of the Spirits witness of the Souls evidence unto Faith and Sense before the Spirits attestation unto Faith and Sense though the Spirits witness is the Formality as I may call it its that which gives the being of the Souls evidence both to Faith and to Sense yet you must observe the certainty of the union principally belongs to the Souls Faith 2. Whatever degree of evidence unto the Souls sense and feeling any such believing Soul doth enjoy before the witness of the Spirit unto Faith and Sense the witness unto Sense is exceedingly weak imperfect and unsatisfying to the believing Soul Now the Soul conceiveth that he doth feel his heart rightly answering that precious tender of union immediately again fearing that that wretched cursed heart of his doth but delude and deceive him 3. You must observe that this comfortable evidence that the Spirit doth vouchsafe to many believing Souls of their union with Christ it is frequently an addition unto Faith only and to Faith principally And indeed this is very common that the Lord doth vouchsafe thus a comfortable evidence unto Faith when his blessed pleasure is to withdraw all evidence of union from the Soul's sense and feeling This was the case of that blessed head of all believing Souls the Lord Jesus Mat. 27.46 Saith he My God My God Here was a clear evidence that vouchsafed to the Faith of the Lord Jesus his certain and infallible union with the blessed Father but the evidence unto Sense was totally wanting Why hast thou forsaken me 4. You must note also that this comfortable evidence of union with Christ that the Lord doth vouchsafe to many believing Souls to whom he doth not send the Spirit to attest their union is never an evidence to the Sense of those believing Souls without an evidence unto their Faith Though the evidence unto Faith hath no such dependance upon the evidence unto Sense but it may consist without it yet the evidence of union unto the Souls sense hath an entire and full dependance upon the Souls evidence unto Faith that it cannot consist without it The very matter or original of the Souls evidence unto Sense of his union with Christ is the believing act the Souls reliance upon the truth and faithfulness of the Lord Jesus to fulfil his blessed Word offering reconciliation unto every unlovely Sinner that will Now without evidence unto Faith of that Souls particular admission into union with the Lord Jesus that believing act is never drawn forth in the believing Soul Caution 2. Secondly You must understand That there is much variety in this testimony of the Spirit both unto Faith and unto Sense It doth witness in a various manner to believing Souls their union with Christ 1. There is much variety in the Spirits testimony unto believing Souls of their union with Christ in the full perspicuity and clearness of the Spirits testimony The Spirit speaks both to Faith and unto Sense only by a secret resplendent Beam of heavenly Light and that Beam of heavenly light hath various degrees of Brightness wherein it shines in a various manner unto various believing Souls To some believing Souls that precious Beam of heavenly light shines with such an orient transcendent brightness with such transparent heavenly Glory that no Curtain of Darkness or Distrustfulness or Unbelief or sinful Jealousie can keep out the virtue of that precious Beam but to some other believing Soul that precious Beam of Light to Faith or light to Sense shines only like a Beam of the Sun through a Key-hole when the Door remains shut still There is a threefold degree of its clearness and perspicuity that may be collected from Rom. 5.1 2 3. where a threefold effect of it is mentioned 1. There is such a testimony as procureth rest and peace to the tossed perplexed believing Soul That 's laid down in the first Verse Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 2. A second degree We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God There is a kind of joy and contentment in the Souls rest 3. Sometimes the testimony is so clear and perspicuous as it produces a holy triumph and glorying in the believing Soul vers 3. Not only so but we glory in tribulation also Yea this ful perspicuity and clearness of the Spirits testimony is that which procures such a general Triumph of the Soul that it doth not only triumph over all external evils as being more than a conqueror over persecutions and tribulations but the heart in that moment also triumphs over all temptations even all the evil workings of natural distrust and unbelief in his own Spirit 2. There is also a variety in the testimony of the Spirit both unto Faith and Sense in regard of the permanency and continuance of the Testimony To one believing Soul the Spirit bears witness of union by a precious beam of heavenly light shining to Faith's eye and by sweet holy Rayes cast upon the Souls believing act but these are but like a flash of Lightning shut up again in a moment but to another believing Soul the Spirit renders this testimony unto Faith and unto Sense in an abiding way 3. There is a variety in the testimony of the Spirit unto believing Souls in regard of the frequency of its renewing the same Testimony To one believing Soul the Spirit will testifie again and again upon every occasion the Spirit will step in very opportunely when the Soul is at a pinch and renew its Record to another believing Soul to whom the Spirit vouchsafes also the same Testimony it shall be rarely and for a moment Caution 3. Thirdly You must understand That whenever the blessed spirit doth avouch and attest most fully to a believing soul its union with Christ this testimony doth not always actually abide in the believing soul without interruption and intermission This heavenly Light that the spirit of light and wisdom vouchsafeth to a believing soul may like Elijah's fiery Chariot mount the soul to the third Heavens for a season yet it must come down again though Paul be wrapped up into the third Heavens yet he must not abide there while he remains in the flesh Though Peter might have a soul-ravishing view of the glory of the Lord Jesus for a season in the Mount yet he must not have a Tabernacle there There are four or five reasons why it is the blessed pleasure of the Majesty of Heaven that the testimony should not actually abide in the believing soul I. That there might be a difference between Heaven and Earth II. That the Lord might have his honour in believing souls in his predestinated way The prime and principle way wherein the Lord hath determined from Eternity to have honour from his Saints while they are here below is from their believing his Majesty upon his bare word 2. Cor. 5.7 III. That there might be a constant lively experimental sense of the souls absolute dependance upon the Lord still for the evidence of
discerning to be communicated to the soul that doth not come from Jesus Christ Or else that there may be a light remaining in the soul from the relicks of nature which might let the soul see his absolute indispensable necessity of Christ or else he is undone for ever Now observe what a principle of darkness this is It takes away the peculiar office of Jesus Christ which is to open the blind eyes and give them sight Isa 42.7 Rev. 3.18 2. Thou must conceive that the soul should have received Jesus Christ before he is tendred to him Now no man dare own there should be a spiritual light in the soul before the Lord Christ heals his blindness And no man can conceive there should be the discerning of a spiritual object without a spiritual light The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 And for the second that a man should receive Jesus Christ before he be tendered to him this every man abhors as a great absurdity So that it is clear that this is a principle of darkness one of the motes the Devil would keep in the souls eyes But it is to be observed there are two truths about this thing that the Devil misses in propounding it as a glass to the soul 1. That there is no soul that receiveth Jesus Christ but hath a true sight and in some measure a true sense of his want of Christ and of the indispensable necessity of him Though no true spiritual discerning can go before the tender of Jesus Christ yet thus far it is true that at the same instant the Lord allures the heart to accept of Jesus Christ into union he doth beget a true spiritual sight of his absolute necessity of Christ 2. There is a second truth that is narrowly missed here and that is That this spiritual sight of the souls absolute indispensable want of Christ is communicated to the soul by the spirit of God working through the offer of Jesus Christ to the soul Though some conceive there are some things that may be called preparations not begotten by the Gospel but as they distinguish by the Law separate from the Gospel yet they all grant that no true grace either of light sight or sense is conveyed any way but through the Gospel of Christ and is instrumentally an effect of the Gospel of Christ Now that which is an effect of the Preaching of the Gospel of Christ must be an effect of the tender of Christ to the soul for that is the effect of the Gospel to tender Jesus Christ to the poor despicable loveless soul Now that this is a principle of darkness I shall prove from Scripture All those promises of Scripture that offer Christ freely must be expunged if this be a principle of light as Isa 55.1 Rev. 22.17 John 6.37 Where the invitation is free whoever will let him come If he have but a will let him be what he will A Second principle of darkness is That there must be a sight of the actings of the good will of God to the Soul Principle of darkness before the Soul can believe any good will of God intended to the Soul in Christ That is thus saith the Soul surely there must be a fight of some holy disposition there must be a beholding of some readiness to depart from sin and some casting off the principles of corruption there must be a heart seeking after God and praying and supplicating God before the Soul may conceive the Lord intends any good will to it in Christ Now the darkness that is in this principle will appear in opening four consequences flowing from it 1. If any such holy disposition or inclination be to be discerned in a Soul before he is to believe the Lords intending good will to his Soul in Christ then some particular effect of savour or some acting of the Lords good will should be received by a Soul besides the Lords promise and so should not be conveyed through the receiving of the promise unto the Soul And so consequently the Lord should convey Grace into Souls out of and beyond the bounds of his own Covenant of Grace 2. If any of these actings of Grace were to be seen in the Soul before it believes the Lords good will then should special Grace be conveyed to the Soul before engrafting into Christ So that life should come down from Jesus Christ into the Soul and it should partake of the influences of Jesus Christ and of the Graces of Christ before he receiveth Jesus Christ himself And upon this ground the Soul should bring forth good fruit before it be engrafted into Jesus Christ and become a good stock or good tree and so expresly contrary to the Scripture an evil tree should bring forth good fruit a Soul in enmity to God should bring forth holy dispositions 3. If the Soul should behold the actings of the good will of God towards his Soul before he believes the Lord intends good will to his Soul in Christ then must the Soul conceive that he may see his own Soul beloved actually of God even for the present before the receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ to make atonement or reconciliation to God for him The Soul must then conceive that there should be acts of friendship from God to the Soul before the Lord Christ should step in to make up the union of peace and agreement before there should be reconciliation 4 If the Soul should of necessity see the actings of Grace in his Soul before he see the Lord intends good will to his Soul in Christ then a divine word should not be the primary or principal ground of the Souls faith but rather the Graces or the actings of Gods good will discerned in the Soul and consequently all the foundation of such a believing Soul should be meerly in the Soul it self Now nothing is more directly contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture holding forth the ground of faith than this Abraham who is set forth as a pattern of Believers his faith was onely built upon the word of God giving authority to it from the authority of the Speaker Rom. 4.20 21. A third Principle of Darkness is this That it is Presumption for the soul to beleive or to receive the promise of Jesus Christ Principle of darkness so long as the soul seeth nothing but rebellion and Disobedience and Enmity in his heart against God This is another Hell-bred principle of darkness that smells much of the smoke that comes out of the bottomless pit to darken the light of the Lord Jesus And that this is a principle of darkness will appear by some few considerations 1. In regard there can be no rebellion nor no enmity healed but by vertue received from Jesus Christ Sin receiveth its deadly wound only upon the Cross of Jesus Christ and it is by vertue of the application of the
the union Between the act and the object there must be a Similarity a kind of likeness and neer Similitude and Relation 2. Jesus Christ considered in his personal excellency in his precious Beauty and Glory is rather the object of Love than the object of Faith that is the object of Assiance and Dependance Christ is not properly to be depended upon as he is Holy but as he is appointed by God as a Rock to lay the hope of Salvation upon that is as a Mediator and Saviour II. It appears it is a Principle of Darkness In regard the most special access of Souls unto Christ is as he is a Saviour unto souls The most pressing arguments that are prest upon souls to constrain them to come to Jesus Christ are that they might come for Salvation You shall see it in that Declaration of the Commission of the Apostles themselves 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Now we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye Reconciled to God As if he should say thus God hath appointed his Gospel that we should go out to poor rebels to invite them to come and accept of propositions of peace And you see the reason of this v. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him That is that we might have the righteousness that God doth convey through him And in Heb. 7.25 you shall see what is held forth to be the office of Jesus Christ now in heaven He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them I pray observe it here is the lowest act of faith expressed coming to God by Christ and you see the coming is for Salvation 3. Christ considered as a Saviour is primarily sutable unto souls Christ in his personal excellency is sutable unto Angels and Angels will count it their glory to have him their Head and be married to him as a Spouse But it is only as he is considered as a Saviour that he is primarily sutable unto Souls here below in regard the first thing that is necessary for such Souls is Salvation And thence you shall see it is the name that God puts upon him his name shall be called Jesus a Saviour and the reason is why For he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 So that it appears this is another principle of darkness to perswade souls not to come to Jesus Christ for Salvation Yet there are two things to be observed here 1. That many excellencies that are contained in the person of Jesus Christ by vertue of the hypostatical union of the humane nature with the second person in the Trinity may have efficacy upon a soul to allure him to come God may let the beams of his beauty so shine forth as may ravish the heart in his coming and though primarily the Souls faith is established upon him as a Saviour yet his love may at the same time close with all the excellencies of Jesus Christ 2. The love of the personal excellency of Jesus Christ is an infallible consequence of the Souls coming to Christ and flows and proceeds from the Souls receiving the Lord Christ as a Saviour though there be no such true love before coming to Jesus Christ for Salvation The fifth Principle of Darkness is That there must be a proportion between the Souls sorrow for sin Principle of darkness and sin it self before it may apply the promise of Jesus Christ Saith the Soul it is common among Divines to lay down this principle That a Soul must drink so many buckets full of the tears of repentance as he hath drank of the stoln waters of sin And to this purpose saith the soul you shall see that great sinners had always great sorrow Those that were the murderers of Christ Act. 2.36 37. were pricked at the heart they were much wounded before they had a promise applyed to to them So it is observed saith the Soul that Paul that was formerly Saul being a notorious sinner a blasphemer a murderer of the Saints he was filled with abundance of sorrow before God applyed comfort to him Act. 9. compared with Rom. 7.11 Sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me So Luke 7.36 37 The woman that was a great sinner and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinner the woman that was a sinner Say Divines every one is a sinner but this woman is called a sinner by way of eminency passing the ordinary degree of sin now this woman had great sorrow v. 38. before she received any word of pardon from Christ she wept and washed his feet with her tears As she drank in buckets full of sin so she wept buckets full of tears Now that this is a principle of darkness I shall make it clear thus 1. That there is an impossibility that there should be any proportion between a souls sorrow for sin and a souls sin Every iniquity is a transgression that hath a kind of infiniteness in regard of the object against whom it is committed which is against the infinite God Now the sorrow of the soul can never rise thus high because it can never be so sutable to the will of God as the other was directly contrary to his will So that you must understand the meaning of all Divines to be this as some of them distinguish it not that there should be an Arithmetical proportion but a Geometrical proportion between sin and sorrow That is not that there should be a proportionable sorrow to sin but the greater sorrow where there have been the greatest sins 2. It appears In that the Lord hath left himself to his liberty in the afflicting Consciences for sin before and in and after Conversion God is a free agent and according to his own pleasure he fills one soul with greater degrees of honour and terrour and lets him lie longer under woe and anguish before he give him any quiet of spirit He strikes one soul to death with the keen arrow of compunction shoots at the heart of him whereas he lets another sinner be set upon the rock higher than himself some souls God doth prick their hearts with a needle and others he puts a sword to them like a Chyrurgion that lanceth one sore above another and yet brings both to a perfect cure You read of nothing in Lydia but only the Lord opened her heart And Paul was struck with trembling and astonishment You read of nothing in the Jaylor but crying out what to do to be saved being in fear of perishing and presently God gives him joy in believing and calms his spirit 3. In regard there is no command nor injunction from God that a soul should attain the least degree of sorrow for sin before he should dare to apply the Lord Jesus and