Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 30
Vers. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
HE doth here inforce the former disswasive, by a strong reason set down in form of precept: the force whereof, is, first, propounded, that by their obscene unprofitable and unedifying discourse, they would grieve the holy Spirit of God: who is called holy, because He is holy in Himself, Isa. 6. 3. and the cause of all holinesse in us, Rom. 15. 16. And we are are said to grieve Him, not, as if He, who is God, could be grieved properly; for, the passions of grief, anger, sorrow, &c. (as implying some defect, or imperfection) are not in God, Numb. 23. 19. But improperly, and in so far, as we do that, which in it self is apt to grieve Him, if He were capable of grief, Rom. 14. -15. and which provoketh the Spirit of God to do that which grieved persons do, even to withdraw from the soul, to shew His dislike, and to return grief for grief. This reason is, next, inforced from one work of the holy Spirit in the hearts of Believers, which is here called sealing, by a metaphor taken from that use of seals and signets among men, whereby publick writs are confirmed and made authentick, or, the wares of merchands are marked, and set apart for their own use. In like manner, the Spirit of God, by renewing and sanctifying Believers, imprinteth the draughts and lineaments of His own image upon them, whereby they are not only set apart and sealed, as His own peculiar goods, but themselves also may be assured that they are His, and shall be safely keeped under that seal untill the day of judgement, called here the day of redemption: (See, upon chapter 1. ver. 13.) and therefore by grieving the Spirit, they did hazard the removall of this seal, at least darken it much, and consequently mar their own comfort exceedingly. Doct. 1. The holy Ghost, the third person of the blessed Trinity, is graciously pleased to become in a singular manner familiar with the truely regenerate, taking up a place of abode in their spirits, and furnishing them with sweet and necessary counsel and advice from time to time, 1 Joh. 2. 27. for, as we shew, His being grieved doth speak His withdrawing from them, and a ceasing from being so friendly and familiar with them, as a stranger will do from an inne, wherein he hath received some affront, which implieth that He was once present and familiar with them; And grieve not the holy Spirit of God. 2. How friendly, and familiar soever, the holy Spirit of God be with the believing soul; yet so holy and pure is His Nature, that he can behold no iniquity, Hab. 1. 13. but when those that are dearest to Him, give any way to known sin, He must shew Himself displeasd with it, and with them for it: for, so much is supponed, while the Apostle, disswading them from sin, sheweth, this holy Spirit of God will be grieved by it; And grieve not the holy Spirit of God. 3. However many, by their obscene and putrid discourse, intend no further than to make themselves, or others joviall and glad, Hos. 7. 3. yet hereby, and by such other sins of the like stamp, as being against the motions, light and direction of the Spirit, this holy Spirit of God is much displeased, and so much, as persons grived use to be; and therefore will withdraw His gracious and conforting presence, with all those other tokens of His respect and favour from the person, by whom He hath been grieved, Isa. 57. -17. leaving him to be guided for a time by his own spirit, and the spirit of Satan, Psal. 81. 12. and giving him over to a kind of desperate grief and hellish horrour, Psal. 32. 3, 4. or senslesse stupidity, Isa. 63. 17. as a just reward for grieving the holy Spirit of God: for, Paul sheweth, that by their putrid communication they would grieve the Spirit of God, and make Him do what grieved persons use to do, while he saith, And grieve not the holy Spirit of God. 4. As those spirituall plagues, inflicted upon our spirits for grieving of the Spirit of God, and following upon His withdrawing from us, are most terrible; so the childe of God, not only may, but ought to skare at, and abstain from sin, even that he may be preserved from those spirituall plagues and judgements, though neither love to duty, nor fear of an other correction do constrain him: for, the Apostle laboureth to deter them from the sin of loose speaking, by this consideration, as being of greatest force, even lest thereby they should grieve the Spirit; And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, saith he. 5. Though the redemption of Gods children be perfected, in regard of the price payed by Christ, Joh. 19. 30. yet, in regard of the application of it unto us, it is but begun in this world, and perfected in the next: for, he speaketh of our compleat redemption, as yet to come, Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 6. Those whom God will compleatly redeem from all sin and misery, both in soul and body, and from whose eyes He will wipe away all tears at the last day, are only such, upon whom the Spirit of God doth imprint the draughts of His own image, in righteousnesse and holinesse, as the impression of the draughts and lineaments of a seal, or by sealing put upon the thing sealed: for, he saith, by whom, meaning the holy Spirit, we are sealed unto the day of redemption. 7. Upon whomsoever the Spirit of God doth imprint this seal and stamp of true holinesse, and of joy, peace and comfort flowing therefrom, all such shall be securely keeped and preserved, as Gods own peculiar treasure by the power of God unto salvation, to be fully manifested and compleatly bestowed at the last day; for, they are sealed unto the day of redemption, a metaphor, as we shew, from merchands, who, leaving their wares behind them, do put their mark and seal upon them, untill such a day wherein they will come and own them. 8. By vertue of this sealing and stamp of sanctification, peace and joy imprinted by the Spirit of God upon the hearts of Believers, even they themselves may attain to know assuredly, that they are in the state of grace, and shall be preserved in it untill the great day: for, as this sealing of them, by imprinting the draughts of Gods image upon them, is a discriminating mark betwixt them and others; so it serveth, not so much to make it known to God, that they are His, who knoweth who are His from all eternity, and antecedentally to their effectual calling, 2 Tim. 2. -19—or to make it known unto others, who cannot infallibly discern the grace of God in any but themselves, 1 King. 8. -39. as unto themselves; otherwise the Apostle would not have used a forcible argument not to grieve the Spirit, from His sealing of them, if it were a thing which could not be certainly known, but guessed at by them; Grieve not the Spirit, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 9. So far is the work of grace in Believers, or their assurance of being in a state of grace, flowing herefrom, and wrought in them by the Spirit of God, from breeding security and loosnesse of life, that, by the contrary, there can be no such prevailing argument to make them abhor sin, entertain and follow the motions of the Spirit of God, and consequently to lead an holy life. Not only ingenuity and gratitude, for the favour received, will bind them to it, but also holy fear and circumspection, lest otherwise they mar and darken the seal so as they cannot discern the draughts of it, and consequently lose, though not the seal it self, 1 Joh. 3. 9. yet the comfort and assurance, which they had by it, Psal. 30. -7. for, the Apostle useth this as an argument to keep them from grieving the Spirit by sin, even because they were thereby sealed unto the day of redemption.