As it is Dispensed to the Elect Seed effectually unto Salvation Act. 7.8 the former part of the verse And he gave him the Covenant of Circumcision THis blessed servant of God Steven being called to account concerning what he had said touching Jesus Christ his destroying the Temple it is the scope of his whole Discourse throughout this Chapter to justifie the Doctrine that he had taught that though he had taught Jesus of Nazareth should destroy that place yet in so teaching he taught no Blasphemy And this he doth in an Historical Narration make clear and evident 1. From the sweet Communion which their Fathers had with God before either Temple or Tabernacle was built and if so then he would not have them look at it as unsafe for them or as an utter ruine to Religion if that both the Temple and the Ordinances of the Temple were destroyed in themselves and fulfilled in Him Three passages of Abrahams communion with God Steven doth relate and maintain that he had them before any of Moses his Customes were known 1. God did effectually call him which call he did also obey 2 3 4. ver though as yet he knew no Circumcision 2. God giveth him a trial of his Faith wherein he found Abraham faithful 5 6 7. verses God promised to give him the land of Canaan for a Possession but he gave him not a foots breadth He promised to give it unto his Seed when as yet he had no childe and when God gave him Seed yet they should sojourn in a strange Land and be in Bondage four hundred years 3. God gave him the Covenant of Circumcision in the words of the Text. And Abraham in the strength of the Blessing of God begat Isaac and circumcised him according to Gods direction and all this before Moses gave any Ordinances unto them to keep and before either Temple or Tabernacle was built From hence we have heard that the soul may have very spiritual and gracious communion with God before it partake in any seal of Church-fellowship For Abrahams Faith was throughly tryed before he had the Seal of church-Church-Covenant given him We heard also this propounded which is the words of the Text that God gave unto Abraham the Covenant of Circumcision which Doctrine doth imply in it four principal parts all of them serving to clear Stevens meaning 1. The Author and manner of dispensing it God gave so it was by Gift 2. The Articles of it and they are to be inquired into 3. The Confederates and they are expressed God on the one side and Abraham and his Seed on the other side 4. The Seal of it Circumcision which was also the Seal of Church-Covenant These four parts do yeeld so many Notes the first of them was spoken unto in the last point formerly handled Now for the second and third parts to wit the Articles of the Covenant and the Confederates we comprehend them both in this one Note That in the Covenant which God made with Abraham Doct. God gave himself to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed and received Abraham and his Seed to be a People unto himself and the chiefest of this seed the Lord Jesus Christ he took to be the Mediator or Surety of this Covenant between them both This is the sum of the Articles and of the Confederates what the Articles be is not here mentioned but Gen. 17.7 they be for to speak of Circumcision before the Covenant it is but a seal to a blank where the Lord expresseth himself thus saying I will stablish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee As for other parts of the Covenant they were more properly given unto himself as to be exceeding fruitful and to be the Father of many Nations to inherit the land of Canaan c. those things were more peculiarly proper unto Abraham though they have also a moral and universal use and force in all the Faithful whom the Lord doth make fruitful and giveth them a Nail in his Tabernacle In the Covenant these three things are implied 1. God gave himself to be a God unto Abraham and to his Seed this is such an Argument as the strength and wisdome of men and angels cannot unfold It is a Catechism-point and by way of Catechism to be opened as the Lord hath revealed it I mean plainly and familiarly 2 God did receive Abraham and his Seed to be his People this is implyed and necessarily inferred by the rule of Relatives for if God do give himself to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed and doth not firstly require it of Abraham and of his Seed that they should give up themselves to be his People then it must of necessity follow that the Lord will undertake to receive them to be a People unto himself and so he will perform both his own part of the Covenant and Abrahams part also according to what we read Deut. 7.6 7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special People unto himself Not because ye were in number more then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because he loved you and would keep the Oath weâ— he had sworn unto your fathers therefore hath be brought you out with a mighty hand c. when as they were in a land of Idols and the Lord lifted up his hand to have destroyed them there yet he remembred and wrought for his own Names sake So that though they were far off yet the Lord to make good his Covenant brought them out of Aegypt and so from one Covenant to another by all which things it doth appear that the Lord will keep our part of the Covenant also and this is necessarily implied in that he promiseth to be a God unto Abraham and to his Seed and there is no Restipulation on Abrahams part we see this likewise held forth Deut. 29.1 13. where the Lord entereth into another Covenant with them in the land of Moab besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb and in this Covenant he doth establish them to be a People unto himself as well as give himself unto them to be their God ver 13. And as God required it of them to circumcise the outward man even the foreskin of their children so he will also circumcise them taking possession of them and circumcising their hearts taking away the stoniness of them and so fitting them to be a Temple for himself to dwell in 3. The Lord in this Covenant taketh the chiefest of Abrahams Seed even the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Surety of the Covenant and unto him do all the Promises belong so the Apostle doth expound it Gal. 3.16 Unto Abraham and to his seed were the Promises made He saith not And to his seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed
Secondly By his person he is fit to maintain our communion and there are two things requisite unto that 1. First The removal of all offences and Christ is most fit for that for as he is the â—on of man he is most fit to suffer all punishment due unto sin and therefore as man he became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult And as he is God so he is fit to overcome sin and to prevail against the wrath of God 2. Secondly He is fit to communicate all the good things of God unto us as God he is fit to bestow upon us all spiritual comforts and heavenly gifts and blessings as man he knows what is most fit for the spirit of man and so he is fit to communicate unto us all the good things of God he hath suffered himself and hath been tempted and so he is fit to succour such as are tempted Heb. 2.17 18. thus he is a fit Mediatour in regard of his Person 2. Secondly He is fit to be a Mediatour in respect of his Offices he is a Priest a Prophet and a King and in all these Offices he doth properly and lively exercise the Office of a Mediatour 1. First As a Priest He doth offer Sacrifice for us Heb. 9.12 even himself Heb. 10.10 He gives his life a ransom for many Mat. 20.28 and he doth not only thus give all this but apply it also unto us as it belongs unto a Mediator for to do And as a Priest he doth sit at Gods right hand and makes intercession for us Rom. 8.34 and if any man man sin we have an advocate with the Father which is Christ the righteous by him God reconcileth the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 thus he taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 and becomes a propitiation for us Rom. 3.24 25. these things he doth as he is a Priest 2. Secondly As he is a Prophet he teacheth us all things Acts 3.22 whatsoever things he hath done and suffered for us those things as a Prophet he teacheth us 3. Thirdly As a King he doth apply all this grace unto us subduing us by his Spirit unto himself and all the creatures unto us God by him as a Mediator doth bring us on effectually unto himself by the mighty power of his Word and Spirit and keepeth us with himself in spotless communion unto his heavenly kingdom These Offices give him power and authority to do it as also faithfulness and mercy according unto his tender compassion on our necessities Thus we see how the Lord Jesus is a Mediatour In particular he is a Mediatour of the Covenant between God and us and that in a threefold respect 1. First Because he is the Messenger of the Covenant thus he is called Mal. 3.1 he did first publish it unto our first Parents Gen. 3.15 and unto Abraham and by all the holy Prophets and in the daies of his flesh and by the Apostles and their successours unto the end of the world 2. Secondly He is called the Mediatour of the Covenant as he doth ratifie and confirm the Covenant by a threefold seal 1. First By his bloud for a Testament is confirmed by the death of him that made it Heb. 9.15 16 17. he is the mediatour of the new testament that by means of death c. that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance He made it sure on Gods part and on our parts he doth seal it up with his bloud that it might be confirmed unto all Generations and as no man altereth a Testament after a Testatours death so this is unalterable 2. Secondly As he hath confirmed it by his bloud so also by his Spirit Ephes 1.13 14. c. 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Christ is the Angel that ascended out of the East having the seal of the living God Rev. 7.2 3. And look as it was the manner of the Priest of old to sprinkle the bloud of the Covenant upon the book of the law and upon the people so doth the Lord Jesus besprinkle us and that which is taught us with his bloud and Spirit and thereby begetteth the experience of the savour of God in our hearts and sealeth it up unto us 3. Thirdly He doth seal it by the seals of the Covenant which are Baptism and the Lords Supper so it is here said He gave him the covenant of circumcision which was a seal of the righteousness of faith instead whereof he hath given us Baptism And by the Lords Supper he sealeth it for that is the bloud of the new Testament Mat 26.28 by all these means he doth confirm the Covenant Dan. 7.27 3. Thirdly He is not only the Publisher and confirmer but also the Prince and Head of it for you shall see that in all Covenants there are some that are Princes of the Covenant as we read Dan. 11.22 where speaking of the league between Egypt and Assyria he makes mention of the Princes of the Covenant So in this respect the Lord Jesus is called the Covenant it self Isai 42.6.49 8. as being the Head and Prince of it and that implyeth two or three things 1. First If he be the Prince of the Covenant then all the Covenant is first made with him Gal 3.16 To Abraham and to his seed even unto Christ and to the Church his mystical body in him and under him and therefore all the promises are in him yea and in him amenâ— 2 Cor. 1.20 that is to say all the Promises and all their conditions are fulfilled in him as he saith It behoveth us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 2. Secondly He doth inherit the blessings of the Covenant so far as his blessed nature is capable of them he hath received the crown of inheritance of all the blessings both of this life and of another Mat. 28.18 he sitteth at Gods right hand having led captivity captive he treadeth down Satan under his feet therefore 1. First He hath fulfilled all the conditions of the Covenant as this is one part of the Covenant The redeemer shall come out of Sion and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob as the Apostle Rom. 11.26 expoundeth the words of the Prophet Isai 59.20 for he fulfilleth in us all the conditions of the Covenant he it is that turneth us to the Lord and undertaketh to do all things in us and for us 2. Secondly He doth communicate the blessings of the Covenant to us having himself exactly fulfilled all the Conditions of them 3. He doth apply the comfort of the Promises unto us and having done all these things he leadeth us still to wait upon him for further and further blessings in his Ordinances Thus we have seen in particulars how the Lord Jesus is the Mediatour of the Covenant He is the Publisher of it the confirmer of it by his bloud by his Spirit by the seals
were brought under and the children of Judah prevailed and yet this Kings heart was not perfect with the Lord his God 2 King 15.3 and yet minde you a strong confidence he had that the Lord was with him and that he would be present with his own ordinances there Faith built upon fellowship with Ordinances like unto that Faith in the Scripture before alledged Luk. 8.13 Men are affected with the Word and beleeve and finde comfort and all this springeth from that Relative communion which they have with the Lord they finde refreshing in their way and work and many times take it for the very Seal of the Spirit of God all which may be and often is found in Hypocrites but here is the difference In a Covenant of Works God giveth himself conditionally in that of Grace absolutely in both he maketh a Covenant in the one of Grace the other of Works in which the voice of the Lord is If you be true to me then I will not renounce you and in this Covenant is Faith found but it is only built upon such changes as they finde in themselves and will in the end vanish utterly away There is a Difference also that springeth from the fruits of these two Covenants in their continuance Diff. 3 for though in the Covenant of Works there be a semblance of Justification and Adoption and a kinde of Sanctification yet they endure but for a season and therefore he calleth them Lo-ammi for ye are not my people and Lo-ruhamah for I will no more have mercy though sometimes they were his people and he then had mercy on them they may also have pardon of sin for a season Psal 78.37 38. Being full of compassion he forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yet they were such whose heart was not upright with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant this is plainly held forth in the Parable Mat. 18.23 to the end when the servant had not wherewith to pay his Lord he fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me I will pay thee all his Lord was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the Debt but when he had not like compassion on his fellow servant then his Lord was wroth and charged all his iniquities upon him and cast him into prison until he should pay all that was due unto him So that this pardon is not everlasting but only respite from outward punishment and from inward pangs of conscience many times and this they take for pardon of sin and acceptance in Jesus Christ when indeed they are deluded So likewise their Sanctification is but for a moment they come at last some of them to tread under foot the Bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified Heb. 10.29 For Christ was but a conditional Redeemer unto them they had only gifts of Tongues and utterance and wisdome and discerning of Spirits and a common Faith which things are not that Sanctification which is a fruit of Saving Faith but only such gifts as do sanctifie them unto the work of the Ministery perhaps or Magistracy and fit them for houshold-government or the like and so much positive work there is in them as doth make them in some measure fit for the work or service which they are called unto For a little more explaining of this Quest Is it the same with that Sanctification which is in Gods children God forbid Answ All the men in the world are divided into two Ranks Godly or Ungodly Righteous or Wicked of wicked men two sorts some are notoriously wicked others are Hypocrites of Hypocrites two sorts and you shall finde them in the Church of God some are washed Swine others are Goats 1. The Swine are those of whom our Saviour Christ saith that they return unto their wallowing in the myre like unto these are such men as at the hearing of some Sermon have been stomack-sick of their sins and have rejected their wicked courses but yet the swines heart remaineth in them and as a swine when he cometh where the puddle is will readily lie down in it so will these men wallow in the puddle of uncleanness when their conscience is not pricked for the present but these are a grosser kinde of Hypocrites 2. There is another sort that go far beyond these and those are Goats so called Mat. 25.32 33. and these are clean beasts such as chew the cud meditate upon ordinances and they divide the hoof they live both in a general and particular calling and will not be idle they are also fit for sacrifice what then is wanting Truly they are not Sheep all this while they are but Goats yet a Goat doth loath that which a Swine will readily break into but where then do they fall short of the nature of Sheep A difference there is which standeth principally in these Particulars 1. The Goat is of a capricious Nature and affecteth eminency his Gate also is stately Prov. 30.31 Agur reckoneth the Hee-Goat among the four things that are comly in going 2. And they are full of Ambition they cannot abide swamps and holes but will be climbing upon the tops of mountains there is not that plain lowly sheep-like frame that attendeth unto the voice of the shepherd to be led up and down into fresh pastures they attend upon their own ends and will outshoot God in his own bow and therefore when they have done many things for Christ he will say unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity more eminency they did affect then they were guided unto thus it was with Jehu who in his zeal for God thought to promote himself and herein he will not be perswaded of his sin and therefore walking along in crooked waies the Lord led him forth with evil doers he cometh at length to cleave unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin notwithstanding you may receive a Goat into Church-fellowship for all his capricious Nature and he will be a clean creature and of much good use the five foolish Mat. 25.2 were all of them virgins all of them abhorring Idolarry and all go forth to meet the Bridegroom and yet they are foolish and never shall you make them wise to be all for Christ in him and from him only hearing and obeying his voice 3. They are of a rankish nature all of them specially the old Goats will have an unsavoury relish far from the pleasant sweetness that is in a Sheep and herein hypocrites are greatly different from the Sheep of Christ and many times also they do push with the shoulder the poor sheep of Christ as the Prophet speaketh Ezek. 34.21 And they mar the pastures with their feet and will be at length mudling the fair waters of the Sanctuary also And in their best sanctification they fall far short of a sheep-like frame of spirit diligently to hear the voice of the shepherd this will not be found in the
greatest falls have been in their most exemplary gifts If you shall mark the sins of all the servants of God they have been chiefly found in the very exercise of their best gifts Let us take a little taste of them that we may learn to use our gifts in the strength of Jesus Christ Abraham a man full of faith none went beyond him in Old nor New Testament yet if you read of any failing in him it is in want of the acting of faith What made him afraid not once but the second time that his wife would be taken away from him by Pharaoh Gen. 12. by Abimelech chap. 20. had not the Lord promised that he would bless him wheresoever he came Gen. 12.2 He had so much of the knowledge and grace of God shining in him that Sarah needed not have dissembled and Abimelech a poor Heathen could say as much chap. 20.16 Behold thy husband it a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee and with all other thus she was reproved as if he should say Thou needest no shifts and lies for thy protections and to be a vail unto thee this a poor Heathen can discern that such a man as hath God with him needeth no other shifts nor covering to defend and shelter him Thus we see that these great failings of Abraham were proper acts of unbelief Moses a meek man none like him for meekness on the face of the earth there is but one sin storied of him after he was called to the Government of that State and this was his failing Hear now you rebels Must we fetch you water out of this rock so he lift up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice Numb 20.10 11. they provoked Moses as meek as he was sometimes when Aaron and Miriam dealt as peremptorily with him he was not moved from the meekness of his spirit but now he falleth into Passion and this was the very sin for which the Lord excluded him out of Canaan Numb 27.12 13 14. It was the breach of this royal grace chap. 20.12 Because ye believed me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I have given them which words shew us the reason of his failing in the grace wherein he so much abounded because ye believed me not The Lord will have him know that he must live by his fiath in his meekness If any man think himself to be a meek man and nothing shall over-wrastle him there if you believe not in God but in your meekness your confidence will soon fail you Peter a man full of courage and you read of two of his principal failings and both in point of courage he failed in the high Priests hall at the voice of a Damsel and in the porch at the speech of another Maid and the third time at the voice of one that stood by Mat. 26.69 c. whereas afterward when he lived by faith he became undaunted Another failing of his in point of courage we read of Gal. 2.12 He feared those of the circumcision and whereas before he did eat with the Gentiles when certain of the Circumcision came from James he withdrew and separated himself and so dissembled and others likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulution Thus the Apostle Peter's most eminent gifts did not bring forth their fruits Know therefore that the best of all your gifts faith meekness courage wisdom love to your brethren will fail if you trust in them and you will be most apt to fail there wherein you do most excel If a man be wise he shall fail in that point and it may be in nothing so much as in that even in those things wherein he thinketh he walketh most wisely and such an one will find most trials in point of his wisdom and the like will be found in all other graces and all to this end to teach the Israel of God to know that no man liveth by his wisdom nor by any thing in himself but by faith in Jesus Christ whom God hath given unto his people and who is only able to give new supplies of his Spirit unto his servants to act every gift which he hath given them I might have mentioned the example of Sarab a meek and a quiet godly spirited woman subject and obedient to her husband and called him Lord whose daughters you are while you do well 1 Pet. 3.6 and yet you know one of her greatest failings was in point of Reverence to her husband Gen. 16.5 When she saw that she was despised in the eyes of her maid whom she had given unto her husband she said to Abraham My wrong be upon thee and the Lord judge between me and thee Where is the reverence of Sarah now Will you have the daughters of Sarah to imitate her herein What had her husband done There was no fault in him in this matter she had no reason to tax him upon this point it was her own counsel ver 2. that he should go in to her maid that I may obtain children by her therefore there was no colour of any just complaint on her part yet see this meek-spirited woman failed in the point of her meeknesse herein and did express no greater failing all her life long that we read of she was weak in faith once but there was great reason for that her womb was dead and her Lord as she called him was old also nor doth the Angel so much blame her about it but that action wherein she most failed was against that grace wherein she most abounded And though every grace of the Spirit be of great force when the Lord doth act and move it yet let a man go forth in the strength of his greatest gifts and if ever his heart fail him it will be in them Think not when you have done all you can that you are worthy of any thing but say that you are unprofitable servants for though Sanctification be the way wherein the Lord will pour out all his blessings upon his servants yet he doth require them to boast in none of their excellencies but look at them all as freely given them of God and consider that the right unto all springeth from fellowship with Jesus Christ that so not only the gift it self is grace but the blessing that followeth upon it is grace also And suppose that we have attained all that we pray for shall we then exalt our own gifts No but let us say with Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am less then the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Do not trust upon gifts nor upon duties performed by those gifts to reach the blessing so look not for your justification from thence at all for the Apostle is plain that he looked not for any thing for his righteousness before his conversion and after his
the comfort of the Holy Ghost is more abundant and constant so it is more powerful Luk. 24.49 Behold I send unto you the promise of the Father tarry ye at Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so Act. 1.8 You shall receive power from on high after that the holy Ghost is come upon you not by the gift of him nor by his inhabitation nor by sanctification nor by revelation only but in the power of all these that in the middest of strong opppositions you might have strong consolation therefore this is the ground of the Apostle Pauls thanksgiving 2 Cor. 1.5 and chap. 2.14 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ and thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ Thus you see the truth of the Point that the work of consolation doth in special manner belong unto the Holy Ghost yet for the further clearing of it there is a Question or two to be answered There is mention made Ephes 1.13 14. of the seal of the Spirit and of the earnest of the Spirit Therefore it may be demanded 1. What is the seal of the Spirit 2. What is the earnest of the Spirit What is the seal of the Spirit Quest 1 for so he is called Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption so likewise there is mention made both of the seal and earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 22. For answer hereunto Answ to speak properly what I conceive the Scripture to hold forth I take the seal of the Spirit to be nothing else but the Spirit it self as the name of Christ is often put for Christ himself for you shall not read in Scripture that it is called the seal of the Spirit but they were sealed by the Spirit He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 So that as the Spirit is the anointment and the earnest so he is also the seal when the Angel mentioned Revel 7.2 is said to have the seal of the living God it is meant of the Spirit But Quest how is the Holy Ghost said to be a seal and in respect of what workings of his is he so called I Answer Answ There is a threefold respect in which he is called The seal and he doth expresse the nature of a seal in them all 1. First He doth confirm and ratifie all the gracious promises of God unto the soul bearing witness in truth and power of them unto the soul and thereby begetting and confirming faith in the soul for the use of the seal is to confirm and this is the principal work of the Holy Ghost to confirm all the promises of God as an authentick seal There is a place of Scripture which being a little miss-translated leadeth I cannot say into a little but into a great inconveniency Ephes 1.13 In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed Calvin is much troubled about it and so is Piscator the truth is it implyeth thus much that in believing they were sealed this is the true English of those Greek words so that it is the Holy Ghost that comes in every promise of grace wherein Jesus Christ is conveyed unto the soul he setteth it home and confirmeth it to the soul by begetting faith in that grace and so setteth to his seal that it is true to thee and hence it is that the faith which is wrought by the Holy Ghost is said to be a seal Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true so then the Holy Ghost setteth his seal to it when he gives us faith and thus he is the seal as he doth confirm all the word of Gods grace unto us and hence it is that faith is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Calvin disputes this point at large when he speaketh touching the authority of the word of God which though it be none of the most learned nor elegant of his works yet I think there be so many plain arguments that they may convince the most arrogant Atheist yet to make him believe it you cannot except the Holy Ghost set in to convince a gain-sayer for it is the Spirit that gives the seal and confirmation of every word of the Gospel And to speak a little more plainly in this point although the Apostle John 1 Epistle chap. 5. ver 7 8. speaketh of six witnesses that bear witness unto Jesus Christ yet you shall finde this to be true that there are none of all that do set it home unto the soul but the Holy Ghost only when the Father beareth witness he doth it by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. c. God revealeth the hidden things of his love unto us by his Spirit c. when the Son doth shew us the Father and so setteth the soul at liberty and easeth our consciences thereby The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 And it is the Spirit that setteth on his own work much more plentifully by the powerfull efficacy of himself upon the soul Act. 1.8 and for the water and the bloud who applyeth them as for the water of sanctification it is but a creature and it is not in the power of any creature to beget faith for the word of God it self cannot beget faith can any work of God do it no no it is neither the bloud of justification nor the water of sanctification that can beger faith but the Spirit only otherwise you will ever and anon suspect your faith and your sanctification and every Christian knows what I say That if a man have nothing but his works of sanctification to trust unto they will fail him unless the Spirit of God do breathe in them testifie the Lords acceptance of you All the works of creation though they may convince my judgement that there is a God yet they cannot beget lively faith in me unless the Holy Ghost set in with them for the word of God cannot do it no nor the Sacraments though they be seals but when are they seals only then when the Holy Ghost is conveyed in them and therefore we see why the Holy Ghost is called a seal because he doth confirm our faith in the works and word of God You will say But may not a soul comfort himself in the former experiences of Gods mercy True but the Holy Ghost must then breathe in them and his work it is also to bring them to remembrance Joh. 14.26 if he will reveal his loving kindness in these footsteps of his grace then they do come in to confirm your faith otherwise both word and works are dead unlesse the Spirit of God breathe in them he it is that revealeth free grace justifying the ungodly and afterward will let you know the works of your sanctification he
teacheth and none like him 1 Joh. 2.20 27. You have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things c. and in this respect every Christian is a sealed one of God more or less when as the Angel was sent to set the seal of God upon his servants Revel 7.2 3. he did not leave out weak Christians doubtless but did seal all the servants of God Christ is careful to keep his weak servants from inundations of evil as well as others so in Ezek. 9.4 The mark of God is set upon all that mourn for the sins of the times therefore in some work of this seal the Holy Ghost is not wanting to seal all believers otherwise thou couldest not believe that the Father hath drawn thee to Christ unless the Lord had revealed it nor couldest thou believe that the Father is thy Father unless the Holy Ghost hath sealed thee thou canst not know that thy faith is accepted of God that thy sanctification is in truth unless the Spirit of God do clear up these things unto thy soul though thou hadst many promises before thee yet unless the Lord by his Spirit apply them thou canst not see thy right in them But is not that my sin Object It is your sin Answ but it is such a sin as the power of the creature cannot help you out of for unless the Lord be pleased to discover Jesus Christ unto you and your faith in him and your deriving of your works from him you will neither know your justification nor your sanctification to be true therefore there is ever a sealing work of Gods Spirit upon the souls of his Saints though this may be done before the Holy Ghost come to seal you in his own proper work for you have many gracious workings of God about you before he come to seal his own work in your soul 2. The second work of the Spirit in respect whereof he is called a seal is his ingraving the likeness of Jesus Christ upon the soul for the Lord hath predestinated us to be conformed unto the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 and how come we to be so conformed even by the Spirit of God who writeth as it were Jesus Christ in our hearts as with the finger of the living God and hence Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and this image of Christ the Holy Ghost writeth in us by making us conformable unto the death and resurrection of Christ and unto that end he doth breathe in both the Sacraments Rom. 6.4 5 6. for he is both a Spirit of mortification and vivification so as that through him we do not onely finde sin mortified but do live by the faith of the Son of God and the Spirit it is that doth preserve these gifts and acteth and stirreth up our faith to look unto Christ this is another use of the seal not only to confirm but to conform so that of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us and this seal the Holy Ghost doth set on more or less in every Christian but in his own proper work he doth it with more power 3. The third work whereby the Holy Ghost doth express the nature of a seal is in distinguishing the Saints from other men Rev. 7.2 3. the servants of God were sealed and in sealing them he doth conceal them as a seal doth so that the world knows them not Joh. 14.17 and 1 Joh. 3.1 we are called the sons of God therefore the world knows us not c. and the more the Spirit doth distinguish a man from the wicked of the world the less they do discern him to be a gracious man the more lively grace is the more it is hidden from the world as men grow more in godliness so they grow more and more to be suspected by the world this is sealing work to distinguish and yet to conceal these things doth the Spirit of God as a seal upon the hearts and consciences of his people he begetteth and confirmeth all their faith more or less he doth conform them to the image of Christ more or less he doth also conceal and distinguish them from the world The second Question needful for the clearing of this point Quest 2 is How is the Holy Ghost an earnest For Answer Answ He is called an earnest in two respects 1. First As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul he doth confirm all the promises of God to us and fasteneth them upon our hearts and settleth our hearts with an unmovable faith God having given us his Spirit doth give us all in him for he bindeth our union with Christ and our relation to the Father the Covenant of Gods grace unto us and us unto it the Gospel to us and us unto the Gospel 2. Secondly He is an earnest as he is the first fruits of the payment if a man give a pledge he meaneth to take his pledge again but if he gives money in earnest he meaneth not to take that again for it is part of the payment and the whole is but a greater payment of the same kinde so in like manner what is all our inheritance surely a fulness of the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and of the blessed Spirit of God this is all our inheritance that we look for in another world Eph. 1.14 He is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory here we have but a little portion of the Spirit a little earnest-peny but this little portion is an assurance unto us that he will make it up until we be able to receive no more Now for Application of this Point Use 1 let it first teach us how to speak of the seal of the Spirit all those that desire to speak the language of Canaan no man hath part in Christ but he hath the seal of the Spirit also for if the Holy Ghost had not given thee Christ in this or that promise thou couldest never have believed it True it is indeed there are many Christians yea and sealed Christians which are not sealed with the proper work of the Spirit I mean with that full consolation and universal conformity to Gods image every Christian hath not received that measure of power but every Christian waiteth for it and is sealed by the blessed Spirit having set home some word of Gods grace wherein Jesus Christ is brought unto the soul In the second place Use 2 let it teach us thus much that it will come short of bringing us unto Christ if we lay claim to a promise of God by any work of grace such as we can have before we have the seal of the Spirit I mean such a work of the Spirit as wherein he doth come in with power upon the soul above the power of the word and works of God for they are both creatures and