An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 136
SERM. CXXXVI.
Of the Object, Manner and End of the Spirits ſealing.
2 COR. 1. 22.
Who hath alſo ſealed us.
THe next particular conſiderable in this Deſcription of the Spirits ſealing, The Spirit ſeals the promiſes of grace to a believer.is the Object about which it is converſant, and that is ſaid to be the Promiſes of Grace, as belonging to a ſanctified perſon in particular; and herein doth the moſt expreſſe and efficacious effect of this ſealing appear, that it particularizeth the Promiſes of grace; what is ſpoken generally, that it doth bring home in a peculiar manner to our own breaſt. What is it to hear of health, if it be not thy health? What of wealth, if not thy wealth? So what comfort is it to hear of a Chriſt, if not thy Chriſt? To know there are bleſſed and precious promiſes, if they doe not belong to thee? Doe not the Devils know in the general, that Chriſt is a Saviour, that there are excellent promiſes declared in the Word? But they are miſerable and wretched howſoever, becauſe not applicable unto them.
We may therefore divide Faith according to the object thereof.The diviſion of faith as to the object, it is 1. General.
Firſt, Into a general Faith, whereby we are carried out to believe the whole word of God upon a divine motive, whether it be the hiſtorical or comminatory part, as well as the promiſſory. Thus whatſoever is revealed in the Scripture, though it be but an appendix to any Hiſtory, as that Sauls father had aſſes, though we cannot call it an Article of the faith, yet when ſufficiently propounded to us, then not to believe, argueth a wicked, and an obſtinate ſpirit, becauſe we deſpiſe the authority of God, and his teſtimony in that particular, though but little.
Secondly, There is a ſpecial Faith, and that I call, The worke of Gods 2. Special.grace (for all faith is the gift of God) whereby a man is enabled to believe the promiſſory part in the Scripture, whereby he believeth this truth, that Jeſus Chriſt is a Saviour to thoſe that believe in him. And this the Papiſts, yea and others too, make all the faith that is required of us; that this is it, which doth juſtifie us; but very abſurdly.
Thirdly, There is a particular Faith, and that is, When the Spirit of 3. Particular.God doth enable us to receive Chriſt as our Chriſt, to apply the promiſes as belonging to us in particular. To ſay with Thomas, My Lord, my God: And with Paul, Galat. 2. Who loved me, and gave himſelf for me. Such a particular faith is not onelyonly poſſible, but a duty, of which much excellent and profitable Diſcourſe might be made; but I forbear, becauſe I am to treat of it (God aſſiſting) upon another account. Therefore for the preſent, you are to know, that this worke of Gods Spirit in confirming and ſealing of us, is eſpecially manifeſted in this particular, and appropriating way of the promiſes of grace, as our portion. Therefore it is ſaid to cauſe us to call God Father; which implieth, our peculiar intereſt and propriety in him. Doe not then be diſcouraged from this Canaan, becauſe of the Anakims that are in the way. Fear not to call God thy Father, though thou findeſt many diſcouragements within thee. The Devil would not have thee taſte of this honey.
But I proceed; and the next particular in the Deſcription, is the Manner, How the Spirit ſeals, even by the means that God hath appointed.how the Spirit of God cometh thus to witneſſe unto us, how we come to be ſealed, and that is ſaid to be,
Firſt, By the meanes God hath appointed thereunto. This is very obſervable; for hereby this gracious worke of God is differenced from all Enthuſiaſtical deluſions; or from thoſe prophetical extaſies, which the Prophets of God ſometimes did partake off from that rapture Paul was in, when he ſaid, Whether he was in the body, or out of the body, he did not know. No, we are not to expect ſuch immediate operations of the Spirit upon us, where the Spirit ſhall be both the efficient cauſe, and the object alſo. Neither may we hearken after ſome voice of Gods Spirit, or immediate teſtimony within, ſaying to us, as ſometimes a voice ſpake to Chriſt, This is my beloved Sonne. We may not expect, that Chriſt ſhould ſay to thee after ſome viſible manner, as he did to Mary Magdalen, Be of good comfort, thy ſinnes are forgiven thee. We are not to hearken to ſuch Doctrines that may preſſe for ſuch a witneſſing; but we muſt give care to what the Spirit of God ſpeaketh in the Scripture, and ſo expect to have this confirmation and ſealing, by thoſe meanes which he hath appointed. Even as it is in the Doctrine of the Scripture; it is the Spirit of God that doth fully aſſure the hearts of believers, that it is Gods word. But how doth it thus perſwade the ſoul? Not by any immediate teſtimony, but by theſe implanted arguments therein, as the holineſſe of the matter, the majeſty of the ſtyle, &c. by which this undoubted perſwaſion is wrought in us. Thus it is in this worke of ſealing; the Spirit of God, though it be the efficient cauſe of it, yet it is in ſuch an order and way, as he hath appointed. For we muſt not thinke, that it is ſuitable to the workings of Gods Spirit, that we ſhould have a blinde perſwaſion in us, whereby we are aſſured; onelyonly we know not why, and we are not able to give any reaſon, that we are aſſured, but becauſe we are aſſured. The Spirit of God attemperateth its operations to our rational nature.
But what are thoſe meanes and wayes whereby the holy Spirit doth thus Which means are either external, as 1. The Sacraments.aſſure us? They are either External, or Internal. External are two-fold:
Firſt, By the Sacraments in the right uſe of them, the Spirit of God doth aſſure us. Hence you heard, the Sacraments are called ſeales; neither may we thinke that Chriſt hath appointed theſe Ordinances in a barren, formal, and empty manner. No, God will accompany his owne Ordinance to the right receiver; and therefore as truly, as he received the bread and wine, ſo truly is he alſo made partaker of Chriſts body and blood. Whereas then the promiſes are indefinitely propounded, the Sacraments they are particular applied, and by theſe the Spirit of God doth aſſure us of our intereſt in the promiſes.
Secondly, Another External way, is, By thoſe notes and markes which 2. By the marks of ſuch to whom the promiſes belong.are given of ſuch, to whom the promiſes doe belong. The Scripture doth not onelyonly declare the promiſes, but characterizeth the perſons to whom they doe infallibly belong. Inſomuch that he who findeth, he doth truely beleeve and repent. He that findeth he is made a new creature, ſuch an one may as undoubtedly conclude, being enabled thereunto by the Spirit of God, that the promiſes doe in particular belong to him, as if he were named, as if it were ſaid, Thou Thomas, and Thou John, thou art received into the favour of God. So that this particular doth evacuate all thoſe boaſts and confidences which many may have of Gods love towards them, ſeeing the marks and ſigns are not applicable unto them, which the promiſes do require. But theſe I call External.
There are Internal Qualifications, by which the Spirit of God doth thus perſwade and aſſure us, not that they are a cauſe, or that we are Or elſe internal.to put confidence in them, but by them as ſignes and effects of Gods gracious love, we come to be aſſured of the love it ſelfe: As by the Rain-bow, we come to be aſſured, that God will not drowne the world again.
I ſhall not enlarge upon theſe, having had opportunity from ſome paſſages in this Chapter to ſpeak thereunto.
The firſt particular ſigne or marke by which the Spirit of God doth intereſt or ſeale unto, that I ſhall inſtance in, is, The ſanctified and ſavoury The ſignes whereby we may know the ſpirit witneſſes our intereſt in the promiſes. 1. The ſanctified improvement of afflictions.improvement of afflictions. Such as are chaſtened from the Lord, and taught by him, theſe may unqueſtionably conclude Gods ſpecial love towards them. Hebr. 12. Revel. 3. The Scripture doth in thoſe places abundantly evidence, that whoſoever is a ſonne of God, is afflicted by him: Inſomuch that he who hath no chaſtiſements, is to thinke that he is a baſtard, and not a ſonne. Now this is not to be underſtood of afflictions themſelves meerly as ſo, but as ſanctified, as working to our ſpirituall good. And when they have this bleſſed fruit, it is as comfortable an argument, to be aſſured of Gods grace towards us, as any may be thought on. The Apoſtle maketh this a ſure effect of Predeſtination, Romans 8. 26. He did alſo predeſtinate us to be conformed to the image of his Sonne, which is partly in ſuffering, as he did, that ſo we might be glorified, as he was. Look then with a more comfortable face upon afflictions, than thou haſt done. Doe not flie from them with fear, as Moſes from his Rod, when turned into a Serpent. For when theſe doe worke to thy ſpiritual good; when they are like fire to make the gold leſſe droſſie; when they are like winnowing, to purge the wheat from its chaffe; then know, this is an aſſured teſtimony of Gods favour. Thou needeſt not ſay, Who will goe up into Heaven? What meſſenger will come immediately from God to perſwade my ſoule of Gods favour towards me? For the teſtimony is on earth, it is neare thee, doe not caſt thy eyes from it.
Secondly, A ſecond ſigne or meanes, by which we come to this ſealing, is, The obſervation and experience of Gods gracious preſence in us, and with 2. The experience of Gods gracious preſence with us.us, whereby we are preſerved from ſome, and kept either from, or in ſuch temptations, that might have undone us. When we finde that grace accompanying of us, which David prayed for, Pſalm 19. to keep us back from ſinning. As the childe of God hath the Angels of Heaven, to take care of him; they have it in charge, to hold him (as it were) in their armes, as a Nurſe doth her little childe: ſo is he alſo inwardly fortified by inherent grace, to keepe him in his wayes to Heaven, he hath habitual grace, and actual grace, and he hath preventing grace, and co-operating, he hath exciting and perſevering grace. Now that man who obſerveth how richly and mercifully the grace of God putteth it ſelfe forth in theſe ſeveral effects; how often, when he is ready to goe aſtray, the grace of God ſeeketh him out; how often grace prevented and excited him, elſe he had beene ſwallowed up in ſuch deepe gulphs of ſinne; he (I ſay) that findeth ſuch prevenitng, concomitant, and ſubſequent grace of God; he that findeth this Rock Chriſt to follow him with gracious effects (as ſome ſay) the waters out of the Rock followed the people of Iſrael in the wilderneſſe to refreſh them; this man may ſay, verily God is here, verily God is with me.3. The antecedent works of ſanctification.
Laſtly, The Spirit of God doth give us Conſolation, by the antecedent workes of ſanctification, Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his. But the godly they have received the Spirit of God. And if the ſoul, which is the ſpirit of a man, manifeſt it ſelf preſent in the body by its operations; ſhall we not much rather thinke, that the Spirit of Chriſt, where it dwelleth in a man, will make knowne it ſelfe? Shall we have theſe coales of fire in our boſome, and not perceive them?
Now there is an order in the works of Gods Spirit, which we alſo muſt attend unto, and not think to have one before the other. The order is this, the Spirit of God doth
1. Enlighten the minde.
2. It doth ſanctifie the will and affections.
3. It doth witneſſe and ſeale to us theſe bleſſed effects. To looke therefore for conſolation before ſanctification, is prepoſterous. Oh how happy is it, when the childe of God earneſtly ſeeketh after all theſe effects upon his ſoule, and that in the order God hath appointed! Theſe few qualifications may ſuffice; by theſe and the like the Spirit of God doth confirme. OnelyOnly you muſt know, theſe doe but objectively offer themſelves, if the Spirit of God doth not rightly conſtitute our inward man, and enable us, all theſe bleſſed effects may be upon our ſoules, and yet we be diſconſolate, as if we had them not. Even as there may be pleaſant flowers in a garden, yet if we have not light, we cannot ſee them. So that the cauſe of aſſurance is more from the Spirit of God efficiently eſtabliſhing the heart, than from theſe qualifications, which doe objectively onelyonly declare themſelves: Even as in faith dogmatically aſſenting to divine truths, the work of Gods Spirit is more upon the underſtanding, giving firmneſſe and ſtedfaſt adheſion, than upon the motives of credibility in the truths themſelves. But what is neceſſary to a fuller clearing of this, will upon another occaſion be conſidered.Of the end of the ſpirits ſealing, even that we might live godly and thankfully.
I proceed to the laſt thing in this Deſcription, and that is, the final cauſe, which is, That under the ſenſe of this we might live boldly, &c. I ſay, under this ſenſe. For this ſealing of Gods Spirit, doth make ſuch a divine impreſſion upon the ſoule, that we feele it, and perceive it not indeed bodily, as we doe the fire that burneth, but rationally and ſpiritually in our inward man. So that not onelyonly grace is from Gods Spirit; but the experimental feeling of it, is likewiſe from the ſame. Hence it is not to be called an humane, but divine ſenſe. For a gracious conſtitution is required to feele what is grace, and to diſcerne the effects thereof. But I haſten.
This ſenſe and apprehenſion of Gods ſealing being thus experimentally in us, we find a three-fold advantage thereby.
Firſt, We walke boldly, confidently: Inſomuch that we can cry Father, Epheſ. 3. 12. We have boldneſſe and acceſſe with confidence. There is foreign, We are able to ſpeake any thing in the preſence of God; whereas in fears and doubts our prayers are interrupted, we queſtion whether we may ſay this or that.
Secondly, Hereby we walke comfortably: Yea, it is called, Joy unspeakable, 1 Pet. 1. 8. and Rom. 14. 17. Peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt. The Kingdome of God is there ſaid to conſiſt in this. Alas, how contrary doe the people of God walke to this Text, for want of ſealing, as if godlineſſe lay in doubts, in fears, and dejections of ſpirit? Surely the people of God are to bewail their ignorance and low principles in theſe things. Thou makeſt thy ſelf to be like an heir under age, as the Apoſtle alludeth, Gal. 4. 1. and ſo not differing from a ſervant; whereas the Goſpel-light and Evangelical principles ſet home by the Spirit of adoption, ſhould fill thee with liberty and exceeding great joy.
Laſtly, Hereby we alſo live thankefully, never ſatisfying our ſelves with admiring, and commending the unspeakable and unſearchable riches of Gods grace. Two great gulphs the Spirit of God hath delivered thee out of; the ſinfull luſts and corruptions thou didſt once wallow in; and the ſlaviſh, ſad, tormenting feares thou waſt once almoſt overwhelmed with. Oh what cauſe is here of thankefullneſſe! How ſorry art thou that thou art no more enlarged? That thou haſt but one heart, and one tongue to be exerciſed in this matter? And the aggravation of all this is, that we may be thus bold, joyfull and thankfull, notwithſtanding all diſcouragements to the contrary; for they are many and dreadfull. How many failings within? How many temptations without? What fiery darts from Satan? And yet a ſealed Chriſtian is able to looke upon theſe with as much joy, as the Iſraelites did upon the Aegyptian carcaſſes, that lay dead upon the Seaſhore. But if God ſhould let open theſe flood-gates upon the moſt ſanctified perſon, he would be immediately ſwallowed up with them, as Dathan and Abiram were ſuddenly in the earth. And then
Laſtly, You have the terme till which this ſealing ſhall laſt, and that is, Till we are made happy compleatly in Heaven. So Epheſ. 4. 30. We are ſealed, till the day of redemption. This way of faith and aſſurance will then ceaſe, it will be turned into the immediate viſion and fruition of God: Then there will be no feares, no doubts, any more than luſts and corruptions. How mercifull then is God, that giveth us ſuch manna in the wilderneſſe, which will ceaſe when we come into Canaan?