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
left studies to maintaine Though corrupt nature hath no good in it for we deserved to bee like divels yet God intending to have civill society out of which he usually gathers his Church preserveth in mans nature an hatred of sinnes that overthrow society such sins therefore being committed against more light wound more as in case of murther notorious perjury theft c. Gods method in dealing with sinners Therefore God oft gives up men upon breach of the first Table to breaches of the second that so they may come to more griefe and shame as being the breakers of both Tables Men never fall into the breach of the second Table but upon breach of the first No man despiseth mans Law but he despiseth Gods law first No man breakeâ— the law of nature but he despiseth the God of nature Prophane Atheisticall persons that glory in the breach of the third Commandement by swearing GOD meets with them by giving them over to grosse abhominable sinnes of the second Table which vexeth them more though they should noâ— than sins against the first Table exposing them besides inward griefe to open shame then God opens Conscience to tell them not onely that they are too blame for their grosse sinnes but for the root of them Atheisme prophanenesse loosenesse which are sinnes against the first Table This is an aggravation of sinnes against knowledge when our knowledge hath beene holpen and strengthened by education by example of others running into our eyes which is a more familiar teaching than that of Rule and strengthened also by observation and experience of our selves and the former strength wee have had against the sinne wee now commit and sweetnesse we have found in the resisting of it None are worse than those that have been good and are naught and might be good and will be naught When there is more deliberation and fore-knowledge of the dangerous issue and this also joyned with the warning of others As Reuben said unto the rest of hiâ— brethren Spake I not unâ— you c So may Gods Spirit and conscience say tâ— men Did not I acquaiâ— you with the danger of sinâ— You are now in misery anâ— terrours of conscience buâ— did you not sleight formeâ— admonitions and helps and meanes Conscience is aâ—â— inferiour light of the Spirit to doe things against conscience is to doe them against the Spirit God spake to me and I heeded him not how doth God speake When conscience speakes and saith this is good this is bad then God speakes conscience hath somewhat divine in it it is a petty god it speakes from God especially when the Spirit joynes with conscience then God speakes indeed then there is light upon light Some sins grieve more than other Vpon divers respects some sinne may grieve more or lesse than another As the holy Ghost is a Spirit so spirituall sinnes grieve most as pride envy imprinting upon the soule as it were a character of the contrary ill spirit Carnall sinnes whereby the soule is drowned in delight of the body may more grieve the spirit in another respect as defiling his Temple and as taking away so much of the soule love and delight carry the soule with them and the more deeply such sinnes enter into the creature besides the defilement the lesse strength it hath to spirituall duties grace is seated in the powers of nature now carnall sinnes disable nature and so sets us in a greater distance from grace as taking away the heart Hos 4. Hereupon the Apostle sets being filled with wine contrary to being filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 And hence it is the Apostle forbids in the former words uncleane communication the holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth hates hypocrites being painted sepulchers but as a spirit of purity hates soule livers and soule-mouth'd speakers as open sepulchers They cannot therefore but much grieve the spirit that feed corrupt lusts and studie to give contentment and pay tribute to the flesh to which they owe no service and are no debters and by sowing to the flesh from which wee can reape nothing but corruption Gal. 6. When our thoughts are exercised to content the outward man to contrive for the things of the world onely this is to pay tribute of the strength and vigour of our affections to the utter enemy of Gods Spirit and our owne soules when our thoughts runne deeply into earthly things we become one with them Who will think himselfe well entertained into an house when there shall be entertainement given to his greatest enemy with him and shall see more regard had and better countenance shewed to his enemy than to him when the motions of corrupt nature are more regarded then the motions of the Spirit The wisedomâ— of the Spirit which is from above is first pure and maketh us so and rayseth the soule upward to things above Christians indeed have their failings but if true Christian examine himselfe his heart will say that every day hee intends the glory of God and the good of the state hee lives in hee hath a larger hearâ— than a base worldling that keepes within the sphere oâ— himselfe spending all his thoughts there and consults onely with flesh and bloud with profit and pleasure to heare what they say Such basenesse cannot but grieve the Spirit as contrary to our hopes and heavenly calling which are glorious It is a dangerous grieving of the Spirit when instead of drawing our selves to the spirit we will labour to draw the spirit to us and study the Scriptures to countenance us in some corrupt course and labour to make God of our minde that wee may goe on with the greater libertie When men get to themselves teachers after their owne â—â—sts as many doe especialâ—y if they be in place Ahab â—hall not want his 400 false Prophets When men cut â—he rule and standard to fit â—hemselves and not fit themselves to it You have some that are resolved whaâ— to do and yet will be askinâ— counsell and if they havâ— an answer to their mindeâ— then they rest if not theâ— their answer is This is youâ— judgement but others aâ—â— of a contrary opinion anâ— thus they labour to makâ— the Spirit of God in his Mâ—nisters to serve their turne so did the Iewes in Ieremâ—â—â— time Jer. 42. Some will father thoâ—â— sinfull affections that ariâ—â— from the flesh and aâ—â— strengthened by Sathanâ— upon the holy Spirit counting wrath that is kindleâ— from hell to be fire of holâ— zeale comming from heaven Thus the enemies 〈◊〉 Religion thinke they doâ— God service in their massacres such are those that wickedly oppose the wayes of God and yet are ready to say Glory be to the Lord such men study holinessen in the shew that they may overthrow it in the power and will countenance an ill course by Religion Such also are faulty who lay the blame of an uncomfortable life upon Religion when men are therefore uncomfortable because
Answ a comfortable sweet life indeed it requires the most care and watchfulnesse of any life in the world being the best life it is begun here and accomplished in an everlasting life in heaven Nothing in this world neither our estates nor our favour with great persons can be preserved without watchfulnesse and shall wee thinke to preserve the chiefe happinesse of our soules without it having so many enemies without and within that labour to draw us into a cursed condition Motives not to grieve the Spirit Therefore to stirre us up to the practise of these duties that wee may give contentment to so sweet a guest consider what reason we have to regard the Spirit and his motions from the good we have by them The holy Spirit of God is our guide who will displease his guide A sweet comfortable guide that leades us through the wildernesse of this world as the cloud before the Israelites by day and the pillar of fire by night so hee conducts us to the heavenly Canaan if wee grieve our guide we cause him to leave us to our selves The Israelites would not goe a steppe further then GOD by his Angell went before them It is in vaine for us to make toward heaven without our blessed guide wee cannot doe nor speake nor thinke any thing that is holy and good without him whatsoever is holy and pious it growes not in our garden in our nature but it is planted by the Spirit There is nothing in the world so great and sweet a friend that will doe us so much good as the Spirit if we give him entertainment Indeed he must rule he will have the keyes delivered to him we must submit to his government And when he is in the heart hee will subdue by little and little all high thoughts rebellious risings and despairing fears This shall be our happinesse in heaven when we shall be wholly spirituall that God shall be all in all wee shall be perfectly obedient to the Spirit in our understandings wils and affections The Spirit will then dwell largely in us and will make the roome where hee dwelleth sweet and lightsome and free subduing whatsoever is contrary and bring fulnesse of peace and joy and comfort And in the meane time in what condition soever wee are wee shall have suteable helpe from the Spirit Wee are partly flesh and partly spirit God is not all in all the flesh hath a part in us wee are often in afflictions and under clouds Let us therefore prize our fellowship with the Spirit For are we in darkenesse he is a Spirit of light Are wee in deadnesse of spirit he is a Spirit of life Are wee in a disconsolate estate hee 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 Hee is a sanctifying a subduing a mortifying Spirit in what condition soever we are hee will never leave us till hee hath raised us from the grave and taken full possession of body and soule in heaven hee will prove a comforter when neither friends nor riches nor any thing in the world can comfort us How carefull should wee be to give contentment to this sweet Spirit of Gods 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 hee 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 wee shall bee 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 atgument taken from the Spirits sealing of them to the day of redemption Wee are all by nature in bondage to sinne and corruption we are all 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 esleneed doe 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 wee indevour so to please him as hee may with delight goe on with this blessed worke that it hath pleased him to take upon him As the duty is spirituall so the arguments that inforce it are spirtuall 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 therfore 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 worke 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 hee 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 The sealing of Christ 1 By the Father Chrisâ— was ordained by him to beâ— a Saviour in our nature predestinate to be the head of the Church Wherefore he often saith hee came to doe
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
opposite part that cavell at the truth to shew their parts this is too ordinary among the wits of the world Neglect of prayer and dependance This grieves the holy Spirit also when men take the office of the Spirit from him that is when we will doe things in our owne strength and by our owne light as if we were gods to our selves Man naturally affects a kinde of divinity it was the fault of Adam and till God drive him out of himselfe by his Spirit and by afflictions he sets much by his owne parts and wit and thereupon neglects prayer and dependance on God as if the Spirit had nothing to doe with his regiment When men set upon actions in the strength of naturall parts perhaps they may goe on in their course as civill men but never as Christians to have comfort of their actions because they will bee guides and gods to themselves If a man belong to God God will crosse him in such wayes wherein he refuseth to honour God and to give him his due place he shall miscarry when perhaps other men shall have successe though it be to harden them to destruction This is a subtle way by which Sathan abuseth men The life of a Christian is dependant on an higher principle than himselfe to rule and guide him Overmuch worldly businesse Another way whereby wee commonly grieve the Spirit of God is when the minde is troubled with a multitude of busines wherâ— the soule is like a mill where one cannot heare another the noyse is such as takes away all entercourse It diminisheth of our respect to the holy Spirit when wee give way to a multitude of businesse for multitude of businesse begets multitudes of passions and distractions that when Gods Spirit dictates the best things that tend to our comfort and peace wee have no time to heed what the Spirit adviseth Therefore we should so moderate our occasions and affaires that we may be alwaies ready for good suggestions If a man will be lost let him lose himselfe in Christ and in the things of heaven for if wee be drowned in the world it wil breed discomfort Omission of duties Lastly omission or slight performance of duties grieve the Spirit the Spirit as he comes from the Father and the Sonne from God so he is great in himselfe being God Offer this to thy King saith Malachy when hee saw them come negligently and carelesly to the worship of God when people heare drowsily and receive the Sacrament unpreparedly this grieves the Spirit because it comes from irreverence and disrespect And the reason why so many are dead hearted is because they make no conscience of omissions of drowsinesse of negligent cold performances Such Christians what doe they differ from carnall men induties for they will heare pray receive Sacraments He is the best Christian that is the most reverend Christian the most carefull Christian most jealous over his owne heart Vsually those are the richest in grace Even amongst good men those that are most carefull and watchfull over themselves they goe away inriched with the greatest blessing Therefore let us heare and so heare let us receive and receive Thus So let us eate of this bread c. The Scripture fixeth a reverend respect before duty sutable to the Majestie of the great God whose businesse we are about The Spirit grieved in others is grieved by Besides grieving Gods Spirit in our selves there is an heavy guilt lyes upon us for grieving the Spirit in others which is done many wayes First Neglects by neglecting the grace of God in them or despising them for som infirmities which love should cover Contempt Contempt is a thing which the nature of man is more impatient of then of any injury those that are given this way to wrong others are punished with the common hatred of all Censures Wee likewise grieve the spirit of others by sharpe censures and the greater our authority is the deeper is the griefe a censure inflicteth many weake spirits cannot enjoy quiet while they are exercised with such sharpenesse They thinke themselves excommunicated out of the hearts of those in whose good liking they desire to dwell By superiours Againe those that are above others grieve the spirits of those under them by unjust commands as when Masters presse their Servants to that which their consciences cannot digest and so make them sinne and offer violence to that tender part By inferiours Againe wee grieve the Spirit of others when those that are inferiour shew themselves untractable to those above them in magistracie or ministerie When they make them spend their strength in vaine thus the Spirit of God in Noah strove with the old world our duty is therefore to walke wisely in regard of others and if it bee a dutie to please men in all things lawfull in the way of humanity much more ought we to please Christians in those things wherein wee doe not displease God as being joyned in communion with them in the same spirit Yet here wee must remember that it is one thing to crosse the humour and offend the pride of another and another to grieve the Spirit in him no cures can bee wrought without griefe in that kinde and if wee grieve not their spirits when such humours prevaile in them we shall grieve our own for neglect of duty By ill example the Spirit is grieved And in the last place this causeth another griefe when those that are good watch not over their waies the Spirit is grieved for the reproches of religion thaâ— come from the wicked for what say they doth religion and the Spirit teach yet this thus Christians make the name of God to be ill spoken of and this grieves the Spirit and will grieve them if they belong to God Oh wretch that I am that I should open the mouthes of others and grieve the spirit of God not onely in my selfe but in others because he is grieved by mee Scandalous courses either by unreasonable use of our liberty without respect â—o the weakenesse of others â—r by actions that are in themselves evill or of ill reâ—ort by such actions wee â—rieve the spirits of others An ill example alwaies eiâ—her grieveth or infecteth The spirit of Lot was grieved for the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites which no question hastened their ruine How it may be knowne when the Spirit is grieved How shall we know when we grieve the Spirit wee may know that by the sins before mentioned as the cause of griefe Againe the Spirit will bring report of â—â—s owne griefe wee may know wee have offended a friend when he leaves our company so we may know wee have discontented the Spirit by spirituall defenâ—ons both in respect of assiâ—stance in the performance oâ— duties and resisting temptaâ—tions and bearing afflictiâ—ons as also in respect oâ— comfort as when wee find a strangenesse and dulnessâ— of disposition unlesse it be
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
degree of abhomination as though it tend not to the destruction of the offender yet to sharpe correction so that griefe is eminently in the hatred of God in such a manner as becomes him Fourthly Spirit confidered as in himselfe as in us wee may conceive of the Spirit as hee is in himselfe in heaven and as hee dwels and workes in us as wee may conceive of God the Father as hidden in himselfe and as revealed in his Son and in his word and as wee may conceive of Christ as the secoÌ„d persoÌ„ as incarnate so likewise of the holy Ghost as in himselfe and as in us God in the person of his Sonne and his Sonne as man and as Minister of Circumcision was grieved at the rebellion and destruction of his owne people The holy Spirit as in us grieveth with us witnesseth with us rejoyceth in us and with us and the spirit in himselfe and as hee worketh in us hath the same name as the gifts and graces and the comforts of the Spirit are called the spirit even as the beames of the Sunne shining on the earth are called the Sunne and when wee let them in or shut them out wee are said to let in or shut out the Sunne We may grieve the spirit when we grieve him as working grace and offering comfort to us the graces of the Spirit have the name of the Spirit whence they come as the Spirit of love and wisedome Againe our owne spirits so farre as sanctified are said to be the Spirit of God So the Spirit of God not in it selfe but in Noah did strive with the old world and so we grieve the Spirit when wee grieve our owne or other mens spirits so farre as they are sanctified by the Spirit How the Spirit worketh in us Now the spirit as in us worketh in us according to the principles of mans nature as understanding and free creatures and preferveth the free manner of working proper to man and doth not alwaies put forth an absolute prerogative power but dealeth with us by way of gentle and sweet motions and perswasions and leaveth it in our freedome to imbrace or refuse these inferiour workes of the Spirit and our hearts tell us it is in our power to entertaine or reject the motions which when wee doe in our owne apprehension wee churlishly offend the spirit as willing to draw us to better waies and wee cannot otherwaies judge of this but as grieving God in his dealing with men puts his cause into our haÌ„ds that by our prayers and otherwise wee may helpe or hinder him against the mighty And Christ puts himself into our hands in his Ministers and in the poore counts himselfe regardeâ— or neglected in them so the holy Spirit puts as it were his delight and contentment in our power and counts when we entertaine his motions of grace or comfort we entertain him and when we refuse them wee grieve him And the holy Ghost will have us interpret our refusing of his motion to be a refusing of him and not onely a refusing of him but of the Son and of the Father whose spirit he is Oh if wee did but consider how high the slighting of a gracious motion reaches even to the slighting of God himselfe it would move us to give more regard unto them As we use these motions so would wee use the Spirit himselfe if he were in our power They are not onely the Ambassadors but the royal off-spring of the spirit in us and when we offer violence to them we kill as much as in us lyeth the royall seed of the Spirit Object We intend not in sin to grieve the Spirit Answ We doe it in the cause Ob. It may be objected when wee doe any thing amisse we intend not the grieving of the Spirit It is true unlesse we were divels incarnate we will not purposely and directly grieve the Spirit but when we sinne we will the grieving of him in the Cause No man hates his owne soule or is in love with death yet men will willingly doe that which iâ— they hated their own souls and loved death they could not doe worse Why wilâ— you perish you house of Israel saith God they intended no such matter as perishing Gods meaning is why will you go on in such destructive courses as will end in perishing if we could hate hell in the cause of it and way to it as we hate iâ—â— in it selfe we would never come there 2 Wherein we grieve the Spirit For the second point wherein wee especially grieve the Spirit griefe ariseth either from antipathy and coÌ„trariety or from disunion of things naturally joyned together In greater persons especially griefe ariseth from any indignity offered from neglect or disrespect and most of all from unkindenesse after favour shewed Thus the holy Ghost is grieved by us what more contrary to holinesse then sinne which is the thing and the onely thing that God abhominates yea in the divell himselfe But then adde to the contrarietie in sinne We grieve the Spirit by unkindnesse the aggravations from unkindenesse and this makes it more sinfull What greater indignity can wee offer to the holy Spirit than to preferre base dust before his motions leading us to holinesse and happinesse what greater unkindnesse yea treachery to leave directions of a friend to follow the counsaile of an enemy such as when they know Gods will yet will consent with flesh and bloud like Balaam who was swayed by his profit against a cleere discovery of Gods will Wee cannot but make the Spirit of God in us in some sort ashamed to thinke of our folly in leaving the Fountaine Ier. and digging Cisternes in leaving a true guide and following the Pirate men are grieved especially when they are disrespected in their place and office It is the office of the Spirit to enlighten to soften to quicken and to sanctifie when wee give content to Sathan it puts the holy Ghost out of office The office of the holy Ghost is likewise to bee a comforter it cannot therefore but grieve the holy Spirit when the consolations of the Almighty are either forgotten or seeme nothing unto us in the perishnesse of our spirits when with Rachel wee will not bee comforted Who in stead of wrastling with GOD by prayer wrangle with him by cavelling objections They take pleasure to move objections instead of a holy submission to higher reasons that might raise them to comfort and take Satans part against the holy Spirit and their owne spirit and against arguments that are ministred by those that are more skilfull in the wayes of salvation then themselves How little beholding is the holy Spirit to such who please themselves in a spirit of opposition and yet so sweet is this holy Spirit that after long patience hee overcomes many of these with his goodnesse and makes them at length with shame lay their hands upon their mouthes and bee silent Yet that
from some naturall distemper of body wee may feare all is not well When wee finde a prounenesse to divert to other comforts and to hold corâ—respondency with carnall persons and delight not aâ— formerly in the communion of Saints but finde an in differency for any acquaintance When we drive hardly and our wheeles fall off when conscience will not let us omit good duties and yet we want the oyle of the Spirit to make us strong and nimble in the performance of them whereupon they come not off with that acceptance to God or our owne spirits These indispositions shew we have not used the Spirit well whom otherwise wee should finde a Spirit of strength a Spirit of comfort a quickening Spirit Issues of grieving the Spirit The issues of grieving the Spirit will prove very dangerous for the Spirit may justly leave us to our owne spirits and deceitfull hearts which as they are arch Flatterers so will prove arch-Traitors to us and so let in a worse guest into our soules The ill Spirit is alwayes ready presently to take possession who by joyning with the streame oâ— our corruptions may please us for a time but will deâ—stroy us for ever When we grieve the good Spirit of God and cause him to leave us our soule is left as a hell for what is hell but the absence of God in his favour and mercy Againe we cannot grieve the Spirit of God in doing any thing against it Grieving our spirits but it will grieve us againe and being a spirit may fill our spirits with that griefe that may make our conditions a kinde of hell upon earth Few reprobates feele those terrours here that the godly oft doe by their bold adventures for besides the terrours of the naturall conscience they have the Spirit to set them on and that spirit that had so well deserved of them before which cannot but increase the horrour and shame In hell it selfe this will be the bitterest torment to thinke of refusing mercy mercy pressed and offered with all love A carelesse spirit oft proves a wounded spirit and that who can beare and that who can beare untill hee that woundeth healeth againe by giving grace to afflict our selves and wait his good time to take pitty of us that which wee say of conscience is true it is our best friend and our worst enemy If a mans conscience bee his friend it will make all friendly to him it will make God his friend affliction his friend nothing can sit at the heart to grieve him But if a mans conscience turne his enemy there need no other enemies be sought out he hath enow in his owne heart his owne tormenting conscience tearing it selfe This may be as truely said of the Spirit of God who is above Conscience if wee make him not our best friend we are sure to have him our worst enemy that sets all other enemies upon us Displeasure is as the person is it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God who knowes the power of his wrath it is a powerfull wrath no creature hath power over the Spirit immediately but this Spirit of spirits who can fill the soule the whole soule and every corner of it being adaequate to the soule as large as the soule and larger he can fill it with wrath of God when the Spirit of God sets it on once Qu. Whence is it that we grieve the Spirit Answ Because there is a cursed principle in us alwaies active which is not perfectly subdued in this life Death is the accomplishment of mortification but while we are here this corruption in us will alway be working The flesh lusteth against the Spirit the flesh is an active busie thing it bestirs it self now when coÌ„traries are so neare as the flesh and Spirit in the same soule they must needs thwart and grieve one another continually Quest How far a childe of God may grieve the Spirit It may be emanded how farre forth a childe of God may grieve the Spirit and yet remaine the childe of God In Answer to this Answ know that wee must not judge of sinne by the matter in which but by the Spirit from which sinne is committed There is no sinne so grosse but the Saints of God may fall into it but yet the childe of God is hindered by a contrary law of the Spirit from yeelding full consent before or taking full delight in a sinne or allowing or persisting after And though in regard of ingratitude the sinne of a godly man admits of agreater aggravation than the finne of others yet setting that aside the sinne it selfe of a godly man is lesse for his temptations be stronger and Sathans malice more eager against him and his resistance of sinne greater all which doth abate the hainousnesse of the guilt The more resistance from within argues a stronger party from within in the godly the force of sinne is broken from within take a godly man at the worst there is some worke of the Spirit in him that in some measure is answerable to the counsels and motions of the Spirit without him the holy Sprit hath some hold in him by which hee doth recover him A wicked man proceeds from grieving to quenching and from quenching to resisting The Spirit hath no party no side in him and therefore when the Spirit is gone fare well he glad they are that then they can follow their pleasures and sinnes without checke Sometimes God leades his children to heaven through some to heaven through some foule way by which hee lets them see what need they have of washing by the bloud and Spirit of Christ which otherwise perhaps they would not so much value when they grieve the Spirit and the Spirit thereupon grieves them and that griefe proves medicinall the griefe which sinne breeds consumes the sinne that bred it We are in covenant with so wise and powerfull a God that over-rules even sinne it selfe to serve his purpose in bringing his to heaven They have that in them whereby they hate the sinne they doe and love the goodnesse they doe not whereas others hate the good in some respects they doe and love the ill which they dare not commit Howsoever they are drawn into sinne yet they will never breake their conjugall bond betwist Christ and their soules so farre as that sinne should raigne in them as a commanding Lord they will not forsake their oath of allegeance to serve willingly a contrary King They may presume sometimes upon Christ thinking they have a Balme ready to cure the wound againe as some to shew the vertue of their oyles doe make wounds in themselves the deceitfulnesse of sinne seducing them but God ever chastiseth this boldnesse and taketh such a course with them that it ends in taking the greater shame to themselves and by so much as they have beene more presumptuous The losse of comfort and the sence of sorrow they feele makes them say
from experience that there is nothing gotten by sinne and that it proves bitternesse in the end Gods children commit not the sin against the holy Ghost Againe though they are not kept from sinnes in some sence presumptuous yet they are alwayes kept from that great offence Though they may commit a sin against the holy Ghost Since against the holy Ghost what yet they can never commit the sinne against the holy Spirit because this is a sinne of malice after strong conviction expressed in words dipt in malice by a tongue set on fire by hell and in actions comming from an opposite spirit and tending to opposition and to bitter persecution if their malice bee not greater then their power And it ends alwaies in impenitencie by reason they despise that grace and cast away that potion whereby they should recover their pride will not stoope to Gods way Thirdly after such fearefull relapses darkenesse in the understanding and rebellion in the will increaseth sinne growes stronger and they weaker and weaker to resist Fourthly Sathan being once cast out by some degree of illumination and reformation brings seven divels after worse than himselfe when they see their former courses stand not with their lusts and hopes they take a contrary course and so fall to bitternesse in the end Miscarriage concerning the sinne against the holy Ghost There is a double miscarriage about this sinne some are too head-long in their censures of others whereas the greater the sin is 1 Concerning others the greater caution should be in fastening it upon any especially whose spirits we are not thorowly acquainted withall considering so many thing must meet in this sinne 2 Concerning themselves The second miscarriage is in an ungrounded censure of our selves there be three things that feare frees us from the danger of First Fearefrees from three things feare lest the time of our conversion be past because we have so often grieved the Spirit whereas if their time were past they would be given up to a carelesse security A second is feare of some judgement which God stirres up in the heart to prevent the judgement that wee may not feele that we feare because feare stirs up care and care stirres up diligence to avoid what we feare a third is feare lest we have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost which shewes wee have not committed that sinne it is never committed but without feare and with delight In these cases we need feare them least that feare themselves most How to prevent grieving the Spirit The fourth point is what course wee should take to prevent this grieving of the Sprit 1 Give up our selves to the guidance of the Spirit Let us give up the government of our soules to the Spirit of God it is for our safety so to doe as being wiser then our selves who are unable to direct our owne way it is our libertie to bee under a wisedome and goodnesse larger then our owne Let the Spirit thinke in us desire in us pray in us live in us doe all in us labour ever to be in such a frame as we may be fit for the Spirit to worke upon as Nazianzen saith of himselfe Lord I am an instrument for thee to touch A musicall instrument though in tune soundeth nothing unlesse it bee touched let us lay our selves open to the Spirits touch Thus Saint Paul lived not Gal. 2. but Christ lived in him this requires a great deale of sefle-denyall to put our selves thus upon the guidance of the Spirit but if we knew what enemies wee are to our selves it would be no such hard matter 2 To obey him perfectly Secondly study to walke perfectly in obeying the Spirit in all things which requires much circumspection in knowing and regarding our wayes and then we shall sinde the Spirit ready to close with us and tell us This is the way walke in it and upon obedience wee shall finde the Spirit incouraging us by a secret intimation that this or that is well done Thus Paul was said to be bound in Spirit the Spirit so put him on that he could not withstand the motions untill the execution of it We must take especiall heed of slighting any motion as being the Spirits messenger they are Gods Ambassadours sent to make way for God into our hearts therefore give them entertainement Many men rather then they will be troubled with holy motions stifle them in the birth as harlots that to avoid the paine of childe-birth kill their fruit in the wombe let us take heed of murthering these births of the Spirit But seeing Sathan will oft interrupt good motions by good motions that he may hinder both How shall we know from whence the motions come Quest Answ How to know the motions of the Spirit When two good motions arise seeming divers the Spirit of God carries strong to one and that is from God more than to the other Good motions are either raised up in us 3 They raise higher or sent unto us by the Spirit both these if they bee raised by the Spirit will carry us to God they will rise as high as the Spring is whence they come what ariseth from our selves endeth in our selves 2 Are constant Those motions that the Spirit stirs up from within come from sanctified judgement estimation of what they are moved to other motions are hasty and gone before they have their errand holy motions are constant as strengthened from constant grace within will they see the issue of what they are moved to other motions are like lightening and sudden flashes that leave the soule more daâ—ke and amazed then before Holy motions are answerable to the duties of our calling other motions oft leade us out of the compasse of our calling 3 They change the heart The Spirit moveth in the godly first by a dwelling in them and working in them gracious abilities and then drawes forth those abilities to good actions But the Spirit dwelleth not in others nor produceth any sanctified abilities in them but onely moveth them sometimes to good actions without changing of them 4 Are seasonable The holy Spirits motions are seasonable other motions oft presse upon us to disturbe an holy duty The breath of the Spirit in us is suteable to the Spirits breathing in the Scriptures the same Spirit doth not breath contrary motions 5 Evidence themselves Motions of the Spirit when they come in favour carry their owne evidence with theÌ„ as light doth The motions of the Spirit are sweet and milde and leade us gently on they are not ordinarily violent raptures Removing the soule from it self but leave in the soule a judgement of them and of other things Againe 6 Orderly the Spirit moveth us so to duties of Religion as agree with civill honesty and charity to our neighbours Those therefore know not what spirit they are of who under a pretence of
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
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 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 Act. 20.28 This is my welbeloved Son by the Holy Spirit descending like a dove by himself to his humane nature dwelling in all fulnesse in it Christ is sealed by miracles done upon him 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 In being justified in the spirit being raised from the dead Rom. 1 4. 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 bee in God 1 Peter 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 any see all what ever we can looke for to our selves performed in our head to our comfort 2 Christians are sealed 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 Simile 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 finne 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 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 stoope so low as to receive as it were confirmation by our beliefe but thus GOD condescends in the phrase of Scripture As wee are said to helpe God curse yee 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 bee by the helpe of the Spirit wee 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 Faiths Why because it honours God most of all others it gives GOD the honour of his mercy and goodnesse and wisedome and power and of his truth especially hee 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 mee I will honour Therefore Hee that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe that grace promised belongeth to him for hee carries in his heart the counterpaine of the promises hee that confesseth and beleeveth shall have mercie I beleeve saith the soule therefore the promise belongs to mee my faith answering Gods love in the promise witnesseth so much to mee 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 mee and gave himselfe for mee 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 means discovering and sealing the good will of God to us that hee intends good unto us and thereupon our hearts are perswaded to beleeve in God 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 paranymphos the procurer of the marriage betweene Christ and the soule 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 priviledges of a Christian from this his sealing as the use of a seale in mans affaires is manifold 1 Seales serve for conformation and allowance 1 For conformation to that purpose measures are sealed God is said to seale instruction Iob 33.16 Confirmation is either by giving strength or by the authority of suck as are able to make good what they promise 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 seals them to the soule then they are sure to us the Spirit puts the seale to the promises 2 2 Distinction 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 1 Tim. 2. 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 afterwards is in this life A seale maketh the imapression 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 civiil 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 Simile 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 downeward and light bodies upward every creature works according to his nature an holy man is exercised in holinesse constantly because hee 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 Similie 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 whereby he overcomes the world and his lusts whereby hee doth all duties prayes and heares and is fruitfull in his conversation in all his graces there is a comforting strengthening vertue Similie True gold hath the vertue to comfort and strengthen the heart that Alchymy gold hath not True grace hath a working comforting vertue Another mans formall artificiall actions have 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 3 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 Can. 6. 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 Psal 4. GOD chooseth the righteous man to himselfe And wee may know this appropriation by appropriating God againe Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73. 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 wee are his and wee are Christs wee 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 see our seale onely upon that wee have some estimation of 4 Estimation 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 shewes 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 hallowâ—d and consecrated they are first-fruits Israel is a holy thing Ier. 2.3 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 stones betweene fruitfull and barren trees so there is amongst men and in this regard God sets a higher 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 works 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 seale of Gods valuing him above other men Therfore 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 hee gives his Spirit to them that pray insinuating that next the gift of his Son the greatest gift is the Spirit to fashion and fit us to be members of his Sonne this is an argument of Gods love and esteeme Seales likewise are used for secresie 5 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 knowne to him that hath it Revel 3. 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 Christin 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 6 Security is to shew that things should be kept inviolable hereupon the Church is as a sealed fountain sealing shewes 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 butied 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 bee perserved 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 eternal 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 he is kept from soule-murthering errours he hath this security upon him by the worke 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 Degrees of sealing Now there are divers degrees of the Spirits sealing 1 Faith 1 Faith Hee that beleeves hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 Ioh. 5.10 hee 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 whose gifts that accompany salvation of which GOD never repents him by calling back againe it is a feed that abideth for ever 2 Sanctification 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 wee know it By this seale Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity 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 myst 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 bee nothing but all objections and doubtings Wee may bee sometimes in such a state as Paul and his company was in the ship Act. 27.20 when they saw neither Sun 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 own 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 wee shall see light without and light within the day-starre will arise in their hearts Thought 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 hee resolved to trust in him even though hee killed him hee knew hee was no hypocrite he knew his graces were true an for all the imputations of his friends they could not dispute him out of his sincerity you shall not take my uprightnesse from mee 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 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
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 goe to God and say If wee confesse out 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 is that witnesses with bloud and witnesses with water and by water whatsoever of Christ 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 G O D was willing more abundantly to cleare to the heires of promise their salvation hee added an oath Hebr. 6.18 So for the same end hee added this his Spirit as a seale to the promise and to the other testimonies Our owne graces indeed if wee 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 if subdueth all doubts As God in his oath and swearing joyneth none to himselfe but sweareth by himselfe so in this witnesse hee taketh confirm 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 wee see our being in the state of grace not in the effect only but as in the breast and bosome of God But how shall wee know this witnesse from an enthusiasticall fancie and illusion Quest This witnesse of the Spirit is knowne from Answ 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 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 Christ to meet that is if what wee finde in us bee not agreeable to the Scriptures wee may well suspect it as an illusion That you may know the voyce of the Spirit of God from the carnal confidence of our owne spirits inquire 1 What went before 2 What accompanieth it 3 What followeth after this ravishing joy 1 What goeth before this witnesse of the Spirit 1 The Word must goe before it in being assented unto by faith and submitted unto by answerable 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 given you joy In beleeving There must be a beleeving a walking according to Rule Gal. 6. or else no joy nor peace will bee unto us If wee 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 bee not grounded on their testimony but is above theirs yet they goe before Where wee thus finde the worke wee may know it to bee right by the order of it It commeth after deepe humiliation and abasement though wee know our selves to bee the children of God in some such measure as we would not change our condition for all the world yet we would have more evidence wee would have further manifestation of Gods countenance towards us we are not satisfied but waite After wee have long fasted and our hearts melted 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 if 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 bee 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 let loose their natures without a checke shall never taste of this hidden Manna But when wee deny our selves deny to heare or see that which may feed corruption When wee deny to take delight in that that wee might if wee would goe the course of the world there is a proportionable measure of joy and peace and comfort in a higher kinde made good to the soule GOD is so good wee shall lose nothing for parting with any thing for his sake 4 It is usually found after conflict and victory as a reward To him that overcommeth Revel 2. will I give to eate of the hidden Manna Gods children after strong conflict 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 enjoyes that which the spirituall 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 contentment proportionable to their indeavours some degree of pleasure attends every good action as a reward before a reward 2 What accompanieth c. 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 prizing 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 young as when they were old but then more clearely So all truths are more clearely knowne by this the Spirit by which wee 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 gracious liberty that is further inlargements from the law guilt of sinne and the feare of the wrath of GOD that wee can come with so me boldnesse 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 Hâ—aven upon earth in a creature of meaner ranke by crea ion then himselfe wee must not thinke to enjoy pure joy here without molestation If there bee danger of exalting above measure wee must looke for some messenger of Sathan 3 What followeth after thâ—s witnessing of the Spirit After this witnesse it leaves the soule more humble none more abased in themselves then those that have neerest communion with God as wee 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 wee 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 findes it selfe steeled against opposition Whilest this winde filleth their sayles 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 Pro. 32.6 Give wine to those that be of heavy hearts Proverbs 31. The sence of this love of Christ is better then wine This refreshing Paul had in the dungeon and he 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 priviledge 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 manifesteth in me the word I heare and reade to bee the truth of God from the power and efficacie of it the same Spirit teacheth to apply 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 wee 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 GOD to vouchsafe the Spirit of Revelation to reveale the mysteries of his truth unto us and our portion in them in particular and so our adoption and in the meane time to wait and attend his good pleasure in the use of
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
our soules It is an argument to them that are 1 Not sealed It is an argument of force whether we be not yet sealed or be sealed if not sealed then gieve not him whose onely office it is to seale entertaine his motions give way to him that hee may have scope andliberty 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 hee put a perioâ— to his patience hee is long suffering but not alwayes suffering if hee give us up to our own spirits wee shall onely 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 Wee 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 bee 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 bee 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 bee hoped from a heathen Pilate than a proud Pharisee Those that will not bee sealed to their salvation it is just with GOD that they should be seâ—led up to their destruction the soule without the spirit is darkenesse and confusion full of selfe accusing and selfe tormenting thougâ—ts it we let the Spirit come in it will scatter all and settle the soule in asweet quiet 2 Those that are sealed either in a 1 Lesser degree For those that have beene 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 study to bee pliable to the Spirit for further increase The Spirit sealeth 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 bee more deepely acquainted with the whole counsell of God concerning our salvation otherwise if wee 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 hee be let loose to winnow our Faith for if our state come to bee questioned wee have nothing to alledge but the truth of our graces and if wee 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 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 wee shall bee able to hold our owne and those temptations will vanish 2 Those that are sealed in a higher degree 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 â—inder them and stirre up 〈◊〉 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 wee 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 wee 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 this secret ones that that evill one should not touch us to hurt us These as they are favours of an high nature the more care 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 wee 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 1 Ioh. 3. Our new nature will not suffer us to dissemble to be worldly to bee carnall as the world is wee cannot but study holinesse wee cannot but be for GOD and his truth wee cannot but expresse what we are and whose wee 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 necessity 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 fears 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 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 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 hoped for have such a working upon the soule that it wil not suffer the soul 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 bee in a pleasing frame It hath been an old cavill that certainty of salvation breeds security loosenesse of life And what is there that an ill disposed soul cannot sucke poyson out of A man may as truely say the Sea burns or the Fire cools there is nothing quickens a soule more to cheerefull obedience than assurance of Gods love that our labour should not bee in vaine in the Lord this is the Scriptures Logick and Rhetorick to inforce and perswade a holy life from knowledge of our present estate in grace I beseech you by the mercies of God Rom. 12. 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 hee 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 hee desires his fathers love the more he fears to displease him And hee is judged to be gracelesse that will therefore venture to offend his father because hee knowes hee neither can or will disinherit him Certaine it is the more surely wee know God hath begotten us to so glorious aninheritance 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 and this for thee and would have done more if that had beene too little 2 Sam. 12. 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 bee carried to all those courses wherein they shall approve themselves to their father Instinct of nature strengthened with grounds wil move strongly To conclude this discourse let Christians therefore bee carefull to preserve and cherish the worke of assurance and sealing in them 2 What God doth for us 1. Meanes 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. He will keep us but by what means Phil. 3. The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard our hearts God maketh our Calling and Election sure in us 2 Pet. 1. 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 al spiritual means 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 entâ—aÌ„ce into the kingdom of grace here and likewise into the kingdome of glory hereafter Those that do 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 bee able to see things farre off 2 If assurance be in a lesser degree 2 Meanes yet yeeld not to temptations and carnall reasonings if our evidences be not so faire yet we will not part with our inheritance Coynes as old groates that have little of the stamp left yet are currant We lose our coÌ„fort many times because wee yeeld so easily because wee have not such a strong and cleare seale of salvation as wee would to bee borne downe 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 bee a meanes to preserve the seale of the Spirit 3 Because this sealing is gradually 3 Meanes wee should pray as Paul Ephes 1. for a spirit of revelation that wee may be more sealed the Ephefians were sealed for whom Paul prayes and so the Colossians yet that GOD would reveale to their spirits more their excellent coÌ„dition Col. 2.2 There are riches of assurance the Apostle would have theÌ„ labour not only 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 we have not strong assurance wee may be sorely troubled and call all into question This may be the sad condition of Gods owne children and from this that in times of peace they contented themselves with a lesser degree of this assurance and sealing 4 Lastly 4 Meanes be 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 wee shall in so doing prejudice our selves and suffer in the comfort and evidence of our sealing FINIS