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 follweth 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 Page 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 wee 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 233. or higher worke of sealing 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 â—0 doctrine of liberty Page 243 But of deepe and sweet inâ—agement Page 244 Therefore we should preserve he worke Page 247 FINIS Ephes 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby yee are sealed unto the day of redemption 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 in the largenesse of his Spirit riseth from a particular disswasive from corrupt communication Scope of the words 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 constancy of the benefits we have by him Holy Ghost called Spirit why 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 breathed into ail 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 owne 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 wee 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 Holy Spirit That attribute the Spirit delights in is that of holinesse which our corrupt nature least delights in Holinesse not onely an attribute in God but the excellency of all his attributes He is holy in mercy in justice in goodnesse c. and most opposeth holinesse is the glory and crowne of all other excellencie without which they are neither good in themselves nor 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 â—eene and perfect hatred but holynesse without which yet wee shall never see God nor enter into that pure place into which we all professe a desire to enter Two desires in man by nature 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 nature 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 Foure things presupposed Now that which the Apostle disswades from is from grieving so holy a Spirit These truths are presupposed First that the holy Ghost is not in us personally as the second Person is in Christ man 1 The spirit in us for then the holy Ghost and wee should make one person nor is the holy Ghost in us essentially only for so he is in all creatures nor yet is in us onely by stirring up holy motions but hee is in us mystically and as Temples dedicated to himselfe Christs humane nature is the first temple wherein the Spirit dwels and then we become temples by union with him Difference of the Spirits being in Christ and in us The difference betwixt his being in Christ us is that the Spirit dwels in Christ in a fuller measure by reason that as a head hee is to conveigh spirit into all his members Secondly the Spirit is in Christ intirely without any thing to oppose the Spirit alwayes findes something in us that is not his owne but ready to crosse him Thirdly the Spirit is in us derivatively from Christ as a fountaine wee receive grace at second hand answerable to grace in him How the Spirit was in Adam in innocency The holy Ghost was in Adam before his fall immediately but now hee is in Christ first and then for Christ in us as members of that bodie whereof Christ is the head it is well for us that he dwels first in Christ and then in us for from this it is that his communion with us is inseparable as it is from Christ himselfe with whom the Spirit makes us one The holy Spirit dwels in those that are Christs after another manner then in others in whom hee is in How in carnall men in some sort by common gifts but in his owne hee is in them as holy and as making them holy as the soule is in the whole body in regard of divers operations but in the head onely as it understandeth and from thence ruleth the whole body so the holy Ghost is in his in regard of more noble operations and his person is together with his working though not personally and though the whole man be the temple of the holy Ghost yeâ— the soule especially and in the soule the very Spirit of our mindes a most suteable to him being a Spirit Whence the Apostle wishes the grace of Christ to be with our Spirits the best of spirits delight most in the best of us which is our spirits in the Temple the further they went all was more holy till they came to the holy of holiest So in a Christian the most inward part the spirit is as it were the holy of holies The holy Ghost dwels not in us as in ordinary houses but as Temples The holy spirit makes all holy where ever he comes where incense is offered to God continually What a mercy is this that hee that hath the heaven of heavens to dwell in will make a dungeon to bee a temple a prison to be a paradise yea an hell to bee an heaven Next to the love of Christ in taking our nature and dwelling in it we may wonder at the love of the holy Ghost that will take up his residence in such defiled soules The second thing presupposed is that the holy Spirit being in us after hee hath prepared us for an house for himselfe to dwell in 2 The spirit a Counsellor and Comforter and to take up his rest and delight in hee doth also become unto us a Counsellour in all our doubts a Comforter in all distresses a Solicitor to all dutie a guide in the whole course of our life untill wee dwell with him for ever in heaven unto which his dwelling here in us doth tend he goeth before us as Christ did in the pillar of the cloud and fire before the Israelites into Canaan being a defence by day and a direction by night When we sinne 3 We are prone to grieve the Spirit what doe wee else but grieve this guide The third ground is that we the best of us are prone to grieve this holy Spirit what use were there else of this caveat wee carry too good a proofe or this in our owne hearts we have that which is enmitie to the spirit within us sinne and an adversary to the spirit us Sathan These joyning together and having intelligence and holding correspondence one with another stirre us up to that which grieves this good Spirit 4 We should be carefull of grieving it The fourth thing presupposed is that we may and ought by Christian care and circumspection so to walke in an even and pleasing course that wee shall not grievously offend the spirit or grieve our owne spirits We may avoyd many lashes and blowes and many an heavy day which wee may thanke our selves for and God delighteth in the prosperity of his children and would have us walk in the comforts of the holy Ghost and is grieved when we grieve him that then hee must grieve us to prevent worse griefe The due and proper act of a Christian in this life is to please Christ and to bee comfortable in himself and so to bee fitted for all services These things premised it is easie to conceive the equitie of the Apostles disswasive from grieving the holy spirit For the better unfolding of which we will unfold these foure points First Foure points observed what it is to grieve the Spirit Secondly is wherein we specially grieve the Spirit Thirdly how wee may know when wee have grieved the Spirit Fourthly what course wee should take to prevent this griefe 1 What it is to grieve the Spirit For the first The holy Ghost cannot properly be grieved in his owne person because griefe implyes a defect of happinesse in suffering that wee wish removed It implyes a defect in foresight to prevent that which may grieve It implyes passion which is soone raised up and soone laid downe GOD is not subject to change it implyes some want of power to remove that which we feele to be a grievance and therefore it is not beseeming the Majestie of the Spirit thus to bee grieved Wee must therefore conceive of it as befitting the Majestie of God removing in our thoughts all imperfections First then we are sayd to grieve God Spirit grieved how when we doe that which is apt of it selfe to grieve as wee are said to destroy our weake brother when wee do that which he taking offence at is apt to misleade him and so to destroy him Secondly we grieve the Spirit when wee doe that whereupon the Spirit doth that which grieved persons doe that is retireth and sheweth dislike and returns griefe againe Thirdly though the passion of griefe be not in the holy Ghost yet there is in his holy nature a pure displicence and hatred of sinne with such a
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 3 d. Edition Printed for L Chapman are to be sould at his shope at Chancery Lane end in Holborne will Marshall sculpsit 1638. 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 1638. To The truly Noble and much honoured Lady the Lady Elizabeth Brooke Wife to Sir Robert Brooke Madame BEsides that deseâ—ved interest your Ladyship held in the fections and esteeme 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 Jn 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 memorial of you And wee 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 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 25. and comforts 27. seeking comfort from the flesh page 28 2 By unkindenesse 29. the sinnes of Professors and those that have most acquaintance with the Spirit grieve most page 30 3 By presumptuous sinnes 33 sinnes against knowledge of two sorts ibid. why voluntary sinnes are so great and grieve the Spirit so much 36 the reason why sinnes of the second Table grieve most 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 48. and fathering the workes of the flesh upon the spirit page 49 6 By sins against the Gospell 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 Cavelling against the truth page 59 11 By doing duty in our owne strength page 61 12 Thrusting our selves into over-much worldly employment 61 whence 13 Omission or slâ—ght performance of duty page 63 2 In others many ways 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 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 81 and a twofold miscarriage about it in censuring page 82 IIII What course we should take to prevent grieving the Spirit 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 self evideÌ„ce in them 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 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 wee terme little ones 102 and looke upon all sinne in the rise and root of it 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 priviledges 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 150. yet not without a new act of the Spirit 153 the reasons page 155 3 Ioy 156. which hath its degrees also 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
zeale will be uncivill and cruell shewing they are not led by that spirit that appeared in the shape of a dove Both Tables in this are one that they come from one spirit and the second of like the first and require love And because all graces and duties come from the same spirit therefore one duty never crosses another but the wisedome of the Spirit moves to all holy duties in their severall and suteable places 7 Dependant on God Motions for the matter good yet may be carnall in regard of selfe-confidence from whence they come That which Peter resolved upon was good but confidence in himselfe marred it those motions which the Spirit stirres up are carryed along in relying upon assisting grace So much for that question 3 To concurre with the spirits motions Againe if we would not grieve the Spirit let us take heed of being wanting to the Spirits direction The flesh here will make a froward objection Wee can doe no more then me can Answ The Spirit is alwayes before-hand with us preventing us with some knowledge and some ability which if we joyne with the spirit in putting forth the spirit is ready to concurre with us and leade us further And our conscience will tell us so much that if we doe otherwise it is not for want of present assistance or privitie that the Spirit will deny us strength if we put our selves upon if our own hearts though deceitfull will tell us that we doe what we doe out of willingnesse preferring some seeming good before the motions of the Spirit Herein wee carry in our conscience that which will quit God and condemne our selves There is not the worst man whose heart runnes away from God but God followes him a great while with sweet motions though such bee the invincible stubbornesse of the heart that it will not yeeld this will take away all excuse as Saint Austin argues well If I had knowne saith a wicked man I would not have done thus saith hee the pride of thy heart suggests that hadst thou not motions and admonitions that told thee the danger of it if the Spirit even in the worst actions concurre seâ— farre as they are actions and motions may we not thinke that he is much more ready to concurre with holy motions stir'd up first by himselfe if the Spirit be willing to concurre in naturall actions much more in spirituall whereunto it selfe is the first mover the Spirit leaveâ— not us till wee leave the Spirit 4 Cherish holy motions When the Spirit suggests good motions turne them presently into holy resolutions Is this my duty and that which tends to my comfort certainely I will doe it Let not these motions dye in us How many holy motions are kindled in hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments c. which dye as soone as they are kindled for want of resolution therefore let us not give over till these motions be turned into purposes and those good purposes ripened to holy actions that they be not nipped in the blossome but may bring forth perfect fruit Let us labour to improve these talents to the end for which they are sent are they motions of comfort let us use them for comfort are they motions tending to duty let us make conscience to doe our duty let not our despairing hearts crosse the Spirit in his comforts nor stand out stubbornely as enemies against our duty for that is to crosse God and to nip his motionâ— in the bud 5 Give the Spirit scope in his ordinances Let the Spirit have fuâ—â— scope both in the ordinances and in the motions stirred up by the ordinances this is the way to make the ordinances and the time glorious but the liberties of the Gospell are contrary to the liberties of the fleshâ— it turneth all things upside downe and men out of themselves Hence is it thaâ— there is nothing so much opposed by the spirit of the world as the purity and power of the Gospel which is a sufficient prejudice of an ill condition that all such men are in But there is another spirit in gracious men they are the children of light and love it If wee would not grieve the Spirit we must be willing to bring our selves under all advantages of the Spirits working as conversing with those that are spirituall and especially attending on those ordinances wherein the Spirit breatheth wherein wee may meet the Spirit The walkes of Gods Spirit are in the meanes of salvation hearing the Word preached and holy communion one with another the Word Spirit go together therefore if we will have the comforts of the Spirit wee must attend upon the Word Men grieve the Spirit by neglecting the Word and holy conference It is with the Word and Spirit as with the veynes and arteries they veynes have arteries that as the veyns carry the bloud the arteries carry the spirits to quicken the bloud The Word is dead without the Spirit and therefore attend on the Word and then wait on the Spirit to quicken the Word that both Word and Spirit may guide us to life everlasting Motions of this kinde come from the Spirit as it is said of old Simeon that he came by the motion of the Spirit into the Temple Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day our Manna fals most then Christs Spirit and Word dwell together in the heart therefore the A postle useth the dwelling of Christ in us and the Word indefinitely Faith wrought by the Word layes hold upon Christ and brings him into the soule and keepes him there It is a blessed thing when the Spirit in the ordinance and the Spirit in our hearts meet together this is the way to feede and cherish the Spirit in us and to put oyle as it were into the Lampe because the Spirit as it is in us is thus nourished even as the fire though in its owne element feedeth upon nothing yet with us here below it is maintained with fuell otherwise dyeth and goeth out Take heed of slighting any helpe of faith that God affords us as wicked Achaz Isay 7. GOD offered him for the strengthening of his faith a signe from heaven or from earth or any other creature oh no hee would not tempt God hee seemed a pious man hee would not tempt God but what saith the Prophet Is it little for you to despise mee but you will grieve God insinuating that when wee despise those helpes God hath given wee grieve the Spirit of God Those that neglect the Word and Sacrament what do they despise a poore Minister and neglect bread wine no they despise God himselfe who knowes better then our selves what need wee have of these helpes If the Spirit withdraw â—eaâ—ch the â—â—â—se Againe when wee finde the Spirit not assisting and comforting as in former times it is fit to search the cause which we shall finde some slighting of holy motions or the meanes of breeding of them or
yeelding to some corruption which wee are more especially addicted unto or some sinne unrepented of which wee take no notice of It is good therefore to scarce our soules to the bottome there may bee some hidden corruption lying in the soule which may undermine our grace comfort there may bee a privy thiefe that robs us of all And besides beloved and secret sinnes it is good to bethinke our selves of old sinnes which perhaps hitherto wee have but outwardly thought of and God is willing by some deadnesse and trouble of spirit to minde us of renewing of sorrow for them for want of strict accounting with our selves God cals us to these arrerages and backe reckonings as wee see in Iosephs Brethren If wee finde not that sweetnesse of communion with the Spirit that formerly we enjoyed bethinke our selves when and wherein wee lost it that wee may meete the Spirit againe in these waies wherein wee found him before wee lost him and take heed of those courses in the entrance of which we found the Spirit leaving us Take heed of lesser sinnes Againe take heed of little sinnes which wee count lesser sinnes perhaps than God doth We weigh sinne in our owne ballance and not in his whereas no sinne is to bee accounted little for if it were once set upon the conscience and the wrath opened due unto it It would take all comfort from us And therefore wee must judge of sinne as the Spirit doth if we would not grieve the Spirit as the communion of the Spirit is of all the sweetest so the preserving of it requires most exact watchfulnesse and through understanding of our selves Take heed of the beginning of sin when any lust ariseth pray it downe presently say nay to it let it have no consent be presently humbled otherwise wee are indangered by yeelding to grieve by grieving to resist by resisting to quench by quenching maliciously to oppose the Spirit sinne hath no bounds but those which the Spirit puts whom therfore wee should not grieve And let us looke to the head and spring of sinnes Looke to the first rise of sins whereby wee grieve the Spirit of God not to the sinne so much as to the root Wee are angry with our selves for being passionate but what is the cause of passion It comes from pride Ionas was a passionate man in that measure that he was passionate hee was proud hee was loth to be shamed when hee had said Niniveh shall bee destroyed hee thought upon the sparing of them hee should bee discredited and he preferred his credit before the destruction of a populous Citie So there is much depraving and detraction in the world and therupon brawles and breaches What is the cause a spirit of envy and oft times a spirit of pride So men runne into the danger of others by wronging them what is the cause worldlinesse base earthly-mindednesse Men thinke not of the root of sinne but dwell upon the act done wee should be led from the remote streames to the Spring and sourse of all and bewayle that especially This care will be helped by spirituall wisedome whereby wee may discerne both wherein we have grieved the Spirit and wherein for the time to come wee may We cannot maintaine friendship in perfect and sweet termes with any whose disposition we know not what will please or displease them therefore wee should study the nature and delight of the Spirit and wherein we are prone both to forget our selves and the Spirit Wee esteeme not much the friendship of those who are so much friends to themselves as they passe not much whether friends bee contented or discontented The Spirit dwels more largely in that heart that hath emptied it selfe of it self the Israelites felt not the sweetnesse of Manna till they had spent their flesh pots and other provision of Egypt The nature of Gods Spirit is holy as it is holy so delighteth onely in holy Temples those therefore that set up any Idoll of jealousie in their soules against God that doe not preserve their vessels in holinesse cannot thinke of any communion with the Spirit The Spirit is jealous of our affections and will have nothing set up in the heart above God though the Spirit stoopes to dwell in us yet wee must not forget the respect due to so great a Superiour but reverently entertaine what ever comes from him Reverence and obedience is the carriage due to a superiour and where this distance is not kept a breach will follow Wee should reverence our selves for the spirits sake and thinke our selves too good for any base lust to lodge in that heart that the Spirit hath taken for it selfe should turne off all contrary motions with abhomination what should pride and envy and passion doe in an heart consecrated to the spirit of meeknesse and holinesse Renew repentance Vpon any breach wee must first looke by renewing repentance and faith in Christ to renew our peace with God before wee can expect the grace and comfort of the Spirit For as the Spirit commeth from the Father and the Sonne and is procured by the death and satisfaction of the Son to the Father without which we could never have expected the gift of the Spirit so still we must have an eye to this satisfaction by Christ and reconciliation through it before wee can recover communion with the Spirit as being the best fruit of the love of God reconciled through Christ We see David in the 51. Psalme first importunes God for mercy againe and againe and then for the Spirit and for the joy of salvation Avoyd corrupt communication And take heede that nothing come in nor goe out of our soules that may grieve the Spirit of God some things come in to us that grieve the Spirit the corruptions wee receive from others some things come out of our hearts that grieves Gods Spirit as corrupt thoughts and speeches that indeed is the scope of this place Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouthes c. and then follows And grieve not the holy Spirit of God And after againe he saith Let all bitternesse and wrath and clamour bee laid aside insinuating that one way of grieving the Spirit is by ill and corâ—â—â—â—â—â—gâ—age Wee can never â—aâ—â—e with company that is not spirituall but they will either vexe and grieve us or â—â—â—t and defile us unlesse it bee in such exigences of our calling as requires our converse with them But I speake of a voluntary choyce of such as savour not good things Many men to please their owne carnall spirits and the carnall spirits of others they vent that that is against conscience and against that that is higher then conscience a more divine principle the holy Spirit of God loose carnall speakers are people voyd of the power of Religion Let no man say Object Here is ado indeed duty upon duty this will make our life troublesome The life of a Christian is an honourable
before The reason why wee can neither have grace to beleeve nor know wee beleeve nor when wee 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 wee 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 keep 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 vouchsafeth at 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 bee interrupting of comfortable communion of 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 be so much weakening the sence of our assurance as there is yeelding to any lust The knowledge of our estate in grace and comfort thereupon though it may bee weakened by neglcd 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 alwaies yet it lives and that may bee gathered from the former stirrings This degree of sealing by way of witnesse and comfort is appropriated to the holy Spirit every person 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 like wise 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 thâ—â— great worke of Christ of redemption and justification was typified in the old Testament by bloud and the great worke of Christ of redemption 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 sanctâ—fie us Hereupon bloud and water have the power to bee witnesses The bloud of Christ being sprinckled 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 uncle 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 wee 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 petiwadeth 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 hee 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 wee 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
are under the spirit of adoption and doe many things well but yet are not altogether free from feare these are like those children that are moved with reverence to obey their Parents and yet finde their commands somewhat irkesome unto them The third are â—â—â—h as by the love of God shed into theâ—â— hearts by the Spirit of adoption are carried with large Spirits to obey their father and herein like unto those children that not onely obey but take a delight in it upon a judgement that both obedience and the thing wherein they obey is good this wee ought to labour for but wee finde many Christians in the second ranke many truely beleeve in Christ by some light let into their hearts by the Spirit of adoption who are not yet fully assured of the love of Christ There is the act of faith and the fruit of Faith the act of faith is to cast our selves upon Gods mercy in Christ the fruit of faith is in beleeving to bee assured of this wee must know that faith is one thing assurance another they may have faith and yet want a double assurance first assurance of their faith being not able to judge at all times of their owne act likewise secondly assurance of their state in grace as in time of desertion and temptation a soule at such a time casts it selfe upon Christ as knowing comfort is there to be had though hee bee not sure of it for himselfe and this the soule doth out of obedience though not out of feeling as the poore man in the Gospell Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe the soule often times out of the deepe cryes and in the darke trusts in GOD and this is the bold adventure of faith the first object whereof is Christ held out in a promise and not assurance which springeth from the first act when it pleaseth God to shine upon the soule and is a reward of glorifying Gods mercy in Christ by casting the soule upon his truth and goodnesse Assurance is GODS seale faith is our seale when wee set to our seale by beleeving hee sets to his seale assuring us of our condition we yeeld first the consent and the assent of faith and then God puts his seale to the contract there must be a good title before a confirmation a planting before a rooting and establishing the bargaine before the earnest Some would have Faith to bee an over-powring light of the soule whereby undoubtedly they beleeve themselves to bee Christ and Christ to be theirs which stumbleth many a weake yet true Christian for this is rather the fruit of a strong Faith then the act of a weake which struggleth with doubting untill it hath gotten the upper hand True it is there must bee so much light let in to the soule as the soule may rely upon Christ and this light must bee discovered by the Spirit and such a light as shewes a speciall love of Christ to the soule And againe it is true that wee are not to take up our rest in the light untill the heart be further subdued as many are too hasty to conclude of a good condition upon uncertaine signes before they have attained unto fuller assurance but yet wee must not deny faith where this strong assurance is wanting so farre as to conclude against our selves if there be desires putting on to endeavour with conflict against 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 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 wee 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 wee 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 bee 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 wee are set by faith into a state of salvation Being put into Christ by Faith we are risen with Christ and sit in heavenly places with him Col. 2. Faith makes the things to come present and Faith beleeves that neither things present nor things to come Rom. 8. 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 deed Grace is the earnest penny of glory God hath made a covenant and given earnest hee will not lose it the earnest is never taken away but filled up if we be assured of grace for the present wee may bee sure it shall bee made up full in glory hereafter If the spirit of Christ bee in us the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead will raise us up likewise Rom. 8.11 and not leave us untill wee bee in full redemption wee shall walke filled with his image Psal 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 doe we pray for the forgivenesse of sinnes Why wee pray for forgivenesse of sinnes Answer Wee pray for a clearer evidence of what wee 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 Iohn 17. I pray for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Pregnant for the proofe of this point 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. is that of Peter Wee are begotten againe to a lively hope a hope of that life which maketh lively Oh but wee 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 wee 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 wee shall never depart from him GOD doth not promise what wee shall doe of ourselves 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 Why God assurâ—â—â— us of our salvation Gods gracious indulgence is such hee sees here wee goe through a wildernesse and are molested every way therefore he 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 1 For his glory Partly that wee may glorifie him that hee 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 hee who hath begotten us againe to a lively hope of an inheritance immortall underfiled that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens Why doth hee blesse God before we have it because wee are as sure of it as if wee 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 2 For our comfort 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 redeÌ„ption were at hand The same Faith workes in some measure What is more sure then the thing it self 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 he put it into the minde of the spies to bring of the fruits So God give us some work of his blessed Spirit whereby hee would have us assured and sealed to the day of redemption The third conclusion is this The third conclusion that the spirit doth seale us This cannot bee 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 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 conscience but he that is above coÌ„science Who can raise our spirits above al temptations 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 Hee onely can subdue the rebellion of our spirits and soften our hearts and make them fit for sealing The Spirit onely can so report the mercy of God to our souls as to perswade and worke our hearts to this assurance otherwise wee 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 fiâ—full spirits as ours And should not this worke upon our hearts a care not to grieve the holy Spirit and so wee come to the fourth conclusion The fourth conclusion is The forth conclusion that the sealing of the spirit unto salvation should bee a strong prevailing argument not to grieve the Spirit that is not to sinne for sinne onely grieves the Spirit Tit 2.11.12 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 holin fle Phil. 3.20 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