The Souls Union with Christ, Title page – Table of contents
A TREATISE OF THE Souls Vnion WITH CHRIST.
Wherein is Declared, What this Ʋnion with Jeſus Chriſt is.
And many Falſe Grounds of Ʋnion Diſcovered.
In which theſe Two weighty Queſt. are largely handled, viz.
I. How Souls do attain the firſt, certain, infallible Evidence of their Ʋnion with Chriſt.
II. How Souls that conceive themſelves to have received certain and ſatisfying Evidence of their Ʋnion with the Lord Jeſus, may know certainly and infallibly that their Evidence of Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion?
Anſw. 1. Negatively, The Souls Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋ nion? p. 82.
Ʋnder 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 Ʋnion, ſeeing there is no abſolute Promiſe of God wherein he diſcovers his own will to accept any one particular Soul into Ʋnion with the Lord Chriſt? Anſwer, p. 105.
Queſt. 2. By what means doth a Soul receive the infallible evidence of his Ʋnion?
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 Ʋnion with Chriſt, p. 123. Cleared in 4. particulars.
Queſt. 3. In what manner doth a Soul receive the firſt infallible evidence of his Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion with the Lord Jeſus, may know certainly and infallibly that the evidence of their Ʋnion 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 Ʋnbelievers, 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion with Chriſt, which do incapacitate for a juſt Trial and true examination of the evidences of their Ʋnion, p, 445.
Queſt. If ſouls under the Dominion of impatiency, raſhneſs, irrational affections, prejudicial conceits againſt the truth of their evidence of their Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion with Jeſus Chriſt, when the Lustre and orient brightneſs of their evidences be Eclipſed. p. 472.
Anſwered in 4 Propoſitions.
Six Holy Ʋſes 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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 Ʋnion 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.