of Christ Say unto Christ as the Spouse Cant. 6. 8. Set me as a Seal upon thy heart and as a Seal upon thy arm Pant after it as David Psal 35. 3. Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Make this your greatest care and business in the world next to glorifying of God to set things to rights betwixt God and your Souls and to get an assurance That he is your Salvation Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. The Usurer saith It is good to be sure the Purchaser saith It is good to be sure that his Title to Lands and Houses be sure and firm The Tradesman saith it is good to be sure and ought not Believers above all to say That it is good to be sure of Christ's Love and of the goodness of our Title to heaven and glory For the love of Christ heaven and glory are infinitely above all other things therefore to be well assured of them we should mind 'em with the greatest care and diligence Motives First Consider That every wis Man will labour to get a good thing and make it as sure as he can and will you be such Fools as not to mind and labour to be sealed by the Spirit and to be assured of Christ's Love to you and of your Title to Glory it is good to be sure here that when you dye and have this Earthly Tabernacle dissolved you may know you have a Building with God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens 1 Cor. 3. 1 2. 2dly Consider that there be many who will question your Interest in Christ and title to Eternal Lise As first the Devil who is the Accuser of the Brethren a Fighter against the Saints and a great Enemy to all their Peace and Comfort O Believers he 'll follow you with many Temptations and Objections about your Eternal State and raise many doubts in your Hearts if he cannot split you upon the Rock of Presumption as he does Thousands he 'll endeavour to ruin you on the Rock of Despair Peter tells us that the Devil goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. Blessed be God it is not whom he will but whom he may devour Says Paul 2 Cor 1. 11. Take heed lest Satan get an advantage against you for we are not ignorant of his Devices The Devil has many Stratagems and wiles to ruin poor Souls and to disquiet the Hearts of Believers therefore labour to be well assured that you may answer all the false accusations of the Devil but Secondly There is the World which is fill'd with Scoffers and Troublers of God's Israel the wicked Ishmaels of the World they 'll call you Hypocrites and question your Title to Heaven and Glory therefore seek after the sealing of the Spirit and to be well assured of your States and Conditions respecting Christ and Glory that under all the false Censures of the World you may approve your selves to God and have inward Peace and Comfort from this that your Hearts are right with God and that you are and desire to be that before God in reality that you seem to be in appearance before Men My Righteousness saith Job I will hold fast and my Heart viz. my Conscience shall not condemn me as long as ever I live Though you condemn me for an Hypocrite yet my Righteousness or Integrity I will hold fast and I will keep a good Conscience that shall not condemn me as long as I Live Thirdly There is your own Hearts that will join in too much with these Accusers there fore you had need labour to get a good Assurance for if your Hearts condemn you God is greater than your Hearts and knoweth all things but if your hearts condemn you not then have you Confidence towards God 1 John 3. 20 21. But Thirdly Consider when you are sealed by the Spirit or have got a good Assurance c. you will go about good duties with great comfort and delight you will resist Sin and the Devil Pray Read and Hear with great sweetness and delight you 'll bear Crosses endure Tryals with great Patience Abraham was to do a hard piece of Work viz. to kill his only Son bot having received the Promises he went about it chearfully Heb. 11. 17 18. Says David Psal 89. 15 16. Blessed are they that hear the joyful Sound why are they blessed They shall walk says he in the Light of thy Countenance O Lord in thy Name shall they rejoice all the Day But Fourthly Consider that he whom God loves is a happy Man though he knows it not i. e. be not fully assured of it but he that knows he is beloved of God knows himself to be a happy Man to be beloved of God in Christ is great happiness but to know that God doth love us in Christ is greater happiness Fifthly Consider that to he sealed or assured by the Spirit is very sweet and comfortable to the Soul This is the Manna says one in the golden Pot the Wine of Paradice which chears and revives the heart how sweet is a Smile from God through Christ The Sun you know is more chearing when it shines out than when it is hid in a Cloud assurance is sweet in Life in Sufferings and in Death it self it puts a Man in Heaven as it were before his time But Quest May some say What must we do to obtain the Sealing of the Spirit or Assurance Answer First Direction Labour to get some certain and infallible Signs and Characters out of God's holy Word of saving grace that you indeed are such as God has changed by his Spirit and wrought grace in your Hearts the Spirit 's Sealing or Assurance saith one is made up of a practical Syllogism where the Word of God is the Major a good Conscience the Minor and the Spirit of God the Conclusion as for Instance the word saith that he who loves God is beloved of God Conscience saith but I love God saith the Spirit therefore art thou beloved of God As also He that believeth saith the word shall be Saved John 3. 16. Conscience but I do believe therefore saith the Spirit thou shalt be Saved Now see if you can find these in your Hearts Secondly Retire your selves into some private place alone from the Eye of the World where none see you but God and there narrowly search and try your hearts See how it stands between God and you Have you Grace or no Faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine whether you be in the Faith and Faith be in you Oh! be not Strangers to your selves but commune daily with your own Hearts This is a good way to get Assurance Many are Strangers to themselves and look more aborad upon others than at home into their own Hearts Psal 4. 4 5. Thirdly Be earnest with God at the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. ult Beg of him to Seal you by his
are ye light in the Lord. 2. The Spirit irradiates and clears this up to the Souls of them whom he Seals that they are Sanctified and made holy that their Hearts are changed and Grace wrought in them which was not there before and that now they are new Creatures being in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. For if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are done away and all things are become new This the Spirit shows to the Soul in his Sealing Work and by this enables Believers to say doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham know us not or be ignorant of us Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer 〈◊〉 Name is from Everlasting Isa 63. 16. This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psal 46. 14. The Lord is my portion saith my Soul therefore will I hope in him Lam. 3. 24. My beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 1. 16. Now Believers know this from the Holy Spirit who clears these things to their Souls when he Seals them 3. The blessed Spirit after all this is done in order to Sealing he enables the Soul he Soals to lay hold on and to apply the precious Promises to its self so that whenever a Promise is read or spoken of the Soul may apply it and say this is mine and the other Promise is mine they are a Legacy left me may the Soul say by my dear Husband and Head Christ This Divines call the Formal Sealing of the Spirit There is none but the Holy Spirit that can thus Seal Believers viz. by clearing up to them their title to and interest in Christ and the Promises as there 's For he only knows the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. And besides 't is his office to clear and witness this to Believers who is a Spirit of Truth and therefore he cannot neither will deceive us John 14. 17. My Beloved the Spirit 's Testimony in this is more than a voice from Heaven or than if an Angel should come and say Christ has sent me to tell you That he loves you and shed his blood for you This could not satisfie as the internal Sealing of the Spirit to the Minds or Souls of Believers the other may be a Delusion but this of the Spirit is certain and may be depended upon The witness of a Man's Spirit may come to a probability but the witness of the Spirit is clear demonstration 1 John 4. 12 19. No man saith he hath seen God at any time If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us how because he hath given us of his spirit The Spirit receives of Christ's and gives it to Believers John 16. 18 19. As it is the Devil's work to cast in Fears into the Soul to perplex and disquiet the heart he being the red Dragon that disturbs the Waters of the Saints Peace So it is the Spirit 's work to clear things up to settle the Sanctified Soul and fill it with peace joy and comfort John 16. 7. As it is his work to convince of Sin to Sanctifie so to establish and settle the Heart and give that peace and comfort to it which none can give nor take away Rom. 14. 17. The Spirit in this work of Sealing attests and witnesseth both first to the Doctrine or Object of Faith and secondly to the infused habit of the Grace of Faith in the Soul of the former he saith this is my word I indicted it do you therefore believe and imbrace it of the latter he saith this is my work within you this Grace this Faith this Love Patience Self-denial is my work in you I have produced all these things in your Souls So that Beloved this Sealing Work of the Spirit is evermore agreeable to the written word of God Isa 8. 20. What he speaks in his holy Word and in our Hearts are all harmonious Testimonies The Spirit in Sealing Believers makes not use of an audible voice as to say vocally Thomas or John thy Sins are pardoned c. nor of immediate and extraordinarily Revelations therefore expect them not for he makes use of the spiritual Graces that are wrought in the Soul and of the precious Promises writ in the Word By these means the holy Spirit comforts the Heart and usually brings the Soul to rest and joy Secondly Shew you why none are Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise till after they do believe in Christ In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed c. Before I Answer directly or give the Reasons let me promise this one thing viz. That there be many who are in the state of Nature and have not one dram of Grace in their Souls nothing but Sin and Corruption and yet these have and may have many false hopes and vain confidences which will deceive their Souls you read of the hope of the Hypocrite and the House which he leans upon that will fall and leave him in utter despair For what is the vain hope and confidence of the Hypocrite when God shall take away his Soul Job 8. 13 14 15 13 16 27. When these poor wretches dye their vain hopes of Heaven dye with them many take Presumption for Assurance and a vain confidence for well-grounded hopes of Heaven because they have external Priviledges and talk of Christ they think all is well and that there needs no more ado Thus many will go down to Hell with a Lye in their right hand That it is thus is clear from Matth. 7. 22. Many will say to him in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name done many wonderful works cast out Devils c. And in John 8. 54 55. Of whom ye say saith Christ to the Jews that pleaded Abraham was their Father and that they were never in Bondage c. that he is your God and yet ye have not known him Here this People you see had grounded Confidences and false Comforts built thereupon They said God was their's and yet they were ignorant of Him and did not know Him Oh! tremble at the word of the Lord and have a care of vain Confidences and putting the Lye upon your own Souls as these did Paul tells us of some that went a great way and attained to much and yet were not Believers nor Sealed by the Holy Spirit Heb. 6. 4 5. A startling Word They were once Inlightened tasted of the heavenly Gift were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and tasted of the good word of God and the Powers of the World to come If these fall a way 't is impossible to recover them again c. Thus I say Persons may deceive their Souls building their hopes and comforts upon sandy foundations being foolishly confident they shall be Saved But for any except real Saints and Believers in Christ to
and in that Stone a new Name written c. These are sweet words in which observe First The Persons to whom Christ makes this Promise viz. to overcomers who having combated with Sin and Satan and the World are Conquerors through him To him that over cometh c. But Secondly Observe here a threefold Promise made by Christ to such Souls as are true Victors over Sin Satan c. First I will give him to eat of the hidden Manna Manna is the Corn and Bread of Heaven called Angels Food Psal 78. 24. This was the Bread that God gave Israel in the Wilderness some of which was put in a Pot and laid up before the Testimony Exod. 16. 33 34. By this hidden Manna here we are to understand Jesus Christ who is the Bread of Life so called that came down from Heaven whosoever eats by Faith of it shall never dye that is not Eternally John 6. 48 49 50 59. What can Christ give more than himself and the inward secret Communications of his Love and Grace which are hid and laid up in Christ for all them that do truly believe in him By these he feeds and strengthens the Souls of his People Secondly A white Stone And I will give to him a white Stone c. There was among the Romans a two-fold use of the white Stone saith Reverend Mr. Knowles now with God First He that was a Victor and had overcome in their Olympick Games had a white Stone given him as a badge and token of Honour and Victory Thus Jesus Christ will give to his People that through him overcome by wrestling with Sin the Devil and the World Eph. 6. 12 13. a Crown of Glory They shall stand before the Throne with Crowns on their Heads and Palms in their Hands as tokens and signs of honour and victory Revel 7. 9 10. 2. 10. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Christ gives to his a Title to the Crown of Heaven here so that tho' the Saints have not a Crown in Life yet they are Heirs of a Crown of Life which Christ will give to them There is a Crown of Righteousness for all them that are in Christ savingly and that long for and love his appearing Secondly He that being accused of any crime in their Courts of Judicature was found innocent and so was acquitted of his Crime had a white Stone given him as a sign of absolution All Believers are acquitted and discharged thro' Christ here he having satisfied divine Justice for them Rom. 8. 33. And they shall have a publick Absolution in the day of Judgment before Angels and Men Rev. 20. 11 12. Christ at that Day will fully and openly acquit his own People and say Enter now into the Joy of your Lord. Thirdly In this white Stone Christ promiseth to Overcomers a new Name written which no Man knows but him that receiveth it by which is meant some spiritual dignity and honour that Christ will confer on them that believe in him Isa 62. 2 3. They shall be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1 4. And have the Communications of his saving Graces and the indwelling Presence of his Spirit the witness and sealing Testimony of which Holy Spirit is this new Name in the white Stone which no Man knoweth but he that receiveth it 1 Cor. 2. 12. The Spiritual Senses says one of the new Man is only capable to know and understand the Divine nature of Christ's new name written in the white Stone of Absolution pardon of Sin and the gracious Promises of Eternal Life This new Name is Christ's own Hand-writing and none can read it but such as are spiritually taught by Christ The natural Man that is the unconverted Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him and he knoweth them not because they are spiritually discerned they can't be seen with a blind Eye Fifth Season is When they die Dying times are Sealing times to many Believers many Christians here walk in the dark and have their whole Lives as it were like that Day spoken of and described by the Prophet Zech. 14. 17. A Day that is neither dark nor light Some injoy more of God than others do and are Sealed in a greater degree And as for those whose Life is a Life between hopes and fears they shall more or less have an Evening time of Light and Joy God that has promised to be with his Living will not forsake them utterly when dying he will not be a stranger much less a Terror to them Many have lived in the dark and when they have died they have seen God's sweet Face and have had his Love sealed up to their Souls When all comforts are gone then God sends his to them when their outward Appetite fails then God feeds them with spiritual hidden Manna though all God's Children have not joy and assurance alike when they dye yet they all have joy and are sealed more or less For as the wicked have some apprehensions of Hell and Wrath in their Consciences which makes them afraid to dye as one cried out I am so sinful that I cannot dye and said another I have lived in care and now dye in doubt for whither I am going I cannot tell So the Godly have some fore-tastes of God's Love and Favour when they dye Though 't is true their Diseases may be such and their Animal Spirits so oppressed that they cannot express what they feel Good Jacob saith one laid asleep upon a stone when he saw a Vision Gen. 28. 7 8 9. So the Saints when they lay themselves down to sleep the sleep of death they have often a Vision from God they see the light of his countenance and have his Love sealed up to them for ever Now they desire with good old Simeon Luke 2. 30 31. To be gone and depart in Peace for their Eyes have seen his Salvation Third Distinction We must distinguish the several ways and manners of the Spirit 's Sealing As First Some are extraordinary and immediate given and vouchsafed to some only and that at special times thus Zacheus was Sealed Luke 19. 9. Come down says Christ to him This Day is Salvation come to thine House And that Man was thus Sealed Matth. 9. 2. to whom Christ said Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee These immediate ways are now ceased so that no Man can expect now by any New Revelation or Sign from Heaven by any extraordinary Inspiration or Voice to have his Salvation Sealed up to him but he must look for it in God's ordinary way viz. by searching of the word John 5. 39. examining of his own heart 2 Cor. 13. 5. And waiting upon God in Prayer and in other Ordinances Isa 40. 29 30. I have read of one who had been long upon the borders of Dispair and at last he was sweetly assured and Sealed being asked how he answered not
and Glory c. to them that walk uprightly with thee If you can be assured that you have Grace for the present you may be sure it shall be made up full in Glory There is no opposition that shall prevail to hinder it for God has set his as a Seal First upon his Hand to shew that he doth and will keep them 'till they come to Glory Isa 41. 10. Fear not for I am with you saith God and I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness Behold all they that are incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing c. Even they that contend with thee shall be as nothing v. 13. Why shall it be thus The Answer is For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right Hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee v. 49. Isa 13. 14 15. Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Thus many Believers say But saith God Can a Woman forget her sucking Child not to have compassion on the Son of her Womb yea she may be so cruel as to forget but I saith the Lord will not forget thee For behold I have graven thee upon the Palms of my Hands or drawn thee pourtray'd thee on my hands A Metaphor taken from some that used to tye something on their hand to put them in mind of Business they would not forget God having set his People as a mark or seal upon his hand he 'll never forget them for they are not only set but ingraven which will not easily wear out But Secondly God has set them as a Seal upon his Breast to love them and He will love them and that for ever John 13. 1. Our Love indeed may be deadned and decay towards God we may leave our first Love in a great measure Rev. 2. 4. But there is nothing that can or shall deaden God's love towards his Children Where God loves in Christ he loves for ever his Love is an everlasting Love Jer. 31. 3. But Thirdly On his Shoulder to support and uphold them at all times and in all places and conditions 'till he hath brought them to glory Says God to 〈◊〉 disconsolated People Isa 40. 27 28 29. Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over from my God Why speak ye after this manner this is but the surmisings of Unbelief hast thou not known hast thou not heard That the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the Earth fainteth not neither is weary he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength But Fourthly God sets them as a Seal on his Heart they lye near his Heart therrefore are they called the Beloved yea the dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12. 7. They that are sincere shall enjoy and taste his love and lye in his sweet embraces he 'll smile on them with the Light of his countenance for they are the joy of his heart and are in the most inward parts of it Cant. 8. 6. Thus you see how Believers are assured and secured for the time to come Those that are in Christ the rock of Ages are secured for ever And though they meet with temptations oppositions and tryals yet they are but as Waves that dash upon them but shall not ruin them for they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. Quest But may some say If it be thus that Believers are assured for the time to come Why then do we pray for the forgiveness of sins Answ First Consid That as God hath ordained the End so also the Means God doth and will pardon Sin for he hath promised to do it Isa 55. 7. Therefore we ought to pray for pardon through Christ as a means ordained of God For these things I will be sought to by the House of Israel We should pray as David who though he was a justified Person and secured in the Covenant for Heaven yet falling fouly into Sin he plyes the Throne of Grace hard This was his duty and is ours in such a case Psal 27. 10. Forgive mine Iniquities for thy Names sake for they are great And Psalm 51. 1 2. Have mercy upon me O God c. and wash me thoroughly in every part and from every sin Prayer is an external means ordained of God to obtain Pardon and other Mercies in therefore we are bid in every thing to make our Requests known to God Phil. 4. 5 6. But Secondly Consider When Believers pray for pardon of Sin it is for a clearer evidence of what they have already in Christ To be pardoned and justified through Christ and so secured for Heaven is one thing and to know it is another Persons may be in Christ and pardoned and so in a sure state for Glory and yet may be in the dark about it and not know whether they be so or no. Now it is the duty of these to seek after a clear knowledge of their state in Christ and the pardon of their sins through his Blood When Believers pray for pardon 't is not because their pardon is not sure in Christ but 't is that they may get a clearer apprehension of it for their comfort Thirdly Consider that Prayer doth not prejudice the stability or certainty of a thing Our Saviour himself prayed for that which he was sure of John 17. 9 10. The Covenant standeth fast for ever and the promises of Pardon and all good in it are most certain and shall he fulfilled for God will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Psal 89. 27 33 34. Yet we must seek and pray and put God in remembrance of his Promise as he bids us for this prejudices not at all the certainty of the Promises nor the stability of the Covenant of Grace in Christ Thus much for Information and for this time Believers Sealed BY THE Spirit of Promise Fifth Sermon from Ephes 1. the latter part of the 13 verse In whom also after that ye believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise BRethren The Point we are upon is this viz. Doct. The great priviledge and mercy of being Sealed by the Spirit is after the duty and act of Believing For the opening this Truth First We have given you the nature of the Spirit 's Sealing-work and how it is performed in the Soul Secondly we have shewn you why none can be Sealed by the Spirit of Promise till they believe in Christ Thirdly VVhether all believers are Sealed by the Spirit or no Fourthly VVhat the great Priviledges of Sealed ones are These things we have opened largely Now Fifthly VVe are upon the Applicatory part of this discourse and we have already said something First By way of Information or Instruction in two things which now I shall not Repeat to you but through God's assistance