unto sinners is that he should mediate a reconciliation between the Father and the soul shall so accept him that he should beget a precious amity between the Fether and the Soul establish the soul in a state of love that is the soul as well to be filled with love towards the Lord as the Lord to be filled with love towards the Soul Now in a souls acceptance of Jesus Christ thus tendered the soul accepts of Christ necessarily as a Redeemer to redeem him from slavery under those Enemies of the Majesty of Heaven even Sin and Satan so that there must be a State of Amity and Love between God and the Soul Secondly this particular act hath a particular influence into those particular distempers that made the Soul uncapable for a just examination of the evidence of his union with Christ 1. In this renewed belieeving act formerly mentioned there is a precious sweet act of submission in the will of the believing Soul to the will of God Indeed the believing act is the highest submission to the Lord that ever is given by any Soul to him in regard the Soul in that case captivateth all his reason and Judgement only to the Lords authority because the Lord hath spoken so and so concerning his Soul Now from hence this renewed believing act hath a precious influence into the distempered Soul under impatiency to heal the impatiency of the spirit that domeneerd in him for now the will is contented to wait on God it is contented the will of God should be fulfilled in him 2. This believing act hath a particular influence into the Souls rashness to heal that distemper also In this renewed act there is a renewed sense of the believing Souls absolute nothingness Now from the Souls actual sense of his own nothingness proceeds a holy awe a holy reverential fear of the Majesty of Heaven which doth hold in bounds the rash disorderly Spirit so that by this the Spirit is more carefull how it draw conclusions from any precious word of God 3. The believing act hath an influence upon the disorderly affections the irrational affections which did also incapacitate believing Souls for a just examination of their evidences In the believing the Soul doth captivate all the imaginations and thoughts of sense and carnal reason unto the truth and authority of God and so all the disorderly affections jealousies doubts and fears are even captivated and brought under 4. This renewed believing act hath an influence also into the prejudicial conceits or opinions against the evidence of union received to subdue those In the believing act there is a renewed sight of the truth of the souls former evidence unto his Faith of his union with Christ in some degree so that the soul while he was under the power of his fears that the evidence of his union were delusions having lost the
certainty of the actings of faith raised by the power of the Spirits working to discover to the soul its union with Christ the soul enjoys all that Heaven affords at present So that needs must a superlative degree of joy possess the believing soul when he in a manner sits in Heaven as enjoying the sweetest communion of the Lords love as gazing upon that precious face of God in Christ and blessing himself also in the contemplation of it to all eternity II. The second means by which the believing soul practically declares that there is all perfection and glory contained in the love of the Lord in Christ to unlovely sinners whereby the name of God is exalted through him is the souls despising and disregarding all difficulties for the enjoyment of that love of God in Christ That is also the necessary the infallible effect of a beam of light proceeding from the spirit of light to discover to a soul his union with Christ This you may observe Rom. 8.34 35. There you find the assuring act of faith concerning the souls union with Christ who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died and ver 37. You shall find the Apostle triumphing over all kind of difficulties trampling under foot persecution necessity famine nakedness piril and sword and professing we are more than Conquerors over all to overcome them so as they are no impediment or hindrance to us but we are able to be more than Conquerors to make advantage even of those difficulties whereby we shall the more closely pursue after Jesus Christ Yea such is the power of that light that discovers to the soul its union with Christ that it doth necessarily cause the soul thus to despise all difficulties for the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ 1. In regard that light enobles and raises the spirit of every one to whom the spirit of light communicates it Heirs views of their great Possessions greatens their Spirits likewise do the believing souls vision of those glorious things prepared for them heighten and elevate their Spirits above all things below 2. In regard the pretious light from the fpirit of light doth present such unparalled such incomprehensible glory to the believing souls view that all things appear as nothing in comparison of that glory that is revealed Now thence it cannot be but difficulties must appear as nothing upon the sight of such glory hence Moses Heb. 11.26 disregarded Pharoahs wrath because he saw God that was invisible and the Apostle calls the afflictions they met with light afflictions because they looked at things that were not seen 2 Cor. 4.17 18. 3. In regard it doth necessarily produce enlarged enlivening actings of love Every believing act produces a proportionable act of love Therefore certainly that high noble act of faith that act of certainty that is drawn forth by the spirit of light at such a time doth produce enlarged acts of love it proportionably doth send out the strength of the soul in love towards God in Christ as well as the strength of the soul goeth out in believing 3. A third means whereby the soul practically declares that there is a fulness of the Lords love whereby the Lord is exalted in the soul is the souls pursuance with his utmost strength the enjoyment of the clearest visions of that love and the sweetest freedom of the actings and workings of that love into and towards the soul Now this also is the necessary effest of a beam of light coming down from Heaven to evidence or reveal to a soul his union with Christ You shall observe in 2 Cor. 5.1 2 4. That Souls certainty of their union with Christ which was the effect of the spirit of light shining into their hearts it did produce such groaning and longing with the strength of their Souls 〈◊〉 the sweetest and clearest enjoyment of the fulness of that love We know saith he there is the act of certainty that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Mark for this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven So ver 4. we groan being burdened and so ver 1. they were willing to absent from the body and to be present with the Lord The strength of their Souls so pursued after the fullest the clearest enjoyment of that love that they desired to breath out their lives to be dissolved that they might have the clearest vision of that love of God in Christ and the sweetest enjoyment of it Neither can it possibly be otherwise considering 1. In that things appear in their despicable nothingness by such a beam of light shining from the blessed Spirit into a believing Soul to discover its union Thence it is that the strength of the soul pursues after the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ only seeing no other object appears worthy to be desired in comparison to the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ 2. In regard the love of God in Christ discovered by that light appears in such a manner as takes up the whole intention of the believing Soul and implies every faculty of it Such a mystery appears in that fulness of the love of God in Christ to unlovely sinners as takes up all the strength of the Souls capacity to view and meditate upon yea it at last appears to be a depth never to be fathomed and so drowns the understanding in a depth of admiration yea that fulness of the Lords love appears so to comprehend all beauties and glories and all things desirable as it is the object of every desire of every motion or reaching forth of the Spirit So that thence it takes up all the intentions of all the faculties of the Soul IV. A Fourth means whereby believing Souls do declare the Lords love to be according as the Lord reveals whereby the Name of God is exalted in the Soul is the deadness of the Heart to every thing in comparison to that love of the Lord in Christ Now even this crucifying of the Heart to all things else in comparison of that love is the infallible effect also of such a beam of light from the Spirit of God to reveal to the Soul its union That 2 Cor. 5.8 is enough to manifest it Their certainty of their acceptance with God produced a willingness in them even to be absent from the body it self a readiness in their Hearts to part with every thing for the enjoyment of that love it choaked and quenched all desires of earthly objects of beauty or excellency so as their Spirits were so dead so void of desire so empty of all thirstings and endeavours after earthly objects as they rather deny to be dissolved to be dead indeed that they might have the full benefit of their union even the full presence of God in Christ And certainly it cannot be but such a light from
the Lord to discover to the Soul its union with Christ must necessarily thus Crucifie the Heart to all things so as to be alive to God in Christ only both in regard the Soul apprehends the doleful sinful miscarriages of his Heart about every of those things what sad snares they are to his Spirit and also he beholds the emptiness and nothingness by comparing things temporal with things eternal and he beholds a full object of all contentment wherein all the desires of his Soul may be concerned together in one wherein is all happiness that his Spirit can breath after and he may bless himself in the full enjoyment of it V. The Fifth means whereby the Soul experimentally manifests the fulness of the Lords love so as the name of God is exalted through him is the fulness of contentment that the Soul takes in the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ only in the absence of all things else Now even this also is produced by such a light evidencing to the Soul his union with the Lord Jesus yea so powerful is this contentment of the Heart in the love of God in Christ in the absence of all things else effected by such a light of Heaven discovering to the Soul his union with Christ that the Soul while the beauty and lustre of that light remains takes not only its full contentment but even more than contentment even glorying in his God in Christ in the want of all things That you may see Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified hy faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and not only so but we glory in tribulation also We glory that is we make our boast of God we bless our selves in him we are able to set the love of God in opposition to all things else and even in tribulations themselves to triumph and glory to conceive our selves so filled with excellence that we even boast our selves of him So that thus all those precious acts of a believing soul whereby he declares and manifests the fulness of the Lords love in Christ to unlovely sinners so as the Name of God is exalted through the Soul by that means all those acts are necessarily and infallibly produced by the power of that light from Heaven that doth discover to any Soul his union with the Lord Jesus And so it appears that this may be a second reason from whence a believing Soul may prove that the evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus received is really from God because it causeth the Name of God to be exalted through him Thus we have opened the first way of the Souls manifestation of that glorious love to be in God that God hath revealed to be in himself that is by the Souls manifesting that unspeakable fulness to be in the love of God in Christ to despicable sinners that all perfections and glorious excellencies whatever that could be suitable to a Soul is compleatly contained in it 2. Secondly A Soul doth manifest that glorious love to be in God which God hath revealed to be in himself unto despicable Sinners By discovering or manifesting such an absolute perfection to be in that love of God in Christ to unlovely Sinners as nothing can prevent and hinder or turn away that love When a Soul shall declare that the infinite multitudes of wickedness that his Soul heaped up before his knowledge of God in Christ and all the infirmities and imperfections that abound in his Soul now yet are no hindrance to the working of the Lords love in Christ to his unlovely Soul yea when the Soul shall triumph against imperfections as Paul did against tribulation and say apparently who shall separate this loathsome Soul of mine from that pretious love of God that is in Christ Jesus Shall my deadness hardness vanity looseness Shall my stubborn opposite backsliding disposition my hopocritical false treacherous disposition separate this loveless Soul of mine from the love of God that is in Christ Nay in all these infirmities and imperfections the love of the Lord in Jesus Christ never ceases its working Nay so glorious is the freedom of that love of God in Christ that it breaks through all such oppositions as my vilest Heart makes against it Then is the Name of God exalted in the glory of his love through the Soul Thus did Paul exalt God when he had been acknowledging that in him that is in his flesh dwelt no good thing Rom. 7.8 That not a spark not a disposition not an inclination to comply with the Lords blessed will dwelt in him and declares the mighty operation of the Law of his members which were the cursed dispositions of his Heart against the Law of his mind which was the blessed disposition in his Heart to comply with God when thus I say he declared that the Law that was in his members was so full of power and might that it maintained a strong battel against Jesus Christ yea that it wounded him and made him a Slave and Vassal to that cursed disposition yet then he exalts God by this occasion breaking out thus Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Mark that word now Now seeing the vile rebellious disposition of my vilest Heart cannot turn away the workings of the Lords free love now seeing though my Heart maintain War against the Spirit of Jesus Christ yea such War as leads my Soul Captive also and even enslaves and enthrals and vassalageth me under the power of sin though it be thus yet the love of God in Jesus Christ can never cease it workings He thus declares to the whole World in a kind of triumphing way that the freedom of Gods love is so absolute and perfect that even now though there be such opposition made against the workings of it by the vilest crooked Heart yet there can never be a turning away of that love never a Sentence of Condemnation drawn out by God against any Soul that accepts that his love in Christ This manifestation that there is such an absolute perfection of freedom in the love of God in Christ that nothing can prevent and turn away that love from any soul that embraceth it this is manifested three ways through which the name of God is exalted through the Soul 1. This is manifested by the souls sensible free acknowledgement of its abhorred vileness and loathsomness when the Lord tenders his love in Christ to it yea when the Lord receives his unlovely Soul into the dearest sweetest embrace of his love When the soul shall readily and freely declare nothing but enmity opposition contradiction to the blessed God of Heaven to have been in his vilest heart when that blessed news came down from Heaven to his hopeless Soul that the Lord was ready and willing to admit of reconciliation peace and agreement and love to be between his soul and himself This indeed is a high exaltation of the name of God
actings of saith there cannot also but be constant veiws of the Souls most abhorred wickedness the Soul by an act of faith veiwing the reconciliation wrought by Christ for him it cannot also but veiw the enmity of his Soul against God in Christ so that from the constant veiw of the Souls vileness there cannot but be sensible abhorrence of that vileness 5. In regard the admiration of the glory of the Lords love in Christ fills the Soul with a constant sense of its own baseness The Soul cannot be ravished in the admiration of that love but it must sit down and admire and wonder now the Soul can never wonder at that love as it is manifested but it must take in it self as the object of that love whereby it is that the glory of that love shines forth so infinitely the Soul cannot but say who am I what could the Lord discern in me that such riches of love should work towards me So that thence the heart during the continuance of that light that shined from Heaven to discover its union is kept constantly working against his own vileness and from the consideration of his vileness the Soul proceeds to a sensible acknowledgement thereof 6. In regard such a precious beam of light doth necessarily produce a dear tenderness in the heart towards the honour of God yea it produceth an infinite contentment and delight in the Soul to be exalting God Now the Soul cannot be exalting the name of God in that way of his mercy towards him but he must begin with the sense of his own abhorred wretchedness towards whom such mercy hath been discovered he can never speak of the glory of the Lords love in Christ but he must also speak of the wretchedness and wickedness of himself towards whom that love works otherwise the Soul vails the glory of the love of God in Christ So that hence also necessarily proceed sensible acknowledgements of the Souls accursed wretchedness whenever a a beam of light shines from Heaven to discover to a Soul his union with Christ Secondly The second way of manifestation of the perfection of the freedom of the Lords love which is by the Souls manifesting an unwavering confidence in the faithfulness of the Lord to vouchsafe the sweetest embraces of love to the loveless Soul notwithstanding all its wretchedness Even this is the constant certain and infallible effect of a beam of light shining from Heaven to discover to the Soul its union with Christ This you may observe in 2. Cor. 5 6 7 8. The Apostle declares they had received the earnest of the Inheritance they had received a pawn from Heaven a pledge of everlasting communion with God in Christ saith he we are always confident willing rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord. So likewise in Rom. 8.23 Those that had received the first fruits of the spirit did groan after the full redemption of their Bodies in the mean time being filled with holy confidence as you may observe ver 33.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect speaking in the Persons of those that had received the first fruits of the spirit who is he that condemneth It is Christ thas died who shall separate us from the Love of Christ And indeed this cannot but be the necessary effect of the spirit of light revealing to the Soul its union with Jesus Christ seeing the rock of everlasting certainty whereupon the Soul may build the hopes of the riches of the Lords love in Christ towards him is revealed by the spirit of light revealing to the Soul its union For you know the prime way of the spirt of light revealing to the Soul its union is by revealing to the Souls faith that it is the will of the Lord to admit that particular Soul into union with Jesus Christ yea the spirit of Jesus Christ should not execute its office in revealing to the Soul its union should it not establish the Soul in an unwavering confidence while that light remains of enjoying the sweetest embraces of the Lords love notwithstanding all its vileness Thirdly The third act of the Soul whereby it manifests the perfection of the love of God to unlovely sinners which is by the souls manifesting its stedfastness in the same confidence of the fulness of the Lords love in Christ working towards it under the sense of new infirmitie imperfection crookedness even that is also the certain necessary effect of the spirit of light discovering to the Soul its union with Jesus Christ This you may observe in that 2. Cor. 5. They were sensible of their imperfection while they were in the Body yet they were nevertheless confident having received the earnest of the spirit So Rom. 7.23 compared with Rom. 8.1 Paul though he fought new Combates though he were never led captive by the law of his members yet notwithstanding he was confident that there was no condemnation no sentence of vengeance or dictate of justice that could pass out against his Soul that was now admitted into union with the Lord Jesus And this indeed cannot but be the necessary effect of a beam of light shining from God to manifest unto the Soul its union with Jesus Christ seeing that beam of light first discovers the Lords blessed unchangeable will to be the only foundation of that love of God in Christ Thus when the glory and lustre of the light continues the sense of the Souls weakness sinful disposition imperfection cannot shake the Souls confidence in regard of that clear apprehension that then possesses the Soul that there is nothing in that Soul that is the foundation of that love of God in Jesus Christ that he hopes for and in regard also a dear apprehension possesses the Soul that there are the same motives and arguments in the bosom of that ever blessed God of love yet to love that unlovely Soul notwithstanding his new infirmities his new backsliding disposition or proneness to backsliding Now such a manifestation of the stedfastness in the confidence of the Soul under the sense of new infirmities cannot but be the effect of such a beam of light in regard the unchangeableness of the will of God that is revealed to admit the Soul into union with God in Christ is clearly revealed by the power of that light so that while the beauty and glory of that light continues though new corrupt dispositions arise in the believing Soul yet the confidence of the Soul shakes not because it is built upon the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his blessed will to the Soul which will of his is unchangeable So that then it is apparent that the name of God is exalted through every believing Soul in the glorious freedom of his love that is in Jesus Christ to unlovely sinners by and through the spirits discovery to the Soul certainly his union with Jesus Christ III. A Soul doth manifest the glorious perfection of the Lords love in Christ to
we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness all our duties and performances our most holy actings they are but as filthy raggs Likewise it is observable in the holy man Job who stood much upon his own uprightness and integrity Chap. 23.11 12. and Chap. 27.5 6. Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me that is I will not deny my innocency and righteousness I have walked before God with a perfect heart I will never reproach my self till I die so Chap. 31.6 Let me be weighed in an even Ballance that God may know my integrity yet in Chap. 4.3 4. this Job that could declare so many righteous acts of his own begins freely to acknowledge that all his righteousness was as vileness though those actions of righteousness had been performed by him with much integrity yet there was an infinite disproportion between the holy actings of the Lords blessed will then saith Job behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I have laid my hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further I will not call to God to weigh me in a Ballance any more that he may know my integrity so Chap. 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes repent that is the thoughts of my self now change I am so ashamed I loath and abhor my self in the sight of all my integrity and righteousness that I so much stood upon And certainly there is an infallible necessity of a Souls exalting the name of God through those sensible free acknowledgements of the infinite disproportion between the holy actings of his will and the holy actings of the Lords will whenever the spirit of Christ do reveal to any Soul his union 1. In regard the faculty of the Souls spiritual sight was then lively active and ready for exercise The eye of the Soul is as it were open and in every duty that he performs to God he can behold the least inward sluggishness and indisposedness so as the least of those infirmities is burdensom and mark that is the reason that believing Souls once decaying in the life of holiness lose the sense of the evidence to their Souls of their union with Christ because every day their own formality hardness blockishness insensibleness is less burdensom to them because the faculty of spiritual sight is out of exercise And that 's the reason also that under the clearest sight of the Souls union with Christ there is the largest confession of the Souls own vileness the spiritual faculty of sight in the believing Soul is then drawn up in its strength that 's one of the great reasons why those Souls that enjoy the clearest revelations of the Lords love in Christ are the most abased Souls 2. When the spirit reveals to the Soul its union with Christ then the precious heavenly light that discovers all the unsutableness of the Souls will to Gods will shines clearly and actually The transparent light of the Lords love in Christ to so unlovely a Soul is like a blessed heavenly Lamp lighted up within the Believers heart through the light of which the Soul may see every unsutableness in his will to the Lords blessed will and that in its vileness in its most odious native colours yea that light of the Lords Love in Christ to the loveless Soul causes the infinite right that the Lord hath to claim all the powers and possibilities of the Soul to be subject to him to shine clearly in the Soul it makes the heart say within it self O how infinitely due is every acting of my Soul to God to be employed only for his blessed pleasure so that now there is light without to enable the Soul to see the unsutableness of its will to Gods will as well as there is light within that the Soul seeth not only like a man having a perfect sight but as a man with a perfect sight in a clear Sun-shine day that shall discern every more in the Sun Beams that a man with a clear sight in a dark day cannot behold and thence it is that the evidence unto the Soul of its union with Christ cannot but draw sorth an acknowledgement of the infinite disproportion of the Souls actings to the Lords holy will in regard the Soul is then enabled to discern the smallest unsutableness that is in his will to the Lords will 3. In regard that light that shines into the Soul at that time discovers those unholinesses in the holy actings of the Soul whereof a believing Soul is most peculiarly guilty in all his holy actings There are four wants of holiness in all the actings of believing Souls in some measure and degree First The want of pure Love in all the holy actings of the Soul The want of the Souls aiming meerly at the exaltation and glory of his dearest Father in the Lord Jesus and so acting in obedience to the Fathers blessed will from a pure Child-like disposition working in the heart that disposes him to comply with the Fathers will only only because his Fathers will This is pure Love when the Soul out of Love to God himself without relation to any benefit or advantage that the Soul enjoys without relation to any fear of any loss or dammage that the Soul should suffer through disobedience to aim at and intend only the fulfilling of his blessed Fathers will now this in every holy duty the Soul performs is in some degree of its perfection wanting Secondly There is the want of freedom of Spirit or liberty in their holy actings in their wills agreeing with the Lords blessed will When the Spirit of Jesus Christ breaths upon the holy disposition and inclination infused into Believers wills most sweetly and powerfully and assist them strongly in their exercise yet then while they dwell in these Bodies of Clay while the old man remains not wholly crucified there wants some perfection of Liberty in their Spirits in these holy actings the soul is not wholly void of some inclination and disposition acting secretly that bends the soul from those holy actings that yet the Soul is exercised in Thirdly In the holy actings of believing Souls there is a want of fulness of complacency delight and contentment in those holy actings The flesh mutters and murmurs against the actings of the Spirit this made Paul say with my mind I serve the Law of God and with my flesh the Law of Sin and I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man still there is an opposite party that is not satisfyed in those holy actings the Spirit is willing saith Christ concerning his Apostles but the flesh is weak the flesh will never answer the spirits readiness perfectly so as all the whole powers and possibilities of Soul and Body should run parallel with one another in their holy
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
with the strength of my Soul after the things before after the height of the vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that is the experimental knowledge of the vertue of his death and resurrection that is to say the full communion with Christ in his holiness Fifthly He testifies that he passeth over or leaps over all difficulties all impediments and hindrances in his striving after this perfect conformity to Jesus Christ in his Death and Resurrection which is also contained in that he doth profess towards the mark he doth thrust through all troops of impediments that stand to oppose him in his way and with all the powers and possibilities of his soul extended makes the persuit after the full experience of the vertue of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ Yea likewise he hears witness that every sincere believing soul ought to walk according to this rule to be thus minded ver 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded That is let us thus count of our selves to be infinitely short of that which ought only to satisfie our souls whatever degree of holiness we have apprehended and let us fix our eyes singly and constantly upon the perfect holiness that souls attain to through Communion with Christ in his Death and Resurrection and let us forget all our labours and endeavours and all the degrees of holiness that we have attainted to so as not to satisfy our selves in that measure and degree and let us stretch out our Arms after full Communion with Jesus Christ and let us pass over all difficulties pressing towards the mark the fulness of Conformity to the Lords will which the Lord hath determined to bring beleivers to through Communion with Jesus Christ their Mediatour in his Death and Resurrection Likewise the Apostle John testifies as much in 1 John 3.3 Every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Mark what hope he speaks of The second verse tells you saith he we are the Sons of God and we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is So that the hope that he speaks of is the hope of Adoption the hope of their union with Christ the first-born of all the Elect ones and the hope of their perfect Union and Communion with Jesus Christ in the highest Heavens Now mark what the effect of this hope is Those that have received this hope infused from the spirit of Jesus Christ it occasions the souls to purify themselves as Jesus Christ is pure that is all one as God the Father is pure Christ being but the express image of his Father The Apostle means not that actually any soul having such an evidence of his union with Christ from the spirit as produceth that blessed hope in him is actually purified according to purification of purity that is in Christ But he means that the soul into whom this hope of his union with Christ is infused doth desire breath after long for endeavour with all the intentions of his soul the same purity that is in Jesus Christ satisfying his soul with no degree no measure less then the fulness of likeness unto Jesus Christ himself Likewise it is evident that the spirit revealing unto any soul his union with Christ doth occasion the soul to declare that a conformity to the will of God is the only satisfying object of the desires of any soul in regard the spirit of Christ makes the promises of union and Communion with God in Christ to be the motive unto perfection of holiness 2 Cor. 7.1 Now if the very propounding of the promise be that which excites an heart unto perfect holiness perfect Conformity to the Lords will then much more must the sense of the souls interest of Union and Communion with God in Christ necessarily constrain a soul to pursue with all his strength after perfection of conformity to the Lords will and to declare that no less then Conformity to the Lords will perfectly ought to satisfie the desires of any soul And likewise it might be evident from the very prayer of the Apostle that he always made for believing souls which was for their perfect Conformity to the Lords will 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of Peaee sanctify you wholly in Spirit Soul and Body And he prays that they might be filled with the fulness of God Eph. 4.19 And as Scripture thus Testifies that God is thus exalted in his holiness in any soul to whom the spirit doth reveal its union with Jesus Christ by that souls declaring that a Conformity to the Lords will perfectly ought only to satisfy the desires of any soul So likewise the experience of souls receiving the evidence from the spirit of their union with Christ bears Witness of the same I. Hence it is that those souls that injoy the Evidences of ther union with Christ are unsatisfyed with their most holy duties and acts of purest Obedience to the Lords blessed will So that souls injoying their union with Christ are always complaining of Imperfections and wants in their most holy actings And 1. Hence it is that we shall hear constantly those pretious souls complain with much Bitterness of the narrowness and straitness of the working of their wills in Conformity to the Lords Will. 2. You shall hear them always complaining when Assisted most mightily by the spirit of Christ of their want of singleness of Simplicity of heart in their wills conforming to the Lords will 3. They are constantly complaining of the want of liberty of spirit in the compliance of their wills with the Lords blessed will This David Intimates when cries out 51.12 Restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation and Establish me with thy free Spirit He Apprehended his spirit to be much under Bondage and Thraldom and with much earnestness he desires Communion with God again 4. Hence those souls are always sadly complaining in their acts of purest obedience of their want of fixedness and stability of the workings of the disposition of their wills to comply with Gods will 5. You shall hear them complain of the Weakness and Imperfection of the inward acts of the most pure Obedience that their souls render of the Imperfection of their desires in prayer even when they are drawn out by a mighty power from the spirit of Christ II. It is from hence also that souls injoying the evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus are perpetually groaning after a fuller measure of the sanctifying spirit of Jesus Christ in what measure soever the sanctifying spirit is poured out upon them Thus David often in the 119. Psalm begs for quickening which in a word is but this Lord send down more of the spirit of Life and Holiness from the Lord Jesus Yea this you may observe from the workings of the spirit of the great Apostle Paul Rom 7. how his soul groans after a larger portion of the sanctifying
A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST Wherein is Declared What this Vnion with Jesus Christ is And many False Grounds of Vnion Discovered In which these Two weighty Quest are largely handled viz. I. How Souls do attain the first certain infallible Evidence of their Vnion with Christ II. How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying Evidence of their Vnion with the Lord Jesus may know certainly and infallibly that their Evidence of Vnion with Christ received is really from God and not a Diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a Delusion from the Devils Translation of himself into Angelical Glory By J. L. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 London Printed for J. Hancock at the Three Bibles in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil 1680. The Contents The occasion of the words and opening of them Doct That the purpose and intetns of God in discovering the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the Sons of men is that he might gather together their Souls into union with Jesus Christ that by vertue of their union they might be one with the Father as he and Christ are one p. 5. Three Questions answered Quest What is this union with Jesus Christ What is it to be one with Jesus Christ Answered 1 Negative 2 Affirmatively p. 6. Quest 2. How can the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring the Soul into union with him Answered 1 Negatively 2 Affirmatively p. 9. Quest 3. Why the Lord intends by the revelation of the Gospel to bring Souls into union with Jesus Christ Two premises and 4 answers p. 14. Use 1. Of information in 9 particulars p. 19. Use 2. By way of admonition p. 23. Wherein three great miscarriages of Souls in attending upon Gospel Ordinances are opened Quest Is union with Christ the first intent of God in revealing Gospel truths Doth not the Lord require there should first be a mortifying of corruption a drawing the heart from sin that there should first be a mortifying of corruption a drawing the Heart from sin that there should be a cutting off from the old stock that it might be magnified into the New Vine Jesus Christ Two Premises the Answer p. 24. Use 3. Of Examination Whether we be united to Jesus Christ Four things to urge the necessity of knowing it p. 29 This great Question propounded Quest How shall I know whether I be united to Christ or no Or what is it that may evidence the Souls Vnion Answ 1. Negatively The Souls Vnion with Christ cannot be evidenced these ways 1. Not from any work of the Spirit of God that is effected in or upon the Soul p. 32. 2. Not by any thing inherent in the Soul p. 34. 3. Not by any thing done or effected by the Soul or that can be effected and done p. 38. 4. Not from the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the union of the Soul with Christ cleared in Three particulars p. 45. Some Questions Answered before the Affirmative Answer Quest 1. Whether all those Evidences from something thus inherent in themselves and done them by the Spirit of God be rotten and unsound and no Evidences p. 47. Answered 1. Negatively 1. They are no Evidences of Faith p. 49. 2. They are no Evidences of Knowledge p. 49. Answ 2. Affirmatively those may be improperly called Evidences are Evidences of Opinion p. 50. Five things to be noted about Evidences of Opinion Quest 2. Why doth the Scripture propound the Souls obedience unto God and its love unto God as Signs and Evidences of the Souls union with Christ p. 56. Quest 3. To what purpose are all the Promises made to Qualities inherent in Souls and to the workings of the Spirit of grace in hearts seeing union with Christ cannot be evidenced from it Answered p. 60. Quest 4 Are not the Promises made to Faith and believing as believing that through Faith only a Man can claim right to the Promises Answered p. 66. The use of conditional Promises opened in Four particulars p. 69. Answ 2. The affirmative Answer How a Soul may know his Vnion with the Lord Jesus Four Premises p. 71. The Question must be concerning assurance of Faith and not of knowledge It divideth it self into two Questions 1. How Souls do obtain the first certain infallible Evidence of their union with Christ 2. By what means 3. In what manner Quest From whence do Souls obtain infallible Evidences ef their Vnion with Christ Answ There is but one only proper ground substantially and that is the Lords own free promise cleared in Three particulars p. 80. Quest But it is not from the sight of a Condition to which the Lord hath made some Promise of Christ that a Soul receiveth the infallible evidence of his Vnion p. 82. Vnder what notion the Promises that seem to be made to Conditions are to be understood in 5. particulars p. 87. Two things to clear those Texts that seem to make the Promise run upon Conidition opened in many particulars p. 91. Quest But doth not the Lord reveal first these Graces that he describes his own People by to be in such Souls and then through the sight of them clear to Souls that he hath given them the Lord Christ out of his own good will alone through the Promise from p. 96. to 105. Quest How can the Lords absolute Promise be the ground from whence the Soul can have the first infallible evidence of his Vnion seeing there is no absolute Promise of God wherein he discovers his own will to accept any one particular Soul into Vnion with the Lord Christ Answer p. 105. Quest 2. By what means doth a Soul receive the infallible evidence of his Vnion Four Premises the positive Answer p. 113. 118. Three joynt concurring Causes and what they are p. 119. That the Spirit of God is the principal most immediate cause of the Promises evidencing to the Soul his Vnion with Christ p. 123. Cleared in 4. particulars Quest 3. In what manner doth a Soul receive the first infallible evidence of his Vnion with Christ 5. Premises p. 130. The Positive Answer in opening Five Effects that the Spirit of God doth produce in every Soul to whom it doth manifest his Vnion with Christ from the Promise 1. The Spirits Illumination 2. The Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul 3. The Spirits conviction of the Conscience 4. The Spirits excitation 5. The Spirits Attestation or Witness unto the Soul p. 132. 1. The Spirits Illumination p. 133. This consists 1. In the infusion of greater degrees of Divine light into the Soul 2. In the removal of all Impediments these are of Two sorts I. Principles of Darkness of which there are 8. opened in many particulars p. 136. to 178. II. Dark Distempers Six of them opened p. 178. to 233. 2. The spirit
acting by his own power the divine Light communicated to the soul p. 233. 2. The spirits Irradiation of the Promise or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Diverse things in the Promise or in the Gospel that the Spirit doth evidence to the Soul when it is revealing its Vnion with Christ This is clear in many particulars from p. 234. to 340. The first beam of Divine Light p. 236. A Second Beam of Divine Light p. 254. A Third p. 262. A Fourth p. 267. A Fifth p. 269. A Sixth p. 274. The security given to Souls from the Covenant Oath Seal p. 274. From the many engagement upon God himself p. 305. 3. The Spirits conviction of the Conscience p. 340. What Conscience is The two most eminent works of Conscience The spirits excitation of the habits of grace formerly infused into their proper exercise p. 345. What the spirits excitatioin is p. 350. 5. The Spirits Attestation or Witness unto the Soul Both its Attestation to sense and to faith p. 355. to 392. Quest How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying evidence of their Vnion with the Lord Jesus may know certainly and infallibly that the evidence of their Vnion with Christ received is really from God and not a Diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a Delusion by the Devils translation of himself into Angelical glory p. 392. Several things concerning Diabolical Inspirations p. 393. The grounds of the different actings of the Devils policy towards Believers and Vnbelievers p. 406. Quest Can the Devil look into the understandings of Men to know what the inward actings of their Minds are p. 425. 2. Satans power upon the Conscience p. 431. 3. Satans power upon the Affections and Passions p. 436. Premises about a Souls tryal of the evidence of his Vnion received whether it it be from God or be a diabolical inspiration p. 437. Four sinful Distempers incident to believing Souls when doubtful of the truth of their Evidencs of their Vnion with Christ which do incapacitate for a just Trial and true examination of the evidences of their Vnion p 445. Quest If souls under the Dominion of impatiency rashness irrational affections prejudicial conceits against the truth of their evidence of their Vnion with Christ and under decays of holiness be unsutable for a right Tryal of their Evidences then what sutable means remains for such souls in these sad conditions under fears that their Eaidences are delusions Answer p. 455. If the examination can only be taken from those Evidences which remain in their perspicity clearness and sanctifying power then Quest What use could souls make of the evidences they conceive they had received of their Vnion with Jesus Christ when the Lustre and orient brightness of their evidences be Eclipsed p. 472. Answered in 4 Propositions Six Holy Vses the soul is to make for former Evidences p. 479. Nine Arguments from former Evidences to plead with the Majesty of Heaven p. 483. From all those Considerations the Question is thus Stated Quest How shall any Soul that conceives he hath received and doth actually injoy certain and sufficient evidence of his Vnion with the Lord Jesus Demonstrate from certain necessary and evident reasons that those his Evidences are really from God p. 491. Answ There are but two kinds of Demonstrations 1. The first and most certain ground is taken from the Causes Now there are but two principal Causes of the Souls Vnion with the Lord Jesus both which concur together and are never Separated one from another that is the Lords Blessed Written Word and that pretious Spirit of Jesus Christ. That the first primary and principal reason from whence a Soul may conclude that the Evidences of his Vnion with Christ received are really from God is that those Evidencing Beams of Light do proceed from the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ Two things opened to clear this 1. That the Light that proceeds from the Spirit to Evidence to any Soul its Vnion with Christ doth Evidence it self to proceed from the spirit p. 493. 2. That the light that proceeds from that spirit to discover to the soul its Vnion with Christ is the most potent invincible Demonstration of its own proceeding from God p. 499. The second Instrumental cause that shineth into any heart really from God to discover its Vnion with Christ is the Lords pretious Word p. 502. Where is cleared that the Scriptures are the Word of God p. 512. 2. The second sort of Demonstrations a posterioti taken from the effects Five acts in Believing Souls whereby they exalt the name of God Souls Confident they shall be everlastingly saved by Christ put upon it to search into their Hearts and seriously lay six things before them to consider of A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST c. Ephes 1.10 That in the Dispensation of the fulness of Times he might gather togather in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are in Earth even in him THE Apostle taking care of the Church of Ephesus after his departure from it writes this Epistle for the Establishing their Hearts in the Riches of the Lords Free Grace in Christ that the Lord had made their Souls Partakers of that thereby he might excite and quicken them to all sutable walking to such Priviledges This being his Scope in this first Chapter the Apostle begins to reckon up all those Glorious Priviledges by their several names in their several Causes and orders and therefore you shall see in ver 3. He breaks out in the very beginning into a Holy Rapture of Praise and Admiration of God to Bless his name for those high Priviledges as Election Justification Vocation and Glorification Now in ver 8. is comprehended the great Priviledge of their Vocation in those words wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence or Understanding That is in which Grace and Love before named the Lord hath abounded towards us through the Communicating that Grace of Wisdom and Understanding to us That is that Grace that made us receive and rest upon the Doctrine of the Wisdom of God to Salvation And having thus named the Priviledge it self ver 9. He opens the manner of the Lords thus effecting this grace upon their Souls in these words having made known unto us the Mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself The manner of the effecting of it is by the Lords manifesting the Mysteries of his will to their Souls And what he means by the Mystery of his will he tells us ver 13 it is the Word of Truth the Gospel of Salvation He means indeed the Salvation Preached in and through the Lord Christ alone which was the great Mystery that the Angels desired to pry into Now by the Revelation of this Mystery the Lord did Communicate that Grace and Understanding to them whereby they did embrace that pretious doctrine that made them wise to salvation
should be broken unless the nature of God can be taken away and the infinite nature of God become finite Answ 2. I shall answer affirmatively The union that the Lord intends by the revelation of the Gospel to bring your souls to in Christ is according as the scriptures name it five-fold 1. There is an union of agreement or an union of peace made up between Christ and the Soul This is called in Scripture the reconciliation of the soul unto God and unto Jesus Christ Then persons are said to be divided when there are jars and quarrels taken up by one person against another but the removing of these quarrels and controversies between those persons is the making those persons one again Now this is the case between God and the soul there was such a blessed harmony and agreement between the Soul and God in Adam as there was not the least jar imaginable in Gods bosom against us nor in our bosom against God but through our cursed transgression in the loyns of Adam we gave God such offence as he hath a quarrel against all the Sons of Adam and our hearts have a cursed quarrel against God whence we are said to be enemies in our minds Now the union God intends to bring the soul to in Christ is an union of agreement that is the removing all those jars and differences between God and the Soul 2. There is an union of Marriage or a Matrimonial union The Lord hath such infinite bowels of mercy in his bosom toward souls that when they had despised that blessed union with himself that he had given them by creation he will make them better again then they were first made by another union he brings them into a marriage union to make the Soul a Spouse to Christ and Christ an Husband to the Soul and that advanceth them in some measure above the Angels They are but ministring spirits to Christ and to the Spouse of Christ they never had such an honour as to be the Spouse of Christ This union you find frequently in Scripture In Eph. 5. speaking of marriage between man and wife saith he I speak concerning Christ and the Church So Rev. 19.7 and Chap. 21.9 3. There is an union of spirit He will communicate of his own spirit to the soul and make his wife partake of the same spirit with himself that the Saints and he shall be one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 4. There is the union of likeness or similitude between Christ and the Soul That is the Lord by the communication of himself unto the Soul makes it to be a lively patern of himself Thence it is that in Rom. 8.29 he tells us he had predestinated us to be conformable to the Image of his Son Hence he saith 2 Pet. 1.3 We are partakers of the divine nature That is of the same nature that Jesus Christ is partaker of that there should be an union of nature between Christ and the Soul that is an union of holiness That as he did partake of the humane nature he will make his Spouse partake of the divine nature Nay we are said to partake of the life of God Eph. 4 18 that is to live the same life of God 5. There is the union of headship That is to say to have Jesus Christ as his head and to be of the same body with Jesus Christ This is commonly called by men the mystical union because it is an hidden union that Christ and the Soul should be but one Body This union is thus that the soul should be of the number of those Elect that the Lord according to the counsel of his will chose to be vessels to which he would communicate of himself to all eternity Quest 2. How can the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring the Soul thus into union with Jesus Christ How can the manifestation of the mysteries of Gods will effect such a gracious work as this to unite the Soul to Christ in all those ways I answer First negatively Secondly affirmatively Ans 1. We must not conceive that the revelation of Gospel truths are the original principal efficient cause of this union of Souls with Christ as though this union of Souls with Christ did depend onely upon the working of those truths of the Gospel of Christ revealed It is the will of God that is the principal efficient cause of union The Lord hath not left the state of souls to be determined by themselves either by resisting or embracing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and therefore you shall see in the Verse before the Text that the revealing of those truths of the Gospel are said to be according to the purpose of the Lords own will 2. Neither must you conceive that those discoveries of the Gospel do by their own effectual vertue produce this union between the Soul and Christ Faith it self which is the uniting grace by which the union is made up does not produce this union by any vertue or efficacy and proper quality in it self but as God hath determined the revelation of the Gospel and saith wrought by those revelations to bring the soul into union 3. Neither do those revelations of the Gospel to the outward ear work this effect of the Souls union with Christ Thence it is said John 6.45 Every one that hath learned of the Father cometh unto me It is not hearing and learning those truths from the mouth of man that immediately produce those effects but hearing from the Father that is by Gods giving inward beams of light to the understanding whereby he doth discover the mysteries of his will to the soul Ans 2. I answer affirmatively The revelation of the truth of the Gospel doth produce this union three ways 1. By discovering the union with Christ to be attained in the Soul-alluring properties of it It is instrumentally that the Lord useth the revelation of the truths of the Gospel to manifest to the soul that an union is to be obtained and to manifest the excellency beauty necessity and sutableness of that union to the souls present condition whereby the soul is drawn to accept of that union Now in regard union cannot be effected between Christ and the Soul without a discovery that there is such an union to be obtained therefore it is said the Lord by revealing the truths of the Gospel to the Soul does gather the soul into union because this is the onely glass as it were whereby the soul may discover the way of attaining an union between Christ and the Soul 2. By conveying sight to the blinded soul to apprehend that union Though the most Orient bright glistering colours be presented to the eyes of a man covered with darkness they could not take up a mans meditations about them neither could he be affected with them Now the eyes of all men naturally are covered with darkness that though the Gospel hold forth the union yet we cannot be taken up with it nor pass
gracious c. Vse I. By way of information Is it thus that the Lords intent and purpose in revealing the precious truths of the Gospel is to draw souls into union with Christ 1. Then hence we may see a discovery of the dolefull dreadfull and too too common abuse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ how is the Gospel troden under foot by a multitude of souls How far do they come short when they come to attend upon Gospel Ordinances How few consider that Christ hath appointed his Ordinances to draw their wretched corrupt obstinate hearts into union with Christ 1. Consider The neglect of desiring a conformity to this intent of God in the Gospel is a profanation of the precious Ordinance of God it is a pollution of the great name of God in his Ordinances 2. Consider what a mockery and dissimulation thy attendance upon the Gospel hath been unto God Every Ordinance of God is appointed for God to be worshipped in and thou by thy attending upon an Ordinance professest thou dost worship God Now it is impossible for a soul to worship God whilst he is ignorant or regardless of the intent of God in an Ordinance 3. Thy neglect of this great intent of God in his Ordinance is a direct contrary walking unto God In coming to an Ordinance thou dost come with some intent or other It is inseperable from a rational creature upon a deliberate act to work for some end Now if thou dost always come with an intent and hast neglected the intent of God it follows directly it is a contrary walking to God II. Hence we may learn what a small number of hearts have had the right effect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ upon them How few hearts can be found who are drawn into union with the Lord Christ by the power of the Gospel this day How many are careless and regardless whether they be one with Christ or no III. We may learn hence to behold the working of the heart of God towards us in propounding of Gospel truths it is to bring your souls to be one with Christ IV. Hence learn that every soul that refuseth the Lord Christ tendered upon what ground soever can be imagined is a rejecter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Many poor souls through the cursed delusion of the old Serpent the Devil conceive they do well to stand off from receiving the Lord Christ tendered in the Gospel Take notice of the sad doleful miscarriage of thy heart thou neglectest the very principal command of God remainest disobedient while thou thinkest thou goest on in a way of obedience V. Learn what is the general rule by which we may judge persons to be embracers or refusers of the Gospel of Christ The general rule is whether they appear to be made one with Jesus Christ or no. If fruits can manifest there is an union with Jesus Christ then we may judge such to be embracers of Christ But if fruits manifest there is no union with Christ then can we not charitably judg that they are embracers of the Gospel of Christ for the present VI. Hence learn what the sum perfection and highest end of all Scripture is It is nothing but this the Lord Christ and the soul made one It 's Christ alone that is the Alpha and Omega of the Scriptures Therefore hence we may learn how to read and hear the Scriptures The way is to make Christ the punctum the center of every line that when we find nothing of Christ we are far from reading the Scripture Look upon the Types Ceremonies Genealogies all lead to Christ VII Hence learn what was the end of all those infinite wise counsels of God from before the foundation of the world was laid What was the end of all the mysteries of the Gospel that the Angels desire to pry into The end of all is to bring souls into union with Jesus Christ VIII Hence learn the reason of the near Sympathy of affection between the Lord Christ and those souls upon whom the Gospel hath had its right effect Why is Christs honour the souls honour and Christs advancement the souls advancement And on the contrary the affliction of the soul is Christs affliction the dishonour of the soul is Christs dishonour The reason is because the soul is brought into union with the Lord Christ and where there is such a nearness of relation there will be a nearness of affection IX Hence learn the intrinsical specifical difference between the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments of the Gospel The preaching of the Gospel is to draw souls into union with Christ but the administration of the Sacraments of the Gospel is to manifest communion between souls and Christ already united 1 Cor. 10 16. Thence it is that there is a difference to be made between persons that partake of the Sacraments of the Gospel though not of those that partake of the preaching of the Gospel Every soul is a sutable subject to have the Gospel preached because every soul by nature is a separated soul and therefore hath need to be brought into union with Christ but onely some few souls that are sutable subjects may partake of the Sacraments of the Gospel because they are those that do manifest a soul to have communion therefore they presuppose union Vse II. The second Use is a word of admonition Seeing the purpose of God in revealing Gospel truths is to gather souls into union with the Lord Christ let this warn every soul from heaven to take heed how he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ It is a good caution the holy Ghost gives Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God He means take heed and watch over the affections intents and purposes of your souls when you approach near to God in any duty of his worship Then beware your affections swerve not from God There are three great miscarriages in coming to Gospel Ordinances 1. A carelesness and mindlesness of the nature end and effect of the ordinances of God in approaching to them It may be said of most souls in a Congregation as of those Acts 19.32 In that great assembly the most part knew not wherefore they were come together Consider of two things in this wretched miscarriage of heart in attending upon the Gospel First this heedless frame of spirit is a contempt of God himself When the great God of heaven and earth sends a precious Embassage to thy poor loveless soul and cries to thee come and be one with me in a Mediator and thou sit carelesly neither minding nor regarding the nature of the Embassage how is it possible for thee to cast higher contempt upon God Secondly it is the highest indignity and affront that can be offered in that kind to the glorious Majesty of heaven and earth 2. The second great miscarriage of heart is the taking satisfaction to the soul in attaining other ends by Gospel
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
behold some workings in its spirit also some holy act in and upon Jesus Christ At the same time the soul beholds its union with Jesus Christ it beholds its receiving Jesus Christ which is an act of Faith 3. The meaning of the conclusion is this That no works either inward or outward performed by the soul have sufficient light in themselves to manifest themselves unto the soul nor from themselves and their own nature to manifest the union of the soul with Christ Though there is an inward act of soul that is an inseparable evidence of the souls union which is the act of Faith yet that act of Faith in it self considered as is is the meer act and work of the soul hath not sufficient light in it self to discover it self to the soul that it is the inseparable act of the souls union Likewise is every work of the soul inward or outward of the same nature The works of the soul may be works of light and yet the beams of light shine so dimly forth as they cannot discover their own nature to the soul they cannot discover themselves to be those works that the Scripture holds forth to be the infallible consequence of the souls union with Christ And that the works of the soul have not sufficient light in themselves to discover union will appear in divers respects 1. Because all the works of the soul united to Christ may be present in the soul when the union of the soul with Christ is obscure and dark The act of Faith that is the most eminent effect of the souls union with Christ may be very strong in the soul when the soul may be yet dark A clear instance will be given in Mat. 27.46 by the Captain of our Salvation who believed when he hung upon the Cross and exercised Faith in God as appears in those words My God yet the union between Jesus Christ and God the Father as Mediator was dark that made him cry out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me The hypostatical union was firm and as firm as now it is in heaven but the manifestation of that union was obscure when the Lord Christ did bear the greatest burden of the consequence of sin that was possible in bearing the sense of the absence of God from him for a season 2. It appears in regard the union between Christ and the soul is only passive The union is compleat between Jesus Christ and the soul before any one act goes forth from the soul unto Christ It is impossible there should be the least motion of the soul towards the perfecting or compleating of the union between Christ and the soul unless we could conceive there may be motions in dead persons that there may be action where there is no life Now the union being passive there may be a manifestation of the union between Jesus Christ and the soul at the same time at the same moment that the union between Christ and the soul is compleated I do not say it is ordinary but I say there may be a sight of the Lord Christ coming down into the heart in that instant and moment wherein Jesus Christ does take actual possession of the heart and unite it unto himself Now in case the union of the soul should be so evidenced with Christ then should all works either inward or outward in the soul be excluded from having any interest in the manifestation of that union 3. In regard the same kind of works that do arise properly from the union of the soul with Christ though not peculiarly may arise from other principles where there is no union There are three false originals of such outward works 1. God himself may be the Original of such works in some souls though not by vertue of union nor in relation unto union That is though the Lord convey not any influences that are the proper influences peculiar unto union nor though the Lord does not convey those influences into the soul from whence those outward works proceed to bring the soul into union with Jesus Christ Prayer and revealing the truths of God and reading of them and all outward works of a soul may be produced by God in the soul only in relation to other souls that are already united to himself The Lord may convey large streams of gifts and inward affections unto some souls and excite them to the imploying of all those gifts in all outward works of his own worship only in respect to the good of his own peoples souls when the Lord intends not any benefit to the soul that partakes of those gifts Thus the Lord dealt with Cyrus Isa 45.1 and Chap. 44.28 Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall he laid The Lord did convey strength to Cyrus to carry him on in a glorious work of reforming his worship and to build the Temple when the Lord intended no good to Cyrus I mean so as to bring his soul into union with Christ Thus God furnished John with Zeal against Idolatry for the good of his peoples souls and it redounded little to the good of his soul For ought we know Judas was furnished with as good gifts as the rest of the Apostles and seemed to pray with as much earnestness and publish the truths of Christ with as much Zeal as any of the Apostles whereas none of those gifts that Judas had were conveyed by vertue of the union of his soul with Christ nor were given with an intent to bring his soul into union 2. A second false original of such works is the souls own principle of self Self ends self lusts self intendments may be like the spring that may set all the wheels of the affections on work and produce all those outward expressions in the work of God Certainly it was one of the chief intendments in the Pharisees in all their works of holiness and strictness in their conversation that they might advance themselves outwardly and to eternity and thought to tie God to give them heaven for it 3. The third false original of works that properly flow from union is from the Devil himself The workings of prayer of hearing of meditating or forsaking sin in the conversation may come from the Devil himself he taking his opportunity to sail with the wind and row with the tide He seeing the Affections work towards duties of holiness he presses with all his might to the performance of them that he might weary out the soul with them or else cause the confidence of the soul to be placed in them and the soul to promise it self happiness by them Certainly the Zeal of Paul that he had for God and the law of God was acted by the Devil himself And Saul that was so Zealous to offer sacrifice before he went to battle it was from the Devil Those souls
that are pressed so violently unto prayer as they will neglect their callings to multiply duties of prayer I question not though such excitations come from conscience to urge them yet they are originally from the Devil himself And certainly many a soul hath found the sad effect of the Devil in it in causing the soul to be weary of all duties and to cast them off Now in regard the original of the souls works that it performs is thus questionable whether they have their original from the souls union with Christ or from one of these false principles Thence these works are not sufficient in themselves to manifest the souls union with Christ The question must first be answered whether these duties flow from union with Christ or no before the other question can be answered whether those works be the proper effects of union And till that question be answered the soul can never conclude from his works that he is united to Jesus Christ 4. Nothing that is done by the soul can manifest the souls union in regard the union of the soul with Christ cannot be concluded from works as a necessary truth grounded upon an unchangeable and infallible reason That is the great distinction between opinion and knowledge That knowledg is the apprehension of a truth flowing necessarily from an unchangable ground whereas opinion flowes onely from a probable ground Now the works of the soul can never be an unchangeable ground from whence the soul can conclude himself to be united to Christ in three regards 1. In regard no work simply considered in it self without respect to its original can be concluded to be a fruit or consequence of the souls union The same kind of work may be performed from a false original as well by vertue of influences from the Devil into our hearts as from God Therefore till it discern that the original is from Christ that it was by the very motion and stirring of Christ in the heart that the work was done the soul cannot conclude it to be a consequence of his union Now so long as the work cannot appear to be a consequence of the souls union there can be no infallible ground to conclude that he is united to Jesus Christ 2. In regard no works can manifest union but such as are the peculiar and inseperable effects of the souls union with Christ Now no soul can discern his works to be the peculiar inseperable effect of union unless he can discern and conclude his soul shall continue and persevere to the end in those works But now no Soul can discern or conclude from any thing but from a promise of the God of truth which is only unchangable that he shall persevere in any Holy work whatever and no Soul can lay claim to any promise till he can claim right to Union with Jesus Christ therefore no Soul can see his perseverance in any such work till he see his Union with Christ 3. In regard the Judgment that the Soul passeth upon those works is a deceivable Judgment The heart being a bottomless depth that is unsearchable the nature of all his works cannot be discerned by the weak capacity of the Soul thence the Soul cannot draw that conclusion from them as a certain consequence of his Union with Christ Ans 4. Neither can the Union of the Soul with Christ be thus evidenced from the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the Union of the Soul with Christ I do not mean that the Union of the Soul with Christ may not be evidenced by the revelation of the nature and manner of the Union of the Soul with Christ The Lord Christ doth ordinarily through those Revelations of his truth cause the impression of truth to remain upon Spirits The Lord by revealing to Souls a Union to be attained by Christ ordinarily draws Souls into Union and by declaring the nature and manner of the Union doth ordinarily discover to Souls thus their Union with Christ Yet the nature and manner of the revelation of the Union considered in themselves is not enough barely considered in themselves to manifest the Union And that will appear in three things I. Because those outward Revelations reach no higher than Reasons eye Now while the light of Truth pierce no farther than the eye of Reason the right Consequences of it are never effected in the Soul That 's the reason that the revelation of the sweetest perswasions of God to allure Souls into Union take no effect upon the Heart of knowing persons because those outward Revelations reach but to Reasons eye and therefore they must hear and learn of the Father before they come to Christ John 6.45 In the same manner is the Revelation of the Union to Souls United as insufficient to satisfy the Soul concerning his Union as those other Revelations of the Lords will to draw Souls into Union 1. In regard the truth to be apprehended which is the Souls particular Union with Christ is far beyond Reasons Comprehension Now while the light reacheth no higher than to Reasons eye Reason not being able to comprehend the truth needs must the truth be inefficacious 2. All the Wranglings and Objections of the Soul against his Union remain in full Power notwithstanding those Revelations to the eye of Reason Till a higher light be set up in the Soul to be Lord Controler as it were of Reason the Soul is never able to believe that is to receive Christ into Union II. In regard those communicate no light to the eye to which those truths are propounded As it is at first in the Lords Conviction of a Soul by the truth the outward revealing of it is insufficient in regard there is no light by those revealings to convey it to the Souls eye for though the truth be made clear and apparent the eye is still blind therefore the Soul is not Convinced So it is in revealing to the Soul its Union the Revelation is insufficient in regard there is no beam of light comes to the Souls eye And though the eye of the Soul have received light from Heaven yet the light to discern the Souls Union must be a new light III. In regard United Souls that fully understand both the nature and manner of Union may be and are frequently yet unsatisfied about their Union Questionless poor Heman in Psal 88. knew well what it was to be accepted of God in Christ and to be one with him and yet was far from apprehending himself to be United but gave up himself for a dead man David when he made that 22 Psalm typically speaking of Christ though applying it to his own condition knew well enough what it was to have the Lord to be his and did hang upon him yet he cried out fearing God had forsaken him Now if the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the Souls Union with Christ were enough to make the Soul understand its Union then there were no united Soul
that did hear the relation of it and did carefully reflect upon his own heart but must be satisfied about his union but our experience tells us this that the most understanding Souls about union are hardest to be satisfied about their union Thus you have the negative part of the answer opened Now before I proceed to the affirmative there is another question will be cast in upon the neck of this Que. 1. But may the Soul say If none of these can evidence to the Soul his Vnion with Christ are all those Souls evidences of Vnion that they have received from something thus inherent in themselves and done upon them by the Spirit of God rotten and unsound and no evidences Must we now cast away all our thoughts of union with Jesus Christ that were formerly gathered from the sight of such qualifications inherent in our souls Before I come to answer this question I must first premise two or three things 1. That the soul hath not conceived either qualities inherent in his soul or works done by his soul as the cause of his union with God in Christ That these should be the uniting means between Christ and thy soul that have drawn the Lord Christ to come into thy heart and to dwel in thee and so to cause thee to dwell in him This were no less than gross Popery to make any thing in our selves the cause of union 2. I also premise That thou hast not taken qualities inherent in thy self or works done by thy self as the ground upon which thou didst believe thy union with Christ This were a very dangerous sandy foundation for a soul to build upon This were to ground a divine faith upon an humane ground to ground a certain conclusion upon a poor changeable ground And this were to make thy faith of no longer lasting than the constancy of thine heart in such works or the constancy of thy sight in beholding such dispositions in thy heart This is both unsafe and exceeding dangerous 3. I must premise That thou mistakest not the ground of thy evidence conceiving thy self to receive thy evidence from qualities inherent in thy self or works done by thy self when thou receivest it from a promise of free grace alone It may be at the same time when the Lord declared to thee his willingness to accept of thy soul into union with Christ and let thee see thine heart closing with that gracious tender he at the same time lets thee see such holy dispositions in thy soul as the consequence of thy union thence it may be thou didst conclude thy evidence was from these when it was from something in the first place before works But if the question be demanded whether thy qualifications thus considered be evidences I answer negatively and affirmatively First they are no right kind of evidences 1. They are no evidences of Faith That which is an evidence unto the eye of Faith must be some truth of God revealed unto faith with such an authority that for the authority of the speaker and revealer of that truth the soul doth believe it and close with it Now in that manner the word alone is proper evidence unto faith Assurance of faith must always have a divine ground to build upon Now there is no divine ground but a divine word and thine own dispositions and graces are no divine but a humane ground 2. They are no evidence of knowledge Knowledge is the assent of the understanding to a necessary truth built upon an unchangeable ground or reason Now the union of thy soul with Christ could never be rightly taken as a necessary truth built upon thine own works as the unchangable reason of it For as you have heard no works done by the soul can be an unchangeable reason upon which a soul may build such a truth as this that he is united unto Christ in regard thou wert never yet fully certain of the right nature of those thy works or of those dispositions in thy soul from whence thou didst gather those thoughts of thy union with Christ Secondly I answer affirmatively they may be improperly called evidences and they may have begotten an evidence of opinion in thy soul though not an evidence of knowledge Opinion is the assent of the understanding to some truth propounded upon the sight of probable grounds and reasons of the truth of the thing propounded Now the sight of thy gracious dispositions and qualifications may be an evidence of opinion to thy soul that is they may have afforded some probable arguments of thy union with Christ And from thence may have flown these three effects of it 1. Thence may have risen a quiet and calm in the soul a cessation from those perturbations and tumults the soul was disquieted with formerly 2. Hence might flow some refreshments A hope of possibility to the poor sinking soul brings admirable refreshment Much like a man being ready to suffer Ship-wrack at Sea seeing but a ship coming towards him gives him hope of being taken in 3. From hence may arise some flitting joy Though Christ do but pass by as it were and the soul does but see his face through a crevis it refresheth his heart Thus far they may be evidences of opinion unto souls But there are divers things that must be noted about this evidence of opinion least we mistake For though I dare not say but these evidences of opinion in many souls may prove such that in the utmost issue of them may hold to eternity yet it is not without great danger to the safety and comfort of such souls Therefore observe I. That these evidences of opinion in souls do yet fall short of raising those souls into a full conformity to the rules of Scripture about and concerning evidences of union And that will appear in three things 1. In regard these evidences of opinion cannot rise to that fulness of certainty and that strength of confidence that the rules concerning evidences of a souls union do require souls to be raised to When this opinion is raised to the highest degree there cannot be a full certainty Now the Scripture requires souls to attain a full confidence about their union with Christ Heb. 10.22 2. In regard the foundation of the souls consolation in these evidences is laid upon a ground disagreeing to the rule The rule is onely the will of God revealed Now the will of God revealed is that there should be immutable grounds upon which the soul should be built Heb. 6.17 18. 3. In regard the consolation of the soul is unsutable in measure and degree to that which God intends for his peoples souls He intends full consolations to them a plerophery of consolation But how weak are those comforts that flow from those weak fluctuating inherent grounds of the souls qualities or the working of those qualities II. You must note about these evidences of opinion That no soul may justly satisfie or content it self with only those evidences of
opinion Perfection of conformity to Scripture rule is the command and injunction that lies upon every soul Now these evidences of opinion being attained and yet the soul falls short of Scripture rules thence it necessarily follows that no soul may or ought to content it self with those evidences III. You must note That the seeking after and walking by these evidences of opinion only do expose the soul to the want of all props supports and comforts in the greatest necessities of the soul These evidences are like the little Brook the Prophet Elisha sat down by when he went from Jezebel that ran only in the beginning of the famin and after was dry Or rather they are like Jonah's Gourd Jonah 4.6 of which the poor man was exceeding glad for a night and felt the shadow of it but when the Sun arose a worm struck the Gourd and Jonah was exposed to the heat of the Sun Thus may the evidences of the soul from inherent qualities and the working of those qualities be like a precious Gourd for a season where the soul may have refreshments but if the Sun gets to the mid heavens and there come any scorching heat then do they vanish like Jonah's Gourd and the soul is exposed to a comfortless hopeless condition for eternity There are four great necessities of the soul when it hath the greatest need of evidences and in all these the evidence of opinion fails the soul 1 When any Sin in the heinousness of its guilt and the dreadfulness of its merit and desert is charged upon the conscience When Sin comes once to be thus charged it causeth all the evidences of opinion to vanish and perish and leaves the soul comfortless As it was with David Psal 51.3 he cries out My sin is ever before me Or as it was with poor Job Chap. 13.26 27 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possess the iniquities of my youth Now when the soul is either in Jobs case or Davids case that any iniquity comes thus before the soul then is a soul in great necessity of union with Christ When a debt comes to be charged upon a person and the Bayliff comes to arrest him then there is necessity of some bayl now conscience comes to arrest the soul and offers to carry it into hell and now do those evidences of opinion from the souls graces leave the soul hopeless and helpless The thing is evident when conscience is thus charging an iniquity upon the soul it becomes Witness and Advocate and Judg It witnesseth the fact to be done it pleads the fact condemnation and pronounceth the sentence 2. The second great necessity is when some strong master corruption leads the soul captive and even keeps the poor distressed soul in chains You must know though the reigning power of sin be destroyed in souls united to Christ Rom. 6.14 yet the tyranizing power of sin is not destroyed Though sin cannot have the Throne of the will to sit there as Lord Commander yet it will be always striving for the Throne then is the soul in great straights and knows not what to do without evidence of union with Christ that he knows he shall be conqueror over such a corruption Now in this condition the inherent qualities of the soul and the works of sanctification leave the soul helpless and comfortless now the eye of the soul is upon corruption and it is hard for him at that time to discern grace 3. Another great exigency of the soul for the evidence of his union is when the influences of the quickning spirit are suspended from the soul When not only a state of deadness is grown upon the heart but as with those Psal 80.4 God seems to be angry with their prayers and comes not in That the soul begins to complain as in Lament 3.44 that the Lord shuts out his prayers or complain as Job Chap. 23.8 9. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him c. Then is the soul in great extremity that now unless there be some grounds of evidence of union the soul begins to be hopeless and altogether comfortless And alas when the soul is brought to this exigency then doth its evidence of opinion from its own grace fail and the soul questions whether it ever drew a right conclusion 4. The fourth extremity is When the Lord delivers the soul to the buffetings of Satan for a season When Satan begins to use all his policy to shake the foundations of the soul to make his hope and faith to shake when the Devil chargeth his Cannons against the soul and letteth loose all temptations at once blasphemous thoughts come into the heart questioning whether there be a God or no and the soul can meddle with nothing but one blasphemous thought or other comes upon the soul and it knows not from whence they come And when Satan is thus buffeting the soul then a mans inherent graces and the workings of them that he saw before do now fail the soul in regard Satan in this case first strikes at the strongest hold he strikes at the foundation he strikes at union with Christ 4. There is a fourth note about evidences of opinion That the souls cleaving unto them doth make the certainty of the truth of God increase and diminish according to the increasing and diminishing of the workings of his soul and of the influence of the spirit of God upon his heart Experience it self teacheth us that while our souls take our evidences from those qualifications so long as we find the spirit of God working lively in our hearts our hopes are lively and our confidence firm and no sooner these cease again but our confidence and our hope fail then the Soul questions again whether Jesus Christ be tendred to his Soul in particular whereas before he had some confidence of it 5. There is a fifth note about these evidences of opinion and that is this That the cleaving unto those evidences of opinion doth make the whole life and comfort of the soul depend only upon sense When the soul trusts to those alone he trusts only the eye of sense both in seeing his happiness for the present and for eternity Now from thence First The fulness of the souls consolation is prevented The soul as it were shuts the great window which is the evidence of grace in the promise unto the soul and only opens the small crevis of sense and experience Now needs must the fulness of light in the house be prevented when the greatest window is shut voluntarily And much more is the comfort of the soul prevented when the great window of comfort is shut Secondly The constancy of consolation is prevented The soul may both see the Lords will to be unchangeable towards him in taking him into union and may see the command of God to his soul to believe that his union and receive the promise of God to take his soul
into union when the soul can see nothing of those precious workings of grace in his own heart So that the constancy of the souls consolation depends not upon the evidence that he can receive either from the inherent graces in him or the working of those graces but upon that which is constant in it self when the heart is unconstant Thirdly Thence the soul walks contrary to the Scripture rule The rule is to walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 and to live by faith rather than by sight But when the soul adheres only to and seeks after the evidence of his union from the working of his own graces the soul seeks to live and walk only by sight and not by faith Now there is a second Question that will arise before I can pass to the affirmative answer Quest 2. If those inherent qualities and habits of grace in souls and the workings of them cannot thus evidence the souls union primarily nor be no better grounds of evidence than this Then why do the Scriptures propound the souls obedience unto God and love unto God as signs and evidences of the souls union with Christ Answ For the answer of this question there are divers things to be considered 1. Many of the Scriptures that the soul conceives to lay down such graces and workings of graces as signs of the souls union are onely laid down as manifest signs of their union with Christ unto others not themselves As Mat. 7.16 20. By their fruit ye shall know them The place if you observe it doth not say by your own fruits you shall evidence your own condition but it propounds the conversations of men to be the rule by which we shall judge of men by which we may conceive their union with Christ or separation from Christ yet this cannot yield an infallible evidence to us of their union 2. All other places that speak of the graces of the spirit or of obedience to God to be as signs of the souls union with Christ do only lay them down as Co-witnessing signs not as those from whence the soul can first clear his union Thus far indeed the word manifests that there are such graces in the hearts of believers and that believers do see such graces in their hearts But it is then that believers do see them when they see their union with Christ No believer ever had a true evidence of his union with Christ but he also saw some such precious holy dispositions begotten in his soul and some workings of them also towards Christ So that the Scripture lays them down as Co-witnesses So Rom. 8.16 The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Sons of God That is the light of our renewed understanding beholding the graces of the spirit of God in our selves doth draw conclusions that we are united unto Christ as well as the spirit of God doth evidence and witness it from the promise of Gods free grace and favour in Christ unto souls Now thus are those places to be taken in the first Epistle of John where the spirit of God seems to speak most of such signs He speaks of them there as following signs of a souls union and so are demonstrations à posteriori as we speak from the effects and witness the union as the effect witnesses the cause But the Scripture no where commands the soul to seek out the manifestation of his union with Christ by those and from those though they are also able to afford some witness unto his union in way of confirmation of the evidence of it when once the soul doth behold his union then beholding his graces they come in as another window into the soul to let in light Faith and Sense come in together and so make the souls consolation full and strong III. The Scripture lays down obedience to God and love to God as signs of a souls union with God in Christ purposely to convince deluders of themselves about their union It is to convince them of their contrary walking unto souls that are united unto God in Christ For though no degree of a souls Obebedience unto God nor no degree of love in the heart unto God be able of it self and from it self to clear the union of the soul with God in Christ when it is dark and to prove that the soul is united yet some kind of disobedience and of contrary walking unto God may manifest that there is no union between God and the Soul And therefore the Scripture when it hath laid down any such sign always follows it with the contrary unto any such sign proving that those Souls that walk directly contrary cannot be such as are united to God in Christ Therefore you shall see no sooner doth the Spirit of God say hereby we shall know that we love God if we keep his Commandments 1. John 2.3 But he saith he that saith he loves God and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar Presently he brings the point back for proof to convince Souls of want of union by that which is an inseparable effect of the Souls want of union Yet there are two or three things to be noted about this 1. The Scripture doth not lay down any defect of any degree of Obedience or of Love or of any degree of perfection of those signs laid down as being consequences of union as an argument of the Souls want of union The Scripture doth not say that this degree or that degree of Love and this and that manner of Obedience doth follow the souls union with Christ 2. The Scripture doth not lay down that an irregularity or any disorder in the Souls Obedience unto God or in the Souls Love unto God and the like do manifest the Souls want of union Neither doth he require any perfection in those signs laid down as consequent signs of the souls union to make the union of the soul evident by them 3. The Scripture doth not say that the cessation of those Holy Operations of those Holy Qualities in the soul nor the cessation of the acts of love unto God doth manifest that a soul is not united unto Christ For there may be a cessation of those acts in the soul for a season that are the inseparable consequences of the souls union with Christ but there cannot be a total want or contrariety in the heart to such things as are the proper effects of union So that he doth place the evidence of the souls disjunction in a contrariety to these as when he saith by this we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the brethren but he that hateth his Brother abideth in Death He that hateth his Brother must needs hate God So in 1 John 4 5. When he lays down Obedience to Christ to be the ground of the knowledge of Christ then presently he saith he that saith he knows him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar. There is a third question to be
opened and that is this Que. 3. To what purpose are all the promises made to Qualities inherent in Souls and to the workings of the Spirit of grace in hearts seeing Vnion with Christ cannot be evidenced from them Answ 1. For answer First there is no promise the Lord makes to any quality inherent in a soul as a condition upon which the promise should be fulfilled to the soul That is there is no promise that the Lord hath made to any quality so or in such a manner as upon the Lords beholding that quality in the Soul he should repute himself bound to fulfil that promise or to convey that mercy included in the promise to the Soul Nor doth the being of the quality lay any such engagement upon God to perform it Every promise is a part of the Covenant of grace that the Lord holds forth in Christ for the Covenant of grace is nothing else but a bundle of promises All the promises of God in the word bound up in one is the Covenant of grace so that it is a thing consisting of so many Articles of agreement between God and the Soul Now the Covenant of grace should prove no Covenant of grace if any of those promises were made to a quality as a condition upon which the Lord were bound to perform the promise Ans 2. Secondly the promises of God to qualities inherent in Souls are not made to qualities as qualities That is not as they are good dispositions and good inclinations not as they are works of the Spirit of grace begotten in such Souls All inherent qualities in souls are to be considred under a two-fold notion either as they are qualities that is as they are affections and dispositions in a soul Or they are to be considered as they put a soul into such a state or condition as they make a soul either in a good condition or a bad condition Now no soul may look upon any one promise that God hath made to any one quality and look upon that quality in his heart as that good quality that good disposition to which the Lord hath bound himself by promise to convey such or such mercies or benefits As for example should I name most of the conditional promises in the word you will find none of the promises made to qualities are made to them as qualities but as to a state of Want and Penury and Misery out of which the Lord promiseth Refreshment Ease and Relief out of the Bowels of his own mercy 1. To begin with thirsting ones That notable place in Isa 55.1.2 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Come saith he take all sutable refreshment for your poor thirsty souls There is Christ holden forth to thirsty ones in all the precious priviledges tendred to souls in Christ Yet this is not made to thirsty ones as thirsting is a quality or grace flowing from the Spirit of grace in their hearts And that the promise is not made to thirsting Souls as thirsting after Jesus Christ or as thirsting is a quality will appear in three particulars in that the persons to whom those glorious priviledges are tendred in Christ are persons void of any quality or grace proceeding from the Spirit of grace in their Hearts They were so far from any Holy quality as it doth appear from the Text that they had not any one right desire after receiving any Holiness For 1. They are said to be such as are thirsting after false refreshments digging broken Cisterns for their Souls to drink of they spent their Money for that which was no bread that is their desires and endeavours They were the Jews that sought for Justification by the Law and Cerimonies 2. They were such as thirsted to supply their wants in a wrong way and were neglecters of Jesus Christ They spent their labours and desires after wrong objects that which was not Bread things that could not profit And these were the persons to whom the promise was made and therefore it could not be made to any quality 3. The same promise is holden forth to every Soul equally whether thirsting or not thirsting This you may see Rev. 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come there is the same promise yea let whosoever will come and take of the Water of Life freely Every one under Heaven is joyned under as equal a notion as the thirsty ones Therefore the promise cannot be made unto thirsty ones as having such a quality of grace in them but as poor and penurious Souls in a sad condition not knowing how to get their Souls refreshed and their wants relieved So again Mat. 5 6. where the promise seems to have more colour to be made to a quality as a quality Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled This promise is not made to Souls as hungering and thirsting after Righteousness as Holy Dispositions in their Souls but the promise is made to them only as being needy and penurious as being in want and extremity Therefore you shall observe in the promise they shall be filled what is promised Nothing to the quality it self but to the supply of the wants of the poor Soul 2. If you observe the promises made to humbled Souls groaning under the burden of Sin they are not made to any Souls as groaning under the burden of Sin or as groaning under the burden of Sin is a quality or grace in the Soul As for example look that promise Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Now saith the Soul I am burdened and therefore I shall have rest And here I am perswaded many a Soul sits down in his being burdened and not in his coming to Christ and so sits down short of Christ Now that this promise is not made to Souls burdened as burdened but as being in a sad condition ready to sink under grievous pressures appears in two things 1. In regard there is nothing promised by God to the Soul remaining in his present estate The promise holds forth rest and ease to the poor burdened Soul but how Not as the Soul remains in his present estate but through his coming unto Jesus Christ Come unto me and ye shall have rest that is receive me as the only refuge of your Souls and by receiving me by Faith your Souls shall have rest 2. In regard there is nothing promised in this promise to be given to the Soul for the future more then to other Souls that are not for the present burdened under Sin Whatever is holden forth in this promise to Souls groaning under their burden is held forth in other Texts to Souls not groaning under their burdens in as equal a manner There can but two things be held forth First An invitation to believe But there is
no more sutableness held forth in this promise for an invitation for poor burdened Souls to believe in Christ than there is in other promises held forth in Scripture to Souls for present not groaning under the burden of Sin There lies as great an invitation upon every Soul under Heaven as the burdened there lies a command upon every Soul the invitation runs as equally to the dead in Sin under the greatest captivity to Satan as to Souls groaning under the burden of Sin Secondly The second thing that can be held forth in the promise is Rest and Refreshment Now you see that the rest is held forth to them to be received for the future only through believing and so it is held forth to every Soul under Heaven Therefore this promise cannot be made to burdened Souls under Sin as they are so burdened or as they are qualified with any such quality of grace You will say then what is the meaning of the promise The meaning is this God discovers to poor necessitous Souls where they shall have refreshment The voice of God from Heaven is Thou poor necessitous Soul wouldest have refreshment and thou poor burdened Soul wouldst have ease Come to me cast thy burden upon me by faith and take my word saith Jesus Christ thou shalt have rest III. If you look into promises made to mourning Souls As in Mat. 5.5 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted So Isa 61.1 2. speaking of Christ he shall come to comfort those that Mourn in Sion But now those promises are not made to Mourners as having the quality of sorrow in their Hearts as being afflicted for their Sins and grieving for them no not as grieving for the dishonour done to God by their Sins as if the Lord should have respect to that in the promise And that will appear in two things 1. If the promise were to sorrow as a quality in the Soul then it must needs be as it is a good quality Now were the promise made to the Soul as a good quality it were the happiness of the soul to have the good quality increase and continue in his soul Whereas the promise made to the mourning soul is to remove the quality by comfort comfort and mourning being two contraries So that if the promise were made to souls having a good quality in them it were rather a misery to have the promise than a happiness 2. If the promise were made to sorrow as inherent then the soul might claim comfort by his mourning or because of his mourning And so the original of the souls comfort should be in the quality inherent in the soul 4. If you go on to poverty of Spirit Blessed are they that are poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven The promise here is not made to a soul poor in spirit as having that quality in him For then were the promise of giving the Kingdom of Heaven to be held forth to no souls but to those that were thus poor and empty and so the Kingdom of Heaven should be held forth particularly as the Lords not being willing to give it to any souls but to such as are thus poor in spirit that had a true sence of their own nothingness And so the first promise were to be received by a soul as having true holiness and grace in his soul and so consequently the receiving of the promise by Faith should not be the first act of grace in the soul but the sight of grace should be necessary in the soul to make him receive a promise There is a fourth question to be answered before we can pass to the affirmative answer Quest 4. Are not the promises made to faith and believing as believing that through faith a man can only claim right to the promise Saith the soul surely faith is a quality in the soul and if the promises be made to faith they are made to qualities as qualities Answ 1. First I answer That it is apparent that many promises are made to souls actually void of faith Though I dare not say without respect unto believing for the future yet I say without any present believing The most primary principal fundamental promises are made to souls void of faith actually they are made only to sinners and that in their very estate of sinfulness though not properly as they are sinners that is not because they are sinners as if sinners were the qualification of the promise But heinous sinners in that doleful condition the Lord makes the promise to As in 1 Tim. 1.15 that precious promise This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief He looks upon himself only as a sinner in the application of that promise that Jesus Christ came to save him Thus the promises of reconciliation are made to such actually without faith calling them as they are enemies to close with Jesus Christ as a Mediator between God and them to make up reconciliation Thus also that of Luk. 19.20 That Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost another precious promise yet made to souls only lost without respect to any present being of faith in their hearts Answ 2. Secondly I answer that some promises are made for the begetting of faith in souls and therefore not made to faith as being a quality in the soul to which those promises should be made As that promise Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you The promise is made for the begetting of the habit of faith in the soul whereby the heart should be changed whereby the whole work of redemption should be wrought in the soul Answ 3. Thirdly I answer That no one promise in the whole Covenant of grace is made unto faith as a quality pre-existent in a soul That is as a quality to be remaining in a soul before he claim right to the promise So that no promise is made unto a believer because he doth believe The ground of the promise is not the souls believing nor the ground of the souls particular interest in the promise is not the souls believing though the ground of the knowledge of that his interest is his believing For if faith should be in a soul as a quality to receive the promise then these three things would follow 1. No promise could be fulfilled in and to a soul before it actually believe And then either faith it self must not be a gift from God unto the soul or else the great fundamental gift should be conveyed unto the soul not by vertue of the Covenant of grace nor by vertue of a promise 2. Then no soul might receive a promise nor believe a promise before he saw his own faith That is a soul till he could say the Lord hath infused the habit of faith into my soul he might not receive any promise The
reason is plain whatever the promise should be made unto that must necessarily be seen in the soul before the promise can be believed But now what a preposterous course were this and what an impossible thing that I should see my faith before I do believe that I should see the habit of faith before there be an act of faith in my soul Nay rather that I should see an act of faith before ever faith did put forth an act 3. Then the Covenant of Grace were no absolute Covenant neither were it a Covenant void of all conditions For should the Lord make a promise to a quality as a quality that quality should be brought in as a condition to which the Lord should bind himself by his own promise Then the foundation of any particular souls interest in the Covenant should not be in the will of God but in the soul it self through the being of the quality in the soul to whom the Covenant is made But you read in Ezek. 36. and Jer. 33. The Covenant is holden forth absolutely the Lord undertaking every article of the Covenant The Lord also makes the foundation of the Covenant to be his own will alone Rom. 9.11 to 15. Answ 4. Fourthly I answer That the promises that are made unto qualities do not promise any mercy or grace or favour unto souls in those qualities to which the promise seems to be made As look over all the promises Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest The Lord doth not speak peace here to the burdened soul nor yet comfort as inviting and exhorting them to take comfort because they are burdened or in their being burdened and groaning under sin but doth direct them unto Jesus Christ for their refreshment Come to me and then you shall have rest So that promise to thirsty ones John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The Lord speaks no peace to them in their thirsting but sends them to Jesus Christ to receive comfort absolutely as though there were no thirsting in their souls So likewise it is of every such promise Now from this will follow a direct answer to that question The use of conditional promises of what purpose and use these promises are of then First they are of a directive use Of directive use to lead the soul to Christ That the soul finding himself poor and penurious finding himself thirsty and longing after this refreshment or that refreshment after pardon of sin or sanctification or receiving more grace these promises are of use to lead the soul to Jesus Christ to carry the soul beyond broken cisterns that he is apt to run to for refreshment and to open to him the everlasting fountain where only he can have refreshment 2. The promises that seem to be made to such qualities they are of use by way of Support Support to underprop the poor sinking soul The promise to poor burdened souls though it doth not presently evidence to the soul because he is burdened he hath rest yet it opens a possibility or probability of rest and that doth sweetly underprop the poor sinking soul when he is sinking under his burden As it was when the poor blind man was come after Jesus Christ and the Disciples cryed to him to hold his peace yet when they told him that Jesus Christ called for him though he had not his sight from thence yet it could not but be some refreshment to him there was a ground of hope for his soul to rest upon whereas he saw no fooâ—f hope to stand upon before 3. They are of use for the begetting of those very qualities in the soul To beget the qualities to which the promise seems to be made By hearing the Lord inviting poor thirsty empty souls the eyes of the soul are opened to behold his own emptiness And by discovering of the precious workings of love in the bosom of God to poor souls being ready to communicate himself to poor necessitous souls without any condidition required of them the hearts of poor souls are so allured and sweetly drawn out after God that all those holy dispositions and qualities are begotten in them yea faith it self to which so many promises are made Therefore it is observable Isa 52.20 That what is there promised to them that turn from transgression that the holy Ghost Rom. 11.26 applies unto Jesus Christ as fulfilling that very quality to which the promise seems to be made in souls even making them to turn from their iniquity and ungodliness Christ shall perform the condition As though it were all one to make a promise to a quality in souls or to make an absolute promise for the promise begets the condition 4. They are of use for the revealing unto a soul his union with Christ To reveal to the soul its union when the Spirit of God opens and discovers those promises unto the soul For though the Spirit of God reveals not unto a soul the evidence of his union from any promise made to a quality in this manner that is by shewing the soul the quality in himself to which God hath made a promise and therefore makes the soul to draw this conclusion that God is bound to communicate such Grace or Mercy to me yet the Spirit of God may reveal to the soul his union with Christ in such a promise made unto the qualitie by manifesting the Lords loving kindness and free grace to a soul in that promise absolutely as well to beget the quality to which the promise is made as to fulfill the promise And thus the Spirit of God may make the promise made to a quality all one with an absolute promise Also further The Spirit of God may also through revealing the souls union by such a promise beget that very quality in the heart and cause the soul to apprehend the quality to be begotten in himself though it doth not make the soul claim right to the promise by vertue of the quality Now that which remains is the affirmative part of the answer How a soul may know his union with Christ to answer didirectly How a soul may know his union with the Lord Jesus In the giving this affirmative answer there are divers things also must be premised further Premise 1. First I must premise this That in our ordinary phrase of speech we do make no difference between certainty and assurance of our union with Christ but we call every assurance of our union a knowledg of our union and whatever can make a man infallibly certain he is united unto Christ that we say in our ordinary phrase can give a soul a knowledg of his union And indeed the Scripture doth seem to countenance this our phrase of speaking as in Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth which could not properly be called knowledg of his union with Christ but only the knowledg
of faith building upon the certainty of the Lords word Pre. 2. We must know that the Scripture doth make a distinction between assurances of souls union with Christ As in 1 John 4.16 Saith he We know and believe the love of God the father to us He makes a twofold assurance an assurance of knowledg and an assurance of faith Now indeed both the assurance of knowledg and the assurance of faith may in a large sence be called the assurance of a souls union with Christ in regard they have both the properties of knowledg Knowledg is the gathering of a necessary truth from some unchangable ground Now in both these assurances of knowledg and faith the knowledg of the souls union with Christ ariseth as a necessary truth from an unchangable ground The word of God is the unchangable ground from which the soul by the assurance of faith gathers the conclusion to himself that he is united unto Jesus Christ And the beholding the peculiar inseperable effects of a souls union with Christ is that unchangable ground from whence the soul gathers the assurance of knowledg Pre. 3. Thirdly that both the assurance of faith and knowledg are for the most part associates or companions in the same soul at one time They are for the most part cotemporary that is accompanying one another that when one is in the soul the other is in the soul that when a soul hath assurance of faith he hath also the assurance of knowledg And that for a three-fold reason 1. In regard those graces that are the ground of a souls assurance of knowledge are witnessed or declared by the Spirit of God to be given to the soul Whenever the Lord reveals from his own word unto a soul his willingness to take his particular soul into union with the Lord Christ the Lord doth at the same time witness to the soul his willingness to confer and bestow upon him all the grace his soul wants all the holiness the hungry or empty soul is breathing after He doth at the same time assure the soul he shall have love and delight in God he shall have poverty of spirit and strength over corruption 2. Through the assurance of faith those graces that are the grounds of the souls assurance of knowledg are begotten immediately Now in regard these are thus necessarily begotten thence it is the sight of them cometh to be apparent in the soul at the same time that the sight of a ground for assurance of faith is apparent in the soul 3. The lively workings and motions of all kind of graces are excited and stirred up in every soul by or through the Lords revealing unto the soul a ground for assurance of his faith of his union with Christ It is then the soul mourns for sin more sweetly and melts more preciously in the bosom of God than ever before though it may be there have been some heart-breakings under the sense of his wretchedness formerly It is then the soul is truly poor in himself and loaths and abhors himself more than ever before Pre. 4. Fourthly though they be at the same time for the most part in souls yet the assurance of of faith is the first according to order of nature in the soul For it is impossible there should be infallible evidences of the souls union with Christ drawn from his own graces when there is not some unchangable ground manifested from God unto the soul for the assurance of faith So that the assurance of faith in a right orderly way never flows from the assurance of knowledg but the assurance of knowledg flows from the assurance of faith And that arises upon these two grounds 1. In regard it must be the manifestation of the ground of assurance of faith unto the soul by God that doth procure a ground of the assurance of knowledg in the soul That appears thus The grace or love or favour of God is the ground of the assurance of faith Then the Lord doth draw the the soul to assurance of faith when he doth reveal to the soul his own particular grace and favour to take it into union with Christ out of the meer disposition of his own will alone for no other respect whatever but for his own sake Now the grounds of the assurance of knowledg are the effects of the grace of God revealed or the fruit of it Now those are begotten in the soul not by grace but by the manifestation of grace in particular unto the soul It is through grace revealed that grace hath its right proper effect in a soul and according to the measure of the grace of God revealed to a soul it hath the measure and degree of effect According to that in 1 John 3.2 We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is That is when we behold him through that sight we shall be transformed into the Image of God For the clearing of this you may consult with divers places as John 15.16 Saith Christ You have not chosen me but I have chosen you He doth not mean that they had not chosen Jesus Christ now at present as their portion but they did not choose Christ first But the manifestation of Jesus Christ choosing their souls first is the ground of the souls choosing Jesus Christ And according to the light revealing to a soul Jesus Christs choice of him so is the degree of strength wherewith the will closeth with Jesus Christ in the choice again Now the choice of Jesus Christ is the first act of any habit of grace that ever any soul brings forth There is no gracious act truly graciously acted by any soul till the will of the soul be drawn in upon the sight of the Lords choosing him to union with himself upon which the will also chooseth Jesus Christ into union with him And again you may consult with that known place in 1 John 4.19 Saith he we love him because he first loved us Not that from the essence of Gods love their love did proceed though that be true but from the manifestation of Gods love Now as the Apostle tells us Gala. 5 6. Faith worketh by Love The very first operation of the habit of Faith towards Christ is by love The soul at the same time it reacheth out a hand of Faith to grasp hold of Christ it reacheth out also an hand of Love unto Christ Now then observe the Graces and workings of Graces being the only ground for a soul to gather assurance of knowledge from and those Graces not being begotten in a soul but according to the degree of the Lords manifestation unto souls a ground of assurance of their union with Christ Thence it is that assurance of Faith must needs in order of nature go before the assurance of knowledge 2. The effects of grace which are always the grounds of the souls assurance of knowledge remain dark and hidden and obscure to the
fulfill whatever can intervene Therefore I will not make such a Covenant as I made with your fathers which my Covenant they brake observe that but I will make such a Covenant as they shall not be able to break For saith God I will write my law in their hearts and put my fear in them As if he should say I will do all things for them So that there is not one promise that can properly be called a conditional promise Indeed improperly I grant the promises of the Covenant of Grace may be divided into conditional and absolute promises Some promises of the Covenant of Grace may be called conditional in this respect that there are some limits and bounds set to the promises as these two great bounds his own glory and his peoples good And only in three sorts of promises those limitations hold As 1. In all temporal promises of temporal blessings and favours to his own The Lord hath not absolutely promised riches and honour and prosperity to all the Subjects of the Covenant of Grace though godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come And though he hath tyed his own sufficiency to supply them yet not so as it admits of no limitation but these two come in the Lords glory and his peoples own good And likewise in dispensing all blessings privatively that is the freeing the soul from all temporal evils from afflictions distress and burdens this freedom is promised in the Covenant of Grace yet it admits of this limitation so far as it may concern the Lords glory So that so far as the glory of God is advanced in his peoples groaning under burdens and sufferings for a time the Covenant is nevertheless fulfilled 2. The promise of Gods giving the common gifts of the spirit God is not bound to them in the Covenant without limitation Therefore in 1 Cor. 12. Those common gifts of the spirit God dispenseth them variously one he fills with them and leaves another poor and weak void almost of any of those gifts of the spirit that the glory of God may be advanced in that dispensation and certainly every soul is not sutable to manage such a treasury of common gifts therefore the other limitation comes in also the souls own good 3. Those conditions or limitations hold only in the promises concerning the measure and manner and order of Gods dispencing himself to souls in privative or positive things All spiritual mercies privative as well as positive that is the preservation of the soul from all temptations and buffettings of Satan the preservation of the soul from all desertions this is also included in the Covenant of Grace But it is in this sence but a conditional promise a limited promise so far as may be for the Lords own honour the soul shall be free from temptations Yet now though in this sence under all these three heads there be continual promises yet that which is absolutely necessary for the soul cannot be said to come under any of these limitations Life and Salvation and everlasting Communion with the glorious Trinity and with the glorious Saints and Angels are so absolutely promised as they come not under these limitations but that which is absolutely necessary for the soul the Lord hath bound himself absolutely to convey to the soul Yet these limited promises cannot properly be called conditional but are absolute in themselves as will appear in three particulars 1. These limited promises thus bounded are not left in the limitations of them unto the persons to whom they are made So that they are improperly called conditional promises in regard conditional promises do imply some condition to be performed by the parties to whom the promises are made Now these limitations of such promises are not in the power of persons to whom they are made that they should judg and determine when for their own good and for the Lords glory they should have such and such promises made good to them but they depend upon the sole wisdom of God 2. These promises bounded with these extents are simply and absolutely determined by God to be fulfilled according as they are propounded Now then is a promise absolute when without respect to any thing whatever that can possibly intervene or be interposed it is undertaken to be fulfilled to the person to whom it is made according to the full extent wherein it is propounded Now in the full extent of the propounding of those promises wherein God may have glory and the soul advantage the Lord hath as absolutely engaged to give all common gifts of the spirit all outward blessings whatever possibly can intervene as he hath also any part of the Covenant of Grace 3. These promises pertaining to the Covenant of grace bounded with limitations are by the infinite wisdom of God bounded with such limitations only as make them to be absolute love and Grace from God to the soul For indeed those limitations are no other than preventions of what might make such promises to have evil interwoven with them as well as good and then should they not be absolutely love For observe all Gods promises of temporal mercy to the soul therein come to be love to the soul because God hath bounded with that limitation so far as shall be for the souls own good and advantage So that from these considerations even those limited promises prove as absolute as all the other promises of the Covenant of Grace So that you see there are no promises belonging to the Covenant of Grace but what are meerly Grace No condition may come in to challenge any thing in the Covenant of Grace Prem 3. Thirdly I must premise That all those promises that seem to be made to conditions in souls they are included under one of these five heads 1. They are made to persons having such conditions in them as put them into a case of want and poverty and so the Lord propounds refreshment to them sutable to their wants and poverty Of this nature are the promises made to thirsty and burdened souls 2. Those may be no promises but revelations of the glorious priviledges that God doth freely bestow upon his own people As to instance in those promises that seem to be made to love to God and Christ John 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Here seems to be a promise made to love whereas it is only a revelation of the precious priviledg that belongs to the people of God and a discovery of the precious purpose of God concerning his own out of the meer disposition of his goodness towards them If any promise should be made to that precious grace of love methinks this should it runs every way in the nature of a promise But yet hence it appears it is no promise made to loving Christ as a condition upon which the promise should be fulfilled in regard that disposition
or precious habit of love to Jesus Christ in the soul is an effect of the Covenant of Grace it self Now that the Covenant should be made to that which is the proper effect of the Covenant of Grace it self no man can conceive And that demonstration is sufficient to clear all other promises of this nature So if you examine the promise made to fear Psal 34.7 8. The Angels of the Lord pitch their tents about them that fear him It is taken for a promise but it is only the priviledge of the Saints So likewise look to all the promises of obedience Deut. 5.10 The Lord reserves mercy for a thousand generations of them that love him and keep his commandments There is a large promise that seems to be made to obedience But no soul understanding the absolute decree of God from eternity can conceive the obedience of any soul should be the motive that should move God to shew mercy to the soul or body or that God should bind himself to his own people yielding obedience to him to become a debtor to their posterity in respect of their obedience for then the mercies their posterity should enjoy should owe their immediate being and the glory of their being to their immediate ancestors and not to God as the immediate cause of the being of their mercies Therefore these are only declarations of the priviledges of the people of God and all these promises are only manifestations of his goodness to them for the manifestation of the riches of his Grace for refreshing their spirits and for the causing them to be precious in the esteem of others 3. If those promises that seeem to be made to qualities in the soul as unto conditions be not thus then they are only descriptions of the persons of those that God doth interest in the glorious priviledges of Christ by the special peculiar Graces that God communicates to them Or else 4. They are discoveries of the means through which God doth convey those priviledges of Christ and of the Covenant of Grace unto persons Of this nature is that promise which seems to be made to a condition Isa 57.17 Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit This that seems to be a promise made to a soul indued by the Spirit of God with the Grace of Humility it is but either a description of those persons whom the Lord doth interest in his own special favour out of the riches of his own Grace alone Or else it is a precious Cordial given to a poor drooping Spirit as considered in an estate of penury and poverty as one contrite and ready to give up himself Of this nature are all those promises made to believing and repenting He that believeth and repenteth shall be saved The promise of salvation is not made unto faith as a special grace of God in the soul nor to the person indued with that grace But the thing it self properly is no promise but rather a description of the means through which the Lord makes his people partakers of the special priviledg he conveys through Christ and of the persons he communicates them to by their qualities 5. Those words of God that seem to be promises made unto conditions if none of the four former things contain them then they are descriptions given by the Holy Ghost of the way the Lord requires and inables his people to walk in while he communicates of his own free mercy to them Of this nature is that place so mistaken Ezek 36.27 28 29 30 which is the greatest place conceived to be of weight to prove promises to be made to conditions saith the Lord I will do these and these things for you I will bring you into your Land and make you dwell quietly and safely in your Land and I will save you from your Vncleanness c. But v. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them Generally the soul conceives here is the promise and the condition of the promise The promise to be the multitude of Mercies And the condition to be the seeking of the face of God But the meaning of the Holy Ghost is nothing else but to describe the way the Lord requires his people to walk in whilst they are in expectation to receive those precious mercies freely promised by God for them Likewise that in 1 Kings 8 47 48. Solomon prays for his people If they bethink themselves in the Land whither they were carried Captives and repent and make Supplication c. Now saith the Soul here is both the promise and the condition of the promise The condition is seeking Gods face humbling themselves for their Sins turning to God with all their hearts And then there is the promise that God will deliver them but they must observe these conditions else God binds not himself to give deliverance Now the true meaning of the Holy Ghost is only this Solomon in praying here at the dedication of his Temple the Typical House of God beseecheth the Lord that the prayers of all his people made towards that Temple that is towards Jesus Christ typified by that Temple and according to the will of God that they might be all acceptable to God Therefore observe Solomon in praying doth only describe the frame of spirit in Gods people when they come to pray which is an humble frame a turning frame from their Sins Neither doth God make the promises in either of both those places to depend upon any of these duties named not so much as prayer it self Therefore for the clearing these Texts I pray consider these things which may be useful for us for the right understanding the Covenant of grace and the nature of it I. That the duties here required by God from his people are the way wherein it is his will his people should walk in receiving mercies They are not precedent in order of time before the Lords intituling the soul to the whole Covenant of grace and every promise contained in it no nor so much as in order of nature That is that it must be presupposed that the soul have performed such and such duties before it can be presupposed the Lord to have interested the soul in every promise of the Covenant of grace And that will appear in these two things First that the act of the Lords will alone before and without any act of the will of man concurring doth fully intitle the soul to every promise of the Covenant of grace Otherwise it should be conceived that there should be some good will in man towards God before there be any good will in God towards man And so some act of good will from man to God should not flow from the acts of Gods good will to the soul Secondly in regard the
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
and the same time and they are both but witnessing one and the same thing and helping the soul to draw one and the same Conclusion at the same time III. There is the manifestation of the true inseparable effects of union with Jesus Christ to be in the soul That is the souls beholding the very juice of Jesus Christ the precious Vine flowing down into his soul as into one of his Branches The soul finding the same graces that are in Jesus Christ the head drop down into his Bosom So that the soul concludes he must needs be a Member to the Head having influences from it Now there are three things to be opened about this which are concauses which may clear up to our understandings what may be safely holden forth in these 1. That none of these neither the shining of Faith nor the Testimony of Conscience nor the inseparable effects of union are concauses in evidencing unto the soul the Will of God in taking the particular soul into union with Christ The promise it self affords this light to the soul by the sole aid of the Spirit of God without respect to any Dispositions Inclinations believing qualifications whatever can be imagined 2. These three are only concauses in producing to the soul the effects of that first evidence That is in producing in the soul the conclusion of his own union with Jesus Christ that doth arise from the first evidence of the Lords will to take his soul into union with Christ 3. That it is only the first of those three things which is the shining forth of the light of Faith that 's properly a coadjoyning cause in the making up a souls evidence from the promise of his union with Christ Those two latter do follow after the first clear evidence in the soul of his union with Christ from the promise and so cannot come in as joynt concauses to make up the evidence Answ 3. Thirdly I answer There are indeed three joynt concurring causes for the making up this union to the souls Faith of its union with Christ And that is the Spirit of God the light of Faith and the Witness of Conscience taking the Witness of Conscience only for an experimental knowledge that soul doth receive and hath received the Lord Jesus freely given by God to be one with the soul so that Conscience doth only answer as it were like a precious Eccho to the soul the voice of the Spirit of God to the soul The Spirit of God revealing the light of the promise or applying the promise to the soul The light of Faith shewing the souls receiving of the promise And the voice of Conscience consenting to the voice of the Spirit of God or giving the Echo to the voice of the Spirit of God in the soul Answ 4. Fourthly I answer There be some that may be said to be concauses or joyn concurring causes in the evidencing to the soul his union in the promise Yet they are all but subordinate causes to one prime principal cause which is the Spirit of God Should I take these three which some have conceived to be joynt concurring causes which is the light of Faith the Witness of Conscience and the manifestation of the inseparable effects of union yet all these come in a way of Subordination to the principal Efficient Instrumental cause which is the Spirit of God As you may see if you look upon the light of Faith 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God You see the internal Vision or internal Light they have of any grace of any gifts is by the light of the Spirit of God put upon those gifts or put into the soul to discern those gifts So likewise of the second the Testimony of Conscience whatever Testimony Conscience would give be it either through practical or experimental reason drawn from the Word of God Or be it only to bear Witness to the souls own act and so taken only for a sense of the souls own beleiving yet also this Witness of Conscience hath its Subordination to that principal cause the Spirit of God As Rom. 9.1 When the Conscience is said to bear Witness of any good act in the soul it s said to be through the Spirit And indead the Conscience being altogether corrupt naturally the habit of Spiritual Light and discerning by which it Judge being only from the Spirit of God Thence it must necessarily follow also that every acting of that renewed light that the Spirit of God hath infused into the Conscience must be by the Spirit of God For out of all question the acting of every habit of grace received doth as well depend upon the Spirit of God as the first infusion of it into the soul did And if you look upon the third also which is the manifestation of all the effects of union that comes under that in 1 Cor. 2.12 All gifts All gifts of grace through union must be discerned through the Spirit of Wisdom in the heart inabling souls to discern the things freely given them of God As the Apostle doth well Illustrate it v. 11 comparing the light that the Spirit which they have received gives to them to discern the gift of God to the light of Conscience to discern what is in man What man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Whereby he makes it evident that the use of the Spirit of God dwelling in the soul is the same for the discovering of all the workings of the soul to it as the use of the Spirit of a man is to discover to him the heart of man as man Answ 5. Fifthly I answer That the Spirit of God alone is the principal most immediate and natural Instrumental efficient cause of the promises evidencing to the soul his union with Christ Though you see there be divers causes that may afar off have some kind of influence yet no Influences further then they have a dependance upon the Spirit of God working in them and through them And however the sight of Faith and the Testimony of Conscience may in some measure be said to be concauses yet the Instrumental efficient cause that hath the Alpha and Omega that which strikes the first and last stroke that assures the souls Faith that he is united to Christ that 's the Spirit of God alone It s that which set on work all other means for that end Now that the Spirit of God alone is this principal efficient instrumental cause I shall clear to you by some demonstrations I. It appears by the general office of the Spirit of God The Spirit is designed to that office alone to reveal truths or to guide souls into all truth as appears John 16.43 When the Spirit of truth is come he will
neither binds it self in order nor degree nor is expressed to the life of it in the soul when he doth assure to the Souls faith his union with Christ yet the Spirit keeps its constant order in respect of the effects it doth produce in the Soul to whose faith it doth assure his union with Christ from the promise The effects of the spirit are such in every Soul in this work that they have such a near relation to the assurance it self that the soul receives from the promise that those effects are altogether unspeakable from that evidence of assurance If those effects perish or decay the certainty and assurance the soul hath from the promise perish and decay And if those effects do but live in the soul the evidence the soul hath from the promise is maintained they live together and die together Now these effects that the Spirit of God doth produce in every soul to whom it doth manifest his union with Christ from the promise in some measure or degree are these five in the opening of which you shall receive the positive answer to this great question First The Spirits Illumination Secondly The Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul Thirdly The Spirits conviction of the Conscience in the Soul Fourthly The Spirits excitation or stirring up the habits of faith infused into the Soul Fifthly The Spirits Attestation or witness unto the Soul the Spirits passing the determination finally upon the Souls whole estate These five kinds of effects are produced by the spirit from the promise that the soul is united to the Lord Jesus First The manner in which this Spirit works is by the Illumination of the soul The spirits Illumination You shall read Eph. 1.18 That the Apostle praying that the Ephesians might understand the hope of their Calling that is the great things hoped for in their calling and the glorious priviledges that they are called out to hope and wait for his prayer is that they might have the spirit of wisdom and revelation To what end That the eyes of their understanding being enlightned they might know what is the hope of their calling Observe it The very first spiritual work of the spirit of God to this end is for spiritual enlightning of the soul Now the work of the spirit in enlightning consists in three things First In the infusion of greater degree of divine light into the soul Secondly In the removal of all impediments from the eye of the soul or from the understanding of the soul that should prevent the souls seeing or discerning the divine light infused Thirdly In the quickening or stirring up or puting into act and exercise the habits of divine light that the spirit of God hath infused First this Illumination is an infusion of greater degrees of divine light into the soul Infusion of greater degrees of divine light The soul sits altogether in darkness untill the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shines into it in some measure Eph. 5.8 Now though there be some habitual divine light infused by the spirit of God into the understanding of every soul that is united to Jesus Christ yet there is after union a continual increase of that divine light And therefore you shall see Eph. 1.18 The Apostle prays that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightned Now if you read the whole Chapter you shall see they were Saints that were enlightned already So that this work of the spirits enlightening is the strengthening of the poor weak feeble pur-blind eye of the soul and as we partake of this divine light so we grow up unto the perfect day till we be like Jesus Christ himself in whom is light and no darkness at all The Second thing wherein this work consists is the removal of all impediments that do hinder the exercise of this divine light Removal of impediments of spiritual sight that is infused into the soul By this spiritual light infused the sight of the eye may be strengthened and yet through some distempered humours a film may grow over the eyes that it is able to discern no object some waterish humour or some mote or dust may prevent the seeing of the eye There may be some films of corruption and of distempers many malignant humours as I may say and rheumes that may gather together in the soul and prevent that sight we haâ—◠〈◊〉 from the spirit And therefore it is the next work of the spirit after the infusion of greater degrees of divine light to pluck out of the souls eye all the motes to take off all the films that might hinder the souls spiritual sight Though at first we have received a faculty of seeing we are like the blind man that Christ cured he saw men walking like trees we see the promise afar off There are two sorts of these hellish fogs or mists or beams that the Devil chiefly labours to keep in the souls spiritual eye to prevent the soul from a right use of the divine spiritual light received And both these must be removed by the spirit of God before there can be assurance in the soul by the promise that he is united to Jesus Christ There is first the hellish mist of the principles of darkness Secondly the hellish mist of the darkness of corruption First There is the hellish mist of the principles of darkness These are like the rheumes that distill from the brain into the eyes whereby the sight is prevented Mist of the principles of darkness And the hellish mists of darkness of corruption are like the distemper of Melancholly or Choler that have their original from the Liver and so fume into the souls eyes and prevent his sight Or rather the first is like to a false coloured glass that makes all things look of the same colour It were worth the while to consider of these principles of darkness I shall name but some of the chief of them The first principle of darkness is That the Lord Christ is tendered to no souls but such as truly see Principle of darkness and are truly sensible of their want of Christ Saith the soul I see there is a fulness in the Lord Jesus tendred but saith the soul it is only to such as have a sight of their want of Christ and groan heavily under that want and I know not whether ever I had a sense of my want of Christ alas I have a blockish heart I am an ignorant wretch I have a blind understanding I dare not trust my deceitfull heart I fear I never had a true fight of the want of Christ and therefore I dare not believe least I should presume that Christ is tendered unto me This is a main principle of darkness and that it is so I shall make appear briefly in two things 1. Thy conceving the Lord Christ is tendred only to those that see the want of Christ must suppose either a true spiritual
discerning to be communicated to the soul that doth not come from Jesus Christ Or else that there may be a light remaining in the soul from the relicks of nature which might let the soul see his absolute indispensable necessity of Christ or else he is undone for ever Now observe what a principle of darkness this is It takes away the peculiar office of Jesus Christ which is to open the blind eyes and give them sight Isa 42.7 Rev. 3.18 2. Thou must conceive that the soul should have received Jesus Christ before he is tendred to him Now no man dare own there should be a spiritual light in the soul before the Lord Christ heals his blindness And no man can conceive there should be the discerning of a spiritual object without a spiritual light The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 And for the second that a man should receive Jesus Christ before he be tendered to him this every man abhors as a great absurdity So that it is clear that this is a principle of darkness one of the motes the Devil would keep in the souls eyes But it is to be observed there are two truths about this thing that the Devil misses in propounding it as a glass to the soul 1. That there is no soul that receiveth Jesus Christ but hath a true sight and in some measure a true sense of his want of Christ and of the indispensable necessity of him Though no true spiritual discerning can go before the tender of Jesus Christ yet thus far it is true that at the same instant the Lord allures the heart to accept of Jesus Christ into union he doth beget a true spiritual sight of his absolute necessity of Christ 2. There is a second truth that is narrowly missed here and that is That this spiritual sight of the souls absolute indispensable want of Christ is communicated to the soul by the spirit of God working through the offer of Jesus Christ to the soul Though some conceive there are some things that may be called preparations not begotten by the Gospel but as they distinguish by the Law separate from the Gospel yet they all grant that no true grace either of light sight or sense is conveyed any way but through the Gospel of Christ and is instrumentally an effect of the Gospel of Christ Now that which is an effect of the Preaching of the Gospel of Christ must be an effect of the tender of Christ to the soul for that is the effect of the Gospel to tender Jesus Christ to the poor despicable loveless soul Now that this is a principle of darkness I shall prove from Scripture All those promises of Scripture that offer Christ freely must be expunged if this be a principle of light as Isa 55.1 Rev. 22.17 John 6.37 Where the invitation is free whoever will let him come If he have but a will let him be what he will A Second principle of darkness is That there must be a sight of the actings of the good will of God to the Soul Principle of darkness before the Soul can believe any good will of God intended to the Soul in Christ That is thus saith the Soul surely there must be a fight of some holy disposition there must be a beholding of some readiness to depart from sin and some casting off the principles of corruption there must be a heart seeking after God and praying and supplicating God before the Soul may conceive the Lord intends any good will to it in Christ Now the darkness that is in this principle will appear in opening four consequences flowing from it 1. If any such holy disposition or inclination be to be discerned in a Soul before he is to believe the Lords intending good will to his Soul in Christ then some particular effect of savour or some acting of the Lords good will should be received by a Soul besides the Lords promise and so should not be conveyed through the receiving of the promise unto the Soul And so consequently the Lord should convey Grace into Souls out of and beyond the bounds of his own Covenant of Grace 2. If any of these actings of Grace were to be seen in the Soul before it believes the Lords good will then should special Grace be conveyed to the Soul before engrafting into Christ So that life should come down from Jesus Christ into the Soul and it should partake of the influences of Jesus Christ and of the Graces of Christ before he receiveth Jesus Christ himself And upon this ground the Soul should bring forth good fruit before it be engrafted into Jesus Christ and become a good stock or good tree and so expresly contrary to the Scripture an evil tree should bring forth good fruit a Soul in enmity to God should bring forth holy dispositions 3. If the Soul should behold the actings of the good will of God towards his Soul before he believes the Lord intends good will to his Soul in Christ then must the Soul conceive that he may see his own Soul beloved actually of God even for the present before the receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ to make atonement or reconciliation to God for him The Soul must then conceive that there should be acts of friendship from God to the Soul before the Lord Christ should step in to make up the union of peace and agreement before there should be reconciliation 4 If the Soul should of necessity see the actings of Grace in his Soul before he see the Lord intends good will to his Soul in Christ then a divine word should not be the primary or principal ground of the Souls faith but rather the Graces or the actings of Gods good will discerned in the Soul and consequently all the foundation of such a believing Soul should be meerly in the Soul it self Now nothing is more directly contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture holding forth the ground of faith than this Abraham who is set forth as a pattern of Believers his faith was onely built upon the word of God giving authority to it from the authority of the Speaker Rom. 4.20 21. A third Principle of Darkness is this That it is Presumption for the soul to beleive or to receive the promise of Jesus Christ Principle of darkness so long as the soul seeth nothing but rebellion and Disobedience and Enmity in his heart against God This is another Hell-bred principle of darkness that smells much of the smoke that comes out of the bottomless pit to darken the light of the Lord Jesus And that this is a principle of darkness will appear by some few considerations 1. In regard there can be no rebellion nor no enmity healed but by vertue received from Jesus Christ Sin receiveth its deadly wound only upon the Cross of Jesus Christ and it is by vertue of the application of the
And indeed if we look over all those Famous men as Calvin Greenham and that skilful Physician Mr. Rogers c. not one of a Thousand Ministers but we may extract some such Passages as these from them as Take heed you apply not Comfort too soon after you be Wounded Take heed you take not away the Corrosive and apply healing to soon If you take away the Tent saith one of them before the corrupt matter be healed it will heal of it self too soon and break out most dangerously Thus if the Tent of Fear and Horrour and Soul-Affliction for Sin be taken out of the Wound of the soul too soon the soul take Comfort too soon the Wound will be ready to heal too soon and so will either break out more dangerously or else it will be the everlasting death of the soul But observe how souls mistake this ground in conceiving these expressions to be sufficient ground upon which to build such a Conclusion 1. The meaning of these Divines in giving these cautions to take heed of applying Comfort too soon is only this that such as deal with Afflicted Consciences must take heed they do not too readily assure them that the promise of Life in Jesus Christ belongs to them and that they are certainly accepted in the Covenant of Grace Now indeed these Comforts may be applied to the soul too soon for this is not nor ought to be the first application of Jesus Christ to souls The very first act in the soul in its application of the Lord Jesus to it self is not that the Lord Christ is my Saviour and that he hath Redeemed my soul and Purchased Life and Eternal Salvation for me Thus indeed a soul might apply Jesus Christ too soon But the first application of Jesus Christ to the soul is the applying the Lords Tender of the Lord Christ unto the particular soul It is an assuring of the soul from what it beholds in the Declaration of the Will of God from his Word that it is his Will to receive his soul into union with Jesus Christ and that it is the Will of God concerning him that he do embrace Christ to be one with him 2. Observe That it is upon different grounds that a soul doth receive assurance unto his Faith that he is united to Jesus Christ and that other souls do manifest any Confidence that the soul is united to Jesus Christ There is one ground for the souls own apprehension that the promise belongs to himself and it is upon another ground that any soul may apply a promise by way of assuring the soul that he hath an interest in the promise This will appear in two things 1. The ground from whence the soul receiveth assurance to his own Faith of his union with Christ is invisible to all others when it is first visible to the soul it self The Lord may and doth frequently by his own Spirit so open the very secrets of his Heart and Mind unto a particular soul and his willingness his longing desire to accept him in Christ as he doth beget yernings in the soul to Christ and beget a blessed close between Christ and that soul but alas no other eye but his own seeth this blessed close 2. Those grounds upon which any other may assure a soul that he is united to Jesus Christ are but the Consequence of the souls own Apprehension of Christs acceptance of it into union with him So that observe If the spiritual Physician should apply Comfort in their sence to the soul that is assure the soul of his present interest in the Covenant of Grace he may do it indeed too soon because he can have no ground for such a Confidence that he is united to Jesus Christ till he hath applied Jesus Christ in particular to his own soul and that application hath brought forth some preceious Fruit that is till it hath brought forth Contrition and Godly Sorrow Emptiness Nothingness a sight of the souls own Sinking Perishing condition till it hath brought forth Gasping and Longing and Panting after Jesus Christ no Spiritual Physician hath any ground to assure or tell the soul that he is Confident that he is united to Jesus Christ and this is that that these Divines call Comfort And therefore they propound three or four things as necessary to be discerned by every Spiritual Physitian before he apply Comfort to them First say they it is necessary that the Spiritual Physician behold the soul Wounded in the sense of his Sin sensible of the Wrath and Indignation of God that is due unto his Sin and sensible of the unavoidableness of Wrath and Indignation Secondly say they it is necessary the Spiritual Physician should discern in the afflicted soul a Sincere Cordial Upright Single Purpose and Intention an absolute Resolution to abandon all those Sins a purpose to Hate them and Loath and Abhor them Thirdly say they that he must discern a sincere purpose to be constant in a Universal way of Obedience unto Jesus Christ to receive him as his only King and Ruler and Governour to be obedient to his Will alone Fourthly It is necessary that he discern earnest Longings and Pantings and Breathings after Jesus Christ an unsatiable thirst after him such a thirst as none can quench but Jesus Christ alone such a thirst as makes him so prise Jesus Christ that if all the World were turned into a Mountain of Gold it were nothing to him in respect of Christ and this thirst say they must be discerned by the Spiritual Physician to be only after the imputed Righteousness of Christ that is that he may be free from Sin and have the Pardon pass'd from Heaven to his soul and have the Righteousness of Christ to stand pure and clean and Innocent before God and then say they the Spiritual Physician may apply Comfort to the soul So that it is apparent from their own Principles what they mean by cautioning souls to take heed they do not apply Comfort to afflicted Consciences to soon And yet further these Divines in their application of Comfort also acknowledge it can be but in a conditional way that any one can lawfully aver to a soul and assure it from the Word that the promise of Life belongs to him and that be is in the Covenant of Grace For say they it must be only upon this condition that those things I named before be Truly and Really and Sincerely to be found in the soul So that in effect there is no Comfort that is applyed by them unto the afflicted Conscience And I must confess I see not any safety that can be concluded from the Word of God in application of Comfort in this way unto afflicted Consciences in regard it must rather establish the soul upon a Humane Authority than a Divine II. A second ground of this Principle is this That the promise of Life and Salvation doth not strait way belong to every soul that is Wounded and Terrified
to the soul too soon yet it is dangerous and destructive to many souls that they do believe their own salvation by Christ too soon They do fancy to themselves that though they be vile Sinners yet the Lord Jesus is a Saviour and they hope to be saved by Jesus Christ This indeed is the common principle that the Devil useth as his grand snare wherein he catcheth many souls Now there are two ways whereby souls may conceive dangerously and destructively their own salvation by Christ too soon 1. When they conceive they shall certainly attain heaven and glory by Jesus Christ without having an eye or respect to any other benefit by Christ Now indeed doth the soul conceit his salvation by Christ too soon when it neglects all the benefits that are propounded by Jesus Christ and neglects the beholding the manner how Jesus Christ is propounded and confusedly looketh unto the end alone which is heaven and glory and fancies to himself that he shall attain these by him Though indeed the eye of the souls faith may be fixed upon one particular benefit that is propounded in Jesus Christ in order of nature before his eye is fixed upon another benefit and thereupon it is truly said that Jesus Christ as he is a Saviour and as he saves is the primary object of faith that is the very first object of the first acting of the souls Faith yet this is still but only in order of nature and not in order of time That is thus the soul cannot rightly have his eye of faith upon one benefit to be attained by Jesus Christ but he must have his eye upon all other benefits also propounded in Jesus Christ that are sutable to his poor needy soul 2. A soul conceiteth his salvation by Christ too soon when he conceives that he shall attain Heaven by Christ without looking for any thing to be effected by Christ upon the soul That 's the reason why nothing can dash in sunder their confidence and hope though their consciences tell them their nature is the same and their practice the same that ever it was Yet you must conceive it is only herein that this conceiting salvation by Christ is said to be too soon 1. In that it is preposterous It is a drawing Conclusion without Premises that is without any thing to draw the conclusion upon Then a soul conceiveth rightly when he conceiveth first it is Gods will that Jesus Christ should mediate between God and his soul and take away all the cause of offence and displeasure and then the soul concludes therefore I must needs be saved by Jesus Christ 2. If this conceit of the souls salvation by Christ doth arise from the souls giving credit to any word of God upon which he doth build this conceit then it is only said to be too soon in regard of order that is in regard of order of nature for indeed as for order of time this giving credit to such a word of God as holds forth salvation to him by Christ might and ought to have been at the same time at the giving credit to the other word of God in revealing his union to be effected by the father through Christ 2. Observe That this conceiting their Salvation by Christ is no application of Christ to their own Souls tendered or offered as a Saviour by God A Soul may conceit Salvation by Christ and yet never receive him as a Saviour And that will appear in two things 1. God offers the Lord Jesus as a compleat Saviour Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him To the uttermost even unto perfection that is to save them exactly in all things from all evils and from all fears and dangers that can possibly accrue Now he that conceiteth not that the Lord Jesus should save him from all kind of evils guilt and misery that his Soul is cast into doth not conceit Jesus Christ to be his compleat Saviour and so applys Christ too soon 2. The Salvation that God tenders by Jesus Christ when he tenders him as a Saviour is two-fold First From the guilt of sin That is the delivering and redeeming the Soul from his obligation unto punishment Now this Salvation in Scripture is called reconciliation which is the removing the displeasure of God that should bind it over to everlasting punishment and bring the Soul into a state of amity and unity and love to God And this is the primary cause why Christ received his name Mat. 1.21 His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Secondly God tenders by Christ to save Souls from the pollution of sin So that the Soul that applies Christ rightly as a Saviour applies him thus He sees the Lord tenders the Lord Christ as one that hath triumphed over sin and obtained a glorious conquest over Hell and Death and then he seeth the Lord inviting his Soul to receive the Lord Jesus that he might be partaker of the conquest and thereupon his heart closes with the tender and gives credit to it There is a Seventh Principle of Darkness and that is this That the Lord Christ must not be applied to the Soul too much in a way of comfort Principle of Darkness It is commonly received by many that comfort is more dangerous for the Soul to meddle with than lying under horrour and terrour still They commonly illustrate it by this similitude say they some drops of Aqua-vitae may be exceeding helpful to a poor fainting spirit it may revive a man in a swoun but pouring in of much may overcome a man and choak the natural vital heat and so indangers a mans life just thus say they it is with the Soul when the heart is sinking and fainting and prest down through fears of the anger and displeasure of God against him for sin it may be good for the Soul to have some drops of the precious water flowing down from the bosom of Jesus Christ but say they if you pour in too much you may indanger the Souls life to eternity This is another Hell-bred principle to prevent the Souls sight of Union with Christ There are two grounds of this principle First That the applying the Lord Jesus too much for comforting the Soul may make the soul presumptuous Thus they prove it Say they the applying the Law too much to the soul and opening the terrible Wrath and Indignation of God too much may make the soul despair so on the contrary the opening and applying the glorious Priviledges of Jesus Christ for the comforting the soul too much may put it upon a desperate Rock of Presumption Secondly a second ground is this that the applying the Lord Jesus for the comforting of the soul too much will too soon dry up the Penitent Tears it will soon seal up the Springs of Sorrow and Mourning that were broken up in the soul Now for the clearing of this to be a
There can be but two senses in which this proposition can be taken First It must either be meant thus That the Lord Christ must not be applyed for comforting of Souls too much that is not applyed to comfort the Soul in his necessity with two great a confidence Now there it crosses the precious heavenly light that shines from the Sun of righteousness the Lord Christ in regard it is the great command that the Soul ought to receive him whole with all his priviledges propounded to the Soul with a full assurance of faith And so Abrahams faith is commended that he did not doubt at all Rom. 4.18 19 20. Or Secondly the application of the Lord Christ for comforting the Soul too much must be meant thus That he may be applyed too confidently to the Soul with too large a comprehension of the infinite riches of all excellencies that are treasured up for the Soul in the Lord Jesus Now to apply the Lord Jesus for comfort too much this way doth also directly oppose the Scripture 1. It is commonly the frequent prayer of the Apostle for the Saints that they might have the fullest comprehension of Jesus Christ to their Souls Eph. 1.17 18. He prays that their understandings may be enlightned that they may know what is the hope of his calling that is that they might know the glorious things that they are called to in Jesus Christ So Eph. 3.18 He would have them know the exceeding riches of his grace to them that believe He would have them comprehend the dimensions of the love of Christ to them 2. It is the desire of Jesus Christ that all his people might have fulness of joy John 15.11 These things have I spoken unto you that your joy might be full That 's also the Apostles prayer Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost 3. It is according to the degree wherein the Soul comprehends the excellency treasured up in Jesus Christ for his Soul that it partaketh of the excellency of Christ and is changed into the the likeness of Christ 1 John 3.2 So that it is a principle of darkness that clearly contradicts the word of truth to say the Soul must not apply the Lord Jesus too much that is with too large a comprehension of the priviledges of Jesus Christ to his Soul But there are two things to be opened about this for the clearing of it 1. Though Jesus Christ cannot be applyed for comforting the Soul too much be the Soul in what condition it can be yet the Lord Christ may be looked into for comforting a Soul too much That is when Souls look upon Jesus Christ for comfort without receiving him as he is tendered by God to the Soul Though Christ be the object of all true comfort to the Soul yet it is Christ as he is in Union with the Soul for it is not the goodness of an object simply and absolutely considered that doth send down strength and life into the heart in beholding of it but it is the goodness of an object appropriated to its self 2. Jesus Christ may be applyed by others for comforting their Souls too much I mean to affirm to any particular Soul that the Lord Jesus with his glorious priviledges is his this is applying Jesus Christ for comforting them too much the reason is plain in regard it is out of Gods way Though these two Cautions are to be observed yet it is a principle of darkness that is necessary to be removed before there can be a certain evidence of the Souls Union with Christ There is one Principle of darkness more and that is this That a Soul must discern his peculiar right to Principle of Darkness and interest in the particular promise before he believe it is the will of God to receive his particular Soul into Union with Christ The meaning of the Soul is this that he must behold some promise pass'd over to him by Jesus Christ before he can believe it is the will of God to receive him into Union with Christ This principle being so cunningly forged in Hell that it is scarce discerned from a principle of light we shall endeavour to help you to discern it to be a principle of darkness I find three foundations upon which this principle is built 1. That it cannot possibly be lawfull for every Soul to believe that it is the will of God to take him into union with Christ For saith the Soul then the greatest part of the world should be put upon it to believe a lie 2. That it must be through a Souls right to some promise that he cometh to have a right to Jesus Christ Now this is a false foundation because there can be no interest nor right the Soul can have to one promise of God before the Soul is bound to believe that the Lord will receive his soul into Union with Christ 1. In regard the first promise is Jesus Christ himself and the very primary object of faith is Jesus Christ himself This you shall observe Gen. 3.15 The first promise that was given to Adam was that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head which is nothing but a promise of Jesus Christ 2. When the promise was first renewed to Abraham it was in these words In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed What is that seed It is Jesus Christ Gal. 3.16 So the Apostles in their preaching laid Jesus Christ as the first object of faith Believe in the Lord Jesus 3. A third foundation of this principle is this That only those promises that are made unto holy qualiqualities in sanctified Souls are assuring promises or promises that can assure unto a Souls faith that the Lord will receive him into union with Christ Saith the Soul there are inviting promises and assuring promises now inviting promises speak so general as none can discern his union from thence but the promises to the graces they in a manner particularize Souls Now hence the Soul concludeth thus it must of necessity be a necessary precedent before a Souls assurance that God will take him into union with Christ that he see some holy quality in his own spirit to which the Lord hath made some such promise Now observe the gross darkness and blindness in conceiving inviting promises not to be able to give assurance to a Souls faith of union with Christ It will appear in two or three things 1. Then the Soul must conceive that those promises that the Lord propounds in the inviting of the Soul to Christ may not be believed with a fulness of confidence and assurance Now 1. Thence the Soul must conceive that some portions of the word of God have not sufficient authority to be believed undoubtedly by the Soul Now what an high indignity is offered to God in entertaining such a thought that any
one Iota or Tittle from the great God should not be able to command a fulness of belief from every soul 2. The Soul maketh all these inviting promises to be meerly in vain For if these inviting promises do not sufficiently reveal the Lords will to receive a poor loveless Soul that hath been at enmity to union with the Lord Jesus so as to make the Soul believe it with firmness of confidence then they are altogether useless they can be no incentive and motive to invite the Soul to Jesus Christ 2. The Soul must say thus That those inviting promises may not lawfully be applyed particularly unto particular Souls with that fulness of confidence Now herein is great injury done to the truth as will appear in two things 1. The Soul must deny those portions of the word to be believed by any one Soul under heaven Now herein the Soul shews much impudence and boldness to set limits to the will of God where he is pleased to set no limits 2. Then those inviting promises should not be the object of justifying faith according as it doth justifie For questionless that which is called justifying faith according as it doth justifie or in the exercise of it in that justifying way that doth particularly apply those promises to the particular Soul 3. There is one imagination more of the Soul upon which it grounds this conceit that the inviting promises of God are no grounds of assuring the Soul of union with Christ and that is this That a Soul may with a fulness of assurance believe the Lords will to be to receive his particular Soul into Union with Jesus Christ and yet the Soul at the same time be doubtfull and questioning of his Union All that is possible for the Soul to say in this is only thus much that a Soul may believe with all fulness of assurance the Lords will to take the Soul into Union with Christ habitually though not actually and so be questioning his Union with Christ though he do believe it habitually But alas this comes nothing to the purpose for indeed though it may be said truly that a Soul hath the habit of faith to believe it is the will of God to take Souls into union with Christ yet a Soul cannot be said properly habitually to believe this for indeed the weakest believers that have the lowest degree of faith have the act of faith from whence this habit of faith proceeds and so he doth in some degree believe the Lords will to receive his Soul into union with Jesus Christ in the promises Thus I have done with the first kind of beams the Devil forges to cast into the Souls eye There is a second kind of Beams of Darkness and those are Dark Distempers Though the Devils grand policy be to keep false principles in the souls judgment whereby the soul may discern all in a false way that God propounds to him yet he hath another policy to flee to and that is Distempers in the Heart Now these are also dangerous and keep the soul from assurance of union with Christ while those remain in the soul Therefore that is a second work of the spirit to pluck out those dark distempers And these are also divers The first Dark Distemper is Spiritual Pride It is Natural Pride working Spiritually though sometimes it is Spiritual Pride Dark Distemper And that is a kind of humor or swelling in the Spirit Or it is a kind of lifting up the spirit in a crossness and aversness to the will of God This the Devil causeth to grow like a wen upon the souls spiritual eye whereby he prevents the souls seeing what the promise holds forth to him There are two special workings of this distemper whereby the soul is prevented from discerning what the promise holds sorth 1. It inclineth the soul to have his thoughts taken up chiefly in looking after and seeking out some excellency and goodness in the soul it self whereupon it might stay its soul and uphold its sinking spirit And hence you shall observe though the heart little mind it and think it self far enough off from pride the souls eye is always upon his own prayers and duties of worship upon his own tears mourning and groaning upon the desires of his own heart and its workings toward God upon his own hungering and thirsting after God And all the soul complains of under this distemper is commonly that which a soul would little think proceeds from pride that he cannot find any goodness in himself Whereas if the truth be found out and the heart searched to the bottom he thinketh he hath much goodness 2. It maketh the heart averse to the thoughts of receiving all that ever he shall have only through meer gift alone The proud heart will not be beholding to God in Christ for all but would have all in his own way Hence ariseth a three-sold distemper 1. The soul insnarles it self in the interpretation of the promises and interprets all the promises against it self Thence the souls thinks concerning every promise it is but given to aggravate my condemnation 2. Hence ariseth a conclusion in the soul that it must not nay sometimes that it will not receive the Lord Jesus till it find such and such dispositions as the soul conceives necessary to be in it self Saith the soul if I could find my heart enlarged towards God and my deadness and coldness removed if I could find a mighty fervency of the spirit of prayer in my heart I could think indeed that the promise of the Lord Jesus might belong to me So that here the soul sits waiting for and pursuing after something that he might bring with him to the Lord Christ that he might come with his peny to take his penyworth of that which God propounds in Jesus Christ 3. From this aversness to receive all from free grace ariseth a neglect and disregard of searching into the promises what they hold forth Propound the promises to the soul alas saith the soul what is this to me none of these promises belong to me Now thence the soul is kept in his dolefull blindness and darkness through want of gazing upon the promise and looking upon the beam of light it holds forth A second Distemper is the rashness and unadvisedness of the soul This rashness is an unadvised sudden drawing up determinations concerning the souls condition Dark Distemper without a due examination of the ground from whence the soul draws that determination and without a due weighing of those conclusions drawn from thence in the ballance of the Sanctuary Questionless this is none of the least distempers nor none of the least beams that the Devil keeps in the souls eye It is one of the most secret dangerous snares that the Devil catches the feet of souls in to put them upon looking on the things of God out of a rational way I know no greater difference between true faith and the hypocrites temporary
faith the one believes in a rational way by his judgment when the other have confused motions towards God without judgment Now for the further clearing of this distemper of spirit 1. Saith the soul through this rash distemper prevailing in his heart those to whom the promises of God are intended to be made good God draws them to embrace them but I do not find that God draws me or giveth me power therefore I am none to whom this promise is made The principle is true but the conclusion is drawn rashly from it 1. The soul commonly draws this conclusion without weighing what the drawings of God are and what the secret power infused into the soul to receive those promises tendered to it is I have heard a soul draw this conclusion from this principle but when asked what are the drawings of God in the soul to inable it to embrace Jesus Christ tendered in the promise the soul knows not Ask it didst ever find the Lord making thy heart willing to receive the Lord Jesus to be one with thy soul and to make up an union with the father for thee O yes saith the soul I confess my soul longs for that I cannot but say I am willing And yet in the mean time through the distemper of rashness draws this conclusion that he is none of the number of those to whom the promise is made because God does not draw him 2. Suppose there was not this willingness yet the conclusion is rashly drawn from the principle in regard there is no time that God hath limited or prescribed to himself wherein he will draw the hearts of those that he intends the promises for 3. The souls ground is false in regard the Scripture determines not that the Lord always acts those inward habitual drawings of his when he hath once actually drawn 2. Say some souls through this rash distemper that those God intends good to he will not suffer them to grow worse and worse under the means and to decay in their affections and grow more corrupt But saith the soul I grow worse and worse under the means more corrupt and my affections decay and therefore I am afraid the Lord never intends to do good to me Now I pray observe but thine own rashness in not weighing and trying and searching all things to search whether indeed thou beest grown worse and worse under the means or no and to see in what degree thou art grown more corrupt and whether it be such a degree as the Scripture evidenceth God lets not those that he intends good to in Christ to fall into sin or no. Here should have been a great many things weighed before thou hadst drawn that conclusion I. Thou shouldest have weighed whether thine heart be grown more corrupt or no. Divers things things are considerable there 1. Though thou judgest thy self more corrupt yet thou mayst not truly have more corruption than thou hadst A soul is to distinguish between corruptions that are effectively so and those that are formally so It may be thou mayst see corruptions formally in thy soul more than before whereas thou mayst not be more corrupt effectively I mean thus thou mayst find more motions unto sin and wickedness than before and yet not those motions prevail to sin effectively that is to deprave and corrupt thy soul Though indeed interpretatively and according to the strict law of God those stirrings of corruption may be called sin yet they cannot properly be called corruption and thou canst not be said to be more and more corrupt for then they grow corruptions when the heart is inclined to them 2. Thou mayst judge thy self to have more corruption and yet there may not be more corruption neither First God may have cast more light into thy soul than before when thou didst judge thy self not to be so full of corruption Now through light every iniquity hath a greater weight upon the spirit than it had formerly Now the more weight it hath upon the spirit the more it is taken notice of And through more light there is a clearer discovery of the duty that the Lord requireth of the soul and of the nature and spirituality of the duty Now the more exquisitly the soul discerns the duty God requireth at his hand the more abominable he seeth his own heart Secondly if there be not more light it may be there is a greater tenderness of spirit infused into thee than formerly So that thou feelest corruptions more because the burden of them is more spiritually upon thy heart than before and so they appear to be the greater to thee 3. Corruptions may appear more when they are not more in regard there may be many occasions offered to draw forth inherent corruption into exercise There might be as many legions of iniquity in thy heart formerly though they did not appear because they had not the same occasion 4. Satan may be suffered by God to endeavour to draw out corruption for the discovery of corruption and the mortifying of it The Lord may suffer Satan contrary to his intentions to war against his own kingdom in thy heart in drawing out all his power to stir thy corruptions that thou mayst go to heaven for power to slay them So that if all these things were well considered it may be the heart would not be found to be more corrupt II. Suppose the heart should be grown more corrupt under means for a season Suppose the root of sin should get some sap and bud and sprout again and send forth its branches more plentifully and bring forth more fruit yet it were to be weighed before a soul draws such a conclusion whether sin may not revive again and grow more lively for a time even in those who are near to the heart of God to whom God intends all the good in the promises tendered by Christ III. It would be also considered whether the Scripture warrants the drawing such a conclusion from a real sense of growing worse and worse It would be considered whether the Lord be not tendered to at that time that thou mightest receive such influences of grace from him as might prevent thy soul from still growing worse and worse IV. It would be considered whether the soul can find that such a degree of declension as it is now fallen into be such a one as the Lord Christ hath excluded all that fall into it from receiving himself in the Covenant of Free Grace If I should follow up this rashness of the soul further I might open that the souls real declension in affections that were formerly may not be a sufficient ground to conclude that the soul is grown worse and worse 1. It would be considered whether affections did work in the Lords own orderly way through the following of the judgment in closing with the truth propounded in Christ It may be the novelty of the truths affected thy heart as being new things and it was not from the dictate
of thy judgment declaring the excellency of Jesus Christ tendered that thy affections did work so powerfully 2. It would be considered whether the Lord may not and doth not more frequently stir up higher affections in souls in the first holding forth of the Gospel to them than he always intends afterwards to them Do you think that the Prodigal Luke 15.44 had always those expressions of his fathers delight in his return that he had when he first returned Then there must be the best robe put upon him and a feast and musick But it is a question whether his father put him on such apparel every day and make him a feast every day So the Lord may and I believe doth at the first revealing of his truth give more affections than he intends to continue and more stirrings of grace infused than he intends afterwards constantly to continue yet though there remain not the same activity vivacity liveliness of affection yet there may be the same affection remain nay it may be the affection may be grown in its fixedness and steadiness and in its orderly way of working towards Jesus Christ though it appear not working so powerfully and mightily as it did before You see plainly the conclusion is rashly drawn though from a true principle considered in some sense A third Distemper is fearfulness the timerous disposition of the soul Dark Distemper Now you must rightly understand this distemper for though the Devil cast in the distemper of fearfulness into some souls to keep them from union with Christ yet he casts in the distemper of presumption into more souls to prevent them from seeing the face of God in the glass of the Gospel and so leads their souls into the pit of darkness We shall clear it in two or three conclusions 1. There cannot be too much holy fear possessing any heart That is there cannot be too much awfull reverence of the holy Majesty of God nor too much awfull respect of God as he presents himself cloathed with the precious robe of mercy loving kindness goodness This fear God requires Ps 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared 2. There is a fear which is a terrour and dread and horrour of the avenging justice of the Almighty God There is a fear of displeasing this God appearing in this manner least his anger should be so kindled that flames of indignation should proceed from him to the consuming of soul and body for ever And it is this fear that is too much in the souls of Gods dear ones This kind of fear is but a Judas his fear and a Cain's fear and a Saul's fear 3. There is a natural affection of fear that possesseth the hearts of men and women as men and women That 's this a perturbation or a troubling or perplexing or causing the heart to suffer through the motions of the blood and animal spirits to and fro upon the souls apprehending some evil that he is in danger to suffer This kind of fear is not an evil fear absolutely considered But this fear becomes a sinfull distemper through the inordinateness of it As 1. When it exceeds the bounds of reason That is when the heart is perplexed with some evil he shall suffer and can give no ground of this fear The soul is afraid of the loss of heaven and the glorious priviledges tendered in Christ and can render no good account according to reason why his soul is thus afraid 2. When it exceeds the bounds of Grace That is when it exceeds the bounds God hath appointed in his word when it proves a distracting fear and unfits the soul for the duty God requires at his hand And this distemper arises from three principles and accordingly produces three effects whereby the soul is prevented from discerning the light the promise holds forth 1. Commonly it arises from the sense of the souls own guiltiness The sense of a soul to be a guilty person naturally stirs up fear of punishment according to the disposition of men as men and working with natural conscience it stirs up fear of divine vengeance hereafter and so by this means that sinful fear prevails and clouds the soul 2. It ariseth from the souls apprehension of the height of the consequence of the souls right establishment Fear is begotten by looking upon the danger It is like a man standing upon a high Tower and looking upon the downfall though he stands firm it pales the man and makes him afraid So they standing upon the Tower of Eternity come to be sensible of the great danger and thence arises this fear of heart 3. This fear ariseth from the darkness and ignorance wherein the soul remains I mean his ignorance of the way of the right establishment of the soul his ignorance of the nature and large extent of those promises that God vouchsafes to his soul Like a blind man that is in continual fear lest he meet with danger and stumble and fall Walking in darkness strikes a fear naturally in any person much more doth this spiritual darkness produce fear in the soul Now this darkness thus risen hath three effects to prevent the soul from the sight of the promise held forth 1. It causeth the soul to create strange unheard of dangers to himself through the strength of imagination working by fear The very strength of fancy when this distemper of fear prevails causeth the soul to make new dangers to it self every moment and to fear where no fear is And thence he multiplies one objection upon another and the answering of one objection is but the bringing in of another objection 2. This distemper of fearfulness doth prevent the souls right use of the appointed means for the Prevention of real danger discovered The soul thinking to escape presumption by receiving Jesus Christ lest it have no right to him prevents it self of the use of the right means to come to Christ it makes the soul mindless of what the promise holds forth 3. This distemper darkens the reason of the soul and clouds the precious divine light that God hath infused into it It looks upon God in Christ through the dark glass of fear and so is driven from God in Christ rather then drawn to a close with fuller confidence Now there are two things the spirit of God is to do for the removing of this distemper 1. The Spirit of God presents the Lord in his love compassions and tender nature cloathed with the nature of loving-kindness and thereupon begins to allay that passion of fear to prevent the rage and dominion of it The spirit presents the Lord as it were coming down with a still gentle voice speaking to the soul in a precious alluring soul-conquering heart-inamouring way and thereby the heart begins to have dispositions begotten in it to close with God to draw near to God whereas it stood before afar off afrighted and astonished 2. The spirit useth to expostulate with the
poor trembling soul about the cause of his fear and distemper of heart The spirit cometh and expostulateth with the soul why art thou so afraid thou trembling soul why dost stand shaking like a leaf in the forest shaken with the wind why is thy heart so perplexed Saith the spirit Christ will receive thee if thou beest willing to receive Then it may be the passion of fear is allayed and the soul brought to close with the tender of love in Jesus Christ and the soul is brought to a holy fear and trembling laying his mouth in the dust before God thinking himself worthy to go into the pit of wo for ever yet yielding to receive what the Lord propounds in Christ A fourth Distemper is Over much Jealousie Jealousie of God and Jealousie of his own heart Dark Distemper The soul is exceeding prone out of measure to a strange unheard of Jealousie of God to have evil surmisings of God Look to some prophane ones 1. They have such evil surmisings as they suspect God in his being Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God 2. A Second sort surmise that God regards not the commission of sin so as others would perswade them Like those Psal 50 21. that think the Lord to be such a one as themselves they think there need be no such strictness to go to heaven as others would make toem believe That 's the meaning of that thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy self thou thoughtest I would admit thee into heaven notwithstanding all the transgressions thou livest in 3. Others surmise that God is a hard master one that puts heavy yokes upon the neck of his people that they cannot be able to bear They think it a heavy yoke that they can take none of their cursed pleasures and delights and therefore they had as good be out of the world should they come to that near closing and joyning with God in Christ to be one with him 4. A Fourth sort surmise that God will accept of them though they go on in the way of iniquity if they repent at last 5. A Fifth sort are the formal civil ones who think God will be satisfied if they pay every man his own and do none any wrong and perform the duties of Gods worship he requireth at their hands 6. A Sixth sort are those that are detained from God by a distemper of unbelief Unbelief cannot think that the love of God should be extended to the worst of sinners Nay saith the soul the word of God hath declared the contrary All shall not be the objects of the loving-kindness of God in Christ therefore those expresions of his love belongs not to me saith the Soul Now there are two ways how this distemper comes thus to prevail and there are two or three sad effects it hath in the heart 1. This distemper proceeds from another distemper even as bad and that is from a sensual Judgment maintained in the Soul The glorious things of the Gospel being inevident unto the eye of sense yea to the eye of reason being things the eye of man as man never saw nor the ear of man as man never heard nor the heart of man as man never conceived a man must needs pass a false Judgment upon them when he Judgeth by a sensual Judgment and say with Nicodemus how can these things be what to have such iniquities and rebellions cast by into the bottom of the Sea and never remembred any more To have my polluted Soul looked upon as righteous as an Angel it self by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ how can it be Now by judging the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel thus by a sensual judgment the soul cometh to be jealous and supicious of God that it cannot be that God intends such love towards his soul as he manifests in his expressions 2. This Jealousie ariseth from the souls measuring Gods way by its own way According to this principle the soul thinks if any man should offer such injury to me as I have done to God I might profess love but I could never forget him Therefore he concludes the Lord can never forget those injuries his soul hath offered to him But God tells us Isa 55.7 His ways are above our ways and his thoughts above our thoughts As if he should say do not conceive because it is impossible for man to pardon so abundantly that therefore I will not Now in judging Gods ways according to our ways this jealousie prevails and doth produce these sad effects in the heart that prevent the souls discerning its union with Christ in the promise 1. By this Distemper there are groundless conclusions drawn up by the soul against it self The soul once entertaining jealous thoughts of God seldom stays there but jealousie like a Canker eats off more and more the good thoughts it should have of God till at last it draws full conclusions that the Lord hath no good thoughts at all towards it The soul commonly proceeds from care to fear from fear to jealousie and from jealous suspitions to hard conclusions 2. This distemper causeth an evil eye in the soul I mean this he draws an evil conclusion from all Gods works Let God vouchsafe precious revelations of the mystery of his will through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him while the heart remains under this distemper What says the heart I am afraid it is but to harden me I am afraid it is to increase my condemnation Let God take away his ordinances again and there is as ill a construction made of that the soul under the jealousie presently concludeth iâ— if the Lord intended any good to his soul he would let him use the means but saith the soul I have abused the means and now am deprived of it and therefore now I fear there is no hope Again if you look upon the Lords dealing with the soul outwardly if the Lord lay affliction upon him now I may see indeed saith he that the Lord is angry the Lords indignation is kindled against me for my sin and I know not but it may be a beginning of my everlasting torments and the soul never searcheth whether it may out of faithfulness that the Lord comes thus to chastise outwardly according to that in Ps 119.95 Or let the Lord vouchsafe prosperity outwardly to such a soul ten to one as sad constructions are made of such dealings of God too 3. It causeth the soul to rely upon sight and sense alone in its searching and seeking for the manifestation of his union with Jesus Christ The jealous heart will trust God no further than he sees him So that hereby the soul remaineth under an impossibility of attaining any assurance to his faith of his union with Christ in regard by this the soul doth even renounce the use of faith Now the spirit seeks to remove this distemper and to bring the heart into a sweet confidence of God and
Scripture speaks of 1. There is a Jealousie over others least they should miscarry Which is a holy supition mingled with a holy fear of their departing from God and also joyned with a strength of desire of their keeping close unto God This kind of jealousie was in the heart of Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 I am Jealous over you with a Godly Jealousie that I may present you as a chast Virgin unto Christ 2. There may be a jealousie in the heart that is occasioned upon the sight of good in others and the excellency they have attained to That 's a kind of emulation That you shall read of Rom. 11.11 Paul tells the Jows that God had not cast them off altogether out of a purpurpose that they might fall but that through their fall the Gentiles might be called that the Jews might be provoked to Jealousie that is that they might be provoked to a kind of emulation to envy to go beyond the Gentiles Thus a Christians heart may be Jealous least another go before him and attain to a greater degree of holiness then his Soul attainneth to This is a Godly Jealousie 3. There is a Jealousie over the deceitfulness of the heart least the cursed heart should delude it and prove treacherous and joyn hand in hand with the Devil in some cursed Plot against the Soul This is a Godly Jealousie if it be kept within bounds This Jealousie over the heart if it be right is a compounded affection made up of two simple affections of the zeal of love and the zeal of hatred Or rather it is a kind of third thing that ariseth from both these that is a zeal of love to God and the ways of God and a zeal of hatred against whatever is contrary to the will of the blessed God so that there arises a kind of suspition of every thing that may possibly step in to dishonour God This Jeaiousie hath but two objects to which it can work 1. All things that may step in to be corrival with God That is whatever might strive to insinuate into the heart to steal away the heart from God or to be co-sharer with God to be a fellow beloved one with God himself Thus the world and all the world afords comes in to be the object concerning which the Soul exerciseth this Jealousie the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life these strive with all their strength to be corrivals with God in the heart to have as equal a share in the heart as God and to be as highly loved and honoured as God Now over these things the heart may be exceeding Jealous and ought to maintain a constant Jealousie 2. The second object of Jealousie is the Souls own act towards God That is whatever working there may be towards God there may be a disposition in the heart to deal fainedly and hypocritically Now in that regard because the heart is treacherous against it self a heart false to God filled with enmity against God therefore all the actions and motions of the heart are the objects upon which this Jealousie may be exercised in a right holy godly way There may be five acts of Jealousie in every Soul lawfull nay that ought to be 1. The Soul may be so Jealous of it self as to call his heart to a strict account concerning all the motions of it throughout all the whole course of his conversation He may be so suspitious as never to give credit to his heart in any thing any further than it can give a good account to him in all the motions of it First It may call its heart to account in what degree it hath wrought towards any of those objects To call the heart to account whether the affections did not run out too much after the world Secondly It may call its heart to account concerning the occasions it hath had to deal with any object whatever 2. The Soul may discover the danger and spread forth all the evil before the treacherous heart The Spirit of Jealousie may work so far that it may strive to put a bit and bridle into the wanton heart to restrain it It may strive to propound principles that may prevent its treachery 3. A soul may cry mightily to God with all his strength to prevent the wretched deceitfulness of his own heart To discover all the hidden by-paths that his own heart hath to walk in to give him light from heaven to see every step that his heart sets 4. The Soul may summons his own deceitful heart to appear before the Lord to act as in the sight of the heart-searching God in its closing with the Lord Christ tendered 5. It may so work as to cause the soul to renounce all confidence in it self of an uprightness in his own heart in its closing with the Lord Christ tendered So that thus far you see there is a Holy Jealousie of Spirit over the cursed deceitful heart that may possess yea ought to possess any Godly Soul But there is a distempered Jealousie too that darkens the Soul and prevents the Souls receiving assurance to his faith from the promise of his union with Christ and that is when this Spirit of Jealousie works in these four or five ways 1. When the Spirit of Jealousie prevails so far as to obtain the sole command of the heart Now this Jealousie cometh to be the rage of a man so as it becomes a distempered passion in stead of a holy affection So as instead of putting the soul into a precious way of searching out the deceit of his own heart it rather draws conclusions against it self without weighing and examining what the deceits of the heart are that are suspected 2. When this Jealousie makes the Soul negligent or careless of the use of the means to find out the truth of what it suspects So that in stead of this the heart sits down under those fears and suspicions crying out my wretched heart will deceive me I dare not think of receiving the Lord Jesus tendered 3. When the Soul is so overcome with Jealousie that it takes no account of it self of the ground of the working of the Jealousie It is the ordinary distemper of Souls that are overcome with this Jealousie that they never look out to the precious promises wherein the Lord engages himself to prevent the deceitfulness of the heart and its departing from God 4. When this Jealousie so prevails as it is taken up by the Soul as a sufficient Plea against the Souls present believing and receiving the Lord Jesus tendered When the Soul sets this Jealousie over his own deceitfull heart like a bulwark against all that can be propounded to him to make him give credit to the will of God and to yield obedience to the Lord Christ tendered when the heart thinks it is enough that he is able to say truly the very desire of my Soul is to yield obedience to the command of God in
believing sain would I receive the Lord Jesus tendered but alas I have such a cursed deceitfull heart that I dare not least my heart delude me 5. When the Jealousie over the heart prevails so much as the Soul spends all his thoughts in finding out the uprightness of his heart in closing before the soul venture upon an actual closing with the Lord Jesus as tendered When a Soul through this Jealousie sets porcing and gazing upon the many windings and turnings of his own spirit and calling to remembrance how wretchedly his heart deluded him formerly and hereupon concludes with himself that he may not close till he can see the uprightness of his heart in closing with the Lord Jesus And so thereupon afterwards spends all his prayers and pours out all his desires to God for uprightness for integrity of heart in closing and in the mean time forbearing that actual closing that the Lord requires without the least delay from every Soul Thus you see also how this Jealousie comes to work in a sinfull way and becomes a sinfull Distemper And indeed when 〈◊〉 cometh thus work it exceedingly darkens the Soul and prevents its discerning what the promise holds forth 1. In regard Jealousie prevents the souls gazing upon the absolute promise that is tendered to the soul Now the soul must needs be kept from discerning what the promise holds forth when it is kept from so much as looking into the promise for though there be habitual divine light in the promise yet that 's not usefull till it be drawn out into exercise Habitual divine light in the understanding is like the eye when it is asleep or like the eye when it is shut It is the exercise of that that makes the soul discern any thing that the Lord discovers in the promises And then it is the very gazing upon the promise that draws out that divine light formerly received in exercise also 2. This Distemper of Jealousie maintains perpetual fear in the soul of its false applying of the promise of the Lord Jesus Fear is always the companion of Jealousie the more fearful the soul is the more jealous and the more jealous the soul is the more fearful and those fears are like a thick fog or mist that darkens the divine light received So that by this means the soul is kept from discerning any of those beams of divine light in any clearness that the promise of God holds forth and thereby the soul is kept from discerning his union with the Lord Jesus that might be discerned from the promises Now this jealousie over the heart it self must be healed before the soul can receive clear satisfaction to it self of its union with Christ Two ways the spirit of God usually heals this 1. The spirit presseth with all urgency upon the soul the present immediate necessity of his yielding obedience to the command of God without any pretence whatever of any delay and deferring Commonly upon these distempers of Jealousie prevailing the soul denies not the Lord Jesus tendered only conceiveth himself to have sufficient ground to delay and defer a while till he see clearly a more sutable uprightness in his heart to close Now the spirit comes upon the soul and presses it upon his heart to be his duty immediately without the least delay Hereby the soul begins to be drawn to adventure to believe though it be with trembling lest his wretched heart should deceive him 2. The spirit discovers to the soul the independency of his own interest in the promise upon any act of his own considered in himself The spirit clears to the soul the Lords engagement of himself as well to make the heart faithful and true and upright in receiving the Lord Jesus tendered as to give the Lord Jesus to the soul that would receive him The spirit it may be brings such a promise as that Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and reveals to the soul from thence the Lords engagement of himself to put in faithfulness into the deceitful hypocritical heart whereby the close shall be in truth and sincerity notwithstanding all the wretched wickedness of his own heart striving to deceive him The Fifth Dark Distemper is The souls measuring and judging its self too too much by other Christians Dark Distemper by the graces and excellencies that shine forth in other souls We shall open it to you how far it is lawful for a soul thus to measure himself by other Christians and by the rule of their graces And then how this distemper comes to prevail and how it works It must be concluded that there is a lawfulness in a souls measuring himself by the rule and line of the graces of other Christians to try his own heart and way by comparing his own heart way by the heart way of other Christians as far as he can discern There are seven or eight particular acts that are not only lawful for a soul in this case but the soul is bound to them 1. Every soul allured towards the Lord Jesus ought with the greatest diligence and circumspection that is possible to have a full prospect a full view into the hearts and lives of other Christians The Lord hath intended from eternity to propose the whole number of Saints like so many glorious heavenly Stars set in the lower region of the earth from whence the beams of his own excellency may shine forth They are set like so many Suns in the Firmament for all the World to gaze upon according to Prov. 4.18 The righteous is like the Sun that shineth more and more untill the perfect day Yea further The precious beams of the Lords own glory are appointed to shine forth through their light So that every soul neglects the beholding of the glory of God himself in the precious glasses that he hath appointed for his people to see the reflection of his glory in when they neglect to make a diligent search into the hearts of all Christians within view 2. Every soul ought in the view that he takes of the hearts and lives of Saints and their graces to have a reflection upon his heart and life and his own grace Every soul ought to look upon these Saints as we look upon glasses that we may discern our own faces 3. Every Christian ought to compare his own graces with the graces he discerns in all Christians within his view First they ought to measure the graces themselves Secondly the expressions of those graces in their duties First they ought to measure the graces themselves even the inward habits of grace so far as they can discern them in others 1. They ought to compare the strength of their own graces with the strength and vigor of those graces they discern in other Christians 2. They ought to compare the strength of their own graces with the graces of
others in the fruit and increase of it When any Christian flourisheth like a Tree planted by the waters side that brings forth his fruit in due season every Christian ought to compare the growth of his own grace to the growth of the grace of such a Christian 3. They ought to compare the time of growth of the grace of such a Christian with the time that their grace hath had to grow 4. To compare the means of growth of grace A soul discerning any grace exercised in any Christian ought to consider what means he hath had to grow to that eminency in such a grace whether have I had the same means whether hath the means been as effectual upon my heart as upon such a Christian 5. To compare the liveliness and activity of all those graces constantly with the liveliness and activity of their own Secondly they ought to compare the expressions of their own graces in way of duty to God with the expressions of the graces of others First in the quantity of the duties Secondly in the quality of the duties First in the quantity of the duties in the number and bulk of them God sometimes stands much upon quantity of duty to his people Therefore upon a Souls discerning some Christians to be much in duty it may be to spend much time in prayer they ought to compare themselves and their own duties with the duties of others Only these two rules are to be observed in it First to observe whether the duties of any such Christians be not extended too far that they do not place the opinion of all good in duty that they do not bound and stint God to such a length in duty Now duties may be extended too far there may be excess in performing duties of prayer 1. When ordinary duties are performed in excess by a soul without an extraordinary occasion 2. When duties are extended beyond the souls ability and opportunity Ability and opportunity are constant limitations set to all the duties God requires Secondly this rule also must be observed That a soul does keep a right proportion in all his measuring of his own duties by others duties 1. Every soul upon discerning any Christian to excell in the quantity of duty ought to compare his own ability with others ability According as the Lord giveth so he requireth to whom much is given from him he expects much Luke 12.48 Though the duty of one Christian should not be so much in quantity as the duty of another yet it may be as much considering the souls ability every way for the duty that he performeth 2. The soul must always look to proportion the occasion It must see upon what occasion such a Christian is so much exercised in duties and see whether the same occasion be his souls In time of temptation or in time of violent corruption or in time of much inward bitterness of soul it ought to exercise the quantity of duties more than at another time If occasions come in extraordinary the Lord requires extraordinary duties As in 2 Cor. 12.7 8 when Paul was urged with an extraordinary temptation a thorn prickt him in the flesh then Paul falls upon extraordinary duty he prayed thrice that is often So in Act. 12 when Peter was in prison and likely to be brought to execution the Church went to prayer without ceasing 2. The soul must always proportion his own opportunity to the opportunity of those he discerns to be much in duty Opportunity is a talent as well as any thing else and the Lord expects the improvement of that talent as well as other talents where the Lord gives opportunity for duty he requireth much duty 4. The soul also is to proportion its necessity Now the necessities of souls are various One needs a great deal of food to maintain the life of his soul and another may be maintained with less 5. There must be a proportion held in the spiritual engagements and obligations wherein a soul stands engaged to God 1. The proportion must be observed in the souls reception of the spirit of adoption from God The more fully the spirit of adoption is come down into the heart the more neerly is the heart engaged to duty and to greater multiplication of duty in regard by the receit of the holy spirit of adoption there is greater ability conveyed into the soul for the duty 2. The soul must hold proportion in his revelations of the truth of God to the soul The more clear beams of divine light of truth the Lord communicates to any soul the more deeply is that soul engaged to God unto duty 3. The soul must proportion the engagement of the Lords making his person more conspicuous to the world The more conspicuously the Lord sets up any soul to be gazed upon by the world the more doth the Lord engage the soul to all kind of duty 4. They must proportion the degree of communion that God vouchsafeth to take the soul into with himself Gradually according to the degree of communion the soul hath with God so are the souls engagements to the multiplication of duty That 's the first branch of this way of measuring The soul must measure the quantity of his duties Secondly The soul must also measure and compare the quality of his own duties with the quality of the duties he perceiveth to be performed by others It is not the bulk only God accepts but it is the manner the spirituality the exactness and exquisitness of the performing those duties that the Lord especially looks at The Israelites seldom failed in the bulk of the duty the Lord required they gave him his Oxen and Lambs and He Goats and Sheep and the like but they failed in the spirituality of those duties of worship that the Lord required and therefore the Lord called those obblations vain oblations So that though the quantity of a souls duty should hold proportion with the quantity of the duty of others yet he must look whether the quality will hold proportion whether the spirituality of the duty will proportion with their duty whether there be as much inward adoration before God as much inward self abasement of spirit as much strength in pursuing after Communion with God Neither is it sufficient for the quality of duties to hold proportion with the quality of the duties of some other Christians but all the former rules also must be observed as far as they can be applied to this Where the Lord hath furnished with more inward ability and inward strength there he looks for the duty to excell in quality as well as quantity Thus you have the third act of the soul opened which is the comparing of his own graces with the graces it discerns in the hearts and lives of other Christians Fourthly The soul may from comparing himself with other Christians and his graces and his duties with theirs endeavour to convict himself of all the evil that can be found out
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
whence to draw a conclusion of his contrary state to the state of other Christians that he beholds to excel him in so a high a measure When it riseth to this it becomes a sinful dark distemper and that will appear in divers things 1. This may prove a measuring of Gods love by the acts of his love 2. It may be an arguing meerly from a Souls want of light to discern Gods good will to him in Christ 3. It makes the Soul draw a conclusion of the total want of the being of Grace while a Soul thus concludes because he seeth no Graces shining forth in himself as he doth in others that therefore he is not beloved of God in Christ it may come to argue in this manner because I see my Soul is not such a burning and shining light as such a Christian therefore I am not so much as smoaking flax 4. This argument from the defect of Grace may be an argument from the Souls infirmity It may be but an argument from the Tyranny that some lust hath exercised over the Heart to the concluding it is under the voluntary service of his lust 5. It may be a reasoning from the want of fruitfulness in Christianity to the want of Christianity it self and the want of all fritfulness whatsoever Now when the Soul is about to draw such conclusions as these from its measuring it self by other Christians let these things be observed 1. He must first assure himself that the defect he beholds in his own Soul is a sinful defect Four things the Soul must be assured the defect comes not from before he can be assured the defect is Sin First That it is not barely through the suspension of the influence of the comforting Spirit of Christ Secondly It must be assured that the defects he beholds in his own Soul of the Graces of others be not through the Lords suspending the arbitrary influences of the quickning Spirit of Christ You must conceive there are influences that are for the Souls Being and influences that are for the Souls well Being These influences of the quickning Spirit of Christ that are for the Souls Being are never withdrawn But the influences that are for the Souls well Being are communicated in various degrees to various Souls which therefore I call arbitrary influances of the Spirit of Christ that is such as God disposes of according to his meer pleasure to the Soul in divers degrees at divers times and to divers Souls in divers times Thirdly The Soul must be assured that the defect he beholds in his own Soul in respect of the Graces of other Christians proceeds not only from the defects of gifts thar others furnished with the same Graces injoy above him Gifts are like a pretious cundit-pipes that the Lord hath appointed to let out the streams of the Spirit of Jesus Christ through Now if another Soul hath more abundance of those kind of gifts more readiness of Capacity quickness of Understanding greater depths in the apprehension of the things of Christ clearness of light more readiness of expression Then thy Soul may be deceived in judging a greater degree of Grace in such a Soul than in thy Soul in regard he hath a greater opportunity of expression of Grace and a greater aptness to hold forth Grace received than thou hast Fourthly The Soul must be assured that it is not from the defect of the means and opportunity only without any negligence of any means by the Soul that his defect of Grace proceeds from 2. The Soul must be assured that those defects that he beholds in himself are such defects as are altogether inconsistent with the state of the union of the Soul with Christ Whatever gives a true and sufficient demonstration of its cause must be an effect that proceeds properly from such a cause only that cannot proceed from another cause 3. The Soul must be also sure that Spiritual Rashness and Wilfulness or Ignorance or Temptation do not overcloud his Judgment in his searching out and trying the defects in the Soul Therein I shall advise to three things 1. The Soul ought to be sure that he trust not his own light alone 2. The Soul ought to bring all things both in their substance and in their circumstances that are worthy to be weighed to the rule of the Word alone 3. A Soul must endeavour that his Judgment be settled by God That 's thus The Soul that hath his Judgment past upon his own defects and the nature of them to be such as is inconsistent with the state of union with Christ must endeavour to draw near to God to bring himself into the presence of the Heart searching God with a serious apprehension and meditation that all the secrets of his Spirit are open before God and then and there in this frame to view over again and meditate upon that Judgment that he finds himself ready to pass against his own Soul and then observe whether his Spirit then dare pass this conclusion against himself III. When a Soul in measuring himself by others makes the defect of Grace in himself to be the matter of discouragement of his Soul and matter of impediment to the exercise of his Faith in Christ That is when the Soul by looking upon some other Christians and beholding many pretious gratious holy dispositions shine forth like so many Stars in the lower orb when he sees much holy fire drop down from Heaven into their Hearts that drop forth in their Conversations and looks upon himself and sees a defect in all Sees his own Heart overgrown with dulness stupidness blockishness carelesness forgetfulness of God regardlesness of Communion with God in Christ and the Soul makes these defects of Grace apprehended in himself matter of discouragement to his Soul to beat it off and to keep it back from the exercise of Faith Then this distemper of Judging themselves by others prevails too far 1. It is a joyning with the wretched corrupt opposit Heart against Christ and the furnishing the Soul with matter of cavil and scruple against the blessed tenders of receiving the love of Jesus Christ 2. By this the Soul maketh that part of his duty that he seems to perform to be nothing but disobedience The Soul by looking upon the Graces that shine forth in any Christian seems to do a part of his duty because it is one thing commanded and in reflecting upon his own Heart in the sight of those Graces seems to do another part of his duty but both these are made disobedience when the Soul makes the defect of Grace he finds in himself when he looks upon the Graces of others discouragements to himself in exercising Faith 3. The Soul crosses God in his highest end which is to make the excellencies of Jesus Christ shine forth in the Souls of his People IV. The fourth case wherein a Soul doth measure himself too much by others so as it becomes a sinful distemper is when the
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
embrace the loveless Soul that makes the bowels of the Soul yern towards Christ again 4. The Soul must discern the sufficiency of the promise to assure the Soul of what it longs after Now it being of necessity that all these must be discerned in the promises of acceptance of the Soul into union with Christ before the Soul can be satisfied from the promises that he is united to Jesus Christ an hours view or a days view in an ordinary way I mean unless the Spirit cast in superlative light extraordinary will not suffice a Soul to discern all these through the promise II. This inconstancy in the Souls resolutions exposes the Soul to the violence of all temptation This will appear in three things 1. In regard the sword of the Spirit to fight against the Temptations with is made void The sword of the Spirit is the pretious word of God Eph. 6.17 Now the Soul being unsettled in his own determinations concerning the truth of the Word of God to his own Soul in particular he hath no pretious use of that pretious sword the Word of God to resist the tempter with 2. The habit of Faith is weakned I mean the readiness of the disposition of Faith to be in exercise is in a great measure hindred The Heart is more indisposed to the exercise of Faith by how much the seldomer Faith is drawn out to exercise 3. Carnal reasonings of the Heart grow strong The more any corruption prevails the more strength it gets Sin is never decrepit the older it grows the stronger it grows Thus carnal reasoning of the Heart growing old by the constant prevailing over the Soul it grows stronger All these concurring a Soul is in a dreadful measure exposed to the tyranny of all Temptations First Temptations that batter down the hopes of Election Secondly Temptations unto slavish fear and dread and horrour of execution of present vengeance Thirdly A Soul is exposed to the power and violence of that temptation that it is wicked abominable presumption for his wretched Soul to have a thought that God will be willing to accept him in Christ III. Through that inconstancy the Devil himself is provoked to tempt It is observed in Scripture that the rule the Lord gives concerning our fighting with Satan is to resist and the rule concerning fighting with sin is fleeing 1 Pet. 5.9 Now it is thought it is upon this occasion the Lord gives this rule because fleeing gives the Devil advantage and makes him more violent in his temptations There is nothing that gives the Devil discouragement in tempting but a sight of an impossibility of prevailing IV. The inconstancy of the Soul in these resolutions and determinations prevents the increase and growth of all the knowledge of Jesus Christ You shall observe in 2 Pet. 3.18 That the Holy Ghost urging the Saints to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he gives them an admonition to take heed they fall not from their own steadfastness intimating thus much while their Souls remain unstable in receiving and giving credit to those pretious Truths of Christ that were revealed there could be no growth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ V. This inconstancy of the Soul doth leave it like a lost one in a meer wilderness It leaves it wandering in devious paths it knows not whither When the Judgment of the Soul is thus unstable concerning those pretious principles forenamed the Soul is left without a Pilot without a Compass so that the Soul knows not how to steer its course to the pretious haven of happiness So that this distemper must be healed before the Soul can discern its union with Christ Now the Spirit heals this distemper two ways 1. By vouchsafing a clear and full manifestation to the Soul of those pretious forenamed principles by casting in such a high degree of divine light as makes the truth of those forenamed conclusions out of question It is according to the evidence the Soul receives of a truth that the judgment is settled either more or less firmly upon it Now the Spirit doth so manifest those pretious Truths and so clears the Eye as it seeth them without scruple and then the Judgment begins to be settled with some firmness upon them 2. The Spirit heals it by a continuation of the first manifestation of those Truths So that a fulness of evidence of the Truth that the Soul concludes upon remaining in the Soul the Soul remains in a fixed settled way cleaving and sticking to those Truths so concluded upon Now thus you have the second work of the Spirit in that first general effect of it upon the Heart opened which is the removal of all impediments that hinder divine light and you have seen what beams of the principles of darkness and also what dark distempers are pulled out before the Soul is fit to discern the light of Jesus Christ held forth Now the third work of the Spirit in this illumination is the Spirits acting by its own power the Divine light communicated to the Soul It is necessary not only that a Soul receive a faculty from the Spirit but also the acting of the faculty too Though all acts of the renewed man be firmly the acts of the Mind yet they are originally the acts of the Spirit it self So that also in this case concerning illumination there is a necessity not only that the Soul hath a seeing Eye but that it must also have the seeing of the Eye from the Spirit Though the Soul hath an Eye disposed to see the divine light that the promise discovers yet there must come in a power from the Spirit also whereby the Soul may be inabled to act that very power received As it is in the cleared Eye it hath a fitness to see any colour but it must be acted by the rational Soul otherwise the inward disposition of the Soul effects nothing that 's the reason the Eye sees not in sleep because the rational Soul is bound up as it were in its operations Thus it is with the divine man though influences be communicated from Jesus Christ to the Soul that the Soul hath a spiritual Eye rightly disposed to see spiritual objects yet there must be also the Spirits power to act that very Eye that is so disposed to see the spiritual object So that thus the Spirit comes in by a renewed power and as it were blows up those holy sparks of divine light that are communicated to the Soul and makes them to work in their own proper natural way to make them see that pretious divine light that the promises of the Lord discover to the poor dark Soul Thus you see the first work or the first effect that the Spirit of God hath upon Souls towards the revealing to them from the promise that they are united to the Lord Jesus The Spirits Irradiation II. We are now to proceed to the second work of the Spirit upon Souls in
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
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
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
to make his Love glorious in those objects Therefore the End must in order of Nature according to our conception be before the Means though all things are at once and by one Act done by God so that according to our conceptions the Love must be first fixed and setled upon Souls in order of nature I mean the intention of Love must be first unto Souls before the conveyance of that Gift of Love through Christ Thence 't is that the Scripture speaks of Christ not only as given but also called out to the work of Mediatorship Heb. 5.1 He was ordained to be the High Priest by God the Father to offer Sacrifice for Souls 3. There can be no End of the Lords being at that high charge for the effecting of the Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers to Souls that will embrace him but his own praise and his peoples comfort Seeing there was no necessity I speak of absolute and indispensable necessity all this while I would not be mistaken in a thing of so high a nature I say seeing there was no absolute simple necessity for the Lord to be at such high cost in respect of himself and in respect of Souls to partake of this Mercy but it is done freely of God according to his own wisdom Thence it appears there can be no higher End than the Lords own praise the manifesting the Beams of the Lords transcendent Glory more abundantly in the Eyes of Saints and Angels And this you shall find to be the very End of it Eph. 1.4.6 Saith the Apostle He hath chosen us in Christ That is He hath chosen us as the Members of Christ the first Elect of God and that Head of the Mystical Body that God hath glorified himself in This he hath done saith he before the foundation of the world and therefore he destinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Here is the Fathers Love in the Means and in the End v. 6. To the praise of the Glory of his Grace that is of his own Love wherein that is in which Love he hath made us acccepted in the Beloved that is in Christ Now this may be taken rwo wayes Either for his praise actively to be given to him by the Soul that partakes of that Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers Or else passively to be manifested through this way unto those that partake of that Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers In both ways the Lord intended to have his glorious Love admired and adored and himself sanctified in the beholding of it through the effecting and conveying of that his Love and Mercy unto Souls through such cost and charge in giving his dearly beloved Son Now observe it There are especially two wayes how the partaker of that Love and Mercy the Gospel discovers doth actively give the Lord the praise of the glory of his Love 1. In admiring the unmeasurable dimensions of his Love in gazing upon the height and depth and length and breadth of his Love so as to see it unmeasurable and bottomless and to adore God in beholding it 2. In their Souls relying with a fulness of confidence upon God for that his Love in Christ It is alwayes in the same degree wherein a Soul takes up its rest in God for any thing that a Soul sanctifies God in his heart therefore Is 8.13 when the Prophet exhorts them to sanctifie God he saith Fear not their fear but make him your fear and your dread as if he should say therein you shall sanctifie him when your spirits take up their rest in him alone Now as God is thus sanctified in the heart in general so he is sanctified in the heart in respect of every particular Attribute of his in this way only when a Souls confidence is in him alone And thus in particular in respect of his Love God hath the praise of the glory of his Love from the Soul when the Heart takes up its full rest in God with a fulness of confidence for all Love through Christ Now observe these being the two special wayes how the Lord hath the praise of his glorious Love from Souls that partake of the Love that the Gospel discovers and then both these proceeding from a Souls apprehension of the certainty and infallibility of the Lords Love in Christ thence it must needs appear that the Lords being at the high cost to effect all that Love and Mercy discovered in the Gospel for Souls through the death of that dearly beloved of his Soul that this must be on purpose done by God for the making that his Love and Mercy that the Gospel discovers more sure and certain unto Souls embracing it in their own apprehensions Thirdly The Spirit discovers the Lords own Bond given out to the persons themselves that shall embrace the Gospel for their assurance of all that the Gospel discovers All the Promises written in the Lords Blessed Book are but as so many Bonds of Gods own writing by the hand of the great Secretary of Heaven the blessed Spirit of God on purpose to confirm and assure Souls of all that the Gospel discovers The Spirit reveals Promise upon Promise to seal to and confirm the same thing as you may see Heb. 6.12 13 14 15. The Promise is said to be given there as a Discovery of the Immutability of the Lords Counsel that is of the infallible and unchangeable certainty of all that the Gospel discovers Fourthly The Spirit riseth higher he adds the confirmation of his own Oath the highest Oath that was possible for God to swear which was by himself that the Soul might have security upon security to his weak apprehension Fifthly The Spirit reveals the adding of the Blood of Christ as the Seal to the Bond. The Spirit manifests the Lord to have employed Jesus Christ to be the Testator to Souls that by the Death of the Testator the Testament or the Will of God revealed in the Gospel might be made unquestionably certain that the Soul might have fulness of security to his poor scrupulous Spirit now security comes in upon security to a superabuddance of it Sixthly The Spirit reveals the Lord to have engaged the Honour and Credit of his ever-blessed Name for the better securing Souls and fuller assuring them of all that the Gospel discovers to them This you shall see in Exod. 33.19 I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee saith God to Moses and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy which doth both include a disposition to be gracious and a free disposition to be gracious and it includeth that Grace of his to be ordered only according to his own will Now did not the Lord freely love loveless sinners upon no other ground but his own will which is the very Sum of all that the Gospel saith then this Title of Gods Honour should be defaced and blemished But God saith
reveal'd a fulness of all goodnes and so strength it self to the Soul but he may behold the Lord to have called himself by that Name of Abundant in Goodness 2. The Soul is secured by the Credit of the Lords Name against all fears of his not prevailing with God in Christ to be partaker of that Mercy and Love and Goodness that the Gospel discovers He may behold the Lords Name to be Abundant in Goodness not only goodness but abounding having more than a fulness so that it should run over into empty Souls like Rivers abounding with water freely overflowing his Banks 5. The Credit of the Lords Name is engaged to a compleat perfect fulfilling of his revealing mercy and goodness towards loveless Sinners His Name you see is Abundant in Truth So that God must lose that Beam of the glory of his blessed Name which is Abundant in Truth should the least Tittle the least Iota of any word revealing Mercy and Love to loveless Sinners fall to the ground 6. The Credit of the Lords Name is engaged for the accepting every Soul into grace and favour discovered in the Gospel without making any exception against any one Soul whatever The Lords Name you see is the Lord keeping Mercy for thousands that is for infinite numbers That is to say his Name is he that is ready to shew mercy to every Soul without exception 7. The Credit of the Lords Name is engaged to secure Souls that no kind or degree of wickedness can be a prevention of his acceptance of a Soul into his favour and love His Name you see is the Lord forgiving iniquity transgression and sin that is forgiving all kinds and degrees of sin 8. The Credit and Honour of the Lords Name is engaged that the ground of his receiving Souls into love and favour shall be only his own precious will His Name is He will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy Exod. 33.9 So that when the Souls confidence begins to waver about the Lords willingness to accept him into love and favour because he beholds no ground or argument of love then the Soul may behold the blessed Name of God that hath mercy upon whom he will have mercy looking for no Arguments of his love and mercy but his own Will Thus you see that the Credit of the Lords blessed Name is engaged for assuring Souls of whatever the Gospel discovers And that 's the Sixth Particular Seventhly The Spirit reveals the Lord to have given in his blessed word Presidents Examples and Patterns sutable to the Case and State of every Soul upon whom the Lord hath already effected whatever mercy and love the Gospel discovers to forlorn despicable loveless Sinners The Lord hath so abounded and superabounded in the riches of his own love that out of the bowels of those his compassions towards loveless Sinners he hath condescended beneath himself and his own super-excellent Majesty to give all kind of securities whatever are possible to be given to poor doubting Spirits concerning his Gospel-love There are eight particular Cases wherein the Lord hath given Paterns and Examples unto Souls which Cases comprehend all kinds of Estates and Tempers that it is possible for any Soul to be under I. In the case of the superlative height of Souls wickedness the being plunged into a bottomless Ocean of all kind of abominations and pollutions that are imaginable In this case the Lord hath given eminent patterns First If you look into that place 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and read over the black bill of almost all kind of abominations that are there reckoned up Fornicatours Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind Theeves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners And you shall see v. 11. that some that are contained in the black bill of all pollutions were Washed Sanctified Justified in the name of the Lord Jesus all Gospel mercy and love was discovered unto them for saith the Text Such were some of you Another pattern the Lord left 2 Chron. 33.11 12 13. of Manasseh who heaped up wickedness upon wickedness yet the Lord made him a pattern of Gospel-love and mercy Another you have in Paul in 1 Tim. 1.15 One drinking up the blood of Saints like water one blaspheming Jesus Christ offering all kind of injuries and indignities to the name of Christ and yet the Lord did shew forth all long-suffering that is all kind of love manifested in patience and forbearance and admitted him into union and communion with himself through Christ and this he did on purpose that he might leave it as an experiment of his Love and Mercy to them who should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting So Act. 2.30 those that had washed their malicious and envious Hands in the innocent blood of the Lord Jesus were not excluded from Gospel Mercy and Love So if you look into the doleful story of our first fall by Eve who did first provoke the anger and indignation of God yet she was made a pattern of Gospel Mercy and Love Gen. 3.15 II. The second case wherein God hath given patterns is in the case of unbelief the potency and prevalency of unbelieving dispositions I shall propound but two patterns to you in this case First of David who under the rage of unbelief Psal 116.11 said in his hast all men are liers that those Prophets that had revealed to him from the mouth of God that he should inherit the Kingdom were but dissemblers notwithstanding he had been satisfied of the truth of the message coming from God The second pattern is in unbelieving Thomas John 20.24 25 26. that would not believe the resurrection of Christ except he should see in his Hands the print of the nailes and thrust his Hands into his side yet Gospel Love and Mercy was discovered to him vers 27. under this case come in these two cases of Souls wherein they are much perplexed 1. In case of the Souls not feeling the Lord by his Almighty power drawing their Hearts to believe Saith the poor perplexed Soul surely the Lord draws all that he intends should come to Christ through believing but alas saith the Soul I do not see that God hath drawn my Heart therefore surely God hath not chosen me to be an object of Gospel Grace and Love now the Spirit may witness from hence that there hath been a Soul as much under the dominion of unbelieving dispositions as his unbelieving Spirit yet the bowels of Love and Mercy revealed in the Gospel were not restrained from them 2. Here comes in that case of the weakness of affections and desires towards believing and of the strong inclination of the Spirit to receive security of the Lords willingness to make him the object of Gospel Mercy and Love from something that should be visible and sensible to the Soul That 's also a common case of Souls that they cannot discern any disposition in their Hearts to believe the Lords willingness to receive them into the bosom
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
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
sparkling forth of his own Glory through it VI. A sixth Engagement that God hath laid upon himself to fulfil Gospel Discoveries is this That every unlovely Sinner that shall embrace them is prepared from Eternity by the Lords infinite Wisdom to be an Orient bright shining Pearl in the all beautiful Crown of the Lords accidental Glory Mistake me not the mighty Sun of the Lords infinite essential Glory cannot admit either of Augmentation or Diminution I mean either of Lessening or Increasing its Transcendent Brightness But the Lords accidental Glory that is to say the manifestation and Discovery of those precious Beams of his essential Glory may and do admit of Eclipses and Overshadowings and also of an increase and augmentation in their Brightness and Excellency Now every Forlorn Soul that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries is laid as it were as a precious Golden Thred in that rich Broidered Robe of that Glory that the King of Heaven Cloaths himself with to make himself Glorious in the eyes of Saints and Angels This is clearly manifested in Isa 43.6 7 if you compare it with John 1.12 Bring forth my Sons and Daughters saith God whom I have Created for my Glory Now they are only those that receive the Lord Jesus tendred in the Gospel To as many as received him even to them that believe in him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God And hence you shall observe that the people of God are not only said to be Created for his Glory but they are called his glory Isa 46.13 Nay more they are called the Crown of the Lords Glory Isa 62.3 Nay further the Lord looks upon them as his Ornament Ezek. 7.10 And hence also they are called the Portion of God Jer. 12.10 Yea hence the Scripture declares the Saints in Heaven to shine as the Stars in the Firmament Dan. 12.3 In regard they shall be very Bright Shining Pearls that shall stand in the Crown of the Lords Honour Now there are three respects wherein every such Unlovely Sinner embracing Gospel Discoveries is one of the set Pearls that shine forth in the Crown of the Lords Glory 1. In regard the All beautiful Unparalleld Crown of the super added Honour of the Lord Jesus is Composed of all those Souls that shall embrace those Gospel Discoveries Thence it is that such Gospel Embraces are called the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 And thence it is that the Church which is the Company of those is called the fulness of Christ Eph. 1.23 Now the Honour of Jesus Christ through the perfect Unity between the Father and the Son is also the Fathers Honour and so consequently every such Soul being one of those Beautiful Flowers in the Garland of Christs Honour he becomes also one of those rich Diamonds wherewith the Crown of the Fathers Glory is richly beset According to that in 1 Cor. 3.22 23. where the whole Glory that Jesus Christ attains as he is Mediatour is revealed to be Terminated and ended in the Fathers Glory All is yours That is all things are finally for your sakes Or rather all things have a natural tendency through the Everlasting Decree of God unto your good And ye are Christs That is and all you by vertue of the same Decree have a natural tendency to all the good you attain unto the good of Jesus Christ All the Glory that is put upon you hath a natural tendency unto the Glory of Jesus Christ to make up the perfection of his Glory And then observe and saith he Christ is Gods That is all the Good the Glory the Honour that Jesus Christ attains through his being the Center wherein all your good meets all that meets in the Father that is all his Honour tends only to the exalting of the Fathers Honour 2. In regard the brightest Beams of the Fathers essential Glory are manifest in every such Soul The Lord from before the Foundations of the World were laid made choice of those Souls to be as so many Christal Glasses through which the Beams of his Incomprehensible Essential Glory should shine forth First In every such Soul is manifest the infinite Unsearchable depths of the Fathers Divine Wisdom The manner of the Fathers Disposing of those souls to suffer them by the free working of their own Wills to lose themselves and bring themselves under the Power of everlasting Wrath and Indignation and then his Wisdom in contriving a way to save the Honour of his own Justice and the Redemption of those Poor Lost Perishing Souls so wonderfully to make the Honour of Mercy and Love and Justice to meet together in one to make Mercy and Justice kiss each other is that which will be the matter of Admiration to all those Inhabitants of the Sacred Palace of Heaven to all Eternity Secondly The Brightest Beams of his unspeakable unconceivable love appear and are manifested to every such Soul The highest perfection of Love that ever the Lord manifested is in Loving such Unlovely Forlorn Loathsome Souls as these and that also while he Rejected and Disregarded Creatures far more Glorious according to their first Creation Thirdly The Almighty Power of the Lord is also Gloriously manifested in every such Soul in that he should create anew those Loveless Sinners that were opposite to their own new Creation I mean their own Regeneration Therein indeed did Power appear in that the Lord did raise the Soul from the lowest degree of Enmity into the neerest Union with himself and that against all the Oppositions that Hell can make and against all the Powers of the Soul it self when both concur together against God Fourthly The Glorious Independency of the Lords Will in all the Motions and Operations of it is manifested abundantly in every such soul The Freedom of the Lord in all his ways doth not shine forth so clearly in any of the Works of God as in that Pretious Mystery of his Election in making of the same lump one Vessel to Honour and another to Dishonour there being no Engagements no Motives to incline his Pretious Will either this way or that way 3. Every such Soul is a set shining Diamond in the Crown of the Lords Honour In regard it is destinated from Eternity to stand as a constant clear Christal Glass through which the Lord would manifest the Transcendency of his own perfection unto all Eternity And it is through those Communications of the Father unto the Soul that the Fathers Glory is discovered and thence it is that the Brightness of the Fathers Glory shall be shining forth Resplendently unto all Eternity in every such Soul Now we are to consider what full security the Spirit may give from hence to every such Soul concerning the Infallible fulfilling of all Gospel Discoveries to the utmost into its Bosom that shall embrace them 1. From thence the Spirit may reveal to the Soul that the Lord stands engaged by the Inseparable Disposition of his own nature which naturally tends to his
it constrains it to receive that clear Infallible Demonstration that the Blessed Word of God gives of the Lords Will to receive his Stubborn Rebellious Unworthy Soul into union with the Lord Jesus Indeed by the Spirits Illumination and the manifestation of the Gospel to the Soul there is a most Unquestionable Demonstration given of the Lords Will to accept any one particular soul to be one with him if he will accept him but in the Work of Conviction is most properly the Mighty Overpowring work of the spirit upon the Mind and Conscience constraining it to receive the Demonstration Conviction is properly the silencing all Cavils Doubts of Contradictions of the mind against any truth propounded and a making of it undenyable to it that it dare not make any objection or raise any one Cavil more to what the Lord propounded to his particular Loveless soul but to sit down satisfied and confess the truth of what the Lord propounded to him to confess that it is the Will of the Blessed God indeed that it should be one with himself in the Lord Jesus and enjoy everlasting Communion with him There is a necessity of the Spirits thus convincing the Soul besides its Illumination and its Irradiration of the Gospel to it and that in two respects First in respect of the Mind or Understanding And Secondly in respect of the Conscience First In respect of the mind The Power of Corruption hath so Captivated the Mind and Understanding that both the Illumination of it and Irradiation of the Gospel unto the mind would be Ineffectual should not the spirit strike in to make up the souls Conviction There is a four fold Disposition in the Mind that doth cause a kind of necessity of this Conviction of the spirit besides the Irradiation of the Gospel to the Mind I. There is a Wretched Unteachableness that naturally possesseth all our Minds There is not only Darkness possessing the mind but an opposition against the receiving Light Now in respect of this Disposition of our minds naturally we are unapt to receive any thing the spirit reveals should there not be a further Power and Efficacy of the spirit upon the Heart II. There is a most Superlative incredulity that remains in our minds The God of the World hath blinded the mind 2 Cor. 4.4 not by a privative extinction of Light infused that is beyond the Devils Power but by a positive darkness a positive Ignorance by perswading the minds of all to believe other Principles such as contradict those blessed Principles of Divine Truth Now in respect of this Incredulity that possesses our Minds there is a necessity that the Spirit should have a further work upon the soul than bare Illumination and Manifestation of the Gospel to the soul III. There is an Indisposition in our Minds to receive any thing that they cannot Comprehend Now all the Glorious Discoveries in that Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ being Incomprehensible thence the mind would receive none of those Pretious Discoveries though the Spirit did Irradiate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to it if another Mighty Power of the Spirit should not come in upon the Heart to Convince the Soul of it IV. There is an absolute Enmity in the mind against those Divine Truths Rom. 8.7 The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God Now this Cursed Enmity dwelling in the Unregenerate part makes its constant Opposition with all its Power and Strength against all that the Spirit reveals And so all the Pretious Discoveries of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to the Mind would be ineffectual should not another Mighty Power of the Spirit come in to Conquer the Cursed Enmity and to Constrain the Soul to receive those Demonstrations of the Will of God to receive the Loveless Soul into union with himself as a thing undenyable Secondly there is a necessity of it in regard of the Conscience also The Conscience is a Register Might and Power placed by the Lord in the Understanding What Conscience is to record all the Motions of the whole Man and to Discover the Equity or Iniquity of them and to determine of them either with the Soul or against the Soul Now the Conscience is also so Corrupted that there is a necessity of this Conviction of the Spirit besides this Illumination and Irradiation for the mind and Conscience is defiled Titus 1.15 Now there are two that are the most eminent Works of Conscience I. To Discover the Equity or Iniquity of any thing Propounded to the Soul to be done or of any thing that is done by the Soul Now in this the Conscience is dreadfully Corrupt here the Conscience calls Iniquity Equity and Equity Iniquity calls Good Evil and Evil Good naturally in a great measure Now thence there is necessity of this Conviction of the Spirit also in regard the Conscience will never determine that it is good for the Soul to receive those Pretious Discoveries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to it unless the Spirit Overpowers the Corrupted Conscience and Convince it of the Equity of receiving it II. The second act of Conscience is to determine of any thing that is already done by the Soul Its work is to Accuse and Excuse the Soul both in its doing of things and after the doing of them Now Conscience is so dreadfully Corrupt naturally that like a Corrupt Judge or a Bribed Judge it accuseth when it should Excuse and Excuseth when it should Accuse it Frees the Guilty and Condemns the Innocent Now in respect of this Corruption of the Conscience though the Spirit of the Lord doth Illuminate the Soul in part for its never higher and then present the Gospel to the Enlightned Understanding and gives clear Manifestations of the Lords Will to admit the Soul into Union with himself in Christ yet the Corrupt Conscience will never determine with the soul to Excuse the Soul in receiving those Pretious Discoveries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to it but would and will perpetually Accuse the Soul as a Presumptuous Wretch unless the Spirit of God should exercise this Convincing Power upon the Conscience even after the work of the Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul So that this work of the Spirit in Conviction draws clear unquestionable Demonstrations for the soul from the Gospel to prove that it is an Infallible certainty that it is the Lords Will to accept that Particular Despicable Forlorn Sinner to be one with him and it consists also in the Commanding Power of the Spirit of God upon the Determination whereby it silenceth all Cavillings of the Soul and puts a Holy Constraint upon the Mind and Conscience to receive that Determination as True and Undenyable So that the Spirit maketh him to confess with his own Mouth that it is the Will of the Blessed God that even this my Forlorn Loathsome Despicable Unlovely Soul should be one with himself for ever This is the Spirits Conviction which is the third work of the
Spirit upon the Soul towards the drawing forth its Faith by way of assurance or by which the Spirit doth proceed to give the Soul a full assurance of his Union with Christ There is a fourth effect of the Spirit of God upon Hearts for revealing to them their Union with Christ Certainly and Infallibly The Spirits Excitation so as to give the Demonstration and that is the Spirits Excitation of the Habits of Grace formerly Infused into their proper and peculiar Exercise Now here you must observe the Spirit doth not Quicken Inliven and Actuate all kind of Gratious Dispositions Infused into the Sanctified Soul in any immediate Revelation assuring its Faith of his Acceptance into Union with the Lord For indeed the Souls assurance unto Faith doth not properly arise from any of the actings of those Holy Dispositions that are Infused into it but proceed only from the right Apprehension of the good Will of the Lord in Christ unto Loveless Sinners For indeed the Spirit in this work of Excitation as it stands in Relation to the assuring the Soul through Believing of his Union with Christ hath only and peculiarly the Believing Disposition that was Infused into the Soul at Christs first Comprehending the Soul for its proper Object and as Exercising Influences chiefly flow down from that believing Disposition Now the Spirits Excitation of the Believing Disposition doth necessarily follow the three former effects of the Spirit upon Hearts in regard all these effects of the Spirit upon the heart are but preparative to this fourth effect for indeed it is this fourth effect which is the Spirits drawing forth Believing Dispositions into act which is the Formality of Assurance or Assurance it self The other only are absolutely necessary Preparatives unto the assurance they are Preparations indeed both Privatively and Positively But they are but Preparations First These three acts of the Spirit are Preparations privatively by preventing all Impediments and Obstructions that hinder the Soul from acting Faith by way of assurance I. The first work of the Spirit which is its Illumination that doth privatively prepare the Soul for the assuring act of Faith 1. By preventing the Soul from bottoming its Confidence upon the Sands Before the Blessed work of Illumination souls mistake the right Bottom of their Confidence of the Lords accepting them into Union with Christ and so consequently cast out the Anchor of their Souls upon the ground of their own Humiliation for Sin another time upon the Quickenings and Enlargings of their Hearts through the Sanctifying Spirit and so Consequently never entertain the least Confidence of the Lords accepting of them into Union with Christ any further then they can discern those Quickning Enlargeth 〈◊〉 Inlivenings of that Sanctifying Spirit in their Hearts 2. That doth prepare privatively for the assurance by Preventing the Soul from seeking in a false manner after the attaining of Confidence upon a true bottom Before the Spirits full Illumination the Soul commonly mistakes about the manner of casting out an Anchor of Confidence upon that true ground as conceiving there is no right manner of any Souls casting himself with Confidence upon the Lord unless the Soul doth first discern himself to be a Beleiver II. The second work also of the Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel unto Souls is to prepare privatively for the assuring of the Souls Faith of his Union with Christ Through the Spirits Irradiation all Misapprehensions about the Tender of Union with Christ with the Soul are removed III. By the Spirits Conviction the Soul is prepared Privatively for the assuring his Faith of his union and that three ways 1. By removing of the Contrariety of the reasoning that possessess the Soul Before the Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel in some Degree and Conviction of the Conscience by that Irradiation the Heart is haled hither and thither by an Apprehension of reasoning that always dwells within him The Heart sometimes Inclining to a Dreadful Conclusion that the Lord will never accept of his Forlorn Soul into Union with the Lord Jesus Another time again inclined to believe that the Lord is willing to accept even his Soul into Union with Christ Now by the Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul and the spirits Conviction of the Conscienee the Contrariety of Reasoning in the soul is removed The Reasons for accepting the soul into Union with the Lord Jesus bearing more weight with the spirit than all the Objections and Contradictions that Hell and the Corrupt Heart can make against it So that the soul discerns more ground to imagine that the Lord is willing to accept his soul into Union with Christ than he discerns ground to think the contrary 2. Through the spirits Conviction the Uproar and Tumult in the souls Affections are Allayed and Helped Through the Contrariety of reasoning in the soul all the Affections are put into a Tumult and Rage When one kind of reasoning Prevails then one kind of Affection works strongly and when contrary Reasonings prevail then contrary Affections work as highly 3. The spirits Conviction that is annexed to the spirits Manifestation of the Gospel doth prepare for the souls receiving assurance unto his Faith of his Union with Christ by removing the Distraction that possesses the souls thoughts As the Affections commonly are in a Confusion so the thoughts also the mind is constant in nothing else but unconstancy staying or fixing upon nothing Now this being a great Impediment to the souls receiving assurance unto his Faith of his Union with Christ the spirit privatively to prepare the soul for it removes this Distemper Secondly they are Preparations positively also I. The spirits work of Illumination that doth prepare the subject for assurance It is through that Illumination that the soul is disposed into a possible condition and a capable condition to discern that everlasting Rock of Ages whereupon the Confidence of the souls union with Christ shall be cast II. The spirits Irradiation or Manifestation of the Gospel doth also prepare positively for the assuring the soul of his union with Christ in regard that prepares the very matter of assurance That Discovers the true ground whereupon the soul may be Confident of his Acceptance into union III. The third work of the spirit which is Conviction that prepares the soul for receiving the assurance unto his Faith of his union with Christ by applying the matter of assurance particularly unto souls It is the spirits manifestation of the Gospel that Discovers the ground whereupon souls may be confident of their acceptance into union with Christ It is the spirits Conviction that makes particular application of that ground of Confidence Those three former works of the spirit are only Preparative unto assurance the Formality of assurance is still behind Therefore the spirit comes with this fourth work which is the Exciting and Stirring up this believing Disposition into Exercise Therefore now we must open to you what this Excitation of the Spirit is
and what the particular acts of the Spirit upon the soul are that are Included under this work of the spirits Excitation of the believing Disposition unto its Operation The Spirits Excitation is a Gracious Free Extraordinary Concurrence of the spirit with the believing Manifestation What the Spirits Excitation is formerly Infused into the Soul Or it is a Precious Powerful influence of the spirit upon the believing Disposition The Holy Disposition that Inclines the Heart Habitually to believe is as it were the Seed of assurance Sown in the Heart but there must be the Concurrence of the Spirit with the Seed or the Influence of the Spirit upon the Seed to make it Fructify so as there shall be an act of assuring Faith in the Soul So that this Excitation of the Spirit or the Spirits stirring up the believing Disposition is but a Continuance of that Holy Influence into the Soul that was begun at the Souls first passive Union with the Lord Jesus whereby the Holy Disposition that was then Infused is Maintained Preserved Increased Actuated and Enlivened Yet to open this more particularly I. I say it is a Gracious Concurrence of the Spirit with the believing Disposition I do not call it a Gracious Presence of the Spirit because the Spirit takes up its Everlasting Habitation in the Heart at that passive Union between the Soul and Christ that is when it first Comprehends the Soul and the Habitation of the Spirit may be said to be equal at all times in the Soul but its Conveyance of Grace into the Soul is not always equal II. This Excitation of the Spirit to the believing Disposition is a Gracious and Free Concurrence of the Spirit with the believing Disposition Free not only as other Holy Motions of the Spirit in the Heart are free which is in respect of their sole Dependance upon the free good Will of God to a Loveless Sinner But it is a free Concurrence of the Spirit to the believing Disposition in regard of the Lords absolute freedom that he Exerciseth in Vouchsafing this unto Souls That I may speak the more clearly you must conceive there is a Two-fold Influence of the Spirit into believing Souls The first is an absolutely necessary Influence The other is a more Free Arbitrary Influence The absolute necessary Influence is Two-fold First That that 's absolutely necessary to Maintain the Life of a believing Soul Secondly That which is absolutely necessary to Maintain the Growth of a believing Soul 1. The Influence of the Spirit that is absolutely necessary to Maintain the Life of the Believing Soul Every Creature that hath any Life hath some Maintenance for that Life which Maintenance being withdrawn the Creatures Life would decay However do not mistake me every Living Creature must have some kind of Influence from the first Being of Beings to maintain its Life As the Angels have a more immediate Spiritual kind of Influence from God Now that that the Wisdom of the Lord hath Determined should Maintain the Spiritual Life begotten in a believing Soul is the Influence of the Holy spirit into the soul Now this absolutely necessary Influence is that which is never wanting to any one Believing soul The Covenant of Grace that the Lord freely passeth to the believing soul lays an Engagement upon the Blessed God to maintain the Influence of the Life of the soul So that the Blessed God of Heaven and Earth is no more at Liberty in that he is bound and Obliged to Maintain that Life he begets in a believing soul According to that in Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me they shall never dye again a spiritual death 2. The absolute necessary Influence of the spirit is that which maintains the Growth of the believing soul toward Perfection Now that Influence of the spirit also the Lord hath absolutely engaged in the Covenant of Grace to communicate at all times to a believing soul in regard he hath engaged to perfect the likeness of Jesus Christ in every believing soul and therefore the spirit doth continually issue down life from the head of the Lord Jesus into every believing soul which is a Member unto that Head every Member receives from the Head continually some kind of vertue Now both these Influences of the spirit being absolutely necessary though they be free originally yet the Lord having passed his promise to sinners embracing the promise he stands obliged to Communicate those Influences of the spirit continually But now this other Influence is a free Influence in another manner It is not absolutely necessary to the Life nor Growth of the soul in this manner that we are now speaking of and therefore the Lord is not engaged to Communicate it unto the souls of his People but he stands at his own Liberty to Dispence it to whom he will to send this Exciting spirit into what soul he pleases out of the number of all believing souls So that it may in an eminent superlative manner be said of this Exciting work of the spirit to the believing Disposition what Christ saith of the Breathing of the spirit in general that the spirit breatheth where it listeth It is meerly according to the good pleasure of the Lord that any believing soul partake of this Exciting work of the spirit to the believing Disposition III. You must observe in the Description That it is a Gratious Free and Extraordinary Concurence of the spirit with the believing Disposition infused There is an ordinary Exciting Influence of the spirit to the believing Disposition no Gratious Disposition Infused would shew forth any of its Operation did not the spirit Concur with the Gratious Disposition and so consequently there would be no Operation of Faith at all Now in regard there are constant Operations of Faith in every believing soul in the course of his Conversion in one degree or other therefore it must needs be concluded there is an ordinary Concurrence of the spirit into the believing Disposition that is in every believing soul But this Exciting Influence into the believing soul that I now speak of is not that ordinary but it is extraordinary It is an abundant Breathing of the spirit upon the believing Disposition mightily drawing it forth into Exercise in its full Strength and Power causing the believing Disposition to be Victorious and Triumph Gloriously over all Doubts Objections and Questions This is the spirits Excitation of the believing Disposition infused into the soul Now we may conceive that there are three Particular acts of the spirit on the soul that may be included under the spirits Excitation of the believing Dispositâ—on in the soul which do all tend unto the Full Powerful Mighty Excitation of the believing Disposition in the soul unto exercise I. It affects the Heart sweetly with the Pretious Divine Light Discovered unto the soul by the Manifestation of the Gospel to it The light of truth Discoveries affects not the Heart
any further than the spirit concurs with the Light Revealed Now 1. The spirit causeth the soul to be filled with a Holy Complacency in beholding the Pretious Divine Light that the Gospel Reveals 2. The spirit moves an insatiable Thirst in the soul after the continuance of that Pretious Divine Light shining from the Gospel into his Poor Obscure Heart 3. The spirit melts the Heart by the beholding that Light that the spirit puts into it so as the Heart is made most pretiously Tender and Pliable and Flexible to the Blessed Will of God in every thing 2. The Spirit impels constrains the Soul to believing strongly The Lord rules in the heart of believers by the Royal Scepter of his Word but not as the Word is barely revealed unto a Soul in the letter of it but as the Word is brought into the heart by his own Spirit And therefore when the Spirit sways not the Scepter of the Word in their hearts the word looseth its Imperial Royal Authority that it hath over the Soul and so the Soul lies not under so strong an Obligation to any Duty as it doth when the Spirit brings the Word to the heart 3. The third Act is the inabling the soul powerfully to believe According to that in Phil. 2.13 By him we receive both to will and to do that is both the disposition and the Act of the Disposition both an inward bent of Spirit to believe and power also to act that Disposition This is that mighty Power that works in those that believe Eph. 1.19 So that the Soul that could only Believe waveringly that it was the Lords will to receive his despicable loveless Soul into union with the Lord Jesus shall by the powerful ability of the Spirit infused into the Soul by the Spirit be able to receive it fixedly to believe it undoubtedly unquestionably without the least inconstancy for the present that the blessed God of Love will out of his own free love accept his despicable loveless Soul into the nearest union with the Lord Jesus and himself through him That is the exciting work of the Spirit There is now the fifth and last work of the spirit unto souls for that end to be opened which is the spirits Attestation to the soul The Spirits Attestation that is to say his Witnessing unto the soul that it shall be certainly Infallibly in its Cleaving to Lord Jesus admitted into Union and Communion with him It is the good pleasure of the Lord not only to shew the immutability of his Counsel concerning believing souls and the infallibility of their acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their souls cleaving to him but it is also the good pleasure of the Lord to shew more than Sufficiency the Unchangableness of his Counsel to such souls According to that Pretious place Hebr. 6.17 The Lord willing more abundantly to shew the Immutability of his Councel Ex Abundanti as Beza Translates the Original The Lord having a Pretious good will to shew in a way more and beyond what was necessary to believing souls the Impossibility of their souls failing of Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their cleaving to him he doth therefore now add his Blessed Spirit to be the Comforter of Believing souls not only in a Degree that is necessary for them for which end all those four former Effects of the spirit upon souls were appointed but the Lord appoints the Spirit to be a Comforter beyond what is necessary And therefore after the Spirit hath given to Believing souls a clear Evidence of their Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus so as thereby the spirit had filled their souls with strong Consolation Yet the Lord appoints the Spirit to add a higher work which is its Attestation This Attestation of the Spirit is that you shall find Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye Believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise Or as the Word may be rendered In whom Believing ye were Sealed which Imports the neer Conjunction of these two Blessed works of the Spirit or the immediate following of the Spirits Attestation upon the Spirits Excitation of their Souls to Believing And this work of the Spirit is that you find also in 2 Cor. 1.21 22. Now he that Establisheth us with you in Christ and hath Annointed us is God who hath also Sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts And this you shall find also Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Spirit of God by which you are Sealed unto the day of Redemption And so Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirit thaâ— we are the Children of God Now least any should question whether the Spirit doth thus work in a Witnessing way it would be necessary to clear the Interpretation of most of those places from some other Glosses that are Frequently put upon them It is true say some the Scripture speaks of the Sealing work of the Spirit unto Souls but the meaning of the Spirit of Truth is only that by Graces and Holy Dispositions that the Spirit Communicates unto Believing Souls it doth confirm Souls in the certainty of their Acceptance into Union with Christ So that by the receiving of the Spirit by Beliveâ—s spoken of in the Scripture of Truth is only meant Believers receiving the Precious Working of the Spirit in their Hearts in Holy Habits and Dipsositions For Answer I must acknowledge that by the Spirit is frequently meant in Scripture the Holy Dispositions infused by the Sanctifying Spirit into Believing Souls And I must acknowledge also that the Graces or Holy Habits infused by the Spirit in Believing Souls are spoken of as Witnesses unto Souls of their Union with Christ And indeed it is questionless that an effect may Witness its own proper cause And the Scripture speaks expresly that the works of God are Witness of God Act. 14.17 And so Christs works were Witnesses of his Godhead John 5.36 Yet this is not that which is primarily intended in the former Scriptures by the Spirits Sealing the Believing Soul which may appear to you by two or three Reasons I. In regard the Spirits Sealing the Believing Soul is declared to follow the Souls act of Believing in order of Nature As in Eph. 1.13 In whom after ye Believed ye were Sealed Or In whom ye Believing were Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now all the Pretious Holy Habits that the Sanctifying Spirit Infuses into any Soul are in order of Nature Infused before there is any Believing act in the Soul Though the Believing act in a Believing Soul may be Contemporary that is at one and the same time yet the Infusing of all the Holy Habits and Dispositions into the Soul must be conceived to have a precedency in order of Nature before there can be a Believing act I confess some and those learned ones too have imagined that the Sanctifying Spirit should work as an external
agent an outward agent upon the Soul in the first act of Believing and then take up its Habitation in the Soul through the Souls Believing in the Lord Jesus But reason it self is sufficient Confutation of those Imaginations Reason will tell us of an Impossibility of a man meerly Unregenerate to put forth an act meerly Spiritual Reason will tell us an Habit or Disposition must go before there be an act a Tree there must be before there can be fruit And then also the Spirits Sealing of the Believing Soul being declared to follow at least in order of nature the Souls Believing it cannot be that by the Spirits Sealing spoken of in these Scriptures should be meant the Infusion of the Spirits Graces into the Soul it must be something besides the Graces Infused II. All kind of Holy Habits or Dispositions that are Infused into any one Believing Soul are Infused in order of nature before the Souls Believing Now if the Spirits Sealing were only the Infusion of the Spirits Grace then every Believing Soul should have the same Seal of the Spirit whereas experience brings Testimony enough to the contrary III. The Spirits Sealing mentioned in those former Scriptures is Attributed in a particular manner to the person of the Spirit The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirits It doth not say only the Spirit which might have been meant the Graces of the spirit but the spirit it self even by a personal act the spirit attests to us that we are the Sons of God So it is also in Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after ye Believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance It is Translated Which but it is most agreeable to the Original to say Who is the earnest of our Inheritance The relative being in the person of the spirit not the Gifts of the spirit So that it stands as an Undoubted Truth that the Lord doth add unto Believing souls for their abundant Consolation even a Witness from his own Blessed spirit of their admittance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in their cleaving to him besides all those other Blessed necessary works of the Blessed spirit upon their souls Now I must further Observe that this Attestation of the spirit doth not pertain peculiarly and solely unto Faith as having reference unto Faith only and to the begetting of assurance of Faith But by Divine Appointment this Witness of the spirit pertains also to sense to spiritual sense or spiritual Knowledge and doth beget assurance of Sence and Feeling as well as it begets assurance of Faith Yet there is such a sweet Mixture in this Blessed work of the Spirits Attestation that it doth at one and the same time raise the soul to assurance of Faith and Assurance of Sense and Feeling And indeed such is the nature of the spirits Attestation that it never bears Witness to the souls Faith in any measure of clearness that the soul in its Cleaving to the Lord Jesus shall be admitted into Union and Communion with Christ but the spirit bears Witness at the same time to the souls sence that it is actually admitted into Union and Communion with Christ Yet because we are speaking at present of the manner how the spirit doth first reveal to the souls Faith certainly and infallibly his Union with Christ and so assure the souls Faith of Union we must first speak of the spirits Attestation unto the soul in reference unto Faith Though we must also for opening the full work of Attestation open the manner of the spirits Attesting to the souls Sence and Feeling For the opening the first the spirits Attestation in Reference unto the souls Faith to assure Faith of its Union The Spirits Attestation unto Faith I shall open to you two things First Those Respects in which the Lord doth appoint the spirits Attestation to be added to all the former works as a Redundancy of his Mercy and Love to the Despicable soul Secondly We shall open what the spirits Attestation to the souls Faith is For the first There are four or five Respects why the Lord adds this work of Attestation to the souls Faith after he hath perswaded the soul to believe thus powerfully with Confidence I. In respect of the Multitude of fears that remain in the Believing Soul after the clearest Evidence of the Gospel unto the soul and the most full perswasion of the soul by the spirit to Believe There are three kinds of fears that still remain in some degree both in the Seed of them and in the Fruit of them though none of them remain in their absolute Dominion 1. There is both the Seed and Fruit of Slavish Fear Though through the Mighty Exciting Power of the spirit following the spirits Irradiation and Manifestation of the Gospel to the soul it is raised to a fulness of Confidence of the Lords Acceptance of his soul into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Cleaving to him yet there is not a perfection of Confidence And it is only perfect Confidence that begets perfect love and only perfect Love that casts out Slavish Fear 2. There is a pure natural fear that still remains The matter of Believing is of such high concernment that the very remembrance of it strikes the soul with some natural fear It is the venturing the pretious Immortal soul for Eternity and unless there were a Perfection of Confidence a soul cannot be void of fear 3. There is a Spiritual Holy fear that remains also in the Believing soul after the strength of Believing The souls Vision of Union and Communion with Christ Inflames the Believing Souls Heart with Love unto Union and Communion And proportionable to the degree of the Souls Love so is the Souls fear That is to say the Soul fears the loss of Union and Communion in the same degree wherein he loves Union and Communion and this fear is exceeding prone to go beyond its Bounds and to suspect the loss of it where there is no cause of Suspition II. The Lord adds this Attesting work of the spirit to souls In regard there is a natural Distrust that in some degree remains in every Believing soul though raised to a fulness of Confidence There is not only an Indisposition naturally in the soul to give Credit to the Blessed Word of the Majesty of Heaven by reason of its Inability fully to comprehend the reason of the Lords fulfilling such a Word into his Bosom But also there is a natural Disposition in dwelling in every soul that Inclines the Heart strongly to give the Blessed Majesty of Heaven the Lye to distrust that Blessed Record that the Lord bears of his own Son III. There is a Holy Jealousie that possesseth every Believing Soul least his Corrupt Deceitful Heart should Delude him Every Believing soul is so conscious to himself of a Multiplicity and Variety of Couzening Deluding Tricks that his Corrupt Heart hath put upon
him from time to time as it dare not trust its Heart when it deals most Plainly and Uprightly Now from this Holy Jealousie there ariseth a Difficulty to settle and Establish the Heart and to free it from all Wavering in its Conscience Now in respect of this the Lord adds this work of the spirits Attestation that the soul may have a full Satisfaction that there may be no inward Misgivings of Heart in its Confidence of the Lords acceptance of it into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in its Cleaving and Adhering to him IV. There is a natural Unconstancy that possesseth every such Believing soul in some degree Ever since the Heart of Man was drawn from that first Blessed Center it hath naturally been Unconstant in all its Restings Now from this Unconstancy of the spirit the Heart is exceeding prone to have its Confidence shaken when the spirit hath raised it to a high Degree And in respect of that the Lord Vouchsafeth to add the work of Attestation for the perfect Establishing of the Wavering Soul V. There is all the Concurrent Rage of Hell Imployed against every Soul attaining that Confidence of his Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Adhering to him Now should there not be a Witness from Heaven or greater Authority in the souls Apprehension than any Dictates of the Counsel of Hell the Believing soul would soon call in question the Pretious Word of the Majesty of Heaven and Incline to give Credit to the Dictates of Hells Counsel Therefore in respect to this least the Believing soul through this means should be Robbed of that Pretious Joy and Peace in Believing that the Lord intends the Lord hath Determined that his Blessed spirit should become the souls Comforter by way of Attestation to bear Witness to the certainty of the souls Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in the souls Cleaving to him that so the Witness of Heaven might be of higher Authority to the soul than all those Cursed Lying Dictates of Hell frequently propounded to that Believing soul Now the second thing to be opened is what this Attestation or Witness unto the souls Faith is What the Spirits Attestation unto Faith is I conceive that this Attestation unto Faith is a Pretious Beam of Heavenly Light darted into the Understanding whereby the spirit clearly Demonstrateth to the Believing soul the Lords Approbation of the souls act of Believing or Confidence and that with such an unspeakable Divine Authority as is irresistable by the soul so that hereby the soul is Established in a Plerophery or more than a fulness of Confidence There are four things in this Description that you must observe I. This Attestation unto Faith is a Pretious Beam of Heavenly Light darted into the Understanding That is the nature of the Witness This is as commonly called by Divines and Christians a secret Voice or a sweet Whispering of the spirit And thence many have sadly Mistaken and Conceived that Witness to be some strange kind of Revelation by a Voice from Heaven But indeed it is therefore spoken of as a secret Voice because it is a secret Beam of Heavenly Light And thence it is rightly called the Witness of the Spirit of the Lord Witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God Witness that is bear Record give a Testimony Now to give a Testimony is to declare a thing Verbally Now indeed in this respect it is not unfitly called the Voice of the Spirit for a Voice is nothing else but an Expression of the inward Conception of the mind by words Now by this secret Beam of Heavenly Light darted into the understanding the spirit of the Lord doth secretly express the mind of God II. This Attestation or Witness of the spirit unto Faith is such a Beam of Heavenly Light as doth Clearly and Infallibly and Unquestionably Demonstrate or Manifest to the soul the Lords Approbation of his act of Believing or of his act of Confidence All the Unquiet Tossings and Agitations and Perplexing Waverings of souls from what occasion soever they have their Original in some kind of Doubting whether it be according to the Blessed Will of God that their Forlorn Despicable souls should be so Confident of their Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus in their adhering to him Now therefore the Light that the spirit casts into the Understanding is on purpose to clear and make it out of all doubt to the soul that it is Infinitely pleasing to the Blessed God that even that particular soul should be so Confident of his Acceptance into Union with the Lord Jesus That is the matter it self that the spirit doth Testify to the soul or the Testimony it giveth III. You must observe in the Description That this Attestation of the Spirit is such a Beam of Heavenly Light that so clears to the Believing Soul the Lords Approbation of his act of Believing or his act of Confidence that it carrieth along with it an Inconceivable Divine Authority It is such a Beam of Light as hath such an Impression of the Majesty of the Blessed God upon it that it is impossible for the Heart to make Resistance IV. Observe in the Description that it Establisheth the Soul in a Plerophery a more than a fulness of Confidence a Triumphing Confidence That is the peculiar Inseparable effect of this Testimony that the spirit gives it fixeth the Wavering Unconstant Soul This is the Spirits Attestation unto Faith Now we shall come to the Spirits Attestation unto Sence But there is an Objection will be cast in that must first be opened whereby the depth of this Unspeakable Mystery may be something more Unfolded Obj. Some Soul may say If the Spirit giveth no other Testimony to the Soul than this That his particular Soul shall be Certainly and Infallibly Accepted into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in his Adhering to him and Produce no other Confidence in the Soul than this that I even I this Unlovely Soul of mine in Adhering to the Lord Jesus shall Infallibly have Union and Communion with him to all Eternity then saith the Soul even after the Witness of the Spirit unto the Soul it may remain doubtful of its Union with Christ still seeing by this Testimony of the Spirit unto Faith the Soul is not assured of his own Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ and seeing the certainty that the Spirit giveth by the Testimony to the Souls Faith of his Union with Christ hath its whole Dependance upon the certainty of the Souls Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ Ans 1. For Answer to this Grand Objection First When this Testimony of the Spirit is given unto the Souls Faith and he is assured that his particular Unlovely Forlorn Soul shall certainly and Infallibly be accepted into union with the Lord Jesus in his resting upon Christ for union it is not then possible that there should be any Solid Ground
for that Believing Soul to question his own Cleaving and Adhering unto Jesus Christ unto all Eternity And that will appear in two things I. In regard there is a sufficient ground revealed to the Soul that hath this Testimony of the Spirit unto his Faith of his Confidence of his Everlasting Cleaving unto Christ as there is of the Lords Acceptance of his Soul into Union and Communion with him in Adhering to him The promises of the Covenant of Grace that are tendred in the Lord Jesus do as perfectly and as clearly contain and include in them strength to inable Souls to Embrace and Accept those Promises as they do contain in them a fulness and alsufficiency of Love and Mercy for those Souls that do Embrace them The Lord that hath said It is my Will that such Perishing Sinking Despicable Souls as will accept my Tender shall be one with me through the Lord Jesus and have Everlasting Communion with me hath also said will Allure and draw your Hearts to Embrace and Accept according to my Will this Union and Communion with me in Christ that I freely tender you According to Jer. 31 32 33. This shall be my Covenant I will put my Law in their inward parts and Write it in their Hearts That is to say I will infuse sutable Dispositions into the Hearts of all the Embracers of the Lord Jesus to Incline Dispose and Inable them to fulfil all my Revealed Will in some Measure and Degree So that the Soul hath as sure a Word Revealed to it to depend upon from whence may arise a Confidence in it that the Lord will Inable him to Cleave and Adhere Everlastingly to Christ as it hath a Word whereupon his Soul may Depend and may be Confident the Lord will accept him into Union and Communion with him in Cleaving unto Christ II. In regard that very Confidence that the Spirit doth produce in the Soul of its Infallible Acceptance into Union and Communion with him is the very act of Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ There are four particular acts of the Soul Included under this Confidence of the Souls Acceptance into Union with Christ in its Cleaving and Adhering to him 1. In this is Included the Election of Union with Christ by the Will of the Soul Now this is but the receiving of Christ that the Gospel requireth To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 Now the consent of the Will to close with Christ in Union and Communion that is tendred to it is the very Receiving of Jesus Christ 2. In that very act of Confidence there is Included the Souls Credence or giving Credit to the Word of God When the Soul is Confident of the Lords Accepting of it into Union and Communion with him in the Souls Cleaving and Adhering to him it is only because of such a Word of Promise from the Mouth of Christ to which the Soul giveth Credit or which the Soul Believeth 3. In this act of Confidence there is a Resignation of the Soul wholly unto Christ Such as that which is spoken of in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am Perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have Committed unto him That is to say I know whose Word it was that I gave Credit to and that I was so Confident of the Truth of That I leaned my Soul upon the Truth of that Word for its Everlasting Happiness So that then in this act of Confidence there is Included that Mutual Interchangable Covenanting that the Word of the Lord requires from Souls in Accepting the Lord Jesus Tendered 4. In this very act of Confidence there is Included a full Dependance of the Soul upon Christ a hanging the Soul upon the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ and his Word So that indeed all the acts that the Gospel Requires from Souls are Included in this one act of Confidence that is produced by this Testimony of the Spirit to the Souls Faith Now the act of the Souls Confidence being also the act of its Cleaving and Adhering unto the Lord Jesus and the Souls Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ being Gradually as strong as the act of its Confidence of Accepting into Union and Communion with Christ in his Cleaving to him Thence it appears that there can be no solid ground of the souls questioning his own Adherence unto the Lord Jesus when the spirit gives this Testimony forementioned unto the souls Faith and produceth 〈◊〉 Confidence in the soul of his Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in Adhering to him In this very thing lies the whole Mystery of assurance unto Faith The very Confidence that the spirit begets in the soul of the Lord Jesus his Accepting it into Union and Communion with him in Cleaving to him the very act of Confidence is the act of the souls Cleaving to him Answ 2. Secondly I Answer further that whenever the Spirit by its Testimony to the souls Faith doth beget that Confidence in the soul that the Lord will Accept it into Union with himself in his Adhering to him then the soul cannot question his own Adhering unto Christ any more than he questions the Lords Acceptance of his soul into Union and Communion with him in his Adhering to him The spirits Testimony unto Faith is or such a nature that it doth equally beget a Confidence in the soul of his Everlasting Cleaving unto Christ to the Confidence that it doth beget of the Lords Acceptance of the soul into Union with himself in the souls Adhering to him And that will appear in three things I. In regard the spirits Attestation unto Faith is concerning the truth of the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ or of all the promises The spirit in the Irradiation of the Gospel clears that it is the Lords Will to have the whole Glorious work of the Union of Loveless Sinners with the Lord Jesus to have its sole dependance upon himself So that it manifests Believing Strength to inable the soul to Cleave and Adhere to the Lord Jesus fully to be tendered in the Covenant of Grace as well as Union with Christ himself is tendered Now then the spirits Attestation which follows this Irradiation of the Gospel is as large as its Irradiation work I mean the spirit doth in a Judicial Authoritative way Witness the truth of all those Gospel Truths Revealed to the soul So that the soul cannot possibly resist that Determination that the spirit gives into its Bosom Now then there being the same Witness of the spirit unto the souls Faith that the Lord will inable it to Cleave and Adhere to the Lord Jesus that there is unto its Faith that the Lord will Accept into Union and Communion with himself in Christ every soul that will Adhere to him Thence it cannot be that a soul should more question his Adhering unto Christ than he should question the Lords Acceptance of him
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.
The readiness of the soul naturally to concur and agree with the testimony of corrupted conscience while it bares witness against Faith The reason is evident in regard the ful bent of the spirit stands to judge of all things according to sense and reason Now therefore the Lord adds this testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling to give matter for conscience to build a new judgement upon concerning the souls everlasting estate II. The Lord addeth the testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling to its testimony unto faith that the evidence of the souls union unto Christ might every way counterpoise the evidences that the soul hath received of its separation from Christ There are three evidences unto a soul of his separation from Christ and this testimony of the spirit unto sense and feeling doth parallel the soul with a sufficient evidence of his union with Christ answerable to those three evidences of the souls seperation from Christ 1. There is the blessed word of the Majesty of Heaven determining that every Son and Daughter of Adam is by merrit and desert everlastingly seperated from the Lord Jesus and actually the first moment of his Being void of union and communion with Christ 2. There is the evidence of the souls work The contrary opposite rebellious working of the soul against Christ doth evidently declare that there is no union between Christ and any soul naturally as the Apostle saith 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin that is with full purpose and bent of spirit with a full determination of his judgement and will is of the Devil 3. There is the testimony of conscience founded upon these contrary workings of the Heart unto Christ that a soul is seperated from Christ Now in opposition to these three the spirit gives testimony unto faith that even such a particular despicable lost sinner shall infallibly in his cleaving to the Lord Jesus enjoy everlasting union and communion with him And then the Spirit adds this Testimony also unto sense and feeling whereby he makes the Soul discern even from the moving and working of his Heart towards the Lord Jesus that he is actually united to him and from thence Conscience cannot but bear witness that the Soul is actually united unto Christ III. The Lord doth vouchsafe to make a super-addition of the Spirits Witness to sense that the whole blessed word of God might sweetly concur together in bearing Witness to the Souls union with the Lord Jesus As for example that word in 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that God dwells in us and we in him that is that we have union and communion with God in Christ because he hath given us of his Spirit This vvord bears not Testimony to the Souls Faith of its union vvith Christ but it bears Testimony unto the believing Souls sense that is united vvhen the Soul is sensible that the Spirit is conveyed from God into its Bosom Likevvise that other vvord in 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you that is to say that the life and grace and holiness of Jesus Christ is communicated to you that Jesus Christ acts and vvorks in you and through you knovv ye not this except ye be Reprobates Novv this Word bears no testimony to the Souls faith of its union vvith Christ because the indvvelling of Christ in the Believing soul is not the object of Faith but the object of spiritual sight IV. The Lord adds the testimony of his spirit unto the souls sense that believing souls might receive the earnest of their everlasting union with the Lord Jesus here below according to that Eph. 1.13 Ye were sealed with the Holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession So in 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts The earnest imports two things First That the Lord giveth the soul part of his everlasting portion before hand 2dly That the Lord gives that small portion as a pledge to assure the soul of the enjoyment of the full inheritance Now in the spirits testifying unto sense the souls union the spirit doth clearly manifest the very entrance of the soul into union and its participation of some degree of union with Christ already in regard it discovers some of the graces of Christ to be actually inherent in the soul V. The Lord superadds the testimony of the spirit unto sense unto its testimony unto faith that he might effect the fuller degree of conformity to his whole will in the soul Two commands are impossible for the soul to yield a perfect obedience to without this Testimony of the spirit to the souls sense of his union with Christ First The command of examining and proving the soul whether it be in Christ and all commands of the like nature that enjoyn the soul to examine whether this or that fruit of the spirit be in the soul whether love to God or love to the Brethren be in the soul or no There can be no effectual obedience to any command of that nature without the spirits testimony to the souls sense of his union with Christ in regard it is the proper and peculiar Office of the spirit only to discover all its pretious workings to the soul to be in the soul Secondly The command of perpetual rejoycing in the Lord could not be effectually obeyed without the testimony of the Spirit unto the souls sense Though indeed believing be the primary original of all spiritual joy yet the souls sense of its believing is a necessary adjunct to make up the perfection of that spiritual joy VI. The Lord adds the testimony of the spirit to the souls sense of union with Christ to his testimony to faith that the believing soul might be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory All those glorious portions of the Lords word whereby believers are described by the pretious habits of grace infused into their hearts would be as so many strong holds for the powers of Hell to fortifie in against the Believers soul and would be turned by the policy of Hell into condemning sentences against the soul so as the precious Tower of the souls consolation would be always battered the sweetest streams of comfort would always meet with one interruption or other in their flowing down into the bosom of the soul did not the Lord add the testimony of his spirit unto sense What the Spirits witness is unto sense The third thing to be opened is what the spirits attestation to the souls sense and feeling of his union vvith Christ is It is a precious secret immediate clear and authoritative irradiation of the souls believing act or confidence causing the truth sincerity and uprightness of the heart in believing to shine so resplendently that the soul in the
act of believing is made sweetly conscious to it self that it doth rightly believe whence the renewed Conscience determines boldly that the soul is everlastingly one with Christ That I might the more perspicuously unfold this work of the spirit we shall take the description in peices and open it in parts First You are to understand in the description the act of the spirit in this testimony unto sense The act is an act of irradiation a cloathing the Believers soul with a transparent glory and brightness In a word it is but a precious beam of Heavenly light that the spirit casts upon the act of believing for indeed it is nothing else but light to faith and light to sense that is the original of all the comfort to believing souls There are three acts to be observed concerning this irradiating work of the spirit I. It is an immediate irradiation Nay it proceeds from that blessed spirit so immediately that nothing can concur with the spirit in casting that pretious light upon the souls believing act 1. It is so immediate as none of the precious Ordinances of the Lord can properly be said to effect or produce instrumentally this precious manifestation of the souls believing act to it self Though it is frequently yea constantly through some precious Ordinances that the spirit doth vouchsafe thus to irradiate or manifest to the believing soul the truth of his own believing act yet it is not by vertue of any of these Ordinances 2. It is such an immediate work of the spirit upon the soul that demonstrations either from the antecedent or consequent from the cause or from the effect of believing hath no place here Though it is certain there may be infallible demonstrations drawn by a believing soul from the effect of his believing that his heart was true sincere and upright in believing yet the Spirit doth so immediately manifest this believing act in the truth sincerity and uprightness of it to the believing soul that it doth not send the soul to this or that work to see what holiness or strength of love or affection unto Christ nor what readiness of heart to all obedience to the will of God were the consequence of his believing but the blessed spirit doth immediately in the very moment of the souls acting that believing act cast a beam of Heavenly light upon that very act that there is evidence enough in the act it self that the act is a true believing act according to the evidence of the Lords revealed will 3. This act of the spirit is such an immediate act that the spirit useth not the assistance of the discursive power of the mind to collect from the description of true Believers in the word that his act of believing is upright and sincere according to the Lords will It is certain that in the spirits irradiation of the souls believing act it doth discover clearly infallibly and unquestionably all the properties whereby believers are described in the word to be in the soul also yet in this that is properly called the witness of the spirit unto sense in its manifesting the believing act of the soul it doth not make the discursive power in the mind the instrument whereby the soul should compare together his own believing act and the description of the true believing act that the Lord requireth in the word so as thence to collect by discourse that the believing act is true 2dly It is a clear act full of perspicuity and transparency The spirit in this irradiation casts as clear a light upon the souls believing act to make it discover it self as the rational soul doth cast a natural light upon its own natural act so that it is proportionably evident to the soul that his soul doth believe as it is evident that the soul liveth or that the soul wills or that it hath a being 3dly The act of the spirit in irradiating the souls believing act is authoritative irresistibly powerful This beam of light that the Spirit casts upon the believing souls act hath such a commanding power included in it that it even commands the beâ—… yea it commands undeniably so as it is not possible for the believing soul to shut its eyes but it must see II. The second thing to be observed is the object of this act of the spirit in its testimony unto sense The object named in the description is the souls believing act or confidence That is to say the very act of credit that the soul giveth to the blessed word of God testifying that it is his will that that particular loveless souls should adhere cleave to the Lord Jesus to be one with him to have communion with him and likewise testifying that in the souls giving credit to that word oâ— God it shall everlastingly enjoy union and communion with the Father and the Son and Spirit Now there are 4. things observable under this to prevent mistakes I. You must observe that it is only the present believing act that is the object of the Spirits manifestation or irradiation The Spirit doth not cast those beams of Heavenly light upon the souls former and past acts of believing though they have been multiplied but only upon the present momentany act of believing that the Spirit hath drawn forth from the soul by its manifesting of the Gospel and revealing the tender of union and communion with Jesus Christ to the despicable sinner in its Glory and Brightness II. You are to observe that the believing act of the soul is only the principal and primary Object of the spirits irradiation or manifestation So that the spirit casts beams of Heavenly Light upon no other act in the believing soul at present but only upon that act commonly the spirit doth at the same time so cloath the act of Love with such a Glorious splendor and brightness as that 's also visible in the same moment to the believing soul that it seeth unquestionably his Arms of Love grasping the Lord Jesus as well as he sees the truth of his own confidence in the Word of Christ that he will admit him into union and communion with him III. You must observe the vertue of the spirits irradiating or manifesting this believing act to the soul The Vertue of it is to discover the Truth Sincerity and Uprightness of the heart in believing 1. The Truth and Sincerity To make it unquestionable and Undeniable to the believing soul that his Wretched Corrupt heart doth not delude nor deceive him but that his heart doth rely with some degree of strength and embrace the Lord Jesus tendring union and communion to the soul 2. It makes apparent the uprightness that is the strait Conformity of the heart in some degree to the rule and command of believing IV. You may observe here how the spirit is the earnest of the souls everlasting inheritance or of the souls everlasting union and communion with Christ It is only as the spirit doth irradiate the souls believing
of the Spirits witness of the Souls evidence unto Faith and Sense before the Spirits attestation unto Faith and Sense though the Spirits witness is the Formality as I may call it its that which gives the being of the Souls evidence both to Faith and to Sense yet you must observe the certainty of the union principally belongs to the Souls Faith 2. Whatever degree of evidence unto the Souls sense and feeling any such believing Soul doth enjoy before the witness of the Spirit unto Faith and Sense the witness unto Sense is exceedingly weak imperfect and unsatisfying to the believing Soul Now the Soul conceiveth that he doth feel his heart rightly answering that precious tender of union immediately again fearing that that wretched cursed heart of his doth but delude and deceive him 3. You must observe that this comfortable evidence that the Spirit doth vouchsafe to many believing Souls of their union with Christ it is frequently an addition unto Faith only and to Faith principally And indeed this is very common that the Lord doth vouchsafe thus a comfortable evidence unto Faith when his blessed pleasure is to withdraw all evidence of union from the Soul's sense and feeling This was the case of that blessed head of all believing Souls the Lord Jesus Mat. 27.46 Saith he My God My God Here was a clear evidence that vouchsafed to the Faith of the Lord Jesus his certain and infallible union with the blessed Father but the evidence unto Sense was totally wanting Why hast thou forsaken me 4. You must note also that this comfortable evidence of union with Christ that the Lord doth vouchsafe to many believing Souls to whom he doth not send the Spirit to attest their union is never an evidence to the Sense of those believing Souls without an evidence unto their Faith Though the evidence unto Faith hath no such dependance upon the evidence unto Sense but it may consist without it yet the evidence of union unto the Souls sense hath an entire and full dependance upon the Souls evidence unto Faith that it cannot consist without it The very matter or original of the Souls evidence unto Sense of his union with Christ is the believing act the Souls reliance upon the truth and faithfulness of the Lord Jesus to fulfil his blessed Word offering reconciliation unto every unlovely Sinner that will Now without evidence unto Faith of that Souls particular admission into union with the Lord Jesus that believing act is never drawn forth in the believing Soul Caution 2. Secondly You must understand That there is much variety in this testimony of the Spirit both unto Faith and unto Sense It doth witness in a various manner to believing Souls their union with Christ 1. There is much variety in the Spirits testimony unto believing Souls of their union with Christ in the full perspicuity and clearness of the Spirits testimony The Spirit speaks both to Faith and unto Sense only by a secret resplendent Beam of heavenly Light and that Beam of heavenly light hath various degrees of Brightness wherein it shines in a various manner unto various believing Souls To some believing Souls that precious Beam of heavenly light shines with such an orient transcendent brightness with such transparent heavenly Glory that no Curtain of Darkness or Distrustfulness or Unbelief or sinful Jealousie can keep out the virtue of that precious Beam but to some other believing Soul that precious Beam of Light to Faith or light to Sense shines only like a Beam of the Sun through a Key-hole when the Door remains shut still There is a threefold degree of its clearness and perspicuity that may be collected from Rom. 5.1 2 3. where a threefold effect of it is mentioned 1. There is such a testimony as procureth rest and peace to the tossed perplexed believing Soul That 's laid down in the first Verse Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 2. A second degree We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God There is a kind of joy and contentment in the Souls rest 3. Sometimes the testimony is so clear and perspicuous as it produces a holy triumph and glorying in the believing Soul vers 3. Not only so but we glory in tribulation also Yea this ful perspicuity and clearness of the Spirits testimony is that which procures such a general Triumph of the Soul that it doth not only triumph over all external evils as being more than a conqueror over persecutions and tribulations but the heart in that moment also triumphs over all temptations even all the evil workings of natural distrust and unbelief in his own Spirit 2. There is also a variety in the testimony of the Spirit both unto Faith and Sense in regard of the permanency and continuance of the Testimony To one believing Soul the Spirit bears witness of union by a precious beam of heavenly light shining to Faith's eye and by sweet holy Rayes cast upon the Souls believing act but these are but like a flash of Lightning shut up again in a moment but to another believing Soul the Spirit renders this testimony unto Faith and unto Sense in an abiding way 3. There is a variety in the testimony of the Spirit unto believing Souls in regard of the frequency of its renewing the same Testimony To one believing Soul the Spirit will testifie again and again upon every occasion the Spirit will step in very opportunely when the Soul is at a pinch and renew its Record to another believing Soul to whom the Spirit vouchsafes also the same Testimony it shall be rarely and for a moment Caution 3. Thirdly You must understand That whenever the blessed spirit doth avouch and attest most fully to a believing soul its union with Christ this testimony doth not always actually abide in the believing soul without interruption and intermission This heavenly Light that the spirit of light and wisdom vouchsafeth to a believing soul may like Elijah's fiery Chariot mount the soul to the third Heavens for a season yet it must come down again though Paul be wrapped up into the third Heavens yet he must not abide there while he remains in the flesh Though Peter might have a soul-ravishing view of the glory of the Lord Jesus for a season in the Mount yet he must not have a Tabernacle there There are four or five reasons why it is the blessed pleasure of the Majesty of Heaven that the testimony should not actually abide in the believing soul I. That there might be a difference between Heaven and Earth II. That the Lord might have his honour in believing souls in his predestinated way The prime and principle way wherein the Lord hath determined from Eternity to have honour from his Saints while they are here below is from their believing his Majesty upon his bare word 2. Cor. 5.7 III. That there might be a constant lively experimental sense of the souls absolute dependance upon the Lord still for the evidence of
his union IIII. That the Lord might instruct all others the better by his dealings with some believing souls God instructs weak believers in this that the evidence of union is not essential unto union V. That the glory of the precious Saints may be Vailed and hid and this may be in judgement to the world that they may stumble at the Saints and judge them dispicable fools that spend their time in sadness and melancholy Cau. 4. Fourthly there is a fourth causion and that is this that the efficacy of this blessed Record that the spirit gives to a believing soul of his union with Christ ought to continue when the Record it self doth not actually continue The Record of the blessed spirit is the judicial sentence the spirit casts upon the souls final estate and therefore ought to be totally definitive never to be called in question by that believing soul but the soul for ever after even in the saddest interruption of that blessed spirit ought to say though I do fall I shall arise though I have no vision of the sweetest face of my Redeemer yet I shall see him face to face when I shall be altogether like unto him It is infinite sinfulness for that believing soul ever to call in question the love of the blessed Majesty of Heaven after the spirit hath thus avouched it to the soul Thus you have heard in some measure the grand question opened which is how a soul may certainly and infallibly know that he is united to the Lord Jesus I shall now come to answer to the second question which is this Que. 2. How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus may konw certainly and infallibly that their evidence of this union with Christ received is only from God and not a diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a delusion by the Divels translation of himself into an Angelical glory Now for the clearer explication or unfolding this question there must be divers things premised There be four things I must premise concerning those diabolical inspirations And there are Four things concerning the manner of the Souls trial of his evidence received whether it be a delusion or whether it be from the Lord in Christ Pre. 1. First I must premise that all the dimensions of the implacable malice of the infernal powers is directly set aâ— work against every believers evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus The darkning the pretious evidence of the Souls union is in a manner the Center wherein all the Hellish designs that are practised against a believing soul meet together in one All the fiery darts that he shoots from his Hellish Quiver against Believing souls are intended to batter down the Tower of strong confidence of the Lords acceptance of his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus His most cursed insinuations into any believing heart alluring to any corruption intentionally tends towards the darkning the light of the Lords countenance that shines upon the believing soul certainly the Devils acting with so high a hand against the Apostle Peter that caused him to deny his blessed Lord and Master the Lord Jesus intentionally ended in this to overthrow his confidence in Christ and therefore Christ tells him he had prayed for him that his faith fail not Nay the blessed head of all believing souls the Lord Jesus himself who was a perfect example and pattern to all believing Souls in temptation he was encountred withal in this way by the grand Adversary the Devil the Devil made his close and strongest battery against his confidence of the hypostatical union between the Father and him therefore saith he if thou be the Son of God command these Stones to be made Bread And in like manner all the powers of Hell are in a particular manner employed against every Believers evidence of his union with Christ and therefore he especially endeavours to strike down their faith Whence it was that the Apostle was chiefly over the Devil in that particular 1 Thes 3.5 Saith he I sent to know your faith least by some means the Tempter have tempted you and our labour be in vain Indeed there are many reasons why the peculiar malice of Hell should work in all its strength against believers evidence of their Union with Christ I. In regard the faith that is necessarily drawn forth into exercise with strength and power upon receiving evidence of the souls union with Christ is a peculiar object of the Devils malice And that in Three respects 1. That faith which is drawn forth into exercise is the most direct opposite of the Devil it is the Devils grand Adversary In that lieth all the strength of the believing soul against all the Devils encounters It is the Shield that quenches all the Devils fiery darts Eph. 5.6 It is that whereby the soul resists the Devil till he gains the conquest and puts that infernal Adversary to flight 1 Pet. 5.9 2. In regard it is the most triumphant Conqueror over all his Army that he calls in for his assistance against the believing Soul This is the victory whereby we overcome the World 1 John 5.4 That is all that either within or without the Soul shall concur to the drawing it from obedience to the Lords will 3. That faith that is necessarily drawn out into exercise upon the receiving the evidence of the union is that which gives the Lord his most peculiar glory and honour of his precious truth By this the believing Soul sets to his Seal that God is true John 3.33 Now the Devils peculiar malice being against the blessed Majesty of Heaven thence his malice is against this faith that is drawn out into exercise upon the Souls receiving evidence of union with the Lord Jesus II. In regard the joy and comfort that is the unseparable consequence of the Souls receiving the evidence of his union is another peculiar object of the Devils malice Envy works infinitely in the Devils bosom upon the sight of such unspeakable joy as poor believing Souls are filled with seeing Angels whose nature are more glorious are lefâ— absolutely destitute of joy and comfort Now from these workings of envy hatred works also infinitely and unspeakably in the Devils bosom against the evidence of the Souls union with Christ III. The believers evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus being the peculiar work of the blessed Spirit of necessity must be the peculiar object of the Devils malice there being such a diametrical opposition between the Devil and that blessed Spirit Every work of that blessed Spirit is infinitely abominated by him And thence this evidence of the Souls union is the particular object of the Devils malice in regard it is the Office of the blessed Spirit to be the comforter of those believing Souls IV. In regard the believing Soul through that evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus hath some kind of fruition and enjoyment of
Union and Communion with the Father through Christ The Soul doth not only possess Union and Communion but hath the knowledge of it the sweet and comfort of it and that 's the fruition of Union and Communion Now the Union of Souls with the Father through Christ is the most proper object of all the Devils envie and malice 5. The very first-born power of his malice works against the Believers evidence of his Union in regard Believers through their enjoyment of that evidence of their Union with Christ do hold forth the most orient brightness of the Lords grace love in Christ Now the Lords peculiar delight being in receiving the honour of his love from poor despicable worms thence the Devils malice works infinitely against the Souls receiving evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus because it works infinitely against the Lords receiving his own intended glory Secondly I must premise That all the most profound policy subtilty and craft of all the Princes and Rulers of the Region of darkness is employed in that most cursed insinuation to a believing Soul that the evidence of his Union with Christ received either to faith or sense is but a diabolical delusion The policies of Hell all concur together in its strength in this temptation or insinuation to a believing soul that his evidence is but a delusion I. In regard by the Devils prevailing in this temptation he leads the Soul in the most extricable labyrinth that there is no possibility by all the diligence the soul can use to evade or escape and find the way out The Soul once passing a Sentence against his own evidence that it is nothing but a fancy or a hellish delusion he is lost in a wood as it were of fear and perplexity of questions and scruples he is then caught indeed in the Devils thicket in the bryars that are of Hells own planting There is nothing then left to clear the Souls way I mean if the actual evidence of that Souls Union be suspended until a renewed actual evidence of the same Spirit comes to the Soul There is no way left for the Soul wherein it is possible for it to make a tryal of his own estate The Soul can make no proof from the light of his own Grace that light must be supposed to have been discovered to the Soul in its union received that being rejected no other light can manifest Grace to be in the Soul II. In regard the prevailing in this temptation grieves the very Comforter himself it wearies the Spirit of the Lord whose Office is thus To reveal to the Lord its acceptance into union with Christ it causeth the Soul to make a direct opposition against the blessed Comforter So that now in the Devils prevailing in this insinuation he noâ— only leaves the Soul in a most inextricable labyrinth but provokes the blessed Spirit of the Lord to withdraw himself and to withhold all renewed beams of light from that believing Soul 3. In regard the prevailing of that temptation would bereave the Soul at least of the fruition and benefit of all that 's past over to the Soul in Christ If that temptation take hold upon the Spirit that the Soul draws that conclusion that his evidence is a delusion then all the boldness and freedom of access to the Throne of Grace for supply is vanished in a moment In a word by the prevailing of this the Devil in a manner snatches the believing Soul from among the number of the Friends of the Almighty and sets him among the poor strangers by the prevailing of this he snatches the believing Soul from among the Vessels of honour I mean in the Souls apprehension and in regard of the Souls enjoyment and places it among the Vessels of dishonour it makes the the Soul disclaim all interest right and title to any mercy and love 4. In regard the prevailing of this insinuation with the believing Soul doth reduce or bring back the believing Soul and make it liable and subject to the power and force of all other cursed insinuations from the Devil The prevailing of this suggestion brings the Soul under the force of all those temptations that his Soul was formerly delivered from all the temptations grounded upon the Souls unworthiness all that were grounded upon the Souls long continuance in sin Pre. 3. Thirdly Every believing Soul that hath received the evidence of his union to faith and sense must expect all the rage power and strength that Satan can afford to be employed against the Soul to darken and obscure that evidence 1. All the powet of Hell is employed to suggest false reasonings carnal sensual arguments into the mind of that believing soul 2. All the power in the corrupted Conscience of that believing Soul is and will be employed to accomplish that design to perswade the believing Soul that the evidence of his union received is but a diabolical delusion His power in the corrupted Conscience will be employed to edifie and stir it up to bring in false Accusations against the believing Soul 3. His whole power and strength will be employed in stirring up passions and disordered tumultuous affections in that believing Soul Any believing of fear and terror the Devil will foment and nourish and by his mighty power over those passions and affections make such a confusion and tumult as if the Soul and Hell were to come together immediately The Devil will employ his power over the affections themselves and his power upon the humours of the Body through which those passions and affections work The Devil upon the very suggestion that the Souls evidence of his union is a delusion will exercise his power so upon the humours of the Body as to dispose the Body to a timerous trembling it may be almost every joynt shaking upon the imagination it may be deluded and then nourish and augment by bringing in renewed accusation upon accusation against a believing Soul So that all the false reasonings of the mind and the false accusation of the conscience hath a more power upon the Soul in regard of the disposition of the body and the working of the affections Fourthly I must premise That all the utmost power and possibility of corruption that remains in a true Believer are ready to comply with and second the Devil in the exercise of his malice policie and power against the believing soul to receive that cursed suggestion of Hell that his evidence of his union received is but a delusion Wretched Man in his first transgression joyned a cursed amity with the Devil himself and ever since Mans Heart hath set at the Devils Councel Table joyning all the strength of its policie and power with that infernal Spirit to maintain his tyranny over the poor Soul that whatever Hell-bred design the Devil acts against the believing Soul the Heart doth immediately comply with that hellish design And though indeed Mans corrupt heart be ready to comply with every motion and
insinuation and suggestion that proceeds from Hell yet there is a more peculiar disposition in a believing Soul to comply with that cursed suggestion of Hell that the evidence of his union received is but a delusion and that upon these Four grounds I. In regard there is a peculiar endeavour of sense in every believing Soul to regain his first dominion to have the prime commanding authority in the believing Heart Hence you shall observe that the most pretious Saints have maintained a mighty battel to the power of their Souls against sense striving to prevail over faith and yet the strongest Saints have been inclined and readily disposed to judge of all by sense that is to judge according to what they see and feel of the dispensations of God to them and workings of God in them So you see the holy Man Gidion Judg. 6.12 The Angel of the Lord which indeed was Jesus Christ himself appeared to him and said the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour but mark now sense strives for the dominion over faith saith Gidion Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where be all his Miracles which our fathers told us of saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites Thus sense saith in another case if the Lord will accept me to be one in Christ why is my heart left thus and thus why are my corruptions thus strong so again you shall observe Psal 73.2 The godly man Asaph confessed that sense did so strive for the mastery that his soul by that had well night lost its standing in faith my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt nay sense wrought so far that you shall observe v. 13. the holy man had concluded that he had cleansed his heart in vain and washed his hands in innocency There is a peculiar disposition in every believing soul to comply with the suggestion of Hell that his evidence of his union with Christ received is but a delusion There is a concurrence in this to all the arguments of sense 1. There is a concurrence with sense in the cause that sense argues against the soul Senses arguments tend all to prove an impossibility to forlorn souls should be united to the Lord Jesus Now this is the very matter of the suggestion that the soul is not united so that there is such a degree of sutableness that the soul is glad of such a suggestion as the proof of what sense maintains against the soul 2. There is a concurrence in the medium that sense useth to disprove the souls union with Christ The grounds of that suggestion from Hell that the believing souls evidence of his union is but a delusion is setched always from some defect or some miscarriage in the believing soul either from some want of holiness or some unsutable working in the spirit to what the soul conceives is the temper of the spirits of those who receive such evidence of their union Now Senses arguments are the same It is always the voice of sense in the believing soul my heart is thus and thus vile I am dead vain and formal blockish carnal sensual sleighty and loose I am little better than a block under Ordinances therefore it cannot be that I should be united to the Lord Jesus 3. By senses complying with this suggestion to the believing soul that his evidence of union is but a delusion sense doth immediately aspire to the Throne again in the believing Heart and doth immediately endeavour the dispossessing of faith If the heart comply with that suggestion that the evidence of his faith is but a delusion then seeing the souls evidence of union was primarily and principally unto faith faith is made wholly subject to the souls sense so that sense then bares the prime and principle rule in the soul II. There is a peculiar disposition in a believing soul to comply with the suggestion of Hell that the evidence of his union with Christ is but a delusion in regard of that desperate enmity of carnal reason against faith in every believing soul The Apostle saith Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind which is the seat of reason is enmity against God so against all the holy workings of God in a soul and therefore in a peculiar manner it is enmity against that special working of the spirit of God in the soul which is the believing disposition There is an irreconciliable opposition between carnal reason and faith in every soul carnal reason cannot comprehend that gracious unspeakable mystery of the union with the Lord Jesus through believing only and because it cannot comprehend it therefore it is opposite to the utmost of his power Carnal Reason is always for self-advancement and therefore directly opposite to the souls believing which is the lowest debasement of the soul and thence carnal reason is opposite to the first act of faith and to every consequent act of faith also so that there could not be a believing act in any soul did not the spirit of the Lord come with a mighty power to throw down those strong carnal reasonings according to that in 2 Cor. 10.45 throwing down the strong holds Imaginations-Original it is as Beza renders it the very reasonings of the flesh are thrown down whereby the flesh had fortified it self against the spirit drawing the soul to believe So opposite is carnal reason to faith that it invents a multitude of false reasons and rotten grounds to perswade the unregenerate soul to a good opinion of his own estate that did not the spirit of God throw down those reasons it were impossible the soul should believe Likewise again after the first act of believing carnal reason turns the mouth of his great ordnance whereby it mannages the Battle against faith another way Then carnal reason mannages it against the right of the soul to believe and perswades the soul it hath not believed and it may not it ought not to believe there is no ground for such a dispicable soul as he to believe Now in regard of this enmity of carnal reason in the heart against faith there is a ready disposition in the soul to comply with the suggestion that his evidence of union with Christ is but a delusion 1. the evidence is sutable to carnal reason Carnal Reason leaps now in the soul in its suggestion and says thus you should not believe and yet you would presume though you were unholy and altogether unsutable to the promise and now you see you have undone your own souls and cast your selves into the inextricable Laborinth 2. In regard there is a powerful inclination in every soul to comply with carnal reason Carnal Reason is our own and because our own we are willing to put our selves under its power 3. In regard there is an oppiniativeness in the soul of the excellency and strength
of the arguings of his own carnal reason This you may observe in Asaph Psal 73 16. he confessed the conceitedness of his own carnal reason when he saith I thought to know this but he confesseth when he went into the Sactuary to consult with the word of God and let faith be judge then he found himself as ignorant as a very Beast III. There is a peculiar disposition in the believing Soul to comply with the evidence of Hell that his union is but a delusion in regard there is such corrupt affections remaining in every believing Soul in some degree that makes the suggestion of the Devil that his evidence of his union with Christ is but a delusion to be in a manner plausible and pleasant to the believing Souls Jealousies and suspitions of God and his faithfulness in râ—â—â—iwing such a dispicable forlorn Soul into union with Christ do in some degree possess every believing Soul now in regard that suggestion from Hell that the Souls evidence of union with Christ is but a delusion and all the reasonings of the flesh that concur with that suggestion also do nourish and increase the Souls suspition and afford matter to the Soul of Jealousie thence through the strength of the Souls Jealousie and Suspition even that very suggestion that under one respect is like a dreadful poisoned Arrow that sticks in the Heart to wound the Bowels yet in another respect it is in a manner plausible and pleasant IV. There is a peculiar disposition in the believing Soul to comply with this suggestion that his evidence is but a delusion in regard the remaining corruption in the believing Soul doth evade the mighty power of faith in crucifying mortifying and suppressing them by complying with this suggestion Faith's power against corruption consists especially in two things 1. In holy boldness claiming power from the Majesty of Heaven against corruption in his holy bold engaging his blessed God in Christ to come in for his assistance Now this power of faith against corruption is abundantly weakened by the heart complying with that suggestion from Hell that the evidence of his union is but a delusion 2. It consists in faiths holy oratory in arguing within the soul against corruption Indeed there is Faith's mighty power in bringing in such impregnable arguments as all the Sophistry of Hell it self cannot devise an evasion from them These things I have premised concerning delusions only in reference to believing Souls First that believing Souls might not account it strange to meet with that suggestion that the evidence of their union with Christ is but a delusion Secondly that Believing Souls might not subscribe suddenly to that suggestion that the evidence of their union with Christ is but a delusion without due holy examination of the ground and reason that backs and fortifies that suggestion in the soul But now in reference to unbelieving Souls there is much more to be added still by way of premise concerning these delusions Pre. 5. Fifthly I must also premise that the most profound Policie the depth of subtilty and suggestion of all the Spirits whose habitation is in the Region of Darkness is imployed to the utmost to delude multitudes of Souls with false hopes counterfite joys self-deceiving and soul-destroying confidence of their union with the Lord Jesus and reconciliation with the Father Thus the Policy of Hell was imployed to delude those poor foolish Virgins Mat. 25.11 12. by arguing from their profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ signified there by their Lamps that they were joyned to Jesus Christ and should be everlastingly saved by him whereas poor foolish Souls they saw at last to their everlasting horrour and amazement that they were meerly couzened by the Devils Sophistry Thus certainly the Wits of Hell were imployed to deceive those self-flattering Jews John 8.18 to make them conceive their natural Birth from Abraham was ground sufficient whereupon they should conceive the blessed God of Heaven to be their God whereas the dearest compassionate Redeemer of lost Souls was constrained to tell them they were of the Family of Hell and the Devil was their Father Thus was that proud Pharisee Luke 18.11 by the subtle Sophistry of the old Serpent deluded also he was even triumphing as if he were sure of Heaven he was thanking God before hand for it But indeed as it is the Master peice of the Devils Policy to perswade true Believing Souls that the evidence of their Union with Christ is but a delusion So on the contrary the result of all those cursed counsels of Hell concerning Unbelieving souls living under Gospel Preaching is to perswade them that they are certainly joyned to Christ and shall be everlastingly saved by him And indeed there are Various grounds of this different practice of the Policy of Hell against believing and unbelieving souls The Perswasion that the soul hath to conceive that his evidence is but a delusion is most sutable for the Devils purpose to work upon a believing soul I. In regard every believing soul is for ever out of conceit with himself Such a view hath every such soul received of his loathsome filthiness and Forlorness that in some degree he doth for ever abhor himself he is utterly out of love with himself and all that he is and hath Now thence it is the perswasion that the evidence of his Union is but a delusion is sutable to fasten and take Impression upon such a soul II. Every believing soul hath experimentally found the dreadful self-Flattery that his spirit is exceeding prone to His heart hath flattered him into a good opinion of his own estate from various rotten grounds Believing soul hath experimentally found that one time he imagined his estate to be safe and sure and secure meerly upon the ground of his own Change and Reformation from what he was Another time he thought his estate to be secure meerly from the performance of the duties the Lord required publick and private Now from these many experiences of the sandy foundations that his heart had caused him to build the hope of his security and safety for eternity upon every believing soul is apt to be Jealous and ready to entertain any scruple about his own estate he is very fearful least he should build upon another sandy Foundation III. Every believing soul hath been sensible of infinite invaluable worth of Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus In matters of great concernment the spirits of Men are naturally suspitious of Disappointment So that from the sence of the infinite value of Union with Christ naturally flows Suspitions and Jealousies of being deceived in the greatest matter of Union And thence the Suggestion that the souls evidence of Union with Christ is but a Delusion is sutable and feeds that suspition IV. Every believing soul is sensible of the infinite danger of the loss of Union by fostering false Hopes and groundless Conceits of Union by Flattering himself in a good Opinion of
his Union with Christ without sufficient ground from the Lords Blessed Word Now the soul apprehending the danger of Miscarrying is filled with Fear yea prone to fear where no cause of fear is Every thing makes a man already in fear to be more afraid Fear clouds the Understanding with Darkness and maketh every thing seem black and dreadful So that thence believing souls are sutable Objects for the Devil to work upon by that Perswasion that the Evidence of their Union is a Delusion V. Every believing soul doth prie and search into the Rottenness and Unsoundness and Hypocrisy of his own Heart and discerns some degree both of Unsoundness and Rottenness and Hypocrisy And thence it is that the Devil Imploys his Power against the believing soul in regard he hath a foundation whereupon to build his cursed suggestions that the soul is deluded Now on the contrary the depth of the Devils policie is employed to perswade unbelieving souls of their certain reconciliation with God in Christ upon these grounds I. Because self-flattery hath a high Throne erected in every unbelievers heart There is a cursed Principle of self-love that naturally possesses every heart and from thence proceeds this wretched principle of self-flattery a powerful inclination to speak pleasing things to our own souls Now from the power of self flattery in unbelievers hearts 1. There proceeds an inward aversion or turning their hearts away from all fears and doubts of their own acceptation of God in Christ It is a Thorn in their sides and a Thistle in their Eyes that the Spirit of God should but cast in a doubt whether they be joyned to the Lord in Christ or be still in the state of nature 2. From the power of self-flattery proceeds also an indisposition in every unbelievers heart to examine the ground whereupon he builds his confidence and hope of his union with Christ 3. From the power of this self-flattering proceeds also a readiness in the heart to give credit to all vain hopes and cursed suggestions from Hell to his unbelieving soul Now in regard of the strength of self-flattering in unbelieving souls as it is backed with these three attendants the depth and policie of Hell is employed to perswade unbelieving Souls that they are unquestionably accepted of God in Christ and shall everlastingly be saved by him II. The depth of the policie of Hell is concerning unbelieving souls to delude them with false hopes of their union with Christ in regard there is a dreadful spiritual blindness fallen upon every unbelieving soul whereby the Prince of darkness hath his advantage to lead the blind soul to those cursed paths of darkness First There is a privative blindness fallen upon unbelieving souls Secondly A positive blindness First There is a privative blindness that is various Privative blindness I. There is an inability in the unbelieving Soul to discern the nature of the caelestial mystery of a Souls union with the Lord Jesus All the things of God are but dark to a Soul who is under the power of the Prince of darkness 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of the World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not And 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man cannot discern the things of God because they are spiritually discerned But there is a more peculiar blindness upon an unbelieving soul in the mystery of the Souls union with Christ than in most of the things of God besides because the mystery of union with Christ hath supernaturalness in it and is more contrary to carnal reason Thence it is no great difficulty to perswade the soul that a false groundless qualification is the true believing act that the spirit of God requires that this blind confidence is that strength of assurance that the Lord commands the soul to receive through faith II. There is such a privative blindness in an unbelieving soul that there is an inability an insufficiency to discern in any degree the infinite transcendent excellency of their souls union with Christ The most Eagle-eyed carnalist that ever proceeded from the loyns of Adam the most accurate disputant the most deep sighted politician never saw the least glimpse of the transcendent excellency of a divine union with the Lord Jesus likewise the multltude of unbelievers they conceive of union with Christ in a carnal way apprehending that it should save them from torment and that it should bring them to some kind of joy they know not what nor how Now thence the depth of Satans policie is active in perswading their souls that they are certainly one of Christs III. There is such a privative blindness in unbelieving souls as disenables them to conceive of the infinite danger of the loss of union The multitude of unbelieving souls apprehend nothing but some restless torment that will seize upon them in case they fail of union with God in Christ Now from their ignorance of the danger of the loss of union thence it is that their thoughts are little taken up about their union IV. Such a privative blindness is fallen upon unbelieving souls that there is an inability in their souls to discern the matter and ground of suspition that the Lord should not receive their souls into union with Christ The souls enmity against God and the nature of the enmity is the ground whereupon suspitions are built that the Lord will not accept their souls into union with the Lord Jesus Now unbelieving souls discern not that enmity wherewith their hearts are filled gainst the blessed majesty of Heaven Thence the policie of Hell is employed to perswade them that they are certainly joyned unto the Lord Jesus V. There is such a privative blindness fallen upon unbelieving souls as that there is an utter inability in them to discern the ground and occasion of suspition that their hopes of union with the Lord Jesus are delusions Commonly the experience of that wretched guile and deceitfulness of the corrupt treacherous false heart is the original of those suspitions that their union is but a delusion This unbelievers cannot discern and thence it is that the depth of the policie of Hell work against unbelieving souls in perswading them of their certain union with the Lord Jesus when as they are utterly strangers to him Positive blindness Secondly There is a positive blindness also That is a multitude of false Principles and notions of darkness doctrine of Devils possess the minds of every unbelieving soul commonly unbelievers minds are possessed with wretched Principles that surely God will damn none of those whom himself created Or with that Principle that if Men do what they can surely God will accept them the Lord will take the will for the deed Or else that Principle that such strictness severity and austerity of life such a height of holiness constantly in all their ways is not required of God men may be saved without such strictness of holiness Now from this positive darkness there is some suitableness in
the spirits of unbelieving souls to receive that suggestion that they are certainly joyned to the Lord Jesus and reconciled to the Father when they are still at enmity That 's the second a dreadful blindness that is fallen upon unbelieving souls 3dly The policie of Hell works in unbelieving Souls to perswade them of their certain union with the Lord Jesus in regard every seeming counterfeit shadow of holiness appears glorious in an unbelieving eye Every vain empty shadow of holiness or holy duties appear very glorious to a Soul under the power of the Prince of darkness whose eye the Prince of darkness hath blinded through unbelief There are two principal reasons why the policie of Hell works against unbelieving Souls to perswade them that they are certainly united to the Lord Jesus I. By the prevailing of this suggestion unbelieving Souls are bound with Adamantine Chains in the Devils slavery 1. In regard the power of all the blessed invitations and the most sweet Soul-melting exhortations unto union and amity and agreement with God in Christ are prevented The unbelieving Soul then looks upon himself as no object of any of those pretious invitations because he thinks he is already united to the Lord Jesus 2. In regard the restraining power of all the Lords menaces and threatnings to the actings of enmity is prevented So that the Soul says within it self upon every threatning from the Lords word that it is not to him he hopes Jesus Christ hath made peace for him God and his Soul he hopes are reconciled in Christ 3. In regard there is enmity against the brightness and lustre and beauty of holiness excited and stirred up in that unbelieving Soul against the conversations of all those Souls that profess union with the Lord Jesus who walk in a higher pitch of holiness than his Soul walks in that it eclipses and condemns his life and vertually Judgeth him still to be a Stranger to the Lord Jesus and void of union with him 4. By the prevailing of this suggestion with unbelieving Souls they are even devoted unto blindness Their Hearts endeavour to expound the truth in a suitable way to themselves yea their Hearts work with a kind of infinite enmity against every truth that they cannot prevent that contradicts their false hopes and soul deluding joys II. The depth of the Devils policie against unbelieving souls is to perswade them of their certain union with Christ in regard the false hopes the Soul-deluding confidence of such unbelieving Souls is a most mighty means to strengthen the hands of wickedness It is the most powerful Orator to perswade other unbelieving Souls to proceed from one degree of wickedness to another without restraint of their wicked Hearts from their full swing in their cursed way Pre. 6. Sixthly There is a Sixth Premise and that is this That the Prince of the power of darkness doth exercise a mighty power upon Souls to effect that politick design of his in casting them into a fools Paradice of imaginary spiritual safety in deluding them with vain hopes of union with the Lord Jesus when they are Strangers and Enemies to him This power that the Devil exerciseth upon Souls for that end is Threefold First There is a power that he exerciseth upon the mind or understanding Secondly A power he exerciseth upon the Conscience Thirdly A power he exerciseth upon the Passions or Affections First The Devil exerciseth a mighty power upon the minds and understandinngs of Souls Satans power upon the mind to delude them concerning their union with the Lord Jesus The understanding is to the Soul as the Compass to the Ship if the Compose be marred the Ship may be easily guided into a devouring Gulf instead of a safe Harbour If the understanding be once deluded the Soul may easily steer his course towards the Gulf of everlasting woe instead of that blessed Haven of everlasting happiness Thence it is that the Devil exerciseth a mighty power upon the understandings and minds of Souls to corrupt and delude those Now this power that he exercises upon the understanding is also various There are Eight degrees or various acts of the Devils power exercised upon the minds and understandings of Souls to delude them about their union with the Lord Jesus I. The first act of the Devils power upon the understanding is his forgery invention and suggestion of false reasons rotten arguments and fallacious means from his high endeavour to perswade Souls of their certain infallible reconciliation or union with God in Christ when they are separated by a brasen Wall of enmity from him There are Six or Seaven false reasons and rotten arguments that he doth ordinarily suggest unto believing Souls from whence he insinuates to them fasly their certain union with the Lord Jesus 1. He suggests to the understandings of some Souls their vast difference and disagreement from other Souls and thence secretly insinuates to them that certainly they are of the number of those that are joyned to the Lord Jesus This the Devil suggested into the mind of the deluded Pharisee Luke 18.12 13. 2. The Devils suggests unto some other Souls their enjoyment of special peculiar priviledges different from the priviledges that the multitude of the World enjoy and thence also insinuates into them their certain infallible reconciliation to God and acceptance with him in Christ This the Devil suggested to those self-deceived Jews John 8.37 38. Say they we are Abrahams children and thence certainly think they we must be Gods Children also 3. The Devil suggests to some other Souls their moral duties and acts of righteousness and from thence insinuates to them that they are certainly accepted with God in Christ This fallacious argument was that whereby the Devil perswaded the young Man mentioned Mat. 19.20 that his Estate was an Estate of spiritual safety Thus also were those poor blind Jews deluded by Satans hellish sophistry Rom. 10.3 They rejected the righteousness that is by Christ that was freely tendred to them upon this ground that their own righteousness their outward observation of the Law was sufficient for their justification before God and acceptance with him 4. The Devil suggests to some other Souls their constant diligent use of the Lords Ordinances appointed for them to worship the Lord in By this kind of false argument did the old Sophister deceive those poor deluded Souls Luke 13.26 Saith they we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our Streets That is they had the nearest communion with him in his Ordinances they were diligent hearers of the word and waited upon him whereever he brought a messuage to them 5. The Devil suggests to other Souls their forward profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and thence insinuates into them that surely in their perseverance in that profession they shall be admitted into union and communion with Jesus Christ the Lord is at peace with them their state is good enough This was the
very fallacy whereby the Devil deceived those poor foolish Virgins Mat. 25.8 9 10. They had Lamps like unto the Lamps of the wise Virgins they had a profession agreeable and suitable unto the profession of sincere Christians and thence they never imagined but their estate was sure enough till they felt by dreadful experience that the Lord abhorred such a heartless formal external profession as theirs was 6. The Devil suggests to other Souls their change and alteration from what they were formerly and thence insinuates into them their spiritual safety their reconciliation with God in Christ This the Devil did suggest in some degree to Herod Mark 6.20 That his hearing John Baptist gladly and his reforming many things was a certain ground of the goodness of his own estate 7. The Devil may and doth suggest to some other Souls the death of the Lord Jesus though generally brokenly and confusedly and from thence he deceivingly insinuates into many souls their certain and infallible union with Christ when the high Wall of enmity stands between Christ and them There is much difference between the blessed Spirits insinuation of the death of Christ brought to remembrance that a Soul shall be admitted to the Lord Jesus and this insinuation that thâ—n proceeds from the Prince of darkness 1. The Devils suggestion of the death of Christ unto Souls whom he intends to delude with false hopes of union with Christ it is only in a general notion and apprehension of it It is a constant maxim Dolus latet in universalibus that deceit lies under universals and generals Therefore the great Master of deceit chiefly endeavours to keep his poor deluded souls in general notions of all the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Though the Devil suggests the death of Christ unto some understandings and minds whom he intends to delude yet he avoids the suggestion of it in any particular manner He brings to the souls remembrance that Jesus Christ died for sinners but he hides as much as possible the quality of sinners for whom Jesus Christ died I mean the quality that is intended by the Lord from eternity to be effected in those sinners to whom the death of Jesus Christ is and shall be applied Commonly the notion is so universal they rather think Jesus Christ died for all sinners whereas the spirit in suggesting the death of Christ to any soul suggests it particularly to be for every unlovely sinner who shall receive and accept of the vertue and efficacy of his death as it is tendered to them so that by its suggesting the death of Christ it begets a holy confidence in the soul of the truth and faithfulness of Jesus Christ according to the tender of his death to make up union and communion between God and his Soul and so indeed that very act gives the soul evidence to his faith of his admission into union 2. The Devil presents the death of Christ brokenly at peecemeals It may be he minds the Soul that Christ died for sinners but he brings not one of the precious heart-breaking invitations of Jesus Christ inviting his forlorn despicable soul to partake of union and communion with the Father by the vertue of his death Whereas the blessed spirit brings the death of Jesus Christ to remembrance in a most sweet pretious orderly and distinct way It presents not only the death it self but it presents the person to whom it is offered the sweet heart-breaking invitations to that particular soul to accept that tender 3. The Devil suggests the death of Christ darkly with as much obscurity as it is possible The Devil studies obscurity in the presenting the death of Christ to his deluded souls that he might hide and vail that precious heart ravishing love that would shine forth by a clear view of the death of Christ to any loveless sinner Yea he suggests the death of Jesus Christ to the sinful soul so darkly that the very end of the death of Christ shall not come to the souls remembrance they shall never have a thought that the death of Jesus Christ was on purpose to bring their cursed rebellious hearts and God into a state of amity and love again Should the least spark of this Heavenly light break forth in his suggesting the death of Christ their own Consciences would soon pass the sentence of condemnation upon themselves and positively declare them to be farr from any right or possession or interest in the death of Christ 4. The Devil suggests the death of Christ confusedly in a distracted disorderly manner so as the soule whom he intends to delude shall have no kind of distinct orderly knowledge of the death of Christ He suggests immediately the death of Jesus Christ for them and perswades them with all his power that Jesus Christ died for them in the first place without any reference to any ground whereupon the Soul should build that perswasion Thence it is that the multitude of your poor deluded souls will tell you immediately they believe but they know not what they believe they know no other notion of faith than to believe that Jesus Christ died for them II. The second act of power that the Devil exerciseth upon the minds and understandings of souls to delude them with vain hopes is a discerning power into the minds and understandings of souls It is one of the principal and grand employments of all the spirits in the region of darkness to study mens tempers and dispositions and mens notions and apprehensions that he may observe what false reasonings what rotten Argument is suitable to delude that soul with and what rotten argument is suitable to delude another soul with Object But here is an objection to be answered before we proceed But you will say can the Devil look into the understandings of men the workings of the minds of men to know what the inward actings of their minds are Answ I answer negatively that the inward acts of the mind and understanding cannot certainly and infallibly be discerned by all the wisdom and policie of all the spirits in the region of darkness especially the inward thoughts and workings of the mind and understanding cannot in and by themselves immediately be discerned by all the wisdom of Hell notwithstanding their strictest scrutiny It is the incommunicable property of the blessed Majesty of Heaven to be the searcher of the heart and the knower of the thoughts Thence in Heb. 4.12 13. It is attributed to the word of God only as its peculiar property to divide between the joynts and marrow and search into the secrets of the heart So in 1 Cor 4 5. Christ is said in the day of Judgment to bring to light all the secrets of the heart But though the Devil cannot discern immediately certainly and infallibly the working of the mind and understanding or the secret Thoughts as they are in themselves and by themselves yet the Devil can by other means have neer guess at
the most inward working of the mind and understanding he can find out the very secret workings of the understanding in a very probable way 1. The Devil can discern much of the thoughts and different workings of the minds and understandings of men by their outward actions Actions are but the birth of thoughts as all actions are the births of habits they are the original of all outward actions that are deliberate and rational And thence the Devil can discern very narrowly into the thoughts by the outward actions he can guess both by the gesture of persons and by the very motions of the body what the inward thoughts of the mind are especially when he discerns such and such to be the constant way and manner of the conversation of a person then he understands well what the Principle must needs be that leads such a person to order his conversation in that manner 2. The Devil can immediately discern what the Images and Species of things are in the fancies of Men. Images of things in the fancy of Man are but like a shadow to the Body whatever the workings and inward motions of the mind and understanding are the images of the same things are in the fancy As the shadow accompanies the Body so do these fancies accompany the understanding Now the Divel being also immediately to understand these from thence he can collect and gather what the notions of the understandings are 3. The Devil can discern all the motions of the affections and passions The passions always working in the blood by the motion of the animal spirits to the heart and from the heart thence the Devil can immediately behold the first rise of any passion and affection passions of fear or passions of love or joy and grief and hatred and displeasure Now these passions and affections always attending the will of the soul and the will of the soul always attending and following the understanding or the practical Judgment thence also the Devil can collect by the practice and affections what the inward notions or thoughts and workings of the mind and understanding are 4. The Devil can observe diligently what the issue and event of his own suggestions are upon the fancies of Men. He observes whatever false reasons that he himself propounds do produce â—n the person and from thence also he hath a near discerning from the â—ffâ—â—t that he discerns what the workings of the understanding and mind are 5. He hath a large and long time of experience of all the several and various acts that various principles and various thoughts have produced For though he be not able to discern the thoughts while they are locked up in the mind and understanding yet afterward when they are either revealed by a passion or when they are brought apparently into action he then understands them Now he for Five thousand years and above treasuring up all observations he hath observed when one hath confessed these and these were his thoughts what the effect of those thoughts were when another hath confessed these and these were his thoughts he hath observed what the effect of those thoughts were Now by his long and constant experience he can declare the actions of one Man with the actions of another Man what such and such thoughts have produced and thence can probably conclude what the workings of the thoughts and mind and understanding of any person is Now in all these ways he exercises his utmost skill his most exquisite act to discern into the understandings and minds of persons whom he intends to delude by any false reasonings concerning the certainty of their union with Christ so that the false reasonings that he shall suggest to them may be suitable that they may take at the very first suggesting of them There are three things in the understanding that he endeavours to understand by all his skill and art 1. He endeavours to discern the depth or shallowness of the mind and understanding of the person whom he intends to delude by some false Argument or other from whence he would fallaciously perswade the soul of his union with Christ Now according to what he discerns in the understandings of persons so he suites his reasons and arguments may be he discerns a shallowness in some understandings thence he suites his reasonings proportionable to their understandings many poor shallow souls he can perswade that their good meaning is enough to carry them to Heaven Another shallow soul he can perswade his good Prayers his deeds of Charity his paying every Man his own and dealing justly is enough Likewise when he discerns a greater depth of understanding in any person he lays out more of his curious skill and art he covers over his false reasons more speciously he lays his fallacy more indiscernably and deeply There is no low Argument that will satisfie a deep understanding though a natural one that he shall be saved yea no lower fallacy will be sufficient to delude such an understanding but a false apprehension and notion about the nature of faith some mystical fallacy about the mystery of believing in Jesus Christ 2. The Devil searches into the notions and principles that are most settled and fixed in the understandings of persons There are various notions that every understanding is filled with which according to the imaginations of the several persons are truth some understandings are filled only with gross and carnal and sensual notions they conceive of God only in a carnal and sensual manner and of the mystery of the Gospel carnally Others understandings are filled with notions that have a kind of spirituallity in them Now the Devil makes an exact search to find out these that thereupon he may propound lying arguments of the union of Souls with Christ suitable to those notions So that when he perceives an understanding only to be filled with carnal notions of God he can propound his carnal outside appearances of worshipping of God as a ground to that soul of his peace and union and reconciliation with God he need seek for no higher depth to delude such a Soul But when he perceives an understanding to be filled with higher notions of God and of the mystery of the Gospel he then propounds not only bare material outward acts of divine worship as the lying ground to delude such a soul concerning his union with Jesus Christ but he propounds inward actings of transcient slightly affections yea may be to such understandings he propounds the death of Christ a speculative faith and an historical faith in the death of Jesus Christ and from this historical and speculative faith he insinuates into them their peace and reconciliation with God and certain salvation by the Lord Jesus 3. The Devil makes a scrutiny into the mind and understanding to discern its occasional notions and apprehensions upon the providence of God that the person meet with He pries into the understanding to discern what Judgment it passeth upon the
Lords conferring temporal blessings upon it And he pries into the understanding to discern what Judgment it passes upon the Lords withdrawing temporal blessings and inflicting sore evils and according to ordinary and common conceptions of the understanding upon such providences of God he may also propound his lying arguments of the souls union with Christ Thence it is you shall observe that the Devil takes much advantage to confirm some poor ignorant ones in their Soul-deluding confidence of their Peace and Union and Reconciliation with God from the constant influence of all Temporal Blessings in their Bosoms And thence it is that other souls he confirms in their soul killing hopes of their Union with Christ and Peace with God from the multitude of Crosses and Tribulations they meet withal here below Thence are those Speeches that you shall hear from many Ignorant ones I hope the Lord looks upon me as his Child because he thus Chastises me I hope saith another that I have my Punishment for my Sins here below III. The third Act of Power that the Devil exerciseth upon the Mind and Understanding is this He doth Secretly Inwardly and Indiscernably Communicate these his lying Arguments his Rotten False reasons from whence he falsly insinuates into souls their Union with Christ As the Prince of Darkness was a Created Angel he hath a kind of neer though mediate aceess to the Minds and Understandings of Men so that he can secretly Propound all his lying Reasons yea he can suggest them so indiscernably that the person to whom they are suggested shall not Understand in the least that they are from the Devil but shall rather conclude they are the right Reasonings of his own faculty of reason that God hath Communicated or they are the Workings of the Lords Blessed spirit Thus the Devil was a lying spirit to Ahab in the Mouths of the Prophets 2 Chron. 18.23 The way of this neer access of the Devil to the Understanding to Communicate his lying Argument to them of their Union with Christ undiscernably is by these two means 1. By means of the Subtility of his nature by which he is able to Pierce insensibly and indiscernably into the very Bodies of Men they neither Seeing Perceiving nor Feeling that Penetration of Satan into their Bodies So that by this he enters insensibly into the very brains of Men which is the very Organ of the common Senses 2. He doth both discern and stir up and Collect together the Species and Images of things that are in the inward Senses that is to say the Fancy and by moving and stirring all those Phantasms those Images of things that are in the Fancy he doth secretly Convey all his own lying Reasons into the Mind and Understanding so as the persons to whom those lying Reasons concerning their Union with Christ are suggested perceive them not to be from Satan but either imagine they are true Reasonings from the Word of God or from the Spirit of God cast in their Minds IV. The Fourth act of Power that the Devil exercises upon the Mind is this That he doth through his Neer and Familiar access through the Fancy to the Mind and Understanding Suggest and Propound Frequently and Importunately his Rotten Arguments and Fallacious grounds of Souls Union with Christ He doth renew again and again the same lying Arguments unto Souls of their Union with Christ so as they shall scarse pass out of their Thoughts and Mind And this indeed hath no small Power upon the Understanding to settle the Mind and Understanding in a Conceit of the truth of those his lying Arguments The very Frequency of Thoughts and Imaginations have the secret force of an Argument to perswade the Mind that the thing is so You shall observe it when any matter runs in our Mind Frequently Familiarly and almost Constantly we will then easily believe there is something in it The frequent suggesting of those reasonings is a kind of Importuning the mind to consent to them and embrace them As that unjust Judge Luke 18.5 condescended to the Widow because of her importunity though the justice of her cause that she propounded bore no sway in his unjust mind so though the reason it self at first suggested should bear little sway yet the importunity of the Devil in suggesting the reason prevails much with the mind to consent to it and close with it 5. A fifth act of the Devils power upon the mind and understanding is this that he doth through his accute and clear knowledge of the Images of things together in the fancy and through his power to collect and gather them together in the fancy suggest a multitude for his lying arguments his false rotten reasonings fo the souls union with Christ at one and the same time He doth so multiply his deluding grounds of the Souls union that the number of the arguments for the union hath a power upon the understanding when the arguments themselves have little power The Devil deals with Souls as he did with Jesus Christ in his tempting of him he presented all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye that so it might have had some perswasion in the mind of Christ thus the Devil doth at once set almost all his rotten reasons that are sutable to that understanding whom at present he is to delude thus you shall observe the Pharisee in that 18. Luke whom the Devil deluded concerning his acceptance with God he had at once in his thoughts the great difference that was between him and others that he was not as other men were and also his exactness and strictness according to the Lords Law paying Tithes of all things his extraordinary frequency in solemn duties his fasting twice a week and it is probable all that ever the Devil could say concerning the Souls acceptation with God was propounded at once to him so that what one rotten lying reason want to perswade the soul of his union with Christ another may supply 6. The sixth act of the Devils power upon the understanding for this purpose is that he holds and retains the mind and understanding with its full intention and strength upon those lying arguments and rotten reasons of the souls union with Christ that he suggests to him This the Prince of Darkness effects two ways I. By diverting or turning away the mind from all those thoughts that should contradict those lying reasons for its union Now in this Satan doth exeecise a three-fold power First he doth excite and secretly draw into exercise the natural loathness unwillingness and indisposedness of the mind to any poor holy thoughts suggested by the blessed sanctified Spirit Secondly Satan doth excite the vanity instability and wantonness of the mind Thirdly The Prince of Darkness stirs up the inward enmity in the mind against all such thoughts II. He doth hold and retain the mind upon its lying reasons for its union by a constant application of these his lying reaions to the
mind So that by these two means he doth hold the intention of the mind upon his rotten reasons for the souls union with the Lord Jesus that he prevents the souls looking upon any thing that should discover its deluded estate 7. The seventh act of power upon the understanding is this Satan doth suggest his lying reasons for the Souls union with the Lord Jesus with a superlative insinuating power to take the deluded heart with it Satan doth not only propound the argument and so exercise a meer moral power upon the mind but through his power upon the fancy he doth immediately so insinuate into the soul that the Soul is prevailed withall to accept of the suggestion he propounds Thence you shall observe in 2. Thess 2.10 that those that received not the truth with the love of it were given over to strong delusions not only delusions but such delusions as had a prevailing strength in them to prevail with the mind to believe them 8. There is an eight act of power upon the mind and understanding that Satan exerciseth for this cursed purpose Satan doth suggest his false reasons and lying arguments for Souls union with Christ with an imperious power a kind of commanding authority adding an abstrenuous setled and fixed affirmation that it is so making up what is wanting in the strength of the argument with the boldness and confidence of his affirmation that it is so By this means he bears down the spirits of his deluded ones so as they cannot make resistance you shall observe it a weak spirit is overpoured by a stronger spirit though it be not overpoured by any strength of reason but by the strength of the spirit by the violence and confidence manifested in the reasons and arguments This is the first power of Satan to delude souls a power upon their understandings Satans Power upon the Conscience Secondly the second power Satan exerciseth is upon the Conscience in Reference to the establishing of a poor deluded Soul in a strong self-deluding confidence of his union with the Lord Jesus that causion must be always taken that Satan hath not any immediate power to work any impression upon the conscience that 's one of the incommunicable royal properties of the Majesty of Heaven therefore all the power he exercises upon the conscience is but in the corruption and pollution of conscience his principal power consists in inflaming those cursed sparks that are already kindled in the Soul and indeed he doth make a superaddition of such a vehemence and violence in every such pollution as far as the Lord doth suffer him to exercise his power Now there are five of these corruptions in the Conscience that Satan exerciseth his power upon to delude the poor soul I. The injudiciousness of conscience it 's weakness in judging or its blindess Now this injudiciousness of conscience is also two-fold either the injudiciousness of the conscience in respect of the rule of judgement by which it judgeth its union with the Lord Jesus Or else secondly the injudiciousness of conscience in the application of the rule First the injudiciousness of the conscience about the rule of judgement by which it judgeth of its union with Christ now 1. from this injudiciousness about the rul proceeds those dreadful mis-understandings of the Scripture by deluded souls Hence such strange blind Interpretations of Scripture are given by them as that in Rom. 10.13 who ever call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved they from hence have concluded that it was sufficient for Salvation to some kind of Prayers to the Almighty upon some occasions yea hence some have desperately concluded that the crying Lord have mercy upon them at the last was sufficient for Salvation Yea hence also it is that those deluded ones so dreadfully understood the command of believing conceiving it only to be meant of a speculative faith only a kind of notion that Christ did come down and take flesh upon him and did in the nature of man die the death of the Cross in satisfaction to the Fathers justice for sinners and thence it is so common among them to profess themselves to be Believers 2. From this injudiciousness in the conscience about the rule of judgement proceeds those false apprehensions about the nature of union with Christ or the Souls acceptation of union tendered Conceiving that hearing the word of God and forbearing to make any opposition aganist it is the very acceptance of the Gospel the very embracing that union with Jesus Christ that is tendred to them Secondly The injudiciousness of the conscience consists in its injudiciousness in the application of the rule Sometimes such clear Beams of the Light are darted into a Soul that the conscience cannot pass a false judgement upon the rule it self yet then through the natural corruption of the conscience through its injudiciousness of its prone to apply the rule falsely and this insudicious-doth Satan exercise all his power upon II. The second Corruption in the Conscience is the Laziness or Remisness or Idle Negligence of the Conscience in its restrayning Office whereby it should compel the Soul to fulfil the Will of God that is Revealed to him The Conscience is by Divine Appointment a Task-Master set over the Soul to press the Commands of God upon it and inforce Obedience And through the pollution that overspreads the Conscience it hath been Enclined strongly to a remisness in this its Office to which the Lord hath appointed it Now the Devil Exerciseth all his Power upon this Idleness of Conscience making it to be more strongly disposed to Carelesness and Remisness And from this Remisness of Conscience in this its Office 1. All the Contradictions in the actings of a Deluded Soul to the proper natural effect of receiving true Evidence of a Souls Union with Christ are undiscerned in that Deluded Soul Proportionable to the Negligence of Conscience in constraining the Soul to do the Will of God Revealed is the Negligence of Conscience in receiving an accompt from the Soul of the Obedience that it hath yielded to the Will of God Revealed 2. From hence also proceeds a quietness in the Mind of the Deluded Soul under all those Sins that are inconsistent with Union with the Lord Jesus Were not the Conscience Remiss and Negligent in that his Office in constrayning Souls to Obedience to God there could be no Quiet or Content in the Mind while the Soul walks contrary to the Revealed Will of God especially when his ways are inconsistent with injoying Union with God in Christ 3. From hence the Equity and Rectitude of Satans Application of his Lying Arguments for the Union of their Souls is also Maintained Unblemished The reason that remains even in Unbelieving Souls will not be satisfied without some appearing Equity and Rectitude in Satans Lying Arguments for yielding to it Now a Multitude of Sins contrary to the natural effects of the receiving evidence of Union with the Lord
all his labour will be in Vain by consenting to a doubtful Tryal of his own Evidence of Union with Christ received When the soul staggers and wavers in the confidence of the Truth of the Evidence of his Union which Christ received and proceeds in that timerous trembling wavering manner to an Examination of that his Evidence then the soul either seeks for a higher Evidence than what he received formerly Or else he seeks for Infallible Demonstrations from the effects of the former Evidence of his Union with Christ received that that Evidence that he hath received is really from God Now in case the Evidence of the souls union with Christ that the soul hath received were the Evidence from that pretious Witness of the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ the soul seeks all in vain to seek for a higher Evidence Or else in case the soul seeks to prove certainly and infallibly that that Evidence of his union with Christ that he hath received was from God by the effect wrought in his own heart the soul also labours in vain in regard there is a necessity that the soul must be dubious and anxious about the truth of all that he conceives to have received from Jesus Christ while the soul is dubious whether it be united to Jesus Christ III. In regard Satan indiscernably gains these advantages against the believing soul by solliciting the soul to this doubtful tryal of his own Evidence of his union By Satan solliciting the soul to a doubtful tryal of the Evidence of his union with Christ received he doth indeed appear in Angelical Glory Cloathed with a Glittering Garment of Heavenly Light He thus bespeakes the poor believing soul Take heed O Soul thou beest not Deluded in this great matter of Eternity Mens hearts are naturally too ready to presume saith Satan take heed least thou Befool thy self with vain hopes Thus he seemeth to be the Messenger of the blessed God to the believing soul sent on purpose to press one of the blessed commands of God unto the Soul that it should try examine and prove it self only he secretly mixeth a cursed principle of darkness with that precious beam of light he incites the believing Soul to a dubious anxious trial and examination of the evidence of his union and so consequently procures the Soul to reject the blessed evidence of his union that the Lord in the riches of his mercy hath vouchsafed to the believing Soul whereas the Spirit intends a pretious believing trial for the Souls more abundant establishment and consolation that it may be filled with joy and glory Pre. 2. Secondly I shall premise That the believing Soul to whom the Lord hath vouchsafed a clear evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus ought not to diminish in the least degree his confidence of the Lords will to accept even his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus whilst he endeavours to try and examine his evidence of union received whether it be from God or whether it be a diabolical inspiration Sueh is the absolute necessity of the Soul in the trying the evidence of his union with Christ to stand fast in this his confidence that in such a degree and measure as that Soul wavers in this his confidence in the same degree is the Soul uncapable of a right examination of the evidence of his union with Christ received So that in case the confidence should wholly fail the Soul is wholly uncapable of a right examination of the evidence of his union with Christ This will appear in two things 1. In regard it is by the acting of this confidence that the Soul is disposed to receive the clear evidence unto faith of his union with the Lord Jesus The Soul is disposed to this two ways 1. By the acting of this confidence the Eye of the Soul is fixed upon that glass through which the light that evidenceth to the Souls faith the Lords will to admit him into union with the Lord Jesus shines The glass wherein the Lord discovers his will to admit him is his word wherein he declares it is his will to admit every Rebel and Enemy that will into union with the Lord Jesus and into union with himself through him Now the Eye of the believing Soul is only fixed and established upon this blessed word of God through the lively actings of the Souls confidence because this is the object of his confidence and the object is only in them when there is acting of faith upon the object 2. It is by the acting of this confidence that a clearness is maintained in the Soul whereby the Soul is suitable to discern that light that doth evidence unto the Souls faith the Lords will to admit it into union with the Lord Jesus The confidence failing a multitude of objections and reasons this way and that way arise in the soul every one of these objections scruples and reasons is like a Mote in the Eye of the Soul which prevents his clear discerning of what the light of the blessed spirit put upon it Now by the acting of this confidence those objections reasonings and scruplings are silenced and suppressed and so a precious clearness is maintained in the soul a readiness to discern whatever beam of Heavenly light the spirit should cause to shine forth from that pretious word that it is the Lords will to admit it into union with the Lord Jesus 2. When this confidence in the Soul fails it makes the Soul uncapable for a just trial and examination of the evidence of its union with Christ in regard the acting of this very confidence of the Lords will to admit the Soul into union with the Lord Jesus is the very matter of evidence unto the Souls sense that it is united actually to the Lord Jesus Now when the act of the Souls confidence ceaseth then is the very matter from whence the Spirit doth manifest to the Souls sense its union with the Lord Jesus taken away How shall the blessed Spirit cause the believing Soul to see its self believing when there are not the believing actings in the Soul It is not the habit of any kind of holiness that the Spirit doth manifest to any believing Soul to be in it self but it is the acting of any holiness whatever that the Spirit doth cause the Soul to discern in it self from whence it discerns actually its union with the Lord Jesus So that then the confidence of the soul failing or ceasing its actings the very original of the souls evidence unto sense of his union with the Lord Jesus is taken away Secondly The believing Soul ought not only to forbear the diminishing of this his confidence in the Lords will to admit his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus while he proceeds to the trial of his evidence of his union with Christ received But he ought also to forbear the diminishing of his confidence that he is actually united to the Lord Jesus already in case the Lord
through a clear evidence hath begotten such a precious confidence in the Soul The believing Soul ought to say concerning that his confidence as Job said concerning his Job 27.5 I will not remove my integrity from me I will not let go this my confidence till I have proved and examined the evidence of my union with the Lord Jesus from whence this confidence did arise This also may appear in two things 1. In regard the diminishing of this confidence in the believing soul before the trial of the evidence of his union with Christ received is an infinite injury to the sweetest Comforter the blessed Spirit who through the manifestation unto the Soul that he is united to the Lord Jesus establisheth the Soul in that pretious confidence The rejecting of that confidence so wrought by the blessed Spirit is a slighting of the spirit in his most precious Office and a disparagement of the very witness of that blessed Spirit 2. It is a most sinful unconstancy and fickleness to reject any thing received before clear demonstration of the errour of the soul in receiving It is contrary to the order rhat the Lord requires should be in all the motions of the soul which is that they should be subject to the power of holy sanctified reason So that this confidence before trial ought to be maintained in its full strength in case such a confidence was begotten by an evidence formerly received that he is actually united to the Lord Jesus Quest But here is a question then by the way would be opened But will the Soul say wherefore then are the commands given by God to prove and examine our selves whether we be in the saith and so consequently to examine the evidence of our union with Christ if we must not be dubious and anxious whether the evidence of our union with Christ received be true or no before we proceed ro the trial and examination of them Answ 1. For answer to this question by the way briefly I answer first that these Commands of Souls examining themselves whether they be in the faith are given universally to all Souls on purpose that deluded souls by the trying and proving themselves might discover their own delusions and discern their lying confidence of their acceptance into union with the Lord Jesus 2. These commands are given on purpose to believing souls to maintain the life of the confidence of the Lords will to admit them into union with Christ and the confidence that they are admitted into union with the Lord Jesus These commands are occasions to Souls truly united to the Lord Jesus to review over the grounds of their confidence of the Lords will to admit them into union with Christ and of the Lords actual admission of them into union Now the more the Soul views the ground of his confidence the more it views that blessed word of God that reveals the Lords will to admit even his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus in case he accepts it and by the Souls gazing upon that blessed word it discerns more of the truth and certainty infallibility and unchangeableness of that word and the more frequently and fully the Soul discerns that the stronger is its confidence in the will of the Lord that he will admit even that his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus and thence there is more occasion for the blessed Spirit to irradiate rhe souls believing act to enable the soul to see and feel it self to believe aright by which means the actual confidence of the souls admission with Christ lives and is maintained in its strength 3. These commands are given that there might be more preparedness against all assaults that are made from Hell against those souls Through this examination believing souls have their confidence maintained in its life and strength and so are fortified against temptation because it discerns clearly the foundation upon which his own confidence stands 4. The Lord gives these commands on purpose to draw forth into exercise all manner of holy dispositions in the believing soul This is done by the renewed view of that light that doth evidence unto the souls faith or unto the souls sense its union with the Lord Jesus Thenâ—… is the pretious subjection of the Heart to the will of God in all things acted then is the correspondent love of the soul answerable to the Lords love to the soul drawn out in its strength then are all the thirstings after near communion with God in Christ acted Pre. 3. Thirdly a third thing to be premised is this That there are many sinful distempers incident to believing souls in the times when they are doubtful of the truth of the evidences of their union with Christ which whenever they do prevail in any soul during their prevalency they do incapacitate those souls for a just trial and true examination of the evidences of their union There are especially four of those sinful distempers incident unto believing souls at such a time 1. There is an impatiency and frowardness of spirit under the obscurity of that truth of their evidence of union with the Lord Jesus incident to every believing soul Indeed our spirits are naturally impatient under every burden but when any Arrows from the Almighty are shot into the Conscience or any Arrow from Hell stick fast there I mean any doubtfulness any terrors and fears of the fulness of their conceived evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus then are their spirits in a superlative manner prone to fret and vex and fume by the prevailing of unruly passion Thus David under the doubtfulness of the Lords fulfilling a promise made to him breaks out into most dreadful impatience in 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul So in Psal 116.11 I said in my haste all men are liars So Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine Eyes So the holy man Job Chap. 3.3 and Chap. 6.8 9. Now during the prevalency of this distemper of impatiency and frowardness of spirit under doubting the truth of their evidence their spirits are made uncable of a just trial and examination of the truth of the evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus There are two ways how this sinful distemper doth incapacitate souls for the just examination of the evidence of their union 1. It doth prevent a serious deliberate view of the evidences of their union with Christ that they have received by drawing out the intentions of their Spirits to look upon the grounds of their fears of the falseness of the evidence of their Union When any passion prevails in any Spirit it draws out the whole strength of the Soul that way Now the intention of the soul being drawn out to look upon the object of his fears the grounds of his doubts and the matter of the suspition of the falseness of his union by this the soul is made unsuitable to take any right deliberate
view of the evidences of his union 2. Impatiency of Spirit under the doubtfulness of the truth of the souls evidence of his union with Christ doth occasion every seeming opposition to the truth of the souls evidences to appear greater than it is in its own nature Thence it is frequent with souls under this distemper every suggestion from Hell bears such weight upon the Spirit as it is in a fume upon every such suggestion conceiving there is abundant argument against the truth of his union whereas upon the examination of the same objection by the same soul with a quiet calm spirit those objections appear to be invalid to have no weight nor scarce any colour whereby they should manifest the falseness of the Souls evidence of his union II. The second sinful distemper is an irrationality that the Soul subjects it self to in all the conclusions that it draws up against it self Now whenever a believing Soul subjects himself to this sinful distemper that he endeavours not to suppress every affection of Hope Fear or Joy which is not founded upon some blessed word of God then the Soul doth make it self uncapable of examining and trying justly the truth of his own evidences of his Union 1. In regard the Soul will of necessity be irrational in all its conclusions But when the Soul is irrational in its confusions it is uncapable of a just trial of the evidences of his union it is uncapable of comparing that blessed golden Rule of the Lord word and his own evidences together 2. In regard the thoughts of the Soul are all distracted when any thing is brought to the thoughts for the truth of his union that Soul without examination immediately entertains some hopes Again when any thing is objected to the Soul to prove the falseness of his evidence immediately again the soul entertains fears without examining the reality of what is objected against his evidence and those hopes and fears continuing enterchangeably working make such distraction in the souls thoughts that it makes it uncapable for any deliberate view of the evidences of his union 3. The third sinful distemper is a rashness hastiness or suddenness of spirit Thus some doubting of the truth of their former evidences of their union with the Lord Jesus because of some backsliding from God that they are conscious to themselves of will suddenly from such a place as that Heb. 6.4 concludes that they have sinned presumptuously and that there is no renewing them again by Repentance or unto Repentance The words run thus For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance whereas did those Souls examine the intent of the Holy Ghost in these words it were easily to discern that the Holy Ghost intend those who finally apostatize from God not intending any slips and falls and backslidings that are incident to every believing Soul were there but a just examination of this portion of the word by collecting it and comparing with another word that would testify many Saints to have had their fallings and backslidings after their tasting of the heavenly gifts and after their being partakers of the Holy Ghost â—…ly in a higher way than the Spirit means here he mean here by partaking of the Holy Ghost only some participation of common gifts of the Spirit other Scriptures testify David and Abram to have had their falls yea almost every Saint after their tasting of the heavenly gift and yet to be renewed again by Repentance Now this distemper doth make the soul uncapable of a just examination of the truth of the evidence of his union with Christ 2 ways I. In regard this rashness makes the Soul uncapable of discerning the depths of Satan whereby he endeavours to obscure the truth of every Believers evidence of his union with Christ This sinful rashness occasions the Soul only to take a superficial of whatever is suggested or propounded Now Satans Suggestions have some sparkling of Angelical Glory some vernish of truth and holiness so that every suggestion of Hell whilst the distemper of rashness prevails in the soul cannot but be judged a sufficient ground to build a doubt and scruple upon and then Satan being always watchful to maintain a dispute that he once began with the Soul to make reply against whatever can be objected against his first suggestion every of these objections of Satan they will be counted sufficient ground for the rash Soul to draw another safe conclusion or to strengthen the Soul in the drawing its former false conclusion 2. This rashness also begets a confusion in the Soul the soul drawing conclusion upon conclusion upon every seeming ground and one conclusion maintains contradicting another a contradition of hope contradicting a conclusion of fear and there being no examination through the domineering power of rashness in the Soul of the truth of the one and the falseness of the other these conclusions begin to fight in nhe Soul at once yea multitudes of conclusions seem contrary each to other 4. The Fourth distemper that doth incapacitate a Soul for the just tryal of the truth of his own evidence is a prejudicial conceit against his own evidences even before any examination of the truth of the evidences of his union This is the sad distemper that prevailed in Asaph Psal 77.2 my Soul refused to be comforted he did refuse to receive any evidence that the Lord would be faithful But certainly this was the distemper of the Church Lamen 3.17 18. Thou hast remove my Soul far off from peace I forgot prosperity or rather as it is rendred by some I forgot God it is most probable she refused to entertain any of those thoughts that the Lord would yet be gracious Hence it is that many Souls under the Power of this distemper do study to wind themselves from under the Power of any truth that should lay hold upon their hearts so as to answer their objections and cavils against their acceptance into union with the Lord Jesus Now this Distemper doth make Souls uncapable while it prevail of a just examination of the truth of their own exidences in regard it causeth slighty unworthy thoughts of their own union Pre. 4. Fourthly it is to be considered that whenever any Soul is declined from or decayed in his former activity and operation of holiness he is then unsutable to examine and to try justly the truth of his own evidence of his union with Christ He is unsutable in these five respects 1. In regard the light of manifestation from the spirit is always suspended when the heart is in this decaying temper in holiness When ever any heart decay in holiness his first original decay is in the activity and strength of the precious believing disposition of the will
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
satisfying power of the manifesting light unto his faith that he should be accepted into union with Christ doth now again in this renewed act gain a sight and manifestation of that satisfying power in a manifesting truth that his Soul should be acepted into union with the Lord Jesus Now thence the Lord discerns the causelesness of his own prejudicial thoughts and opinions of his former evidences unto faith and so consequently abhor himself in that he dishonoured the blessed work of the Spirit 5. Through the vertue and efficacy of this believing act that decay in holiness which did make the soul unsutable to take a just impartial tryal of the evidences of his union with Christ are repaired that appears in two things 1. The mind of the believing soul is filled with all the notions conceptions and apprehensions from whence Holy Actings do arise are Maintained and Increased and through the defect of which Holiness Decays and Consumes in any Soul These Holy Notions from whence Holiness proceeds are principally these That there is a fulness of all Love and Mercy tendred freely by God to this Poor Unlovely soul that the Lord is so infinitely rich in his love that he doth pass over all that can be sutable for the poor empty Soul freely to it in Christ Now it is impossible there should be a Renewed Believing act without these Notions being brought fresh to the Remembrance of the Believing Soul 2. All the Holy Affections are excited also to a Renewed exercise by vertue of the Renewed Act. All the Affections are under the command of these two Love and Hatred Now both these are excited to a Renewed Exercise and that with a Mighty strength by vertue of the Renewed Act. Love towards God is nothing but the very reflecting of the Lords love cast upon the soul upon God again The actings of love always proceed from the Apprehensions of the Lords love to the Soul Now in the Believing Act there is an actual view of the infinite unspeakable Riches of Love to the Unlovely Forlorn Soul and thence Love is drawn forth in its very strength towards God again Likewise Hatred which command the other part of the Affections is nothing else but the Displicency tha is in the Will against any object whatever which affections do naturally proceed from the souls love Now therefore the hatred of the soul is properly against Sin and whatever is contrary to God and his Will In the same degree that Love acts in the soul towards God in the same degree doth hatred work towards every thing that is contrary to God Now by the stirring up of these two all the other Holy Affections also are excited into their exercise thence the decays of Holiness are sweetly repaired and the soul put into a sutable temper for the tryal of his own Evidence Answ 2. Secondly I answer That all the Lords Ordinances and Appointments for his peoples souls to injoy Communion with himself in are also mediate and second means of the delivery of those souls from the dreadful Tyranny of the Fear and Jealousie that the Evidences of their union are Delusions Thus Prayer Conference Meditation hearing the Word are all secondary means to wait for the spirit to breath in power from the Lord Jesus to enable the soul in this Renewed Believing Act and to continue the Believing Act in the soul So that you see a sufficient means left for these Distempred or Declined souls that are either Uncapable or Unsutable for a just examination of the Evidence of their Union to deliver them from Fear and Terrour that the Evidences of their Union with Christ Received are Delusions Now in Regard the question is about a matter so practical I shall therefore turn the last Answer into a kind of Advise Beseeching and Intreating every Distempered or Declined soul in Holiness to take this course to strive for deliverance of his soul from under the power of his Tormenting Fears that the Evidences of his union with Christ are Delusions And for that end I desire you would take these four Directions Direct 1. First that you forbear for a little season the Trial and Examination of your own Evidence with the Lord cease a little to Plead your Title with the Lord Spend not all your thoughts about what Evidence you have Received as though there were no good to be expected except your former Evidences were real Direct 2. Secondly let me advise you to take a strict accompt of your own hearts of all your fears and all the grounds of your suspitions whereupon you suspect that your evidences where delusions gather together and sum up all hypocrisie and falseness the unconstancy the loosness the vanity the rashness the blindness that 's now brought to your remembrance to prove your evidences received were but meer delusions gather together all the defects of those precious effects of real evidence from God to any soul of its union with Christ that you apprehend your souls want and further suppose them all to be true take all for a little season for granted suppose that your heart was false and that you were wholly and altogether an Hypocrite that all the workings of your spirit were nothing but common workings of the blessed spirit But then Direct 3. Thirdly search the holy records the Lords blessed word for all the discriptions of those to whom union with Jesus Christ is freely tendered and find out whether thy soul supposed to be in the estate fore-named be excluded from the number of those to whom union with Jesus Christ is freely tendred Search from Scripture whether thou canst find any one Hypocrite any one captivated soul by the Devils deluding reasonings any one false hearted treacherous wretch ever excluded from the number of those to whom the Lord freely offers union with the Lord Jesus search whither any lost Soul any Rebel whether any rational Creature to whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes be exclured from the number of those to whom the Lord freely offers union with the Lord Jesus strive beseech you now to gain that clear apprehension that so at last thou maist baffle the Devil in all his arguments and silence him in one word saying well though I have been false to the blessed Majesty of Heaven all this time though I be now under thy cursed power O Satan though thou holdst me fast in thy cursed Chains of Darkness yet thou maist say the blessed Majesty of Heaven he that can never lye tells me that union with the Lord Jesus and so Redemption from thy cursed slavery is freely offered to my Soul still the Lord tells me his will admits me to be still one with Christ if I can be contented that he should mediate a reconciliation between the Father and me Direct 4. Fuorthly Plead with thy opposite contrary mind to make thy heart consent to the blessed word of God wherein he doth offer union with Jesus Christ and himself through Christ to every
Soul that shall accept him Gaze again and again upon the blessed tender say to thy unbelieving mind O my crooked and unbelieving mind Wilt thou not consent to the truth of yonder Majesty of Heaven yonder God of truth it self that cannot lye say O my soul if thou wilt accept yonder union with the Lord Jesus behold what transcendent glory thy soul shall be filled with O my Soul wilt not thou trust to the truth and faithfulness of the Lord when he makes such an offer wil't not be content to subject all thy reasons and sensual Arguments to his Authority Still strive again say O my Heart though thou hast been an Hypocrite though the Devil hath couzened thee these many years though thou hast dealt falsly with the Lord all this time yet the transcendent love of yonder God ceases not to work towards thee O take up thy rest O my Soul credit the Lord upon his word and wait O my Soul for the fulfilling of his word to thee This is the prime effectual infallible means of the deliverance of your poor perplexed tortured Souls by the tyranny of fear that your evidences are delusions And this is the never failing means of discovering to your poor dark obscure souls the truth and reality of these your evidences that your Souls cannot discern Truly Souls of all the directions that ever I commended to you I must set a probatum est upon this remedy It is a tried one Soul it is an approved one an experienced one I beseech you follow it Let your Souls be held no longer poring upon your former evidences as though you had no spring of refreshment but in those Suppose your Heart to be as bad as the Devil possibly can make it yet strive with your unbelieving Mind and Heart to accept anew of union tendered to your poor lost perishing Souls in the Lord Jesus Pre. 5. In the fifth place I shall further premise this That an impartial just and righteous examination of the evidences that any soul hath received of his union with the Lord Jesus can only be taken while those evidences remain in their perspicuity clearness and satisfying power The evidences of a Souls union with Christ being only precious orient beams of Heavenly light sent forth from the blessed spirit of light into the obscure Soul joyned also with a precious exciting power sent forth from the same Spirit to stir up the light inherent in the same Soul too while the evidence is gone it cannot be that any Soul receiving such evidences should justly try weigh examine and prove the reality of those evidences no longer than those evidences do continue There must be light without and light within to enable a Soul to make an examination of any thing And both the light without and the light within being the evidence it self to the soul of its union thence it is there is a necessity of the examination to be prosecuted or followed only while the Soul enjoys those evidences in their brightness clearness and satisfying power The evidences of the Souls union are beams of Heavenly light sent down from the Father of light on purpose to bear testimony to a Soul of union with the Lord Jesus And thence indeed it is necessary that these Witnesses should be heard speak for themselves before any trial of the truth and reality of their testimony can be made by any Soul Now these Witnesses never speak for themselves but while they are actually bearing Witness that is while those precious beams of Heavenly light do actually shine into the obscure soul Now when once those beams of light are withdrawn the soul is now in question whether the Lords will be to admit his Soul into union with Jesus Christ or no. Now that those righteous examinations of the evidences of union can be only taken while the evidences do thus continue actually in the soul this I conceive may be collected from John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know nf the Doctrine whether is be of God or whether I speak of my self The words are an Answer to a question that the Jews propounded to Jesus Christ or they are a prevention to a Question that the Jews might have propounded Christ had affirmed that the Doctrine that he taught was not his own but his Fathers that sent him v. 16. Now it might be objected But how can you prove that your Doctrine is your Fathers and not your own How will you manifest it to those that deny your Doctrine to be divine that it is Divine Christ answers If any Man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God As if he should say whosoevers Heart shall be in a precious readiness actually to obey my Fathers will he shall actually know the Doctrine whether it be of God So that two Propositions are laid down in the words the one expresly the other implicitly The first is affirmed by Christ that the discerning of the truth and divinity of pretious Gospel truths is only peculiar to obedient Souls Secondly It is implicitly affirmed That whatever soul is disobedient to the Fathers blessed will cannot during his disobedience discern truth divinity and infallibility of Gospel Truth Now thence may be collected that believing souls do enjoy the spirit of discerning in their way of obedience and do best and most perspicuously and clearly understand the Lords blessed will and see the reality of every truth of the Gospel and the infallibility and certainty of its coming from God Now mark then only believing souls do yield obedience to the Fathers will and do actually obey Gospel truth when their souls receive through believing some evidence at least in some degree that the Lord will receive their souls into union with himself in Christ through their believing in him Every believing act is but the consent of the believers heart to the truth of what the word bears witness of which is in effect nothing but a believers receiving the evidencing light of the blessed word that the Lord will admit his soul into union with himself in the Lord Jesus in his accepting of him So that the believing soul being then only obedient to the will of the Father in the prime way of obedience which is Faith when he is receiving some evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus thence it appears that a just and impartial a righteous examination of the evidences that the soul hath received of his union with the Lord Jesus can only be taken while those evidences do actually continue in their clearness and power For the further clearing of this take these two reasons I. In regard then only the soul is sutably disposed to take the examination That will appear in divers particulars 1. It is only then when the Evidence unto a soul of his union do actually remain that the understanding of the soul is enlightned by the blessed spirit and inabled to conceive of and
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
then doleful weakness yea abhorred wickedness in any soul to cast off all confidence of the Lords admission of his soul into union with Jesus Christ Though the oratory light of the blessed spirit or the superadded light to the word that causes the word to give so clear and satisfying a testimony unto faith of its union with Jesus Christ be withdrawn and suspended yet there is a Heavenly shining burning Lamp of the written word of God that stands constantly shining to discover to the faith of the believing soul the open bosome of the love of the Lord Jesus and his outstretched Arms ready to grasp the soul into the nearest union Therefore it must needs be dreadful horrid wickedness for any soul to neglect slight undervalue or disregard the light of that pretious written word because those Heavenly beams of superadded light that the spirit sometimes gives are by the wisdom of the Lord or through the occasion of the souls own iniquity sometimes suspended The Command of believing stands as an everlasting command founded and built upon the meer written word making a pretious discovery of the Lords will to admit every lost perishing soul that will to be reconciled 1 John 3.23 Now thence it is most wretched disobedience in any soul when he hath lost that glorious light of manifestation from the spirit to disobey that precious Heavenly command also Prop. 2. Secondly Whenever any soul subjects himself to the Principle of darkness and unbelief that still dwells in him upon the Lords withdrawing the brightness and glory of that satisfying light of the spirit that did evidence unto the soul his union with Christ and cast off his confidence of the Lords admission of his soul into union with Christ then the soul is uncapable while he so remains of making any pretious holy use of those former evidences that his Soul enjoyed of his union with Jesus Christ 1. In regard while the soul so remains there can be no holy conception of the evidences that his Soul did formerly enjoy First take holiness for all kind of strictness and righteousness and conformity to the Lords blessed will and in that sense there can be no righteous conception of his former evidences The soul cannot understand them what they are nor discern them as they were Secondly Take holiness effectively for these conceptions that do excite and quicken a believing soul unto holy actings and in that sense there can be no holy conception of his former evidences while the soul so remains All such conceptions or apprehensions of the way of God towards us are as holy effectively that is that produce or quicken a soul to holiness are such as do apprehend some beam of excellency shining forth from those ways of God in relation to that particular souls good now while a soul casts off all his confidence of the Lords will to admit him into union with the Lord Jesus he cannot conceive of his former evidence in such a manner as to conceive any beam of excellency shining forth from God in relation to his particular soul 2. While any Heart so remains he is uncapable of making a holy use of his former evidences in regard the activity of all holy affections whatever depend upon the activity of that believing disposition they live and die together The moving Principles that move holy affections objectively are the believing conceptions and apprehensions of God that is to say the apprehensions of the Lords will to receive the poor loveless soul to be reconciled to him through his union with Jesus Christ And therefore while a soul casts off all his confidence that the Lords will is to admit his soul to be one with Jesus Christ there is a defect of moving Principles to move the affections to their exercise and so consequently there can be no activity of any pretious holy affections 3. In regard all the Ordinances that should excite and quicken the heart to the holy use of his former evidences are made useless While the soul enslaves himself to carnal reason through unbelief not believing Gods will to make him one with Jesus Christ though the Gospel should be preached by the mouth of Angels and they should be sent from Heaven to be mouths to those souls in Prayer yet those Ordinances could have no operation upon those souls saith the Apostle Heb. 4.2 The word that was preached profited not because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it if there be not some degree of confidence in that great and grand Gospel-truth to the particular soul there can be no mixing faith with any other Gospel-truth that should be Preached so as to make it have a pretious efficacy upon the Heart 4. When any Heart yields up himself captive to unbelieving reason and so casts off all that his pretious confidence it cannot make a believing use of his former evidence of union with Christ in regard there is a continual decrease in all holiness and encrease in all the working of corruption while the soul so remains The Heart is so naturally active that it will be spending its strength in some kind of activity or other and therefore when the holy actings of the forenamed precious confidence is sealed the Heart will spend all its strength in corrupt workings when the Heavenly plant of faith doth not grow and flourish in the soul the weeds that come from the Devils Garden will be all flourishing hardness indisposition for God hard thoughts of God will all be augmenting daily Prop. 3. Thirdly No Soul ought to entertain such a superlative conceit of the use of those evidences of his union with Christ that he formerly received that he should make those his evidences the sole or the primary or the principal Prop or Pillar whereupon he builds his confidence that the Lord will admit his soul into union with Jesus Christ The utmost use intended by God that believing souls should make of former evidences received can be but strengthnings and encouragements to renew the strength of their confidence in his truth and faithfulness to fulfil his blessed word unto their souls It is utterly strange from the mind of God that souls should make any one act of God towards or in the soul the principal Pillar Rock and foundation whereupon to build its hope of his union with Jesus Christ All those actings of the spirit of God whether by way of light and manifestation or by way of infusion of holiness they are meerly arbitrary excepting only the spirits constant influence for the preservation of the life of a believing soul and consequently changeable and various according as the infinite wisdom of Heaven doth see suitable for the estate of various souls but now the Lord out of that transcendent riches of his love in Christ hath prepared unchangeable Rocks where the prime Anchor of believing souls hope should be fastned unmoving Pillars that never shake whereupon the foundation of their confidence must be laid according
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
suitable for believing Souls that there is a Night and a Day as well in the Spiritual life as in the natural life ought to be a ground to maintain a lively hope that when it is Night Day may break and therefore it is his Duty unquestionably to nourish and cherish such a lively hope 3. From the remembrance of its former evidence the Soul ought to obstruct it self in the obscurity darkness and dreadful blindness of his own mind The believing Soul ought to say within himself O when the Spirit of Jesus Christ irradiated the blessed word of God how clear how unquestionable was it to my Soul that it was the Lords blessed will to receive my Soul into union with Jesus Christ if I will embrace him and though I have now the same word to testifie the same thing to my Soul yet how dark is it to my Soul for the present how hard is it for my poor blind Mind to receive and apprehend that the Lords will is to receive this my Soul into union with Jesus Christ 4. From the remembrance of the Souls former evidence the Soul ought to instruct it self in the mystery of the Lords way towards believing Souls From hence the Soul may learn that the Lord carries on the Soul towards full Communion with himself through Christ as well by sensible decays in Communion as by sensible encreases in Communion And from thence the Soul might instruct it self that joy and peace ravishment of Spirit triumphing acts of faith are not so inseparable from believing Souls but that they may be wanting that they are not absolutely necessary to be constant at least to the Souls attaining unto perfection of Communion so that thus the Soul may learn to adore the Lord in apprehending the unsearchableness of his ways even towards believing Souls the unsearchableness of his Wisdom that neither Man nor Angel can measure 5. From the remembrance of the Souls former evidences whose brightness and glory is now ecclipsed the Soul may instruct it self in the absolute necessity of an intire constant uninterrupted dependance upon Jesus Christ for the Spirit of light and manifestation The Soul ought in remembrance of that full satisfaction that it enjoyed when that blessed Spirit of light gave beams of light to his dark mind to clear up the will of God revealed in his precious word to say O how infinite is the necessity of hanging upon Jesus Christ continually for the constant operation of the Spirit of light into this my dark Heart 6. From the remembrance of the Souls former evidence of his union with Jesus Christ the Soul ought to collect holy Pleas and pretious Arguments to intercede with the Majesty of Heaven for the return of the blessed Spirit of light and manifestation unto his Soul This was the constant practice of all the Saints who had enjoyed any experiences of the Lords mercy and kindness they did endeavour to engage the Lord to return when he seemed to be absent Many are the Arguments that a believing soul may collect from the former enjoyment of evidences of union with Christ to plead with the Majesty of Heaven to return with the same spirit of light and manifestation again to his Soul 1. From the remembrance of the Souls former evidence the soul may remember the pretious suitable disposition that possessed his Heart for the worshipping of the Lord in every Ordinance Now from thence the Soul may raise a pretious Argument wherewith he may go boldly to the Throne of Grace and cry to the blessed Majesty of Heaven when shall that blessed Spirit of light return to this darkned Soul of mine 2. The Soul may remember the readiness the quickness the activity of the Heart in all manner of obedience to the Lords blessed will Now from hence the Soul may fetch a strong Argument wherewith to come before the Throne of Grace O my God may the believing Soul say When thy blessed Spirit of light had the pretious operation upon my Heart what a blessed concurrence was there in this my crooked opposite will to this thy holy will O what an union of love was there between this thy Majesty and my opposite Heart how impatient then was my Soul of any disagreement between my will and thy will how readily was my heart disposed for any thing thy blessed Majesty commanded But now alas Lord now the workings of the Spirit of light are suspended what a disagreement is there between thy Majesties will and my will how strait and narrow and weak and feeble are the inclinations of my Heart now to obedience to thy blessed will Lord may the Soul say Have respect to thine own honour send down the Spirit of light into this dark Heart 3. The Soul may remember how highly the blessed Name of God was exalted and magnified in his Heart when that blessed Spirit of light continued its blessed operation to evidence actually its union with the Lord Jesus Now from thence the Soul from whom the lustre and glory of these his former evidences of union with Christ is now Ecclipsed may argue with the blessed Majesty of Heaven to send down the same Spirit of light and manifestation again to his dark Soul 4. Even when the orient brightness and Heavenly lustre of the Souls former evidences is Ecclipsed and darkned yet then the Soul may remember the capaciousness and enlarged openness of his Heart towards communion with God while the orient lustre of the evidences of his union with Christ did actually remain Now from hence the Soul may gather strength of Argument to appear before the Lord to Petition the return of the blessed Spirit of light and manifestation again to his Soul The Soul may plead that the suitableness and right disposition of the Heart for Communion with the Lord depends upon the enjoyment of the Spirit of light and manifestation 5. Even when the orient brightness of the Souls former evidences are ecclipsed and obscured yet then the Soul may remember how gloriously the lovely beauty and Soul enamouring brightness of the way of holiness was transparent through him when the Heavenly lustre of his former evidences did actually remain in the Soul Now from hence the Soul may gather a pretious Argument whereby he may lay an engagement upon the Majesty of Heaven to send down the Spirit of light again Thence the Soul may plead that the lustre and Heavenly beauty of the ways of holiness to be manifested through him depend upon his enjoyment of the Spirit of light and manifestation 6. When the cammanding power of the evidence of a Souls union with Christ is ceased for the present to evidence to the Soul its union yet then the Soul may remember that the tender compassionate bowels of God have moved within him and yearned toward his Soul formerly Now from thence the feeble almost fainting drooping Soul may still gather more strength and lift up its Head again to claim the Spirit of light and manifestation to
be sent from Heaven into his dark Soul 7. When the splendor and beauty and satisfying power of the evidences that the Soul have received of his union with Jesus Christ be decayed yet then the Soul may remember that all his abominable wickedness and most cursed vileness did not formerly prevent some movings of the Bowels of the Lords mercy towards him Now hence may the Soul gather strength to plead for the returns of theâ—â— blessed Spirit of light into his dark Soul Hence the Soul may plead that there is the same reason the same motive to incline the Lords blessed will to send now the Spirit of light and manifestation to it that ever there was to incline his Majesty to the least thought of kindness towards it 8. The Soul from whose Eyes some dark Clouds hath obscured the former lustre of his Evidences yet may remember that some spark of holy confidence in the Lords blessed will to admit the Soul into union with Jesus Christ was formerly infused into his unbelieving Heart Now from thence the Soul may again gather some strength whereby to lay hold upon the Lord and to engage him to give as it were a new Commission to the Spirit of light to come down to his dark Soul Thence the Soul may plead the Lords engagement never to recall the gift once past out of the hand of his pretious love he having declared his Gifts are without Repentance and thence the Soul may plead that the Lord stands engaged to nourish up that confidence so begotten in the Heart by his blessed Spirit 9. When the irresistible commanding power of the evidence that any Soul hath received of his union with Christ be weak yet then the Soul may remember the uselesness the inefficatiousness of all terrors and distractions upon his Spirit and the most blessed efficacy that the least glimpse of light discovering to the Soul the Lords will to admit it into union had upon his Heart Now from hence the Soul may cry to the Lord and complain in the bitterness of his Soul that he understands not what his blessed will concerning him is in terrifying and affrighting suffring his Spirit even to be distracted with terror Lord may the Soul say Hath thy Majesty its honour from me this way Is thy Name exalted in my Heart in this manner Will my Heart ever bow in obedience to thy blessed Will through the power of those terrors and distractions that are upon me This holy arguing and expostulating with the blessed Majesty of Heaven and engaging him by Arguments collected from what the Soul remembers in his former evidences of his union with Christ is the last holy use that the Soul may make of his former evidences of his union when their Heavenly lustre and commanding power and beauty cease And I would perswade every obscure Soul from whose Eyes those sweet Heavenly beams of light are now hidden with which his Eyes were once blessed above all the other uses to have a particular respect to this last use thus to gain upon God to insinuate its self into the love and favour of the Lord again to engage the Majesty of Heaven by this kind of pleading with him to send down the Spirit of light and manifestation afresh This indeed is the very principal use of the former evidence whereforâ— present darkness overspread it and that in these Two respects First In regard in this kind of pleading the poor decaying sparks of the Souls confidence is kept in some degree alive Now the stronger the Souls confidence is the more suitable is the Soul to make a righteous examination or just and impartial tryal of those former evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus Secondly In those pleadings the Spirit of light may be again expected to return The blessed Spirit and all the actings of it are reserved in the Golden Closet of the Promises wherein the Lord hath engaged himself to Communicate whatever mercy and love shall be suitable to the poor believing Soul and these holy pleadings are the Key to the Door of the Golden Closet I mean the Key of the Promise to open the Door for the Spirit of lighr to have its free access Questionless by such a holy improvement of former evidences as this believing Souls might be much furthered towards the obtaining of the renewed operations of the spirit of light and manifestation of renewed discoveries from the same Spirit unto the Souls faith of the Lords will to receive him into union with the Lord Jesus Thus now you have the Question also cast in upon this occasion opened It is apparent there is a pretious holy use that Souls may make of all former evidences when their orient brightness is ecclipsed and their commanding power is weakned though the Soul cannot then take an impartial examination of those his evidences or put them upon such a righteous Trial whether they be really from God or no. One consideration also I must add concerning knowledge whether evidences of union received be really from God or whether they be Diabolical inspirations .. The Soul must understand that this knowledge is a collection or gathering of this conclusion that his evidences received are really from God from a certain necessary infallible reason The difference between knowledge of the evidence to be really from God and Opinion and Faith must always be kept clear in the Souls understanding who shall be able to receive a right answer to that grand Question propounded To believe the Souls evidences that he hath received of his union with Jesus Christ to be really from God is an act of the Soul that hath its foundation only upon the authority of him that relates or discovers it to the Soul There are two things whereupon faith is founded First That the thing believed is spoken or declared Secondly That the Speaker or Declarer is true and faithful Now to have an Opinion that the evidences of the Souls union with Christ received are really from God is to collect or gather the conclusion of it from some probable reason as from the adjunct or the consequence that follow in his Soul upon his receiving the evidences of his union with Christ But the knowledge that the evidences of a Souls union with Christ received is really from God is the collection of this conclusion to the Soul from a certain necessary and infallible reason Therefore your Philosophers in distinguishing between knowledge and opinion define knowledge to be a certain true habit of the mind And they define Opinion to be an uncertain habit in the mind So that he that propounds the Question How a Soul that conceiveth he hath received sufficient and satisfying evidence of his union with the Lord Jesus may know certainly and infallibly that the evidence of his union received is really from God he must understand that he asks How a Soul may demonstrate to himself from certain necessary reasons that the evidences of his union with Christ received
are really from God Now I beseech you every Soul believing or unbelieving remember as far as possible all the considerations that have been premised about this Question and withall these fixed and established in your minds proceed with me to make a righteous trial of the evidences that you conceive your Souls have received of your union with the Lord Jesus So then all these considerations premised our Question propounded must be thus staâ—ed Quest How shall any Soul that conceiveth he hath received and doth actually enjoy certain and sufficient evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus demonstrate from certain necessary and evident reasons that those his evidences are really from God Answ For Answer then directly to the Question There are but two kind of Demonstrations whereby a Soul can demonstrate to its self the reality of his evidence received proceeding from God You must understand we are now speaking of knowledge and what was spoken before of faith must not come into our remembrance in this thing For you must remember we gave you a distinction between knowledge faith and opinion we look not for opinion now That is some probable ground of our union with Jesus Christ nor we do not look to faith which is the declaration of Gods will to admit it into union with Jesus Christ But we look to knowledge and there are but Two Demonstrations a Demonstration Priori and a Demonstration à Posteriori A Demonstration taken from the Causes and a Demonstration taken from the Effects The first and most certain ground whereupon the Soul may prove its union from God is taken from the causes now the Causes are various But the Two Principal Reasons must be taken from the Two Principal Causes Now there are but Two Principal Causes of the Souls union with the Lord Jesus both which concur together and are never separated one from another The Two efficient Causes instrumental is the Lords blessed written Word and that pretious Spirit of Jesus Christ The written Word is the more remote cause and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is the more immediate efficient cause Now because the reason whereby we may draw any conclusion is most strong that it is taken from the most immediate cause of any thing And in respect that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is the most immediate efficient cause though but still instrumental because the Spirit doth more immediately send down those beams of light that do most clearly reveal to faith the Lords will to take the Soul into union with Christ and also those beams of light that discover to the Soul the integrity of his Heart in believing Thence we shall first speak of that reason which is taken from the blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ and so I answer thus That the first primary and principal reason from whence a Soul may conclude that the evidences of his union received are really from God is that those evidencing beams of light doth proceed from the blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ And it is the knowledge of this that they are those beams of light proceeding from the Spirit of Christ by which a Soul attains the most certain and infallible knowledge that his evidences were from God by this he attains that which is most properly called knowledge according as the Philosophers say to know a thing is to discern the nature or being of it by its most proper immediate cause But now least the Soul should say you here answer one doubt by another which is as great a doubt and leads the Soul but on into further darkness the Soul is as doubtful of this you will say whether those beams of light proceed from the Spirit of Jesus Christ as it is whether they were from God Therefore for your satisfaction here must be Two things opened First That the light that doth proceed from the blessed Spirit of Christ to evidence unto any Soul its union with Jesus Christ doth evidence that it doth proceed from the blessed Spirit Secondly It must be opened that the light that so proceeds from the Spirit to evidence to the Soul its union with Christ is the most potent and powerful demonstration that begets the most certain knowledge of the Souls union with Christ even the most proper and highest kind of knowledge First It must be manifested that the light that proceeds from the Spirit to evidence to any Soul its union with Christ doth evidence it self to proceed from the Spirit There are such sparklings of Divinity in those pretious Beams of Light that the spirit sends down into any Believing soul to discover its union that the eye that beholds those Beams of Light see the very Divinity of them he seeth that they come out from God There is such Coruscations or Bright shinings of Heavenly Glory upon those Beams of Divine Light as gives a satisfying discovery that they are from the Spirit of God Those beams of light they bear the Image of God upon them they have in a manner the name of the blessed spirit of Jesus Christ Ingraven upon them that the soul that beholds them even reads the name of the blessed spirit Ingraven there So that those Beams of light by an inseparable property that the Lord hath annexed to them do so discover their Original to be from the spirit of God as they do satisfy every soul to whom they are sent down and make it unquestionable that they are from the Spirit of God Yea the name of the spirit of God is so palinly Ingraven upon those beams of Light that the soul so easily discerns it that all Fears Doubts and Suspitions all workings of Jealousie that those evidencing beams of light are not from the spirit are Banished by their Mighty Power I mean the soul injoying those at that instant while their lustre their Hevenly bright shining Coruscations and Glory continue the soul fears not that they are Delusions he doth not so much as question that they are Delusions According to that in 1 John 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have Received of him abideth in you That is the spirit of Jesus Christ Communicated to you abides in you which is here called the Anointing because according to that in Isa 61.1 2. The pouring out of the spirit of Grace and Holiness upon Christ as Mediatour is called the Anointing of Christ for his Mediatorial Office and so the participating of the spirit by Believers is called the Anointing of Believers to partake of their head Now saith he the Anointing abides in you that is the spirit abides in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teaches you all things and is truth and is no lye The spirit teaches you all things He doth not mean of all truth and the whole Counsel of God for that no believing soul yet understood while he dwelt in Houses of Clay Paul himself understanding but in part but he speaks of the truths forenamed the grand Gospel Truths
the spirit it self teaches you all things that is of these things mentioned Teach ye that you shall have eternal Life in Jesus Christ And mark and is truth and is no lye That is to say it teaches you so that you know it is truth and you know ye are not deceived while that so teaches or in its teaching And therefore he saith in the former words that they need not that any man should teach them Not that there is no necessity of the Pretious Ordinances of Jesus Christ still for their souls whereby the truth of Jesus Christ should be brought to their Remembrance and the Pretious Actings of the Believing Disposition in all these drawn forth for that 's necessary for every believing soul But thus you need not that any man teach you that is you need no other Confirmation of the truth of these things then what the Spirit of Jesus Christ gave you you need not that any man should come to give a clearer discovery of the certainty and truth of those And thence also in 1 Cor. 2.12 The Apostle affirms that they had received the Spirit of God that did teach them to know the things given to them of God v. 10. That God had revealed his truth to them by the Spirit Now this must be further confirmed by divers reasons that the light that proceeds from the Spirit of Christ revealing to the Soul its union with Christ doth evidence to the Soul that it doth proceed from Christ 1. In regard it is the testimony of God unto the Soul concerning its union Now that witness or testimony of God to the soul concerning its union if it did not evidence even by its own light that it did proceed from the Spirit of God it were no witness of God at all unto the Soul concerning its union It is of greater concernment to the Soul in this case to understand who it is that speaks than to understand what it is that is spoken unless the Soul understands clearly that the light that now came into his Soul doth proceed from the Spirit of God he understands not that it is Gods witness It is not so much the thing that is testified as the consideration of him who it is that testifies that satisfies the soul or makes it to be the Witness of God to the soul 2. In regard the evidence is the testimony from God on purpose to give the soul satisfaction concerning his union to revive refresh and comfort the soul by the discovery of his union with Christ Thence it is that Christ in his promising to the Disciples to send his blessed spirit to dwell in their hearts while he was absent from them John 14.16 He names the spirit the Comforter revealing what the Office of the spirit is by his Name Now should not the light from the spirit that doth evidence to the soul his union with Christ evidence it self also to be from the spirit of Christ that testimony of God that is from that light to the soul could give no satisfaction to the doubtful scrupulous soul Therefore doubtless the light from the spirit doth always carry sufficient evidence for it self to evidence from it self whence it is seeing God intends those beams of light to give satisfaction to the soul 3. In regard that light from the spirit of Jesus Christ is the highest witness or testimony unto a soul concerning his union Now seeing that those beams of light are the highest witness there is a necessicity that those beams of light should evidence themselves what they are by an inseparable property of their own otherwise their witness must be subject to be tried by the testimony of something else so that the highest witness of the spirit must come to be subject to this holy quality and that precious disposition 4. Should not the light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to a souls faith and sense his union with Christ evidence it self to be from the spirit of Christ then the blessed testimony of the spirit of Jesus Christ should be altogether vain and useless Those sweetest beams of heavenly light are the spirits voice and should it speak in an unknown tongue that is should not its voice be distinguished from all other voices the spirit should but beat the air that is all the light that it discovers to the soul of its union with Christ should be frustrated void and of none effect 5. In regard the spirit of Christ necssarily fulfills the office to which Jesus Christ hath appointed it The Lord hath destinated that Spirit of his to Seal up Believers to Seal up their Inheritance Eph. 13. Chap. 4.30 Now a Seal is destinated on purpose to give a peculiar Confirmation of the thing Sealed Yea likewise the spirit of Jesus Christ is destinated to be the Earnest in the Believers soul whom it is sent to Seal to be the Earnest of his Inheritance according to that in Eph. 1.13 Saith the Original it is Translated which but it is rather who is the earnest of our Inheritance or who is the Pledge The word signifies some part of a price paid beforehand to assure the Payment of a full Price for some Commodity bought So that the meaning is who is given you as a part before-hand of that full Inheritance that you may expect and may be the better assured that you shall injoy the full Inheritance Now did not the spirit of Jesus Christ make those Beams of Light sent down into any soul to discover to them their union with Christ to discover themselves to be from the spirit the soul should remain dubious after the clearest Testimony of the spirit whether he had received the spirit of Christ or no and so the spirit of Christ in his Sealing Office should be no earnest seeing the spirit must be an earnest as it discovers it self to be in the soul 6. In regard it is the Light of the spirit of Jesus Christ that is the only Discoverer of all Divine things that makes all things manifest It is light that makes all things manifest Now the Spirit of Christ is the only spirit of Light and Wisdom and Revelation So that there can nothing be made manifest to the soul but what some Beam of Light from the spirit of Light must manifest And then observe it whatever reason any soul should study to prove the Beams of Light that were sent down into his soul to discover to him his union with Christ were from the spirit even that reason must be discovered in the Truth and Reality of it by some Beam of Light from the spirit and then unless the Beam of Light from the spirit doth carry sufficient Evidence in it to discover it self to be from the spirit the soul should be deceived in the reality of that very reason that he studied up to prove that the former Beams of Light that were sent down into his soul came down from the spirit To speak more plainly thus seeing the
spirit of Jesus Christ is only the spirit of light whatever Holy Dispositions whatever Pretious Heavenly Quality any Believing soul shall discern in it self it must be discerned by a Beam of light from the Spirit of Jesus Christ Secondly The second thing to be opened is That the light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to the soul its union with Christ is the most Potent Invincible Demonstration of its own proceeding from God which begets the most Certain and Infallible knowledge in the soul of his union with Christ That pretious light of the spirit of Jesus Christ doth so clearly discover it self to be from the spirit of Christ that there can be no reason that can make any Addition or Increase of that pretious clearness It shines so brightly with the very Image of the spirit of Jesus Christ upon it as nothing can make it more manifest to be from the spirit than its own light This will appear in divers particulars I. In regard that Beam of light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to the soul its union with Christ discovers nothing but what is infallibly true Not only what is infallibly true in it self but it discovers nothing but what is infallibly true to the souls Apprehension to whom it doth discover it Now when the Principles of a Demonstration are infallibly true then hath it the first property of the highest and most Potent Demonstration II. In regard that light which discovers the first light of the spirit to be the light of the spirit doth also again Evidence it self to be the light of the spirit also Now that 's the highest demonstrative Reason to prove that any thing proceeds from God that is to say that it is discovered by the spirit of God Now that light of the spirits first light doth plainly demonstrate that to the soul that it comes from the spirit of God So that there is no other Medium no other reason that can be imagined higher to prove that the first light from the spirit that discovers to the soul its union with Christ was from God III. In regard it is the most evident perspicuous discovery of those beams of light to be from God that can possibly be given Every reason from whence any Conclusion is Collected must be clearer and more evident than the Conclusion it self Now it is only the light of the spirit of Jesus Christ which is more evident and clear than the Conclusion it self drawn that the Evidences are really from God So that if it were possible for a higher proof to be made of the certainty of the beams of light that discovers to a soul its union with Christ of the certainty of their being from God then this very light that these Beams of light contain in themselves then there must be some light clearer than the very first light that proceeds from the spirit of light and manifestation whose office it is to discover all things to the soul IV. In regard it is that light only that can truly inforce or cause the Conclusion to be drawn that the Beams of light that did discover to the soul its union with Christ were from God Now that 's the highest kind of demonstrative Reason to shew the truth or reality of any thing when the principles that is the reasons from whence the Conclusion is Collected are the cause of the Conclusion Now thus the light of the spirit was those Beams of light that discovered to my soul its union with the Lord Jesus was really from God why because they came from the spirit of God Such Premises as these to say what the spirit of God reveals and discovers that must of necessity proceed from God doth even force the Conclusion to be drawn Whereas nothing else hath so much power in it to cause the Conclusion to be drawn as that light that proceeds from the spirit Now from these things opened you may hence take notice that every soul to whole Faith and Sence the spirit of Christ hath truly Revealed their union with Christ have full satisfaction clear undoubted satisfaction concerning his union with the Lord Jesus in all its most Serious Deliberate Meditations and Contemplations So that so long as those Pretious Beams of light from the spirit do remain actually shining into the soul there is no kind of Doubt Scruple or Darkness in the soul about its union with the Lord Jesus So that any soul that hath received this truâ—… discovery from the spirit of light both unto Faith and Sense of his union with the Lord Jesus need not inquire for any more proofs than his own soul possesseth at that instant that God and his soul are one through Christ § Secondly The second Instrumental cause that shines into any heart really from God to discover to that heart his union with Jesus Christ is the Lords Pretious Word That Heavenly light that shines into any dark and doubtful heart to reveal its union with the Lord Jesus to it clearly is only a pretious spark that sparkles forth from the Pretious Burning Lamp of the Lords Written Word And it is the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ that doth as it were Incense and Inflame that burning lamp of the Lords Blessed Word and cause it to send forth those Blessed sparks into dark hearts And it is that same Blessed spirit also that enlightens those dark hearts to see discern and behold those sparks that that burning lamp of the Lords Word send forth So that the spirit of Jesus Christ and the Written Word are but Concauses that joyntly and sweetly joyn together to enlighten the Doubtful soul and clearly reveal its union with the Lord Jesus So that the soul hath for his assurance the hand of the ever Blessed God and the Testimony of God that it is his own hand He hath that secret light that discovers it self to be of God which discovers to the souls faith his union with Christ and to his sense the truth of his own believing act And hath the Written Word which is a Letter Written from the Almighty to loveless souls that bears Witness also to the same thing So that then the second reason next to the prime reason that the light that the soul receiveth proceeds from the spirit of God is this that the soul beholds it clearly shine forth from the Lords Written Word But to clear this there must be two things opened First That a believing soul ought to receive the light that discovers to him his union with the Lord Jesus from the Written Word of God and ought to receive that light as certain and infallible because it shines from the Written Word Secondly That the Lords Pretious Written Word doth discover to particular believing souls their particular union with the Lord Jesus both unto their Faith and unto their Sence First It must be cleared That a believing soul ought to receive the light that discovers to his soul his union with the Lord Jesus from
trust to his truth and faithfulness for the fulfilling that his word Now whereas it is objected that no particular word speaks to a particular soul and says thou Thomas and thou John or thou Elisabeth or thou Mary shalt be accepted into union with the Lord Jesus if thou wilt accept him 1. I answer that either every particular is perfectly comprehended in the universal offer and universal command of believing as if the Lord should name every person to whom he speaks or else there can be no faith of assurance concerning any Gospel-truth whatever Else there can be no assurance that our Bodies shall rise again from the dust and appear before the judgement-seat of Christ It is no where said thou Thomas or thou John or thou Mary shalt arise out of the dust again and come to judgement yet I suppose every one that hath the least beam of spiritual light shining down into his soul will acknwledge that the written word of God doth reveal particularly that this soul and that soul even his own soul shall arise from the dust and come to judgemen Now it is apparent that there is as clear a discovery in the written word to any particular souls faith of his certain resurrection from the dead and coming to judgement 2. Either all those particulars are to be fully comprehended in that universal offer and universal unlimited command of believing or else there were no obedience to the will of God commanded to any particular soul whatever nor no disobedience to the will of God reproved It is no where said thou Thomas or thou John shalt worship the Lord in Prayer It is no where said thou Thomas or thou Mary shalt receive me as thy only God and worship me only Likewise no disobedience to the will of God were reproved It is no where said thou Thomas shalt not steal thou John shalt not lye thou Mary shalt not commit adultery yet I conceive thou whose believing disposition is most out of exercise at present darest not say God hath not said to thy soul do not steal do not lye that God hath not commanded thee to worship him in his ordinances appointed So that it is clear the word of God doth reveal to particular souls undoubtedly their certain admission into union with Jesus Christ in case they accept him Secondly The precious written word of God reveals unto particular souls sense their particular union with the Lord Jesus That is to say whenever the spirit of light and manifestation sent from the Lord Jesus shall irradiate the precious written word of God so as to make its own heavenly light shine into a dark heart and also irradiate at the same time or cast beams of light upon the precious believing act that the same spirit of Jesus Christ hath begotten in that soul then that light that the written word of God holds forth particularly declares to such a particular soul its certain actual union with the Lord Jesus Now the written word of God speaks to the sense of a believing soul his union with the Lord Jesus in these two ways 1. In its general description of the nature of that believing act that the Lord requires from the soul Now the written word describing the nature of that believing act that the Lord requires in general and declaring that believing act to be required in the same manner from every soul that written word of God doth particularly reveal unto such a particular souls sense his actual union with the Lord Jesus as thus the written word of the Lord describes the nature of the believing act to be a coming to Jesus Christ Mat. 11.28 to be receiving the testimony of God that he gave concerning his Son selling to its seal that God is true John 3.33 A receiving the Record that God hath given of his Son 1 John 5.7 8 9. To be a receiving of Christ himself John 1.12 To be a will in the soul concurring with what the Lord tenders Rev. 22.17 Now I say in the spirits describing the general nature of that believing act the Lord requires it doth speak particularly to the believing soul when the spirit is so evidencing to him his union with the Lord Jesus and declares the souls certain and infallible union with Jesus Christ As thus the spirit having first revealed to the souls faith the Lords will to admit having sweetly encouraged the soul yea powerfully irresistibly effectually commanded the soul to set to his seal that the Lord is true and to say Lord be it unto thy Servant as thou hast spoken then the same spirit irradiates that written word that describes the general nature of the believing act letting the soul discern that the believing act is a sweet consent of the mind and heart to the truths of the Lord in the tender of the Lord Jesus to him to reconcile the Father and him and then the spirit irradiates also the precious consent of the mind and heart that holy trust and confidence that is then in the soul and then the written word saith particularly that thou dost consent to accept of what the Lord thus tenders in Christ to thee thou art certainly and everlastingly united to the Lord Jesus thou art he who dost receive what the Lord hath propounded in Christ so thee and therefore thou art certainly lodged in the everlasting arms of the Lord Jesus 2. The second way that the written word dclares unto the particular souls sense his particular union with the Lord Jesus is by its description of the constant certain and inseparable operation of the believing disposition describing the manner of the working of the believing disposition or describing the various effects of faith 1. By the written word declaring that the proper operation of faith is by love to Jesus Christ Gal. 5.6 2. By declaring that the proper operation of faith is to abase the soul in it self and make it altogether nothing Rom. 3.27 3. The Scripture doth declare that the proper operation of faith is by purifying the heart cleansing it from all unholy dispositions Acts. 15 9. 4. In declaring that the proper operation of faith is an high and unspeakable estimation of Jesus Christ himself Phil. 3. 8 9. Now thus the written word declaring the proper manner of the operation of faith doth declare particularly unto any particular soul his union with Jesus Christ and so consequently the same written word declares that in whatever heart the believing disposition thus particularly works there is that precious believing act the Lord requires there is that precious faith unfeigned that Jesus Christ commands in his precious Gospel and so it speaks particularly to a particular soul thou dost believe with that precious faith unfeigned that Jesus Christ requires and thus the spirit doth but make this written word of God speak to the souls understanding what it doth always speak in it self which is that that particular soul doth now believe according to the will of God So
that thence it appears the word of God doth speak and declare as particularly to a believing soul his union with the Lord Jesus as if it did speak to any soul by name for that light that discovers to the souls sense and feeling or knowledge his union with Christ is but the discovery of the truth of his own heart in believing the written worb speaks as plainly to a particular souls sense and Knowledge his union with the Lord Jesus that is declares to him that he doth particularly believe as it doth declare to any particular rebellious obstinate sinner that he particularly doth sin the word saith whosoever walks thus or thus transgresseth the will of God now this speaks to every particular soul so sinning Que. But the soul may say how can a soul know that those Books of the Old and New Testament are the Lords own word May there not be some mixture of men That the Scriptures are the writen word of God Answ For answer to the question first negatively secondly affirmatively I. Negatively I answer that the soul cannot be assured by all the powers and possibilities of men no not by any created power that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the written word of God Though I deny not that the testimony of men may give some kind of ground to the soul to believe it and I fear the greatest number among us have no other ground yet no testimony of man can assure the soul sufficiently that these are the Lords written word the matter contained in the written word of God is altogether spiritual and therefore it must be a beam of spiritual light that must satisfyingly and sufficiently discover to a soul that the spiritual matter is the truth of God and did proceed from God 2. All the most exquisite reasoning that the most elevated wits of man can extract are not sufficient to demonstrate satisfyingly unto a soul that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the written word of God himself indeed If it were so then the wisest of men should have been ready to receive the word of God as the word of God whereas the Scripture testifies the most wise have been most oppsite to receive it 1. Cor. 1.26 Scribes and Pharisees the wisest of the People were the greatest opposers to our dearest Redeemer 3. The written word of God barely and simply taken without the Mighty Power of the spirit conrurring with the Word is not able to demonstrate it self to be the Word of God Questionless if it were then whoever had been partaker of the Written Word or had heard the Word Preached that is Written must in like manner have given credit to it whereas the Scripture Testify that when Jesus Christ himself spake of those things he had wrought some Opposed and Blasphemed But then I answer affirmatively I. That the Blessed Spirit of God only is able to demonstrate Clearly Evidently Satisfyingly and Infallibly unto a soul that the Written Word of God is the Written Word of God This the Apostle affirms directly 1 Cor. 2.9 to 12 that the spirit had Revealed those things to them which they by the Power of Reason could never comprehend And that all the things given to them of God are Revealed by the spirit to be so given And the Written Word of God is none of the smallest gifts of God to his people Therefore consequently it reveals that also to be given to them So likewise he affirms that it is the Spiritual Man that Judgeth all things that is of truths that is it is only the Man Begotten by the Spirit of Jesus Christ unto God and led by the light of that Blessed spirit of Jesus Christ that is able to Judge of Truths to Judge what Truths have their Original from God and to Judge what have not their Original thence It is the spirit also saith he that searches the deep things of God that discovers the very Mystery of God to them so as to make the Divinity shine forth in them Whereas the most heightned reason of the Accutest Sons of Adam can discern nothing but Foolishness in the deep Mysteries of Godliness v. 14. And indeed were it not the Testimony of that Blessed Spirit to a Believers Heart that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the Lords Written Word that they have their Original from the Lord himself then the Foundation of Believers Faith were not a Divine Authority neither could a Believer say in believing any truth contained in those Books that he knew whom he hath Believed with a Relation to God himself II. When that ever Blessed Spirit doth reveal to any Believing soul the Written Word to be the Written Word of God then the proper light of the Written Word it self shines forth so gloriously as it discovers it self also to be the Lords Word That is to say the matter of the Lords Written Word appears to be so Transcendent so far surpassing the Capacities of weak men yea the quality of the Word appears to be so Holy so Pure and Undefiled so contrary to the Powers of Hell and the Kingdom of the Devil and so contrary to the Tyranny and Dominion that mans Corrupt Affections naturally desire to bear over him yea the quality of the Word appears to be so Unspeakably Unconceivably excellent that the soul sees infinite reason even in the Word it self to perswade it that it is the Lords Word Yea the manner of the Written Word speaking the very Language it speaks favours so much of Heaven that it appears to the Believing soul to be so Cloathed with Power and Irresistable Authority it appears to have such properties of God himself peculiar unto God Soul-Searching Heart-Dividing Properties finding out the Secrets of the Heart that then the Believing soul is Compassed about with Reason Cloathed in with Reason that appears shineing from the Word it self that satisfys the Believing Soul that it is the Word of the Almighty Majesty of Heaven Divinity is then every way Ingraven upon the Written Word in the Believer So that as the spirit in its casting the Pretious Heavenly Light into the Beliving soul did Write his own name upon those Beams of light and made them appear to the soul to be from the spirit So likewise in the souls discerning the light also to proceed from the Lords Written Word there is the name of God Written upon those Beams of light also that the soul knows as well as believes them to proceed from God himself seeing they shine forth from that Word of his that the soul believes with Confidence yea so Satisfyingly and so knowingly to his full contentment it is the Word of the Blessed Majesty of Heaven Would you know you that are Confident this day that a light did shine into your souls to satisfy you concerning your union with Jesus Christ whether this union be from God or no Would you be assured as well to knowledge as to faith that you
are not deluded Then see whether that light that shined into your Souls have shined from the Lords written word Yet let me add a caution in this least I might possibly shake some Soul into whose heart some beams of light from the Spirit hath really descended to discover to the Soul his union with Christ though the light that doth shine into every Soul which truly proceeds from God to discover to the Soul its union with Christ doth and ought to shine forth from the Lords written word yet I dare not affirm that whenever the spirit of light doth discover to a Soul its union with Jesus Christ clearly both to faith and sense that then the spirit fastens some particular portions of the Lords word by name from such a Chapter and verse from whence the spirit doth make that light shine forth into that believing Soul certainly the spirit of Jesus Christ may send down precious beams of divine light into a dark Soul to discover to the Soul satisfyingly its union with the Lord Jesus both to faith and sense when such a particular sentence that is written in such a Book in such a Chapter in such a Verse is not brought to the Souls memory But there may be an extract of the quintessence that is of the prime light the most glorious light of many places of Scripture that concur together in one to testifie the fame truth to the Soul there may be an extract made by the Spirit of Christ of the grand truth that the Gospel reveals to faith and of the truth of the Souls believing act that the spirit reveals unto the Souls sense from many places of Scripture so as the light that the spirit causeth to shine into the Soul is still from the written word and the soul discerns it to his own satisfaction while the glory of the light actually remains that it doth shine from the precious written word though it may be the soul could not at that time be able to produce such and such particular sentences from such a Chapter and such a Verse though I dare not but say also but as the soul receiving that certain evidence doth discern that that sweet light that shines into his soul shines from the written word so likewise upon recollecting of himself and upon serious deliberation with himself he might be able to produce such portions of the Lords word as would sufficiently testifie to the truth of what the spirit of Jesus Christ had so revealed to his soul from the word yet observe this that the soul must then so deliberate and so consult with his heart about the matter while the heavenly lustre and commanding power of those evidencing beams of light remain shining into his soul for in case the soul be bereaved again upon any occasion of the lustre and glory of those precious beams of light the soul may so far forget the very sentences that the spirit of Jesus Christ did then dictate to it that the soul through the darkness and obscurity that passes upon him immediately again may for the present be uncapable of discerning in the written word of God what his soul clearly discerned in the same word formerly that the soul may in case the spirit of light should absent it self long perchance begin to draw some sad conclusion that the evidence that the Soul received was not a light shining from the Lords word but some delusion from the Devil transforming himself into Angelical Glory This is the second reason whence a soul may prove that the beam of light received is from God when the soul discerns it to shine from the written word The second sort of demonstrations whereby a soul may prove to himself his union with Jesus Christ must be a demonstration a posteriori A Demonstration taken from the effects that those beams of light that shine into the soul discovering to a soul its union with Jesus Christ do beget in the Soul Now all the effects that any thing that proceeds from God begets in believing Souls are but the accomplishment of the Lords eternal intent they are but the production of the Lords precious thoughts of love towards those believing Souls from before the foundations of the world were laid So that whatever is communicated to any believing Soul if it doth demonstrate it self to proceed from God by its effects that it begets in him it must then conduce in some degree to the effecting of the Lords precious eternal will towards that believing Soul Now those eternal intents of God towards believing Souls they may be reduced to three Heads according as the Spirit of truth sums them in 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come That is Heaven and Earth all are yours that is destinated unto your good to accomplish your Salvation And ye are Christs that is ye believing Souls are destinated to accomplish the glory of Jesus Christ And Christ is Gods that is Christ himself considered mystically as the Mediator is appointed for the manifestation of the Fathers glory for the exaltation of him in the hearts of Saints and Angels and before the eyes of all the world so as all may admire him and adore him There are three intents and precious ends of the Lord from Eternity towards those believing Souls First There is the accomplshment of the glory of those believing Souls Secondly The perfecting of Christs supernatural glory as he is Mediator And Thirdly The perfect manifestation of the Fathers glory through both these And therefore seeing these three are those prime and principal ends the very ultimate end of God the very sum and compendium of all those precious thoughts that wrought in the blessed Majesty of Heaven before the foundations of the world were laid thence whatsoever proceeds from God into a believing soul must in some degree or other tend towards the accomplishment of one of those ends So that it must demonstrate it self to proceed from God by one of those three effects if it any way can be proved by its effects to proceed from God himself Only by the way you must take this distinction for prevention of mistakes the dealings of God towards the Saints do either immediately to the exaltation of the Saints and the exaltation of Christ and the manifestation of the Fathers glory or else they tend immediately The Lords promissive will or the Lords sufferance of a Believer to sin doth not immediately manifest any of these yet mediately it doth perfect all that when the Lord doth suffer the soul to slide and fall yet then through the mighty Power of his love to the believing soul in Christ he doth send down the spirit of Jesus Christ so to work in that believing soul that those very falls and slips and backslidings of that believing soul shall produce more watchfulness over his own ways more charity towards others more abominations of those
cursed dispositions in his own heart more abased thoughts of himself as he is in himself more distrustful of himself and his own heart being less confident in himself and in the strength of the power of holiness as yet communicated to him And thus those very falls or slips of that believing soul shall tend to their last end to make the soul partaker of more holiness causing the soul to hang more intire with a more precious constant dependance upon the Lord Jesus for the constant influences of the sanctified spirit and so shall exalt the name of God more in that heart and so shall cause the soul to grow more into a conformity to that mystical Head of his the Lord Jesus and so through that conformity to his Head and that mystical glory of Christ the glory of the Father shall be exalted Thus likewise you must consider again that the communication of God himself unto believing souls are secret invisible and insensible and also they are visible and sensible Now those communicarions of God himself unto the believing soul that are visible and sensible those do commonly immediately tend to the accomplishment of the believing souls glory that is to the perfection of the likeness of Jesus Christ in the soul and so consequently it tends also to the perfecting of Christs mystical glory and to the manifestation of the Fathers glory But those communications of God unto a believing soul that are invisible secret and insensible those commonly do tend only mediately to the accomplishment of those fore named blessed ends So that hence also you may collect that whenever any communication of God unto a believing soul doth demonstrate it self to come from God when it is sensible communication then it doth immediately tend to the accomplishment of these three ends This then being considered and it being apparent that all the dealings of God with believing souls are for the accomplishment of those his three blessed intendments from before the foundation of the world was laid then it must be through discerning of one of those three intendments of God effected in the soul that the believing soul must prove that such a beam of light as discovers to him his union with Christ did proceed from God himself Now we shall begin with the highest and so proceed to the lowest All are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods that is for God And from thence we may conclude that the prime and principal reason taken from the effects of a souls union with Christ where by it may be proved that souls evidence proceeds from God is this that the beam of heavenly light that shines into the soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus doth exalt and magnifie the name of God in the hearts Gods exaltation of himself in the Believers heart was the great design of God from all eternity it was as it were the Alpha and Omega as I may so speak the very beginning and end of the Lords intention only his intention reached further to exalt himself through believing souls before all other Therefore then may the soul prove infallibly the light that discovered to his soul his union with Christ to proceed from God himself when it effects the prime intendment of God from eternity to the believing Soul when it erects a higher Throne from the Majesty of Heaven in its heart when it fills the heart with higher lowder more zealous acclamations of praise and honour and glory and worship to be given for ever to yonder God that the light carries the stamp and impression of Heaven upon it when it begins the work of Heaven in a believing way here then it is an earnest of Heaven when it implys the Soul in the work that it is destinated to from Eternity Pro. 19.6 God hath made all things for himself that is for the manifestation of his own transcendent glory so for the magnifying of his ever blessed name Now when the light that discovers to the soul its union do thus effect Gods general his ultimate end in the believing Soul the Soul may certainly conclude this beam of light did descend down from the Father of Lights Now there are four or five acts in the believing Soul wherein it exalts the name of God 1. Then the Soul exalts the name of God when it is filled with such sensible apprehensions of such transcendent brightness of glory shining sorth from God as the Soul is utterly unable to conceive of or apprehend Now this first act of that believing Soul to exalt God in his heart is the certain and infallible effect of every beam of light that proceeds from God to discover to his Soul his union with the Lord Jesus Indeed every act of the Lords mercy and goodness towards believing Souls is a Precious Christal Glass wherein believing Souls do see an incomprehensibleness of the beauty glory and unspeakable perfection of God and therefore much more unconceivable glory do the believing Soul apprehend in such an high act of the Lords mercy and love as is the discovery of his precious eternal love to the believing Soul through Christ This you shall see apparent in David upon the Lords discovering of his promises made unto his Soul in Christ and made unto his House also in 2 Sam. 7.18 19 20 21. Then went King David in and sat before the Lord then that is after the Prophet had declared the precious promise to his Soul in Christ and he said who am I O Lord God and what is my House that thou hast brought me hitherto Thou art Great O Lord God there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee ver 22. Mark what sensible high apprehensions of a transcendent glory in God dwelt in Davids heart upon the discovery of such precious promises made to him and his House likewise upon a smaller mercy comparatively though indeed typifying the same mercy upon the deliverance of the Israelites from the hands of Pharoah and drowning their cruel Task-masters in the Red Sea the hearts of the Saints were filled with high apprehensions of the glory of God Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord yea they repeat their admiration twice as if they could not admire him enough who is like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders you may behold the same workings of the believing heart 1. John 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that me should be called the Sons of God There are three or four special beams of the glory of Heaven that a Believer apprehends as unspeakable unconceivable incomprehensible when a beam of light shines from God to discover to the Soul its union with Christ 1. There is then such a glorious brightness of the presence of God appears to the believing Soul as it stands amazed to behold it When the Lord lets such a beam of light shine into the dark Soul that it sees the Lords will
is indeed to be one with him in Christ yea that his Soul is already lodged in that precious bosom of the love of the Lord Jesus then the Soul beholds such an unspeakeable preciousness in the Majesty of Heaven that he waited upon such an unbeliever such a crooked opposite wretch so long that the Soul sets down silently to admire and is swallowed to the depth in admiration 2. There is a Soul amazing brightness appears in the Souls eye in the independance of the Lords love When that bright Beam of light shines from Heaven to discover to the Soul its union with the Lord Jesus the Soul seeth that there was nothing that moved the heart of God to have thoughts of love towards him nothing that enclined his blessed will to admit him into union with Jesus Christ but only his precious disposition only his eternal thoughts of kindness that old loving kindness of his from Eternity then the Soul says as David in 1 Sam. 7.21 for thy words sake and according to thy own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy Servant know them then the believing Soul says though my wretched unbelieving heart could not trust thee yet for thy words sake thou hast fulfilled it according to thine own heart thou hast done it O Lord what could thy purest eye behold in this forlorn Soul of mine What could have moved the Lord thinks the Soul but his own blessed will to chuse such an useless such an unserviceable such an unprofitable such a barren such a foolish yea such a cross hearted wretch as I 3. The glorious irresistible power of the Lords eternal love in Christ to the loveless Soul shineth gloriously When once the light shineth from Heaven that discovered to the believing Soul his union with Christ how many cursed contradictions thinks a believing Soul did the love of Christ suffer from my Soul How often did my vile believing heart give the Majesty of Heaven the lye How many years did I sleight this I stopped my Ears I hearkned to none of his blessed tenders yet then he bored mine Ear and constrained me to hear O think the Soul what a froward perverse hearted Wretch have I been to this dear God of mine Certainly thinks the Soul if rebellion if enmity if the working of a Devils heart could have opposed it it had been turned away from me Fourthly The orient brightness of the Lords infallible truth shines before the Soul These Beams of the Lords glory shines in a peculiar manner before the Souls Eye but there are multitudes of the 〈◊〉 of the Majesty of Heaven that also with these shine in the same moment into the same Soul when a light proceeds from God to discever to a Soul its union then the wisdom of the Lord in contriving the design of Redemption by Christ appears then do the very beauty of justice it self appear in the Lords contriving the Redemption of loveless Souls in such a way wherein justice and mercy might meet together and kiss each other so that indeed a light shines from Heaven that incompasseth the Soul round about that the Soul stands amazed and astonished gazing upon those beams of glory that appear shining forth from the Majesty of Heaven into his Soul II. A second act of a believing Soul wherein the name of God is exalted in the Soul is a sensible apprehension and estimation of the Lord to be infinitely worthy to receive all prefection of glory and honour and praise for ever Now this precious God sanctifying act is also the infallible necessary effect of such a precious beam of light as doth truly shine from the Father of Lights into any Soul to discover his union with the Lord Jesus This was effected in Davids heart upon the Prophets discovering of the Promises made in Jesus to him in 2. Sam. 7.26 Let thy name be magnified for ever saying the Lord of Hosts is the God over Israel yea this act is infallibly produced in a believing Soul by every visible motion of the Lords mercy or love towards the Soul So you may observe in Exod. 15.20 Miriam cried to the rest of the Daughters of Judah sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously So Rev. 4.10 11. The four and twenty Elders fell down that sat before him upon the Throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power Now there are two things that follow upon the Souls vision of his union with the Lord Jesus by the light of the Spirit of Christ that do necessarily produce this apprehension or estimation in the believing Soul 1. Upon the Souls discovery its union with the Lord Jesus there are lively enlarged actings of love produced in the Soul Every renewed vision of love inflames the Believers heart with love again correspondently Now from those quickned and enlarged actings of love do arise necessarily high estimations and glorious conceptions of the Majesty God that thence the Soul apprehends him infinitely to receive honour and glory for ever 2. Upon the Souls discerning his union with the Lord Jesus there follows an apprehension of the souls union with the Lord Jesus there follows an apprehension of the Souls owing all that he is and enjoys unto God by way of retribution Now from a Souls apprehension that he ows more then he is or have unto God he conceives him infinitely worthy to receive honour and glory for ever and ever from all the creation he himself can never render glory sufficient therefore he esteems it to be but equal that the whole Creation should joyn together to exalt this blessed Majesty III. The third act in a believing Soul wherein the name of God is exalted is a sensible apprehension of the dispicableness worthlesness and nothingness of the Soul it self and all that the circumference of the earth affords without God and in comparison of God Now this God-exalting act in the believing Soul is also the necessary effect of such a precious beam of light shining from the Father of Lights to discover to a Soul its union with Christ then indeed is the Soul a worm and no man then is he empty and poor yea absolutely nothing without communion with that his God yea then is all the Creation but meer shadows flying vanities without that God in Christ then do the quintessence of all the beauty of the whole Creation if it could be abstracted appear but as the drop of the bucket as the dust of the ballance yea as vanity without that God in Christ Thus in Psal 8.4 upon the Psalmists apprehension of the infinite glory of God he immediately cries out into admiration of the nothingness of man Lord what is man IV. The fourth act of the believing Soul wherein the name of God is exalted is the Souls actual prostration or subjections of all its powers and possibilities at the foot of the Lords glorious Majesty Now this precious God sanctifying act in the believing Soul is the
Martyrdom for the Name of Christ is accounted such an high honouring of Jesus Christ and that the Lord testifies such respect to those that do suffer for his Name in regard by those their sufferings wherein they seem to slight their Estates their outward Liberty their Lives for the sake of Christ they declare there is all fulness of contentment in him that there is happiness enough for them that all outward contentments the confluence of all the happiness that the Earth doth afford is not to be compared to the enjoyment of the love of God in Christ and to the pretious manifestation and sweetest operation of it Thirdly When the Soul sends forth the whole strength of his soul in his pursuit of the enjoyment of the sweetest discovery of that love and the most pretious operations of it into and upon his soul Fourthly When there is a deadness in the Heart towards all things else in comparison of the love of God that is in Christ Fifthly When the soul can take its fulness of contentment in that love in the absence of all things else When a soul can actually drink such full drafts of the love of God that is in Christ that is to say promise himself such happiness contentment unspeakable perfection of glory in the enjoyment of that love that the Heart says practically it is enough though the Heavens should withdraw their light and the Earth all her advantages that ever she can afford seeing there is the love of my God in Christ that I shall actually enjoy Now further we are to shew you that this manifestation or declaration practically by the believer that all perfection and glory is eminently contained in God in Christ to unlovely sinners is the necessary certain infallible effect of a beam of light shining from God to a believing soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus So that whenever any beam of light is cast down from Heaven into the dark soul of any believer to manifest certainly its union with the Lord Jesus then certainly also that ever blessed Name of God is exalted through the believing in that that pretious beam of light doth necessarily cause that believer to manifest and declare practically the fulness of the Lords love in Christ that there is all perfection excellency and glory that can possibly be suitable for the believing soul contained in that love eminently transcendently infallibly as will appear further by opening every particular way and means how the believing soul doth practically manifest that there is fulness in the Lords love in Christ to such unlovely sinners as the Lord declares As I. The kind of fulness of joy and rejoycing which is a prime and principal means how the name of God is exalted by a believing soul is the necessary and infallible effect of a beam of light shining from Heaven into a soul to discover its union with the Lord Jesus That you may observe from 1 Pet. 1.8 whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory With joy unspeakable Joy that cannot be uttered either by the Tongue of men or Angels Joy it is full of glory that is full of excellency and sweetness delight and contentment Their believing produced this effect an unspeakable joy in their Hearts Then much more a beam of light from the spirit of light discovering unto faith the Lords blessed will to admit the soul into union with Christ and thereby powerfully enabling the believing soul to believe afresh and also a beam of light from the blessed spirit manifesting the souls believing act unto the soul it self and so discovering both unto faith and sense such unspeakable matter of joy and rejoycing much more must this fill the believing soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory According to that in Eph. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy Mark it the proper effect of the spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling in the believing soul is joy then certainly that joy that possesses a believing soul must needs be exceedingly eminently raised to a high strain to a superlative degree when the spirit of Jesus Christ shall dwell so plentifully as it doth when it thus bears testimony to faith and testimony to sense of the Souls union with Jesus Christ Yea such is the nature and power and vertue of a beam of light sent down from God to discover to a soul his union with Christ that it cannot but infallibly produce such a superlative degree of joy and rejoycing in that love of God that is in Christ I. In regard through that beam of light from the spirit and discovering to the Soul its union the enlarged longing restless breathings of that believing soul are in some measure accomplished Now Solomon tells us Prov. 13.12 that the accomplishment of the desire is a tree of life There is such infinite sweetness contentment and satisfaction in the souls attaining his desires that from thence the soul seems to gather Apples of life from a Tree of life II. In regard that light gives the believing soul a pretious taste of his mutual Communion with his God through Christ Every believing act doth occasion some Communion to be between God and the believing soul but much more in that believing act that is heightned by the power of the spirit of Christ to a certainty Then there are large degrees of life and holiness communicated from God to the believing soul and a kind of full communication of all the powers and possibilities of the believing soul to God again then God delights himself in the believing soul sweetly and the soul reciprocally delights himself in God Now the very taste of the communion which is the earnest of the souls full inheritance which is eternal communion with God in Christ that cannot but fill the believing soul with joy and peace III. In regard that light occasions the believing soul to enjoy all that Heaven it self can afford through hope It causes the soul to sit together with Christ by hope Eph. 2.6 It causeth the soul to discern certainly through believing the Lord Jesus as his blessed head to be gone before as an Harbinger to prepare a place for him that the soul by hope sits there already and is saved already 4. That light draws out the actings of faith in such certainty that all the glory of Heaven it self is presented also to the believing soul Faith saith the Apostle in Heb. 11.1 Is the evidence of things not seen That is it is such a disposition as by its pretious working gives things not seen an evident certainty unto the believing soul yea it is the substance of things hoped for The word in the original is very emphatical it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is that which gives a substantial being to things hoped for a being already that the soul not only enjoys all that Heaven affords by hope but through the
name of God might be exalted through believing souls by holding forth the glorious freedom of that riches of love that is in Christ Jesus Now we shall shew you that this exaltation of God in this manifestation of the perfection of freedom of his love in Christ to unlovely sinners is the necessary inseparable infallible effect of a true beam of light shining from Heaven into any dark heart to reveal to that soul his union with the Lord Jesus This must be opened by shewing you those three acts of believing souls whereby they do thus manifest the glorious freedom of the Lords love to the exaltation of God through them that these three acts are necessarily and certainly produced in souls by discerning a beam of light from Heaven to discover to them their union with Jesus Christ First That sensible and free acknowledgement of the souls abhorred vileness even when the tender of the Lords love in Jesus Christ is made to it yea when the Lord grasps it in the everlasting arm of his love that was in Christ even this sensible and free acknowledgement of the souls most cursed wickedness is the necessary effect of a souls receiving a light from Heaven to evidence its union with the Lord Jesus Christ this you may see 1 Tim. 1.14 Paul tells us that he was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious yet to me the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant not only abundant having more than a fulness of love but exceeding abundant abounding in the most superlative degree in the most inconceivable manner So the third and fourth Chapters to the Romans seem to be written for that very purpose in a great measure to prove nothing but vileness to have been in those souls whom the Lord accepted into the Bosom of his love in Christ Thus the Apostle endeavours to draw forth free acknowledgments of their abhorred vileness while he is remembring them of the riches of the Lords love in Christ to them We shall make it appear in some particulars that the free sensible acknowledgement of the souls abhorred wickedness when the Lord tenders his love in Christ is the necessary effect of receiving a beam of light from Heaven to discover to the soul his union 1. In regard there is an actual view of the most accursed wretchedness of the soul by the power of a beam of light that shines from Heaven to discover to a soul his union with Christ Any beam of true light that shines into a soul is but a discovery of the Gospel message in its clearness extent and latitude it is but an opening and expounding clearly and satisfyingly to the souls capacity the message of glad tydings that Christ sent to poor despicable sinners now that glad tydings is nothing else but the message of reconciliation to every soul that will accept it and thence it cannot be but the same light must present to the souls view the sight of his enmity and opposition of heart it can not be but at the same moment when the soul apprehends his own reconciliation to God in Christ he must apprehend his own enmity formerly to God in Christ Thence it is that in Ezek. 36.31 In the Prophets foretelling the blessed Covenant of Grace that should be established between God and Souls he doth also prophecy that those with whom the Covenant of Grace should be established they shall remember their own evil ways and doings that were not good and shall loath themselves in their own sight for their iniquities and abominations Now any beam of precious light from Heaven thus necessarily presenting to the soul an actual view of its own abhorred vileness thence it cannot but dispose that believing soul for sensible and free acknowledgement of that unspeakable vileness of his when the tender of that love came to him 2. In regard every beam of light enables the soul to comprehend his sinfulness and most accursed wickedness more largely and fully it causeth him to behold the height and depth and length and breath of his own wickedness according to the glory of God apprehended against whom the soul have sinned so are the souls apprehensions or comprehensions of the height of his own vileness now the glory of the light never shines so clearly and transparently upon any soul as it does when such a beam of light comes from the spirit of light and manifestation to discover the glorious riches of love in Christ to the dispicable unlovely soul admitting the loveless worthless soul into the nearest union so that thence there can never be such full comprehensions of his own sinfulness as there is in the very moment when such a beam of light shines from Heaven upon the soul 3. In regard the affections are all drawn forth to work in their strength against the souls sinfulness by such a beam of light shining forth That manifestation of the riches of the Lords love begets answerable correspondent workings of love in the soul towards God again now those workings of love in the soul towards God draws forth the workings of all the other affections against the souls sinfulness Love and Hatred works towards their contrary objects in like degree In the very same measure that the actings of love are drawn out towards God in the same measure is the hatred of the soul the loathing and abhorring of the sinful disposition drawn out This David declares Psal 119.103 That upon his tasting the sweetness of the Lords words which were the actings of love in the soul of David to the word of God he hates every false way ver 104. and vain thoughts ver 13. His love and hatred wrought equally alike towards their object his love to the Law of God made him hate whatever was contrary to it Now the love of the soul towards God is drawn out in its superlative degree of acting by that clear discovery from Heaven that Jesus Christ and the Soul are one and thence likewise all the affections cannnot but work in their highest degree against all the sinfulness of the Soul both hatred of the sinful disposition sorrow and melting and breaking of heart in remembrance of it anger displeasure and indignation against it fear and dread of those iniquities having power over it Now thence it cannot be but the same beam of light discovering to the Soul his union with Christ should necessarily produce sensible and free acknowledgement of the Souls abhorred vileness seeing it fills the heart with the working of strong affection against his own sinfulness apprehended 4. In regard there are constant actings of faith in the believing Soul while the glory of such a beam of light from Heaven shines into the Soul There are such renewed operations of saith continues while that light shines into a Soul that discovers his union with Christ that there seems during the continuation of that light into the Soul to be but one extended drawn forth act of faith Now seeing there are those constant
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
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
of his holiness Secondly This is the reason why the sins of those that are united to Jesus Christ do stir up the displeasure of God in a superlative manner though his displeasure works but in a fatherly manner against their Persons because by their sins the glory of his holiness is ecclipsed they profess God not to be so absolutely holy but a Soul may have fellowship with God and yet be unholy and this casts a black cloud upon the Lords perfect holiness Hence it is that the Lord complained so bitterly against the chosen Nation of the Jews when they walked unholy and unsutably because they caused his name to be polluted among the Heathen Ezek. 36.21 22 23. Thence the displeasure of God was incensed so high against the holy man David because of his unworthy walking 2. Sam. 12.14 Thou hast caused the enemies of God to blaspheme that is to speak against God to have unworthy thoughts of God and thence it is that the Lord testifies an higher degree of abhorrence of his Peoples sins than he doth of the sins of those that are not joyned to him and remitted into union with him in Christ thence the Lord commands the Apostle to profess more displeasure against the sins of them that profess themselves to be one with God then against the sins of any other 1. Cor. 5.9 10 11. If any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one no not to eat It is not meant eating at the Lords Table but to sit down in a civil way of eating at the Table with him he vails Gods glory and professesâ—â— God is not so absolutely pure but he can behold iniquity or not so absolutely holy but there may be communion with him and yet be unholy Thirdly This is the reason that Souls enjoying the evidence of their union with Christ declares such ardent desires after and such a constant necessity of attending upon the Lords appointments for communion because hereby they declare that converse and communion with God doth necessarily make a Soul partaker of his holiness And it is from hence that Souls are always longing and breathing after communion with God through his ordinances that they might be partakers of his holiness so it is through the manifestation of those breathings after communion with him that their Souls declare practically that still further every degree of communion with God doth make the Soul further partaker of his holiness seeing they declare it is for that end they attend upon the Lord in ordinances and long after ordinances that they might go on to perfect holiness Fourthly This is the reason that the spirit of God doth so vehemently press and urge believing Souls to manifest holiness to walk worthy of God and worthy of their high calling that is in Christ because hereby they declare that communion and converse with God doth necessarily make a Soul partaker of the holiness of God And thence it is that walking holily is call'd a walking holy of their high calling Eph. 4.1 And it is called a walking worthy of God Col. 1.10 Thus the Scripture evidenceth that 〈◊〉 spirits revealing his union with Christ doth necessarily occasion the Soul to declare that the least degree of communion and converse with God doth make a Soul partaker of the holiness of God And likewise even reason it self testifies it 1. In regard the spirits evidencing unto the Soul its union with Jesus Christ gives the Soul such large and sweet experience that communion with God doth make the Soul participate of the holiness of God that thence the Soul cannot but declare what he sees and knows by his own experience When once the spirit of light reveals to the Soul his union with Christ both to faith and sense a Soul is made to discern so clearly such precious dispositions of holiness to be infused from the spirit of Jesus Christ into his heart that thence he hath such undeniable experience that the least vision of the glory of God in Christ the least communion of wills between God and the Soul in Christ doth make the Soul so partake of the holiness of God that the Soul cannot but manifest it upon all occasions practically he cannot but declare it proverbally upon every call he hath to give such a testimony according to that in Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard 2. The spirits evidencing unto a Soul his union with Christ gives the Soul such affecting experiences of the sanctifying vertue of communion with God that the heart is even fired with affection and thence it cannot but declare the glorious sanctifying-vertue in communion with God in Christ The soul receiving light from the spirit of light to declare to his union with Christ doth not only enjoy the experience of the vertue of communion but at that time that experience so takes and ravishes the heart stirs up such rapture of love and delight in those acts of holiness that thence fire may as soon keep in the Bosom and the Cloaths not smell as Solomon speaks aâ— the experience that the soul enjoys be kept close unrevealed 3. The spirits evidencing unto any soul his union with Christ begets such ardent such superlative actings of love towards the honour of God and such an high degree of abhorrence of all dishonour unto God that thence the manifestation of the absolute perfection of holiness that dwells in God by declaring that the least communion with him makes a soul holy doth necessarily grow in that soul It is the great Maxim of the Covenant that the vision of the Lords love to the soul begets love in the soul to God again so that then the glorious testimony of the Lords Love in Christ in admission of the soul into union with Christ cannot but raise the highest actings of love to God in the soul and those actings of love towards God do and will take the honour and glory of God for their object as well as any other attribute that can be conceived in God 4. The spirits evidence unto any soul of his union with Christ doth cause all the engagements that are laid by God upon a believing soul to exalt the name of God in his holiness to return upon the Soul with power and irresistible strength There is indeed constantly some degree of sense in every believing soul of infinite engagements laid by God upon him to oblige and engage him to exalt God in his holiness but those engagements are weaker or stronger according to the clearness or darkness of the spirits evidence to the Soul of its union with Christ And those engagements that the Soul apprehends to be laid upon him to exalt God in his holiness are also actually brought to the souls remembrance and prest upon the Soul according to the frequency of the spirits giving actual evidence unto the Soul of his union with
Christ So that then only when the Spirit doth actually evidence unto the Soul with most clearness and perspecuity its union with Christ then do all the engagements that believing Souls apprehend that God have said upon them to bind them to exalt God in his holiness come upon them with power and force so as a constraint comes upon the spirit the Soul being drawn as it were by cords to study and exalt the name of God in his holiness As for instance First when the spirit evidenceth to the Soul his union with Christ the Soul is actually at that time sensible that he was chosen from eternity to be a vessel of honour into whom the holiness of God should be poured that the glory of the Lords holiness might appear So that then the Soul stands strongly bent through the strength of this engagement God hath laid upon him to lift up the name of God in his holiness and to make the holiness of the name of God appear Secondly When the spirit evidenceth to the Soul his union with Christ the Soul is actually sensibl◠that the Lord hath created him anew for that ver end that he might glorifie the Lord in his holiness According to that in Eph. 2.10 We are all his workmanship created unto good works that is created unto holiness to fruits of holiness and so consequently to the manifestation of the glory of the Lords holiness Thirdly When the spirit manifests unto the soul his union with Christ it is actually sensible that the very end of God in the communication of any of his holiness unto him is the manifestation of the glory of his holiness through the Soul Thus then in regard the spirits evidence of a souls union with Christ doth occasion a being actually sensible of deep engagements laid upon him by God to be exalting him in his holiness thence the spirits evidence doth necessarily occasion the Soul to declare that the least degree of communion with God doth make it to participate in some degree of the Lords holiness So that it is evident both from Scripture and Reason that this third Testimony concerning the absolute perfection of the Lords holiness whereby he is exalted through any Soul is the necessary certain infallible effect of the spirits evidencing to any soul his union with the Lord Jesus 4. The fourth way whereby God is exalted through the Soul by bearing witness to the perfection of his holiness is this when a Soul doth declare that a perfection of conformity to the Lords blessed will in every thing ought to be the only satisfying object of the desires of any Soul Now even this precious God magnyfying act of a believing Soul is also the necessary effect of the spirits evidencing to any soul its union with Christ Thus you shall observe that the spirit of Jesus Christ produced this blessed effect in Paul's heart to whom the spirit did vouchsafe the clearest revelation and most Soul-ravishing Testimony of his union with Jesus Christ Phil. 3.12 13 14. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are before I press towards the mark of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Here are four or five things the Apostle testifies to be the practice of his own Soul for the exalting of the Lord in his holiness and so consequently testifies it to be the effect of the spirit of Jesus Christ in any believing Soul to whom he reveals his union with Christ First He testifies his estimation of himself that he doth account himself as yet to be altogether imperfect unholy I count not my self to have apprehended he testifies that the power and vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not yet fully made manifest in his Soul that is the sin mortifying vertue of the death of Jesus Christ the quickening and enlivening vertue of the resurrection of Christ is not yet fully attained to in his Soul Secondly He testifies that the only end upon which the eye of his Soul was fixed was ' a perfect conformity unto Christ The fulness of an experimental knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as he tells you ver 12. he follows after that he may apprehend that for which also he was apprehended of Jesus Christ and also he tells us ver 14. he pressed forward towards the mark and ver 10 that the only end of his was to know Christ that is to know him experimentally in the vertue of his death and the power of his resurrection having the sense of the glory vertue and power of his death and resurrection in his own spirit so that herein he testifies that his Soul stands resolved to be satisfyed with no degree of holiness and therein by consequence testifies that nothing but the fulness of likeness to Jesus Christ shall ever satisfie Thirdly he testifies that all his labours and endeavours after this experience of all the vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are acounted by him as nothing I forget saith he those things that are behind ver 13. not that his Soul was forgetful of those precious experiences that the Lord hath given him of the death of Christ in killing his sin and the power of Christ in enlivening his Soul but he minded not all the degree of the 〈◊〉 of the death and resurrection of Christ that his Soul was partaker of so as to please himself with thoughts that he had attained to what he was commanded he minded them not so as to satisfie himself with that measure though questionless the measure was very large seeing he testifies often that he was more than a Conqueror over all the powers of sin and that he was able to do all things through Christ strengthening of him and that he was ready to abound and ready to want his heart being disposed in a holy temper in all condition ready to sanctifie God in all his providences yet saith he I forget all those that is I do not so remember them as to satisfie my self that I had attained so much The whole form of the expression is but an allusion to Runners in a Race that never look how many paces of ground they have passed over so as to hinder them from running to the mark but they keep their eye singly fixed upon the mark that they are to attain to so saith he forget the things that are behind Fourthly He testifies that the strenght of all his affections the whole intention of his soul is bent towards the attaining the fulness of the experience of the vertue and power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this he testifies ver 13. reaching sorth unto those things that are before breathing forth still in a metaphorical way he alludes to Runin a Race that run without stretched arms reaching forth towards the mark the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza renders contending
wills between God and a Soul is that top-stair of happiness that any soul can possibly ascend to Now thence seeing happiness is the object of the desires of every soul naturally the soul cannot be satisfied in it self without a perfect union of wills with that God in Christ and perfect communion with him So that thus it is evident both from Scripture from the experience of the manner of the workings and motions of the souls enjoying the evidence of their union with Christ and from reason it self that the spirits evidence given unto any soul of its union with Christ doth necessarily cause the soul to declare that a perfect conformity to the Lords will ought to be the only satisfying object of the Desires of any soul So that it is apparent that the blessed Name of God is exalted in every soul in the glory and brightness of its transcendent holiness to whom the spirit of Jesus Christ doth revael its union with Christ Now I beseech ye you that are sutable according as hath been opened to take a righteous and just examination of your evidence of union with Christ received to try whether you can prove to your own souls or demonstrate from this precious reason that your evidence of your union with Christ received had God for its Father and came down from Heaven only But as I said formerly so I say again that I am confident that those souls whom the spirit hath blessed with the spirit of wisdom to discover to them their union with Christ and with whom the spirit of light remains those souls have a testimony to their hearts and spirits of the real descention of the evidence of their union with Christ from heaven from this reason now opened Certainly there is not a soul among us to whom at present the spirit of Christ doth witness his union but his own heart doth witness that that very testimony of the spirit of Christ did cause the blessed Name of God thus to be exalted through his soul there is not such a soul certainly but his heart testifies that ever since he enjoyed that precious witness of the spirit he hath born record and testimony to the world he hath professed apparently verbally and practically that a perfect conformity to the Lords purest holy will ought only to satisfie the desires of any soul And questionless the soul also understands in some degree that from thence hath proceeded the dissatisfaction of his soul in all the purest acts of obedience to the Lords blessed will Questionless the soul understands that thence it hath been that he could not but in his most holy duties when most assisted by the spirit of Christ be still groaning under the sense of his own unholiness under the sense of his want of that largeness and fulness of the concurrence of his will with the Lords blessed will and under the sense of his want of freedom and liberty of spirit in his compliance with the Lords will that he was convinced ought to have been in his soul and questionless also that soul understands that even from thence hath proceeded those precious desires that have ever since possessed his soul after a larger portion of the sanctifying spirit of Christ and that ever since he hath always been searching after the secret iniquities of his own heart and hath been appealing to the heart-searching God to find them out for him and hath been delighted with the discovery of the Lords will and his disagreement to that will And questionless that soul understands sensibly that since the spirit gave that testimony of his union with the Lord Jesus he hath had many struglings with his spirit to be content to live that he might be redeemed from the power of his contradicting will Thus I doubt not but the spirit of Jesus Christ also doth irradiate the precious Gospel-Truth that the soul is able to prove to it self the descent of its own evidence to be from heaven that God was the Father of that his evidence But yet here I must take in every confident soul without exception that thereby the power of the Truth of Jesus Christ might seize upon hearts And 1. I must desire all souls that think they shall be everlastingly saved by Christ to search into their hearts to know whether their apprehension of salvation by Christ did produce these blessed effects in their hearts or no. I must appeal to your own Consciences Did your apprehensions of salvation by Christ infuse that principle into your minds and hearts that a perfect conformity to the Lords blessed holy will ought only to satisfie the desires of any soul Let Conscience answer Was this blessed principle so rooted in your hearts by those apprehensions of salvation by Christ that thence your hearts have been unsatisfied ever since in your most holy actings in those acts of the purest obedience that ever you rendered to the Majesty of heaven that thence ever since you could not but be complaining when your hearts were most enabled to any act of obedience of the narrowness of your wills in compliance to God's will And that you could not but be complaining of the want of singleness and uprightness and simplicity of heart in every act of Obedience yea that you could not but be complaining of the want of freedom in your wills to comply with the Lords will that you have ever since been groaning for want of the liberty of your wills in that compliance the want of facility and easiness in your wills answering to the Lords blessed will Souls I can only call for Conscience to answer I beseech you stop not its mouth but let it give an Answer in the presence of God whether your hopes of salvation by Christ did so root that principle in your hearts that nothing could satisfie your souls but a full conformity to the Lords will so as you have been unsatisfied in the fullest acts of Obedience you have performed that thence you have caused the Name of God to be exalted through you that you have born witness to the world that the perfection of holiness dwells in God only and all ought to bow down in subjection to that absolute holy will of his 2. I beseech you try whether your apprehension of salvation by Christ did so sweetly build your souls up in the belief of that great Truth that no less than a perfect conformity to the Lords will ought to satisfie the desires of any soul that thence you have been perpetually groaning after a larger portion of the sanctifying spirit of Chrit What do your hearts answer Have you not satisfied your selves with freedom from gross sins and thought your condition should be safe enough because free from the gross pollutions of the world And others of you have you not satisfied your selves with holy duties and thought you gained a sufficient degree of holiness that your hearts never groaned after a larger portion 3. Examine whether your apprehensions of your salvation by
Christ did ever engrave that great Maxim in your hearts that nothing ought to satisfie your souls but a full conformity to the Lords will that thence you have ever since been enquiring and making diligent search to find out the hidden iniquities of your own hearts Do not many of your Consciences attest this before the Lord that it was never made your work one moment to search what iniquity was in your hearts undiscovered 4. Was ever your spirit so caused to apprehend that nothing ought to satsfie your souls but a perfect conformity to the Lords will by your apprehension of your being saved by Christ that thence you have appealed to the Lord to be the trier and examiner of your rotten deceitful hearts to find out your Iniquities for you that your wills might be brought into a more precious conformity to his blessed will Did ever your souls breath forth one such request before the Lord to this day Nay let me ask you whether you durst now in the presence of the heart-searching God come to say Lord search me try me see if there be any way of wickedness in me If so then how far are you from receiving the true evidence whose descent is from heaven whose Father is God that evidence that proceeds from the spirit of Christ of our union with Christ and salvation by him 5. Did ever your apprehensions of your salvation by Christ so confirm in your Souls that great Gospel-Truth that the Lords blessed will ought to have the most absolute perfect subjection from the will of any soul that thence your Souls have delighted and taken contentment in the light of the Lords precious Truth revealing the Lords will to you and revealing the disagreement of your own wills to the Lords will Are not your souls to this day so far from delighting in the discovery of the Lords will to your souls as your spirits loath and hate those blessed discoveries of the Lords will to you and your hearts inwardly bulk and swell against the discoveries of the Lords will that you have hard thoughts and think if God require such holiness such praying such watching over the heart words and thoughts this is a hard Master indeed to require such strictness as no holy heart can observe and answer How then can you say confidently that you shall be saved by Christ when your apprehensions of salvation by Christ cannot testifie in the least degree from this effect of the causing the Name of God to be exalted through you that the descent is from God 6. Lastly Examine whether your apprehension of being saved by Christ begat such a principle in you that nothing could satisfie you but a perfect conformity of your wills to the will of Christ that your hearts have groaned after a dissolution after the time of breaking the corrupt union between Body and Soul that you might no longer be detained under corruption and a necessity of sinning that you might no longer have your wills opposite to the Lords will Alas do not your souls answer that such a time of dissolution is rather a time of horrour to your souls Do not your hearts answer that want of unity to the Lords will is so little burdensom to you that could you dwell in your corrupt bodies it would be accounted happiness to enjoy the pleasures of sin for ever rather than that perfect union and communion with God in Christ If your hearts answer any of these things I beseech you see how far you are from being able to prove to your own souls that the apprehension of your salvation by Christ did descend from God Questionless did they proceed from God they would cause the Name of God and his Holiness to be exalted through you they would cause your souls to bear record to the glory of the Lords holiness do testifie that such a perfection of holiness dwells in God that his will ought to be the Rule for the conforming of the will of every Soul FINIS ERRATA Pag. 6. l. 29. read dependance p. 38. l. 1. for in r. of p. 44. l. 12. r. knowledge p. 83. l. 21. r. but promises p. 87. l. 3. for it r. them p. 93. l. 17. for of r. to p. 94. l. 26. for proceeding r. preceding p. 121. l. 17. for Union to r. Evidences to p. 174. l. 2. for into r. upon p. 188 l. 31. r. receive him p. 189. l. 19. r. make them p. 115. l. 30. r. have one p. 121. l. 32. r. or joynt p. 129. l. 33. r. to recieve p. 132. l. 26. r. in every p. 146. l. 27. dele to p. 160. l. 22. r. of that l. 25. for af r. after p. 193. l. 26. for Lord. r. old p. 205. l. 16. for to r. in p. 213. l. 33. r. fruitfulness p. 241. l. 12. r. glorious subject p. 244. l. 12. 14. 16. for imputed r. reputed p. 259. l. 6. r. Hebr. 4 15. p. 263. l. 32. for perection r. perfection p. 265. l. 28. r. to discern p. 268. l. 12. for to any r. by any p. 284. l. 33. r. superabundance p. 292. l. 17. r. name p. 311. l. 9. r. Rev. 1.6 p. 330. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 20. r. he nearer p. 331. l. 18. 19. for Ministers r. miseries p. 350. l. 15. for into r. in p. 352. l. 13. dele of p. 354. l. 1. r. discovered p. 381. for be r. believer to p. 393. l. 7. for there are r. three or p 394. l. 12. r. chiefly jealous p. 395. l. 24. for less r. left p. 39â— l. 5. r. inextricable l. 27. for Lord. r. Soul p. 399. l. 8. for edifie r. excite p. 401. l. 27. for to r. that p. 407. l. 33. r. a believing soul p. 410. l. 12. for fahen r. fallen p. 415. l. 7. r. compass l. 31. for fafly r. falsely p. 417. l. 22. for charge r. chang p 422. l. 12. for also r. able l. 32. dele that p. 423. l. 16. for declare r. compare l. 22. for act r. art dele into p. 428. l. 17. for for r. of l. 18. for so r. for p. 4â—9 l. 22. for poor r. pure p. 430. l. 21. for abstrenuous r. obstreperous p. 441. l. 20. for them r. view p. 432. l. 2. after to add make p. 445. l. 10. after admission add into Vnion p. 448. l. 7. for Confusions r. Conclusions p. 449. l. 7. r. easy l. 31. r. view of p. 450. l. 8. for safe r. false l. 13. for Contradiction r. conclusion l. 27. for but. r and. l. 26. for shalt r. hast l. 30. for God r. good p. 451. l. 35. for of r. into p. 452. l. 30. for dust r. dost l. 34. for them r. the. p. 454. l. 26 r. evidences p. 455 l. 12. 13. r. suspend p. 456. l. 31. for hath r. have p. 460. l. 25. for Lord. r. soul p. 464. l. 5. r. excluded l. 7. r. I beseech l. 28. r. blessed p. 170. l. 16. r. really from God l. 17. for slow r. flow p. 471. l. 15. for then r. when l. 19. r. work in l. 20. r. only then p 476. l. 20. for sealed r. are ceased p. 477. l. 29. for from r. for p. 482 l. 9. for will r. would p. 486. l. 20. for their r. the. p. 488. l. 15. foâ— is r. are so p. 400. l. 10. p. 492. l. 10. p. 494. l. 5. p 462. l. 16. dele in l. 32. for doth r. do p 496. l. 15. r. union l. 32. r. necessarily p. 50â— l. 15. for was r. i as l. 28. for his r their
distinctions about causes or means that are necessary to be understood for understanding this question By what means the promise is made sufficient to evidence to the soul his union with Christ 1. The soul must understand the distinction between the Principal instrumental efficient cause and the less principal instrumental efficient cause Though there be properly unto every action but one principal cause yet in respect of instrumental causes there may be many things that may have the respect of efficient causes for the producing one and the same thing though there can be but one principal instrumental efficient neither unless it be co-ordinate 2. You must understand That the means or instrumental efficient causes are divided again into Natural instrumental efficient causes and Artificial The natural instrumental cause is that which works by its own natural in-bred vertue that is by a proper disposition of its own and by a power that it hath in it self without dependance upon any created cause though nothing that is an instrumental cause can be said to work by his own vertue in respect of the principal efficient cause 3. You must understand That instrumental efficient causes are to be considered again either as those that are mediate causes or immediate causes The mediate efficient cause is that which contributes something to the producing the effect That is that which hath some influence into the great effect of the souls assurance either directly or indirectly though it be but a far off there being many immediate things that come between that make up the souls evidence The immediate cause that 's the cause that works so immediately that nothing intervenes between the effect which is the souls assurance and the cause That which hath the last stroke as I may say that 's properly the immediate cause That which being once effected in the soul the soul doth immediately and without intermission of time draw the conclusion that he is united to Jesus Christ that 's the immediate efficient cause 4. Instrumental causes are such as either solitary efficient causes or combined efficient causes That is such causes as work by themselves without others to produce such an effect Or else such as work by other causes not without respect There is an efficient cause alone and a concause with another and both contribute assistance to the same thing 5. These efficient instrumental causes are divided again into subordinate causes or co-ordinate causes That is such instrumental causes that though they work together are in a subordination to one instrumental efficient cause Or else such as produce an equal power joyntly together for the effecting the same thing It s then that efficient instrumental causes are subordinate when one hath the supremacy and all have dependance upon one though many things have influence into the same thing And they are co-ordinate when they have equal dependance one upon another one not being able to work without another Now all these distinctions of causes must be understood for a right clear understanding of this question By what means a soul doth attain the evidence of his union Now these things being premised I shall lay down the answer in positive conclusions Answ 1. First I answer directly to the question That there are divers mediate and less principal causes that do afar off help something for the evidencing to the soul his union with Christ from the absolute promise There are divers such causes that are partly artificial and partly natural Of this nature I may reckon up divers As the ministry of the word in the opening and clearing the nature the largeness of the extent and the excellency of those absolute promises to a soul Likewise the dispensation of the Sacraments either of Baptism or the Lords Supper The element of water in one being appointed by Christ himself in the use of it to discover the souls partaking of the death of Christ by being buried in the water And to signifie the souls partaking of the resurrection of Christ by rising out of the water and so consequently communion with Christ in all the effects of his death and life Consequently sealing to the soul that Jesus Christ died for him and lived for him So the other Sacrament the elements of bread and wine being appointed by Jesus Christ to signifie to the soul the breaking of the body of Christ and the effusion of his bloud And the application of those elements to him being elements by which his body shall be refreshed and cleared being appointed to shew the life and nourishment of his soul to be from Christ alone These Sacraments in their right institution may be instrumental immediate causes afar off to contribute to a soul something of his union So Prayer Meditation and Christian Conference enquiring into the freeness of the promise and the latitude of it and every spiritual ordinance of God wherein the promises of God are brought to any remembrance may contribute something to the Souls union with Christ which are properly artificial causes not natural but of a mixt kind partly artificial and partly natural And all these being in this kind instrumental efficient causes they may be said to be means by which the Soul attains the infallible evidence of his union And it is very seldom if I may not say never but God useth one of these means to clear up to the Soul his union with Christ in the absolute promise Answ 2. Secondly I answer That it is commonly â—â—â—eived that there are three more immediate joynt concurring causes to make up to the soul the evidence of his union from the promise Though those forenamed means do work Instrumentally for that end yet there are some that do work more inwardly that are commonly received to be joynt causes working for one and the same end I mean for assuring the soul from the promise of his union with Christ As I. The Irradiation I mean the bright shining light of Faith That is set up as a precious Heavenly Lamp that shines so clearly into the dark soul that it makes the soul see in a sensible way that he doth receive the promise and embrace the Lord Jesus given in that promise Faith gives the soul such a feeling experience that it doth receive the promise of Jesus Christ given even when it is receiving of it his soul graspeth Jesus Christ so powerfully as he feels his arms grasp Jesus Christ in the promise II. There is the Conclusion renewed conscience draws by the strength of spiritual and experimental reasons that the promise is unto his particular soul and that he is united unto Jesus Christ as appears from the promise The truth of it appears from Rom. 8.16 The Spirit of God beareth Witness with our Spirits that we are Sons of God There is a two fold Witness the Witness of the Spirit and our Spirits which can be nothing but the renewed understanding or conscience that gives the Testimony and both of them Witness at one
receive him tendered to his poor rebellious worthless soul The first command that God lays upon every rebel is to accept of a Mediator God in order of nature first enjoyns the soul to receive Jesus Christ tendered before the doing any thing whatsoever before the sending up one sigh to God or breathing out one petition in regard the Lord commands all poor sinners at enmity with him to come near to him only through a Mediator and no coming by a Mediator till they apply the Mediator to be a Mediator And therefore it is said in 1 John 3.23 It is the command of God that ye believe in the Lord Jesus whom he hath sent And so again John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on whom he hath sent As if there were no other work of God but this But the meaning is that this is the prime principal work without which all other are but works of darkness 4. In regard the Lord takes no pleasure nor delight in the person of any sinner most dejected and plunged into the deepest gulf of sorrow for his sin before he applys the Lord Jesus tendered to his soul more than he did in that soul before there was any of that sorrow Do not mistake me I do not say that the Lord does as much abhor a sinner that is now forbearing the acts of his enmity against God and is faln to cry after God as much as the acts of sin before gradually But yet I say there is as true an abhorrence in the bosom of God of all those prayers mournings and tears as there was of those acts of sin the difference is only in degree Saith he Tit. 1.15 To the impure all things are impure whilst the mind and conscience is defiled And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean whilest the soul is altogether unclean it is impossible a clean desire and motion or a clean tear can come from thence So that now the soul is looked upon as an enemy as a Rebel a Traitor to the Crown of the Lords glory whilst he remains a refuser of the Lord Jesus tendered though he be brought to great degrees of mourning 5. In regard the nearest proportion of sorrow that can be attained unto for sin must proceed from applying the Lord Jesus tendered The soul can never discern what the degree or the heinousness of his sin was till he beholds the Lord Jesus accepting his poor despicable rebellious loveless soul Therefore it is worthy your observation that the same woman that is called the sinner by way of emphasis and eminency Luke 7.37 drank deeply of the cup of sorrow whose tears flowed forth in abundance that she could wash the feet of Jesus Christ This womans sorrow did not proceed from a sight of her sin before her applying the Lord Jesus tendered but from a sight of the Lord Jesus accepting such a despicable desperate sinner as she was The depths of sorrow were never broken up in her heart till she saw the arm of the Lord Jesus reached out to embrace her poor despicable soul You shall see it plain if you compare v. 37 38. with v. 47 48. The whole discourse between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees concerning her is worth our observation for the explaining of it when Jesus sees this woman come and wash his feet he knew the Pharisees hearts rose against her because she was a sinner Now Jesus put forth a parable or similitude Simon saith he there were two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty and when they had nothing to pay the creditor frâ—nkly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Simon answered and said I suppose he to whom he forgave most saith he thou hast rightly judged Now observe it when Jesus Christ had opened to the Pharisees this parable it amounts to this The cause of her mourning is from the sense of the Lords forgiving her for she loved much And he said unto her thy sins are forgiven This he opens to be the cause of her sorrow that she saw Jesus Christ had exercised compassion to her She saw the love of Christ so infinite so unspeakable his compassions so incomprehensible that though she had been such a desperate wretch that Satan had had his Throne in her heart though she had been the Ring-leader of sinners in a City yet he was ready to wash her forlorn soul and make her clean and this made her she knew not how to express her love but she wept So that the cause of her tears was not so much the sense of her sin but the having so much forgiven her So it is observed of Peter when he could deny Christ thrice and forswear him and not Weep when Christ looks upon him his Heart melts and he Weeps bitterly What Peter dost deny me what me that left the Throne of my Glory to stand here before the Judgment Seat saith the look of Christ to the Conception of Peter this melts his Heart The sixth Principle of Darkness is this Principle of darkness That it is very Dangerous for any soul to apply to himself the Lord Jesus too soon It is commonly illustrated by this Similitude If a Chirurgeon applies some healing Salve to a dangerous sore before the Corrosives have had their proper effects if he doth not by Corrosives first eat out all the dead Flesh and by Tents ransack the Wound to the very bottom though the Wound be skinned over it will Fester and Ranckle again and that to the danger of the Patients Life Likewise faith the soul it is thus in regard of the Wound of Sin If any spiritual Physician should apply the Lord Jesus too soon to the soul to heal the souls Wounds before the Corrosive of Terrour and Fear and Horrour have had their proper effects upon the soul it may be dangerous to the Destruction of the soul Or thus saith the soul there may be nutritive nourishment to several Patients that may be destructive to some sick Bodies in regard there ought first to be some Purgations before there be a sutableness to the giving such Cordial Potions Likewise if the pretious Cordials of Comfort that are in the Bosom of Jesus Christ should be applyed to the soul before there hath been the bitter Pill of Terrour of Sorrow and Anguish and Horrour for his Sin given they may be rather destructive to the soul So that this is very dangerous saith the soul to apply the Lord Jesus too soon This Principle of Darkness hath commonly three Grounds or three Foundations upon which it stands and the soul conceives a three-fold Foundation is not easily shaken and therefore conceiveth the Principle to be very firm I. It is built upon this ground That all Divines generally have concluded that it is dangerous to apply Comfort to afflicted Consciences too soon and that it is destructive to give Comfort before the soul be fitted for it