the written Word and ought to receive it as certain and infallible because it proceeds from the Written Word This appears I. In regard it is the direct Command of Heaven that believing souls should stick and cleave only to that truth that is discovered in the Lords Written Word And that believing souls should be confirmed in the truth of that Pretious Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is contained in the Lords Written Word in the book of the Old and New Testament This you shall find in that 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee Wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness First it is necessary here to observe the occasion you shall find in the beginning of the Chapter the Apostle had fore-told of perilous times approaching wherein there should be many false Doctors in the World in whose Snares many souls should be taken Captives Therefore least Timothy also should be Insnared the Apostle Writes these Verses on purpose to endeavour to Establish Tymothy's soul in the truth Saith he Continue thou in the things which thou hast Learned knowing of whom thou hast Received them Now the Arguments he useth to settle Timothy in the truth are two First from his Apostolical Call knowing from whom thou hast learned them From an Apostle of Jesus Christ that had received it from Jesus Christ The second Argument is in those next Verses That from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures The Writings of the Prophets and those Holy Men of God that spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God that the Lord caused to be Written as a Rule Now this being his Argument to continue in the truth of the Gospel Received the Apostle doth illustrate it by three or four things First He discovers to him that those Writings of the Holy Men of God that he had been acquainted with were able to make him Wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus that is if his soul did receive those discoveries in those Scriptures by Faith So that the Apostle intimates thus much That it were infinite Folly in Timothy to receive any other Doctrine than what he had taught and what he had learned to be written in the holy Scriptures seeing the Wisdom of God to Salvation was contained in them Secondly He illustrates this Argument by a second reason and that 's taken from the Authority of those Holy Scriptures The matter contained in them saith the Apostle is such as was given by Inspiration of God The matter contained in them was but the Breathing of God into the souls of those men that Wrote it It is Gods Voice to thy soul saith he therefore take heed thou continue in the Doctrine there discovered Thirdly he illustrates this Argument by a reason taken from the use of those Holy Scriptures and that is in these Words It is Profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness It is Profitable for Doctrine that is for all matters of Faith It will instruct thee saith he in every thing that the Lord commands thy soul to believe Yea it is profitable for reproof also for overthrowing all false Opinions that are contrary to the Faith of Jesus Christ Yea for Correction that is for the Reproving all Evil Manners whatever for Correcting all Vitious ways whatever they are Yea for Instruction in Righteousness that is they are profitable to discover what the Will of God is to thee 〈◊〉 full so far as is needful for thee to know Yea the Apostle seems to add a fourth reason to illustrate this Argument and that is in those next Words which he takes for the end of Writing these Holy Scriptures and that is the Perfecting the Man of God That the Man of God might be Perfect throughly Furnished Furnished unto all Perfection II. It appears that the soul ought to receive the light that shines from the written word in regard the written word of the Lord is given by God himself as an everlasting unchangeable rule for the tryal of truth and falsehood Hence it is that Jesus Christ himself when he was to make it manifest to the unbelieving Jews that he himself was the Son of God he fetcheth his highest testimony from the written word as you may observe John 5. in comparing ver 31 and so on and ver 39 together He tells them he would not bear witness of himself least his witness should not have evidenced demonstration enough to bear witness to him because it is from himself but he tells them John the Baptist bears witness to him ver 33. He gives them a second argument from his work ver 36. and ver 37. The Father that sent him bare witness of him but ver 39. to give that that should be an undeniable testimony even unto the apprehensions of the Jews themselves he tells them that the Scriptures the holy writings of those holy men of God they testify of him saith he search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me Hence when Paul began to preach Jesus Christ and to prove that Jesus of Nazereth whom he preached was the Mediator between God and man he perswaded them concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets Acts. 28.23 and thence it is that in Acts 17.11 That those Men of Berea preached by searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Secondly it must be cleared that the written word of God doth particularly reveal unto believing souls their union with Christ both unto their faith and unto their sense First It doth reveal particularly unto their faith their infallible admission into union with the Lord Jesus This appears in regard the Lords testimony that he will admit every soul that will into union with Jesus Christ is absolutely universal without the least acceptation or limitation so that it comprehends every particular soul whatever to whom the Gospel is preached according to that in John 3.15 That whosoever believed on him should not perish but have everlasting Life So in John 6.37 He that cometh to Jesus Christ he will in no wise cast out And in Acts 10.43 That whosover believe in him should have Remission of Sins and that known place Rev. 22.17 Whoever will let him take the water of Life freely wherein it is apparent that every particular soul is included that the Lords testimony to every particular soul is as certain as if the particular soul were named that the soul shall be admitted into union with the Lord Jesus if the soul will accept it if the soul will consent to his truth and
spirit of Jesus Christ is only the spirit of light whatever Holy Dispositions whatever Pretious Heavenly Quality any Believing soul shall discern in it self it must be discerned by a Beam of light from the Spirit of Jesus Christ Secondly The second thing to be opened is That the light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to the soul its union with Christ is the most Potent Invincible Demonstration of its own proceeding from God which begets the most Certain and Infallible knowledge in the soul of his union with Christ That pretious light of the spirit of Jesus Christ doth so clearly discover it self to be from the spirit of Christ that there can be no reason that can make any Addition or Increase of that pretious clearness It shines so brightly with the very Image of the spirit of Jesus Christ upon it as nothing can make it more manifest to be from the spirit than its own light This will appear in divers particulars I. In regard that Beam of light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to the soul its union with Christ discovers nothing but what is infallibly true Not only what is infallibly true in it self but it discovers nothing but what is infallibly true to the souls Apprehension to whom it doth discover it Now when the Principles of a Demonstration are infallibly true then hath it the first property of the highest and most Potent Demonstration II. In regard that light which discovers the first light of the spirit to be the light of the spirit doth also again Evidence it self to be the light of the spirit also Now that 's the highest demonstrative Reason to prove that any thing proceeds from God that is to say that it is discovered by the spirit of God Now that light of the spirits first light doth plainly demonstrate that to the soul that it comes from the spirit of God So that there is no other Medium no other reason that can be imagined higher to prove that the first light from the spirit that discovers to the soul its union with Christ was from God III. In regard it is the most evident perspicuous discovery of those beams of light to be from God that can possibly be given Every reason from whence any Conclusion is Collected must be clearer and more evident than the Conclusion it self Now it is only the light of the spirit of Jesus Christ which is more evident and clear than the Conclusion it self drawn that the Evidences are really from God So that if it were possible for a higher proof to be made of the certainty of the beams of light that discovers to a soul its union with Christ of the certainty of their being from God then this very light that these Beams of light contain in themselves then there must be some light clearer than the very first light that proceeds from the spirit of light and manifestation whose office it is to discover all things to the soul IV. In regard it is that light only that can truly inforce or cause the Conclusion to be drawn that the Beams of light that did discover to the soul its union with Christ were from God Now that 's the highest kind of demonstrative Reason to shew the truth or reality of any thing when the principles that is the reasons from whence the Conclusion is Collected are the cause of the Conclusion Now thus the light of the spirit was those Beams of light that discovered to my soul its union with the Lord Jesus was really from God why because they came from the spirit of God Such Premises as these to say what the spirit of God reveals and discovers that must of necessity proceed from God doth even force the Conclusion to be drawn Whereas nothing else hath so much power in it to cause the Conclusion to be drawn as that light that proceeds from the spirit Now from these things opened you may hence take notice that every soul to whole Faith and Sence the spirit of Christ hath truly Revealed their union with Christ have full satisfaction clear undoubted satisfaction concerning his union with the Lord Jesus in all its most Serious Deliberate Meditations and Contemplations So that so long as those Pretious Beams of light from the spirit do remain actually shining into the soul there is no kind of Doubt Scruple or Darkness in the soul about its union with the Lord Jesus So that any soul that hath received this truâ—… discovery from the spirit of light both unto Faith and Sense of his union with the Lord Jesus need not inquire for any more proofs than his own soul possesseth at that instant that God and his soul are one through Christ § Secondly The second Instrumental cause that shines into any heart really from God to discover to that heart his union with Jesus Christ is the Lords Pretious Word That Heavenly light that shines into any dark and doubtful heart to reveal its union with the Lord Jesus to it clearly is only a pretious spark that sparkles forth from the Pretious Burning Lamp of the Lords Written Word And it is the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ that doth as it were Incense and Inflame that burning lamp of the Lords Blessed Word and cause it to send forth those Blessed sparks into dark hearts And it is that same Blessed spirit also that enlightens those dark hearts to see discern and behold those sparks that that burning lamp of the Lords Word send forth So that the spirit of Jesus Christ and the Written Word are but Concauses that joyntly and sweetly joyn together to enlighten the Doubtful soul and clearly reveal its union with the Lord Jesus So that the soul hath for his assurance the hand of the ever Blessed God and the Testimony of God that it is his own hand He hath that secret light that discovers it self to be of God which discovers to the souls faith his union with Christ and to his sense the truth of his own believing act And hath the Written Word which is a Letter Written from the Almighty to loveless souls that bears Witness also to the same thing So that then the second reason next to the prime reason that the light that the soul receiveth proceeds from the spirit of God is this that the soul beholds it clearly shine forth from the Lords Written Word But to clear this there must be two things opened First That a believing soul ought to receive the light that discovers to him his union with the Lord Jesus from the Written Word of God and ought to receive that light as certain and infallible because it shines from the Written Word Secondly That the Lords Pretious Written Word doth discover to particular believing souls their particular union with the Lord Jesus both unto their Faith and unto their Sence First It must be cleared That a believing soul ought to receive the light that discovers to his soul his union with the Lord Jesus from
trust to his truth and faithfulness for the fulfilling that his word Now whereas it is objected that no particular word speaks to a particular soul and says thou Thomas and thou John or thou Elisabeth or thou Mary shalt be accepted into union with the Lord Jesus if thou wilt accept him 1. I answer that either every particular is perfectly comprehended in the universal offer and universal command of believing as if the Lord should name every person to whom he speaks or else there can be no faith of assurance concerning any Gospel-truth whatever Else there can be no assurance that our Bodies shall rise again from the dust and appear before the judgement-seat of Christ It is no where said thou Thomas or thou John or thou Mary shalt arise out of the dust again and come to judgement yet I suppose every one that hath the least beam of spiritual light shining down into his soul will acknwledge that the written word of God doth reveal particularly that this soul and that soul even his own soul shall arise from the dust and come to judgemen Now it is apparent that there is as clear a discovery in the written word to any particular souls faith of his certain resurrection from the dead and coming to judgement 2. Either all those particulars are to be fully comprehended in that universal offer and universal unlimited command of believing or else there were no obedience to the will of God commanded to any particular soul whatever nor no disobedience to the will of God reproved It is no where said thou Thomas or thou John shalt worship the Lord in Prayer It is no where said thou Thomas or thou Mary shalt receive me as thy only God and worship me only Likewise no disobedience to the will of God were reproved It is no where said thou Thomas shalt not steal thou John shalt not lye thou Mary shalt not commit adultery yet I conceive thou whose believing disposition is most out of exercise at present darest not say God hath not said to thy soul do not steal do not lye that God hath not commanded thee to worship him in his ordinances appointed So that it is clear the word of God doth reveal to particular souls undoubtedly their certain admission into union with Jesus Christ in case they accept him Secondly The precious written word of God reveals unto particular souls sense their particular union with the Lord Jesus That is to say whenever the spirit of light and manifestation sent from the Lord Jesus shall irradiate the precious written word of God so as to make its own heavenly light shine into a dark heart and also irradiate at the same time or cast beams of light upon the precious believing act that the same spirit of Jesus Christ hath begotten in that soul then that light that the written word of God holds forth particularly declares to such a particular soul its certain actual union with the Lord Jesus Now the written word of God speaks to the sense of a believing soul his union with the Lord Jesus in these two ways 1. In its general description of the nature of that believing act that the Lord requires from the soul Now the written word describing the nature of that believing act that the Lord requires in general and declaring that believing act to be required in the same manner from every soul that written word of God doth particularly reveal unto such a particular souls sense his actual union with the Lord Jesus as thus the written word of the Lord describes the nature of the believing act to be a coming to Jesus Christ Mat. 11.28 to be receiving the testimony of God that he gave concerning his Son selling to its seal that God is true John 3.33 A receiving the Record that God hath given of his Son 1 John 5.7 8 9. To be a receiving of Christ himself John 1.12 To be a will in the soul concurring with what the Lord tenders Rev. 22.17 Now I say in the spirits describing the general nature of that believing act the Lord requires it doth speak particularly to the believing soul when the spirit is so evidencing to him his union with the Lord Jesus and declares the souls certain and infallible union with Jesus Christ As thus the spirit having first revealed to the souls faith the Lords will to admit having sweetly encouraged the soul yea powerfully irresistibly effectually commanded the soul to set to his seal that the Lord is true and to say Lord be it unto thy Servant as thou hast spoken then the same spirit irradiates that written word that describes the general nature of the believing act letting the soul discern that the believing act is a sweet consent of the mind and heart to the truths of the Lord in the tender of the Lord Jesus to him to reconcile the Father and him and then the spirit irradiates also the precious consent of the mind and heart that holy trust and confidence that is then in the soul and then the written word saith particularly that thou dost consent to accept of what the Lord thus tenders in Christ to thee thou art certainly and everlastingly united to the Lord Jesus thou art he who dost receive what the Lord hath propounded in Christ so thee and therefore thou art certainly lodged in the everlasting arms of the Lord Jesus 2. The second way that the written word dclares unto the particular souls sense his particular union with the Lord Jesus is by its description of the constant certain and inseparable operation of the believing disposition describing the manner of the working of the believing disposition or describing the various effects of faith 1. By the written word declaring that the proper operation of faith is by love to Jesus Christ Gal. 5.6 2. By declaring that the proper operation of faith is to abase the soul in it self and make it altogether nothing Rom. 3.27 3. The Scripture doth declare that the proper operation of faith is by purifying the heart cleansing it from all unholy dispositions Acts. 15 9. 4. In declaring that the proper operation of faith is an high and unspeakable estimation of Jesus Christ himself Phil. 3. 8 9. Now thus the written word declaring the proper manner of the operation of faith doth declare particularly unto any particular soul his union with Jesus Christ and so consequently the same written word declares that in whatever heart the believing disposition thus particularly works there is that precious believing act the Lord requires there is that precious faith unfeigned that Jesus Christ commands in his precious Gospel and so it speaks particularly to a particular soul thou dost believe with that precious faith unfeigned that Jesus Christ requires and thus the spirit doth but make this written word of God speak to the souls understanding what it doth always speak in it self which is that that particular soul doth now believe according to the will of God So
that thence it appears the word of God doth speak and declare as particularly to a believing soul his union with the Lord Jesus as if it did speak to any soul by name for that light that discovers to the souls sense and feeling or knowledge his union with Christ is but the discovery of the truth of his own heart in believing the written worb speaks as plainly to a particular souls sense and Knowledge his union with the Lord Jesus that is declares to him that he doth particularly believe as it doth declare to any particular rebellious obstinate sinner that he particularly doth sin the word saith whosoever walks thus or thus transgresseth the will of God now this speaks to every particular soul so sinning Que. But the soul may say how can a soul know that those Books of the Old and New Testament are the Lords own word May there not be some mixture of men That the Scriptures are the writen word of God Answ For answer to the question first negatively secondly affirmatively I. Negatively I answer that the soul cannot be assured by all the powers and possibilities of men no not by any created power that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the written word of God Though I deny not that the testimony of men may give some kind of ground to the soul to believe it and I fear the greatest number among us have no other ground yet no testimony of man can assure the soul sufficiently that these are the Lords written word the matter contained in the written word of God is altogether spiritual and therefore it must be a beam of spiritual light that must satisfyingly and sufficiently discover to a soul that the spiritual matter is the truth of God and did proceed from God 2. All the most exquisite reasoning that the most elevated wits of man can extract are not sufficient to demonstrate satisfyingly unto a soul that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the written word of God himself indeed If it were so then the wisest of men should have been ready to receive the word of God as the word of God whereas the Scripture testifies the most wise have been most oppsite to receive it 1. Cor. 1.26 Scribes and Pharisees the wisest of the People were the greatest opposers to our dearest Redeemer 3. The written word of God barely and simply taken without the Mighty Power of the spirit conrurring with the Word is not able to demonstrate it self to be the Word of God Questionless if it were then whoever had been partaker of the Written Word or had heard the Word Preached that is Written must in like manner have given credit to it whereas the Scripture Testify that when Jesus Christ himself spake of those things he had wrought some Opposed and Blasphemed But then I answer affirmatively I. That the Blessed Spirit of God only is able to demonstrate Clearly Evidently Satisfyingly and Infallibly unto a soul that the Written Word of God is the Written Word of God This the Apostle affirms directly 1 Cor. 2.9 to 12 that the spirit had Revealed those things to them which they by the Power of Reason could never comprehend And that all the things given to them of God are Revealed by the spirit to be so given And the Written Word of God is none of the smallest gifts of God to his people Therefore consequently it reveals that also to be given to them So likewise he affirms that it is the Spiritual Man that Judgeth all things that is of truths that is it is only the Man Begotten by the Spirit of Jesus Christ unto God and led by the light of that Blessed spirit of Jesus Christ that is able to Judge of Truths to Judge what Truths have their Original from God and to Judge what have not their Original thence It is the spirit also saith he that searches the deep things of God that discovers the very Mystery of God to them so as to make the Divinity shine forth in them Whereas the most heightned reason of the Accutest Sons of Adam can discern nothing but Foolishness in the deep Mysteries of Godliness v. 14. And indeed were it not the Testimony of that Blessed Spirit to a Believers Heart that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the Lords Written Word that they have their Original from the Lord himself then the Foundation of Believers Faith were not a Divine Authority neither could a Believer say in believing any truth contained in those Books that he knew whom he hath Believed with a Relation to God himself II. When that ever Blessed Spirit doth reveal to any Believing soul the Written Word to be the Written Word of God then the proper light of the Written Word it self shines forth so gloriously as it discovers it self also to be the Lords Word That is to say the matter of the Lords Written Word appears to be so Transcendent so far surpassing the Capacities of weak men yea the quality of the Word appears to be so Holy so Pure and Undefiled so contrary to the Powers of Hell and the Kingdom of the Devil and so contrary to the Tyranny and Dominion that mans Corrupt Affections naturally desire to bear over him yea the quality of the Word appears to be so Unspeakably Unconceivably excellent that the soul sees infinite reason even in the Word it self to perswade it that it is the Lords Word Yea the manner of the Written Word speaking the very Language it speaks favours so much of Heaven that it appears to the Believing soul to be so Cloathed with Power and Irresistable Authority it appears to have such properties of God himself peculiar unto God Soul-Searching Heart-Dividing Properties finding out the Secrets of the Heart that then the Believing soul is Compassed about with Reason Cloathed in with Reason that appears shineing from the Word it self that satisfys the Believing Soul that it is the Word of the Almighty Majesty of Heaven Divinity is then every way Ingraven upon the Written Word in the Believer So that as the spirit in its casting the Pretious Heavenly Light into the Beliving soul did Write his own name upon those Beams of light and made them appear to the soul to be from the spirit So likewise in the souls discerning the light also to proceed from the Lords Written Word there is the name of God Written upon those Beams of light also that the soul knows as well as believes them to proceed from God himself seeing they shine forth from that Word of his that the soul believes with Confidence yea so Satisfyingly and so knowingly to his full contentment it is the Word of the Blessed Majesty of Heaven Would you know you that are Confident this day that a light did shine into your souls to satisfy you concerning your union with Jesus Christ whether this union be from God or no Would you be assured as well to knowledge as to faith that you
are not deluded Then see whether that light that shined into your Souls have shined from the Lords written word Yet let me add a caution in this least I might possibly shake some Soul into whose heart some beams of light from the Spirit hath really descended to discover to the Soul his union with Christ though the light that doth shine into every Soul which truly proceeds from God to discover to the Soul its union with Christ doth and ought to shine forth from the Lords written word yet I dare not affirm that whenever the spirit of light doth discover to a Soul its union with Jesus Christ clearly both to faith and sense that then the spirit fastens some particular portions of the Lords word by name from such a Chapter and verse from whence the spirit doth make that light shine forth into that believing Soul certainly the spirit of Jesus Christ may send down precious beams of divine light into a dark Soul to discover to the Soul satisfyingly its union with the Lord Jesus both to faith and sense when such a particular sentence that is written in such a Book in such a Chapter in such a Verse is not brought to the Souls memory But there may be an extract of the quintessence that is of the prime light the most glorious light of many places of Scripture that concur together in one to testifie the fame truth to the Soul there may be an extract made by the Spirit of Christ of the grand truth that the Gospel reveals to faith and of the truth of the Souls believing act that the spirit reveals unto the Souls sense from many places of Scripture so as the light that the spirit causeth to shine into the Soul is still from the written word and the soul discerns it to his own satisfaction while the glory of the light actually remains that it doth shine from the precious written word though it may be the soul could not at that time be able to produce such and such particular sentences from such a Chapter and such a Verse though I dare not but say also but as the soul receiving that certain evidence doth discern that that sweet light that shines into his soul shines from the written word so likewise upon recollecting of himself and upon serious deliberation with himself he might be able to produce such portions of the Lords word as would sufficiently testifie to the truth of what the spirit of Jesus Christ had so revealed to his soul from the word yet observe this that the soul must then so deliberate and so consult with his heart about the matter while the heavenly lustre and commanding power of those evidencing beams of light remain shining into his soul for in case the soul be bereaved again upon any occasion of the lustre and glory of those precious beams of light the soul may so far forget the very sentences that the spirit of Jesus Christ did then dictate to it that the soul through the darkness and obscurity that passes upon him immediately again may for the present be uncapable of discerning in the written word of God what his soul clearly discerned in the same word formerly that the soul may in case the spirit of light should absent it self long perchance begin to draw some sad conclusion that the evidence that the Soul received was not a light shining from the Lords word but some delusion from the Devil transforming himself into Angelical Glory This is the second reason whence a soul may prove that the beam of light received is from God when the soul discerns it to shine from the written word The second sort of demonstrations whereby a soul may prove to himself his union with Jesus Christ must be a demonstration a posteriori A Demonstration taken from the effects that those beams of light that shine into the soul discovering to a soul its union with Jesus Christ do beget in the Soul Now all the effects that any thing that proceeds from God begets in believing Souls are but the accomplishment of the Lords eternal intent they are but the production of the Lords precious thoughts of love towards those believing Souls from before the foundations of the world were laid So that whatever is communicated to any believing Soul if it doth demonstrate it self to proceed from God by its effects that it begets in him it must then conduce in some degree to the effecting of the Lords precious eternal will towards that believing Soul Now those eternal intents of God towards believing Souls they may be reduced to three Heads according as the Spirit of truth sums them in 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come That is Heaven and Earth all are yours that is destinated unto your good to accomplish your Salvation And ye are Christs that is ye believing Souls are destinated to accomplish the glory of Jesus Christ And Christ is Gods that is Christ himself considered mystically as the Mediator is appointed for the manifestation of the Fathers glory for the exaltation of him in the hearts of Saints and Angels and before the eyes of all the world so as all may admire him and adore him There are three intents and precious ends of the Lord from Eternity towards those believing Souls First There is the accomplshment of the glory of those believing Souls Secondly The perfecting of Christs supernatural glory as he is Mediator And Thirdly The perfect manifestation of the Fathers glory through both these And therefore seeing these three are those prime and principal ends the very ultimate end of God the very sum and compendium of all those precious thoughts that wrought in the blessed Majesty of Heaven before the foundations of the world were laid thence whatsoever proceeds from God into a believing soul must in some degree or other tend towards the accomplishment of one of those ends So that it must demonstrate it self to proceed from God by one of those three effects if it any way can be proved by its effects to proceed from God himself Only by the way you must take this distinction for prevention of mistakes the dealings of God towards the Saints do either immediately to the exaltation of the Saints and the exaltation of Christ and the manifestation of the Fathers glory or else they tend immediately The Lords promissive will or the Lords sufferance of a Believer to sin doth not immediately manifest any of these yet mediately it doth perfect all that when the Lord doth suffer the soul to slide and fall yet then through the mighty Power of his love to the believing soul in Christ he doth send down the spirit of Jesus Christ so to work in that believing soul that those very falls and slips and backslidings of that believing soul shall produce more watchfulness over his own ways more charity towards others more abominations of those
A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST Wherein is Declared What this Vnion with Jesus Christ is And many False Grounds of Vnion Discovered In which these Two weighty Quest are largely handled viz. I. How Souls do attain the first certain infallible Evidence of their Vnion with Christ II. How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying Evidence of their Vnion with the Lord Jesus may know certainly and infallibly that their Evidence of Vnion with Christ received is really from God and not a Diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a Delusion from the Devils Translation of himself into Angelical Glory By J. L. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 London Printed for J. Hancock at the Three Bibles in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil 1680. The Contents The occasion of the words and opening of them Doct That the purpose and intetns of God in discovering the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the Sons of men is that he might gather together their Souls into union with Jesus Christ that by vertue of their union they might be one with the Father as he and Christ are one p. 5. Three Questions answered Quest What is this union with Jesus Christ What is it to be one with Jesus Christ Answered 1 Negative 2 Affirmatively p. 6. Quest 2. How can the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring the Soul into union with him Answered 1 Negatively 2 Affirmatively p. 9. Quest 3. Why the Lord intends by the revelation of the Gospel to bring Souls into union with Jesus Christ Two premises and 4 answers p. 14. Use 1. Of information in 9 particulars p. 19. Use 2. By way of admonition p. 23. Wherein three great miscarriages of Souls in attending upon Gospel Ordinances are opened Quest Is union with Christ the first intent of God in revealing Gospel truths Doth not the Lord require there should first be a mortifying of corruption a drawing the heart from sin that there should first be a mortifying of corruption a drawing the Heart from sin that there should be a cutting off from the old stock that it might be magnified into the New Vine Jesus Christ Two Premises the Answer p. 24. Use 3. Of Examination Whether we be united to Jesus Christ Four things to urge the necessity of knowing it p. 29 This great Question propounded Quest How shall I know whether I be united to Christ or no Or what is it that may evidence the Souls Vnion Answ 1. Negatively The Souls Vnion with Christ cannot be evidenced these ways 1. Not from any work of the Spirit of God that is effected in or upon the Soul p. 32. 2. Not by any thing inherent in the Soul p. 34. 3. Not by any thing done or effected by the Soul or that can be effected and done p. 38. 4. Not from the outward Revelation of the nature and manner of the union of the Soul with Christ cleared in Three particulars p. 45. Some Questions Answered before the Affirmative Answer Quest 1. Whether all those Evidences from something thus inherent in themselves and done them by the Spirit of God be rotten and unsound and no Evidences p. 47. Answered 1. Negatively 1. They are no Evidences of Faith p. 49. 2. They are no Evidences of Knowledge p. 49. Answ 2. Affirmatively those may be improperly called Evidences are Evidences of Opinion p. 50. Five things to be noted about Evidences of Opinion Quest 2. Why doth the Scripture propound the Souls obedience unto God and its love unto God as Signs and Evidences of the Souls union with Christ p. 56. Quest 3. To what purpose are all the Promises made to Qualities inherent in Souls and to the workings of the Spirit of grace in hearts seeing union with Christ cannot be evidenced from it Answered p. 60. Quest 4 Are not the Promises made to Faith and believing as believing that through Faith only a Man can claim right to the Promises Answered p. 66. The use of conditional Promises opened in Four particulars p. 69. Answ 2. The affirmative Answer How a Soul may know his Vnion with the Lord Jesus Four Premises p. 71. The Question must be concerning assurance of Faith and not of knowledge It divideth it self into two Questions 1. How Souls do obtain the first certain infallible Evidence of their union with Christ 2. By what means 3. In what manner Quest From whence do Souls obtain infallible Evidences ef their Vnion with Christ Answ There is but one only proper ground substantially and that is the Lords own free promise cleared in Three particulars p. 80. Quest But it is not from the sight of a Condition to which the Lord hath made some Promise of Christ that a Soul receiveth the infallible evidence of his Vnion p. 82. Vnder what notion the Promises that seem to be made to Conditions are to be understood in 5. particulars p. 87. Two things to clear those Texts that seem to make the Promise run upon Conidition opened in many particulars p. 91. Quest But doth not the Lord reveal first these Graces that he describes his own People by to be in such Souls and then through the sight of them clear to Souls that he hath given them the Lord Christ out of his own good will alone through the Promise from p. 96. to 105. Quest How can the Lords absolute Promise be the ground from whence the Soul can have the first infallible evidence of his Vnion seeing there is no absolute Promise of God wherein he discovers his own will to accept any one particular Soul into Vnion with the Lord Christ Answer p. 105. Quest 2. By what means doth a Soul receive the infallible evidence of his Vnion Four Premises the positive Answer p. 113. 118. Three joynt concurring Causes and what they are p. 119. That the Spirit of God is the principal most immediate cause of the Promises evidencing to the Soul his Vnion with Christ p. 123. Cleared in 4. particulars Quest 3. In what manner doth a Soul receive the first infallible evidence of his Vnion with Christ 5. Premises p. 130. The Positive Answer in opening Five Effects that the Spirit of God doth produce in every Soul to whom it doth manifest his Vnion with Christ from the Promise 1. The Spirits Illumination 2. The Spirits Irradiation of the Gospel to the Soul 3. The Spirits conviction of the Conscience 4. The Spirits excitation 5. The Spirits Attestation or Witness unto the Soul p. 132. 1. The Spirits Illumination p. 133. This consists 1. In the infusion of greater degrees of Divine light into the Soul 2. In the removal of all Impediments these are of Two sorts I. Principles of Darkness of which there are 8. opened in many particulars p. 136. to 178. II. Dark Distempers Six of them opened p. 178. to 233. 2. The spirit
acting by his own power the divine Light communicated to the soul p. 233. 2. The spirits Irradiation of the Promise or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Diverse things in the Promise or in the Gospel that the Spirit doth evidence to the Soul when it is revealing its Vnion with Christ This is clear in many particulars from p. 234. to 340. The first beam of Divine Light p. 236. A Second Beam of Divine Light p. 254. A Third p. 262. A Fourth p. 267. A Fifth p. 269. A Sixth p. 274. The security given to Souls from the Covenant Oath Seal p. 274. From the many engagement upon God himself p. 305. 3. The Spirits conviction of the Conscience p. 340. What Conscience is The two most eminent works of Conscience The spirits excitation of the habits of grace formerly infused into their proper exercise p. 345. What the spirits excitatioin is p. 350. 5. The Spirits Attestation or Witness unto the Soul Both its Attestation to sense and to faith p. 355. to 392. Quest How Souls that conceive themselves to have received certain and satisfying evidence of their Vnion with the Lord Jesus may know certainly and infallibly that the evidence of their Vnion with Christ received is really from God and not a Diabolical Enthusiasm or Inspiration or a Delusion by the Devils translation of himself into Angelical glory p. 392. Several things concerning Diabolical Inspirations p. 393. The grounds of the different actings of the Devils policy towards Believers and Vnbelievers p. 406. Quest Can the Devil look into the understandings of Men to know what the inward actings of their Minds are p. 425. 2. Satans power upon the Conscience p. 431. 3. Satans power upon the Affections and Passions p. 436. Premises about a Souls tryal of the evidence of his Vnion received whether it it be from God or be a diabolical inspiration p. 437. Four sinful Distempers incident to believing Souls when doubtful of the truth of their Evidencs of their Vnion with Christ which do incapacitate for a just Trial and true examination of the evidences of their Vnion p 445. Quest If souls under the Dominion of impatiency rashness irrational affections prejudicial conceits against the truth of their evidence of their Vnion with Christ and under decays of holiness be unsutable for a right Tryal of their Evidences then what sutable means remains for such souls in these sad conditions under fears that their Eaidences are delusions Answer p. 455. If the examination can only be taken from those Evidences which remain in their perspicity clearness and sanctifying power then Quest What use could souls make of the evidences they conceive they had received of their Vnion with Jesus Christ when the Lustre and orient brightness of their evidences be Eclipsed p. 472. Answered in 4 Propositions Six Holy Vses the soul is to make for former Evidences p. 479. Nine Arguments from former Evidences to plead with the Majesty of Heaven p. 483. From all those Considerations the Question is thus Stated Quest How shall any Soul that conceives he hath received and doth actually injoy certain and sufficient evidence of his Vnion with the Lord Jesus Demonstrate from certain necessary and evident reasons that those his Evidences are really from God p. 491. Answ There are but two kinds of Demonstrations 1. The first and most certain ground is taken from the Causes Now there are but two principal Causes of the Souls Vnion with the Lord Jesus both which concur together and are never Separated one from another that is the Lords Blessed Written Word and that pretious Spirit of Jesus Christ. That the first primary and principal reason from whence a Soul may conclude that the Evidences of his Vnion with Christ received are really from God is that those Evidencing Beams of Light do proceed from the Blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ Two things opened to clear this 1. That the Light that proceeds from the Spirit to Evidence to any Soul its Vnion with Christ doth Evidence it self to proceed from the spirit p. 493. 2. That the light that proceeds from that spirit to discover to the soul its Vnion with Christ is the most potent invincible Demonstration of its own proceeding from God p. 499. The second Instrumental cause that shineth into any heart really from God to discover its Vnion with Christ is the Lords pretious Word p. 502. Where is cleared that the Scriptures are the Word of God p. 512. 2. The second sort of Demonstrations a posterioti taken from the effects Five acts in Believing Souls whereby they exalt the name of God Souls Confident they shall be everlastingly saved by Christ put upon it to search into their Hearts and seriously lay six things before them to consider of A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST c. Ephes 1.10 That in the Dispensation of the fulness of Times he might gather togather in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are in Earth even in him THE Apostle taking care of the Church of Ephesus after his departure from it writes this Epistle for the Establishing their Hearts in the Riches of the Lords Free Grace in Christ that the Lord had made their Souls Partakers of that thereby he might excite and quicken them to all sutable walking to such Priviledges This being his Scope in this first Chapter the Apostle begins to reckon up all those Glorious Priviledges by their several names in their several Causes and orders and therefore you shall see in ver 3. He breaks out in the very beginning into a Holy Rapture of Praise and Admiration of God to Bless his name for those high Priviledges as Election Justification Vocation and Glorification Now in ver 8. is comprehended the great Priviledge of their Vocation in those words wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence or Understanding That is in which Grace and Love before named the Lord hath abounded towards us through the Communicating that Grace of Wisdom and Understanding to us That is that Grace that made us receive and rest upon the Doctrine of the Wisdom of God to Salvation And having thus named the Priviledge it self ver 9. He opens the manner of the Lords thus effecting this grace upon their Souls in these words having made known unto us the Mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself The manner of the effecting of it is by the Lords manifesting the Mysteries of his will to their Souls And what he means by the Mystery of his will he tells us ver 13 it is the Word of Truth the Gospel of Salvation He means indeed the Salvation Preached in and through the Lord Christ alone which was the great Mystery that the Angels desired to pry into Now by the Revelation of this Mystery the Lord did Communicate that Grace and Understanding to them whereby they did embrace that pretious doctrine that made them wise to salvation
gracious c. Vse I. By way of information Is it thus that the Lords intent and purpose in revealing the precious truths of the Gospel is to draw souls into union with Christ 1. Then hence we may see a discovery of the dolefull dreadfull and too too common abuse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ how is the Gospel troden under foot by a multitude of souls How far do they come short when they come to attend upon Gospel Ordinances How few consider that Christ hath appointed his Ordinances to draw their wretched corrupt obstinate hearts into union with Christ 1. Consider The neglect of desiring a conformity to this intent of God in the Gospel is a profanation of the precious Ordinance of God it is a pollution of the great name of God in his Ordinances 2. Consider what a mockery and dissimulation thy attendance upon the Gospel hath been unto God Every Ordinance of God is appointed for God to be worshipped in and thou by thy attending upon an Ordinance professest thou dost worship God Now it is impossible for a soul to worship God whilst he is ignorant or regardless of the intent of God in an Ordinance 3. Thy neglect of this great intent of God in his Ordinance is a direct contrary walking unto God In coming to an Ordinance thou dost come with some intent or other It is inseperable from a rational creature upon a deliberate act to work for some end Now if thou dost always come with an intent and hast neglected the intent of God it follows directly it is a contrary walking to God II. Hence we may learn what a small number of hearts have had the right effect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ upon them How few hearts can be found who are drawn into union with the Lord Christ by the power of the Gospel this day How many are careless and regardless whether they be one with Christ or no III. We may learn hence to behold the working of the heart of God towards us in propounding of Gospel truths it is to bring your souls to be one with Christ IV. Hence learn that every soul that refuseth the Lord Christ tendered upon what ground soever can be imagined is a rejecter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Many poor souls through the cursed delusion of the old Serpent the Devil conceive they do well to stand off from receiving the Lord Christ tendered in the Gospel Take notice of the sad doleful miscarriage of thy heart thou neglectest the very principal command of God remainest disobedient while thou thinkest thou goest on in a way of obedience V. Learn what is the general rule by which we may judge persons to be embracers or refusers of the Gospel of Christ The general rule is whether they appear to be made one with Jesus Christ or no. If fruits can manifest there is an union with Jesus Christ then we may judge such to be embracers of Christ But if fruits manifest there is no union with Christ then can we not charitably judg that they are embracers of the Gospel of Christ for the present VI. Hence learn what the sum perfection and highest end of all Scripture is It is nothing but this the Lord Christ and the soul made one It 's Christ alone that is the Alpha and Omega of the Scriptures Therefore hence we may learn how to read and hear the Scriptures The way is to make Christ the punctum the center of every line that when we find nothing of Christ we are far from reading the Scripture Look upon the Types Ceremonies Genealogies all lead to Christ VII Hence learn what was the end of all those infinite wise counsels of God from before the foundation of the world was laid What was the end of all the mysteries of the Gospel that the Angels desire to pry into The end of all is to bring souls into union with Jesus Christ VIII Hence learn the reason of the near Sympathy of affection between the Lord Christ and those souls upon whom the Gospel hath had its right effect Why is Christs honour the souls honour and Christs advancement the souls advancement And on the contrary the affliction of the soul is Christs affliction the dishonour of the soul is Christs dishonour The reason is because the soul is brought into union with the Lord Christ and where there is such a nearness of relation there will be a nearness of affection IX Hence learn the intrinsical specifical difference between the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments of the Gospel The preaching of the Gospel is to draw souls into union with Christ but the administration of the Sacraments of the Gospel is to manifest communion between souls and Christ already united 1 Cor. 10 16. Thence it is that there is a difference to be made between persons that partake of the Sacraments of the Gospel though not of those that partake of the preaching of the Gospel Every soul is a sutable subject to have the Gospel preached because every soul by nature is a separated soul and therefore hath need to be brought into union with Christ but onely some few souls that are sutable subjects may partake of the Sacraments of the Gospel because they are those that do manifest a soul to have communion therefore they presuppose union Vse II. The second Use is a word of admonition Seeing the purpose of God in revealing Gospel truths is to gather souls into union with the Lord Christ let this warn every soul from heaven to take heed how he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ It is a good caution the holy Ghost gives Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God He means take heed and watch over the affections intents and purposes of your souls when you approach near to God in any duty of his worship Then beware your affections swerve not from God There are three great miscarriages in coming to Gospel Ordinances 1. A carelesness and mindlesness of the nature end and effect of the ordinances of God in approaching to them It may be said of most souls in a Congregation as of those Acts 19.32 In that great assembly the most part knew not wherefore they were come together Consider of two things in this wretched miscarriage of heart in attending upon the Gospel First this heedless frame of spirit is a contempt of God himself When the great God of heaven and earth sends a precious Embassage to thy poor loveless soul and cries to thee come and be one with me in a Mediator and thou sit carelesly neither minding nor regarding the nature of the Embassage how is it possible for thee to cast higher contempt upon God Secondly it is the highest indignity and affront that can be offered in that kind to the glorious Majesty of heaven and earth 2. The second great miscarriage of heart is the taking satisfaction to the soul in attaining other ends by Gospel
that did hear the relation of it and did carefully reflect upon his own heart but must be satisfied about his union but our experience tells us this that the most understanding Souls about union are hardest to be satisfied about their union Thus you have the negative part of the answer opened Now before I proceed to the affirmative there is another question will be cast in upon the neck of this Que. 1. But may the Soul say If none of these can evidence to the Soul his Vnion with Christ are all those Souls evidences of Vnion that they have received from something thus inherent in themselves and done upon them by the Spirit of God rotten and unsound and no evidences Must we now cast away all our thoughts of union with Jesus Christ that were formerly gathered from the sight of such qualifications inherent in our souls Before I come to answer this question I must first premise two or three things 1. That the soul hath not conceived either qualities inherent in his soul or works done by his soul as the cause of his union with God in Christ That these should be the uniting means between Christ and thy soul that have drawn the Lord Christ to come into thy heart and to dwel in thee and so to cause thee to dwell in him This were no less than gross Popery to make any thing in our selves the cause of union 2. I also premise That thou hast not taken qualities inherent in thy self or works done by thy self as the ground upon which thou didst believe thy union with Christ This were a very dangerous sandy foundation for a soul to build upon This were to ground a divine faith upon an humane ground to ground a certain conclusion upon a poor changeable ground And this were to make thy faith of no longer lasting than the constancy of thine heart in such works or the constancy of thy sight in beholding such dispositions in thy heart This is both unsafe and exceeding dangerous 3. I must premise That thou mistakest not the ground of thy evidence conceiving thy self to receive thy evidence from qualities inherent in thy self or works done by thy self when thou receivest it from a promise of free grace alone It may be at the same time when the Lord declared to thee his willingness to accept of thy soul into union with Christ and let thee see thine heart closing with that gracious tender he at the same time lets thee see such holy dispositions in thy soul as the consequence of thy union thence it may be thou didst conclude thy evidence was from these when it was from something in the first place before works But if the question be demanded whether thy qualifications thus considered be evidences I answer negatively and affirmatively First they are no right kind of evidences 1. They are no evidences of Faith That which is an evidence unto the eye of Faith must be some truth of God revealed unto faith with such an authority that for the authority of the speaker and revealer of that truth the soul doth believe it and close with it Now in that manner the word alone is proper evidence unto faith Assurance of faith must always have a divine ground to build upon Now there is no divine ground but a divine word and thine own dispositions and graces are no divine but a humane ground 2. They are no evidence of knowledge Knowledge is the assent of the understanding to a necessary truth built upon an unchangeable ground or reason Now the union of thy soul with Christ could never be rightly taken as a necessary truth built upon thine own works as the unchangable reason of it For as you have heard no works done by the soul can be an unchangeable reason upon which a soul may build such a truth as this that he is united unto Christ in regard thou wert never yet fully certain of the right nature of those thy works or of those dispositions in thy soul from whence thou didst gather those thoughts of thy union with Christ Secondly I answer affirmatively they may be improperly called evidences and they may have begotten an evidence of opinion in thy soul though not an evidence of knowledge Opinion is the assent of the understanding to some truth propounded upon the sight of probable grounds and reasons of the truth of the thing propounded Now the sight of thy gracious dispositions and qualifications may be an evidence of opinion to thy soul that is they may have afforded some probable arguments of thy union with Christ And from thence may have flown these three effects of it 1. Thence may have risen a quiet and calm in the soul a cessation from those perturbations and tumults the soul was disquieted with formerly 2. Hence might flow some refreshments A hope of possibility to the poor sinking soul brings admirable refreshment Much like a man being ready to suffer Ship-wrack at Sea seeing but a ship coming towards him gives him hope of being taken in 3. From hence may arise some flitting joy Though Christ do but pass by as it were and the soul does but see his face through a crevis it refresheth his heart Thus far they may be evidences of opinion unto souls But there are divers things that must be noted about this evidence of opinion least we mistake For though I dare not say but these evidences of opinion in many souls may prove such that in the utmost issue of them may hold to eternity yet it is not without great danger to the safety and comfort of such souls Therefore observe I. That these evidences of opinion in souls do yet fall short of raising those souls into a full conformity to the rules of Scripture about and concerning evidences of union And that will appear in three things 1. In regard these evidences of opinion cannot rise to that fulness of certainty and that strength of confidence that the rules concerning evidences of a souls union do require souls to be raised to When this opinion is raised to the highest degree there cannot be a full certainty Now the Scripture requires souls to attain a full confidence about their union with Christ Heb. 10.22 2. In regard the foundation of the souls consolation in these evidences is laid upon a ground disagreeing to the rule The rule is onely the will of God revealed Now the will of God revealed is that there should be immutable grounds upon which the soul should be built Heb. 6.17 18. 3. In regard the consolation of the soul is unsutable in measure and degree to that which God intends for his peoples souls He intends full consolations to them a plerophery of consolation But how weak are those comforts that flow from those weak fluctuating inherent grounds of the souls qualities or the working of those qualities II. You must note about these evidences of opinion That no soul may justly satisfie or content it self with only those evidences of
doth go before the actings of any other holy quality in those Souls Faith being the first habit in order of nature though not in time that 's infused into any Soul It doth also in order of nature work and manifest it self in acting before any other habit whatsoever And therefore the acting of Faith in that particular application of the absolute promise must be before there be a manifestation of any other holy quality to be in the Soul And thence in regard this particular way in applying these absolute promises is without any holy quality in Souls there can be no other word but only the Lords absolute promise to be the ground from whence this faith can arise This is generally granted of all And from thence take notice of these two things 1. That the absolute general promise of God that is holden forth as made unto the people and Church of God alone that is a particular ground of the Souls first confidence or adherence unto Jesus Christ 2. That the general absolute promise of God doth speak particularly to every Soul who attains any right or interest in it Secondly I shall answer affirmatively That it is a particular ground of Faith of assurance or a particular evidence to assure a Souls Faith that he is united unto Jesus Christ And that I shall open in two Conclusions Conclu 1. The absolute promise is sufficient to reveal to a Souls Faith a certainty of his Union in regard there is an equivalency in the absolute promise of God that runs to all Souls to any particular promise that could be made Paul manifested as full a certainty of his acceptance into Union with Christ to be holden forth to him in the absolute promise as if he had had a particular word from heaven saying thou Paul shalt be accepted into union with Christ In 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation What is that That Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners Here is as far off a remote promise as can be That Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners What then Of whom I am chief As if he should have said The Lord Christ came to save me where he makes Christ sent into the world particularly to save his Soul And certainly the same promise were able to give the Soul that particular certainty that Paul did receive did the same light appear from the promise as did to Paul But that there is such an equivalency in what the absolute promise can give to testifie union to what a particular promise gives appear in two things 1. In the latitude or largeness and extensiveness of the promise it self The promises that are of absolute mercies and are declared to be the absolute will of God concerning his peoples Souls they are all propounded as indefinite propositions that is without any certain bounds In that promise Christ came into the World to save Sinners there is no bounds set to it neither this kind of Sinner or that kind of Sinner such as are thus and thus rebellious but Sinners So Mark 16.15 Go Preach the Gospel to every creature Preach the Gospel What is that Preach the glad tydings of Salvation It is as much as if Jesus Christ should have said Go and tell every Soul my Father is willing to accept their rebellious souls into union with my self And unless this be receive tendered the Gospel is not Preached Exclude the declaring of Gods will to every particular Soul to receive him into Union with the Lord Christ and you exclude the Preaching of the Gospel And that 's the reason the Angel Luke 2.10 when he brings the glad tidings of Jesus Christ saith I bring glad tidings To whom To such a Nation or People No I bring glad tidings to all people There is no other bounds set but the World it self If a man comes under the notion of a creature he comes under the notion of the promise he cannot say but it is the will of God to receive his Soul into Union if he will embrace the Lord Christ 2. It appears in regard of the expresness of the command to every Soul particularly to apply the promise 1 John 3.23 This is the command of God that ye believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ And again this is the Word of God that ye believe in the name of Jesus Christ Now believing can contain but two things Either a giving credit to the truth of what the promise holds forth And surely this cannot be meant for the Devils themselves believe as much Or else a receiving unto their particular Souls what the Lord there tenders in Christ Jesus and if you observe it the Scripture phrase generally holds forth believing in this sence Thence it is that believing and receiving in Scripture are put both for one 1 John 1.12 Now that the extent of this command of believing reaches thus far to a particular application of those absolute promises to themselves will be cleared by two particulars 1. In regard all unbelief and the fruits of it is vertually and eminently forbidden in this command of believing When any positive duty is enjoyned by God the contrary must needs be forbidden by the same law vertually and all the evil consequences of whatever is contrary to the duty enjoyned Now believing being enjoyned virtually unbelief and all the fruits of unbelief are forbidden The fruits of unbelief is doubting and so all doubting of the Lords will to fulfill his promise of accepting the soul into union with the Lord Jesus that 's content and willing to receive Christ into Union with him all this doubting of the will of God is there forbidden vertually in regard it is contrary to the duty commanded because it proceeds from the root unbelief which is directly contrary unto faith 2. In regard the strength of Faith must needs be the extent of the command The Soul is to give credit to the Lord as a thing unquestionably certain that the Lord is willing to receive his poor loveless Soul into Union with the Lord Christ So that in effect the Lord doth in that command to the Soul to believe enjoyn the Soul to receive fulness of assurance from the very promise that the Lord is willing to receive his Soul into union with the Lord Christ Yet do not mistake me I do not say the command is of such an extent that it doth expresly command every one to believe that he is one in Christ for then the promise should command him to believe a lye in regard the greatest number are at enmity But the extent of the command is to assure the Soul of the Lords willingness to receive him into union with Jesus Christ if he be willing to receive him And this the Lord enjoyns the most rebellious wretches wherever the Gospel comes the first command to such rebellious Souls is to believe that God is willing to receive their rebellious Souls into union
There can be but two senses in which this proposition can be taken First It must either be meant thus That the Lord Christ must not be applyed for comforting of Souls too much that is not applyed to comfort the Soul in his necessity with two great a confidence Now there it crosses the precious heavenly light that shines from the Sun of righteousness the Lord Christ in regard it is the great command that the Soul ought to receive him whole with all his priviledges propounded to the Soul with a full assurance of faith And so Abrahams faith is commended that he did not doubt at all Rom. 4.18 19 20. Or Secondly the application of the Lord Christ for comforting the Soul too much must be meant thus That he may be applyed too confidently to the Soul with too large a comprehension of the infinite riches of all excellencies that are treasured up for the Soul in the Lord Jesus Now to apply the Lord Jesus for comfort too much this way doth also directly oppose the Scripture 1. It is commonly the frequent prayer of the Apostle for the Saints that they might have the fullest comprehension of Jesus Christ to their Souls Eph. 1.17 18. He prays that their understandings may be enlightned that they may know what is the hope of his calling that is that they might know the glorious things that they are called to in Jesus Christ So Eph. 3.18 He would have them know the exceeding riches of his grace to them that believe He would have them comprehend the dimensions of the love of Christ to them 2. It is the desire of Jesus Christ that all his people might have fulness of joy John 15.11 These things have I spoken unto you that your joy might be full That 's also the Apostles prayer Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost 3. It is according to the degree wherein the Soul comprehends the excellency treasured up in Jesus Christ for his Soul that it partaketh of the excellency of Christ and is changed into the the likeness of Christ 1 John 3.2 So that it is a principle of darkness that clearly contradicts the word of truth to say the Soul must not apply the Lord Jesus too much that is with too large a comprehension of the priviledges of Jesus Christ to his Soul But there are two things to be opened about this for the clearing of it 1. Though Jesus Christ cannot be applyed for comforting the Soul too much be the Soul in what condition it can be yet the Lord Christ may be looked into for comforting a Soul too much That is when Souls look upon Jesus Christ for comfort without receiving him as he is tendered by God to the Soul Though Christ be the object of all true comfort to the Soul yet it is Christ as he is in Union with the Soul for it is not the goodness of an object simply and absolutely considered that doth send down strength and life into the heart in beholding of it but it is the goodness of an object appropriated to its self 2. Jesus Christ may be applyed by others for comforting their Souls too much I mean to affirm to any particular Soul that the Lord Jesus with his glorious priviledges is his this is applying Jesus Christ for comforting them too much the reason is plain in regard it is out of Gods way Though these two Cautions are to be observed yet it is a principle of darkness that is necessary to be removed before there can be a certain evidence of the Souls Union with Christ There is one Principle of darkness more and that is this That a Soul must discern his peculiar right to Principle of Darkness and interest in the particular promise before he believe it is the will of God to receive his particular Soul into Union with Christ The meaning of the Soul is this that he must behold some promise pass'd over to him by Jesus Christ before he can believe it is the will of God to receive him into Union with Christ This principle being so cunningly forged in Hell that it is scarce discerned from a principle of light we shall endeavour to help you to discern it to be a principle of darkness I find three foundations upon which this principle is built 1. That it cannot possibly be lawfull for every Soul to believe that it is the will of God to take him into union with Christ For saith the Soul then the greatest part of the world should be put upon it to believe a lie 2. That it must be through a Souls right to some promise that he cometh to have a right to Jesus Christ Now this is a false foundation because there can be no interest nor right the Soul can have to one promise of God before the Soul is bound to believe that the Lord will receive his soul into Union with Christ 1. In regard the first promise is Jesus Christ himself and the very primary object of faith is Jesus Christ himself This you shall observe Gen. 3.15 The first promise that was given to Adam was that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head which is nothing but a promise of Jesus Christ 2. When the promise was first renewed to Abraham it was in these words In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed What is that seed It is Jesus Christ Gal. 3.16 So the Apostles in their preaching laid Jesus Christ as the first object of faith Believe in the Lord Jesus 3. A third foundation of this principle is this That only those promises that are made unto holy qualiqualities in sanctified Souls are assuring promises or promises that can assure unto a Souls faith that the Lord will receive him into union with Christ Saith the Soul there are inviting promises and assuring promises now inviting promises speak so general as none can discern his union from thence but the promises to the graces they in a manner particularize Souls Now hence the Soul concludeth thus it must of necessity be a necessary precedent before a Souls assurance that God will take him into union with Christ that he see some holy quality in his own spirit to which the Lord hath made some such promise Now observe the gross darkness and blindness in conceiving inviting promises not to be able to give assurance to a Souls faith of union with Christ It will appear in two or three things 1. Then the Soul must conceive that those promises that the Lord propounds in the inviting of the Soul to Christ may not be believed with a fulness of confidence and assurance Now 1. Thence the Soul must conceive that some portions of the word of God have not sufficient authority to be believed undoubtedly by the Soul Now what an high indignity is offered to God in entertaining such a thought that any
embrace the loveless Soul that makes the bowels of the Soul yern towards Christ again 4. The Soul must discern the sufficiency of the promise to assure the Soul of what it longs after Now it being of necessity that all these must be discerned in the promises of acceptance of the Soul into union with Christ before the Soul can be satisfied from the promises that he is united to Jesus Christ an hours view or a days view in an ordinary way I mean unless the Spirit cast in superlative light extraordinary will not suffice a Soul to discern all these through the promise II. This inconstancy in the Souls resolutions exposes the Soul to the violence of all temptation This will appear in three things 1. In regard the sword of the Spirit to fight against the Temptations with is made void The sword of the Spirit is the pretious word of God Eph. 6.17 Now the Soul being unsettled in his own determinations concerning the truth of the Word of God to his own Soul in particular he hath no pretious use of that pretious sword the Word of God to resist the tempter with 2. The habit of Faith is weakned I mean the readiness of the disposition of Faith to be in exercise is in a great measure hindred The Heart is more indisposed to the exercise of Faith by how much the seldomer Faith is drawn out to exercise 3. Carnal reasonings of the Heart grow strong The more any corruption prevails the more strength it gets Sin is never decrepit the older it grows the stronger it grows Thus carnal reasoning of the Heart growing old by the constant prevailing over the Soul it grows stronger All these concurring a Soul is in a dreadful measure exposed to the tyranny of all Temptations First Temptations that batter down the hopes of Election Secondly Temptations unto slavish fear and dread and horrour of execution of present vengeance Thirdly A Soul is exposed to the power and violence of that temptation that it is wicked abominable presumption for his wretched Soul to have a thought that God will be willing to accept him in Christ III. Through that inconstancy the Devil himself is provoked to tempt It is observed in Scripture that the rule the Lord gives concerning our fighting with Satan is to resist and the rule concerning fighting with sin is fleeing 1 Pet. 5.9 Now it is thought it is upon this occasion the Lord gives this rule because fleeing gives the Devil advantage and makes him more violent in his temptations There is nothing that gives the Devil discouragement in tempting but a sight of an impossibility of prevailing IV. The inconstancy of the Soul in these resolutions and determinations prevents the increase and growth of all the knowledge of Jesus Christ You shall observe in 2 Pet. 3.18 That the Holy Ghost urging the Saints to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he gives them an admonition to take heed they fall not from their own steadfastness intimating thus much while their Souls remain unstable in receiving and giving credit to those pretious Truths of Christ that were revealed there could be no growth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ V. This inconstancy of the Soul doth leave it like a lost one in a meer wilderness It leaves it wandering in devious paths it knows not whither When the Judgment of the Soul is thus unstable concerning those pretious principles forenamed the Soul is left without a Pilot without a Compass so that the Soul knows not how to steer its course to the pretious haven of happiness So that this distemper must be healed before the Soul can discern its union with Christ Now the Spirit heals this distemper two ways 1. By vouchsafing a clear and full manifestation to the Soul of those pretious forenamed principles by casting in such a high degree of divine light as makes the truth of those forenamed conclusions out of question It is according to the evidence the Soul receives of a truth that the judgment is settled either more or less firmly upon it Now the Spirit doth so manifest those pretious Truths and so clears the Eye as it seeth them without scruple and then the Judgment begins to be settled with some firmness upon them 2. The Spirit heals it by a continuation of the first manifestation of those Truths So that a fulness of evidence of the Truth that the Soul concludes upon remaining in the Soul the Soul remains in a fixed settled way cleaving and sticking to those Truths so concluded upon Now thus you have the second work of the Spirit in that first general effect of it upon the Heart opened which is the removal of all impediments that hinder divine light and you have seen what beams of the principles of darkness and also what dark distempers are pulled out before the Soul is fit to discern the light of Jesus Christ held forth Now the third work of the Spirit in this illumination is the Spirits acting by its own power the Divine light communicated to the Soul It is necessary not only that a Soul receive a faculty from the Spirit but also the acting of the faculty too Though all acts of the renewed man be firmly the acts of the Mind yet they are originally the acts of the Spirit it self So that also in this case concerning illumination there is a necessity not only that the Soul hath a seeing Eye but that it must also have the seeing of the Eye from the Spirit Though the Soul hath an Eye disposed to see the divine light that the promise discovers yet there must come in a power from the Spirit also whereby the Soul may be inabled to act that very power received As it is in the cleared Eye it hath a fitness to see any colour but it must be acted by the rational Soul otherwise the inward disposition of the Soul effects nothing that 's the reason the Eye sees not in sleep because the rational Soul is bound up as it were in its operations Thus it is with the divine man though influences be communicated from Jesus Christ to the Soul that the Soul hath a spiritual Eye rightly disposed to see spiritual objects yet there must be also the Spirits power to act that very Eye that is so disposed to see the spiritual object So that thus the Spirit comes in by a renewed power and as it were blows up those holy sparks of divine light that are communicated to the Soul and makes them to work in their own proper natural way to make them see that pretious divine light that the promises of the Lord discover to the poor dark Soul Thus you see the first work or the first effect that the Spirit of God hath upon Souls towards the revealing to them from the promise that they are united to the Lord Jesus The Spirits Irradiation II. We are now to proceed to the second work of the Spirit upon Souls in
for that Believing Soul to question his own Cleaving and Adhering unto Jesus Christ unto all Eternity And that will appear in two things I. In regard there is a sufficient ground revealed to the Soul that hath this Testimony of the Spirit unto his Faith of his Confidence of his Everlasting Cleaving unto Christ as there is of the Lords Acceptance of his Soul into Union and Communion with him in Adhering to him The promises of the Covenant of Grace that are tendred in the Lord Jesus do as perfectly and as clearly contain and include in them strength to inable Souls to Embrace and Accept those Promises as they do contain in them a fulness and alsufficiency of Love and Mercy for those Souls that do Embrace them The Lord that hath said It is my Will that such Perishing Sinking Despicable Souls as will accept my Tender shall be one with me through the Lord Jesus and have Everlasting Communion with me hath also said will Allure and draw your Hearts to Embrace and Accept according to my Will this Union and Communion with me in Christ that I freely tender you According to Jer. 31 32 33. This shall be my Covenant I will put my Law in their inward parts and Write it in their Hearts That is to say I will infuse sutable Dispositions into the Hearts of all the Embracers of the Lord Jesus to Incline Dispose and Inable them to fulfil all my Revealed Will in some Measure and Degree So that the Soul hath as sure a Word Revealed to it to depend upon from whence may arise a Confidence in it that the Lord will Inable him to Cleave and Adhere Everlastingly to Christ as it hath a Word whereupon his Soul may Depend and may be Confident the Lord will accept him into Union and Communion with him in Cleaving unto Christ II. In regard that very Confidence that the Spirit doth produce in the Soul of its Infallible Acceptance into Union and Communion with him is the very act of Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ There are four particular acts of the Soul Included under this Confidence of the Souls Acceptance into Union with Christ in its Cleaving and Adhering to him 1. In this is Included the Election of Union with Christ by the Will of the Soul Now this is but the receiving of Christ that the Gospel requireth To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 Now the consent of the Will to close with Christ in Union and Communion that is tendred to it is the very Receiving of Jesus Christ 2. In that very act of Confidence there is Included the Souls Credence or giving Credit to the Word of God When the Soul is Confident of the Lords Accepting of it into Union and Communion with him in the Souls Cleaving and Adhering to him it is only because of such a Word of Promise from the Mouth of Christ to which the Soul giveth Credit or which the Soul Believeth 3. In this act of Confidence there is a Resignation of the Soul wholly unto Christ Such as that which is spoken of in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am Perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have Committed unto him That is to say I know whose Word it was that I gave Credit to and that I was so Confident of the Truth of That I leaned my Soul upon the Truth of that Word for its Everlasting Happiness So that then in this act of Confidence there is Included that Mutual Interchangable Covenanting that the Word of the Lord requires from Souls in Accepting the Lord Jesus Tendered 4. In this very act of Confidence there is Included a full Dependance of the Soul upon Christ a hanging the Soul upon the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ and his Word So that indeed all the acts that the Gospel Requires from Souls are Included in this one act of Confidence that is produced by this Testimony of the Spirit to the Souls Faith Now the act of the Souls Confidence being also the act of its Cleaving and Adhering unto the Lord Jesus and the Souls Cleaving and Adhering unto Christ being Gradually as strong as the act of its Confidence of Accepting into Union and Communion with Christ in his Cleaving to him Thence it appears that there can be no solid ground of the souls questioning his own Adherence unto the Lord Jesus when the spirit gives this Testimony forementioned unto the souls Faith and produceth 〈◊〉 Confidence in the soul of his Acceptance into Union and Communion with the Lord Jesus in Adhering to him In this very thing lies the whole Mystery of assurance unto Faith The very Confidence that the spirit begets in the soul of the Lord Jesus his Accepting it into Union and Communion with him in Cleaving to him the very act of Confidence is the act of the souls Cleaving to him Answ 2. Secondly I Answer further that whenever the Spirit by its Testimony to the souls Faith doth beget that Confidence in the soul that the Lord will Accept it into Union with himself in his Adhering to him then the soul cannot question his own Adhering unto Christ any more than he questions the Lords Acceptance of his soul into Union and Communion with him in his Adhering to him The spirits Testimony unto Faith is or such a nature that it doth equally beget a Confidence in the soul of his Everlasting Cleaving unto Christ to the Confidence that it doth beget of the Lords Acceptance of the soul into Union with himself in the souls Adhering to him And that will appear in three things I. In regard the spirits Attestation unto Faith is concerning the truth of the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ or of all the promises The spirit in the Irradiation of the Gospel clears that it is the Lords Will to have the whole Glorious work of the Union of Loveless Sinners with the Lord Jesus to have its sole dependance upon himself So that it manifests Believing Strength to inable the soul to Cleave and Adhere to the Lord Jesus fully to be tendered in the Covenant of Grace as well as Union with Christ himself is tendered Now then the spirits Attestation which follows this Irradiation of the Gospel is as large as its Irradiation work I mean the spirit doth in a Judicial Authoritative way Witness the truth of all those Gospel Truths Revealed to the soul So that the soul cannot possibly resist that Determination that the spirit gives into its Bosom Now then there being the same Witness of the spirit unto the souls Faith that the Lord will inable it to Cleave and Adhere to the Lord Jesus that there is unto its Faith that the Lord will Accept into Union and Communion with himself in Christ every soul that will Adhere to him Thence it cannot be that a soul should more question his Adhering unto Christ than he should question the Lords Acceptance of him
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
through a clear evidence hath begotten such a precious confidence in the Soul The believing Soul ought to say concerning that his confidence as Job said concerning his Job 27.5 I will not remove my integrity from me I will not let go this my confidence till I have proved and examined the evidence of my union with the Lord Jesus from whence this confidence did arise This also may appear in two things 1. In regard the diminishing of this confidence in the believing soul before the trial of the evidence of his union with Christ received is an infinite injury to the sweetest Comforter the blessed Spirit who through the manifestation unto the Soul that he is united to the Lord Jesus establisheth the Soul in that pretious confidence The rejecting of that confidence so wrought by the blessed Spirit is a slighting of the spirit in his most precious Office and a disparagement of the very witness of that blessed Spirit 2. It is a most sinful unconstancy and fickleness to reject any thing received before clear demonstration of the errour of the soul in receiving It is contrary to the order rhat the Lord requires should be in all the motions of the soul which is that they should be subject to the power of holy sanctified reason So that this confidence before trial ought to be maintained in its full strength in case such a confidence was begotten by an evidence formerly received that he is actually united to the Lord Jesus Quest But here is a question then by the way would be opened But will the Soul say wherefore then are the commands given by God to prove and examine our selves whether we be in the saith and so consequently to examine the evidence of our union with Christ if we must not be dubious and anxious whether the evidence of our union with Christ received be true or no before we proceed ro the trial and examination of them Answ 1. For answer to this question by the way briefly I answer first that these Commands of Souls examining themselves whether they be in the faith are given universally to all Souls on purpose that deluded souls by the trying and proving themselves might discover their own delusions and discern their lying confidence of their acceptance into union with the Lord Jesus 2. These commands are given on purpose to believing souls to maintain the life of the confidence of the Lords will to admit them into union with Christ and the confidence that they are admitted into union with the Lord Jesus These commands are occasions to Souls truly united to the Lord Jesus to review over the grounds of their confidence of the Lords will to admit them into union with Christ and of the Lords actual admission of them into union Now the more the Soul views the ground of his confidence the more it views that blessed word of God that reveals the Lords will to admit even his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus in case he accepts it and by the Souls gazing upon that blessed word it discerns more of the truth and certainty infallibility and unchangeableness of that word and the more frequently and fully the Soul discerns that the stronger is its confidence in the will of the Lord that he will admit even that his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus and thence there is more occasion for the blessed Spirit to irradiate rhe souls believing act to enable the soul to see and feel it self to believe aright by which means the actual confidence of the souls admission with Christ lives and is maintained in its strength 3. These commands are given that there might be more preparedness against all assaults that are made from Hell against those souls Through this examination believing souls have their confidence maintained in its life and strength and so are fortified against temptation because it discerns clearly the foundation upon which his own confidence stands 4. The Lord gives these commands on purpose to draw forth into exercise all manner of holy dispositions in the believing soul This is done by the renewed view of that light that doth evidence unto the souls faith or unto the souls sense its union with the Lord Jesus Thenâ—… is the pretious subjection of the Heart to the will of God in all things acted then is the correspondent love of the soul answerable to the Lords love to the soul drawn out in its strength then are all the thirstings after near communion with God in Christ acted Pre. 3. Thirdly a third thing to be premised is this That there are many sinful distempers incident to believing souls in the times when they are doubtful of the truth of the evidences of their union with Christ which whenever they do prevail in any soul during their prevalency they do incapacitate those souls for a just trial and true examination of the evidences of their union There are especially four of those sinful distempers incident unto believing souls at such a time 1. There is an impatiency and frowardness of spirit under the obscurity of that truth of their evidence of union with the Lord Jesus incident to every believing soul Indeed our spirits are naturally impatient under every burden but when any Arrows from the Almighty are shot into the Conscience or any Arrow from Hell stick fast there I mean any doubtfulness any terrors and fears of the fulness of their conceived evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus then are their spirits in a superlative manner prone to fret and vex and fume by the prevailing of unruly passion Thus David under the doubtfulness of the Lords fulfilling a promise made to him breaks out into most dreadful impatience in 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul So in Psal 116.11 I said in my haste all men are liars So Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine Eyes So the holy man Job Chap. 3.3 and Chap. 6.8 9. Now during the prevalency of this distemper of impatiency and frowardness of spirit under doubting the truth of their evidence their spirits are made uncable of a just trial and examination of the truth of the evidence of their union with the Lord Jesus There are two ways how this sinful distemper doth incapacitate souls for the just examination of the evidence of their union 1. It doth prevent a serious deliberate view of the evidences of their union with Christ that they have received by drawing out the intentions of their Spirits to look upon the grounds of their fears of the falseness of the evidence of their Union When any passion prevails in any Spirit it draws out the whole strength of the Soul that way Now the intention of the soul being drawn out to look upon the object of his fears the grounds of his doubts and the matter of the suspition of the falseness of his union by this the soul is made unsuitable to take any right deliberate
view of the evidences of his union 2. Impatiency of Spirit under the doubtfulness of the truth of the souls evidence of his union with Christ doth occasion every seeming opposition to the truth of the souls evidences to appear greater than it is in its own nature Thence it is frequent with souls under this distemper every suggestion from Hell bears such weight upon the Spirit as it is in a fume upon every such suggestion conceiving there is abundant argument against the truth of his union whereas upon the examination of the same objection by the same soul with a quiet calm spirit those objections appear to be invalid to have no weight nor scarce any colour whereby they should manifest the falseness of the Souls evidence of his union II. The second sinful distemper is an irrationality that the Soul subjects it self to in all the conclusions that it draws up against it self Now whenever a believing Soul subjects himself to this sinful distemper that he endeavours not to suppress every affection of Hope Fear or Joy which is not founded upon some blessed word of God then the Soul doth make it self uncapable of examining and trying justly the truth of his own evidences of his Union 1. In regard the Soul will of necessity be irrational in all its conclusions But when the Soul is irrational in its confusions it is uncapable of a just trial of the evidences of his union it is uncapable of comparing that blessed golden Rule of the Lord word and his own evidences together 2. In regard the thoughts of the Soul are all distracted when any thing is brought to the thoughts for the truth of his union that Soul without examination immediately entertains some hopes Again when any thing is objected to the Soul to prove the falseness of his evidence immediately again the soul entertains fears without examining the reality of what is objected against his evidence and those hopes and fears continuing enterchangeably working make such distraction in the souls thoughts that it makes it uncapable for any deliberate view of the evidences of his union 3. The third sinful distemper is a rashness hastiness or suddenness of spirit Thus some doubting of the truth of their former evidences of their union with the Lord Jesus because of some backsliding from God that they are conscious to themselves of will suddenly from such a place as that Heb. 6.4 concludes that they have sinned presumptuously and that there is no renewing them again by Repentance or unto Repentance The words run thus For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance whereas did those Souls examine the intent of the Holy Ghost in these words it were easily to discern that the Holy Ghost intend those who finally apostatize from God not intending any slips and falls and backslidings that are incident to every believing Soul were there but a just examination of this portion of the word by collecting it and comparing with another word that would testify many Saints to have had their fallings and backslidings after their tasting of the heavenly gifts and after their being partakers of the Holy Ghost â—…ly in a higher way than the Spirit means here he mean here by partaking of the Holy Ghost only some participation of common gifts of the Spirit other Scriptures testify David and Abram to have had their falls yea almost every Saint after their tasting of the heavenly gift and yet to be renewed again by Repentance Now this distemper doth make the soul uncapable of a just examination of the truth of the evidence of his union with Christ 2 ways I. In regard this rashness makes the Soul uncapable of discerning the depths of Satan whereby he endeavours to obscure the truth of every Believers evidence of his union with Christ This sinful rashness occasions the Soul only to take a superficial of whatever is suggested or propounded Now Satans Suggestions have some sparkling of Angelical Glory some vernish of truth and holiness so that every suggestion of Hell whilst the distemper of rashness prevails in the soul cannot but be judged a sufficient ground to build a doubt and scruple upon and then Satan being always watchful to maintain a dispute that he once began with the Soul to make reply against whatever can be objected against his first suggestion every of these objections of Satan they will be counted sufficient ground for the rash Soul to draw another safe conclusion or to strengthen the Soul in the drawing its former false conclusion 2. This rashness also begets a confusion in the Soul the soul drawing conclusion upon conclusion upon every seeming ground and one conclusion maintains contradicting another a contradition of hope contradicting a conclusion of fear and there being no examination through the domineering power of rashness in the Soul of the truth of the one and the falseness of the other these conclusions begin to fight in nhe Soul at once yea multitudes of conclusions seem contrary each to other 4. The Fourth distemper that doth incapacitate a Soul for the just tryal of the truth of his own evidence is a prejudicial conceit against his own evidences even before any examination of the truth of the evidences of his union This is the sad distemper that prevailed in Asaph Psal 77.2 my Soul refused to be comforted he did refuse to receive any evidence that the Lord would be faithful But certainly this was the distemper of the Church Lamen 3.17 18. Thou hast remove my Soul far off from peace I forgot prosperity or rather as it is rendred by some I forgot God it is most probable she refused to entertain any of those thoughts that the Lord would yet be gracious Hence it is that many Souls under the Power of this distemper do study to wind themselves from under the Power of any truth that should lay hold upon their hearts so as to answer their objections and cavils against their acceptance into union with the Lord Jesus Now this Distemper doth make Souls uncapable while it prevail of a just examination of the truth of their own exidences in regard it causeth slighty unworthy thoughts of their own union Pre. 4. Fourthly it is to be considered that whenever any Soul is declined from or decayed in his former activity and operation of holiness he is then unsutable to examine and to try justly the truth of his own evidence of his union with Christ He is unsutable in these five respects 1. In regard the light of manifestation from the spirit is always suspended when the heart is in this decaying temper in holiness When ever any heart decay in holiness his first original decay is in the activity and strength of the precious believing disposition of the will
to close with and accept of the precious tender of the Lord Jesus to the Soul now when the Spirits light of manifestation whereby it doth irradiate the word to the Soul is withdrawn the Soul must needs be uncapable to examine the truth of his own evidences for it is only through the Spirits irradiation or manifestation of the word that any believing Soul doth at first clearly and satisfyingly and unquestionably discern the Lords will to accept his Soul into union with the Lord Jesus and therefore when this Light of manifestation from the Spirit is withdrawn again it cannot be that the believing Soul should clearly discern their precious truth and so long as the Soul enjoy not this evidence unto his saith of his certain acceptance of union with Christ it is impossible the Soul should have any evidence unto sense seeing the evidence unto sense doth wholly depend upon the evidence unto faith 2. In regard all the opposite powers of corruption in his Soul unto the Souls evidence of union with Christ do renew in some degree their Tyrranny over the Soul Yea not only so but all the powers of corruption that do oppose the Souls union with Christ are then furnished with renewed arguments and objections against the poor Souls acceptance into union yea with such objections as nothing can answer but saith it self As for example 1. Then carnal Reasons ' mouth is filled with new matter of objection against the Souls union Carnal Reason that said formerly thou art a Rebel an Enemy that have continued thus many years in enmity therefore cannot be admitted into union with the Lord Jesus can now say more thou hast now dealt unfaithfully with God thou art an Hypocrite a Bacstslider it is impossible that the Lord that bore thy enmity and rebellion should bare thy falseness and hypocrisy 2. Natural Distrust of God cursed Jealousies and Suspitions of the Faithfulness of God do renew their Tyranny also when Holiness decay Now natural Distrust and cursed Jelousy of God can say what dost thou think it is possible for the Majesty of Heaven who is so just who hath said he will avenge himself upon those that go on in their wickedness should ever accept theâ— into reconciliation with himself 3. The corrupt Conscience renews his Tyrannizing Power when the Soul decay in Holiness Now Conscience is furnished with a new Bill of Indictment against the Soul it can now lay to the Souls charge guile and deceitfulness of heart with God and willing Apostacy from God so that now it can with a full mouth pass the sentence of Condemnation against the Soul afresh and is furnished with such arguments as nothing but Faith can answer nothing but a renewed vision of the Lords will declared in his blessed word to accept of every poor undone perishing Soul be he as bad as an incarnate Devil in case the Soul will accept of union with him can satisfy either carnal reason or suspitious argmments or consciences accusations 3. The Soul decaying in Holiness is unsutable to examine the evidence of his union in regard the Soul remain under an inevitable an unavoidable necessity to submit to the Judgement that Sense shall pass upon his Soul Now Sense can pass no other Judgemennt upon a Souls estate that is decayed in Holiness but that certainly the evidences of his union with the Lord Jesus that he conceive he had received were delusions Sense can see none of those precious inseparable effects of a Souls evidence of union with Christ and sense can pass no other Judgement unless it be captivated unto the power of Faith 4. In regard there is apparent defect in such a Soul of the proper inseparable effects of the true manifestation to a Soul that it is united to the Lord Jesus The inseparable effects of an evidence unto a Soul that it is united to the Lord Jesus is an heighth of Holiness now when Holiness is decayed Satan can say by a fallacious argument thy evidences of thy union that thou thoughtest thou hadst are delusions indeed dost not see by the effects of the evidences those that have evidences of their union with Christ have their hearts in an adoring admiring frame of God they have their hearts enlarged to the utmost towards God in Christ but thou hast a blockish senselese careless heartless mindless unprofitable Spirit surely thy evidences therefore are delusions Now indeed here is a fallacy in Satans arguments that is hard to be discerned here is a depth of Satan here is one of those cunning devices that most Souls are ignorant of He fails of nothing in his argument but only in time His arguments should have run thus only Souls that have true evidence of their union with Christ whilst those evidences remain they are in an admiring adoring frame and their hearts elivated and enlarged in all kind of Holiness If this had been Satans major proposition his assumption must have been false then he could not have said but thou in that moment and instant when those evidennes were given to the during the continuance of those evidences in their clear light that thou wert united thy heart was not enlarged in all kind of Holiness and taken with a precious admiration of the Lord Jesus 5. In regard the Soul is under an actual provocation of the Lord to a penal suspension of all kind of manifestation unto the Soul either that the Lord would admit him into union with Christ or that he is admitted The Soul he can never discern the truth of his own evidence satisfyingly and infallibly without the manifestation of the same light both manifesting the word to the believing disposition and manifesting the believing act also to the Souls apprehension Now therefore the Soul must needs be unsutable to examine the truth of his evidence of union with Christ while he is actually provoking the Lord to withdraw that blessed Spirit and to suâ—pend his operations unto the Soul Now here is a question necessarily cast in to be opened by the way before we can proceed any farther Que. But will the Soul say if Souls under the dominion of impatiency rashness irrational affections prejudicial conceits against the truth of the evidence of their union with Christ and Souls under decays of Holiness be unsutable for a right tryal of their evidences then what sutable means remain for such Souls under fear that the evidences of their union are delusions Ans First I answer that the only immediate effectual means of redemption of such Souls from such torturing fears suspitions and jealousies that the evidences of their union with Christ are but delusions is a renewed act of confidence in the truth of the Lords word to their particular Souls wherein the Lord doth declare his will to give the Lord Jesus freely to every perishing Sinner that shall accept him to mediate a reconciliation with the Father for him though plunged into the most bottomless depth of Sin The Universal Unlimitted Offer
of the Lord Jesus to every particular perishing and lost Soul that will accept it is the prime foundation of all the righteous hopes that ever dwelt in a believing Soul all the expecttations and hopes of believing Souls are but the building upon that foundation now when the building of the Souls hope shake the only means to establish the building is to add strength to the foundation This you shall observe was the remedy of the poor distressed Church Lament 3.40 after many distractions in her spirit many tossings and tumblings this way and that way when she had fed upon gaul and wormwood for a long time at last she was constrained to take this course to search and trie her ways and turn again to the Lord she was constrained now to make a new converting work of the matter according as Christ tells his Disciples except ye be converted when they were already converted that is unless you renew the close of your spirits with me whereby you may have power against this particular sin and I conceive this also may be intended by the spirit of God Isa 50.10 in that sweet councel to poor distressed souls in this case that walk in darkness and hath no light that is no refreshment no comforting hope to trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is first a renewed act of Faith immediately commanded to such a distressed soul let him trust in the name of the Lord. Secondly here is a direct act of Faith an act of Faith proper to the soul that did never put forth a believing act formerly Here is an act of Faith required and commanded to be done by these souls without respect to any thing in themselves without respect to their former comforts whether they 〈◊〉 be true or false without respect to their receiving grace whether they have received grace or not received grace It is worth the clearing that this should be the only immediate means to deliver such declined souls from under the fears that the evidences of their union with Christ are but delusions This will appear in three things 1. In regard it is in this renewed act only that the former evidences and manifestations given to such souls of their union with Christ do shine forth in their perspicuity clearness and satisfying power Then only when the soul doth thus close afresh with that union with the Lord Jesus offered to it there is both light within and light without whereby the soul is able to discern the former manifestation unto the soul of its union with the Lord Jesus in their glory and power afresh 2. In regard through this renewed act only the proper effects of evidence of union with Jesus Christ are again stirred up and drawn forth into their powerful operation Now it is the souls apprehension of the want of those precious effects that evidences of union with Christ do naturally beget in believing souls that do occasion the poor distressed soul to suspect his own evidences and to be Jealous they are but delusions Now the only means to deliver these dark and doubtful souls from under the Tyrannical Power of these Jealousies and Suspitions must be this renewed believing act this renewed confidence in that truth of the Lords word wherein he tender Christ in general to every sinner in regard these blessed effects the evidence of union with Christ do naturally beget in souls are only made visible to these believing souls again by that means 3. In regard both the incapacity of souls for the tryal of their evidences and the unsutableness of souls for tryal also are removed by that renewed believing act in regard those distempers are healed These are healed two ways First By a more general influence of that believing act Secondly by a more particular influence First By a more general inffuence of the believing act into those distempers The believing Soul closes with the Lord Jesus tendered so as he accept of a redemption from his sin and from under the power of corruption through Christ the notion under which the Lord makes the proffer of Christ unto sinners is that he should mediate a reconciliation between the Father and the soul shall so accept him that he should beget a precious amity between the Fether and the Soul establish the soul in a state of love that is the soul as well to be filled with love towards the Lord as the Lord to be filled with love towards the Soul Now in a souls acceptance of Jesus Christ thus tendered the soul accepts of Christ necessarily as a Redeemer to redeem him from slavery under those Enemies of the Majesty of Heaven even Sin and Satan so that there must be a State of Amity and Love between God and the Soul Secondly this particular act hath a particular influence into those particular distempers that made the Soul uncapable for a just examination of the evidence of his union with Christ 1. In this renewed belieeving act formerly mentioned there is a precious sweet act of submission in the will of the believing Soul to the will of God Indeed the believing act is the highest submission to the Lord that ever is given by any Soul to him in regard the Soul in that case captivateth all his reason and Judgement only to the Lords authority because the Lord hath spoken so and so concerning his Soul Now from hence this renewed believing act hath a precious influence into the distempered Soul under impatiency to heal the impatiency of the spirit that domeneerd in him for now the will is contented to wait on God it is contented the will of God should be fulfilled in him 2. This believing act hath a particular influence into the Souls rashness to heal that distemper also In this renewed act there is a renewed sense of the believing Souls absolute nothingness Now from the Souls actual sense of his own nothingness proceeds a holy awe a holy reverential fear of the Majesty of Heaven which doth hold in bounds the rash disorderly Spirit so that by this the Spirit is more carefull how it draw conclusions from any precious word of God 3. The believing act hath an influence upon the disorderly affections the irrational affections which did also incapacitate believing Souls for a just examination of their evidences In the believing the Soul doth captivate all the imaginations and thoughts of sense and carnal reason unto the truth and authority of God and so all the disorderly affections jealousies doubts and fears are even captivated and brought under 4. This renewed believing act hath an influence also into the prejudicial conceits or opinions against the evidence of union received to subdue those In the believing act there is a renewed sight of the truth of the souls former evidence unto his Faith of his union with Christ in some degree so that the soul while he was under the power of his fears that the evidence of his union were delusions having lost the
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
then doleful weakness yea abhorred wickedness in any soul to cast off all confidence of the Lords admission of his soul into union with Jesus Christ Though the oratory light of the blessed spirit or the superadded light to the word that causes the word to give so clear and satisfying a testimony unto faith of its union with Jesus Christ be withdrawn and suspended yet there is a Heavenly shining burning Lamp of the written word of God that stands constantly shining to discover to the faith of the believing soul the open bosome of the love of the Lord Jesus and his outstretched Arms ready to grasp the soul into the nearest union Therefore it must needs be dreadful horrid wickedness for any soul to neglect slight undervalue or disregard the light of that pretious written word because those Heavenly beams of superadded light that the spirit sometimes gives are by the wisdom of the Lord or through the occasion of the souls own iniquity sometimes suspended The Command of believing stands as an everlasting command founded and built upon the meer written word making a pretious discovery of the Lords will to admit every lost perishing soul that will to be reconciled 1 John 3.23 Now thence it is most wretched disobedience in any soul when he hath lost that glorious light of manifestation from the spirit to disobey that precious Heavenly command also Prop. 2. Secondly Whenever any soul subjects himself to the Principle of darkness and unbelief that still dwells in him upon the Lords withdrawing the brightness and glory of that satisfying light of the spirit that did evidence unto the soul his union with Christ and cast off his confidence of the Lords admission of his soul into union with Christ then the soul is uncapable while he so remains of making any pretious holy use of those former evidences that his Soul enjoyed of his union with Jesus Christ 1. In regard while the soul so remains there can be no holy conception of the evidences that his Soul did formerly enjoy First take holiness for all kind of strictness and righteousness and conformity to the Lords blessed will and in that sense there can be no righteous conception of his former evidences The soul cannot understand them what they are nor discern them as they were Secondly Take holiness effectively for these conceptions that do excite and quicken a believing soul unto holy actings and in that sense there can be no holy conception of his former evidences while the soul so remains All such conceptions or apprehensions of the way of God towards us are as holy effectively that is that produce or quicken a soul to holiness are such as do apprehend some beam of excellency shining forth from those ways of God in relation to that particular souls good now while a soul casts off all his confidence of the Lords will to admit him into union with the Lord Jesus he cannot conceive of his former evidence in such a manner as to conceive any beam of excellency shining forth from God in relation to his particular soul 2. While any Heart so remains he is uncapable of making a holy use of his former evidences in regard the activity of all holy affections whatever depend upon the activity of that believing disposition they live and die together The moving Principles that move holy affections objectively are the believing conceptions and apprehensions of God that is to say the apprehensions of the Lords will to receive the poor loveless soul to be reconciled to him through his union with Jesus Christ And therefore while a soul casts off all his confidence that the Lords will is to admit his soul to be one with Jesus Christ there is a defect of moving Principles to move the affections to their exercise and so consequently there can be no activity of any pretious holy affections 3. In regard all the Ordinances that should excite and quicken the heart to the holy use of his former evidences are made useless While the soul enslaves himself to carnal reason through unbelief not believing Gods will to make him one with Jesus Christ though the Gospel should be preached by the mouth of Angels and they should be sent from Heaven to be mouths to those souls in Prayer yet those Ordinances could have no operation upon those souls saith the Apostle Heb. 4.2 The word that was preached profited not because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it if there be not some degree of confidence in that great and grand gospel-Gospel-truth to the particular soul there can be no mixing faith with any other Gospel-truth that should be Preached so as to make it have a pretious efficacy upon the Heart 4. When any Heart yields up himself captive to unbelieving reason and so casts off all that his pretious confidence it cannot make a believing use of his former evidence of union with Christ in regard there is a continual decrease in all holiness and encrease in all the working of corruption while the soul so remains The Heart is so naturally active that it will be spending its strength in some kind of activity or other and therefore when the holy actings of the forenamed precious confidence is sealed the Heart will spend all its strength in corrupt workings when the Heavenly plant of faith doth not grow and flourish in the soul the weeds that come from the Devils Garden will be all flourishing hardness indisposition for God hard thoughts of God will all be augmenting daily Prop. 3. Thirdly No Soul ought to entertain such a superlative conceit of the use of those evidences of his union with Christ that he formerly received that he should make those his evidences the sole or the primary or the principal Prop or Pillar whereupon he builds his confidence that the Lord will admit his soul into union with Jesus Christ The utmost use intended by God that believing souls should make of former evidences received can be but strengthnings and encouragements to renew the strength of their confidence in his truth and faithfulness to fulfil his blessed word unto their souls It is utterly strange from the mind of God that souls should make any one act of God towards or in the soul the principal Pillar Rock and foundation whereupon to build its hope of his union with Jesus Christ All those actings of the spirit of God whether by way of light and manifestation or by way of infusion of holiness they are meerly arbitrary excepting only the spirits constant influence for the preservation of the life of a believing soul and consequently changeable and various according as the infinite wisdom of Heaven doth see suitable for the estate of various souls but now the Lord out of that transcendent riches of his love in Christ hath prepared unchangeable Rocks where the prime Anchor of believing souls hope should be fastned unmoving Pillars that never shake whereupon the foundation of their confidence must be laid according
the spirit it self teaches you all things that is of these things mentioned Teach ye that you shall have eternal Life in Jesus Christ And mark and is truth and is no lye That is to say it teaches you so that you know it is truth and you know ye are not deceived while that so teaches or in its teaching And therefore he saith in the former words that they need not that any man should teach them Not that there is no necessity of the Pretious Ordinances of Jesus Christ still for their souls whereby the truth of Jesus Christ should be brought to their Remembrance and the Pretious Actings of the Believing Disposition in all these drawn forth for that 's necessary for every believing soul But thus you need not that any man teach you that is you need no other Confirmation of the truth of these things then what the Spirit of Jesus Christ gave you you need not that any man should come to give a clearer discovery of the certainty and truth of those And thence also in 1 Cor. 2.12 The Apostle affirms that they had received the Spirit of God that did teach them to know the things given to them of God v. 10. That God had revealed his truth to them by the Spirit Now this must be further confirmed by divers reasons that the light that proceeds from the Spirit of Christ revealing to the Soul its union with Christ doth evidence to the Soul that it doth proceed from Christ 1. In regard it is the testimony of God unto the Soul concerning its union Now that witness or testimony of God to the soul concerning its union if it did not evidence even by its own light that it did proceed from the Spirit of God it were no witness of God at all unto the Soul concerning its union It is of greater concernment to the Soul in this case to understand who it is that speaks than to understand what it is that is spoken unless the Soul understands clearly that the light that now came into his Soul doth proceed from the Spirit of God he understands not that it is Gods witness It is not so much the thing that is testified as the consideration of him who it is that testifies that satisfies the soul or makes it to be the Witness of God to the soul 2. In regard the evidence is the testimony from God on purpose to give the soul satisfaction concerning his union to revive refresh and comfort the soul by the discovery of his union with Christ Thence it is that Christ in his promising to the Disciples to send his blessed spirit to dwell in their hearts while he was absent from them John 14.16 He names the spirit the Comforter revealing what the Office of the spirit is by his Name Now should not the light from the spirit that doth evidence to the soul his union with Christ evidence it self also to be from the spirit of Christ that testimony of God that is from that light to the soul could give no satisfaction to the doubtful scrupulous soul Therefore doubtless the light from the spirit doth always carry sufficient evidence for it self to evidence from it self whence it is seeing God intends those beams of light to give satisfaction to the soul 3. In regard that light from the spirit of Jesus Christ is the highest witness or testimony unto a soul concerning his union Now seeing that those beams of light are the highest witness there is a necessicity that those beams of light should evidence themselves what they are by an inseparable property of their own otherwise their witness must be subject to be tried by the testimony of something else so that the highest witness of the spirit must come to be subject to this holy quality and that precious disposition 4. Should not the light that proceeds from the spirit to discover to a souls faith and sense his union with Christ evidence it self to be from the spirit of Christ then the blessed testimony of the spirit of Jesus Christ should be altogether vain and useless Those sweetest beams of heavenly light are the spirits voice and should it speak in an unknown tongue that is should not its voice be distinguished from all other voices the spirit should but beat the air that is all the light that it discovers to the soul of its union with Christ should be frustrated void and of none effect 5. In regard the spirit of Christ necssarily fulfills the office to which Jesus Christ hath appointed it The Lord hath destinated that Spirit of his to Seal up Believers to Seal up their Inheritance Eph. 13. Chap. 4.30 Now a Seal is destinated on purpose to give a peculiar Confirmation of the thing Sealed Yea likewise the spirit of Jesus Christ is destinated to be the Earnest in the Believers soul whom it is sent to Seal to be the Earnest of his Inheritance according to that in Eph. 1.13 Saith the Original it is Translated which but it is rather who is the earnest of our Inheritance or who is the Pledge The word signifies some part of a price paid beforehand to assure the Payment of a full Price for some Commodity bought So that the meaning is who is given you as a part before-hand of that full Inheritance that you may expect and may be the better assured that you shall injoy the full Inheritance Now did not the spirit of Jesus Christ make those Beams of Light sent down into any soul to discover to them their union with Christ to discover themselves to be from the spirit the soul should remain dubious after the clearest Testimony of the spirit whether he had received the spirit of Christ or no and so the spirit of Christ in his Sealing Office should be no earnest seeing the spirit must be an earnest as it discovers it self to be in the soul 6. In regard it is the Light of the spirit of Jesus Christ that is the only Discoverer of all Divine things that makes all things manifest It is light that makes all things manifest Now the Spirit of Christ is the only spirit of Light and Wisdom and Revelation So that there can nothing be made manifest to the soul but what some Beam of Light from the spirit of Light must manifest And then observe it whatever reason any soul should study to prove the Beams of Light that were sent down into his soul to discover to him his union with Christ were from the spirit even that reason must be discovered in the Truth and Reality of it by some Beam of Light from the spirit and then unless the Beam of Light from the spirit doth carry sufficient Evidence in it to discover it self to be from the spirit the soul should be deceived in the reality of that very reason that he studied up to prove that the former Beams of Light that were sent down into his soul came down from the spirit To speak more plainly thus seeing the
in respect of the glory of that his love that he reveals to be in himself to such unlovely sinners when thus the soul shall declare to the everlasting honour of God that true and faithful is his word he loves upon his own will only and shews mercy to whom he will and because he will And thence you may observe that it is a high dishonour to the name of the blessed God for any soul to make any claim to that love of God that is in Jesus Christ by vertue of any quality or disposition whatever that is in their own souls whereby they are differenced as they conceive from other souls and they have right to claim that love of God in Christ when other souls may not claim it this is a pollution of the name of God by its vilifying the absolute perfection of freedom in the love of God in Christ to unlovely sinners 2. The manifestation of the glory of the Lords love to the exaltation of God through the soul is by the souls unwavering unshaken confidence in the truth and faithfulness of the Lord according to his word to admit the soul into the sweetest Bosom of his love in Christ notwithstanding all the loathsomness and forlornness of the worthless soul When the soul manifests his confidence in that faithfulness of God in the highest degree then is the name of God exalted through the soul when the soul says with Paul 2. Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted notwithstanding all this the wretched and most accursed wickedness of my vilest heart I know he is true and faithful he will let his love that is in Jesus work according as he hath discovered it freely from the disposition of his own will only notwithstanding all my wickedness And mark it iâ— this one of the prime reasons why Jesus Christ in that pattern of all prayer that he hath freely given us commonly called the Lords Prayer hath commanded all souls and so believing souls to pray constantly for forgiveness of their Trespasses for pardon of sin because through that act performed according to the will of Jesus Christ the name of God is constantly exalted through the believing soul I do believe that pleading for pardon of sin by believing souls is much mistaken some souls darkly and blindly I had like to have said superstitiously plead for the use of those very words forgive us our trespasses as though no believinng soul could perform his duty without the repetition of those words and other souls from an abhorrency of the blindness and darkness of those that thus plead for the use of the bare words utterly reject that Petittion that Jesus Christ hath given us as a pattern whereby to frame our Petitions determining it utterly unlawful to make such a Petition or such a Request but certainly were the reason of making the request rightly considered it might give light both to the one and to the other to give them to conceive aright how and why a believing soul may pray and beseech the Lord to pardon his Transgressions though understanding through believing that they are already pardoned There are two things that must concur together for the making of that request The first is a remembring the Lord of his precious promise wherein he offers reconciliation peace and love in Christ to the sinful despicable soul There must be in the thoughts of the believing soul making the request aright an actual apprehension that God hath offered unto his soul reconcliation by Christ and so remission of all his sins freely by Christ and questionless there ought to be some declaring of that promise also before the Lord though sometimes more briefly sometimes more largely sometimes in one manner sometimes in another yet a remembring of the Lord of that his precious word Secondly there must be a sincere desire in the believing soul that his heart and mind might consent to the truth of the Lords word as spoken to his particular soul and consequently a desire to trust to the truth and faithfulness of the Lord to fulfill that his precious word even to his particular soul fully So that the soul that presents the request a right must upon the apprehension of his own most accursed vileness turn his eye to that sweetest tender of reconciliation and peace to his soul in Christ saying secretly at least O Lord thou hast spoken it that thy will is to remit the sins to pass by the enmity of every rebellious soul that will accept the reconciliation thou dost tender in Christ and then the heart must proceed farther saying O Lord seeing thou hast spoken it fulfill that thy word to this rebellious sinful soul of mine my soul desires to trust to thy truth to fulfill it O let it be fulfilled let that enmity be removed and that reconciliation be established between thee and my soul 3. The third way of the souls manifestation of the perfection of freedom that is in the love of God in Christ to despicable sinners by which the name of God is exalted through the soul is by the souls maintaining the same confidence of his in the Lords truth to vouchsafe to be in love with his unlovely soul through Christ notwithstanding all infirmities weakness imperfections and perverse crookedness that his heart shall discern a fresh to be in himself Now when the soul after humble acknowledgement of those cursed dispositions in his corrupt heart shall still act and manifest that precious confidence then doth the soul give glory to the Lord in respect of the freedom that is in his love then doth the soul declare that nothing can turn away or cause to cease the workings oâ— that infinite free love of God in Christ then the soul declares that the love of God in Christ was built upon no other foundation but his precious will and that it was nothing in the soul that was lovely and amiable in the eyes of God that ever inclined the heart of God to six his love upon the soul And on the contrary thence it is that those souls pollute the name of God in their hearts and before others also whose confidence shake and waver upon the sight of every new infirmity and imperfection whose confidence is cast away upon the sight of every new crooked disposition working in their hearts upon every disposition to deadness vanity loosness by this they vail the absolute perfection of the riches of the freedom of love that is in God through Christ to unlovely sinners and declare in effect the love of the Lord in Christ to be built upon the holy actings of the foul towards God yea the soul declares in effect vertually at least that the riches of the Lords love that is in Christ increase and diminish according to the holiness or unholiness that he discerns in his own heart Hence the Apostle exhorts believing fouls upon the account of Christs intercession to come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.15.16 That the
satisfying power of the manifesting light unto his faith that he should be accepted into union with Christ doth now again in this renewed act gain a sight and manifestation of that satisfying power in a manifesting truth that his Soul should be acepted into union with the Lord Jesus Now thence the Lord discerns the causelesness of his own prejudicial thoughts and opinions of his former evidences unto faith and so consequently abhor himself in that he dishonoured the blessed work of the Spirit 5. Through the vertue and efficacy of this believing act that decay in holiness which did make the soul unsutable to take a just impartial tryal of the evidences of his union with Christ are repaired that appears in two things 1. The mind of the believing soul is filled with all the notions conceptions and apprehensions from whence Holy Actings do arise are Maintained and Increased and through the defect of which Holiness Decays and Consumes in any Soul These Holy Notions from whence Holiness proceeds are principally these That there is a fulness of all Love and Mercy tendred freely by God to this Poor Unlovely soul that the Lord is so infinitely rich in his love that he doth pass over all that can be sutable for the poor empty Soul freely to it in Christ Now it is impossible there should be a Renewed Believing act without these Notions being brought fresh to the Remembrance of the Believing Soul 2. All the Holy Affections are excited also to a Renewed exercise by vertue of the Renewed Act. All the Affections are under the command of these two Love and Hatred Now both these are excited to a Renewed Exercise and that with a Mighty strength by vertue of the Renewed Act. Love towards God is nothing but the very reflecting of the Lords love cast upon the soul upon God again The actings of love always proceed from the Apprehensions of the Lords love to the Soul Now in the Believing Act there is an actual view of the infinite unspeakable Riches of Love to the Unlovely Forlorn Soul and thence Love is drawn forth in its very strength towards God again Likewise Hatred which command the other part of the Affections is nothing else but the Displicency tha is in the Will against any object whatever which affections do naturally proceed from the souls love Now therefore the hatred of the soul is properly against Sin and whatever is contrary to God and his Will In the same degree that Love acts in the soul towards God in the same degree doth hatred work towards every thing that is contrary to God Now by the stirring up of these two all the other Holy Affections also are excited into their exercise thence the decays of Holiness are sweetly repaired and the soul put into a sutable temper for the tryal of his own Evidence Answ 2. Secondly I answer That all the Lords Ordinances and Appointments for his peoples souls to injoy Communion with himself in are also mediate and second means of the delivery of those souls from the dreadful Tyranny of the Fear and Jealousie that the Evidences of their union are Delusions Thus Prayer Conference Meditation hearing the Word are all secondary means to wait for the spirit to breath in power from the Lord Jesus to enable the soul in this Renewed Believing Act and to continue the Believing Act in the soul So that you see a sufficient means left for these Distempred or Declined souls that are either Uncapable or Unsutable for a just examination of the Evidence of their Union to deliver them from Fear and Terrour that the Evidences of their Union with Christ Received are Delusions Now in Regard the question is about a matter so practical I shall therefore turn the last Answer into a kind of Advise Beseeching and Intreating every Distempered or Declined soul in Holiness to take this course to strive for deliverance of his soul from under the power of his Tormenting Fears that the Evidences of his union with Christ are Delusions And for that end I desire you would take these four Directions Direct 1. First that you forbear for a little season the Trial and Examination of your own Evidence with the Lord cease a little to Plead your Title with the Lord Spend not all your thoughts about what Evidence you have Received as though there were no good to be expected except your former Evidences were real Direct 2. Secondly let me advise you to take a strict accompt of your own hearts of all your fears and all the grounds of your suspitions whereupon you suspect that your evidences where delusions gather together and sum up all hypocrisie and falseness the unconstancy the loosness the vanity the rashness the blindness that 's now brought to your remembrance to prove your evidences received were but meer delusions gather together all the defects of those precious effects of real evidence from God to any soul of its union with Christ that you apprehend your souls want and further suppose them all to be true take all for a little season for granted suppose that your heart was false and that you were wholly and altogether an Hypocrite that all the workings of your spirit were nothing but common workings of the blessed spirit But then Direct 3. Thirdly search the holy records the Lords blessed word for all the discriptions of those to whom union with Jesus Christ is freely tendered and find out whether thy soul supposed to be in the estate fore-named be excluded from the number of those to whom union with Jesus Christ is freely tendred Search from Scripture whether thou canst find any one Hypocrite any one captivated soul by the Devils deluding reasonings any one false hearted treacherous wretch ever excluded from the number of those to whom the Lord freely offers union with the Lord Jesus search whither any lost Soul any Rebel whether any rational Creature to whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes be exclured from the number of those to whom the Lord freely offers union with the Lord Jesus strive beseech you now to gain that clear apprehension that so at last thou maist baffle the Devil in all his arguments and silence him in one word saying well though I have been false to the blessed Majesty of Heaven all this time though I be now under thy cursed power O Satan though thou holdst me fast in thy cursed Chains of Darkness yet thou maist say the blessed Majesty of Heaven he that can never lye tells me that union with the Lord Jesus and so Redemption from thy cursed slavery is freely offered to my Soul still the Lord tells me his will admits me to be still one with Christ if I can be contented that he should mediate a reconciliation between the Father and me Direct 4. Fuorthly Plead with thy opposite contrary mind to make thy heart consent to the blessed word of God wherein he doth offer union with Jesus Christ and himself through Christ to every