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
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
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
all good meanes Thus wee waiting God will so farre reveale himselfe in love to us as shall assure us of his love and stirre up love againe and the same Spirit that is a Spirit of Revelation will bee a Spirit of sanctification and so adoption Dignity and fitting qualities sureable to dignity go both together In that grand inquirie about our condition there is a great miscarriage when men will beginne with the first worke of the Father in election then passe to redemption by Christ I am Gods and Christ hath redeemed mee and never thinke of the action of the third person in sanctification which is the neerest action upon the soule as the third person himselfe is nearest unto us And so fetch their first rise where they should set up their last rest Whereas wee should begin our inquirie in the worke of the third person which is next unto us and then upon good grounds we may know our redemption and election The holy Spirit is both a Spirit of Revelation and of Sanctification together as hath beene said for together with opening the love of the Father and the Son hee fitteth us by grace for communication with them People out of selfe-love will have conceits of the Fathers and Sonnes love severed from the worke of the Spirit upon their hearts which will prove a dangerous illusion Although the whole work of grace by the Spirit arise from the Fathers and Sonnes love witnessed by the Spirit yet the proofe of the Fathers love to us in particular ariseth from some knowledge of the worke of the Spirit the errour is not in thinking of the Fathers and Sonnes love but in a strengthening themselves by a pleasing powerlesse thought of it against the worke of grace by the Spirit which their corruption withstands So they will carve out of the worke of the Trinitie what they thinke agreeable to their lusts whereas otherwise if their heart were upright they would for this very end think of Gods love and Christs to quicken them to duty and to arme them against corruption To the day of Redemption Redemption double There is a double redemption redemption of the soule by the first comming of Christ to shed his bloud for us redemption of our bodies from corruption by his second comming Wee have not the perfect consummation and accomplishment of that which Christ wrought in his first comming till his second comming then there shall bee a totall redemption of our soules and bodies and conditions There is a double redemption as there is a double cōming of Christ the first and the second the one to redeeme our soules from sinne and Sathan and to give us title to heaven the other to redeeme our bodies from corruption when Christ shall come to bee glorious in his Saints As likewise there is a double resurrection the first and the second and a double regeneration of soule and body In sicknesse weaknes of body or when age hath overtaken us that we cannot live long here and the horrour of the grave the house of darkenesse is presented to us Oh let us thinke there will bee a redemption of our bodies as well as of our soules Christ will redeem our bodies from corruption as he came to work the redemption of our soules from sinne and death and hee that will redeeme our bodies out of the grave he will redeeme his Church out of misery hee will call the Iewes hee that will doe the greater will doe the inferiour When wee heare of this let us thinke with comfort of all the promises that are yet unperformed Full redemption not yet Secondly full redemption is not yet What need I bring Scripture to prove it It is a point that every mans experience teacheth Alas let our bodies speake◠wee are not free from sicknesse and diseases nay what is our life but a going to corruption the sentence is passed upon us earth returneth to earth till death wee are going to death so besides sicknesse and weakenesse here we must dye and after death bee subject to corruption The Apostle in this respect calleth our body a vile body As for our soules though they bee freed from the guilt and damnation of sinne yet there are remainders of corruption that breed feare and terrour and though they be freed from the rule of Sathan yet not from his molestation and vexations by temptations In a word our whole state and condition in this world is a state and condition of misery wee are followed with many afflictions so that there is not yet perfect redemption whether we looke to body soule or state the body being subject to diseases the soule to infirmities the state to misery But there is a day appointed for it A day of Redemption By a day wee are not to understand the time measured by the course of the Sunne in 24 houres but in the Scriptures meaning a day is a set time of mercy or judgement As there was a solemne day the fulnesse of time for the working of the first redemption so there is a solemn time set for the second redemption when all the children of God shall bee gathered those that lye in the dust shall be raised and for ever glorified It is the day of all dayes that day that by way of excellency is called THAT day in the Scriptures and the day of the Lord. The day that were should thinke of every day especially in sicknesse and trouble and crosses and molestations from the wicked world and in sense of the remainders of corruption There is a day of redemption to come that will make amends for all The frequent thoughts of that day would comfort us and keepe us from shrinking in any affliction and trouble it would move us to a carriage and conversation answerable to our hopes and also it would helpe to fit us it would infuse a desire of qualification to be prepared for that great day The day of Redemption ought to be thought on But how little of our time is spent in thoughts this way If wee could oft thinke of the day of redemption our lives would bee otherwise both in regard of gracious as also of cōfortable carriage should we be disconsolate at every losse and crosse at sicknesses and the thought of death when wee shall be turned into our first principle the earth if wee did thinke of the day of redemption when all shall be restored againe all the decayes of nature and the Image of God be perfectly stamped the thought of this would make us goe willingly to our graves knowing that all this is but a preparation for the great day of redemption The first day of redemption when Christ came to redeeme our soules and to give us title to heaven It was in the expectation of all good people before Christ they are said to wait for the consolation of Israel that was the character to know those blessed people by And what should be the distinguishing character
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
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
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
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
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
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
is one reason they sticke so long in temptations and are kept so long under the Spirit of bondage Those likewise cannot but grieve the Comforter that leave his comforts and seeke for other Comforters that thinke there is not comfort enough in Religion but will bowe downe to the world such as linger after the liberties of the flesh after stolne waters as if God kept house not good enough for them It is a great disparagement to preferre huskes before the provision of our fathers house and to dye like fish out of their proper element if wee want carnall comforts But above all they grieve the Spirit most that have had deepest acquaintance with the Spirit and have received greatest favours from the Spirit When the holy Ghost comes in love and wee have given way to him to enlighten our understandings and when in our affections wee have tasted of the good things of God that the promises are sweet and the Gospell is good When wee have given such way to the Spirit then to use him unkindely this grieves the Spirit Where the holy Ghost hath not only set up a light but given a taste of heavenly things and yet wee upon false allurements will grow to 〈◊〉 distast it cannot but grieve the Spirit And this makes the sinne against the holy Ghost so desperate because there hath beene a strong conviction and illumination Aggravation of sinnes of Professors Therfore of all sinnes the sinnes of Professours oâ— Religion grieve the Spiriâ— most and of all Professor those that have most meanâ— of knowledge because their obligations are deeâ— and their ingagements greater The deeper dee affection hath entred the greater the griefe must needs be in unloosing The offence of friends grieves more than the injuries of enemies And therefore the sinnes that offend GOD most are committed within the Church where is the greatest sinne of all the sin against the holy Ghost committed but within the Church and where there is the greatest light and the greatest meanes Sinnes against knowledge grieve most especially if there be a malicious opposing for there can be nothing to excuse it The malice of the will maketh the sinne of the deeper die and it is contrary to the spirit as it is a Spirit of goodnes hence is it that prâ—suÌ„ptuous sins so much grieve the spirit for by such sinnes we abuse the sweetest Attribute of Gods Spirit his goodnesse and be therefore evill because he is good and turne his grace into wantonnesse Sins against knowledg are such either 1 Directly the sin of this age Sins against knowledge are either such as are 1. Directly against knowledge as when we will not understand what wee should doe because wee will not doe what wee understand such put out the candle that they may sinne with the more freedome This kinde of ignorance doth not free from sinne but increaseth it some men will not heare the Word nor reade good Bookes lest their consciences should bee awaked this affected ignorance increaseth the voluntarinesse Againe when we maintaine untruths for any advantage knowing them to bee untruths as many learned Papists cannot but doe What a great indignity is it to the Spirit of GOD to sell the truth which we should buy yea with the losse of our lives and to prefer the pleasing of a base man or some gaine to our selves before a glorious beame of GOD Other sinnes if wee know them to be sinnes are sinnes against knowledge 2 Indirectly not so directly but collaterally yet this will bee the chiefe aggravation when our conscienâ—â—â—s are once awaked not so much that we have sinned as that wee have sinned against the light when the will hath nothing to plead for it selfe but it selfe it would because it would though it knew the contrary Involuntarinesse takes away something of the hainousnesse of sinne when there is ignorance perturbation or passioÌ„ there is lesse sinne and lesse grieving of the Spirit but when there are none of these but a man will sinne because he will accounting it a kinde of soveraignty to have his will this wil prove the most miserable condition for not to have the will regulated by him that is the chiefest good is the greatest perversenesse and will end in desperation Q. Why are voluntary sinnes so great and so much grieve the Spirit of God Why voluntary sins grieve the Spirit so much Answ When there is passion there is some colour for sinne as profit pleasure feare to displease c. When there is ignorance there is a want of that that might help the understanding but when there are none of these and a man willingly sinnes hee is more directly carried against the command and will of God there is nothing puts him on yet hee accounts it so small a matter that hee will doe it without any provocation out of a slight esteeme of the good pleasure and will of God As common swearers can they plead ignorance they know the Commandement God will not hold them guiltlesse Exod. 20. that take his name in vaine can they plead perturbation They doe it oft in a bravery when they are not urged there is no ingagement in that sin of profit or pleasure but a voluntary superfluity of pride They would have you to know that they are men that care not for God himselfe let God and his Ministers take it as they will though I have no pleasure or prosit by it yet I wil have my liberty The heart that hath been thus wicked will hardly admit of comfort when it stands in neede of it We are not said to be ill because we know ill but because we will and consent to ill it is the will that makes up the bargain sin were not sinne else God hath given us the custody of our owne soules and as long as wee keepe the keyes faithfully and betray not our soules to Sathan so long wee possesse our owne soules and our comfort but when hee suggests doe this or speake this and wee consent hee takes full and free possession of us as much as in us lies and God in judgment saith Amen to it God saith take him Sathan since hee will not have my Spirit to rule him it is fit hee should have a worse The more willingnesse the more sinfulnesse and the lesse defence and Gods justice cannot better bee satisfied than by punishing theÌ„ mosâ— against their wils who sinned most with their will The clearer the light is and the more advantages it hath the more we sinne Sinnes against the second Table inâ— what respect they grieve most In this respect it is that sinnes against the second Table grieve more then sinnes against the first because here the conscience is more awaked These be sins against a multiplied light against the light of nature light of the Word and Spirit and such sinnes are contrary to humane society they dissolve those bonds that nature even by the common reliques it hath
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
they are not religious enough The wayes of wisedome are the wayes of pleasure The Spirit is grieved by sinnes against the Gospell In these times being the second spring of the Gospell wee must take heed of sinnes against the Gospell Benefits the greater they are being neglected or abused bring the greater judgement The office of the holy Spirit is by the Ministery to lay open the riches of Christ and the glory of Gods grace in him by neglecting so great salvation and by thinking this favour of God to be a common favour wee sinne against both Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in that they desire most to be glorified Such therefore as say to the clouds Drop not and to the winds blow not and to the Prophets prophesie not that study to keepe out the light and sin against it as discovering them and awakening them and hindering them from taking that solace in carnall courses of the world as opening the eyes of others to know them further than they would be knowne and so to lose that respect they would have in the hearts of men This cannot but grieve the Spirit of God and move him to take away that truth that wee are so farre from thinking a blessing that wee are weary of it and fret against it The office of the Spirit is to set out Christ and the favour and mercy of God in Christ Slighting ordinances when wee slight Christ in the Gospell the ordinance organ of working good in us the holy Ghost is slighted and grieved Bad is our condition by nature and what a deale of misery doe wee adde to this bad condition Are we not all the children of wrath And have we not since wee were borne added sinne unto sinne Doe we not grow in sinne as we do in yeares Is not God just and hell terrible Now God out of infinite mercy having provided a way to free us from the danger of sinne and not onely so but to advance us to life everlasting and that wee should not be ignorant of that he hath done for us he hath set up an ordinance wherin the holy Ghost discovers his love When wee sleight this and account it but an ordinary favour nay rather a burthen and thinke the opening of divine mysteries things that may be spared that there is too much preaching and what needs all this adoe This grieves the Spirit whose office is to lay open the unsearchable riches of Christ thé infinite and glorious mercy and goodnesse of God in Christ wherein God hath set himselfe in all his attributes to triumph and be glorified We grieve all the sacred Trinity God the Father is grieved to see his mercy slighted God the Sonne to see his bloud accounted common and God the holy Ghost whose office it is to discover these things The sinne of these times This is the common sinne of the times and kingdome which threatneth judgement more than any thing else When the Gospell the blessed truth of salvation is published The axe is layd to the root of the tree the instrument of destruction if men slight the mercies of God entertaine not Christ walke not worthy of the Gospell they shall feele the stroke of his sharpe anger The bloud-red horse followeth the white horse Revel 6.4 The white horse is the publishing of the Gospell when God sets himselfe to glorifie himselfe in mercy in the greatest benefits and wee account them nothing or but common favours God removes the Candlesticke the red horse of bloud and destruction followes And indeed what man will endure his greatest favours and kindnesses to be sleighted Now a degree in grieving the Spirit this way is when men will not be thorowly conceived of their owne sinfull condition and of the infinite love and mercy of God in Christ in the pardoning of them If God by his Spirit in the Ministery or in a particular reproofe come to men and discover their naturall condition and tell them they are worse than they take themselves to be they will oppose it and study revenge as Saint Paul saith Am I become your enemie because I tell you the truth this must needs grieve the Spirit By false judgement of things Againe the holy Spirit is grieved when yee have a corrupt judgement of things not weighing them in the right ballance nor value them according to their worth When wee esteeme any knowledge rather than divine knowledge any truths but truths that concerne Christ when men looke upon grace as contemptible and prefer other things above it make a tush at holinesse give us say they gifts and parts Alas what are all gifts and parts without a gracious heart Have not the divels greater parts then any man Are they not called Daemones from the largenesse of their understanding If parts and gifts were best the divels were better than wee What an indignity is this to the holy Spirit to thinke it better to be accounted witty and politicke then to be holy and gracious When we plot and contrive sinne the Spirit is grieved Again those sins wherein there is plotting and contriving exceedingly grieve the Spirit because they are done in cold bloud David deeply wounded his conscience and grieved the Spirit in plotting the death of Vriah which was the diminution of the credit of David that the Scripture saith he was good in all things except in the matter of Vriah why because therein he grieved the Spirit most in plotting and contriving the cruell murther of so good a man How can they thinke they have the Spirit of God that plot and undermine mens estates to have their wils in unjust courses or if they have the spirit can this be without grieving it for the Spirit will perpetually suggest the contrary And sinne having helps to doe the contrary Againe we grieve the holy Spirit when we commit such sinnes as we might avoid such sinnes as we have some helps against and least provocation unto It is a generall rule Quanto major facilitas c. The more the facility of not sinning the greater the sinne Therefore when we are tempted to sin consider what conscience saith I have beene an hearer of the word what hath the Spirit of God revealed and discovered unto mee He hath shewed that this is a sinne whom do I grieve by the commission of it The Spirit of God and wound my owne conscience and then consider will that that I sin for countervaile this Doe I not buy my sinne too deare Sinnes are dearely bought with the grieving of the Spirit of God therefore wisely thinke before hand what sinne will cost By caveling against the truth Men grieve the Spirit by cavelling against the truth The heathen mā could say It is an ill custome to be cavelling against Religion whether in good earnest or in jest yet wee have a sect a generation of men that are of all religions of no religion men of a contradictory spirit that alwayes take the
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
of gracious soules now but to bee such as wait for the comming of Christ how oft in the Epistles of Saint Paul is it There is a Crowne of righteousnesse for mee and for all that wait for the appearing of Christ There was a yeare of Iubile among the Iewes every fifty yeares then all that were in bondage were set at liberty So at this blessed Iubile this glorious day of redemption all that are in bondage of death and under corruption shall be set at everlasting liberty No question but the poore servants that were vexed with hard masters they thought of the Iubile and those that had their possessions tooke away they thought of the Iubile the day of recovering all So let us oft thinke of this everlasting Iubile when wee shall recover all that wee lost for ever to keepe it and never to lose it againe as wee did in the first creation Let us oft thinke of this day it will infuse vigour and strength into all our conversation Indeed to the ungodly it is not a day of redemption but a day of judgement and the revelation of the just wrath of God when their sins shall be laid open and receive a sentence answerable Day of vengeance to wicked Alas there is such a deale of Atheisme in the world and the seeds of it in the best unlesse it be wrought out daily that we forget the God of vengeance and the day of vengeance Would men goe on in sinnes against conscience if they thought of this last day It is impossible such courses come frō this abhominable root of Atheisme and unbeliefe for had they but a slight Faith it would be effectual to alter their course in some measure therefore the Scripture gives them the name of fooles though they would be thought to bee the onely wise men The foole hath said in his heart there is no God and what followes Corrupt are they and abhominable The cause of all is the foole hath said in his heart he will needs force it upon his heart that there is no God hell nor heaven nor judgement thence come abhominable courses Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby yee are sealed unto the day of Redemption FRom the consideration of all that hath beene formerly spoken of the sealing of the spirit to the day of Redemption there ariseth these foure conclusions First that we may attaine unto to knowledge that wee are in that state of grace Secondly that upon knowledge of our state in grace for the present we may be assured of our future ful Redemption Thirdly that this assured knowledge is wrought by the Spirit Fourthly that the consideration of this assurance wrought by the Spirit is an effectuall argument to disswade from grieving the Spirit The first conclusion For the first wee may know wee are in the state of grace first because the Apostle would not have used an argument moving not to grieve the Spirit from a thing unknowne or guessed at it is an ill manner of reasoning to argue from a thing unknowne 2 Againe sealing of us by the Spirit is not in regard of God but of our selves God knoweth who are his but we know not that weare his but by sealing 3 The scope of the Scriptures indited by the Spirit is for comfort the Apostle saith so directly and what comfort in an uncertaine condition wherein a man knowes not but hee may be a reprobate Wherefore came our Saviour into the world and tooke our nature upon him why became he a curse for us why hath hee carried our nature into heaven and there appeares for us till hee hath brought us home to himselfe but that hee would have us out of all doubt of his love after once by faith wee have received him whence proceeded those Commandements to beleeve those checkes of unbeleevers the commendation of them that did beleeve those upbraidings of doubting as springing from unbeliefe to what use are the Sacraments but to seale unto us the benefits of Christ if upon all this wee should still doubt of GODS love especially when besides the sealing of the promises to us wee are sealed our selves by the Spirit of promise Object This is true if wee know we doe beleeve Answer It is the office of the Spirit as to worke Faith and other graces so to reveale them to us every grace of GOD is a light of it selfe comming from the Father of lights and it is the property of light not onely to discover other things but it selfe too and it is the office of the Spirit to give further light to this light by shining upon his owne grace in us an excellent place for this is the 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have received the Spirit that is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every thing bee confirmed one witnesses is the Spirit of man which knowes the things that are in man the other witnesses is the Spirit of God witnessing to our spirits that we are the children of God Here is light added to light witnesse added to witnesse the greater witnesse of the Spirit to the lesse of our Spirits the Apostle joynes them both together Rom. 9. My conscience bears me witnesse through the holy Ghost Obje Mans heart is deceitfull Answ But the spirit of God in mans heart is not deceitfull it is too holy to deceive and too wise to be deceived in this point of assurance wee plow with the Spirits Heifer or else we could not finde out this Riddle where there is an object to be seene and an eye to see and light to discover the object to the eye sight must needs follow In a true beleever after he is inlightened as there is grace to bee seene and an eye of Faith to see so there is a light of the Spirit discovering that grace to that inward sight in the bottome of a cleare River a cleare eye sight may see any thing where nothing is nothing can bee seene it is an evidence that the Patrons of doubtings have little grace in them and much boldnesse in making themselves a measure for other Those that are base borne know their Mothers better then their Fathers Ioh. 1. the Church of Rome is all for the Mother but the babes of Christ know their Father the remainder of corruption will indeed be still breeding doubts but it is the office of the Spirit of Faith to quell them as they arise Wee are too ready in time of temptation to doubt wee need not helpe the tempter by holding it a duty to doubt this is to light a candle before the divell as we use to speake Question May not there be doubtings where there is true faith may not a true beleever bee without assurance Answer There bee three rankes of Christians first some that are yet under the spirit of bondage that like little children doe all for feare Secondly those that