Joh. 3.18 These adaequate properties are such as you should principally take notice of and select for your use in the trial of your union with Christ and for the clearing of it up to your selves whether you are ingraffed into him You will know them by these three conditions 1. There must be universality of the subject they must be found in all persons united to the Son 2. Peculiarity they must be such as belong only unto them 3. Indefiniteness of time such as appertain to the Saints at all seasons This is the fifth Conclusion I intended to open the nature of self-examination Concl. 6. The last assertion is this That such marks and signs of whatever sort they be whereupon a Christian may confidently rest in the examination of himself and according to the tenour of which he may pass a righteous sentence upon himself whether he be united to Christ must be clearly deduced from the Scriptures and plainly bottomed thereupon Mark it I say if you would not be deceived and proceed upon mistakes you must fetch your evidences from thence and see that they be such characters of union as are warranted thereby Else you may possibly get some presumptuous hopes but you can never attain unto a well-grounded assurance For the Word of God is the only sure foundation which you can build upon in this case of enquiry And the reason lieth herein because our Lord Jesus in his proceedings will judge us by the Scriptures and pass everlasting sentence upon us according to the tenour of the Scriptures And therefore by that rule we should judge our selves If a man have a trial at Law touching his estate or life and would know before-hand whether his cause be good he doth not depend upon what this neighbours thoughts are or the others opinion is But he searcheth the Law and addresseth himself to men skilful in the Law as knowing the judge will proceed according to that Rule Why Sirs At the great and general Assizes Christ will try all causes by the Word of God and pass judgment upon all sorts according to the Word so that by it we are to be guided in the trial of our selves Joh. 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day As Christ himself is ordained to be the judge of the quick and dead so the doctrines which he hath delivered will be the rule of all his judicial proceedings both in acquitting the righteous and condemning the wicked You read Dan. 7.10 that when judgment is set The books shall be opened And this is one of those books which shall be consulted with in the case The book of the Statutes and Ordinances of the King of heaven the Law which he appointed for a testimony in Jacob. As the book of every mans conscience shall be opened for their conviction wherein they shall read their guilt in legible characters For that is a book of record wherein mens actions are entred and although now it be shut and sinners will not look into it many of the lines and sentences are almost obliterated or blotted that they cannot be read Yet at the day of accounts God will refresh and recover the lustre of those ancient writtings And as the book of life shall be opened Rev. 20.12 that is to say the decrees of God will be then published and made known which now are sealed up in his breast and locked up in his Archives Then it will be seen who are appointed to life for the glorifying of the free grace of God and whom he purposed to leave in their sins and perish for the exaltation of his justice I say As these books shall be opened so there is another book to be made use of in that day to wit The great statute-Statute-book of the Lord of Hosts the records of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Jam. 2.12 So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of liberty i. e. by the word of the truth of the Gospel of Christ the whole Word of God registred in the Scriptures Chap. 1.23 25. which if hearkened unto is the means to set men at liberty from their bondage to sin and Satan By the Gospel of Christ which though it give no manner of countenance unto licentiousness but is a strong argument against it yet proclaimeth liberty to penitent sinners and the opening of the prison to them that are bound upon a due submission to the government of Christ Besides it may be called a Law of liberty or freedom because it doth not flatter any man as to his spiritual condition but dealeth openly and freely with him and telleth him his own without tergiversation And this affords us another reason why we should fetch our marks of union from the Scripture because it will deal freely and plainty in the discovery of our spiritual estate without respect of persons For Sirs if you build your confidence upon the opinions of men or upon the bare dictates of your own hearts you may be deceived Men may sooth you up in your sins and your hearts will flatter you but the word of God will deal freely and impartially with you It will represent matters as they are in their own proper colours without favour or affection So that this is an excellent means to overthrow presumptuous hopes and to build aright in our expectations of eternal life when we fetch all our marks and signs of being in Christ from the Scriptures and bring our evidences unto the Scriptures Thou hopest to be saved through Christ because thou wast born in the Church and baptized and performest some outward duties of Christ's appointment Nay but Ovain man where doth the Scripture say these are tokens and evidences of union with Christ and salvation through him Thou hopest for admission into heaven upon the account of Christ because thou art free from such scandalous sins whereof others are guilty thou knowest such and such truths whereof many are ignorant or because such godly persons converse with thee and have a good opinion of thee But poor deluded wretch where doth the Scripture say that any or all of these are marks of having the Son or of coming to the kingdom of heaven by the mediation of the Son Remember my bres thren that the Word of God is appointed not only for the rule of faith and guide of our conversations but also for the trial of our spiritual estate whether we be interested in Christ and united unto him That we may have hopes indeed and not only a presumptuous confidence which will make us ashamed at the last Rom. 15.4 For whatsoâ—â—er things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Psal 130.5 I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope So much for the first thing I intended
touching the way to Christ and I go to that Minister to direct me in following after him I leave no stone unturned no means unassayed And if I get but a glimpse of his favour I think all my endeavours well bestowed O how welcome is he to my soul With what unspeakable rejoycing doth it fill me So that I can boast of Christ all the day long How careful am I to preserve my fellowship with him that no clouds for the future may interpose betwixt me and the beams of that Sun of righteousness I might dwell upon the passages of this nature in that book I will but point you to them See the Churches as earnest pantings after Christ as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks cap. 8.1 2 3 4. And her description of him and holy exultation upon the account of her interest in such a Lord and Husband cap. 5.9 10 11 15 Wherein the close of all is observable v. 16. His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O ye Daughters of Jerusalem q. d. He is the object matter of my whole affections there is none in heaven but Christ nor any thing upon the earth to be loved and desired in comparison with him He is most worthy to be beloved who cannot but admire such a gracious Redeemer Do not wonder that my heart is so set upon him for he is altogether lovely If you knew but Christ as well as I it would inflame your hearts in desires after him it would even ravish your Spirits in the contemplation of his beauty Never is it possible for any to be so blessed as those who have him for their friend So upon the other hand for the affection of Christ to believers he hath them graven upon the palms of his hands upon the very Tables of his heart Cant. 2.14 O my dove that art in the clefts of the rocks in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely q. d. Thou that art despised amongst men but highly regarded in my sight preserved by my power and righteousness which is stable as the rock that can never be removed I have provided secure fortifications to preserve thee when thou art hunted and persecuted on every hand Come now and let us converse together for therein I take pleasure Mark it nothing is so welcome to Jesus Christ as the voice and countenance of his Saints If they do but chatter as a Crane or Swallow * Isa 38.14 it is as lovely Songs unto him If they send but a sigh or a groan up to heaven it is a refreshment to his Spirit * Jer. 31.18 20. If they offer but a mite it is a sweet oblation before him because of the love which he beareth unto them Whereas the incense of the wicked is but as dung in his sight and the best of their sacrifices but as the cutting off a dogs neck or the offering of swines bloud that is odious and abominable such as his soul hateth See another place to this purpose Cap. 4.9 and so forward Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thine ointments than all spices Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon But I must forbear only remember what was hinted in the proposition that this intimate love between believers and Christ may be well improved as an evidence of their ingrafture into Christ This moral union may be produced as a proof of the mystical union For he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4.16 And that it may be of use to this end our love to Christ whereby we are knit to him morally must have these four properties It must be 1. A sincere love 2. A serviceable active love 3. A superlative love 4. A love of complacency and satisfaction 1. It must be a sincere and single hearted affection without dissimulation and hypocrisie when the heart of a Christian goeth out after Christ himself and for himself when our love to him is kindled by the contemplation of his own innate worth and excellencies and the spiritual blessings which he hath purchased There may be a kinde of love to Christ for the leaves sake a following after him for some outward advantage When Religion is countenanced to be amongst the servants of Christ is a matter of honour and repute in the eyes of men it may help to advance a mans secular interest and many come after him moved by such considerations But now the heart of a believer is fixed upon Christ for himself though nothing but frowns from men should follow their cleaving unto him although it were likely to bring disgrace and reproach along with it and to expose them to sorrows and sufferings upon every side yet their souls are resolved to have Christ * Id propter se expeti dicitur quod quamvis habeat extra se commoda sepositie quoque ill is ac remot is placet Sen de Benefic with all the incumbrances that attend the possession of him Hereunto the promise is made Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity i.e. in simplicity and incorruptness having a single aim at the enjoyment of himself 2. It must be a serviceable and active love such as sets a man a doing to advance the glory of Christ by a chearful obedience to his Commandments that maketh him study and contrive how to please the Lord Jesus Such a love as restraineth from the evil of sin whereby Christ is grieved and dishonored Such as constraineth unto holiness and causeth a man to take delight and pleasure in doing the will of Christ from the heart The passion of love Sirs is an active passion that will set the whole man a work to please the party beloved it will make him indefinite to all intents and purposes to all sorts of services and nothing will seem burdensome upon that account John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them saith our Saviour he it is that loveth me 1 John 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous The grace of love hath a facilitating vertue it maketh difficult things easie and sweetens the whole course of obedience When a man hath a dear affection for Christ he will do any thing and suffer any thing for his sake he will not be afraid to own him in the face of the world though it may cost him all that is dear to him besides 1 John 4.17 18. Herein is
is gracious and merciful and full of compassion and therefore they hope he will spare them notwithstanding Nay but O vain man If thine heart still goeth after thy detestable things the God of incomprehensible mercy will not shew thee one drop of mercy He that is unspeakable in his compassions will not have one dram of pity or compassion upon thy soul It is true He is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if ye return unto him 2 Chron. 30.9 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psal 68.21 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting unto everlasting upon them that fear him and unto such as keep his Covenant Psal 103.17 18. But he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59.5 Why Sirs do not you know that he is a God abundant in truth as well as rich in mercy And he will shew no mercy to sinners in a way derogating from his truth Exod. 34.6 It is he that hath said The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9.17 and the Word of the Lord will certainly have its accomplishment When thou presumest of mercy Remember withal that he is a God of truth and as sure as God is true if thou goest on in sin and remainest ununited unto Christ thou wilt perish for ever notwithstanding that God is merciful For all the wayes of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies Psal 25.10 Alas poor deluded wretch dost thou hope for mercy to keep thee from hell whilst thou art in a course of ungodliness Why man The mercy of God will come up in judgment against thee and sink thee deeper into hell * Quos diu ut convertantur tolerat non conversos durius damnat Hier. Tarditatem vindictae compensat gravitate supplicii for by despising the goodness of God thou art treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath Rom 2.4 5. Dost thou presume of mercy in thy state of impenitence Why man This very presumption will add load upon thy back and degrees unto thy torments Read over that Text deliberately and the Lord awaken thy conscience in the perusal of it Deut. 29.19 20 21. And it come to pass that when he heareth the words of this curse he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst It is to this effect as if the carnal wretch had said God is gracious and merciful and though I have no interest in Christ but take my pleasure in sin and am not so forward in godliness as these precise Ministers would perswade me yet I trust in God that he will shew pity upon me he will not be so severe as these hot-spirited men would bear us in hand God is a God of mercy and delighteth in it and I hope to taste of his compassion and that he will not send me to hell whatever he hath said Well But will such a person find mercy because he hopeth for it Will he meet with peace because he saith in his heart He shall have peace Nothing less This very presumption of mercy whilst in his sins will be a means to bar and bolt the door of mercy against him * Quo diutius expectat eo districtius judicabit For mark what followeth v. 20 21. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law c. This is the fourth respect in which a Christless estate is a state of death viz. In point of condemnation or obnoxiousness to eternal death 5. Lastly Unconverted sinners are in a state of death in respect of the abundant evils incident to that condition They are in a perfectly wretched and miserable estate For death comprizeth all sorts of evils As when life is promised to the godly it is a comprehensive term that containeth all sorts of blessings and mercies whatsoever Psal 30.5 Prov. 3.18 So when the wicked on the other hand are said to be dead that is a big-bellyed word that carrieth all kinds of evils in the bowels of it troubles and vexations and perplexities here and at last eternal ruine and desolation Deut. 30.15 19. Now in this sense they are all dead who are not in Christ Destruction and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known Rom. 3.16 17. To work this upon your hearts study seriously these three Texts of Scripture Job 15. from v. 20. to the 30. Job 18. from v. 5. to the 21. Job 20. from v. 5. to the end of the Chapter And withal observe these four subsequent notes 1. Christless persons are under the guilt of all the sins and transgressions that ever were committed by them since they had a being And God will one day reckon them up in order and lay them in full load upon their shoulders Possibly sinners themselves have forgotten multitudes of them but the God of infinite knowledge hath written them down exactly in his book and at length he will bring them forth into judgment And truly Sirs One would think there needed no more to make them miserable enough One sin if laid to our charge would sink us irrecoverably into perdition Alas How will the sinner stand when all his iniquities shall meet together and be sealed up as in a bag and bound fast upon him If a wicked man should sit down and make a catalogue of the sins of one month or week what a vast heap would they amount to Vain thoughts proud and earthly and unbelieving thoughts inordinate passions and affections unsavoury and rotten communication evil actions done and duties left undone and slightness and superficialness in the discharge of duty and the like Yea but when all the sins of his whole life and the native pravity and wickedness of his heart shall be gathered together into one bundle what a numberless number would they amount to What unconceivable torments would be the wages of them if considered as clothed with all the aggravating circumstances thereof Why Sirs when God enters into judgment with the unregenerate he will not abate them one sin Psal 10.15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man Seek out his wickedness till thou find none That is set them down in order till they are all set down Let not one of them remain untaken-notice of Let them be searched out so exactly till there be no more to be found We are
pressed the necessity of Union with Christ in order to the partaking of the benefits of Redemption I was a while since intreated by letter from some that I would further instruct them in the nature of that Mystery of Union with the Son of God With the proposal of this spiritual and useful enquiry and the sundry particulars relating thereunto wherein they desired information I was not a little well pleased knowing how usual it is with many Professors of Godliness to leave the kernel and marrow of Christianity wherein the life and sweetness of it lieth and to exercise themselves about the shell and bones only of contention As if they had been brought up at the feet of those Schoolmen who turn Religion into Quodlibets and make it little else but a well-digested heap of intricate * Statum lacessunt omnipotentis Dei Calumniosis litibus Fidem minutis dissecant ambagibus Vt quisque est linguâ nequior Solvunt ligantque quaestionem vincula Per syllogismos plectiles and doubtful disputations To those savoury questions I returned answer as he that ministers seed to the sower was pleased to give ability and as might be contained within the compass of one sheet at the most Which answer I intended but as a compounding for forbearance till I should be ready to give fuller satisfaction For I found within my self a strong propension of spirit upon the first motion of it to me to wait upon God in the deligent search of the Scriptures for a more thorow insight into that great Gospel-doctrine When my Meditations were digested into this method and frame according to the following Treatise I was perswaded to believe That I could not be better serviceable to the souls of many of my dear friends from whom the Lord hath suffered me to be rent then by commending these plain Truths to their most serious study And I think I may be assured That many amongst them who have loved the Author for the Truths sake will be no whit the more averse from a sedulous enquiry into these Truths for the Authors sake For the Subject matter it needs no Apology being one of the highest and yet most necessary Points of Christian instruction unless it be for this That so mean a person as my self hath attempted the handling of it To which I shall say with Minutius Felix Nihil indignandum vel dolendum si quicunque de divinis quaerat sentiat proferat Cum non disputantis Authoritas sed disputationis ipsius veritas requiratur Atque etiam quo imperitior sermo hoc illustrior ratio est Quoniam non fucatur pompa facundiae gratiae sed ut est recti regula sustinetur All the perversion in humane affairs and disorders in the spirits of the children of men do arise according to the observation of Augustine from a twofold Original * Cum fruimur utendis utimur fruendis 1. The enjoying of what should only be used And 2. The using of that which ought to be enjoyed By giving that place to the creatures which is only due to the God of heaven and making use of the Lord and his service in a subordination and subserviency to other ends Our great work therefore consists in referring all things to their proper places and restoring them to their appointed stations according to the eternal Law To use the things of this world as not abusing them and to make God alone the object of our enjoyment This enjoyment of God since the fall of man is only attainable through Jesus Christ the Mediator And there is no fellowship to be maintained with God through Christ but only by such as are in Christ And this is the scope and drift of the Tract ensuing so to manuduct and lead sinners unto the Son That being knit unto him they may thence be conducted into the bosom of the Father And I suppose If a just reckoning be made of such as have designedly dealt upon this Subject of a Believers Union with Christ considering how many have wrote upon some others this Book need not be accounted as supernumerary If any be offended with the meaness of the stile and for want of such embellishments of Rhetorick and History wherewith it might have been adorned or that I have sometimes descended too low in the explication and proof of such matters as seem not to require it Let such please to take notice That my intent was if possible to speak to the capacity of the meanest I have often thought of Mr. Dod 's observation That most Ministers in England are wont to shoot over the peoples heads Rather would I utter the plainest Truths to the understanding and edification of the weakest Christians than study to feed more curious fancies with sublimer notions and niceties * Dissoluti est pectoris sonos auribus infundere dulciores non medicinam vulneribus adhibere Arnob. And as for ringing changes upon words and the counter-marching of sentences as one speaketh they may pass for wit and elegancy with some but contribute nothing to the nourishment of the vitals of Christianity I have purposely declined all controversal points for that I would not scratch the * Disputandi pruritus est Ecclesiarum scabies Wotton Plaus Vot Itch of any in this litigious generation Let us follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another What is found to be agreeable to the mind of God and the tenour of the everlasting Gospel let it be received and embraced in the love of it And pardon the defectiveness of the Author in the management of the whole I dare not say as Cicero who was confident Se nuâ—lum verbum quod revocare vellet emisisse Yet I may truly speak as another Ego omnia quae dixi bona fide sine ullo studio contentionis sine aliqua dubitatione veritatis sine aliquo praejudicio diligentioris Tractatus exposui R. S. A Table of the Contents of the Book CHAP. I. The Context opened Believing 1. That Jesus is the Christ page 3 2. Jesus Christ p. 4 3. On the Lord Jesus Christ p. 5 What it is for a Believer to have the witness within himself In three things p. 6 How unbelief makes God a lyar 1. Negatively 2. Positively p. 8 The Text explained What is meant by eternal life p. 10 Eternal life the gift of God in a fourfold respect p. 12 Eternal life is in the Son on a threefold account p. 14 The manner of the conveyance of Eternal life p. 15 Qu. What is meant by having the Son Answ In three things p. 16 Doct. In order to an interest in Eternal life and participation of the blessings which are given forth by the Son in a tendency thereunto it is of indispensable necessity That we be united to Christ p. 18 CHAP. II. Conclusions introductory to the handling this Mystery of Union Concl. 1. The grace of a Christians Oneness with the
apt to think that God will not be so strict as some would press us to believe But if you are wicked sinners he will not abate you one transgression The very sins of thy youth which are slipt out of thy memory God will fill thy bones with them and make them lie down with thee in the dust Job 20.11 And as for thy secret sins which the world could not observe he will bring them to light and set them in order before thine eyes Eccl. 12.14 Psal 50.21 2. Persons out of Christ are in a wretched condition because they have God for their adversary who is the mighty possessor of heaven and earth in whose hands are all the corners of the world and at whose command and beck is every creature in being to fulfil his pleasure Against whom never did person rise up and prosper For he is wise in heart and mighty in strength Job 9.4 This all-powerful God is their enemy that setteth against them the living and eternal God who is able to pursue them that oppose him with fiery indignation for ever Into whose hands therefore it is a fearful thing to fall Heb. 10 31. Job 9.4 My brethren a few right and serious apprehensions of the nature and attributes of God would make a mans heart shiver and tremble at the very thoughts of having him for an adversary For as Moses saith Who knoweth the power of his anger Psal 90.11 No secure sinner knoweth it for if they did it would rouse them out of their security and cause them to flie for refuge unto the city of refuge * Omnis peccans est ignorans No unregenerate person knoweth it Had they but a glimps of the discovery of it their ears would tingle at the mention of his being against them It would be a vexation by day and by night only to understand the report of God's being their enemy who in a moment can break them in pieces like a potters vessel Who knoweth the power of his anger The meaning is It is unsearchably dreadful and past finding out So that this alone were sufficient to bespeak them throughly miserable For may a man say to the unregenerate as the King did to the woman that cried unto him for help 2 King 6.27 If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee If God do not comfort thee what enjoyments can do it for they are all at his disposal and can minister no further assistance than he is pleased to put into them If the Lord of Hosts be set against thee who can deliver out of his hands 3. Vnconverted sinners are under a curse in all that doth concern them And how can they expect to succeed in any of their affairs when there is a curse from heaven intermingled therewith This is the condition of every person out of Christ to be an accursed person And that curse is of an extensive nature It rideth a large circuit it spreadeth it self upon and insinuateth it self into every mercy which they receive and every work they perform and every place and relation they are in and every providence they are under Prov. 3.3 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked But what if he go out of his house may he not escape it No The curse will follow him whithersoever he goeth and suck out the sweetness of whatsoever he doth possess Deut. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20. It shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed shalt thou be in the field cursed shall be thy basket and thy store cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out The Lord shall send upon thee cursing and vexation and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do until thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly because of the wickedness of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me Mark how the curse pursueth the ungodly and although he stave it off with all his strength and skill yet it will come upon him And if he flee from it it will follow after him And if he run never so fast it will overtake and seize upon him and all that he hath and will never be removed till he leave his sins and get into Christ or else be made eternally accursed This is the third particular to set forth the misery of a Christless condition It is an accursed condition And it must needs be so for Christ alone can deliver us from the curse of the Law and you can have no redemption through Christ except you are ingraffed into him 4. Persons unconverted and ununited to Christ must of necessity be in a perfectly wretched condition because all the comminations and threatnings in God's word belong unto them and hang over their heads and unless prevented by a speedy return unto God will actually fall down upon them As a Believer cannot but be blessed because he hath a right to all the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel so an unregenerate person cannot but be miserable because all the dreadful and direful threatnings of the word are his share and portion And this in very deed is the reason why sinners for the most part cannot endure to be conversant in the word and it is a trouble and vexation unto them when passages of the Scripture are darted into their Spirits Because as Ahab said of Micaiah it never prophecieth good concerning them it denounceth nothing but wrath against them All that is written in the Law is set against them and if there be not enough written God will bring upon them more evils than are expresly mentioned in the threatnings of the Law Their inward thought is that God will not deal so severely with them as is contained in the word But mind it Sirs if you continue in sin he will fulfil his word with advantage He will bring upon such all the plagues that are written Also every sickness and every plague that is not written in the book of the Law them will the Lord bring upon such persons till they be destroyed Deut. 28.61 So much for the third Inference That persons out of Christ must of necessity be dead for he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life There is one main objection should have been answered under this head which relateth especially to the third way of their being dead viz. in respect of impotency and inability to that which is spiritually good I will briefly touch upon it in this place though it cometh in a little out of order