the Saints all things that is First He teacheth them all things needful for the salvation of their souls all things necessary to bring John 17. 3. them to heaven Secondly All things needful to life and godlyness 2 Pet. 1. 3. Thirdly all things needful to their places callings sexes ages and conditions Fourthly All things needful for you to know to preserve you in the truth and to preserve you from being deluded and seduced by those false teachers of whom he speaks vers 18 19 22 23 26. And certainly this is the main thing that John hints at in that expression The all things spoken of in Vers 27. according to the ordinary Scripture style must necessarily be interpreted only of all those things which are there spoken of But Sixthly They are all comforted by the Spirit Acts. 9. 31. They John 14. 16 26. and Chap. 15. 26. and Chap. 16. 7. walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and driâ—k but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy-Ghost 1 Thes 1. 6. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the holy-Ghost Not that all Christians have alwayes actual comfort or actual joy O no For as the Air is sometimes clear sometimes cloudy and as the Sea is sometimes ebbing sometimes flowing so the comforts and joyes of the people of God are sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy Hudson the Martyr being deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediatly and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover the Martyr was deserted in Prison but as he was going to the stake he lookt back and cried out to his friend He is come he is come meaning the Comforter and so he laid down his life with joy Rachel wept and would not be comforted she gave so much way to weeping that she would not give the least way to comfort and so 't is many times with the choicest Saints My soul refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. 'T is not my purpose at present to insist on the several wayes whereby the people of God refuse comfort and fall short of those strong consolations which God is willing that they should receive The Sun may operate where it doth not shine and a man may be in a state of salvation and yet want consolation a man may fear the Isa 50. 10. 2. Lord and obey the voice of his servant and yet walk in darkness and see no light There is no Christian but may sometime have trouble in his conscience and grief in his heart and tears in his eyes and fears and questionings in his soul whether God be his Father and whether Christ be his Redeemer whether Mercy belongs to him yea whether any Promise in the Book of God belongs to him c. Joy and comfort are those dainties Psal 30. 6 7. those sweet-meets of heaven that God doth not every day feast his people with every day is not a wedding day nor every day is not a harvest day nor every day is not a summers day The fatted Calf is Luke 15. 22 23. Eccl. 3. 4. Rom. 12. 15. not kil'd every day nor the Robe the Ring is not every day put on every day is not a festival day nor a dancing day As there is a time to sing so there is a time to sigh as there is a time to laugh so there is a time to weep and as there is a time to dance so thereis a time to mourn All tears will never be clear wip'd from our eyes till all sinbe quite taken out of our hearts But notwithstanding all this yet gracious â—ouls have alwayes sure and choice grounds of consolation they have the promises they have the first fruits of the Spirit they have union with Christ and they have right to eternal life though they have not alwayes sensible comforts The Job 13. 15. Psal 42. 5. children of God have alwayes cause to exercise faith and hope on God in their darkest condition though they have not alwayes actual joy and consolation The comforter alwayes abides with the Saints though he doth not alway actually comfort the Saints John 14. 16. The Spirit many times carryes on his sanctifying work in the soul when he doth not carry on his comforting work in the soul the Spirit many times acts in a way of humiliation when he doth not act in a way of consolation the Spirit many times fills the soul with Godly sorrow when he doth not fill the soul with holy joy The actings of the Spirit as to his comforting work are all of his own soveraign will and pleasure and therefore he may abide in the soul when he doth not actually comfort the soul But Seventhly The people of God These words saith Zanchy are a inetaphor taken from Merchants who having bâ—ught goods seal them as their own and so transport them to other places Eph. 4. 24. first or last are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed by the holy Spirit of promise The nature of sealing consists in the imparting of the image or Character of the Seal to the thing sealed To seal a thing is to stamp the character of the Seal on it Now the Spirit of God doth really and effectually communicate the image of God to us which image consists in righteousness and true holiness Then are we truly sealed by the Spirit of God when the holy Ghost stamps the image of grace and holiness so obviously so evidently upon the soul as that the soul sees it feels it and can run and read it then the soul is sealed by the holy Spirit So Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption The Person of the holy-Holy-Ghost is here set forth in the Greek with a very great energy such as our Tongue is not able fully to express Here are three words that have three Articles every word his several Article by it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit not a Spirit and not holy but the holy nor of God but of that God 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts In these Scriptures you see that the Spirit is a seal Now a seal among men is First For secresie Secondly For distinction Thirdly For authority Fourthly For certainty A writing sealed is authentick and for ensureing In the three Texâ—s last cited if you compare them together you may observe these Six things First The Person sealing and that is the Father Secondly In whom in Christ Thirdly With what seal the Spirit of Promise Where are all the Persons in the Trinity making us sure of our inheritance Fourthly When after ye believed Fifthly
extraordinary Fourthly There is moral self which includes a freedome from gross hainous enormous wickednesses and a fair sweet harmless behaviour towards men Fifthly There is relative self which takes in our nearest and dearest relations in the flesh as Psal 45. 7 8 9 10 11. Wife Children Father Mother Brothers Sisters c. Now when a man comes thus universally to deny himself for Christ's sake and the Gospels sake and Religion sake then the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals him up unto the day of redemption This is a truth confirmed by the experiences of many Martyrs now in Heaven and by the testimony of many Christians still alive Seventhly Sacrament times are sealing times In that feast of fat things God by his Spirit seals up his love to his people and his covenant to his people and pardon of sin to his people and heaven and happiness to his people There are many precious souls that have found Christ in this Ordinance when they could not find him in other Ordinances though they have sought him sorrowingly In this Ordinance many a distressed soul hath been strengthned comforted and sealed I might give you many instances take one for all There was a gracious woman who after God had filled her soul with comfort and sealed up his everlasting love to her fell under former fears and trouble of Spirit and being at the Lords Supper a little before the bread was administred to her Satan seemed to appear to her and told her that she should not presume to eat but at that very nick of time the Lord was pleased to bring into her mind that passage in the Canticles Eat O my friends Cant. 5. 1. But notwithstanding this Satan still continued terrifying of her and when she had eaten he told her that she should not drink but then the Lord brought that second clause of the Verse to her remembrance Drink yea drink abundantly or be drunk as the Hebrew hath it my beloved or my loves as the Hebrew hath it All faithful souls are Christs Loves and so she drank also and presently was filled with such unspeakable joyes that she hardly knew how she got home Which soul-ravishing joyes continued for a fortnight after and filled her mouth with songs of praise so that she could neither sleep nor eat more than she forced her self to do out of conscience of duty At the fortnights end when God was pleased to abate her measure of joy she came to a setled peace of conscience and assurance of the love of God so that for twenty years after she had not so much as a cloud upon her spirit or the least questioning of her interest in Christ But Eighthly When God calls his people to some great and noble work when he puts them upon some high services some difficult duties some holy and eminent imployments then his Spirit comes and sets his seal upon them Jer. 1. 5. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctifyed thee and I ordained thee to be a prophet unto the Nations The Lord sending the Prophet Jeremiah to denounce most dreadful judgements against a rebellious people an impudent brazen-faced Nation he assures him of his eternal election and of his choice presence and singular assistance in that work that he set him about vers 8 17 18 19. Thus the Lord dealt with Peter James and John Matth. 17. 1 to the 6th and thus he dealt with Paul Acts 9 to 23. Ninthly When they are taken up into more than ordinary communion with God then is the Spirits sealing time When was it that the Spouse cried out My beloved is mine and I am his but when Christ brought her to his banquetting house and his banner over her was love Cant. 2. 16. 3 4 5 6. compared c. Tenthly and lastly When Christians give themselves up to private prayer when Christians are more than ordinarily exercised in secret prayer in Closet duties then the Spirit comes and seals up the Covenant and the Love of the Father to them When Daniel Dan. 9. 20 21 22 23. had been wrestling and weeping and weeping and wrestling all day long with God in his Closet then the Angel tells him that he was a man greatly beloved of God or a man of great desires as the Original hath it There was a gracious Woman who after much frequenting of Sermons and walking in the ways of the Lord fell into great desertions but being in secret prayer God came in with abundance of light and comfort sealing up to her soul that part of his Covenant viz. I will take the stony heart out of Ezek. 11. 19 20. their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God And thus I have given you a brief account of the Spirits special sealing times Now mark This seal God sets upon all his wares upon all his adopted children for sooner or later there are none of his but are sealed with this seal God sets his John 3. 3. 2 Thess 2. 13. Heb. 12. 14. seal of Regeneration he stamps his Image of Holiness upon all his people to difference and distinguish them from all prophane moral and hypocritical persons in the World Doubtless the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost imprinting the draughts and lineaments of Gods Image of Righteousness and Holiness upon Man as a seal or signet doth leave an impression and stamp of its likeness upon the thing sealed is the seal of the Spirit spoken of in Scripture 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity But to prevent mistakes you must remember that though the Spirit of the Lord first or last will set his seal upon every real Saint yet the impression of that seal is not alike visible in all for some bear this impression as Babes others as men grown up to some maturity All Gods adopted children bear this impression truly but none of them bear it perfectly in this life Sometimes this seal of Regeneration this seal of Holiness is so plain and obvious that a man may run read it in himself and others and at other times 't is so obscure and dark that he can hardly discern it either in himself or others This seal is so lively stampt on some of Gods people that it discovers it self very visibly eminently gloriously but on others it is not alike visible And thus I have made it evident by these seven particulars that all the children of God have the Spirit of God Now mark The Spirit of God that is in all the Saints is a Spirit of prayer and supplication Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba
given us of his Spirit That all the Children of God have the Spirit of God may be further made evident by an induction of these seven particulars First They are all sanctified by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God I do not say that they are all equally sanctified by the Spirit but I say they are all really sanctified by the Spirit Though all the servants of Christ have their Talents yet all have not Mat. 25. 15. their ten Talents nor all have not their five Talents nor all have not their two Talents some have only their one Talent Though Benjamins Mess was five times as much Gen. 43. 32 33 34. as his brethrens Mess yet every one of his brethren had their Mâ—ss so though some Christians have five times more measures of the Spirit and more measures of light of love of holiness of heavenly mindedness c. than others have yet every Christian hath some measures of the Spirit and some measures of grace and holiness c. Though some are Babes in Christ 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 John 2. 12 13 14. and others are Children in Christ though some are young Men in Christ and others are old Men in Christ yet every one of them is John 3. 8. born of the Spirit of Christ Though none of the people of God in this life have the Spirit in perfection yet every one of them have so much of the Spirit as will bring him to salvation every Christian hath so much of the Spirit as will bring Christ and his Soul together and therefore without all peradventure every Christian hath so much of the Spirit as will at last bring Heaven and his Soul together Secondly They are all led by the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Every Child of God hath a twofold Guide the Word without and the Spirit within Isa 30. 20 21. How the Spirit leads by the rule of the Word and how he leads Prov. 6. 22. Ephes 5. 9. to God and leads to Christ and leads to Truth and leads to Righteousness and leads to Holiness and leads to Happiness I shall not now undertake to shew Thirdly They are all upheld strengthned by the Spirit Ps 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit or underprop me or sustain me as the Hebrew hath it with thy free voluntary Spirit or as the Greek turns it with thy noble princely Spirit So Eph. 3. 16. To be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man By the inner man some understand the regenerate part of man others by the inner man do understand the soul with all its noble faculties and motions Take the words which way you will 't is certain that all the spiritual might and strength that a Christian hath he hath it from the holy Spirit Though the Spirit strengthens every Christian in the inner man yet I do not say that the Spirit strengthens every Christian alike in the inward man Some have stronger corruptions to subdue than others and more violent temptations to with-stand than others and greater difficulties to wrestle with than others and choicer mercies to improve than others and higher and harder duties of Religion to mannage than others and accordingly they are more strengthned in the inner man than others Fourthly They are all partakers of the first-fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first-fruits of the Spirit which are but as a handful of corn in respect of the whole crop All the grace 2 Cor. 1. 22. and all the holiness which we have from the regenerating Spirit at first conversion is but a drop to that Sâ—a a mite to those Talents which we shall receive in the life to come Fifthly They are all taught by Isa 59. 21. the Spirit John 14. 26. The holy-Ghost whom the father will send in my name he shall teach you all things This promise primarily belongs to the Apostles Secondarily to all believers Though these words were spoken at first to the Apostles only yet they were not spoken of the Apostles only Isa 54. 13. In the words there are three things promised to the Apostles First Immediate illumination by the Spirit of God Secondly A full knowledge of all those truths belonging to their Apostolical office and that were necessary for them at that juncture of time Thirdly Absolute infallibility as to matter oâ— Doctrine There are also three things promised to all beleevers First Mediate illumination teaching truths by the Spirit of truth in the use of the meanes of grace Secondly Knowledge of all truth necessary to salvation Thirdly infallibility too so far forth as they adhere and keep close to the spirits teaching in the word Philo saith That the primitive Christians were called Tillers because as husbandmen till their fields and manure their grounds so did they teach their Families and nurture their Children and servants with good instructions O what choice teachings of the spirit were these primitive Christians under who made it so much their business their work to teach those that were under their charge So John 1. 2 27. But the 1 Thes 4. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 8. anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth Not that we know all things simply or that we need not a Ministry to teach and instruct us but he speaks comparatively you shall not be so helped by any instructions without the Spirit as with the Spirit The Spirit shall declare the truth as it is in Jesus more clearly more freely more particularly more certainly more universally more 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11 12. 1 Tim. 4. 1. John 16. 25 Isa 48 17. Eccl. 11. 5. effectually than any other is able to doe The Spirit this holy unction shall teach the Saints all things not all things knowable for that is impossible for finite creatures to attain unto Who knows the motions of the heavens the influences of the stars the nature of the creatures or how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child who knowes the reason why the River Nilus should overflow in the summer when waters are at the lowest or why the load-stone should draw Iron to it or incline to the Pole-star Pliny tells us of one that spent Lib. 11. c. 9. eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee and yet had not fully attained to it How is it possible then for the wisest naturalist to enter into the deep things of God! Paul that learned his divinity among 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 11. the Angels and that had the holy-holy-Ghost for his immediate teacher tells us plainly That he knew but in part and O then how little a part of that part do we know But the Spirit teacheth