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
evidence in regard of the subject If a Soul through weakness of light received conclude or determine of any thing concerning his Soul then there must and ought to be a change of these determinations when there is a clearer evidence come into his Soul III. There may lawfully be a suspicion and a jealousie over it self in regard of its own unconstancy A Soul may have a holy fear of his own deceitful Heart when he sees it settled upon a conclusion lest it should not be so rightly settled as God requires There are two acts a Soul may do upon this ground 1. He may be making a continual search into the grounds of those conclusions and determinations that are in his own Spirit 2. A Soul may and ought to draw up his Spirit unto God and to bring his determinations into the presence of God and the ground of his determinations and lay them all open before the Lord. Now it must be opened when a Soul is guilty of this sad distemper of unconstancy in his determinations and resolutions There are three cases wherein the Soul is guilty of this I. When the Soul remains wavering in an unfixed unsettled frame of Spirit upon any determination that it doth draw up within it self When a Soul apprehends reason on both sides and weight in both reasons and thereupon suffers his Soul to stand like Scales with weights in both Scales almost in an equipoise now turning this way then that way and stand steadfast no way Now he conceives it is the will of God to accept his Soul into union with him the next morning he conceives no surely it cannot be that God should have a thought of kindness for such a wretch as he Yet do not mistake here for I must grant there may be such an equipoised Spirit in Souls without sin so it be with these limitations 1. That the truth of Christ concerning which the Soul remains in this wavering state be not a matter of duty that God requires from the Souls hands Some truths are more Theoretical some more Practical now if it be not a practical truth that God requires from the Soul it may not be sin But if it be a practical truth concerning the Souls acting of Faith upon Jesus Christ tendred or the Souls worshipping God in some ordinances of continual use then though it be through weakness and want of light that the Soul is not able to have his Spirit settled upon a conclusion yet I dare not excuse the Soul from sin for I suppose no case can come but the Soul is guilty of too much ignorance that he might have avoided or guilty of unbelief that keeps his Spirit in the present case unswayed 2. Take this limitation That such an unsettledness of Spirit concerning a truth be after a Souls strict endeavouring for a full satisfaction and determination of his Spirit concerning that truth II. The Soul is guilty of this inconstancy when the strength of imagination only doth unsettle the Soul from any determination or conclusion concerning that truth of Christ that he hath formerly drawn up in his own Spirit The Devil hath a secret door into every Heart through the fancy it is as it were the Devils back door it is his secret sally-port door that he comes out of to fight against the Soul The Devil steals into the Heart by the fancy before ever the Soul is aware of it without any alarm and by the working of the fancy he doth suggest strange imaginations in the Soul without suggesting a ground and foundation upon which such imaginations are built III. Then a Soul is guilty of this sad distemper when it is unsettled and removed from its determinations and conclusions with every just objection without a just comparison of the strength of the objection and the reasoning of the objection with the strength of the reasoning of the former perswasion and determination This is that sad distemper the Scripture speaks of To be carried up and down with every wind of Doctrine and to be soon shaken in mind 2 Thes 2.1 2. Now the distemper being thus opened in general you must note that there are three special conclusions in reference to the case in hand concerning which a Soul becomes guilty of this distemper of unconstancy 1. That the tender of union with the Lord Jesus do reach to every particular Soul The Devil and the corrupt Heart strive to maintain a constancy of Spirit in this determination either keeping the Soul wavering here not daring to resolve this blessed Truth to be a Truth or else in suggesting strong imaginations to keep the Soul from giving firm credit to that Truth or by keeping up objection upon objection against that pretious Truth that the Heart may not be settled upon that conclusion but if it be settled upon it in the evening if possible it shall be removed in the morning 2. That no wickedness wretchedness nor desperate vileness that can be imagined is any impediment to the Lords acceptance of the Soul into union with the Lord Jesus All the strength of reasoning that the Machiavilian brains of Hell can produce shall be brought to evade this Truth 3. That it is the duty of every particular Soul immediately and at all times without the least delay to give credit to the Lord and believe that he is willing to accept that particular loveless Soul into union with Christ These pretious Truths being that pretious heavenly Christal glass through which the Spiritual eye comes to discern the very Heart of God towards it in Christ if it be possible that either the power or policy of Hell can foment that distemper in the Heart concerning this principle to prevent the Soul from settling a full conclusion in this particular it shall be effected Now this distemper prevents the Souls evidence of union with Christ from the promises by these five several effects that it hath upon the Heart I. It prevents the Soul of the injoyment of a sufficient time to discern the inward of the Lords promise of accepting a Soul into union with Christ even when he doth behold the promise There are four things that a Soul must discern in a promise in reference to the discerning of his union with Christ from the promise 1. The Soul must discern the largeness of the extent of that promise of acceptance of a Soul into union with Christ He must discern the compass of the promise to be so wide as to take in his own particular Soul 2. A Soul must discern the infinite freedom of God in the tendering of the promise to accept the Soul into union with Christ It must see that God requires nothing either to prepare or dispose the Soul aright for the injoyment of the promise or to give the Soul a right and title to the promise 3. The Soul must see the very bowels of the mercies of Jesus Christ in the promises It is the sight of the readiness of the Heart of Christ to
own Glory to Compleat and Perfect an Union between the Lord Jesus and every Loveless Sinner that shall embrace Gospel Discoveries The Crown of the Fathers Glory being but the Issue and Result of the Glory of the Lord Jesus and then the Glory of Christ having its full and sole Dependance upon the compleat Union of all those with himself that shall embrace the Gospel thence the Father stands engaged to Perfect and Compleat that Union between Christ and all those Souls seeing his natural Disposition doth necessarily incline him to be compleating the Crown of his own Glory 2. The spirit may reveal to the Soul that the Lord stands engaged by the property of his own precious Nature to Love Compleatly and Perfectly every Gospel Embracer without the least Dependance upon any thing in the Soul or any thing to be done by the Soul Now what abundant security may every Soul Trembling and Fearing least the Lord should not be willing to accept it into Union and Communion with himself receive from hence against all his fears 3. From this consideration the Lord stands engaged by all his tender respects to the bright Shining Splendor of his own Imperial Crown to Beautify and Adorn every Forlorn Sinner Embracing Gospel Discoveries with the most Glistering Beams of his own Matchless Perfection that can be comprehended by any Finite Creature Now Gospel Embraces being chosen by the Lord from Eternity to be the precious matter whereof he will Compose that his everlasting Crown of Glory whereby his Honour and Majesty should Glitter forth before the eyes of Saints and Angels brighter than ten Thousand Suns in their Strength Thence if every Gospel Embracer shall not be Beautified and adorned with the most Sparkling touch of Perfection that they are Capable of the Blessed Majesty of Heaven should become negligent of Dignifying himself with the Brightness of Majesty and Honour through the Transparent Brightness of his Imperial Crown of Glory And therefore according to this 1. The Scripture reveals that the Celestial Glory and Surpassing Excellency wherewith every Gospel Embracer shall be Adorned and Beautified doth Transcend and go beyond all Comprehension of Finite Brains and Created Understandings According to that in 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for those that love him Mark what the Apostle affirms He affirms that the Sublime Mysterious Workings of Heavenly Wisdom about Gospel Embracers was never Comprehended yet with any finite brain by any mortal heart and O how infinitely unconceivable then are the workings of that heavenly wisdom in themselves Alas what the Gospel reveals of them is but like a small reflection of the Sun beams to the Sun it self It is but a small grain to a golden Mine it is but a drop of the bucket to the great Ocean O then how great an exaltation of such unlovely Sinners to most superlative perfection and unconceivable glory must needs be the effect of such a depth of heavenly divine wisdom being imployed about them from eternity This depth of the mystery of divine wisdom about Gospel embracers was never fathomed by Angelical Understandings 1 Pet. 1.12 which things the Angels desire to look into saith the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into which things the Angels earnestly with all their strength and intention of mind desire to look into The word signifies such a looking into things as to stoop down with the head and bow down with the body that it might be the thing it looks upon to discern it fully It is the same word the Apostle useth John 20.11 concerning Mary Magdalen she stooped down and lookked into the Sepulchre that she might see narrowly into the thing 2. The Scripture reveals more particularly that most unconceivable perfection most celestial glory shall be put upon the persons of Gospel-embracers in every part power and faculty that belongs to them I. According to this Engagement of God he resolves that the very bodies of Gospel-embracers shall be beautified and indued with most transcendent bright shining glory with almost incomparable perfection That one Scripture is enough to clear it out Phil. 3.21 He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body O how did the quintessence of all perfection meet together in the glorious body of Christ You may remember in the Transfiguration of Christ which was but a glimpse of his beauty and glory the hearts of Peter and John were amazed their Souls were ravished to behold it they were transported beyond themselves and began to cry out let us make Tabernacles Let us dwell here to behold this Glory for ever But how much more transcendently excellent is the Glory of the Body of Jesus Christ now he is exalted to all Glory And yet the Bodies of Gospel Embracers must be like his Glorious Body 1. All Privative Perfection shall be put upon them An everlasting Exemption and perfect Freedom from all Defects and Imperfections all Infirmities and Deformities all Pains Perplexities Ministries so as there shall be no necessity of the Aid and Assistance of their fellow Creatures to support and uphold to relieve and Refresh them as there is here below but their Bodies shall be like Angels Mat. 22.30 2. The Scripture reveals that there shall be most admirable Positive Perfection put upon them Immortality it self their lives shall be extended to duration equal with the Life of the eternal God they shall run Parallel with the Life of God in the longest lines of Eternity 1 Cor. 15.54 This mortal shall put on immortality 3. They shall be indued with Incorruptibleness They shall in a manner be made impassive not being made capable of any passion by any corrupt quality 1 Cor. 15.42 It is Sown in Corruption it is Raised in Incorruption 4. They shall be indued with almost Incredible Angelical Power Potency Might and Strength They shall be made every way sutable to the desire of the Souls themselves and made sutable for he Soul to act in the highest way in the most Sublime way of Operation without Weariness without Interruption without Intermission They shall be able to bear the infinite weight of Glory the least drop whereof they are not able to bear for the present 5. The body shall be indued with most excellent spirituality 1 Cor. 15.44 It is Sown a Natural Body it is Raised a Spiritual Body They shall not be turned into spirits but the Body shall be made so spiritual through the fulness of the spirit in it that it shall be as ready to the Blessed Will of God in every thing as the soul it self that shall be purely Holy And also it shall have a Wonderful Nimbleness and Agility and Activeness to be able at the souls desire to move hither or thither with most Incredible speed 6. The Scripture reveals the very Perfection and Quintessence of Beauty it self shall be put upon the