he is a Spirit of consolation Are we in perplexity and know not what to do he is a Spirit of wisedome Are wee troubled with corruptions He is a sanctifying a subduing a mortifying Spirit in what condition soever we are he will never leave us till he hath raised us from the grave and taken full possession of body and soule in heaven he will prove a comforter when neither friends nor riches nor any thing in the world can comfort us How carefull should we be to give contentment to this sweet Spirit of God No Christian is so happy as the watchfull Christian that is carefull of his duty and to preserve his communion with the holy Spirit of God for by entertaining him he is sure to have communion with the Father and the Sonne It is the happiest condition in the world when the soule is the Temple of the holy Spirit when the heart is as the holy of holies where there be prayers and prayses offered to GOD. The soule is as it were an holy Arke the memory like the pot of Mannah preserving heavenly truths It is an heavenly condition a man prospers to heavenward when the Spirit of God is with him You know Obed-Edom when the Arke was in his house all thrived with him so while the Spirit and his motions are entertained by us we shall be happy in life happy in death happy to eternity For it is he By which you are sealed to the day of redemption The Apostle sealeth this grave admonition by an argument taken from the Spirits sealing of them to the day of redemption We are all by nature in bondage to sinne and corruption we all are redeemed from sinne by the first comming of Christ and are to be redeemed from corruption by the second There is a day appointed for this glorious worke In the meane time GOD would have us assured of it aforehand This assurance is by sealing And this sealing is by the Spirit none else need do it no meaner person can doe it And what respect is due to the Spirit for doing so gracious a worke that wee grieve him not and not onely so but that we indevour so to please him as he may with delight goe on with this blessed work that it hath pleased him to take upon him As the dutie is spirituall so the arguments that inforce it are spirituall and the argument here is fetched from that which hath a most constraining force love expressed in the sweetest fruit of it and the stability of it sealing and sealing to the day of redemption as if the Apostle should reason thus God the Father hath ordained you to salvation by the redemption of Christ his Sonne and that you might have the comfort of it in the way to it against all discouragements you may meet with the holy Ghost hath assured you of it and set his seale upon you as those that are set apart for so great salvation that the sence of this love might breed love in you againe and love breed a care out of ingenuity not to offend so gracious a Spirit The holy Spirit by which you are sealed THe holy Ghost delighteth to speake in our owne language we cannot rise to him therefore he stoopeth to us This sealing is either sealing of persons or of good things intended to the persons Sealing is not onely a witnessing to us but a work upon us and in us carrying the Image of him that sealeth us whereby we are not onely assured of the good promised to us but fitted for the receiving of it God prepareth no good for any but whom he prepares and fits for that good There is not only an outward authorising of the great grants we have by promise oath and Sacrament but an inward by the spirit perswading of our interest in them and working that which doth authorise us to lay claime unto them after the use of a seale both in confirmation and representation and resemblance of him that sealed The persons sealed are first Christ and then those that are given to Christ Christ is sealed 1 By the Father Christ was ordained by him to be a Saviour in our nature predestinate to be the head of the Church Wherefore he often saith he came to do his Fathers will Him hath the Father sealed Ioh. 6. 27. anointing him calling him setting him forth sanctifying him by the spirit and every way fitting him with all grace to be a Saviour 2 He was sealed by the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in flesh abased and exalted for us so as his flesh is the flesh of the Son of God and his bloud the bloud of God 3 Sealed by a testimony from heaven of all three Persons by the Father This is my welbeloved Son by the Holy Spirit descending like a dove by himselfe to his humane nature dwelling in all fulnesse in it Christ is sealed by miracles done upon him and by him by his baptizing and installing into his office and by giving himself up to shed his bloud for sinne by which bloud the Covenant is established and sealed 4 In being justified in the spirit being raised from the dead and declared thereby to be the Sonne of God mightily with power and then advanced him to the right hand of God that through him our faith and trust might be in God 1 Pet. 1. 14. and appearing there for ever for us sheweth not onely his habilitie and willingnesse to save us but that it is done already Wee may see all what ever wee can looke for to our selves performed in our head to our comfort As Christ was sealed and fitted for us so we are sealed and fitted for Christ There is a privy seale in predestination this is knowne onely to God himselfe The Lord knoweth who are his And this knowledge of God of us is carried secret as a River under ground untill his calling of and separating us from the rest of men When first by his Spirit hee convinceth us of what wee are in our selves and of our cursed condition and thereby layeth us low by sorrow and humiliation for sinne as the greatest evill And then a pardon is more to us then a Crowne then we will wait for mercy and continue so and begge for mercy and that upon Christs own condition by denying and renouncing any thing of our owne then Christ is Christ unto us Indeed after this it pleaseth Christ by his Spirit to open a doore of hope and give some hints of mercy and to let in some beames of love and withall to raise up the soule by a spirit of faith to close with particular mercy opened and offered by the Spirit whereby the soule sealeth to the truth of the promise Ioh. 3. Hee that beleeveth hath set to his seale that God is true It is strange that GOD should stoop so low as to receive as it were confirmation by our beleefe but thus GOD condescends in the phrase of Scripture As we are
no vertue in them neither is it intended they being only put on to serve a turne Two men may doe the same things and yet there bee a grand difference the one doing them from the seale of the Spirit from a deeper dye and stamp of the Spirit the other if from the Spirit yet it is but from a common work at the best Some dyes cannot beare the weather but alter colour presently but there are others that having something that give a deeper tincture will hold The graces of a true Christian hold out in all kinde of weathers in winter and summer prosperity and adversity when superficiall counterfeit holinesse will give out thus we see the seale of the Spirit serves for distinction The use of a seale is likewise for appropriation Merchants use to seale their wares they would not have others have any right unto A Christian is Gods in a more peculiar manner than others there is not onely a witnesse of the Spirit that God is his but the Spirit workes in him an assent to take God againe there is a mutuall appropriation I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine when the soule can say thou art my God it is not frustrate because God saith before I am thy salvation where the Spirit seales God appropriates GOD chooseth the righteous man to himselfe And wee may know this appropriation by appropriating God againe Whom have I in heaven but thee and what have I in earth in comparison of thee There is no action that God works upon the soule but there is a reflect action by the Spirit to God againe If God chuse and love us we chuse and love him againe God appropriates us first we are his and wee are Christs we are Gods because hee hath given Christ for us we are Christs because hee hath given himselfe for us we are as the Apostle saith a people of acquisition A people purchased purchased at a deare rate by the bloud of CHRIST those that are Christs the Spirit appropriates them this appropriation is by sealing Againe we use to set our seale onely upon that wee have some estimation of set mee as a seale saith the Church in the Canticles upon thy right hand have mee in thy eye and minde as a speciall thing thou valuest The witnesse and worke of the Spirit shews Gods estimation of us the Scripture is abundant in setting forth the great price that God sets on his children they are his Children his Spouse his Friends his Portion his Treasure his Coyne he sets his marke his likenesse on them they are things hallowed and consecrated they are first-fruits Israel is a holy thing their titles shew the esteeme that God hath of them he values them more than all the world besides which are as chaffe and drosse The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour As there is a difference of excellency betweene pretious stones and other common stores betweene fruitfull and barren trees so there is amongst men and in this regard God sets a highâ—â— esteeme upon some and thence it is that they have those honourable and glorious titles in Scripture of Sonnes Heires Kings and co-heyres with Christ when others are termed drosse and dung and thornes and have all the base termes that may be Now this estimation by sealing is knowne to us by the grace God workes in us common gifts and priviledges and favours of the world are no seale of Gods estimation If God should give a man kingdomes and great Monarchies it seales not Gods love to him at all but when God makes a man a spirituall King to rule over his base lusts this is a sealâ— of Gods valuing him above other men Therefore we should learne how to value others and our selves not by common things that cast-awayes may have but by the stampe of God set on us by the Spirit which is an argument that God intends to lay us up as coyne for another treasury for heaven It is the common grand errour of the times to be led with false evidences Many thinke God loves them because hee spares them and followes them with long patience and makes them thrive in the world Alas are these fruits of Gods speciall love What grace hath hee wrought in thy heart by his Spirit he gives his Spirit to them that pray insinuating that next the gift of his Sonne the greatest gift is the Spirit to fashion and fit us to bee members of his Sonne this is an argument of Gods love and esteeme Seales likewise are used for secresie as in Letters c. so this seale of the Spirit is a secret worke GOD knoweth who are his they are onely knowne to him and to their owne hearts The white stone is onely known to him that hath it and the hidden Mannah none so infallibly can know the state in grace as those that have the gracious worke themselves Holy men in some degree are knowne one to another to make the communion of Saints the sweeter there is a great deale of spirituall likenesse in Christians face answereth to face that one hath strong confidence of the salvation of another but the undoubted certainty of a mans estate is knowne onely to God and his owne soule nay sometimes it is hidden from a mans selfe there are so many infirmities and abasements and troubles in the world that this life is called a hidden life in Scripture our life is hidde with Christ in God it is unknowne to the Saints themselves sometimes and the world alway they neither know him that begets nor them that are begotten Hence likewise the use of a seale is to shew that things should be kept inviolable hereupon the Church is as a sealed fountain sealing shewes a care of preservation from common annoyance hereupon likewise it is that sealing is the securing of persons or things sealed from hurt No man will violate a Letter because it is sealed the Tombe where Christ was buried was sealed and the Prison doores upon Daniel that none might meddle with them so the Spirit of God by this worke of sealing secures Gods children as the bloud sprinckled upon the posts of the doores of the Israelites secured them from the destroying Angell In Ezek. 9. there was a marke set upon those that were to be preserved that secured them and in Revel 7. the sealed ones must not be hurt So where this seale of the Spirit is it is an argument that God meanes to preserve such a one from eternall destruction and from prevailing dangers in this world They are Gods sealed ones no man can hurt them without wrong to God himselfe Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme And likewise from devouring sinnes and dangerous apostasie a man that is truely sealed by the Spirit of GOD hee never becomes a member of Antichrist a stigmatized Papist for Antichrist hath his seale too hee is kept from soule-murthering errors he hath this
in the blessed Trinitie hath their severall worke the Father chuseth us and passeth a decree upon the whole ground-work of our salvation The Sonne executeth it to the full The Spirit applyeth it and witnesseth our interest in it by leading our soules to lay hold upon him and by raising up our soules in the assurance of it and by breeding and cherishing sweet communion with Father and Son who both of them seale us likewise by the Spirit This joy comfort is so appropriated to the Spirit as it carrieth the very name of the Spirit and is one of the three Witnesses on earth that witnesseth not onely Christ to bee a Saviour but our Saviour The three witnesses on earth are the Spirit water and bloud for the better conceiving of which place wee must know that the great worke of Christ of redemption and justification was typified in the old Testament by bloud and the great worke of our sanctification typified by their washing To answer which types when Christs side was pierced there came forth both bloud and water shewing that Christ came not onely by bloud to justifie us but by water to sanctifie us Hereupon bloud and watar have the power to bee witnesses The bloud of Christ being sprinkled on the heart by the Spirit doth pacifie the conscience in assuring it that God is pacified by bloud as being offered by the eternall Spirit this quieting power sheweth that it was the bloud of God and shed for me in particular The witnesse of water is from the power the Spirit hath to cleanse our nature which no creature can doe but the Spirit of GOD change of nature is peculiar to the Author of nature If wee feele therefore our natures altered and of uncleane become holy in some measure wee may know we are the children of God as being begotten by the Spirit of Christ conforming us to his owne holinesse our spirit as sanctified can witnesse to us that we are Christs But oft it fals out that our owne spirits though sanctified cannot stand against a subtill temptation strongly inforced God super-addes his owne Spirit guilt often prevailes over the testimony of bloud that of water by reason of stirring corruptions runneth troubled Therefore the third the immediate testimony of the Spirit is necessary to witnesse the Fathers love to us to us in particular saying I am thy salvation thy sinnes are pardoned And this testimony the Word ecchoeth unto and the heart is stirred up and comforted with joy unexpresseable So that both our spirits and consciences and the Spirit of Christ joyning in one strongly witnesse our condition in grace that wee are the sonnes of God In this threefold testimony the order is this bloud begets water satisfaction by bloud procures the Spirit from God as a witnesse of Gods love and by feeling the power of bloud and water we come to have the Spirit witnessing and sealing our adoption unto us to establish us in the state of grace against stormes of temptation to the contrary The Spirit perswadeth to looke unto bloud convinceth the heart of the efficacie of it and then quieteth the soule which giveth it selfe up to Christ wholly and to whole Christ and thence feeles his heart established against carnall reason so as he can and doth oppose Christs bloud to all the guilt that doth arise And this witnesse of the Spirit comforting the soule is the most familiar and affects most If we feele it not as oft we do not then rise upward from want of this joy of spirit to water and see what worke we finde of the spirit in clensing our soules and if wee finde these waters not to runne so clearely as to discerne our condition in them then goe to the witnesse of bloud and let us bathe our soules in it and then we shall finde peace in free grace procured by bloud for oft times a Christian is driven to that passe that nothing can comfort him within or without him in heaven or earth but the free and infinite mercy of GOD in the bloud of Christ whereon the soule relyeth when it feeles no comfort nor joy of the Spirit nor sees no worke of sanctification then it must rest on the satisfaction wrought by the bloud of Christ when the soule can go to God and say If we confesse our sinnes thou art just to forgive them and the bloud of Christ shall cleanse us from all sinne Therefore though I feele not inward peace nor the worke of the Spirit yet I will cast my selfe upon thy mercy in Christ Hereupon we shall in Gods time come to have the witnesse of water and the Spirit more evidently made cleare unto us The Spirit it is that witnesses with bloud and witnesses with water and by water whatsoever of Christs is applyed unto us by the Spirit but besides witnessing with these witnesses the Spirit hath a distinct witnesse by way of inlarging the soule which joy in the apprehension of Gods fatherly love and Christs setting the soule at libertie The Spirit doth not alwayes witnesse unto us our condition by force of argument from sanctification but sometimes immediately by way of presence as the sight of a friend comforts without helpe of discourse the very joy from sight prevents the use of discourse This testimony of the Spirit containeth in it the force of all word promise oath seale c. this is greater then the promise as a seale is more then our hand as an oath is more then a mans bare word The same that is said of Gods oath in comparison with his bare promise may bee said of this sealing in comparison of other testimonies That as God was willing more abundantly to cleare to the heires of promise their salvation hee added on oath Hebr. 6. 18. So for the same end he added this his Spirit as a seale to the promise and to the other testimonies Our owne graces indeed if we were watchfull enough would satisfie us The fountaine is open as to Hagar but shee seeth it not c. howsoever the Spirit if that commeth it subdueth all doubts As God in his oath and swearing joyneth none to himselfe but sweareth by himselfe so in this witnâ—sse he taketh in no other testimony to confirme it but witnesseth by himselfe And hence ariseth joy unspeakeable and glorious and peace which passeth all understanding for it is an extract of heaven when we see our being in the state of grace not in the effect onely but as in the breast and bosome of God But how shall wee know this witnesse from an enthusiasticall fancie and illusion This witnesse of the Spirit is knowne from the strong conviction it bringeth with it which wayeth and over-powers the soule to give credit unto it But there be you will say strong illusions True bring them therefore to some rules of discerning Bring all your joy and peace and confidence to the Word they goe both together as a paire of Indentures one answers
without a cause above nature None can know the meaning of our broken desires so as to helpe us in our infirmities but that Spirit that stirred up those desires Againe none knowes the grievances of our spirits but our owne spirits and the Spirit of God who knowes all the turnings and corners of the soule Who can mortifie those strong corruptions that would hinder us in the way to heaven but the Spirit cloathing our spirit with power from above who purifieth the coÌ„science but he that is above coÌ„science Who can raise our spirits above all temptations and troubles but that Spirit of power that is above all The strength and vigour of any creature is from the spirits and the strength of the spirits of all flesh is from this Spirit whose office is to put spirit into our spirit As GOD redeemed us with his bloud so GOD must apply this bloud that conscience may bee quieted He onely can subdue the rebellion of our spirits and soften our hearts and make them fit for sealing The Spirit onely can so repoâ—t the mercy of God to our soules as to perswade and worke our hearts to this assurance otherwise we would never yeeld For partly the greatnesse of the state is such that none but God can assure and partly the misgiving and unbeliefe of our heart is such that none but God can subdue it The thing being so great and our deservings so little being unworthy of the things of this life much more of that eternall happinesse this cannot be done without the high and glorious Spirit of God How earnest and desirous then is both the Father and the Sonne to save us that pleased to send such an Orator and Embassador as is equall with themselves to perswade us to assure us to fit us for salvation and how gracious is the Spirit that will vouchsafe to have such communion with such poore sinfull spirits as ours And should not this worke upon our hearts a care not to grieve the holy Spirit and so we come to the fourth conclusion The fourth conclusion is that the sealing of the spirit unto salvation should be a strong prevailing argument not to grieve the Spirit that is not to sinne for sinne onely grieves the Spirit The grace of God saith Paul to Titus that bringeth salvation Christ appeared and what is Christ but grace Christ appeared and the free favour of GOD in Christ whereby wee are assured of salvation which teacheth us what to doe to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Even the consideration of the benefits of Christ that are past such as came with Christs first comming but that is not all Verse 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ The second comming of Christ enforceth likewise the same care of holinesse Our conversation is in heaven and not as theirs spoken of in the former Verse whose end is damnation whose belly is their GOD who minde earthly things no we minde heavenly things and these heavenly desires from whence sprung they but from the certaine expectation of our Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies c. that is shall redeeme us fully even our bodies as well as our soules It is an argument of force whether we be not yet sealed or be sealed if not sealed then grieve not him whose onely office it is to seale entertaine his motions give way to him that he may have scope and liberty of working Set no reasons against his reasons hearken to no counsell against his counsell stand not out his perswasions any longer but yeeld up your spirits to him lest he put a period to his patience he is long suffering but not alwayes suffering if he give us up to our own spirits we shall only be witty to worke out our owne damnation wee are not given up to our owne spirits but after many repulses of this holy Spirit and at length what now will not serve for an argument to perswade us shall bee used hereafter as an argument to torment us The Spirit will helpe our spirits to repeate and recall all the motions to our owne good that wee formerly put backe We should thinke when conscience speakes in us God speakes and when the Spirit moves us it is God that moves us and that all excuse will be cut off answere will be did not I tell you of this by conscience my deputy did not I move you to this good by mine owne Spirit Take heed of keeping out any light for light where it doth not come in and soften hardens none so hard hearted as those upon whom the light hath shined there is more to be hoped from a man that hath onely a naturall conscience then from him whose heart and spirit hath beene long beaten on there is more to be hoped from a heathen Pilate than a proud Pharisee Those that will not be sealed to their salvation it is just with God that they should be sealed up to their destruction the soule without the spirit is darkenesse and confusion full of selfe accusing and selfe tormenting thoughts if we let the Spirit come in it will scatter all and settle the soule in a sweet quiet For those that have been sealed by the Spirit and yet not so fully as to silence all doubts about their estate those should out of that beginning of comfort which they feele studie to be pliable to the Spirit for further increase The Spirit scaleth by degrees as our care of pleasing the Spirit increaseth so our comfort increaseth our light will increase as the morning light unto the perfect day Yeelding to the Spirit in one holy motion will cause him to leade us to another and so on forwards untill wee be more deepely acquainted with the whole counsell of God concerning our salvation otherwise if we give way to any contrary lust darkenesse will grow upon our Spirits unawares and we shall be left in an unsetled condition as those that travaile in the twilight that cannot perfectly finde out their way Wee shall be on and off not daring to yeeld wholly to our lusts because of a worke of grace begun nor yeeld wholly to the Spirit because we have let some unruly affection get too much strength in us and so our spirits are without comfort and our profession without glory We shall lye open to Sathan if he be let loose to winnow our faith for if our state come to be questioned wee have nothing to alledge but the truth of our graces and if we have not used the Spirit well we shall not have power to alledge them nor to looke upon any grace wrought in us but upon those lusts and sinnes whereby wee have grieved the Spirit they will bee set in order before us and so stare us in the face that wee cannot but fixe our thoughts upon them
A FOUNTAINE SEALED OR The Dutie of the sealed to the SPIRIT And the worke of the Spirit in Sealing BY Rich. Sibbes D. D. the 2 d Edition Printed for L Chapman are to be sould at his shope at Chancery Lane end in Holborne Will Marshall sculpsit 1637. A FOUNTAIN SEALED OR The duty of the sealed to the Spirit and the worke of the Spirit in Sealing Wherein Many things are handled about the Holy Spirit and grieving of it As also Of assurance and sealing what it is the priviledges and degrees of it with the signes to discerne and meanes to preserve it Being The substance of divers Sermons preached at Grayes Inne By that Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBES D. D. and sometimes Preacher to that Honourable Society LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Lawrence Chapman and are to be sold at his shop at Chancery lane end in Holborne 1637. TO The truely Noble and much honoured Lady the Lady Elizabeth Brooke Wife to Sir Robert Brooke Madame BEsides that deserved interest your Ladyship held in the fections and esteem of this worthy man more then any friend alive which might intitle you to all that may call him Authour This small piece of his acknowledgeth a more speciall propriety unto your Ladyship For though his tongue was as the Pen of a ready Writer in the hand of Christ who guided him yet your Ladyships hand and Pen was in this his scribe and Amanuensis whilest hee dictated a first draught of it in private with intention for the publique In which labour both of humility and love your Ladyship did that honour unto him which Baruch thogh great and Noble did but receive in the like transcribing the words of Ieremiah from his mouth wherin yet your Ladyship did indeed but write the story of your owne life which hath beene long exactly framed to the rules herein prescribed We therefore that are intrusted in the publishing of it deeme it but an act of Justice in us to return it thus to your Ladyship unto whom it owes even its first Birth that so where ever this little Treatise shall come there also this that you have done may bee told and recorded for a memoriall of you And we could not but esteeme it also an addition of honour to the worke that no lesse then a Ladies hand so pious so much honoured brought it forth into the world although in it selfe it deserveth as much as any other this blessed wombe did beare The Lord in way of recompence write all the holy Contents of it yet more fully and abundantly in your Ladyships heart and all the lineaments of the Image of Iesus Christ and seale up all unto you by his blessed spirit with joy and peace to the day of Redemption Madame we are your Ladyships devoted THO. GOODWIN PHILIP NYE THE CONTENTS GRieve not the holy Spirit of God The Holy Ghost why called a Spirit page 3 Why holy page 5 From the Apostles disswasion these foure presupposed truths 1 That the holy Ghost is in us page 8 2 And is as a guide to us page 12 3 The best of us are apt to grieve him page 13 4 Therefore wee should bee carefull of it page 14 § 1 Of grieving the Spirit I What it is to grieve the Spirit page 16. how the Spirit worketh in us page 20 II Wherein doe we especially grieve the Spirit 1 In our selves and that in these particulars 1 In walking contrary to and in neglecting of its motions page 25. and comforts page 27. seeking comfort from the flesh page 28 2 By unkindenesse page 29. the sinnes of Professors and those that have most acquaintance with the Spirit grieve most page 30 3 By presumptuous sinnes page 33 sinnes against knowledge of two sorts ibid. why voluntary sinnes are so great and grieve the Spirit so much page 36 the reason why sinnes of the second Table grieve most page 39 upon divers respects the same sort of sinnes may grieve more and lesse page 44 4 By worldlinesse and paying tribute to the flesh page 45 5 Abusing spirituall things to our owne ends page 48 and fathering the workes of the flesh upon the spirit page 49 6 By sins against the Gospell page 49 slighting ordinances page 51 7 Sinnes plotted and contrived page 57 8 By false judgement of things page 55 9. By not using the helpes we have page 58 10 Cavilling against the truth page 59 11 By doing duty in our own strength page 61 12 Thrusting our selves into over-much worldly imployment page 61 whence 13 Omission or slight performance of duty page 63 2 In others many wayes as 1 Neglecting the grace in them page 65 2 Sharpe censures page 65 3 Superiours by unjust commands page 66 4 Inferiours by untractablenesse 5 By evill examples page 68 III How we may know when we have grieved the spirit page 69 and what is the danger of it page 71 How farre a childe of God may grieve the Spirit page 76 Of the sinne against the Holy Ghost page 81 and a twofold miscarriage about it in censuring page 82 IIII What course we should take to prevent grieving the Spirit page 84 in divers rules 1 Give your selfe up to the government of it page 84 2 Subject constantly to the Spirits motions they are knowne from other motions 1 By a speciall strength in them by which they are raised to higher ends page 87 2 By their constancy page 88 3 They proceed from a changed heart page 89 4 They are seasonable ibid. 5 A selfe evidēce in thē page 90 6 Orderly in respect of both Tables of the law ibid. 7 Dependant upon God page 91 3 Ioyne and co-operate with the Spirit page 92 4 Turne motions into resolutions page 94 and resolutions into practise page 95 5 Depend on ordinances and get a heart suteable to them page 96 6 Observe the Spirits first withdrawing and search the cause page 100 7 Take heed of such sinnes as we terme little ones page 102 and looke upon all sinne in the rise and root of it page 104 8 Get spirituall wisedome to know what is pleasing and displeasing to the Spirit page 105 9 Vpon breaches renew repentance page 108 10 Avoyd corrupt communication page 109 Whereby you are sealed § 2 Of the sealing of the Spirit 1 Christ is sealed page 122 2 So are Christians page 125 I What this sealing is and how it is wrought page 125 II The privileges of it A seale serveth for 1 Confirmation page 131 2 Distinction page 132 3 Appropriation page 139 4 Estimation page 141 5 Secrecy page 144 6 Security page 146 III Degrees of sealing 1 The worke of faith page 149 2 Sanctification page 150. yet not without a new act of the Spirit page 153. the reasons page 155 3 Ioy page 156. which hath its degrees also page 158 being from the spirit page 159 Of the three witnesses on earth 160 their order page 164 Of the witnesse of the Spirit immediately from
it selfe which is the highest and that which bringeth most joy page 166 Of such joyes and raptures of the Spirit and how they are knowne from illusions page 169. as 1 By what goes before them as 1 The word imbraced by faith page 171 2 Deep humiliation page 172 3 Selfe-denyall page 174 4 Comfort victory page 175 5 Spirituall strength put forth in duty page 176 2 By what accompanieth them as 1 Pryzing ordinances page 177 2 Liberty boldnesse with God page 179 3 And for the most part Sathans malice page 180 3 By what followeth them 1 More humility page 180 2 Increase of spirituall strength page 181 3 A joyfull expectation of Christ page 183 4 Other degrees of sealing from the divers degrees of revelation page 185 Vnto the day of RedeÌ„ption § 3 Of the day of Redemption 191 From the consideration of what formerly hath beene spoken some generall conclusions are collected page 202 I Concl. Wee may attaine to the knowledge that wee are in the state of grace page 203 All that have faith have not assurance page 209 II Concl. Vpon knowledge of our state of grace for the present we may be assured of our future full redemption page 215 Why we pray for forgivenesse of sinnes notwithstanding page 218 This assurance we have page 221 that first God may be glorified 222 secondly our soules comforted page 223 III Concl. This assured knowledge is wrought by the Spirit page 224 IIII Concl. The sealing of the Spirit unto salvation should bee a prevailing argument not to grieve the Spirit page 228 1 To those that are not as yet sealed page 230 2 To those that are sealed either in a lower page 233. or higher worke of sealing page 236 and that from 1 Ingenuity page 237 2 Benefit received from the Spirit page 239 3 A kinde of necessity page 240 4 The nature of love page 241 5 And other graces as faith and hope that worke by assimilation page 242 The doctrine of assurance is no doctrine of liberty page 243 But of deepe and sweet ingagement page 244 Therefore we should preserve the worke page 247 FINIS Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are â—ealed unto the day of redemâ—tion WHether the words bee a Command ensuing from authority or counsell from wisedome or a caveat from Gods care of our soules it is not materiall considering both Counsell and Caveats of the great God have both force of a Command with some mixture of the sweetnesse of love the Apostle as his manner is from the largenesse of his Spirit riseth from a particular disswasive from corrupt communication in the verse before to this generall advise of not grieving Gods Spirit by sinne especially against conscience inlightened and this disswasive from evill is inforced from a dangerous effect of grieving the spirit of God and the danger of grieving ariseth from this that it is the Spirit of God and God himselfe whom we grieve and a holy Spirit holy in himselfe and holy as the cause of all holinesse in us and hee that after he hath wrought holinesse in us sealeth and confirmeth us in that act of grace untill the day of our glorious redemption so that the grounds of not grieving are from the greatnesse and goodnesse of the person whom we grieve and from the greatnesse and constancie of the benefits we have by him To speake something of the person the holy Spirit is called a Spirit not onely by nature as being a spirituall essence but in regard of his person and office he is both breathed from the Father and the Sonne as proceeding from them both and by office breatheth into all that God hath given Christ to redeeme and him to sanctifie he is so the spirit of God in proceeding from God as that he is God which who so denieth deny their own Baptisme being as well Baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as into the Father and the Sonne and no lesse a person then God is needfull to assure our soules of Gods love and to change our nature being in an opposite frame who can reveale to us the minde of God but the Spirit of God and herein we may see the joynt forwardnesse both of the Father and Son and holy Ghost when both Father and Sonne joyne in willingnesse to send so great a person to apply unto us and to assure us of that great good the Father hath decreed and the Son performed for us That attribute the Spirit delights in is that of holinesse which our corrupt nature least delights in and most opposeth holinesse is the glory and crown of all other excellencie without which they are neither good in themselves noâ— comfortable to us It implies a freedome from all impuritie and a perfect hatred of it an absolute perfection of all that is excellent What is it then to grieve such an holy Spirit before whom the heavens themselves are impure and not onely the Divels tremble but the Angels cover their faces what shall wee thinke then of them which doe not onely neglect but despise yea oppose this holinesse and indure any thing else what is hated in the world with keene and perfect hatred but holynesse without which yet we shall never see God nor enter into that pure place into which we all professe a desire to enter There was planted in man by nature a desire of holinesse and a desire of happinesse the desire of happinesse is left still in us but for holinesse which is the perfection of the image of God in us is both lost and the desire of it extinguished and that men might the better drive it out of the world under a forme and shew of it they oppose the truth of it and that with the greater successe because under that great colour the Divell and his Vicar carry all their divellish policies under a shew of holinesse We see in Popery every thing is holy with them but that which should be holy the truth of God and the expression of it The man of sinne himselfe must have no worse title then his Holinesse a shew of devised holinesse pleaseth mans anture well enough as being glorious for appearance and usefull for ends But the truth of it being crosse to the whole corrupt nature of man will never be entertained untill nature be new moulded by his holy Spirit in the use of holy meanes sanctified by himselfe for that end it is this that makes a man a Saint and civill vertues to be graces which rayseth things that are otherwise common to an higher degree of excellency this is that to a Christian which reason is to a man it gives him a being and a beauty different from all other it makes every action we doe in obedience to God a service and puts a religious respect upon all our actions directing them to the highest end Now that which the Apostle disswades from is from
said to helpe God curse ye Meroz because they came not to helpe the Lord c. God stoopes to be helped by us and to have his truth and power and goodnesse ratified and confirmed by us when we beleeve the promise of God in Christ though it be by the helpe of the Spirit we seale Gods truth And then God honoureth that sealing of ours by the sealing of his Spirit After you beleeved you were sealed saith the Apostle that is the gracious love of Christ was further confirmed to them GOD honours no grace so much as faith Why because it honours God most of all others it gives GOD the honour of his mercie and goodnesse and wisedome and power and of his truth especially he that beleeves in God by beleeving seales that God is true and God honours that soule againe by sealing it to the day of redemption God hath promised Those that honour me I will honour Therefore Hee that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe that grace promised belongeth to him for he carries in his heart the counterpaine of the promises he that confesseth and beleeveth shall have mercie I beleeve saith the soule therefore the promise belongs to me my faith answering Gods love in the promise witneseth so much to me The Spirit not onely revealeth Christ and the promises in generall but in attending upon the ordinances by an heavenly light the spirit discovers to us our interest in particular and saith to the soule God is thy salvation and inableth the soule to say I am Gods I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Whence came this voyce of Saint Paul It was the still voyce of the Spirit of God that together with the generall truth in the Gospell discovered in particular Christs love to him It is not a generall faith that will bring to heaven but there is a speciall worke of the Spirit in the use of meanes discovering and sealing the good will of God to us that he intends good unto us and thereupon our hearts are perswaded to beleeve in â—od and to love God as our God and Christ as our Christ This is excellently set downe in the sweet communion of marriage the Spirit is the paranymphâ—s the procurer of the marriage betweene Christ and the foule Now it is not sufficient to know that God and Christ beare good will to all beleevers though that be the ground and generall foundation of all and a great preparative to the speciall sealing of the Spirit but then the Spirit comes and saith Christ hath a speciall good will to me and stirres up in mee a liking to him againe to take him upon his owne conditions with conflict of corruptions with the scornes of the world c. Whereupon the mutuall marriage is made up betweene Christ and us this worke is the sealing of the Spirit Many are the privileges of a Christian from this his sealing as the use of a seale in mans affaires is manifold 1 Seales serve for confirmation and allowance to that purpose measurss are sealed God is said to seale instruction Iob 33. 16. Confirmation is either by giving strength or by the authority of such as are able to make good what they promise and also willing which they shew by putting to their seale which hath as much strength to confirme him to whom the promise is made as he hath will and power to make it good that hath ingaged himselfe Amongst men there is the writing and the seale to the writing when the seale is added to the writing there is a perfect ratification So there are abundance of gracious promises in the Scriptures now when the Spirit comes and seales them to the soule then they are sure to us the Spirit puts the seale to the promises 2 The use of it likewise is for distinction from others that carry not that mark So the sealing of the Spirit distinguisheth a Christian from all other men There is a distinction betweene men in Gods eternall purpose but that concerns not us to meddle with further then to know it in generall God knoweth who are his and who are not his but in time the holy Spirit distinguisheth and rankes men as they were distinguished before all worlds and as they shall be at the day of judgement the beginning of that distinction that shall bee afterward is in this life A seale maketh the impression of an Image the Princes Image useth to be in his seale so is Gods Image in his which destroyeth the old Image and print that was in us before Holy and good men by this worke of the Spirit are distinguished 1 From civill men by the worke of holinesse which meere civill men have not at all but despise And secondly from seeming good men by the depth of that worke the Spirit of God workes a new nature in them whereby they are distinguished Now nature in every creature is carried to one thing more then to another There is a distinct propension in a good man to God to grace and goodnesse his aymes and bent are distinct and thereupon he hath a greater inlargement of heart sutable to his great aymes hee looks above the world and worldly men they are narrow low base spirited men the best of them Againe things by nature worke from within Herein painted hypocrites are distinguished from a true substantial Christian he workes from a principle within another man is moved as the Automata things of motion Clockes and the like engines of wit that move from a weight without that poyseth them if they doe any good it is from somewhat without that swayeth their aymes and ends and not from an inward principle nature workes from an inward principle light things goe upward and heavie things downeward naturally artificiall things are forced Thus good men are distinguished from those that are seemingly holy there is a new nature wrought in them Againe nature is constant what is done naturally is done constantly heavie bodies goe alwayes downward and light bodies upward every creature works according to his nature an holy man is exercised in holinesse constantly because he doth it from an inward principle from a worke and stampe within Different things may seeme the same as wilde hearbs may have the colour and forme of those that are planted in the garden but there is difference in the vertue of them the seeming graces and actions of an hypocrite they have no vertue in them as there are some drugges without vertue dead things But there is a distinguishing vertue in the faith of a Christian wherby he overcomes the world and his lusts whereby he doth all duties prayes and heares and is fruitfull in his conversation in all his graces there is a coÌ„forting strengthening vertue True gold hath the vertue to comfort and strengthen the heatt that Alchymy gold hath not True grace hath a working comforting vertue Another mans formall artificiall actions have
security upon him by the work and witnesse of Gods Spirit Whatsoever the use is or can be of a seale in mans affaires that God will have us make use of in his heavenly intercourse betwixt him and us Whereby you are sealed Now there are divers degrees of the Spirits sealing 1 Faith Hee that beleeves hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 Ioh. 5. 10. he carries in his heart the counterpane of all the promises This grace is first planted in the heart and answereth to Gods love and purpose towards us of giving eternall life the seale and first discovery of election is manifested to us in our beleeving Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved This beleeving is also a seale to us in that it is of those gifts that accompany salvation of which God never repents him by calling back againe it is a seed that abideth for ever 2 The worke of sanctifying grace upon the heart is a seale whom the spirit sanctifieth hee saveth The Lord knoweth who are his but how shall we know it By this seale Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie not onely in heart and affection but in conversation and that shall bee a seale of his Sonneship to him none are children of God by adoption but those that are children also by regeneration none are heires of heaven but they are new-borne to it Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us a new to an inheritance immortall c. This seale of sanctification leaves upon the soule the likenesse of Iesus Christ even grace for grace But because in time of desertion and temptation we are in a mist and cannot reade our owne faith and our owne graces it pleaseth Christ after some triall and exercise to shine upon his owne graces in the heart whereby we may know we beleeve and know we love untill which time the heart sees nothing that is good and seemes to be nothing but all objections and doubtings Wee may be sometimes in such a state as Paul and his company was in the ship Act. 27. 20. when they saw neither Sunne nor starres many dayes together almost past all hope So a Christian may for many dayes together see neither Sunne nor starre neither light in GODS countenance nor light in his owne heart no grace issuing from God no grace carrying the soule to God though even at that time GOD darts some beame through those clouds upon the soule the soule againe by a Spirit of faith sees some light through those thickest clouds enough to keepe the soule from utter despaire though not to settle it in peace In this darke condition if they doe as Saint Paul and his companie did cast Anchor even in the dark night of temptation and pray still for day God will appeare and all shall cleere up we shall see light without and light within the day-starre will arise in their hearts Though by reflecting upon our soules we are able to discerne a spirit of faith GOD may hide himselfe from the soule in regard of comfort Nay a Christian may know himselfe to bee in the state of grace and yet bee in an afflicted condition As in Iobs case hee knew his Redeemer lived and he resolved to trust in him even though he killed him hee knew he was no hypocrite he knew his graces were true and for all the imputations of his friends they could not dispute him out of his sincerity you shall not take my uprightnesse from me Yet for the present hee saw no light from heaven till it pleased GOD to reveale himselfe in speciall favour to him There is alwayes peace and joy in beleeving yet not in that degree which gives the soule content untill by honouring God in beleeving and waiting still his good time hee honoureth us with further sence of his favour and powreth forth his Spirit to us manifesting his speciall love towards us and this is a further degree of sealing of us confirming us more strongly then before The reason why we can neither have grace to beleeve nor know wee beleeve nor when we know we beleeve enjoy comfort without a fresh new act of the Spirit is because the whole carriage of a soule to heaven is above nature where the Spirit makes a stand we stand and can goe no further we cannot conclude from right grounds without some helpe of the Spirit some doubts some feares will hinder the application to our selves even as those that live in some damnable sinne cannot but grant that those that live in such a sinne shall never inherit heaven and their conscience tels them they live in such a sinne yet selfe-love blindes them so that they will not conclude against themselves that they shall be damned so true beleevers cannot conclude for themselves without divine light and helpe It pleaseth God thus to keepe every degree and act of sealing in his owne hand to keepe us in a perpetuall dependance upon him and to awe us that wee should not grieve the Spirit of grace and cause him to suspend either act of grace or comfort Ioy and strong comfort come from a superadded seale of the Spirit The works of the Spirit are of a double kinde either in us by imprinting sanctifying grace or upon us by shining upon our soules in sweet feelings of joy what the Spirit worketh in us is more constant as a new nature which is alwayes like it selfe and worketh uniformely but comfort and joy are of the nature of such priviledges as God vouchsafe that one time and not another to some and not to others This degree of sealing in regard of joy hath its degrees likewise sometimes it is so cleare and strong that the soule questioneth not its state in grace ever after but passeth on in a triumphant manner to that glory it lookes for Sometimes after this sealing there may be interrupting of comfortable communion so farre as to question our condition yet this calling into question comes not from the Spirit which where it once witnesseth for us never witnesseth against us but it is a fruit of the flesh not fully subdued it is a sinne it selfe and usually a fruit of some former sinne For howsoever wee should not doubt after a former witnesse of the Spirit yet there will bee so much weakening the sence of our assurance at there is yeelding to any lust The knowledge of our estate in grace and comfort thereupon though it may bee weakened by neglect of our watchfulnesse yet still it hath the force of an argument to assure us when the Spirit pleaseth to direct us to make use of it because Gods love varies not as our feeling doth and a fit doth not alter a state The childe in the wombe stirres not alwayes yet it lives and that may be gathered from the former stirrings This degree of sealing by way of witnesse and comfort is appropriated to the holy Spirit every person
another In Christs transfiguration upon the Mount Moses and Elias appeared together with Christ In whatsoever transfiguration and ravishment wee cannot finde Moses and Elias and Châ—ist to meet that is if what we finde in us be not agreeable to the Scriptures we may well suspect it as an illusion That you may know the voyce of the Spirit of God from the carnall confidence of our owne spirits inquire 1 What went before 2 What accompanieth it 3 What followeth after this ravishing joy 1 The Word must goe before it in being assented unto by faith and submitted unto by answâ—rable obedience In whom after you beleeved the word of promise you were sealed So that if there be not first a beleeving of the word of promise there is no sealing The God of peace give you joy iâ— beleeving There must be a beleeving a walking according to Rule or else no joy nor peace will bee unto us If we cannot bring the Word and our hearts together it is not Gods but Sathans sealing a groundlesse presumption and it will end in despaire as Christ came by water and bloud so doth this testimony it commeth after the other two First the heart is carried to bloud and from thence hath quiet then followeth water and our nature is washed and changed and then commeth this of the Spirit though it be not grounded on their testimonie but is above theirs yet they goe before Where we thus finde the worke wee may know it to be right by the order of it It commeth after deepe humiliation and abasement though we know our selves to be the children of God in some such measure as wee would not change our condition for all the world yet wee would have more evidence we would have further manifestation of Gods countenance towards us we are not satisfied but waite After wee have long fasted and our hearts melted and softened then God powreth water upon the dry wildernesse and then it comes to passe through his goodnesse and mercy that hee comforts and satisfies the desires of the hungry soule GOD will not suffer the spirit of his children to faile 3 Likewise after selfe-denyall in that which is pleasing to us it is made up with inward comfort 〈◊〉 this selfe-denyall bee from a desire of nearer communion with God God will not faile them in what they desire There are wretches in the world that will deny their sinfull nature nothing if they have a disposition to pride they will bee proud if they have a lust to be rich to live in pleasures to follow the vanities of the times they will doe so they will not say nay to corrupt nature in any thing will God vouchsafe to give any true joy or comfort of spirit to such ones No those that seâ— loose their natures without a checke shall never taste of this hidden Manna But when we deny our selves deny to beare or see that which may feed corruption When we denyâ—â— take delight in that that wee might if we would 〈…〉 course of the world there is a proportionable measure of joy and peace 〈◊〉 coâ—fort in a higher 〈◊〉 made good to the 〈◊〉 God is so good wee 〈◊〉 lose nothing for parâ—ing with any thing for 〈◊〉 sake 4 It is usually found after conflict and victory as a reward To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna Gods children after strong conflâ—ct with some temptation or inward corruption especially that which accompanieth their disposition and temper when they have so conflicted as that at last they get the better they finde by experience sweet inlargement of spirit to strive against them is a signe of grace but to get victory over them even to subdue our enemies under us that rise up against us this bringeth true peace and joy 5 After wee have put forth our spirituall strength in holy duties God crownes our indeavours with increase of comfort A Christian that takes paines with his heart and will not serve God with that which cost him nothing enjoys that which the spiâ—ituall sluggard wishes for and goes without God is so just that those men which have striven to live according to principles of nature have found a contentment proportionable to their indeavours some degree of pleasure attends every good action as a reward before a reward Besides these things that goe before this joy and testimony there are secondly some things that doe accompany it if it bee right as 1 This spirituall comfort inlargeth our hearts to a desire after an high prising the ordinances so farre is it from taking us off from a dependance upon them In the Word and other meanes it found comfort from GOD therefore delights to be meeting GOD still in his owne wayes The eye of the soule is strengthened to see further into truths and is inabled more spiritually to understand the things it knew before as in many of the same truths that wise men understand they understood them when they were yong as when they were old but then more clearly So all truths are more clearely knowne by this the Spirit by which we are sealed is the Spirit of illumination not that it reveales any thing different from the Word but giveth a more large understanding and inward knowledge of the same truths as were knowne before 2 A libertie and boldnesse with GOD for where the Spirit is there is a gratious libertie that is further inlargements from the law guilt of sinne and the feare of the wrath of GOD that wee can come with some boldnes to his throne and to him as our Father a freedome to open our soules in prayer before him This stands not so much in multitude of words or formes of expressions but a sonne-like boldnesse in our approaches in prayer The Hypocrite especially in extremity cannot pray his Conscience stoppes his mouth but where the Spirit sealeth it giveth this liberty freely to open and spread our case before him and call upon him yea under the evidence of some displeasure 3 There doth likewise ordinarily accompany this sealing of the Spirit Sathans malice and opposition who being cast from heaven himselfe envies this Heaven upon earth in a creature of meaner ranke by creation then himselfe wee must not thinke to enjoy pure joy here without molestation If there bee danger of exalting above measure we must looke for some messenger of Sathan After this witnesse it leaves the soule more humble none more abased in themselves then those that have neerest communion with God as we see in the Angels that stand before God and cover their faces so Isa 6. Iob after God had manifested himselfe unto him abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes It brings with it a greater desire of sanctification and heavenly-mindednesse As Elias ascended up into heaven his cloake fell by degrees from him the higher our spirits are raised the more we put off affections to earthly things 2 Againe the end of this further manifestation of
the Spirit being incouragement to dutie or suffering in a good cause the soule by this witnesse of the Spirit findes increase of spirituall mettle it finces it selfe steel'd against opposition 〈…〉 this winde filleth 〈…〉 they are carried on a maine and are frighted with nothing that stands in their way See how the beleevers triumph upon the Spirits witnessing to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. God usually reserveth such comforts for the worst times Give wine to those that bee of heavy hearts Pro. 31. The sence of this love of Christ is better then wine This refreshing Paul had in the dungeon and hee sung at mid-night After this witnessing therefore looke for some piece of service to doe or tryall to undergoe Much must bee left to Gods fatherly wisedome in this who knowes whom to cheare up and when and in what degree and to what purpose and service and remember alwayes that these inlargements of spirit are as occasionall refreshings in the way not daily food to live upon we maintaine our life by faith not by sight or feeling Feasting is not for every day except that Feast of a good conscience which is continuall but I speake of grand dayes and high feasts these are disposed as God seeth cause 3 Where this sealing of the Spirit is there followeth also upon it a lifting up of the head in thinking of our latter end it makes one thinke of the times to come with joy as the holy Ghost here mentioneth the day of redemption as a motive to them to take heed that they did not grieve the Spirit intimating they should thinke of the day of redemption with a great deale of joy and comfort The Saints are described in Scripture to be those that looke for the appearing of Christ they are Christs and in him their reckonings and accounts are even And therefore with delight they can often think and meditate upon the blessed times that are to come There be divers degrees of sealing arising from divers degrees of revelation God first reveales his good will in his promises to all beleevers this is the privilege of the Church especially in these latter times then by his Spirit reveales those saving truths to those that are his by a divine light So that by argument drawne from the power they feele from truths in searching secrets in casting downe in raising up in staying the soule they can seale to them that they are divine The same Spirit that reveales the power of the Word to mee reveales in particular mine owne interest in all those truths upon hearing them Whereupon they are written in my heart as if they had beene made in particular to me the comfortable truths in the Word are transcribed into my heart answerable to the Word as that God in Christ is mine forgivenesse mine grace mine whereupon adoption in Christ is sealed which God still sealeth further to my soule by increase of comfort as hee seeth cause for incouragement The same Spirit that manifesteâ— in me the word I heâ—â—e and reade to be the truth of God from the 〈…〉 efficacie of it the same Spirit teacheth to aâ—ply it and in applying of it sealeth me Therefore wee ought to desire to bee sealed by the Spirit in regard of an holy impression and then that the holy Spirit would shine upon his owne graces so as we may clearly see what is wrought in us above nature and because this is furthered by revealing his love in Christ in adoption to us wee must desire of Gâ—D to vouchsafe the Spirit of Revelation to reveale the mysteries of his truth unto us and our portion in them in partiâ—ular and so our adoption and in the meane tiâ—e to wait and attend his good pleasure in the use of all good meanes Thus wee waiting God will so farre reveale himselfe in love to us as shall assure us of his love and stirre up love againe and the same Spirit that is a Spirit of Revelation will be a Spirit of sanctification and so adoption Dignitie and fitting qualities suteable to dignity go both together In that grand inquirie about our condition there is a great miscarriage when men will begin with the first worke of the Father in election then passe to redemption by Christ I am Gods and Christ hath redeemed mee and never thinke of the action of the third person in sanctification which is the neerest action upon the foule as the third person himselfe is nearest unto us And so fetch their first rise where they should set up their last rest Whereas wee should begin our inquirie in the worke of the third person which is next unto us and then upon good grounds we may know our redemption and election The holy Spirit is both a Spirit of Revelation and of Sanctification together as hath beene said for together with opening the love of the Father and the Son hee fitteth us by grace for communication with them People out of selfe-love will have conceits of the Fathers and Sonnes love severed from the worke of the Spirit upon their hearts which will prove a dangerous illusion Although the whole worke of grace by the Spirit arise from the Fathers and Sonnes love witnessed by the Spirit yet the proofe of the Fathers love to us in particular ariseth from some knowledge of the worke of the Spirit the errour is not in thinking of the Fathers and Sonnes love but in a strengthening themselves by a pleasing powerlesse thought of it against the worke of grace by the Spirit which their corruption withstands So they will carve out of the worke of the Trinitie what they thinke agreeable to their lusts whereas otherwise if their heart were upright they would for this very end thinke of Gods love and Christs to quicken them to duty and to arme them against corruption To the day of Redemption There is a double redemption redemption of the soul by the first coÌ„ming of Christ to shed his bloud for us redemption of our bodies from corruption by his second comming Wee have not the perfect consummation and accomplishment of that which Christ wrought in his first comming till his second comming then there shall be a totall redemption of our soules and bodies and conditions There is a double redemption as there is a double coÌ„ming of Christ the first and the second the one to redeeme our soules from sinne and Sathan and to give us title to heaven the other to redeeme our bodies from corruption when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints As likewise there is a double resurrection the first and the second and a double regeneration of soule and body In sicknesse weaknes of body or when age hath overtaken us that we cannot live long here and the horrour of the grave the house of darkenesse is presented to us Oh let us thinke there will bee a redemption of our bodies as well as of our soules Christ will redeem our bodies
from corruption as he came to work the redemption of our soules from sinne and death and he that will redeeme our bodies out of the grave he will redeem his Church out of misery he will call the Iewes he that will doe the greater will doe the inferiour When we heare of this let us thinke with comfort of all the promises that are yet unperformed Secondly full redemption is not yet What need I bring Scripture to prove it It is a point that every mans experience teacheth Alas let our bodies speake we are not free from sicknesse and diseases nay what is our life but a going to corruption the sentence is passed upon us earth returneth to earth till death we are going to death so besides sicknesse and weakenesse here we must dye and after death bee subject to corruption The Apostle in this respect calleth our body a vile body As for our soules though they bee freed from the guilt and damnation of sinne yet there are remainders of corruption that breed feare and terrour and though they be freed from the rule of Sathan yet not from his molestation and vexations by temptations In a word our whole state and condition in this world is a state and condition of misery we are followed with many afflictions so that there is not yet perfect redemption whether we look to body soule or state the body being subject to diseases the soule to infirmities the state to misery But there is a day appointed for it By a day wee are not to understand the time measured by the course of the Sunne in 24. houres but in the Scriptures meaning a day is a set time of mercy or judgement As there was a solemne day the fulnesse of time for the working of the first redemption so there is a solemn time set for the second redemption when all the children of God shall bee gathered those that lye in the dust shall be raised and for ever glorified It is the day of all dayes that day that by way of excellency is called THAT day in the Scriptures and the day of the Lord. The day that we should thinke of every day especially in sicknesse and trouble and crosses and molestations from the wicked world and in sense of the remainders of corruption There is a day of redemption to come that will make amends for all The frequent thoughts of that day would comfort us and keepe us from shrinking in any affliction and trouble it would move us to a carriage and conversation answerable to our hopes and also it would helpe to fit us it would infuse a desire of qualification to be prepared for that great day But how little of our time is spent in thoughts this way If we could oft thinke of the day of redemption our lives would be otherwise both in regard of gracious as also of coÌ„fortable carriage should we be disconsolate at every losse and crosse at sicknesses and the thought of death when wee shall be turned into our first principle the earth if wee did thinke of the day of redemption when all shall be restored againe all the decayes of nature and the Image of God be perfectly stamped the thought of this would make us goe willingly to our graves knowing that all this is but a preparation for the great day of redemption The first day of redemption when Christ came to redeeme our soules and to give us title to heaven It was in the expectation of all good people before Christ they are said to wait for the consolation of Israel that was the character to know those blessed people by And what should be the distinguishing character of gracious soules now but to bee such as wait for the comming of Christ how oft in the Epistles of Saint Paul is it There is a Crowne of righteousnesse for mee and for all that wait for the appearing of Christ There was a yeare of Iubile among the Iewes every fifty yeares then all that were in bondage were set at liberty So at this blessed Iubile this glorious day of redemption all that are in bondage of death and under corruption shall be set at everlasting liberty No question but the poore servants that were vexed with hard masters they thought of the Iubile and those that had their possessions tooke away they thought of the Iubile the day of recovering all So let us oft thinke of this everlasting Iubile when we shall recover all that we lost for ever to keepe it and never to lose it againe as we did in the first creation Let us oft thinke of this day it will infuse vigour and strength into all our conversaâ—ion Indeed to the ungodly it is not a day of redemption but a day of judgement and the revelation of the just wrath of God when their sins shall be laid open and receive a sentence answerable Alas there is such a deale of Atheisme in the world and the seeds of it in the best unlesse it be wrought out daily that we forget the God of vengeance and the day of vengeance Would men goe on in sinnes against conscience if they thought of this last day It is impossible such couâ—ses come froÌ„ this abhominable root oâ— Atheisme and unbeliefe foâ— had they but a slight faith it would be effectuall to alter their course in some measure therefore the Scripture gives them the name of fooles though they would be thought to be the onely wise men The foole hath said in his heart there is no God and what followes Corrupt are they and abhominable The cause of all is the foole hath said in his heart he will needs force it upon his heart that there is no God hell nor heaven nor judgement thence come abhominable courses Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption FRom the consideration of all that hath beene formerly spoken of the sealing of the spirit to the day of Redemption there ariseth these foure conclusions First that we may attaine unto a knowledge that we are in that state of grace Secondly that upon knowledge of our state in grace for the present we may be assured of our future full Redemption Thirdly that this assured knowledge is wrought by the Spirit Fourthly that the consideration of this assurance wrought by the Spirit is an effectuall argument to disswade from grieving the Spirit For the first wee may know wee are in the state of grace first because the Apostle would not have used an argument moving not to grieve the Spirit from a thing unknowne or guessed at it is an ill manner of reasoning to argue from a thing unknowne 2 Again sealing of us by the Spirit is not in regard of God but our selves God knoweth who are his but we know not that we are his but by sealing 3 The scope of the Scriptures indited by the Spirit is for comfort the Apostle saith so directly and what comfort in an
the rising of unbeliefe with a high prising of the favour of God in Christ so as to value it above all things Degrees doe not varie the kinde weakenesse may stand with truth but where truth is there will be an uncessant desire of future sealing The second conclusion We may upon the knowledge of our present estate in grace bee assured for the time to come for this sealing is to the day of Redemption that is till we be put into full possession of what we now beleeve and besides sealing is for securing for the time to come and our Saviours promise is that though He departed from them yet the Comforter should abide with them for ever Iohn 14. And why are we certaine of the favour of God to our comfort for the present but that wee doubt not of it for the time to come Faith and love and these graces they never faile finally therefore when the Scripture speakes of Faith it speakes of salvation by it for the present as if a man should be in heaven presently so soone as hee beleeves Wee are saved by faith say the Scriptures we are not yet saved but the meaning is we are set by faith into a state of salvation Being put into Christ by faith we are risen with Christ and sit in heaâ—venly places with him Faith makes the things to come present and faith beleeves that neither things present nor things to come shall bee able to separate us from the love of God in Christ So that our assurance is not onely for the present but for the time to come We are sealed to the day of Redemption and who can reverse Gods seale or Gods act and deed Grace is the earnest penny of glory God hath made a covenant and given earnest he will not lose it the earnest is never taken away but filled up if wee be assured of grace for the present we may be sure it shall be made up full in glory hereafter If the spirit of Christ be in us the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead will raise us up likewise and not leave us untill we be in full redemption we shall awake filled with his image No opposition shall prevaile God hath set us as a seale on his right hand to keep us I and on his breast as the high Priest had the twelve Tribes to love us and on his shoulder to support us The marked and sealed ones in Ezech. 9. and Rev. 7. were secured from all destruction If we be in Christ our Rocke temptations and oppositions are but as waves they may dash upon us but they breake themselves Quest Why then do we pray for the forgivenesse of sinnes Answer We pray for a clearer evidence of what we have secondly as the end is ordained so the meanes must be used God doth and will pardon sinne and therefore we must pray for pardon as a meanes ordained Thirdly prayer doth not prejudice the certainty of a thing Christ prayeth for that hee was most sure of Ioh. 17. I pray for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Pregnant for the proofe of this point is that of Peter Wee are begotten againe to a lively hope a hope of that life which maketh lively Oh but we are weake true but wee are kept by the power of GOD an inheritance is not onely kept for us but we are kept for it Ob. But Sathan is strong and his malice is more than his strength Answ True but we are kept as by a Garison wee have a guard about us Ob. All this is true while faith holdeth out but that may faile Answ No we are kept by the power of GOD through faith God keepeth our faith and us by faith Ob. But the time is long betweene us and salvation and many dangers may fall out Answ Be it so that the time is long yet wee are kept unto salvation even untill the day of redemption for the Spirit by vertue of the Covenant puts the feare of GOD into our hearts that we shall never 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 GOD doth noâ— prâ—mise what we shall doe of our selves but what he will doe in us and by us Thus the Holy Ghost putteth a shield into our hands to ward off all objections and helpes us to subdue the reasonings that are apt to rise within us against this blessed hope So that this happy condition is not onely sure to us but God hath assured us of it Gods gracious indulgence is such he sees here wee goe through a wildernesse and are molested every way therefore hee would have us assured of a blessed condition to come So good is God hee doth not onely finde out a glorious way of Redemption by the bloud of his Sonne God-Man but hee acquaints us with it in the dayes of our pilgrimage Partly that we may glorifie him that he may have the praise before hand of what good hee intends us for assurance of that blessed condition will stirre up our spirits to blesse God What the thing it selfe would worke faith workes the same in some measure Therefore Saint Peter 1 Pet. 1. Blessed be God saith he who hath begotten us againe to a lively hope of an inheritance immortall undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens Why doth he blesse God before we have it because we are as sure of it as if we had it what is revealed before hand is praised for before hand GOD would have us assured that he may have glory Partly to comfort us for faith is effectuall to worke that comfort that the thing present would doe in some measure What comfort would the soule have if it should see heaven open and it selfe entring into it if redemption were at hand The same faith workes in some measure What is more sure then the thing it selfe What more comfortable then faith in it When the Israelites were in the wildernesse going to Canaan they had many promises that they should come to Canaan and many extraordinary helpes to leade them thither the pillar and cloud and Angell and God out of indulgence condescending to their weaknesse gave them some grapes of Canaan hee put it into the minde of the spies to bring of the fruits So God gives us some work of his blessed Spirit whereby he would have us assured and sealed to the day of redemption The third conclusion is this that the spirit doth seale us This cannot be otherwise for who can establish us in the love of God but he that knowes the minde of God towards us and who knowes the minde of God but the spirit of God Then am I sealed when I doe not onely beleeve but by a reflecting act of the soule know I doe beleeve and this reflection though it be by Reason yet it is by Reason inabled by the spirit our spirits by the Spirit onely can discerne of spirituall acts it is not for us to know things above nature
And Sathan will not lose such an advantage but will tempt us to call the worke of grace in question which though it bee a true worke yet for want of light of the Spirit to discerne it wee cannot see it to our comfort Whereas if the Spirit would witnesse unto us the truth of our state and the sincerity of our graces we shall bee able to hold our owne and those temptations will vanish For those that the holy Spirit hath set a clearer and stronger stampe upon that doe not question their condition they of all others should not grieve the Spirit A Spirit of ingenuity will hinder them and stirre up a shame in them to requite so ill such a friend Nothing so ingenuous as grace what is commendable in nature is in greater perfection in grace How doth the conscience of unkindenesse to a friend that hath deserved well of us trouble our spirits that we know not with what face to looke upon him And will not unkindenesse to the Spirit make us ashamed to lift up our face to heaven Benefits are bonds and the greater favour the stronger obligation now what greater favour is there then for the Spirit to renew us according to the Image of God our glorious Saviour who carried the Image of Sathan before And by this to appropriate us unto GOD to be laid up in his treasure as carrying his stampe and by this to bee separated from the vile condition of the world although we carry in us the seeds of the same corruption that the worst doth differing nothing from them but in GODS free grace and the fruits of it For God to esteeme so of us that have no worthinesse of our owne but altogether persons not worthy to bee beloved as to make our unworthinesse a foile to set out the freenesse of his love in making us worthy whom he found not so For the Spirit by sealing of us to secure us in the midst of all spirituall dangers and to hide us as his secret ones that that evill one should not touch us to hurt us These as they are favours of an high nature the more eare they require to walke worthy of them We cannot but forget our selves before wee yeeld to any thing against that dignity the Spirit hath sealed us to Nature helped with ordinary education moveth every man to carry himselfe answerable to his condition a Magistrate as a Magistrate a Subject as a Subject a Childe as a Childe and we thinke it disgracefull to doe otherwise and shall that which is disgracefull to nature not be much more disgracefull to nature renewed and advanced by the Spirit And indeed as wee should not so wee cannot grieve the Spirit so farre forth as wee are renewed Our new nature will not suffer us to dissemble to be worldly to bee carnall as the world is wee cannot but study holinesse we cannot but be for GOD and his truth wee cannot but expresse what we are and whose we are It is impossible a man should care for heaven that doth not care for the beginnings of heaven hee cannot bee said to care for full redemption and glory that doth not care for the spirit of grace fulnesse of grace is the best thing in glory other things as peace and joy and the like they are but the shinings forth of this fulnesse of grace in glory Againe when the Spirit assureth us of Gods love in the greatest fruits of it as it doth when it assureth this redemption That love kindles love againe and love constraines us by a sweet necessitie to yeeld cheerefull and willing obedience in all things there is nothing more active and fuller of invention than love and there is nothing that love studies more than how to please there is nothing that it feares more than to discontent It is a neate affection and will indure nothing offensive either to it selfe or the spirit of such as we love and this love the Spirit teaches the heart and love teaches us not onely our duty but to doe it in a loving and acceptable manner It carries out the whole streame of the soule with it and rules all whilest it rules and will not suffer the soule to divert to by-things much lesse to contrary Againe these graces that are conversant about that condition which the Spirit assureth us of as faith and hope are purging and purifying graces working a suteablenesse in the soule to the things beleeved and hoped for and the excellency of the things beleeved and hoped for have such a working upon the soule that it will not suffer the soule to defile it selfe Our hopes on high will leade us to wayes on high therefore whilest these graces are exercised about these objects the soule cannot but be in a pleasing frame It hath beene an old cavill that certainty of salvation breeds security and loosenesse of life And what is there that an ill disposed soule cannot sucke poyson out of A man may as truely say the Sea burnes or the Fire cooles there is nothing quickens a soule more to cheerefull obedience than assurance of Gods love and that our labour should not be in vaine in the Lord this is the Scriptures Logicke and Retoricke to inforce and perswade a holy life from knowledge of our present estate in grace I beseech you by the mercies of God saith Saint Paul what mercies such as he had spoken of before Iustification Sanctification Assurance that all shall worke together for good that nothing shall bee able to separate us from the love of God in Christ all duties tend to assurance or spring from assurance Gods intendment is to bring us to heaven by a way of love and cheerefulnesse as all his wayes towards us in our salvation are in love And this is the scope of the covenant of grace and for this end he sends the Spirit of adoption into our hearts that we may have a childe-like liberty with God in all our addresses to him When he offers himselfe to us as a father it is fit we should offer our selves to him as children nature teaches a child the more he desires his fathers love the more hee feares to displease him And hee is judged to be gracelesse that will therefore venture to offend his father because he knowes he neither can or will disinherit him Certaine it is the more surely we know God hâ—th begotten us to so glorious an inheritâ—nce the more it will worke upon our bowels to take all to heart that may any way touch him this wrought upon David when the Prophet told him God hath done this this for thee and would have done more if that had beene too little it melted him presently into an humble confession Those that have felt the power of the Spirit of adoption on their hearts will both by a divine instinct as also by strength of reason be carried to all those courses wherein they shall approve themselves to their father Instinct of
nature strengthened with grounds will move strongly To conclude this discourse let Christians therefore he carefull to preserve and châ—â—ish the worke of assurance and sealing in them 2 What God doth for us he doth by grace in us he wil preserve us that we shall not fall from him by putting the grace of feare into us Ier. Hee will keepe us but by what meanes The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard our hearts God maketh our Calling and Election sure in us by stirring our hearts up to be diligently exercised in adding one grace unto another and in growing in every grace as 2 Pet. 1. Therefore wee must attend upon all spirituall meanes of growth and quickening so shall you have a further entrance into the kingdome of Iesus Christ that is you shall have more evident knowledge of your entrance into the kingdome of grace here and likewise into the kingdome of glory hereafter Those that doe not so shall have no comfort either from the time past for they shall forget they were purged from their sinnes or from thoughts of the time to come for they shall not be able to see things farre off 2 If assurance be in a lesser degree yet yeeld not to temptations and carnall reasonings if our evidences be not so faire yet wee will not part with our inheritance Coynes as old groates that have little of the stampe left yet are currant We lose our comfort many times because wee yeeld so easily because we have not such a strong and cleare seale of salvation as we would to be born down that we have none at all is a great weakenesse exercise therefore the little faith thou hast in striving against such objections and it will be a meanes to preserve the seale of the Spirit 3 Because this sealing is graduall we should pray as Paul Ephes 1. for a spirit of revelation that wee may be more sealed the Ephesians were sealed for whom Paul prayes and so the Colossians yet that GOD would reveale to their spirits more their excellent condition There are riches of assurance the Apostle would have them to labour not onely for assurance but for the riches of it that will bring rich comfort and joy and peace Times of temptations and tryall may come and such as if wee have not strong assurance we may be sorely troubled and call all into question This may be the sad condition of Gods own children and from this that in times of peace they contented themselves with a lesser degree of this assurance and sealing 4 Lastly bee watchfull over your owne hearts and wayes that according to what you have now learned you grieve not the spirit for by it you are sealed intimating that if in any thing wee withstand and grieve the spirit we shall in so doing prejudice our selves and suffer in the comfort and evidence of our sealing FINIS Scope of the words Holy Ghost called Spirit why Holy Spirirt Holinesse not onely an attribute in God but the excellency of all hâ—s attributes He is holy in mercy in iustice in goodnesse c. Two desires in man by nature Foure things presupposed The spirit in us DiffereÌ„ce of the Spirits being in Christ and in us How the Spirit was in Adam in innocency How in carnall men The holy Ghost dwels not in us as in ordinary houses but as Temples The holy spirit makes all holy where ever he comes The spirit a Counsellor and Comforter We are prone to grieve the Spirit We should be carefull of grieving it Foure points observed What it is to grieve the Spirit Spirit grieved how Spirit considered as in himselfe as in us How the Spirit worketh in us Ob. We intend not in sin to grieve the Spirit An. We doe it in the cause Wherein we grieve the Spirit We grieve the Spiriâ— by unkindnesse Ier. Aggravation of sinnes of Professors Sins against knowledg are such either 1 Directly 2 Indirectly Why voluntary sins grieve the Spirit so much Exod. 20. Sinnes against the second Table in what respect they grieve most Gods method in dealing with sinners Some sins grieve more than other Eph. 5. 18. Gal. 6. Jer. 42. The Spirit is grieved by sinnes against the Gospell Slighting ordinances The sinne of these times By false judgment of things When wee plot and contrive sinne the Spirit is grieved And sinne having helpes to 〈◊〉 â—he 〈◊〉 By caveling against the truth Neglect of prayer and dependance Overmuch worldly businesse Omission of duties The Spirit grieved in others is grieved by Neglects Contempt Censures By superiours By inferiours By ill example the Spirit is grieved How it may be knowne when the Spirtt is grieved Issues of grieving the Spirit Leaving us to our selves Grieving our spirits Quest How far a childe of God may grieve the Spirit Answ Gods children commit not the sin against the holy Ghost Sinne against the holy Ghost what Miscariage concerning the sin against the holy Ghost Concerning others Concerning themselves Feare frees from three things How to prevent grieving the Spirit Give up our selves to the guidance of the Spirit Gal. 2. To obey him perfectly Quest Answ How to know the motions of the Spirit They raise higher Are constant They change the heart Are seasonable Evidence themselves Orderly Dependant on God To concurre with the spirits motions Cherish holy motions Give the Spirit scope in his ordinances Isay 7. If the Spirit 〈…〉 Take heed of lesser sinnes Looke to the first rise of sins Renew repentance Avoyd corrupt communication Object Answ Motives not to grieve the Spirit The sealing of Christ Act. 20. 28 Rom. 1. 4. Christians are sealed Similie For confirmation Distinction 1 Tim. 2. Simile Similie Similie Appropriation Can. 6. Psal 4. Psal 73. Estimation Ier. 2. 3. Secresie Revel 3. Security Degrees of sealing Faith Sanctification Quest Answ What goeth before this witnesse of the Spirit Gal. 6. Revel 2. What accompanieth c. What followeth after this witnessing of the Spirit Rom. 8. 16 33 c. Pro. 31. 6. Redemption double Full redemption not yet A day of Redemption The day of Redemption ought to be thought on Day of vengeance to wicked The first conclusion Rom. 9. Ioh. 1. The second conclusion Col. 1. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. 11 Psal Why we pray for forgivenesse of sinnes 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. Why God assureth us of our salvation For his glory For our comfort The third conclusion The fouâ—th conclusion Tâ—t 2. 11. 12. Phil. 3. â—â— It is an argument to them that are 1 Not sealed 2 Those that are sealed either in a 1 Lesser degree Those that are sealed in a higher degree 1 Ioh. 3. Rom. 12. 2 Sam. â—1 1. Meanes Phil. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 2 Meanes 3 Meanes Col. 2. 2. 4 Meanes