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
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
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
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
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
sinner that would give him entertainment as his Mediator This you shall see in John 6.37 38. whoever cometh unto me saith Christ I will in no wise cast him out that is whoever receiveth me through believing I will in no wise reject him or cast him off or refuse to be a Mediator between God and him I will in no wise cast him out that is under no respect no notion or consideration that can be imagined Now observe what 's the reason of this you shall see vers 38. For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me and this is the Fathers will that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing that is of all that he should draw to believe on me I should lose none but should raise him up at the last day and this is the will of him that sent me that he that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life So John 10.15 to 18. 2. The Spirit reveals God the Fathers infusion of a disposition of love into the Heart of Jesus Christ purposely that he might embrace every lost sinner that would entertain him as his Mediator Saith he Psal 40.7 8. Lo I come to do thy will O my God thy Law is within my Heart that is a disposition to yield obedience to this thy will and in effect it was a disposition of love the Law of being a Mediator was nothing but a Law of love and this Law was written in the Heart by God the Father 3. That the Father prepared a sutable body for the second person in Trinity to become Mediator in Heb. 10.4 A body hast thou prepared me that is thou hast prepared me a Body fit to be offered up for sin that is fit to become a ready willing sacrifice for poor lost sinners that I might redeem them 4. In that God the Father did engage the Lord Jesus by his own love to him to love every such lost undone sinner as should embrace him This you shall see if you compare John 10.17 18 with John 15.10 Saith Christ therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again And saith Christ to his Disciples If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love Hence Christ intimateth not only that his Father loved him for his undertaking that work of mercy and pitty to poor lost undone sinners but that his Father did lay the engagement of his love upon him So that as he respects his Fathers love and desires the continuance of it to him so he should be pittifull to every lost sinner that embraceth him II. The consent of the Son the Lord Jesus himself is revealed by the Spirit for the clearing of this And that the Spirit may and doth reveal in two things 1. In the free ready consent of the Lord Jesus to the blessed will of his Father The Lord Christ made no objection against the blessed command though take it in all the latitude of it it was the hardest command that ever was imposed upon any creature in heaven or earth a command to spend his dearest innocent blood a command to become a curse a command to deprive himself of the ravishing vision of his Fathers face yet this command he never stuck at but saith in the Volumn of the Book it is written Lo I come to do thy will 2. In that he took infinite delight in the yielding obedience to this his Fathers will Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God He took pleasure in it and was straightned in his Spirit till it was accomplished III. The Spirit reveals the consent of the blessed Spirit proceeding both from God the Father and God the Son in this blessed design And that 's in this that the spirit freely and in the very fulness of it took up his habitation in the Lord Christ thus constituted to be Mediator to fill him with grace and love and pitty for the accomplishment of this blessed work of gathering in lost sinners into union with himself This the Spirit reveals in two things 1. In the manner or form of the Spirit descending down upon Christ Luke 3.22 It came down in the shape of a Dove to shew it came on purpose to furnish the Mediator with mercy and pitty to poor despicable loveless sinners that he might be nothing but a lump of love wrapped up in flesh 2. The Spirit reveals the end for which the Spirit was thus poured out upon him in the fulness of it The end is revealed Isa 61.1 2 3. To preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken hearted that is poor captivated inslaved souls under the power of their hellish enemy and the opening of the prison to them that are bound that is deliverance of them that are held fast in the chains of darkness under the power of the Prince of darkness to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Secondly The Spirit reveals the sutable Office that is established upon the Lord Christ purposely to engage him to shew mercy and pitty to every lost sinner that should embrace him The Spirit manifests that he is ordained by God the father to be an High Priest to sacrifice for the sins of the people Here the Spirit reveals two things 1. That the qualifications that God looks upon in Christ in ordaining him to be the High-Priest were sutable dispositions to shew mercy and pitty to poor undone Sinners This you shall find in Heb. 5.2 He can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way Therefore Heb. 4.25 That 's made a special qualification in Christ as High Priest that he was one who had a fellow feeling of those that he was High Priest to that he had a sweet sympathy rolling in his bowels to them under the infirmity of Sin and misery 2. The Spirit reveals that the end of that Office of the Priest-hood that was established upon him was to shew mercy to poor despicable undone sinners You shall see in Heb. 5.1 what are the ends of an High Priest First he is ordained to come to the Mercy-seat for man that is for the good of poor miserable men Secondly that he might offer gifts and sacrifice for sins that he might pacifie the angry God that was incensed against sinners that he might reconcile perishing lost undone sinners to God the father Thirdly For evidencing that unquestionable willingness of the Lord Jesus to accept every sinner that will embrace him the spirit reveals the exact and exquisite care the Lord Jesus hath taken to reveal himself to prevail with poor undone sinners to gather them into union with himself This the spirit evidenceth in five things 1. By revealing the provision of Officers that Jesus Christ hath made to allure and beseech souls to accept the Lord Christ to
be one with them After Christ was gone into heaven and had left pleading with undone sinners with his own blessed lips you see Eph. 4.11 12. he sends out others in his own room such as might be Embassadors representing his own person to beseech and pray undone sinners to accept of reconciliation with the father through their union with him 2. By revealing that the Lord Christ took care to furnish such as he sent forth to allure undone sinners into union with him with a sutable spirit for that work Therefore before Jesus Christ would go to his father John 20.22 he goes to his Disciples and giveth them a Commission to allure souls into union with himself and when he had given them the Commission he breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy spirit 3. By revealing the Lords assimilating those whom he betrusts to reveal himself to lost sinners Not only in furnishing them with abilities of the spirit but also in conforming them in their very dispositions unto his own likeness he conveyed his own bowels of mercy and pitty and compassion into them that their bowels might yearn towards the gathering lost sinners into communion with him as the bowels of Jesus Christ himself yearned This you shall see Eph. 1.8 That Paul tells them he longed after them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ That is I longed after your perfection in union and communion with Christ in the bowels that Jesus Christ hath infused into me as some interpret it But indeed the interpretation may rather be of Jesus Christ in the same bowels that Jesus Christ longed after souls in the same kind of pitty and compassion that Jesus Christ had working in his bosom towards undone sinners 4. By revealing the Lord Jesus chusing out some desperate sinners on purpose to be as patterns of love before the eyes of other lost sinners that he would take into union with himself This is declared by the spirit 1 Tim. 1.15 16. to be the end of God to shew mercy to that blasphemer that persecuter that injurious one to Jesus Christ that he might shew forth a pattern to other sinners that should hereafter believe on him 5. By revealing the Lord Christ to have improved all his interest in those that are his own to engage them to help forward the work in gathering lost sinners into union with him As in John 21.15 16 17. when Jesus Christ was to leave the earth and would engage Peter to do some great thing for him he engaged him to reveal himself to poor miserable souls that 's under the term or notion here of feeding his Lambs and Sheep IV. For the evidencing the willingness of the Lord Christ to accept into union every loveless sinner that will embrace him the spirit reveals the absolute engagement of Christ by his own joy and by his own glory that is supernatural to embrace every loveless sinner that is willing to entertain him The Lord Christ considered as head to a mystical body may be said to be imperfect till all sinners that shall ever belong to him be gathered in And Jesus Christ even wants his Joy and Glory that he shall enjoy as a Mediator so long as there is but one lost sinner belonging to that mystical body to be gathered in Therefore it is impossible for Jesus Christ to reject one sinner that shall embrace him unless he will reject himself There is a third beam of divine light and that is Third beam of divine light The insatiable longing and thirsting of the Lord Jesus to embrace every soul into union that would be united to him The spirit is leading the soul from one degree of satisfaction to his faith to another till at last he cometh to give a full ground of satisfaction to the soul to make his union with Christ appear that faith hath ground not only of confidence but of triumph Now the spirit doth evidence this unto the soul for his satisfaction two ways First The spirit reveals the grounds from whence the longings of Jesus Christ after union with the soul do proceed Secondly The spirit reveals the expression of those longings of Jesus Christ by himself First The spirit reveals the ground whence those longings proceed 1. The spirit evidenceth the near alliance and precious relations that Jesus Christ accounts himself to have unto all those lost Sinners that long after union with him or that ever shall be brought into union with him 1. The Spirit reveals that the Lord Christ accounts all those lost Souls his Brethren Therefore Christ in John 20.17 when he sends Mary to tell the blessed news of his resurrection to his Disciples saith he Go tell my brethren that I ascend unto my father and your father to my God and your God Go tell my brethren That is those that are joynt adopted ones by my father as my brethren the joynt beloved ones as I am beloved of the father as Mediator Now from hence the spirit manifests that the soul of Christ cannot but long after union with all those souls that will embrace him into union 2. The spirit reveals that the Lord Christ accounts all those that shall embrace him to be as his Spouse as those that are to be married to him Jesus Christ hath infinite longings after himself and his own glory and then Eph. 2.28 He that loveth his wife loveth himself therefore Jesus Christ doth but love himself and his own glory in desiring the union of souls with himself and therefore his longings cannot be less than infinite and incomprehensible 3. The spirit evidenceth that Jesus Christ accounts all souls that shall embrace him as his own members without which he is not compleat as Mediator The fulness of Christ mysticall is the Church and he accounts not himself perfect till all his mysticall body be gathered to him Now hence the spirit manifests infinite longings in the bosom of Jesus Christ after every soul that would be one with him as he longs after his own good 4. The spirit reveals that the Lord Christ accounts every soul that will embrace him to be a part of his own glory Christ accounts not his own glory to be full till all those lost souls that ever shall embrace him be perfectly and compleatly joyned to him Now hence the spirit manifests that there cannot but be infinite longings in the bosom of Jesus Christ after the union of such souls with himself as would have union with him or are willing to embrace him seeing he cannot but infinitely long after the perfection of his own glory And seeing he cannot long after his own glory in the perection of it but he must long after the union of every lost soul that will embrace him into union with himself 2. The spirit also remembers the soul of those dreadful sufferings of Jesus Christ for all those souls that ever shall embrace him Now from thence the spirit evidenceth three ways that there cannot but be such longings of
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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