Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1, Commentary · Commentary on verse 22

Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1 · Commentary · Commentary on verse 22

p. 463VERSE XXII.

Who hath anointed us, and also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

THe Apostle having formerly laid open the riches of a Christian; In this Verse he cometh to shew his strength: His riches consisteth in the promises of God in Christ: His strength, in being stablished upon those promises. Now that which he had spoken of more generally in the word stablishing, he unfolds in three borrowed Terms, Anointing, Sealing, Earnest: Implying therein the manner of the Spirits establishing a Christian. He who stablisheth us: how is that wrought? By the Spirit anointing, by the Spirit sealing, and by the earnest of the Spirit: which three terms do all argue assurance. For you know, that in the old Law, Kings, Priests, and Prophets were anointed, that is, they were authorized and confirmed in their places. And for sealing; Writings (among our selves) are sealed for security. And an Earnest secures Contracts and Bargains. So that whatsoever may serve to strengthen a Christians faith and assurance, is here laid down: God to help our soules by our senses fetcheth it from humane affaires, applying words borrowed from earthly commerce, by a heavenly anagogical sense to spiritual things.

First, the sure estate of a Christian is set down in the general, by stablishing: and then in particular, we are anointed and sealed, and have the Earnest of the Spirit.

God, in the Covenant of grace doth our part and his own too; he gives faith, and strengthens faith, and seales us: he gives us promises, he doth stablish us upon those promises, and works our hearts to an embracing of them, he anoints us, and seales us, and gives us the Earnest of the Spirit. All in the Covenant of Grace depends upon the faithfulnesse of God; and not upon ours, but upon ours dependantly, as he is faithful in stablishing us. Now because the holy Apostle would have us settled in the excellency of the state of a Christian in the Covenant of grace, you see how largehearted he is; he useth four words implying one and the same thing, Stablishing, Anointing, Sealing, and giving Earnest; all of them words used in ratification amongst men.

God is pleased to stoop to speak to us in our own language; to speak of heavenly things after an earthly manner: and therefore he sets down the certain estate of a Christian by borrowed speeches. This is a gracious condescending of God, stooping (as it were) lower then himself: and indeed so he alwayes abaseth himself when he deales with man, coming down far below himself.

To come to the words in particular.

And hath anointed us.

This word hath a double reference. The holy Ghost carries our minds first to the relation and proportion that is between the graces of the Spirit of God, and the oyntment with which in former times they were anointed in the Jewish Politie. And it hath reference likewise and relation to the p. 464persons that were anointed. The persons were Kings, Priests, and Prophets.

Now God hath anointed us in Christ. The order is this:

First, Christ himself as Mediatour is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes; but for his fellowes. The oyntment is first poured on the head of spiritual Aaron, and then it runs down to all the skirts of his garment, that is, to the meanest Christian. Even as the least finger and toe is actuated, and enlivened, and moved by the soul and spirits, that the head and the chief vital parts are: so every Christian though he be but as the toe or the foot, yet all have communicated by the Spirit from Christ the head. So that the third person, the Holy Ghost, that sanctified the humane nature of Christ, that filled and enriched it with all grace, and anointed Christ; the same Spirit enricheth all his mystical members. As there is one Spirit in Christ, and that sacred body he took on him; so there is in the mysticall body but one Spirit quickening and enlivening, and moving the head, and the members. He is a head of influence, as well as a head of eminence: Of his fulnesse we have all grace for grace: He is first anointed, and then we are anointed in him.

We will first speak of it as it hath reference to an oyntment: and then as it hath reference to the persons anointed.

In the first place then, why are graces here called anointing?

I answer, they are called anointing, from reference to that composed oyntment in Exod. 30. where you have the composition of the holy oyl laid down.

But in particular, you may observe these five particulars in which the relation standeth.

First, Oyntment is a liquor supereminent, it will have the highest place, it will have the eminency, and be above all other liquors, and in that respect it is a royal liquor: so the graces of Gods Spirit, they are of an eminent nature. Spiritual gifts are above the gifts of nature; and spiritual blessings are above earthly things: the grace of God is a supereminent, a royall thing, it will be above all, even above our parts of nature: if a man have by nature a strong wit, grace will subdue his wit, so that he shall be onelyonly witty to salvation, he shall be onelyonly strong to defend the truth, and to do nothing against it: he will subjugate and subordinate his parts and whatsoever excellency he hath by nature, to grace; cast all at Christs feet, count all as dung, in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. And so again, grace is above corrupt nature, above all our corruptions, it will bring them under, it will subdue corruptions, temptations, afflictions; any thing, what you will, that is either natural; or diabolical: for grace is spiritual, and that which is spiritual, is above all that is below: Grace is of an invincible nature, it will bear sway by little and little; it is little in quantity, but it is mighty in operation. And it is above any outward excellency whatsoever; if a man be a King, if he have this anointing, it makes him better then himself: he is better in that he is a Christian, that he hath this sacred anointing, then for any other created excellency under heaven whatsoever; yea, though he were an Angel. Grace hath its derivance and influence from Christ, who is higher then all, and will be above all; and so will grace. That is the first. Other liquors, the best of them will be beneath; but oyl, it will be above all.

It is compared to oyntment in the second place, because that oyntment p. 465is sweet and delightful; so was the oyntment that was poured upon our Saviour by the woman in the Gospel: therefore the Spouse in Cant. 1. 3. speaking of Christ, Because (saith she) of the savour of thy good oyntments, thy Name is as an oyntment poured forth, therefore do the Virgins love thee: The graces that are in Christ are so sweet, that they draw the Virgins, they draw all believers after him. So grace in a Christian, it makes us sweet; it sweetens our persons, and our actions: It sweetens our persons to God; God delights in the smell of his own graces: it makes us delectable for Christ and his holy Spirit to lodge in our soules as in a garden of Spices: It makes us sweet to the Church, to the communion of Saints. A gracious man that hath his corruptions subdued, is wondrous sweet, his heart is as fine silver, every thing is sweet that comes from him. When the woman poured the box of oyntment upon Christ, the whole house was filled with the smell thereof: so the whole Church is filled with the savour of the graces of good men, that either do live in the present times; or have left their graces in writing to posterity.

A wicked man is an abomination to God, and so are all his actions; he that is in the flesh cannot please God: a civil man that hath not this anointing, all that he doth is abominable to God; all things are unclean to the unclean even their best actions have a tincture of defilement from their corruption: without this oyntment we are not sweet, neither to God, nor to others; therefore the Scripture terms men in the state of nature, Swine and Goats, stinking creatures; and so indeed they that have not this anointing, they are stinking Goats, and shall be set at Christs left hand, except they have grace to sweeten their understandings and affections, and to draw them higher then nature can.

Likewise grace is full of sweetnesse to a mans self; it sweetneth our nature and our actions to our selves: a good conscience being privy to it self of the work of grace, is a continual feast; the conscience of a Christian, once renewed by grace, inlargeth the soul, and fills it with sweet peace and joy in believing.

Thirdly, the graces of the Spirit are called anointing, because anointing strengthens; therefore usually Warriours and Combatants, (amoug the Heathen) that were to encounter, were first anointed: so there is a Spirit of strength in all those that are true Christians which they have received from God, whereby they are able to do that that worldlings cannot do; they are able to deny themselves, to overcome themselves in matters of revenge, &c. they are able to want and to abound, to beare crosses, to resist temptations, and, as the Apostle saith, able to do all things; nothing can stand in the way of a gracious man, no not the gates of hell; he that is in him, Grace is stronger then he that is in the world: the least measure of grace, though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed, is stronger then the greatest measure of opposition, though strengthened with all the power of hell.

In the fourth place, oyntment makes the joynts of the body nimble: so this spiritual anointing it oyles the joynts of the soul, (as I may say) and makes them nimble, and ready to serve God in newnesse of Spirit, and not in the oldnesse of the letter. Gods people are called a willing people, and a chearful people, ready to every good work. And there is good reason for it; for they have an inward spiritual anointing, that makes them active and nimble in every thing they do: that Spirit that sanctifieth them, that Spirit telleth p. 466them what Christ hath done for them, that there is no damnation to them, that God is reconciled to them, that they are freed from the greatest dangers, that all is theirs, and so their joy and nimblenesse is from good reason: and there is a spirit of love in them unto God and Christ, which makes them nimble. When a man is without grace, he goes lumpishly and heavily about the service of God: he is drawen and forced to prayer, and to hearing, and to conference and meditation: he is dead and dull, and frozen to good works; but when a man hath received this sweet anointing of the Spirit, his heart is enlarged to all duties whatsoever, he is prepared to every good work.

Again, oyl makes chearefull: so doth grace, it makes chearful in adversity, chearfull in death, chearful in those things that dismay the spirits of other men: so much grace, so much joy; for even as light and heat follow the fire, so the spirit of joy doth follow this spiritual anointing: Conscience of the interest he hath in the favour of God in Christ, and the evidences of grace stamped upon his heart, & an assurance of a better estate in the world to come, wonderfully enlarge the soul with spiritual joy: that which makes a man lumpish, and heavy, and earthly, is not the Spirit of God: the Spirit of God is a Spirit of joy, and it puts a gracious chearfulnesse in the heart of a Christian; if there be mourning, it is that it may be more chearful: for light is sowen to the righteous sometimes in mourning. God loves a chearful giver, and a chearful thanksgiver; all must be sweetened with chearfulnesse, now this comes from the Spirit of God: and he that is anointed with the Spirit, in some measure partakes of spiritual joy and chearfulnesse.

Againe, ointment you know is of a healing nature; as Balme and other sweet ointments have a healing power and vertue: the Scripture makes mention of the Balme of Gilead: so grace hath a healing power; repentance that is of a purging, spiritual joy of a healing nature; there must (you know) be first a cleansing, and then a healing and strengthening: so some graces are purgative and cleansing, some againe are strengthening and healing: repentance is a good purgation; it carries away the malignant and evill matter; but the Cordial that strengthens the soul, is joy, The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehem. 8. and so the grace of faith and love tend to cherrish and corroborate the soul: so that (I say) these graces, this Balme of the Spirit, hath a special Soveraign power to heale us, to heale us both from the guilt of sin, and from the dominion, and rule, and filthy stain of sin; it hath both a purging and a Cordial vertue.

Thus you see, that upon good grounds the graces of Gods Spirit, that he communicates to the Elect, and only to them that are in Christ, they are called anointing; and they will have the effect of an ointment in us, if we receive this anointing,

Let us therefore try our selves by these, whether we be anointed or no; what chearfulnesse is there? what joy? what strength? what nimblenesse to that which is good? what soveraignty hath grace in our hearts? you have a company that professe Religion, but make it serve their owne turne, that make heaven to come under earth, that make the service of God to stoop to other ends: Beloved, grace it is a superiour thing, and Religion makes all subordinate: Grace and Religion wheresoever it is in truth, is of a ruling nature: and so it is sweet, and it is strong wheresoever it is; it is curing, and purging, and cleansing wheresoever it is: therefore I beseech you, let us not deceive our selves.

p. 467I need say no more of the Point, you may enlarge it in your own meditations.

I come to the persons

As this anointing hath reference to the ointment, so it hath relation to the persons that were anointed.

Now the persons anointed were first dedicated by anointing; they were consecrated to God and separated from the world: And as they were dedicated and separated, so they were dignified by this anointing, it raised them above the common condition: And likewise with this anointing God gave them qualifications suitable.

You have three eminent persons that were anointed, and so raised above the common condition of other men.

Prophets, to teach the people.

Priests, to offer sacrifice

Kings, to govern them.

Now Christ is principally all these: He is the principal Prophet of his Church, the Angel of the Covenant; He is Logos, the Word, because as the inward word, the mind of a man, is known by the outward word; so Christ is called the Word, because as a Prophet, he discovers his Fathers mind, and makes known his Fathers will unto us.

And he is the great high Priest, he makes atonement between God and us, he stands between his Father and us.

And he is the great King of his Church, that rescues it from all its enemies, to protect and defend it.

But as Christ hath received this anointing primarily, and above his fellows, yet (as I said before) he hath received it for his fellows. Every Christian hath his anointing from Christs anointing, all our graces and all our oyatment is derived from him. He (saith the Appostle, Rev. 1.) hath loved us, and washed us in his blood; (he loved us first, which is the cause of all, and then he washed us in his blood; he did not onelyonly shed his blood for us, but he washed us in his blood: he hath applied his blood to our souls, and by applying that and sprinkling it upon our souls,) he hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father: And indeed, the great King of heaven and earth, he is and will be attended upon by none but Kings and Priests; he hath no servants but such as are anointed; he is followed of none but eminent persons, such as are separated from the world, and dignified above all other people: for the glory of his followers tends to his honour: therefore those whom God chuseth to be his atendants, he qualifies them, gives them the hearts of Kings, royal qualifications, and the hearts of Priests, and the hearts of Prophets. But this in the general.

To shew it therefore in particulars.

A Christian is anointed, he is a person severed from the world, dedicated to God, and dignified above others, and that from good reason, because God hath given him an inward qualification, which is the foundation of all.

And first, he is a true Prophet, for he hath received the anointing of the Spirit, 1 Joh. 2. whereby he is enabled to discern of things: he knowes what is true honour, to be the child of God: he knowes what is true riches, Grace: he knowes what is true Nobility, to be born of God; what is true pleasure, Peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost: he can discern p. 468between seeming and reall things, and onelyonly he that hath received this anointing of the Spirit.

And again, as a Prophet, he knowes not onelyonly the things, but the doing of the things; he hath with the anointing of the Spirit ability to do that which he knowes; the grace of God teacheth him not onelyonly the duty, that he should live justly, and soberly, and godly, but teacheth him to do the things; for God writes his Lawes in his bowels, that is, in his affections: he can love and joy in God, and hate sin, and overcome revenge, &c. The Spirit sheweth him Divine things by a Divine light; he sees heavenly things with a heavenly light: and Divine & spiritual knowledge is a working knowledge, of the same nature with the things known. The poorest Christian in the world having this anointing, sees good things with such a convincing light, and evill things with such a convincing hatred, that he is doing and acting: whereas a Christian that hath not the Spirit, he may know heavenly things by a natural light, by a discoursive knowledge; he may know what he should do, and so perhaps he may talk, but he cannot do: he may talk of death, but he cannot dye; he may talk and discourse of suffering, but when it comes, he cannot suffer: he may speak much of patience, but he cannot act patience when occasion is: A true Christian hath the knowledge of doing things.

And likewise he is able to speak a word in due season, to reprove, to admonish, to comfort. Every member in the communion of Saints hath some qualification in regard of knowledge, when he is put to it.

But especially he hath received this anointing as a Priest, and a King.

As a Priest, to stand before God, and to offer up prayers for himself and others. Every Christian is a Favourite in heaven, he hath much credit there, he hath Gods ear open at all times, and he improves it for the good of the Church, for the good of others as well as for his own. And as to pray for our selves and others, so to blesse our selves and others; that was one part of the Priests Office, and so (as the Scipture saith) we are called unto blessing; and therefore those that are given unto cursing, are not Priests.

And again, a Christian that hath received this anointing as a Priest, he keeps himself unspotted of the world: You know, the Priests were to touch no unclean thing, nor to defile themselves with any manner of pollution; so every Christian in some measure is enabled to abstain from the common pollutions of the times, to hate even the garment spotted with the flesh: he is not carried with the stream of the times; he will not converse amiably with those that may stain him, but as his calling leads him, lest he contaminate his spirit.

And likewise a Christian hath his heart alwayes as the Holy of Holies, that so he may offer up thanks and praise to God; there is a disposition in him alwayes to praise God. As the fire in the Sanctuary must never go out; so the fire that is kindled by the Spirit of God in the heart of a Christian, it never goes out, the Holy Ghost maintains it continually: he is ready to praise God upon all occasions; ready to offer up himself unto God as a sacrifice. The sacrifices of a Christian are a broken heart: and as in the Law, the sacrifices for sin must first be killed, and then offered; so now in the Gospel, it is the work of every Christian, to mortifie, to kill, and slay those beasts, those corruptions that are in him contrary to God. A Christian p. 469must not offer himself to God as a sinner, but he must first slay his corruptions: he must mortifie his sins, and then offer up himself slain to God.

Therefore our care must be to mortifie every corruption, every faculty of the soul, and every part of the body: we must circumcise our eyes, that they behold not vanity; and our eares, that they hear not, and delight not in unchaste things; and our thoughts and every part, our wills and affections, and then offer up soul and body as a living sacrifice unto God, that all may be dedicated and sanctified unto him, and then it is a sweet sacrifice: then when a Christian hath dedicated himself to God, it is an easie matter to give him his goods when he calls for them, then he will be ready to let all go, as the Apostle saith of the Corinthians, they first gave themselves to God, and then to others: other sacrifices will follow when we have first given our selves to God: therefore the first sacrifice is to kill our corruptions, to offer our selves to God, and then we shall be ready to offer our estates, and to have nothing but at Gods disposing; Oh Lord, of thy hand I have my body and my life, and my goods and all, I give them unto thee: if thou wilt have me to enjoy them, I do; but if thou wilt have them sacrificed, I am a Priest, I am willing to offer my self as a burnt-sacrifice to thee even to the death, and all other things when thou shalt be pleased to call for them: and indeed, all other sacrifices of our goods, and thankfulnesse in words, they will easily come off when we have offered our selves, as I said before.

What is the reason that men will not part with a penny for good uses? They have not given themselves as sacrifices unto God: therefore in the Scripture we are pressed to give our selves unto God first: and it useth arguments to that purpose; as that we are not our own, but bought with a price, &c.

And so for the Kingly office.

Every Christian by this anointing is made a King, Rev. 1. 6. He hath loved us, and washed us, and made us Kings, &c.

But how are we Kings? (to take away an Objection that ariseth in the hearts of carnal men) Oh (say they.) they talk that they are Kings, when perhaps they have not a penny in their purse; they talk they are Kings, when in the mean time they are underlings in the world: here are Kings indeed, think prophane conceited persons.

Indeed, all other things are but shadowes, these be realities; this is a Kingdome to purpose: Thou livest by sense and by fancy, or else if thou haddest the spiritual eye-salve, if thou haddest thine eyes open to see the dignity of a Christian, thou wouldest judge him to be the onelyonly King in the world: and therefore I do not enlarge the Point to set colours upon matters, but indeed, I rather speak under: there is no excellency that we can think of in this world, that riseth high enough to set out the state of a Christian: he is indeed a King.

For (I beseech you) what makes a King? Victory and Conquest, that makes a King: Is not he a Conquerour that hath that in him that conquers the world, and all things else? others that are not Christians, they are slaves to lusts and pleasures. A Christian that is chief Conquerour in the world, he conquers the world in his heart, and all temptations are inferiour to him; he sees them as things that he hath gotten the mastery of: He subdues the principal enemy: a Christian fears not death, he fears not Judgment, p. 470he fears not the wrath of God; he knowes God is reconciled in Christ, and so all things are reconciled with him: God being at peace, all things else are at peace; so he is a Conquerour: he hath a Kingdom in himself, others have Kingdoms out of themselves, and in themselves they are slaves; he is such a King as hath a Kingdom in himselfe; he hath peace and joy, and rest from base affections, and terrour of conscience.

Is not he a King that is a Lord and Master of all things? A Christian is Master of prosperity, he conquers it; he can make it serve his turn, to be thankfull to God, to be ready to distribute: he is Master of adversity, I can want, and I can be abased, I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, saith blessed Paul: He is an omnipotent King in some sense, he can do all through him that strengthens him: He hath conquered the King of fears, death: that that makes the greatest Monarch in the world to shake and tremble, a Christian can think of with comfort: He can think of Gods wrath with comfort, appeased in Christ, stenched with his blood; he can think of the day of Judgment with comfort, that then his Saviour shall be his Judge, and that he shall stand at the right hand of God: He can think of afflictions with comfort, he is sanctified to all things, and all things are sanctified to him, and all things shall work for his good, nothing shall be able to separate him from Gods love to him in Christ, neither things present, nor things to come: That which amazeth the Belshazzars of the world, and makes their knees smite one against another (as that hand-writing did him,) that which makes others quake to think of (a revenging God, before whom they must appear, and answer for all their miscarriages and their neglect of precious time, and abuse of their places) they can think of with joy and comfort.

He hath conquered himself and his own heart; he can subdue the carnal part of him, and bring it under the Spirit; all others, (though Kings) if they be not Christians, are slaves to some reigning lust or other.

He is a King likewise in regard of possession; which is a second thing which makes a Christian an excellent person; as he is a great Conquerour, so he is a great possessour; for All is yours (saith the Apostle,) things present and things to come, life and death, afflictions and crosses and all is yours: How? to help him to heaven; things present are his: comforts are his if they be present: afflictions are his to purge him, and to fit him for heaven: things to come are his, heaven is his, and terrours to come, all serve him: Even evil things are his in advantage and successe; though in disposition they be not his, but have an hostile disposition in them, they are all over-power'd by the love of God: And Christ the King of heaven and earth over-rules all to the good of his: And so all good things are his, though not in civil possession, but as far as the great Governour of all things sees fit: what a King is this? and therefore the word is not too great, to say; a Christian is a King: he is indeed the most excellent person in the world.

And he hath likewise a Kingly spirit, that is, he doth things with love and freedome of spirit, that others do upon compulsion: for he hath the royal Law of love (as the Apostle saith) written in his heart: what is that? the royal Law of love is this, when a man doth that which he doth from love, and from a Princely spirit, when he is not compelled: that which others do not at all, or by force is wrung from them, he doth out of a Princely spirit that is in him, because his spirit is enlarged and anointed by the Spirit of God to every good work.

p. 471These things might be enlarged, but a taste of them is sufficient; and they are very useful to raise our hearts to consider that there is another manner of State then the world thinks of: there are spiritual and excellent Kings and Priests; and this will stand by us when all other excellencies will fail: All flesh is grasse, and as the flower of the grasse; but this dignity, this anointing which we have by the Spirit, and by the Word of God, it endures for ever, and abides to all eternity.

Now (not to go on in more particulars, but) to make some Use of this. Surely, this is true in some degree of every Christian, that he is a Prophet, to discern of things that differ; and he hath a supernatural heavenly light answerable to the things; a spiritual light to judge of spiritual things: And he is a Priest to stand before God continually: And he is a King, by conquest, by possession, by qualification. I say, this undoubtedly is true of all spiritual persons that are anointed. As it is said of Saul, that when he was anointed he had another Spirit; so God never makes a Christian, but he gives him the Spirit of a Christian: Gods calling is with qualification, it is not a meer titular anointing, but there is another Spirit goes along with this anointing, then there was before calling: though men be trained up from their infancy in the truth, yet when they are anointed by the Spirit of God, there will another manner of Spirit appear in them, then ever was in them before, or then that which is in the world.

I beseech you therefore, (for dignity prepares and stirres up to duty, a man never so carries himself in his place and condition, as when he thinks of his condition,) oft think of the excellent estate we are advanced to in Christ; it will put us in mind of a qualification and disposition answerable: that as the Apostle oft presseth it, we may walk worthy our calling, that we may walk worthy of this dignity.

When we are tempted therefore to sin, and to base courses, let us say as good Nehemiah when he was moved to flie, What shall such a man as I flie? so should we say to any temptation to base courses of life, what shall such a man as I do this? Why, if I be a Christian, if I be not onelyonly a titular Christian, (which is onelyonly sufficient to damne me, and not to do me good,) but if I be a real Christian, I must be a Priest, I must keep my self unspotted of the world, and undefiled, and not touch any unclean thing: I must be in a state and condition to pray to God, Shall I regard iniquity, that God should not hear my prayer?

If I be a Christian, I am a King; shall I debase my self? shall I cast my crown in the dirt? God hath raised me, and made me an heir of heaven, shall I abase my self to sins, and to base lusts, so that I cannot rule my own members, and yet professe my self to be a King? For a Christian that is a King, that hath a guard of Angels about him, that is the most excellent creature in the world, for him to abase himself to the world; he that is bred from heaven, for him to have no higher thoughts then the things below, to have an earthly mind, and earthly thoughts, it is a shrewd presumption that he is but onelyonly a titular Christian; and hath not received this inward and spiritual anointing. It was a speech of the Martyrs in the Primitive Church, when they were asked their names, they gave this answer, Christianus sum, I am a Christian; and that satisfied all questions: so when we are basely tempted to courses unbefitting our dignity, answer them from our Baptisme, I am baptized into Christ, and so am become a Christian, and this is unbeseeming the profession of Christianity.

p. 472I beseech you let us remember our calling, we are called to be Prophets, Kings, and Priests, and not onelyonly here, but in the world to come we shall be so; we must not think to be Kings in Heaven, except we begin it here.

It is with a Christian, as it was with David, he was anointed many yeares before he was actually a King upon the Throne; while Saul lived, he did not enjoy the Kingdome: So we are anointed in this world, in part we are Kings while we are here; Kings over our selves, and over the world: a Christian sees all under him that is worldly, he treads the Moon under his feet: but our anointing hath then especially its effect when we are in heaven; as Davids anointing it had its special effect when Saul was dead. We must now carry our selves as those that shall be Kings: those that are not Kings here, shall never be Kings hereafter; those that are not Priests here, shall never walk with Christ in heaven in long white Robes for ever. Eternal life is begun here in all the parts of it.

And therefore I beseech you, if our memories be so shallow that we cannot remember other bonds, let us remember our Baptisme, let us read our duty in our Baptisme: what are we baptized into? Into Christ, that is, to take the Name of Christ upon us, to be Christians; which name implies these three, to be a King, Priest, and Prophet. What do we then when we sin? We reverse our Baptisme in some sort: let it be an aggravation then when we are tempted to sin; it is Treason to God, I shall leave my Captain, under whose banner I have vowed to fight against the Devil, the world, and the flesh; and to forsake my colours is the greatest treachery: Yea, it is sacriledge: and so God accounts it, when thou prophanest thine eyes and thine eares in seeing and hearing of vanity, as you do when you frequent Play-houses and the like: I say, it is sacrilegious; Kings and Priests were dedicated persons, and to imploy dedicated things about any other businesse, then to God, is sacriledge; it is a committing of folly with thy soul. Men have slight conceits of Religion, and scarce a tincture of it: if they did deeply consider what Religion is, that it seizeth upon the soul, that it alters and changeth it, that whosoever will have benefit by the Promises, he must have an inward qualification, and be anointed with the Spirit; they would have better conceits of it then they have: and hence it is therefore that men make so little conscience of giving liberty to their eares and eyes to hear and see vanity, and defile themselves in evil courses, and cleave to the occasions of sin.

Let us oft (I beseech you) be stirred up to think of our high prerogatives, with high admiration, what love! what love! hath God shewed, That we should be called the sons of God, that we should be made Kings and Priests to God the Father. And if every you hope to have comfort by Religion, you must find this anointing in your selves, raising you above other men to holy duties, to be Kings, and Priests, and Prophets.

Who hath anointed us, and sealed us, &c.

You see then, a Christian is stablished this way in Christ, because he is anointed by the Spirit of God; he is dedicated and consecrated to God: Hence (before I go on to that which followeth) in that the Apostle coupleth anointing, and sealing, and earnest to the Promises, observe this briefly,

p. 473None have interest in the Promises of mercy, none can find comfort by them, but such as find some change in themselves.

The Promises of God (as I have often said) are the riches of a Christian, and his inheritance: take all from him, you must needs leave him this, you cannot take this from him: and as an Usurer thinks he is a rich man, though he have not two pence in his house, but all that he hath is in Bills and Bonds, so a Christian, though haply he have not much in actual possession, yet he is rich in that he hath Gods bonds in the promises: but now a man cannot say that he is interessed in the promises, that he can lay claim to them, if he be an unfruitful man, an unhallowed man, that hath not the sweet oyntment of the Spirit, changing of him (as it is said of Saul) into another man: for God wheresoever he reconciles himself, and gives any promise of favour and mercy, there he works a qualification. Of necessity it must be so, because he is reconciled to amity: now in friendship there must be a correspondent similitude of disposition and sympathy. Now as long as we are in our natural estate, and remain unhallowed and defiled, we are in such terms as God and we cannot meet in amity, and therefore wheresoever the promises of the favour of God and reconciliation are of force, there must be a change: God, when he intends to shew favour to any, he alters and changeth them, that they may be such as he may have content, and complacency and delight in.

We see then there is a necessity of examining our selves in this point. If thou be anointed, examine thy self, what inward power of grace thou hast, what sweet work of the Spirit; whether thou find in thee a principle above corruption, that makes thee rule above that which the world is inthralled unto: undoubtedly as our title to heaven it is out of our selves, by the promises we have of salvation and reconciliation in Christ; so the evidences must be found in our selves; there must be anointing, and sealing, and the Earnest of the Spirit: therefore I beseech you, think seriously of what I have delivered of that Point before. But we shall have occasion in the particulars after to speak more of this. I go on therefore to the second word,

Who hath sealed us.

The same God that anoints us, seales us. Anointing and sealing go both together; both are to secure us of our estate in Christ: both wrought by the Spirit of God.

Now Christ is the first sealed, Job. 6. Him hath God the Father sealed: Christ is sealed to be our Redeemer, that is, God hath set apart Christ from others, hath distinguished him, and sealed him, and set a stamp upon him to be the Messiah: sealed him to the great work of Redemption, first by the graces of the Spirit; (for he is full of them, having received the Spirit above measure,) and not onelyonly so, but he sealed him by many miracles, by the resurrection from the dead, by which he was declared to be the Son of God; by the calling of the Gentiles, and by many other things.

Christ being sealed, he sealed all that he did for our redemption with his blood: and for the strengthening of our faith, he hath added outward seales, the two Sacraments, to seal our faith in this blood, and in him who is sealed of the Father,

p. 474But here in this place is meant another manner of sealing; for here is not meant the sealing of Christ, but the sealing of us, that have communion with Christ. The same Spirit that sealed the Redeemer, seales the redeemed.

What is our Sealing?

Sealing we know hath this use.

First of all, it doth imprint a likenesse of him that doth seal upon the wax that is sealed: as when the Kings Picture or Image is stamped or sealed upon the wax; every thing in the wax answers to that in the seal, face to face, eye to eye, hand to hand, foot to foot, body to body. So we are said to be sealed, when we carry in our soules the Image of Jesus Christ: for the Spirit sets the stamp of Jesus Christ upon every Christian, so that there is the likenesse of Christ in all things: understanding answers understanding, in proportion; as a child (you know) answers the father, it hath limb for limb, foot for foot, finger for finger, but it is not in quantity, but in proportion and likenesse: so it is in the soul that is sealed by the Spirit, there is a likenesse to Christ, something of every grace of Christ: there is understanding of the same heavenly supernatural truths; there is a judging of things as Christ judgeth: and the affections go as Christs do; he loves that which Christ loves, and he hates that which he hates: he joyes in that which Christ delights in: Every affection of the soul is carried that way that the affections of our blessed Saviour are carried in proportion: Every thing in the soul is answerable to Jesus Christ; and there is no grace in Christ, but there is the like in every Christian in some small measure: the Obedience of Christ to his Father even to the death, it is in every Christian: the Humility whereby Christ abased himself, it is in every Christian. Christ works in the soul that receiveth him, a likenesse to himself.

And this is an undoubted Character of a Christian; The soul that believes in Christ, doth not onelyonly believe in him for his own sake, to be forgiven of his sins, but together with believing, feeling the forgivenesse of his sins, and that Christ hath so loved him, and done such things for him, he is ambitious to expresse Christ in all things; and it stirres him up with desire to be like him: for, thinks he, is there such love in Christ to me? and is there such grace and mercy in God to me? and was Christ so good as to do and to suffer such things for me? Oh how shall I improve things for him? Oh that I might be like him! lovely in his eyes! This (I say) must needs be so, these desires are undoubtedly universally in the soules of all those that partake of Christ; it is the nature of the thing to be so: we shall desire to be transformed more and more to Christ; Every way to bear the Image of the second Adam, who is (as the Apostle saith) from heaven, heavenly; and so shall we be heavenly-minded as he was heavenly-minded on earth, talking and discoursing of the Kingdome of Heaven, and sitting people for the Kingdome of heaven, and drawing others from this world to meditate of a better estate: there is a likenesse to these in the soul of every believer: and that's the reason that Christs Offices are put together in all those that he saves, that look whosoever he is a Priest to, to dye for their sins, to them he is a Prophet to teach them, and a King to subdue their corruptions, and to change them, and alter them, and to rule them by his Spirit.

You have carnal men in presumption, which leads them to destruction; they sever things in Christ, they will take benefit by Christ, but they care not for his likenesse: they will have him as a Priest, but they respect him p. 475not as a King. Now all that are Christs have the stamp of the Spirit upon them: there are desires wrought in them by the Spirit of God to that purpose: and a Spirit of Sanctification, that makes them every way like Christ in their proportion.

And that is an evidence of the sealing of such a soul; because the soul of it self hath no such impression: for the soul of it self is a barren Wildernesse, a stone that is cold and uncapable of impression: when therefore the soul can command nature, being stiffe, and hard, and dead, we see an impression of a higher nature, a man may know that undoubtedly the Spirit of God hath been in this soul; for we see a loving spirit, an humble spirit, a gracious, a believing, a broken spirit, an obedient spirit to every commandment of God; the soul can yield it self wholly to the will of God in all things: certainly (I say) the Spirit of God hath been here; for these things grow not in a natural soul. A stone (you know) is cold by nature, and if a man feel a stone to be hot, a man may undeniably gather, Certainly the Sun hath shined upon this stone: Our hearts are very cold by nature, undoubtedly when they are warmed with the love of God, that they are made plyable to duties, the Sun of righteousnesse, Christ hath shined on this cold heart. Gods Spirit can work on Marble, can work on Brasse, as Jeremy saith. It was the commendations of one of the Fathers, that he could work on Brasse. God can work on our soules which are as brasse, and make an impression of grace there: and therefore when a man sees an impression upon such hard mettal, certainly he may know that the finger of Gods Spirit hath been there. So that the work of Sanctification is an undoubted feal of the Spirit of God.

A second use of a Seal is Distinction. Seales are given for distinguishing: for you know sealing is a stamp set upon some few out of many: so this sealing of the Spirit, it distinguisheth Christians from others; as we shall see more at large afterwards.

Then again, a Seal it serves for Appropriation: for men seal those things that are their own. Merchants seal those Wares that they either have, or mean to have a right unto: Men seal their own sheep, and not others, and stamp their own Wares, and not others. God here stoops so low as to make use of terms that are used in humane matters and contracts: and by sealing, he shewes that he hath appropriated his own to himself, chosen and singled them out for himself to delight in.

Again, sealing further serves to make things authentical, to give authority and excellency to things: Magistrates and Officers go with their broad Seal, and deliver things that they would have carried with authority, sealed; and the Seal of the Prince is the authority of the Prince: so that a Seal is to make things authentical, to give validity to things answerable to the value and esteem of him that seales.

These four principal uses there is of sealing. Now God by his Spirit doth all these: for God by his Spirit sets the stamp and likenesse of Christ upon us; he distinguisheth us from others, from the great refuse of the world: he appropriates us to himself; and like wise he authorizeth us and puts an excellency upon us to secure us against all: when we have Gods Seal upon us we stand against all accusations; Who shall separate us from the love of God? we dare def… all objections, and all accusations of conscience whatsoever: a man that hath Gods▪ Seal, he stands impregnable, it so authorizeth him in his conscience: for it is given us for our assurance, and p. 476not for Gods: God seales not because he is ignorant, He knowes who are his.

But what? is the Spirit it self this seal? or the graces of the Spirit? or the comforts of the Spirit? what is this seal? (for that is the question now) whether the Spirit it self, or the work of the Spirit, or the comfort and joy of the Spirit?

I answer, indeed the Spirit of God where it is, is a sufficient seal to us, that God hath set us out for his: for whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ is his; and whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his: but the Spirit is the Authour of this sealing: and the sealing that is in us, is wrought by the Spirit: so that except you take the Spirit for that which is wrought by the Spirit, you have not the right comprehension of sealing; and so the Spirit with that which the Spirit works, is the seal: for the Spirit is alway with his own seal, with his own stamp. Other seales are removed from the stamp, and the stamp remains, though the seal be gone: but the Spirit of God dwells and keeps a perpetual residence in the heart of a Christian, guiding him, moving him, enlightning of him, governing him, comforting him, doing all offices of a seal in his heart, till he have brought him to heaven: for the Holy Ghost never leaves us; it is the sweetest inhabitant that ever lodging was given to: he doth all that is done in the soul, and he is perpetually with his own work in joy and comfort; though he seems sometimes to be in a corner of the heart, and is not discernable, yet he alway dwells in us: the Spirit is alwayes with the stamp it sets upon the soul.

What is that stamp then? (to come to the matter more particularly,) what is that that the Spirit seales us with especially? what is that work?

I answer, the Spirit works in this order for the most part; and in some of these universally.

First, the Spirit doth together with the Word (which is the instrument of the Spirit, the Chariot in which it is carried) convince us of the evil that is in us, and of the ill estate we are in by reason thereof: it convinceth us that we are sinners, and of the fearful estate that we are in by sin: this is the first work of the Spirit on a man in the state of nature; it convinceth us of the ill that is in us, and of the ill due unto us, and thereupon it abaseth us: therefore it is called the Spirit of bondage, because it makes a man tremble and quake till he see his peace in Christ.

When the Spirit hath done that, then it convinceth a man by a better, by a sweeter light, discovering a remedy in Christ, who is sealed of God, to reconcile God and us. And as he enlightneth the soul, convinceth it of the all-sufficiency that is in Christ, and the authority that he hath, being sent and sealed of God for that purpose; so he works on the affections, he inclines the heart to go to God in Christ, and to cast himself on him by faith.

Now when the soul is thus convinced of the evil that is in us, and of the good that is in Christ, and with this convincing is enclined and moved by the holy Spirit, (as indeed the holy Spirit doth all) then upon this the Spirit vouchsafeth a superadded work, (as the Spirit doth still adde to his own work) he addes a confirming work, which is here called Sealing: that seal is not faith: for the Apostle saith, After you believed, ye were sealed: so that this sealing is not the work of faith, but it is a work of the Spirit upon faith, assuring the soul of its estate in grace.

p. 477But what need confirmation when we believe? Is not faith confirmation enough? when a man may by a reflect act of the soul know that he is in the state of grace by believing?

It is true, as the natural conscience knows what is in a man, as the natural judgment can reflect, so the spiritual understanding can reflect; and when he believes, he knowes that he believes, without the Spirit, by the reflect act of the understanding (except he be in case of temptaton) what needs sealing then?

This act of ours in believing, and the knowledge of our believing it is oft terribly shaken: and God is wondrous desirous (as we see by the whole passage of the Scripture) that we should be secure of his love; he knowes that he can have no glory, and we can have no comfort else: and rherefore when we by faith have sealed to his truth, he knowes that we need still further sealing, that our faith be current and good, and to strengthen our faith, for all is little enough in the time of temptation; and therefore the single witnesse of our soul by the reflect act, knowing that we do believe when we do believe, it is not strong enough in great temptations; for in some tryals the soul is so carried and hurried, that it cannot reflect upon it self, nor know what is in it self, without much ado: therefore first the Spirit works faith whereby we seal Gods truth, Joh. 3. He that believes, hath put to his seal that God is true: when God by his Spirit moves me to honour him by sealing his truth, that Whosoever believes in Christ, shall be saved, then God seales this my belief with an addition of his holy Spirit: so that this sealing is a work upon believing; and as faith honours God, so God honours faith with a superadded seal and confirmation.

But yet we not come particularly enough to know what this Seal is. When we honour God by sealing his truth, then the Spirit seales us; certainly then the Spirit doth it by presence, by being with us in our soules. What then doth the Spirit work when we believe? How shall we know that there is such a spiritual sealing?

I answer, the Spirit in this sea…g works these four things:

First, a secret voyce or witnesse to the soul, that we are the sonnes of God.

Secondly, a voyce or speech in us again to God, causing us to have accesse to the Throne of grace with boldnesse.

Thirdly, a work of Sanctification.

Fourthly, Peace of Conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

By these four wayes we may know the sealing of the Spirit after we believe, and that our faith is a sound belief, and that we are in the state of grace indeed.

First, (I say) the Spirit speaks to us by a secret kind of whispering and intimation, (that the soul feeles better then I can expresse,) Be of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee, saith he to the soul, I am thy salvation: there is (I say) a sweet joyning, a sweet kisse given to the soul, I am thine, and thou art mine: God by his Spirit speaks so much; there is a voyce of Gods Spirit speaking peace to his people upon their believing.

And then secondly, the Spirit of adoption stirres up the speech of the soul to God, that as he sayes to the soul, Because thou believest, now thou art honoured to be my child; so the Spirit stirres up in the soul a Spirit of prayer to cry, Abba, Father; it can go boldly to God as to a Father; for that Abba, Father, it is a bold and familiar speech.

p. 478There are two things in a prayer of a Christian that are incompatible to any carnal man: there is an inward kind of familiar boldnesse in the soul, whereby a Christian goes to God, as a child when he wants any thing goes to his father; a child considers not his own worthinesse or meannesse, but goeth to his father familiarly and boldly: so (I say) when the Spirit of God speaks to us from God, and tells the soul, I am thine, I am thy salvation, thy sins are forgiven thee, be of good comfort; and when the soul again speaks to God, when it can pour forth it self with a kind of familiar boldnesse and earnestnesse, especially in extremity, and in time of trouble, and can wait in prayer, and depend upon God this spiritual speech of God to the soul, and of the soul to God, it is a seal of the Spirit that indeed we are true believers, because we can doe that that none can do but Christians: God speaks to our souls, he raiseth our souls, and by his Spirit he puts a spirit of supplication into us, and helps our infirmities: for we know not what to ask, but he helps our weaknesse, and enables us to lay out the wants of our soules to God: these are evidences of the presence, and of the seal of the Spirit.

In the third place, this sealing of the Spirit after we beleeve, is known by the sanctifying work of the Spirit: for (as I told you before in the unfolding of the Point) the Spirit seals our spirits by stamping the likenesse of the Spirit of Christ on us: so that when a man finds in his soul some lineaments of that heavenly Image of Christ Jesus, when he finds some love, he may know by that love that he is translated from death to life; when he finds his spirit subdued, to be humble, to be obedient, when he finds his spirit to be heavenly and holy as Christ was; when he finds this stamp upon the soul, surely he may reason, I have not this by nature, naturally I am proud, now I can abase my self; natureally I am full of malice, now I can love, I can pray heartily for mine enemies, as Christ did: naturally I am lumpish and heavy, now in afflictions, I can joy in the Holy Ghost, I have somewhat in me contrary to nature, surely God hath vouchsafed his Spirit (upon my believing in Christ) to mark me, to seal … to stamp me for his, I carry now the Image of the second Adam, I know the Holy Ghost hath been in my heart, I see the stamp of Christ there: Know you not that Christ is in you, except you be cast awayes? saith the Apostle; so upon search, the Christian soul finds somewhat of Christ alwayes in the soul to give a sweet evidence that he is sealed to the day of redemtpion.

The fourth evidence that the Spirit of God hath been in a mans heart, is the joy of the Holy Ghost and peace of conscience, sanctification is the ordinary seal that is alwaies in the soul; this is an extraordinary seal, peace and joy: when the soul needs incouragement, then God is graciously pleased to superadd this, to give such spiritual ravishings which are as the very beginnings of heaven, so that a man may say of a Christian at such times that he is in heaven before his time, he is in heaven upon earth; but especially God doth this when he will have his children to suffer, or after suffering, after some special conflict, after we have combated with some special corruption, with some sinfull disposition, with some strong temptation, and have got the victory: To him that overcometh will I give of the hidden Manna, and a white stone, and a new name that none can read it, but he that hath it; that is, he shall have assurance that he is in the state of grace, and the sweet sense of the love of God, and that sweet heavenly Manna that none else can have: thus God dealt with Job; after he had exercised that Champion a long time, at the last he p. 479discovered himself in a glorious manner to him; so it is usually after some great crosse: or in the middest of some great crosse, when God sees that we must be supported with some spiritual comfort, we sink else; then there is place and time for spiritual comfort, when earth cannot comfort: thus St. Paul in the middest of the dungeon when he was in the stocks being sealed with the Spirit, he sang at midnight; Alas, what would have become of blessed Paul? his spirit would have sunk if God had not stamped it with Joy in the Holy Ghost; and so David, and the three young men in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the den, God doth then even as parents, smile upon their children when they are sick and need comfort: so above all other times God reserves this hidden sealing of his children with a spirit of joy when they need it most, sometimes in the middest of afflictions, sometimes as a reward when they come out of their afflictions: sometimes before; so our Saviour Christ had James and John with him upon the mountain to strengthen them against the scandal of suffering after: so God when he hath a great work for his children to do, some suffering for them to go through, as an encouragement before-hand, he enlargeth their spirits with the joy of the, Holy Ghost: and some times also after a holy and gracious disposition in the Ordinances of God, God doth adde an excellent portion of his Spirit, a seal extraordinary: for indeed, God thinks nothing enough for his children till he have brought them to heaven, seal upon seal, and comfort upon comfort; and the more we depend upon him in the meanes of salvation, and the more we conflict with our corruptions, the more he increaseth the sweet comforts and the hidden Manna of the Spirit.

Thus we see how the Spirit seals: I beseech you therefore let us examine our selves by that which hath been spoken: after we believe, God seales those that do believe; we honour him by believeing, he honours us by sealing us with his Spirit: Hath God spoken to thy soul by the witnesse of the Spirit, and said, I am thy salvation, thy sins are forgiven thee? doth God stirre up thy spirit to call upon him, especially in extremity? and to go with boldnesse and earnestnesse to him? surely this boldnesse and earnestnesse is an evidence of the seal of the Spirit; for a man that hath no seal of the Spirit, he cannot go to God in extremity; Saul in extremity he goes to the Witch; and Achitophel and Judas in extremity go to desperate conclusions: a man that hath not the Spirit of God speaking peace to his conscience, to whom God hath not given the Spirit of Adoption to cry, Abba, Father, in all manner of exigents, he sin…ks as lead to the bottom of the sea; so heavy is the soul that is not raised by the Spirit of God, he hath no consistence till he come to the Centre, to hell. Did you ever feel the sweet joy of the Spirit after conflict with corruptions, and getting ground of them, and in holy duties? &c. it is a sign that God hath sealed you.

But you will say, How can that be a seal that is not alwaies? a seal cotinues with the thing; Gods children find not peace alwaies, the joy of the Spirit comes after the work of the Spirit: how then can this be a seal?

I Answer, Yes; for howsoever it be or not alway sensible, yet it is alway a seal: though we have not alwaies the joy of the Spirit, yet we have the Spirit of joy; a Christian hath not the joy of the Spirit at all times, for that is moveable, but he hath alwaies the Spirit of joy, which Spirit though it be not known by joy, yet it is known by operation and working: there is the work of the Spirit, where there is not alwayes the joy of the Spirit: and therefore when that fails, go to the work of sanctification, and see what p. 480stamp and resemblance of Christ there is: see if thy heart be humble and broken, if thou have a loving disposition in thee like to Christ, that thou hatest that which Christ hateth, that thou seest a division in thy self: I say, when the joy of the Spirit ceaseth, go to the work of the Spirit, and to this work of the Spirit, viz. the voice of the Spirit, canst thou cry to God with prayer and supplication? and if thou canst not pray with distinct words, canst thou mourne and groan to God? this sighing and groaning is the voice of Gods Spirit, and God knowes the voice of his own Spirit. But for the question propounded: the soul of a Christian knowes that when it findes not extraordinary comfort from Gods Spirit, that Gods love is constant: It can reason thus, Though I find not the comfort of the Spirit, yet I have the Spirit of Comfort, because I had the Spirit in former times, and Gods Spirit is unchangeable, and therefore though it be not with me now as in those ravishings of the Spirit, yet the love of God is the same, though my feeling be not the same; because though I be off and on, and my feeling ebb and flow, yet his love is not so: and here upon the extraordinary feeling of the Spirit, which is superadded as an extraordinary seal, it may be a sound seal of Comfort from the constancy of God who gave it, and he gave it for this end, that we might have recourse and retire back in our thoughts, and argue, it was thus and thus with me; then we remember the times of old, as David saith, Psal. 77. and help our selves with our former feelings: he that alway hath life, is not alwaies alike stirred; Christ may be begotten and live in us, but he stirs not alwaies alike: so though the Spirit of sanctification be in us, and stir in us, yet his stirring is not alike so sweet; and the stirring of the Spirit though it be not alway, yet the Spirit is alway there; so the soul may have recourse to that which is unchangeable and constant, even God himself; and his love is as himself.

But to take a Christian in his worst time, in the worst and greatest afflictions, how shall he know then that he is sealed of the Spirit? when corruption, temptation and affliction meet together in the soul: when temptation is joyned with our corruption, and afflictions yield ground to temptations: (for Satan useth the afflictions we are in as temptations to shake our faith, Canst thou be a child of God, and be so exercised? is this grace? so affliction is a weapon to temptation, for Satan to help his fiery darts with.) Now how shall a man know that God hath any part here?

He may know that he is sealed by the Spirit of God, if he have a spirit to thwart these, if he row against the stream, if he go contrary to all these; if he find a spirit resisting Satans temptations, and raising himself above afflictions, and standing against, and combating with his corruptions, and checking his carnal soul when it is drawing him down, Why art thou discomforted, O my soul? saith David; Psal. 42. & 43. He found corruptions, and afflictions, and Satans temptations working with them, depressing his soul downwards; hereupon having the Spirit in him, saith he, Why art thou disquieted within me? trust in God: He first chides his soul, Why art thou so? and then he layes a charge upon it, trust in God. So I say, when this is in the soul in the greatest extremity, when I can check my soul, Why art thou thus? yet trust in God; whatsoever is in the world, yet there is hope in heaven, though there be little comfort upon earth; this is a sign that I am sealed with the Spirit of God: and thus in the worst temptations that can come, and so in the worst times, a man may know that he is in the state of grace.

p. 481One use of a seal (I told you before) was to distinguish, if a man therefore find in himself a distinguishing from the errours of the times: Many walk (saith the Apostle) of whom I have told you oft, their end is damnation, their belly is their god, they mind earthly things: but what did S. Paul in the mean time? what did the Spirit work in him? But our conversation is in heaven, saith he. The whole world was overspread with a deluge of sin; but what was Noah and his family? God by his Spirit distinguished them, they went a contrary course to the world; and Lot in Sodom: so a man may know that he is sealed, when the Spirit leads him another way, that he is not led with the errours of the times.

Thus we have unfolded to you the sealing of the Spirit; and you see the Spirit of God not onelyonly anoints, but seales. Now we should labour to have our hearts thus sealed by the Spirit: Can we desire and never be at quiet till our Instruments be sealed, till our acquittances, till our Charters be sealed? and shall we be patient not to have our soules sealed?

Let us labour by all means to have the Image and likenesse of Christ stamped upon our soules especially, that is wondrous comfortable when we can find somewhat in us like to Jesus Christ.

To encourage us to this, let us consider, that death and Judgment will come, and God will set none at his right hand but his sheep that have his mark: those that he sets his stamp and Image upon, those he will set on the right hand in the day of Judgment.

And how comfortably in the hour of death can the soul commend it self to God, when it sees it self stamped and sealed by the Spirit of Christ? when he can say to Christ, Lord Jesus, receive my soul that thou hast redeemed by thy blood, that thou hast sealed by thy Spirit, and that thou hast set thine own stamp upon, acknowledge thine own likenesse, though it be not as it should be: what a comfort (I say) hath the sealed soul at the hour of death? and so in all other extremities, and in times of trouble and danger, those in whom God sees his own Image and likenesse, he will own, and to those he will alwayes shew a distinct and respective love in hard times.

What a difference is between that soul and others in the time of affliction, as in the time of pestilence and war: the soul that is sealed knowes that he is marked out for God, for happinesse in the world to come, whatsoever befalls him in this world; and he knowes that God in all confusion of times knowes his own seal: those that are sealed God hath a speciall care of, I say; therefore in Ezek. 9. they are said to be marked in their foreheads: not that there was any visible mark on them, but it is a phrase to signifie what speciall care God had of his people, specially in times of destruction, God will as it were set them out in those times, and make special provision for them: thus Josiah was taken away from the evill to come; and Lot was taken out of Sodom when fire and brimstone was to come from heaven: and Pella, a little Village was delivered when the general destruction came upon Jerusalem. So that (I say) God hath a speciall care of his little ones in this life; and if he take them away, yet their death is precious in his sight: He will not part with them but upon special consideration; he sees if they live it will be worse for them; he sees it is better for them to be gathered to himself, and to the soules of men made perfect in heaven.

p. 482And as he hath a special care of them in regard of outward miseries and calamities, so in regard of spiritual contagion and infection, as Rev 7. there Gods holy ones were sealed, so many of such a tribe, &c. which is to signifie to us, that God hath alwayes some that he will keep and preserve from the universal infection and contagion of Antichrist in the worst times: God hath alwayes a Church in the worst times, in the obscurest ages of the Church, eight or nine hundred years after Christ, especially nine hundred years, when Egyptian darknesse had overspread the world, and there was little learning and goodnesse in the world, God had alwayes sealed ones, marked ones, that he preserved from the danger of dark times: and so he will alwayes have a care of his own, that they be not led away with that soul-hurting errour, Popery; another manner of mischief then men take it for. The Scripture is more punctual in setting down the danger of those, especially in lighter times of the Church, that are carried away with that sin, then any other sin whatsoever, they have a contrary mark, those that have the mark of the Beast, it is contrary to the mark of Christ, it is far from being the mark and seal of the Spirit, that implicite bloody faith: Theirs is the bloody Church, pretend what they will, and they stand out to blood in the defence of all their cruel, superstitious, and bloody decrees. Those persons (I say) that are deeply died in Popery, that have the mark of the Beast, they are in a clean opposite condition to those that are marked with the Spirit, that Christ marks for his.

Let us not fear therefore, I say, if we have the Spirit of God stamped upon us, though in a little measure, if it be true, let us not fear death, Christ knowes his own mark even in death, and out of death. And let us not fear afflictions nor evil times, Christ will know his seal, He hath a book of remembrance for those that are his, Mal. 3. for those that mourn for the sins of the times, and when he gathers his Jewels, those shall be his, he will gather his Jewels as a man in his house gathers his jewels, he suffers his luggage to burn in the fire: so God in common calamities, he suffers luggage, wicked men, to go to wrack; but he will free his own.

Let us labour therefore for this seal, to have our soules stamped with the Spirit of God, to have further and further evidence of our state in grace, that in the time of common calamity we may be free from danger, free from errour, and destruction.

But you will say, What shall I account of it, if there be but a little sign of grace?

Be not discouraged: when the stamp in wax is almost out, it is currant in Law: put the case the stamp of the Prince be an old coyn, (as sometimes we see it on a King Harry groat) yet it is currant money, yea, though it be a little crackt: So, put tbe case the stamp of the Spirit be, as it were, almost worn out, (it is our shame, and ought to be our grief that it is so,) yet there are some evidences, some pulses, some sighes and groans against corruption, we mourn in our spirits, we do not joyn with corruption, we do not allow our selves in sin; there is the stamp of the Spirit remaining, though it be overgrown with the dust of the world that we cannot see it.

Sometimes Gods children though they have the graces of the Spirit in them, yet they yield so much to their corruptions, that they can read nothing but their corruptions; when we bid them read their evidences, they can see nothing but worldlinesse, nothing but pride and envy, &c. though there be a stamp on them, yet God holds the soul from seeing it, so that they p. 483can see nothing but corruption, this is for their negligence; God gives them up to mistake their estates, because they will not stirre up the graces of the Spirit; because they grieve the Spirit, and quench the Spirit, by doing that which is contrary to the Spirit.

Let us therefore (that we may have the more comfort) preserve the stamp of the Spirit fresh, by the exercise of all grace, and communion with God, and by obedience, and by faith: honour God by believing, and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit on thee more and more. And let this be our work every day to have the stamp of the Spirit clear: Oh what a comfort it is to have this in us at all times! if a man have nothing in him better then nature, if he have nothing in him in regard of grace, if he have not Christs Image upon his soul, though he be a King, or an Emperour, yet he shall be stript of all ere long, and be set on the left hand of Christ, and be adjudged to eternal torments.

It is the folly of the times come up of late, there is much labouring for Statues, and for curious workmanship of that kind, and some pride themselves much in it, and account it great riches to have an old Statue: Alas, alas! what a poor delight is this in comparison of the joy that a Christian hath by the seal of the Spirit? and what is this to the ambition of a Christian, to see the Image and representation of Christ stamped in his soul? that he may be like the second Adam, that he may be transformed more and more by looking on him, and seeing himself in him, to love him, considering that he hath loved us so much: (for we cannot see the love of Christ to us, but we must love him the more, and be transformed into him.) Now this transforming our selves into the Image of Christ, is the best picture in the world; therefore labour for that every day more and more.

There is besides the common broad seal of God, his Privy Seal, as I may call it: It is not sufficient that we have the one, that we have admittance into the Church by Baptisme; but we must have this privy seal which Christ sets and stamps upon the soul of the true Christian: Alas, for a man to build onelyonly on the outward seals, and outward prerogatives, (which in themselves are excellent, yet) the standing upon them betrayes many soules to the Devil in times of distresse.

It is another manner of seal then the outward seal in the Sacrament that will satisfie and comfort the conscience in the apprehensions of wrath at the hour of death or otherwayes. It must be this privy seal, and then comes the use of those publick open known seales, the broad seales; then a man with comfort may think upon his Baptisme, and upon his receiving the Communion, when he hath the beginnings of faith wrought in him by the Spirit of God; when a man finds the beginnings of faith in him, then he may make use of the broad seal to be a help to his faith.

We must not be so prophane as to think slightly and irreverently of Gods Ordinances, they are of great and high consequence: for when Satan comes to the soul, and shakes the confidence of it, and saith, Thou art not a Christian, and God doth not love thee. Why, (saith the soul) God hath loved me, and pardoned my sins, he hath given me promises, and particularly sealed them in the Sacrament: here is the excellency of the Sacrament, it comes more home then the Word, it seales the general promise of God particularly to my self. I am sealed in the Sacrament, and withall I find the stamp of the Spirit in my heart; and therefore having the inward work p. 484of the Spirit, and God having fortified the inward work, and strengthened my faith by the outward seal, I can therefore stand against any temptation whatsoever: They are excellent both together, but the speciall thing that must comfort, must be the hidden seal of the Spirit.

Let us labour therefore to be sealed inwardly, and observe Gods sealing-dayes, (as we use to speak) which though it may be every day if we be in spiritual exercises, yet especially on the Lords Day; for then his Ordinance and his Spirit go together.

Now as there is a sealing of our estates that we are the children of God, so there is of truths, and both are in the children of God: as for instance, this is a truth, Whosoever believes in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life: now the same Spirit that stirred up the soul to believe this, seales it in the soul, even to death, and in all times of temptation: and likewise there is no promise but upon the believing of it, it is sealed by the Spirit upon the soul; for those truths onelyonly abide firm in the soul which the Spirit of God sets on.

What is the reason that many forget the comforts and consolations that they hear? because the Spirit sets them not on, the Spirit seales them not. What is the reason that illiterate men stand out in their profession to blood, whereas those that have a discoursive kind of learning they yield? the reason is this, the knowledge of the one is sealed by the Spirit, it is set fast upon the soul, the Spirit brings the knowledge and the soul close together; whereas the knowledge of the other is onelyonly a notional, swimming knowledge, it is not spiritual.

Those therefore that will hold out in the end, and not apostatize, those that will stand out in the hour of death against temptation, and those that will hold out in the time of life against solicitations to sin, they must have a knowledge suitable to the things they know, that is, they must see and know heavenly things by a heavenly light, spiritual things by the Spirit of God.

And therefore when we come to hear the Ministers of God, we should not come with strong conceits, in the strength of our wit; but with reverend dispositions, with dependance upon God for his Spirit, that he would teach us together with the Ministers, and close with our soules, and set those truths we hear upon our soules, we shall never hold out else. And it must be the Holy Ghost that must do this; for that which must settle and seal comfort to the soul, must be greater then the soul, especially in the time of temptation, when the terrours of the Almighty are upon us, and when the hell within a man is open, when God layes open our consciences, and writes bitter things against us, and our consciences tell us our sins wondrous near, they are written as it were with a pen of Iron, and the point of a Diamond upon our soules: now I say, those truths that must satisfie conscience that is thus turmoiled, must be set on by that which is above conscience; the Spirit of God who is above our spirits, can onelyonly set down our spirits, and keep them from quarrelling and contending against the truth, and quiet the conscience; and this the Spirit doth when it sets the truth upon the soul.

And therefore when our soules are disquieted and troubled, and we hear many comfortable truths, let us lift up our prayers to God, let there be ejaculations of spirit to God; Now Lord, by thy holy Spirit set and seal this truth to my soul, that as it is true in it self, so it may be true to me likewise.

This is a necessary Observation for us all: Oh we desire all of us in the p. 485hour of death, to find such comforts as may be standing comforts, that may uphold us against the gates of Hell, and against the temptations of Satan, and terrours of Conscience: why, nothing will do this but spiritual truths spiritually known; nothing but holy truths set on by the hoy Spirit of God.

But what course shall we take when we want comfort? when we want joy and peace?

In the third of John, there are three witnesses in heaven, and three in earth to secure us of our state in grace, and the certainty of our salvation. The three witnesses upon earth are the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one; and the three that bear witnesse in heaven, are the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and the three on earth, and these three in heaven agree in one.

Now the Spirit is the feelings and the sweet motions of the Spirit. The water may well be that washing of the Spirit, sanctification. The blood is the shedding of the blood of Christ, and justification by it. When therefore we find that part of the seal, that extraordinary seal that I spake of before, the joy of the Spirit of God, that it is not in us, what shall we do? shall we despair? No, go to the water, when we find not spiritual joy and comfort, when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent, go to the work of the Spirit in sanctification.

I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soul, as sometimes there is such a confusion in the soul, that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification, we cannot see the stamp of Gods Spirit there, there is such a Chaos in the soul: God can see somewhat of his own Spirit in that confusion, but the Spirit it self cannot?

Then go to the blood of Christ, there is alwayes comfort; the fountain that is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in, is never dry: go therefore to the blood of Christ, that is, if we find sin upon our consciences, if we find not peace in our consciences, nor sanctification in our hearts, go to the blood of Christ, which is shed for all those that confesse their sinnes, and rely on him for pardon, though we find no grace: For howsoever as an evidence that we are in Christ, we must find the work of the Spirit; yet before we go to Christ it is sufficient that we see nothing in our selves, no qualification: for the graces of the Spirit they are not the condition of coming to Christ, but the promise of those that receive Christ after. Therefore go to Christ when thou feelest neither joy of the Spirit, nor sanctification of the Spirit; go to the blood of Christ, and that will purge thee, and wash thee from all thy sins.

This I onelyonly touch for a direction what to do when our soules want comfort, when perhaps we cannot see the seal of the Spirit in sanctification so clearly.

To go on now to the next.

And given us the Earnest of the Spirit.

Here is the third word borrowed from humane affaires, to set out the work of the Spirit in our soules: Anointing we had before, and Sealing; now here is Earnest.

The variety of the words shewes that there is a great remainder of unbelief Why God useth so many several words to sec… us.in the soul of man, that the Spirit of God is fain to use so many p. 486words to expresse Gods dealing to the soul to bring it to believe, to be assured of salvation. And indeed so it is, howsoever we in the time of prosperity, when all things go well with us, we are prone wondrously to presume, yet in the hour of death when conscience is awakened, we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question, and to believe the doubts and fears of our own hearts, more then the undoubted truth and promise of God: therefore God takes all courses to stablish us; he gives us rich and precious promises, he gives us the holy Spirit to stablish us on the Promises, he seales us with his Spirit, and gives us the earnest of the Spirit, and all to settle this wretched and unbelieving heart of ours.

So desirous is God that we should be well conceited of him, he loves us better then we love our selves: He so much prizeth our love, that he labours by all means to secure us of his love to us, because except we know his love to us, we cannot love him again, and we cannot joy in him, &c. But that onelyonly in the general.

Here is earnest, and the Earnest of the Spirit; that is in plain termes, he gives us the Spirit with the graces and comforts of it, which doth in our hearts that which an earnest doth amongst men.

But what is this Spirit an earnest of?

It is an Earnest of our inheritance in heaven, of our blessed estate What the Spirit is an Earnest of.there. We are sons now, but we are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to. God leaves us not off in the mean time while we are in our Pilgrimage; he keeps not all for heaven, but he gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our Husband, from our Lord and King Christ: he gives us the Earnest of the Spirit, that is, he gives the holy Ghost into our hearts, which is the Earnest of that blessed everlasting glorious condition which we shall have in heaven hereafter: that is the meaning of the words.

In what regard is the Spirit called an Earnest?

First of all, an Earnest is for security of bargains and contracts: so the The Spirit an Earnest,Holy Ghost assures the soul of salvation, being present with his graces and 1. For security.comforts: the Holy Ghost is given for security.

Secondly, an Earnest is part of the whole bargain; though it be a very 2. It is part of the whole.little part, yet it is a part: and so the Spirit of God here, and the work of the Spirit, and the graces and joy of the Spirit, it is a part of that full joy and happinesse that shall be revealed. The Spirit dwells not fully in any one, he dwelleth no further then he sanctifieth and reviveth, but that is an Earnest for the time to come, that the Spirit shall be all in all, wherein we shall have no reluctancy, nor nothing to exalt it self against the sure regiment of the Spirit.

Thirdly, an Earnest is little in comparison of the whole bargain: so the 3. An Earnest is little to the whole.work of the Spirit, the comforts, the joy, the peace of the Spirit, it is little in comparison of that which shall be in heaven, in regard of the fulnesse of the Spirit which we shall have there. An Earnest, though it be little in quantity, yet it is great in security and assurance: a shilling may secure a bargain of a thousand pounds perhaps; so the Spirit, it is little in quantity it may be, but it is great in assurance. And as we value an earnest, not for the bignesse of the piece; for (alas!) it may be it is but little; but we value and esteem it for that which it is an earnest of: So the work of the Spirit, the joy and peace of the Spirit; the comforts of the Spirit, though they be p. 487little, yet they are great in security, and are to be prized according to that excellent bargain and possession, of which they are an Earnest.

Fourthly, an Earnest is given rather for the security of the party that receives 4. It serves the party receiving it.it, then in regard of him that gives it: so God gives the Earnest of the Spirit, grace and comfort, this not so much in regard of God, for God meaneth to give us heaven and happinesse, he hath passed his Word, and he is Master of his Word, be is Jehovah, that gives a being to his Word as well as to every other thing; but notwithstanding having to deal with doubtful mistrustful persons, he doth it for our security, he regards not himself so much, but us: He works answerable to his own greatnesse, strongly; but he speaks according to our weaknesse: and therefore here is the term of Earnest borrowed for this purpose.

And lastly, an Earnest is never taken away, but it is made up with the 5. It is never taken away.bargain: so it is with the Spirit of God, the graces and comforts of it are never wholly taken from a Christian, but accomplished in heaven. I will leave you the Comforter (saith our Saviour Christ,) that shall abide with you for ever.

So that in these and such like other respects, the Spirit of God by it self, together with the graces of it, and the comforts it bringeth, (for they go both together) are called an Earnest.

Hence then (having thus cleared the words) we may observe some particular Doctrines. As first, I Observe from the first property of an Earnest, that it secures the whole bargain this, That

A Christian ought to be, and may be assured of his estate in grace.Observ. A Christian man be assured of his estate in grace.

Because (as I said before) an Earnest is given for security, and that not so much for Gods sake, as for our sakes; this then must needs follow, either none have this earnest, or those that have it may be assured, or else God is fickle and playes fast and loose with his children, which is blasphemy to affirm. If none have this earnest, then the Apostle speakes false, when he saith here, he stablisheth us, and gives us the earnest of his Spirit, and us with you, both together; ordinary Christians as well as grand ones, as well as Paul, may be assured of their salvation. And if this be so, then either those that have this earnest, this seal of the Spirit, they may be assured, or no; and if not, where is the fault? doth not God mean in good earnest to them when he gives them this? undoubtedly he doth; and why is it given but for assurance? he is desirous that we should be perswaded of his love in all things, and therefore Gods Children they may, and they ought to be assured of his love in this world.

It is a Point that we have often occasion to meet with in other portions of Scripture: I speak it therefore here only as a ground out of this place, in that the Spirit of God, together with the graces and comforts are called an Earnest: I say therefore from hence, that we may be assured of our salvation.

I beseech you, what is the aim of the Epistles to the …, to the Ephesians, of the Epistle of S. John, but a stirring of them up to whom they All in the work of Redemption is for that end.wrote to be perswaded of Gods love to them, and to shew what excellent things we have by the love of God in Christ? And S. Johns Epistle it is for nothing else (in respect of the substance of it) but to give evidences how we may know that we are the sons of God. Wherefore did God become man? Wherefore was Christ himselfe sealed by the Father, Son; and Holy Ghost to his office, when he was baptized? and wherefore he did dye and p. 488rise againe? and wherefore doth he make intercession in heaven? that we should doubt of Gods love, when he hath given us that which is greater then salvation, that which is greater then all the world, his own Son? Would we have a greater pledge of his love? Is not all this, that we should not doubt of his love to us, if we cast our selves upon him by faith? Christians may, and ought, and have had assurance, these here had assurance, and the Christians not alike assured at all times.Scripture speaks of such as had it: they have had it, we may have it, because the Spirit is a Seal, and an Earnest; and we ought to have it, because God hath framed both his Word, and his Sacraments, and all his dealing to man so as to perswade us of his love.

Yet adde this Caution, That Christians have not at all times a like assurance of their salvation; neither all Christians at all times have it not, nor the best have it not at all times: For there is an infancy of grace, when we know not our own estate and condition: and there is a time of temptation after infancy, when likewise we stagger in our assurance: there be times likewise of desertion, when God to make us look better to our footing leaves us a little, as if he would forsake us, when indeed he leaves us to draw us after him, to cleave more closely to him: (for this shaking is to settle us deeper,) So there be times and seasons wherein though we be assured, yet we cannot then know our own assurance. And this assurance differeth in Christians; for some have more, some lesse: even as the constitution of the body, some are of a melancholy constitution, (that helps Satan in his temptations,) and they are subject to fearing and misdoubting: and so as there is a difference in regard of tempers, some are more hardly brought to be perswaded then others: so there is a difference likewise in care and diligence; for those that use more care and diligence, have more assurance: there is a difference likewise in growth and continuance in Christianity, some are fathers, and some are babes: Answerable to the difference of constitutions, and of care and diligence, and of age and growth in Christianity, so is the difference of assurance.

Nay it is possible, that for a long time Gods child may want this act of assurance: for there is a double act of faith.

An Act whereby the soul relies upon God as reconciled in Christ, and Double act of saith.relies upon Christ as given of God; and relies upon the promise. And 1. Direct.then there is a reflect act, whereby knowing we do thus, we have assurance. Now a man may perform the one act & not the other; we may do that deed 2. Reflect.that may found our assurance if the waters of the soul were not troubled; that is, we may believe, and yet want assurance, because that is another distinct act that followeth upon our casting of our selves upon God. And so many of the dear children of God sometimes they can hardly say that they have any assurance, but yet notwithstanding they can say (if they do not belye themselves, and bear false witnesse against themselves,) that they have cast themselves upon Gods mercy, they have performed the first act of faith; and this faith is not fruitlesse altogether.

Now there be many things that may hinder this other act, viz. that act The reflect act may be hindred.of faith whereby I am assured of my state in grace: sometimes God (together with my believing) will present such things to the soul, as wholly take it up; so that a man cannot have definitive thoughts upon that that God would have him think of: As when God will humble a man for his boldnesse in adventuring upon sin, he takes not away the Spirit of faith, but God to humble him throughly he sets before him his anger, sets before him p. 489terrour, even hellish terrours, that will make him in a state little different from a reprobate for the time; so that he is farre from saying that he hath any assurance at that time: yet notwithstanding he doth not leave off, he casts himself upon Gods mercy still, though God kill him, yet he will trust in him, and yet he feels nothing but terrour; and this (I say) God doth, to school him, and to humble him, and to prepare him for the feeling of assurance after.

These things we must observe, that we give not a false evidence of our selves, that though we have not such assurance as we have had, and as others have; yet I say, alway there is some ground in us, where upon we may be assured that we are Gods, if we could search it. Such ought to labour for assurance, and such will in time come to assurance. And therefore we should be farre from alowing that Doctrine, which is as if a man should light a candle before the Divel, as we use to say, to help him against our hearts, by a Doctrine of doubting; as if our naughty hearts were not ready enough of themselves to doubt.

It is the prophanenesse of the world, they will not use the means that God Naughty hearte content with a state of doubling.hath appointed to this end; nay, they had rather stagger and take contentment & assurance in their own waies; if God will love me in a loose course, so it is; but to give diligence to make my calling and election sure, I had rather believe the Popish Doctrine, that I ought to doubt, and only to be of a good hope: Whereas we ought constantly to labour to be assured of our state in grace, that God may have more honour, and that we may have more comfort from him again, and walk more chearfully through the troubles and temptations that are in the world.

A Carnal proud person he swells against this Doctrine, because he feels no such thing, and he thinks what is above his measure is hypocrisie; he makes himself the measure of other Christians, and therefore he values and esteems others by his dark state; for a carnal mans heart it is like a dungeon, a man in a dungeon can see nothing, because he hath no light; but he that hath the light, he can see the dungeon: the heart of a Christian hath a light in it, there is the Spirit in him, and therefore he can see his own estate, and he can tell what is in him upon due search: now in a carnal man all is dark, he sees nothing, because his heart is in a dungeon, his eye is dark, his heart is full of darknesse, all is alike to him, he sees no difference between flesh and Spirit, and therefore he holds on in a doubting hope, and confused disposition and temper of soul: But a Christian that labours to walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, he is not content with such a confused state, and therefore we ought to abhor that Doctrine by all means; and to justifie this Doctrine, that we ought, and that we may have assurance of salvation in this world.

The second thing which I observe, and which I joyn to the former, is the Doctrine of Perseverance: An Earnest you know I told you is made up with the Bargain, but it is never taken away: so that the Point is this, That Gods Children as they may be assured of their salvation, So

They may be assured that they shall hold out to the end.Observ. Gods Children may be assured they shall held out to the end.

I think many of you think these two Points to be so clear, that it is unnecessary to divide them: for if we be assured of our salvation, there must needs be perseverance to the end; for what kind of assurance is it, to be in the state of grace to day, and not to be to morrow?

But if you ask some degenerated followers of Luther, that leave him in p. 490his sweet and comfortable Doctrines, and take up some errours of his; and some others that would divide these; hot they are against the Papists for denying the Doctrine of assurance of salvation: but when they come to perseverance, they hold that a Christian may fall away altogether: these things cannot stand together, for undoubtedly it is most sure, and just, and right, that these truths follow one the other, assurance of salvation, and perseverance: and therefore if they maintain that we ought to be assured of salvation and not doubt of Gods love, surely then they cannot with the same Spirit and the same ground doubt that God that hath begun a work, will finish it to the day of the Lord: there is no question but that the one followes the other; because an earnest as it assures us of salvation, so it assures us of perseverance. Herein an Earnest differs from a pawn or pledge; a pledge it is given, but it is taken away again: but an Earnest when it is once given, is never taken away again; but as it is a part of the bargain, so it is filled and made up with the bargain; so grace is a part of glory, and is never taken away, but made up with perfect on of glory.

From this we see then, that he that is in the state of grace, is undefeasable; he perseveres to the end, because he hath the earnest of the Spirit: if God should take away his Spirit from him, he should take away his earnest; and if he take away his earnest, he takes away that for which he gives it, assurance of salvation, and so should overthrough all. But God never repents of his earnest; man oft-times repents of his earnest, and wisheth he had not made such a fruitlesse bargain; but God never doth, but where he gives the first fruits, he makes up the harvest; where he laies the foundation, he makes up the building, where he gives Earnest, he makes up the bargain: where he begins a good work, he finisheth it to the day of the Lord; once his, for ever his: We cannot be so sure of any thing as we may be of Gods love for the time to come. We have a common speech amongst us, I know what I have, but what I shall have I know not: It is an ill speech, thou knowest not what thou hast, for these worldly things a man hath them so to day as they may take to themselves wings and be gone to morrow, for they are but vanity; A may be as rich as Job in the morning, and as poor as Job at night; so that a man knowes not what he hath: but for the time to come for grace and glory, he may say, Though I know not what I have, or how long I shall have it, I know what I shall have, I know that neither things present, nor things to come shalbe able to separate me from the love of God in Jesus Christ.

So that you see here a foundation of the sweet and comfortable Doctrine Grace and glory differ but in degrees.of perseverance: Grace is the Earnest of glory, and it doth but differ in degrees; the beginning of glory is here in grace, the consummation of it hereafter. We are anointed Kings here, we shall be Kings in heaven; we are sons here in this world, we shall be heires in heaven: we shall be adopted there in soul and body: here we are adopted in soul; for in this life Christs first coming was for the soul, his second coming is for body and soul; therefore the resurrection is called the day of regeneration, because then it shall be perfected; here regeneration is onelyonly begun.

So that in respect that the work of the Spirit, the graces of the Spirit are called an Earnest, we may know and be assured of perseverance in grace, and that that which we have now in the beginning shall be accomplished.

Oh how should this set us upon desires to have the blessed work of the Spirit upon us, to have the Spirit to set his seal upon us, to be Christs, to p. 491have this Earnest, and to get more and more Earnest till we have the full bargain accomplished in heaven!

Thirdly, I told you, that an Earnest is part of the whole, they therefore that have not the Earnest cannot look for the bargain: The Observation hence is, That

Those that look to be happy, must first look to be holy.Observ. Those that look to be happy, must first be holy.

This Point I mean to touch very briefly, I am loath to passe it by; (though it be not the principal thing I aim at) because it may serve for a kind of tryal, whether a man have any right to heaven, or no.

It is the ordinary presumptuous errour of common Christians, to think to go to heaven out of unclean courses, with Lord, have mercy upon us: but miserable wretches are they, that have not this Earnest of the Spirit in them, an Earnest of heaven beforehand in grace, and peace, and joy: We must all read our happinesse in our holinesse; and therefore it is that happinesse in heaven, and holinesse here (which is happinesse inchoate) have both one title, to shew that we cannot have the one without the other: we must enter into heaven here in this life.

The stones (you know) they were hewed before they were brought to the building of the Temple, they were all made and fitted before-hand; and so all that shall be stones in heaven, they must be hewed and prepared and fitted here; there must be no knocking and fitting of them there.

So then you see these three things touched, that the holy Spirit together with the graces and comforts of it are called an Earnest, and therefore that it is a part of the whole, an assurance of the whole, and that it shall never be taken away.

Now for the fourth, that an Earnest is little in regard of the whole; (and indeed the holy Apostle aimes at this partly as well as at any other thing else) an Earnest is little, perhaps we have but a shilling to secure us of many pounds. So then the point is this, That

Howsoever we may be assured of our estate in grace, and likewise that we shall Observ. We may be assured from a little measure of grace.hold out, yet the ground of this assurance is not from any great measure of grace, but though it be little in quantity, it may be great in assurance, and security.

As we value an Earnest not for the worth that is in it self, but because it assures us of a great bargain; we have an Eye more to the consummation of the bargain then to the quantity of the Earnest: so it is here, Grace is but an Earnest, yet notwithstanding though it be little as an Earnest is, yet it is great in assurance and validity, answerable to the relation of that it hath to assure us.

There is nothing lesse then a grain of mustard-seed, but there is nothing in the world so little in proportion (in a manner) that comes at length to be so great, as the graces of God, and the work of the Spirit is. The Crocodile, a huge creature, comes of an egg; and the Oak, it riseth to that greatnesse from an Acorn: but what are these to the wondrous work of the new creature, to be the heir of heaven, rising from so little, despised beginings, from a little light in the understanding, from a little heat in the affections, from a little strength in the will, compared for the littlenesse thereof to a grain of mustard-seed?

Indeed, grace growes a man knowes not how. As Christ saith of the seed sowen in the earth, it growes up first to a blade, and then to a stalk, and then to an ear, and then to be corn, but a man cannot tell how; so it is p. 492with the work of grace and the comforts of the Spirit; when the Spirit together with the Word works upon the soul, there is a blade, a little, and then a stalk, and then Corn.

First a babe in Christ, little at the first; and as it is little, so it is much opposed. As we see the Sun when it is weak in the rising in the morning, there gather a great many vapours, to besiege the Sun, as it were, as if they would put out the light of it, till it comes to fuller strength, and then it spends them all, and gloriously shines in heaven: so it is with the work of the Spirit of grace, when it first ariseth in the soul, there gather about it a great many doubts and discomforts; the flesh riseth and casteth up all the dirt and mud it can, to trouble the blessed waters of grace, till it have gotten fuller and fuller strength to spend them all, as it is when a man comes to be a strong Christian. But yet as little as it is, seeing it is an Earnest, and the first-fruits, (as the Apostle saith) which were but little in regard of the whole harvest, yet it is of the nature of the whole, and thereupon it comes to secure. A spark of fire is but little, yet it is fire as well as the whole element of fire. And a drop of water it is water as well as the whole Ocean. When a man is in a dark place, put the case it be in a dungeon, if he have a little light shining into him from a little crevice, that little light discovers that the Day is broke, that the Sun is risen. Put the case there be but one grape on a vine, it shewes that it is a vine, and that the vine is not dead: So, put the case there be but the appearance of but a little grace in a Christian, perhaps the Spirit of God appeares but in one grace in him at that time, yet that one grace sheweth that we are vines, and not thistles, or thorns, or other base plants, and it shewes that there is life in the root.

The Spirit of God appears not in all graces at once, it appears some time or other in some one grace. We see in plants, the vertue of them appears The Spirit appears not in all graces at once.diversly; In Winter the vertue of them lyes in the root; In the spring-time, in the bud and the leaf: In the Summer, in the fruit; it is not in all parts alike: so it is with the Spirit, as it is an Earnest, it appears not in all graces in a flourishing manner at the first; sometimes it appears in the root, in humility, sometimes in faith, sometimes in love, sometimes in one grace, sometimes in another: though the Spirit be in every grace, yet in appearance to a mans self and others, it appeares but in one. An Earnest is little, especially at the first.

Weak Christians therefore should not be discouraged, Despise not the day of little things: there is cause of mourning; we that have received the first fruits of the Spirit, we mourn because we have but the first-fruits, and we would have the full harvest; but as there is cause of mourning, because we have but the first-fruits; so there is cause of comfort, because it is the first-fruits: it is an Earnest onelyonly, and not the whole bargain, therefore we have cause of mourning that it is so imperfect, that it is so weak as it is; yet there is cause of comfort, because though it is not the whole, yet is a part, and secures us of the whole.

And therefore Christians should labour to mingle duties, and let one grace qualifie another: For indeed a Christian is a mixed Creature, his comforts are mixed, and his mourning is mixed: With a carnal man it is A Christian is a mixed creature.all otherwise, if he mourn he is all a mort, because he hath no goodnesse; if he joy, he is mad, his mirth is madnesse.

A Christian joyes indeed, some times he hath joy unspeakable and glorious, because he looks to his hope, and the accomplishment of it, and yet he p. 493mourns, because he hath but the Earnest, because he hath but the beginnings, because he hath but the first-fruits here.

And therefore again, as it should comfort us, if we have any thing; so it Use 2. To examine the truth of grace.should exhort us to examine rather the truth, then the measure of any grace; we have examined the truth, it is the truth of this Earnest, the truth of grace and comfort: it is an excellent speech of our Saviour Christ, in Rev. 3. to the Church of Philadelphia, in verse 8. Because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my Word, and hast not denyed my Name: there is a great promise made to the Church of Philadelphia: and why? Because thou hast a little strength; how is that discovered? Thou hast kept my Word, and hast not denyed my Name. So then, if that little be true, God respects not that little as it is little in quantity, but as he means to make it ere long; he looks upon the Earnest, as he means to make up the bargain: he looks upon the foundation, as he means to rear up a goodly building: he looks upon the first-fruits, as he means to adde the harvest; and therefore, Ephes. 1. and other places, We are elected to be holy and blamelesse in his sight. So, Ephes. 5. latter end, He purgeth the Church, that she may be presented to him without spot. So Christ looks upon his Church as he is purging and washing, till he have made it holy in his sight. We are elected, not to Earnest, not to first-fruits, but to be unblameable; we are elected to perfection: it is the comfort of Christians, that God looks upon his, not as they are imperfect here, but as they are in beginning, and as they are growing, and as he intends to bring them to perfection afterwards: For all things are present (we know) to him, the time to come, what we shall be: he considers us as if we were in heaven already; we are in our degree, and in our faith. So now we sit in heavenly places: therefore as he looks on us as we shall be, so faith answers his looking, when we are framed by the Spirit to comfort; faith looks not upon the weak Earnest, the poor beginnings, but as we shall be after in heaven, without spot and wrinckle.

I but how shall we know the truth of his Earnest, that it is true, though We may know grace is true, though little.it be little? To speak a word or two of that for tryal.

Where the Spirit of God is, with the relation of an Earnest, he is as an Earnest by way of grace and comfort: for those two wayes the Spirit discovers himself in us, to sanctifie our nature, or by comfort, and peace, and joy, and such like. Then it doth stir up the soul to mourn, that is but an Earnest, 1. The soul mournes that it is little.(as I said before) and to wait for the accomplishment, as the Apostle saith in Rom. 8. We that have received the first-fruits of the Spirit, mourn in our selves; that it is no better with us, then it is; and withal, We wait for the redemption of the sons of God, the adoption of the sons of God, we wait for the accomplishment 2. Wait:hereafter: it is the nature therefore of the Spirit of God, as it is an Earnest, to stirre up the spirits of Gods children to mourn something, and likewise to wait patiently, to wait for the full accomplishment hereafter; and as a fruit of their waiting, to endure quietly, patiently, and comfortably that 3. To wait with Patience.which is between the Earnest, and the accomplishment of it: and therefore God gives them the grace of hope and constancy, and of perseverance, till all be accomplished; for there is the tediousnesse of time, between which is irk some, hope deferred, and a tediousnesse of deferring, and besides many afflictions withal.

Now Gods children that have the Earnest of the Spirit, they have a spirit 4. Constancy.likewise to wait: and that they may be strengthened to wait, they have the Spirit of Constancy, a Spirit of patience to endure trouble, and to persevere, p. 494and to hold out in regard of the tediousnesse of the time. So that they may not give over religious courses, though they have it not fully here, but go on still, and wait. And likewise those that have the Earnest of the Spirit, that have the Spirit, as it hath this qualification upon 5. To purge our selves.it of an Earnest, it stirres them up to frame themselves, answerable to the full ccaomplishment; for He that hath this hope, (saith the Apostle) purgeth himself: he that finds some little beginnings of grace and comfort, the beginings of heaven upon Earth, he frames himself to the perfect state in heaven: for it is the nature of faith and hope wheresoever they are, to frame the disposition of the person in whom those graces are planted by the Spirit, to the condition of that that soul believes and hopes, for it is in the nature of the thing it should be so. For doth not hope in any man that hopes to appear before some great person, make him alter his attire, and fashion his carriage and deportment, as may be plausible before the person whom he goes to? and doth not faith and hope of better things, where they are in truth, fashion and dispose every man to be such as may be fit for heaven? The title to heaven we have indeed by Christ; but the soul knowes there must be a qualification, No unclean thing shall enter into heaven: and therefore where the Earnest is, there is a continual desire to be better, a continual relinquishing of corruptions more and more, a perfecting of the work of mortification, and the work of grace more and more: for the same Spirit that is an Earnest, and gives us any beginning of a better life, it likewise stirres us up, it fits and prepares us for that state that is kept for us; it is impossible it should be otherwise. In what strength the Earnest is, in that strength sanctification and mortification are: and therefore persons that live in sins against Conscience, that defile their tongues, and defile their bodies, let them talk what they will, it is but a presumptuous conceit; it is not the voyce of Gods Spirit, but of carnal presumption: for wheresoever the Spirit is an Earnest of heaven, it is alwayes preparing and fitting the soul for that glorious & happy estate. And wheresoever likewise this Earnest of the Spirit is, wheresoever 6. Desire of accomplishment.this grace is begun in truth, there is a desire of accomplishment, an earnest desire of the coming of Christ to finish all, to finish the bargain. Rev. 22. The Spirit and the Spouse say, Come; that is, the Spouse by direction of the Spirit, where the Spouse is guided by the Spirit; and so far as the Spouse is guided by the Spirit, she saith, Come, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Except in two Cases. Except the Christian hath grieved and wounded Cautions.his conscience, grieved the Spirit, and then it is loath to go hence.1. When conscience is wounded.

Unlesse likewise the spirit of a Christian be careless, and would settle things in better order before he go to Christ: for this is the fruit of presumption, 2. Have been carelesse.and carelesnesse, that it grieves the Spirit of God, and the Spirit being grieved, grieves them; he makes that which should be their comfort, their going to Christ by death, he makes it terrible: for as we see a weak eye cannot endure the light, so a gauled guilty conscience trembles to think of Christs coming, though the Earnest be there; yet if the soul tremble, that the soul be wounded, stay a while; Oh stay (saith the Psalmist) before I go hence, and be no more seen. When the wife hath been negligent, she would have her husband stay; but when she hath been diligent, then the wife is willing her husband should come; but perhaps things are not settled as they should, and therefore she doth not desire his coming as at other times.

But take a Christian in his right temper, he is willing to dye; nay, he is willing, and glad, and joyful to go to Christ; then he knowes the Earnest p. 495shall be accomplished with the bargain: then he knowes what God hath begun, he will perfect; then he knowes, all the Promises shall be performed, when all imperfection shall be removed, and all enemies shall be conquered, &c. A carnal man doth not say as the Spirit in the Spouse speaks, Come, Lord, come; but stay, Lord, stay: and as the Devil that possessed that person, What have we to do with thee? Art thou come to torment us before our time? they think of it with quaking. For otherwise they that have the Earnest of the Spirit, have joyful thoughts of it, and wishes answerable to those thoughts.

Again, wheresoever this Earnest is in truth, the Earnest of the Spirit, 7. Growth in grace.there is growth; for it is the nature of things imperfect to come to their perfection, that they may encounter with whatsoever is contrary to them, and that they may do their functions that they are fitted by for God.

Now God having fitted the new creature to serve him, and to go through all the impediments in this world, and all the crosses, where he hath begun this work, it will labour to come to perfection. As in the natural body we are not content to live; but when we have life, we desire health: and when we have health, we are not content with that, but we desire strength; not onelyonly health, but strength to perform that we should do. So where the spiritual life is begun, the living soul is not content to live, to find an Earnest, a little beginnings; but if he have that, he would have health, he would not have any spiritual disease to lye on the soul, that might hinder it in the functions of it: and together with health, it desires fuller and fully strength, because it hath many temptations to encounter with, many corruptions to resist, many actions to do, many afflictions perhaps to bear, all which require a great deal of strength: wheresoever grace is in truth, it is alwayes with a desire of growth, and answerable to that desire will be the use of all the means of growth.

Again, to name one or two more, and so end: Wheresoever the Spirit is 8. Quieting of the soul.as an Earnest, it doth as the seal doth spoken of before, that as it hath a quieting power, an assuring power, it quiets the soul, wheresoever it si, it is given to stay the soul, to comfort it, that the whole shall be performed in time: and therefore the soul that hath the Earnest of the Spirit, so far forth as he hath this Earnest, it quiets and stayes the soul. A man may know true faith from false, and true Earnest from presumption by this, as we know other things: I say, it stills and quiets the soul, and it will endure the tryal.

We say of Alcumy gold, it is counterfeit, it will not strengthen the heart; true gold hath a corroborating power to strengthen the heart, whether it be so, or no, let the Alcumists look to it: but it is true, that true Eanest, the beginnings of faith, though it be but in a little measure, it hath a quieting, a stilling, a strengthening power, to strengthen and corroborate the soul, for it is given for that purpose. And a man that hath the least grace will endure the search, as true gold will endure the touchstone, the false will not: and it 9. True gold will endure the tryal.is a sign that a man hath true grace in him, although it be with much imperfection, that desires to be searched in preaching, hearing, searching Sermons, and desiring to be searched in Conference, and that doubts not his conscience, but would be searched throughly.

When men fret at the searching of their sins, they will not be searched, and are content to go on in presumptuous courses, and think all is well; it is a sign there is not so much as an Earnest. But not to go farther, that in the Revelation shews the truth of a little grace: what saith he? Thou hast a little p. 496strength: what doth that little strength move the Church of Philadelphia to do? Thou hast kept my Word, and hast not denyed my Name. Where there is a little strength, there will be a keeping of the Word in obedience, a keeping of it in conversation: where is not a regard to Gods Word, a moulding of the soul into it in obedience of it, there is not so much as a little strength of grace; and therefore those that live in rebellious courses, have not so much as an Earnest to them: yet, Thou hast kept my Word, and withal, thou hast not denyed my Name.

Where a little strength is, there they will not deny Christs Name, they 10. It will persevere.will hold out in the profession of the truth, and confesse it if occasion serve: and therefore where any are slight in their profession, that give in if they be ready to dash upon any displeasure of any one: if they be to venture their estates or so, then they are ashamed of Christ, and that profession which they took upon them; they deny his Name, at least they do not own it, they have not so much as a little strength, if they do not recover: Peter was in such a temptation, but he recovered his strength, and got more strength, and a firm standing upon it; the shaking of Peter was for the rooting of him.

So God to shame his children, suffers them sometimes to have dastardly Christians get strength by their falls.spirits, but they recover themselves, they are ashamed of it; but those that are common Politicians in this kind, that will not stand out in a good cause to maintain their truth and profession, when God thrusts his cause into their hands, specially at such times when God saith to them, Who is on my side? who? now is the time to appear then; if they have not a word for God, they will not own the quarrel and cause of God, and Religion, they have not a little strength; for they that have a little strength here, keep the Word, and have not denyed the Name. Those therefore that can fashion themselves to all Religions, to all companies, they will have a Religion mutable and flexible to their occasions: where is the Earnest of the Spirit? the Spirit as much as he is, is strong and vigorous, and powerful; these men have not so much as a little strength, that are as water which is fashioned to the vessel it is in, like to the Samaritans, (as Joseph the Historian of the Jews writes of them,) When the Jewes prospered, oh then they would be Jewes; when the Jewes had ill successe, then they were great enemies to the Jewes: so you have many that are no friends to the afflicted, to the disgraced truth; but as long as the Cause of Religion is carried out with the Countenance of the State, with the favour of great ones, so far they will own it; but if Christ once comes to be abased, they will not know Christ, nor his Cause.

I beseech you, let us take notice of it, it is a sign there is no grace at all, where there is such an habitual disposition without shame or grief, or repentance; for Gods children sometimes may be overtaken with a spirit of dastardlinesse, which afflicts them sore afterwards, that they gather more strength. A man may know if he be Gods child in such a state; for it is universally true, Gods children are never overtaken with a spirit of cowardlinesse and fear, but they regain it, and grow more strong upon it; as we see in Cranmer and others, God purposeth sometimes to let them see what they are in themselves without his support and strength; but afterwards they gather new resolutions, new purposes to stick firmer to the truth then ere before. I might adde many other things; but I go on to that which followes.

You see here now how we may try, if we have any true Earnest in us at all, or no.

p. 497Now I beseech you, let us labour to have this Earnest, (if we have it To labour for assurance.not) to have this assurance especially, let me desire those of the younger sort to labour to have the seal of this Spirit, and the Earnest before they be further and further engaged into the world, and before they be so hardened that they will not receive a contrary stamp to their corruptions. It is a wondrous advantage that Gentlemen, and others that are young, before the world hath soiled them, and before their understandings be darkened, and their affections are crooked, and carried away much with the stream and errours of the time, they have much advantage above others; for they have spirits fitter for grace, fitter to receive the impression of this seal of the Spirit, & fitter for the Earnest. Let us labour for this Earnest betimes: what a comfortable thing will it be to carry along with the Earnest an assurance of a better estate from our youth to our age; and from our age, to our old age, and so to heaven with us? what a deal of comfort do young ones deprive and rob themselves of, that will not be gracious betimes? Let us labour to have the stamp of the Spirit set on us in our prime time, in the strength of our years. But I will presse the Point, if the time will give leave, afterwards.

Now we must know, that God gives this Earnest not for himself, but for Earnest given for our sakes.us, to secure us: and that is one reason why it is called an Earnest.

There is besides bargaining another state and condition that Earnest is applyed unto, which perhaps the Apostle aimes at, as marriage: whatsoever was before the Consummation of the marriage, was a kind of Arrah, a kind of Earnest, to assure the affection of the contracted person and persons that loved one another, till the Consummation of the marriage.

So Christ now contracts us on the earth, and having love to us, and taking our Nature on him, that he might woo us in our own flesh, and in our own nature, taking upon him the Earnest of our flesh, he gives us the Earnest of his Spirit: and to assure us tha… he loves us, and that he means to make up the bargain afterwards, he sends us love-tokens, graces, and comfort, and joy. Even as Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca, he sent by his servants Bracelets and Jewels, and such things, to secure her of his love.

So Christ in heaven intending the consummation of the Match, he sends To labour against unbelief.us here graces and comforts of the Spirit, and all to secure us; all is for us, (I say) which I observe the rather, because I would raise your hearts to hate unbelief and distrust exceedingly, because God labours to undermine it by all means possible.

Wherefore doth he use so many terms here, of Sealing, Anointing, and Earnest, with words, and Sacraments, and all whatsoever may confirm you? The Holy Ghost applyes it to us; all this is that we may not doubt of the favour of God: and therefore when we find any goodnesse in us, let us accompt that to give false witnesse against our selves is a horrible sin; it is to make God a liar. God stands upon his credit; and therefore take heed what we say, (specially if we have found the work of grace in former time, any Earnest,) that we have no grace; God doth this for our assurance: all his dealing of Word and Sacraments, of Earnest and Oath, and all that may be to assure us; and therefore we should not crosse the goodnesse of God, so as to cherish such a disposition as is most contrary to him, that he labours to undermine by all means.

And therefore here is the poyson of Popish Religion, that it maintaines doubting, and leaves men doubting: indeed they do well to maintain it p. 498in their Doctrine, for indeed they false found a man upon satisfaction, they false found him upon Purgatory and merits, and the foundation they have of a Christian soul is uncertain, and therefore they may well teach doubting, it suits with the course that they take: but I say, it is very corrupt, for God useth all means that we should not doubt: and therefore it is idly objected, God for his part will, but for our part we have reason to doubt why he in all things stoops to us, he labours to secure us; and therefore in the Covenant of grace he doth his part and ours too.

But I hasten to that which followes, because I would end with the time. To touch that a little distinctly by it self, that the Spirit doth all, the Earnest of the Spirit: for indeed, though Spirit be not added to stablishing, yet the Spirit stablisheth by Christ, and the Spirit it anoints, and the Spirit seales to the day of redemption, and the Earnest of the Spirit.

So it is the Holy Ghost doth all, here you have the three Persons in the Trinity, we have three grand Enemies, the world, the flesh, and Satan. Now here are the three persons in the Trinity stronger then all our enemies; He which stablisheth us, is God the Father by his Spirit: upon whom? upon Christ, …n Christ, and gives us the Earnest of his Spirit; you have, I say, the three Persons of the Trinity here: but why doth the Spirit give us the Earnest? why doth the Spirit give us grace and comfort, seal us, and doth all, and stablisheth us?

I answer; First of all, because now since the fall we have no principles Earnest the work of the Spirit.of supernatural good, and therefore it must be a principle above our nature to work both grace and comforts in our barren hearts.

Again, as there is no principle to that which is supernaturally good, so there is opposition to that which is supernaturally good; and therefore there must be somewhat to overpower the corruption of our nature.

But why the Spirit, rather then the Father and the Son? He comes from 1. He proceeds from Father and Son.both, and proceeding from both he is fit to witnesse the love of both; for the Holy Ghost is in the breast of the Father and the Son, and proceeds from both, and he knowes the secret love of the Father to us, and the love of Christ Jesus Mediatour to us.

Now the Spirit knowing the secrets of God, as a mans spirit (saith the Apostle) knowes his own secrets, he knowes his love, and he knowes whom he loves: So the Spirit of God knowing the affection of the Father, and the affection of Jesus Christ to us, is fit to be an Earnest, fit to be a Seal.

Indeed all things are wrought by the Spirit in grace for application; the desert is from the Son, originally from the Father, but in regard of application of what is wrought by the Son, all is by the Holy Ghost; both graces and comforts the Holy Ghost takes from Christ: for if grace be wrought, it is with divine reasons from the love of God in Christ: if grace he wrought, it is from the wondrous love of God reconciled in Christ, wherein heaven is opened, hell is vanquished; it is by reasons fetched from Christ; and so he takes of mine, (as Christ saith,) He shall take of mine, and give to you: he takes reasons from Christ the holy Ghost, whereby he makes all, the application is altogether by the Spirit.

And it must be by the Spirit again, because the Spirit of God, and no 2. He only can quiet the soul.lesse then the Spirit can quiet our spirits: for when the soul is distempered, it is like a distempered lock that no key can open: So when the Conscience is troubled, what creature can settle the troubled Conscience? can open p. 499the ambages of a troubled Conscience in such perplexity and confusion? and therefore to settle the troubled Conscience aright, it must be somewhat above Conscience; and that which must quiet the Spirit, must be such a Spirit as is above our spirits: This is excellently set down in this Epistle, in the 3. Chap. the work of the holy Ghost in this kind. But I cannot stand upon it now at this time. I go on.

Likewise in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, the second Chapter, and 11. ver. that one place shall stand in stead of all: What man knowes the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things of God no man knowes but the Spirit.

Now, We have received the spirit, not of the world, but the Spirit of God, to know the things that are freely given us of God: if our spirits were in the heart and soul of another man, in the breast of another man, we should know what another man thinks: if a man had a spirit in another mans spirit, surely he would know all his thoughts and all his affections.

Now the holy Spirit of God is in the breast of the Father, and the Son, and he knowes our spirits better then we know our own spirits; he searcheth, he is a searcher, as the word is in the original: the Spirit is a searcher, he searcheth our own hearts, and he searcheth the secret love of God to us, that is the Spirit must stablish us.

Well then, if the Spirit doth all, how shall we know then that we have How to know we have the Spirit.this Spirit? A note or two, and so go on.

If we have this Spirit of God to seal us, and to be an Earnest: I will not speak all that may be, but a little; for indeed all comes from the Spirit. 1. By life and motion.Even as in our souls, how may a man know that he hath a soul? by living and moving, by actions vital, &c. So we may know a man hath the Spirit of God by those actions that come onelyonly from the Spirit, which is to the soul, as the soul is in the body: for as all beauty and motion comes from the soul to the body, so to the soul from the Spirit, all comes of the Spirit, and therefore every saving grace is a sign that the Spirit is in us.

In a word, the Spirit is in us in the nature of fire, as in other things, so in 2. By transforming us.this in transforming; wheresoever the Spirit dwells, he transforms the soul, he transforms the party like himself holy and gracious. Those therefore that find the Spirit transforming and changing them in the use of the Ordinance of the Word, they may know that they have the Spirit sealing them, and being an Earnest to them.

They may know likewise, that they have it wrought by the Spirit, for 3. By Conflict.every one grace, you may knowspiritual graces are with conflict: for what is true, is with a great deal of resistance of that which is counterfeit.

Comforts and graces that are not the Earnest of the Spirit, are with little conflict: but where there are true comforts and graces of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit, it is with much conflict with Satan and with himself: for there is a great deal of Envy in the Divell against the man that walkes in the Spirit. Thinks he, what such a base creature as this is to have the Earnest of heaven, to walk here as if he were in heaven already, and to defie all opposite powers? Nay, I will trouble his peace, he shall go mourning to heaven, if he go there: this is the reasoning of the cursed spirit, and hereupon he labours to shake the assurance and perswasion; and the grace and Comfort of a Christian it is with much conflict and temptation, not onelyonly with Satan, but with his own heart.

Our hearts misgive us, when we are guilty of some sins, as alwaies there p. 500is guilt on the soul, so much guilt, so much doubt; till the soul be free from giult, it wil never but be casting of doubts: and therefore there is alwaies resistance in us, and there must be a higher power then the heart and soul of a man to set the heart down and quiet it: It is alwaies in conflict.

And the gracet and comforts of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit, are alwaies 4. By supernatural obedience.in the use of meanes, holy means; and it carries a man above the strength of nature, it carries a man to the practice of that which he could not do by nature, to pardon his enemies, to pray for them, to overcome revenge, and to enjoy prosperity without pride in a comfortable measure: and it enables him to practise the last Comandement, That he shall be content with his estate, and not lust after others: and the first Comandement; the graces of the holy Spirit enables a man to love God, and to rejoyce in him above all as his best portion, it makes his joy spiritual, and it makes him delight in all connatural things that are like the Spirit; as whatsoever is spiritual, is connatural to the Spirit.

If a man have the graces of the Spirit, he joyes in spiritual company, he joyes in the presence of God, he hates sin as being contrary to the Earnest of the Spirit, he hates terrour of conscience, and the way unto it, he will look on good things, as God lookes on them, and as the Spirit looks on them, and every thing that is spiritual he relisheth, he savours the things of the Spirit.

Now be cause I will not detract your thoughts, there are some six or seven properties of the Spirit, in one Chapter, that you may have them all together, in Rom. 8. I will not name all, but such as are easie.

First of all, it is said in the 9. ver. that the Spirit where it is, it dwells as in 5. It dwells in us.a house: now wheresoeve the Spirit is, he is dwelling and ruling; for the holy Ghost will not be an underling to lusts, and he repaires and makes up the breaches of the soul; where the Spirit dwells, all the breaches are made up. Ignorance to knowledge, he begets knowledge, and affection, and love: he prepares all, he prepares his own dwelling, and it is familiar and constant to the Spirit; a dwelling implyes familiarity and constancy; he is not in us; as he is in wicked men that have the Spirit; As Austin saith, The Spirit of God knocks at their hearts, but he doth not dwell there.

To go on, that is the first: The Spirit dwells in us, if we have the Spirit. 6. It mortifies sin.And then the Spirit doth subdue the contrary; for the Spirit, when it comes into a man, it pulls down all the strong holds, it makes way for it self: and therefore it is said to mortifie the deeds of the flesh, ver. 13. If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, you are led by the Spirit. Those therefore that by the help of the Spirit, by spiritual reasons, subdue their corruptions, they are led by the Spirit: those that cherish corruptions, or mortifie them, not by spiritual reasons, but out of civil respect to carry authority among men, and therefore they would be free from aspersions, as might disable their reputation, they have not the Spirit.

Thirdly, as many as are led by the Spirit, are the sons of God; the Spirit 7. It leads us.leads them as the Angel that went before the Israelites, from Egypt unto Canaan: so the Spirit of God like the Angel goes before us, and leads us the way, and removes the lets: it doth lead us (I say) sweetly, and not violently, as the Devil leads his, that are possessed with his spirit: So that those that have the Spirit working grace and comfort in them, sweetly he leads them, and yet strongly too; for it is strongly, because it is against corruption and opposition from without; but yet sweetly, preserving the liberty p. 501and freedom of the soul. We by nature are like children, or blind men, we cannot lead our selves, and therefore the Spirit leads us. Those therefore that have the Spirit, it leads them, they submit themselves to the guidance and leading of the Spirit: That is another evidence.

A fourth is this, That it is a Spirit of adoption; it assures us that we 8 It is a Spirit of adoption.are the sons of God: it gives us assurance of our adoption, that we are the sons of God; the same Spirit that sanctifieth us, it witnesseth to us, it makes us holy; it witnesseth to us that we are the sons of God.

And then again, the Spirit stirres up sighs and groans that cannot be expressed, when we are not of our selves able to pray: this is an evidence of the Earnest 9. It teacheth to pray.of the Spirit, when we can send our sighes and groans to God: I say, God will hear the groans, the voice of his own Spirits; for whence come those sighes and groanes to God? why should we not rather sink in despair in troubles, but because the Spirit is in us? Those therefoore that in extremity having nothing to comfort them, and yet are able to send forth sighes and groans to God, they may certainly know that they have the Spirit.

And likewise the Spirit makes us mourn, and wait for the adoption of the sons of God; those that mourn and wait, have the Evidence of the 10. And to wait.Spirit: for a worldling doth not mourn for his imperfections, for his corruptions; he doth not mourn that he is absent from his Saviour, neither doth he wait for the accomplishment of that that shall be bestowed on Saints, because he hath his portion here: therefore those that can mourn for their corruptions, for those things which the world is not able to tax them for, because they cannot serve God with enlargement of the Spirit as they would, and they wait also without despair, or without discouragement, till God have finished their course, they are led with a better Spirit then the world.

Though I should name no more, what a many sweet evidences are here to manifest a soul truly acted, and guided, and led by the Spirit? but these shall be sufficient for this time.

Well then, if the Spirit doth all, if the Spirit anoint and seal, and give Earnest of grace, and comfort and all, till he bring us to heaven, being Christs Vicar; for Christ hath no other Vicar on earth but his Spirit; if the Spirit doth all, as indeed he doth all for God to us, and from us to God; whatsoever God doth to us it is by the Spirit: he anoints, and seals, and sanctifieth by the Spirit, and whatsoever we do to God, it is by the Spirit, or else it is not acceptable: we sigh and groan in the Spirit, we pray in the holy Ghost (saith Jude,) and that God doth to us immediately from the Spirit, and all that we do to God, is in the Spirit.

Is this so, then as it an undoubted truth, oh then we should labour by all meanes for this Spirit of God. To give some directions in a word, and so to end.

Labour (I say) to have the Spirit, and to groan in the Spirit: and to this end, because the Word is the Chariot of the Spirit, in which the Spirit is Directions to have the Spirit.carried, attend upon the Ordinances of God, and use all kind of spiritual 1. Attend Gods means.meanes, wherein the Spirit is usually effectual: for the Spirit will onelyonly work with his own means: all those bastard inventions and devices fetched from the Church of Rome, humane devices in Gods service, they are naught; Gods Spirit will not be effectual with Popish devices: and therefore Rome is the habitation of Devils; Gods Spirit hath nothing to do there, because they have set up a worship contrary to Gods worship, they p. 502have set up a Covenant contrary to Christs Covenant, they have set up the Covenant of Works, and deny, in a manner, a Covenant of Grace: Christ is not taught as he should be there.

Now, wheresoever the Spirit is, it is with the clear teaching of the Gospel: Received you the Spirit by hearing of the Law, or of faith preached? Therefore let us attend upon the unfolding of Christ Jesus in the Gospel; for the Spirit is given with a clear and true unfolding of Christ: and omit no spiritual means, wherein the Spirit is effectual, as meditation, reading, &c.

For as a man working in a garden, though he think not of it, perhaps he drawes a sweet sent of the flowers, there is a tincture from the ayr that is round about him.

So the Word of God being indited by the Spirit of God, we being in holy company, being led by the same Spirit, a man shall either by reading of the Word, or in holy company, or conversing in good books, he shall draw a spiritual sweetnesse from the Word, or from those that he hath to deal with.

The spirit of a man is like water that runs from Minerals; as we see bathes have their warmth from Minerals that they run through, they have a tincture from them to be hot in this or that degree, in this or that quality.

So it is with the soul, when it runs through holy things, when it hath to deal with good books, and good company, &c. it draweth a spirituall tincture: and therefore if we would have the Spirit of God to guide us, let us be much in those things that the Holy Ghost hath sanctified us for that end, at all times, when we have liberty from our callings.

And withall, take heed, that we greive not the Holy Ghost any way, if 2. Not to grieve the Spirit.we will have the Spirit to seal us, to increase our Earnest.

How do we grieve the Holy Ghost?

By cherishing contrary affections, and lusts, and desires. And resist not 1. By cherishing Lusts.the holy Ghost: as now when you hear the Word of God, if you shut your resolutions, if you shut your hearts, and resolve not to give way to any instruction that shall be delivered; This is a resisting of the Holy Ghost: God now knocks at the hearts of those that are here, by his Word and Spirit; and therefore we should open the everlasting doors, and let the King of glory come in.

We should lay open all to the Spirit: Oh when the Spirit, when Christ is so willing to give the Spirit, it cannot be any but our fault, if we be no more spiritual then we are: for indeed there is nothing in a manner required to be spiritual, but not to resist the Spirit.

The Holy Ghost presseth upon us in the Word such reasons of heavenlymindednesse, of despising of earthly things, of purging our selves from the corruptions in the world, such reasons to be good, that indeed none are damned in the bosome of the Church, but such as set a bar against the Spirit of God in their hearts, with a cursed resolution that they will not be better, that they will not part with their cursed lusts: therefore they are damned, because they will be damned, that, say the Preachers by the Word, and Spirit what they will, they think it better to be as they are, then to entertain such a guest as will marre and alter all that was there before: take heed therefore of resisting of the Spirit, and of grieving of the Spirit by any thing in our selves, or by conversing with company that will grieve him.

He that hath the Spirit of God in him, cannot endure carnal company: p. 503for what shall he hear, what shall he draw in at his senses? but that which will be vexation of spirit to him: therefore it is said of Lot, His righteous soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites: it is an undoubted sign of a man that hath no grace, not to care for his company that hath grace.

Likewise yield all obedience and subjection to the Spirit, and to all the 2. Obey the Spirit.motions of the Word and Spirit; bring our hearts into subjection, lay our selves, as it were, before the Spirit, suffer our selves to be moved, and fashioned, and framed by it: for God gives his holy Spirit to them that obey him.

And beg the Spirit also as the principal thing: God gives the Spirit (saith 3. Pray for the Spirit.Christ) to them that ask him: and by Christs manner of speaking there he insinuates, as if he should say, What can I give you better then the Holy Ghost? and yet this will I give you, if you ask him, that is the good thing that God gives: for indeed, that is the seed of all graces, and of all comfort; and therefore a world of promises are included in that promise, that he will give the Spirit to them that ask him.

Labour by these and such like means for the Spirit: and then if you have the Spirit, the Earnest of the Spirit, and the seal of the Spirit, then mark what will come of such a temper of soul, that will go through all conditions whatsoever, come what will: for the Spirit is above all, and the comforts of the Spirit are above all earthly comforts; and the graces of the Spirit are able to encounter with all temptations.

So that a man that hath the Spirit, stands impregnable; the work of grace The Spirit makes impregnable.cannot be quenched, because it is the effect and the work of the Spirit, all the powers of all the Devils in hell cannot stirre it: God may hide his comfort for a time, to humble us; but to quench the work of the Spirit once wrought in the heart, all the power of all the Devils in hell cannot quench the least spark of saving grace, it will carry us through all opposition whatsoever.

Let a man never baulk or decline in a good cause, for any thing that he shall suffer; for the seal and the Earnest of the Spirit is never more strong then when we have no other comfort by us but that, when we can draw comfort from the Well-head, from the Spring; therefore we should labour for the Earnest of the Spirit; for it will fit us for all conditions whatsoever.

What makes a man differ from himself? what makes a man differ from another? Take a man that hath the Earnest of the Spirit, you shall have him defie death, the world, Satan, and all temptations. Take a man that is negligent in labouring to encrease his Earnest, you shall have him weak, and not like himself.

The Apostle Peter, before the Holy Ghost came upon him, the voice of a weak damsel astonished him; but after, how willing was he to suffer any thing? Therefore let us not labour much to strengthen our selves with the things of this life, or to value our selves by our dependance upon others; if thou hast grace, thou hast that that will stand by thee when all other things will fail: for all other things will be taken away, but the Comforter shall never be taken away; it goes along with us continually.

First, it works Earnest in us, and then it stamps upon us his own mark, and then it leads us from grace to grace; and in the hour of death, then especially it hath the work of a Comforter to present to us the fruits of a good p. 504and holy life, and likewise the joyes of heaven; when we are dead the Spirit watcheth over our bodies, because they were the Temples of the Holy Ghost, and at the day of judgement the same Spirit shall knit both body and soul together, and after, the same Spirit that hath done all this, shall be all in all to us in heaven for ever, and then our very bodies shall be spiritual, where as now our souls, even the better part of them, is carnal. Even as the fire when it possesseth a piece of Iron, it is all fire; So our bodies shall be all spiritual.

What a blessed thing is this, to have the Spirit? what are all friends to the Holy Ghost, which will speak to God for us? The Spirit will make request with sighes and groans, and God will hear the voice of his own Spirit.

What prison can shut up the Spirit of God? Above all, labour to have more of the Spirit of God: this will make us more or lesse fruitfull, more or lesse glorious in our profession, more or lesse willing to dye. Labour to encrease this Earnest, that the nearer we come to heaven, the more we may be fitted for it.

Consider but this Reason, if you want this, alas, we can never be thankful No thankfulnesse without the Spirit.to God for any thing; if by the Spirit we have not assurance that our state is the state of grace; for otherwise we might think that God gives us all in anger, as a etrnal man, he alwaies fears that God fatts him as an oxe to the slaughter: what a fearfull case is this, that a man cannot be thankful for that he hath!

Labour for the Spirit, that we may be thankfull to God for every thing, that we may see the love of God in every thing, in every refreshing we take; that that love of God that fits us for heaven, and that fits heaven for us, it gives us daily bread: the Earnest of the Spirit will make us thankfull for every thing.

Again, labour for the Earnest of the Spirit, that we may be joyfull in No joy without the Spirit.all conditions: how can a man suffer willingly, that knowes not that he is sealed with the Spirit? that knowes not that God hath begun a good work in him? Alas, he is lumpish and heavy under the Crosse.

What makes a man bear the Crosse willingly, but this assurance? what makes him deny himself in temptations, and corruptions? Oh (saith the child of God,) the work of the Spirit is begun in me, sealing me up to life everlasting, shall I grieve and quench this Spirit for this base lust? But a man that hath not the Spirit, saith, I had as good take this pleasure, as have none at all; for ought I know, I shall have none: he sees no greater pleasure, then the following of his lust.

So that none can resist temptations, but he that hath the Spirit, giving him Earnest in a comfortable measure; and it is a good sign when we resist temptations for spiritual reasons, that the Spirit works it.

Again, unlesse we have this Earnest of the Spirit in our hearts, we can No will…ngnesse to dye without it.never be content to end our dayes with comfort: he that hath the Earnest of the Spirit is glad of death when it comes; there shall be then an accomplishment of all the bargain, then the Marriage shall be consummate, then shall be the year of Jubile, the Sabbath of rest for ever, then is the triumph, and then all teares shall be wiped from our eyes.

But now let a man stagger and doubt whether he be the child of God, or no, that he cannor find any mark of the child of God in him, that he cannot read the evidences of a Christian state in his soul, they are so dim, p. 505he sees nothing but corruption in him, he sees no change, no resistence of corruption, he hath no Earnest. Alas, what a miserable case is such a man in when he comes to dye? death, with the eternity of misery after it, who can look it in the face, without hope of life everlasting, without assurance of a happy change after death? Therefore we should labour for the Spirit, that howsoever we grow or decay in wealth and reputation, let God alone with that; but above all, beg of God that he would encrease in us, and renew the Earnest, and the stamp of the Spirit, that we may have somewhat in our soules, wherein we may see the Evidences of a Christian estate.

I might adde many things to this purpose, (but this is sufficient to any Judicious Christian,) to encourage us to labour for the Spirit above all things in the world: all other are but grasse, but fading; but grace and glory, grace, and peace, and joy; nay, the very Earnest of the Spirit is better then all earthly things: for the Earnest of it is joy unspeakable, and glorious, and peace that passeth all understanding.

If the Promise, and the Earnest here be so, I beseech you, what shall the accomplishment of the promise be? if the Promises laid hold on by faith so quicken and cheer the soul, and if the giving a teste of heaven lift a Christians spirit above all earthly discouragements, what shall it be when the Spirit shall be all in all in us, if the Earnest be so comfortable? But I go on to the next Verse.