A Fountain Sealed, Frontispiece – Table of contents
A FOUNTAINE SEALED, OR The Dutie of the ſealed to the SPIRIT And the worke of the Spirit in Sealing.
BY Rich. Sibbes D. D. the 2d Edition.
Printed for L: Chapman & are to be ſould at his shope at Chancery Lane end in Holborne.
Will Marſhall ſculpsit. 1637.
A FOUNTAIN SEALED: OR, The duty of the ſealed to the Spirit, and the worke of the Spirit in Sealing. Wherein Many things are handled about the Holy Spirit, and grieving of it: As alſo Of aſſurance and ſealing what it is, the priviledges and degrees of it, with the ſignes to diſcerne, and meanes to preſerve it. Being The ſubſtance of divers Sermons preached at Grayes Inne.
By that Reverend Divine, RICHARD SIBBES, D. D. and ſometimes Preacher to that Honourable Society.
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Harper, for Lawrence Chapman, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at Chancery lane end, in Holborne, 1637.
TO The truely Noble, and much honoured Lady, the Lady Elizabeth Brooke, Wife to Sir Robert Brooke.
Madame:
BEſides that deſerved intereſt your Ladyſhip held in the fections and eſteem of this worthy man more then any friend alive, which might intitle you to all that may call him. Authour. This ſmall piece of his acknowledgeth a more ſpeciall propriety unto your Ladyſhip. For though his tongue was as the Pen of a ready Writer in the hand of Chriſt who guided him, yet your Ladyſhips hand and Pen was in this his ſcribe and Amanuenſis whileſt hee dictated a firſt draught of it in private, with intention for the publique. In which labour both of humility and love, your Ladyſhip did that honour unto him which Baruch (thogh great and Noble) did but receive in the like, tranſcribing the words of Ieremiah from his mouth: wherin yet your Ladyſhip did indeed, but write the ſtory of your owne life, which hath beene long exactly framed to the rules herein preſcribed. We therefore that are intruſted in the publiſhing of it, deeme it but an act of Juſtice in us to return it thus to your Ladyſhip, unto whom it owes, even its firſt Birth: that ſo where ever this little Treatiſe ſhall come, there alſo this that you have done, may bee told and recorded for a memoriall of you. And we could not but eſteeme it alſo an addition of honour to the worke, that no leſſe then a Ladies hand (ſo pious & ſo much honoured) brought it forth into the world, although in it ſelfe it deſerveth as much as any other this bleſſed wombe did beare. The Lord in way of recompence, write all the holy Contents of it, yet more fully and abundantly in your Ladyſhips heart, and all the lineaments of the Image of Ieſus Chriſt and ſeale up all unto you by his bleſſed ſpirit, with joy and peace to the day of Redemption.
Madame, we are your Ladyſhips devoted, THO. GOODWIN. PHILIP NYE.
THE CONTENTS.
GRieve not the holy Spirit of God.
The Holy Ghoſt why called a Spirit, page 3
Why holy, page 5
From the Apoſtles diſſwaſion, theſe foure preſuppoſed truths.
1 That the holy Ghoſt is in us, page 8
2 And is as a guide to us, page 12
3 The beſt of us are apt to grieve him, page 13
4 Therefore wee ſhould bee carefull of it, page 14
§ 1 Of grieving the Spirit.
I
What it is to grieve the Spirit, page 16.
how the Spirit worketh in us, page 20
II Wherein doe we eſpecially grieve the Spirit.
1 In our ſelves, and that in theſe particulars.
1
In walking contrary to, and in neglecting of its motions, page 25.
and comforts, page 27.
ſeeking comfort from the fleſh, page 28
2
By unkindeneſſe, page 29.
the ſinnes of Profeſſors, and thoſe that have moſt acquaintance with the Spirit, grieve moſt, page 30
3
By preſumptuous ſinnes, page 33,
ſinnes againſt knowledge of two ſorts. ibid.
why voluntary ſinnes are ſo great, and grieve the Spirit ſo much, page 36,
the reaſon why ſinnes of the ſecond Table grieve moſt, page 39,
upon divers reſpects the ſame ſort of ſinnes may grieve more and leſſe, page 44
4 By worldlineſſe and paying tribute to the fleſh, page 45
5
Abuſing ſpirituall things to our owne ends, page 48,
and fathering the workes of the fleſh upon the ſpirit, page 49
6
By ſins againſt the Goſpell, page 49,
ſlighting ordinances, page 51
7 Sinnes plotted and contrived, page 57
8 By falſe judgement of things, page 55
9. By not uſing the helpes we have, page 58
10 Cavilling againſt the truth, page 59
11 By doing duty in our own ſtrength, page 61
12 Thruſting our ſelves into over-much worldly imployment, page 61,
whence, 13 Omiſsion or ſlight performance of duty, page 63
2 In others many wayes, as,
1 Neglecting the grace in them, page 65
2 Sharpe cenſures, page 65
3 Superiours by unjuſt commands, page 66
4 Inferiours by untractableneſſe,
5 By evill examples, page 68
III
How we may know when we have grieved the ſpirit, page 69
and what is the danger of it, page 71
How farre a childe of God may grieve the Spirit. page 76
Of the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, page 81,
and a twofold miſcarriage about it in cenſuring, page 82
IIII What courſe we ſhould take to prevent grieving the Spirit, page 84, in divers rules.
1 Give your ſelfe up to the government of it, page 84
2 Subject conſtantly to the Spirits motions: they are knowne from other motions.
1 By a ſpeciall ſtrength in them, by which they are raiſed to higher ends, page 87
2 By their conſtancy, page 88
3 They proceed from a changed heart, page 89
4 They are ſeaſonable, ibid.
5 A ſelfe evidēce in thē, page 90
6 Orderly, in reſpect of both Tables of the law, ibid.
7 Dependant upon God, page 91
3 Ioyne and co-operate with the Spirit, page 92
4 Turne motions into reſolutions, duplicate page duplicate page page 94,
and reſolutions into practiſe, page 95
5 Depend on ordinances, and get a heart ſuteable to them, page 96
6 Obſerve the Spirits firſt withdrawing, and ſearch the cauſe, page 100
7
Take heed of ſuch ſinnes as we terme little ones, page 102,
and looke upon all ſinne in the riſe and root of it, page 104
8 Get ſpirituall wiſedome to know what is pleaſing and diſpleaſing to the Spirit, page 105
9 VponUpon breaches, renew repentance, page 108
10 Avoyd corrupt communication, page 109
Whereby you are ſealed.
§ 2 Of the ſealing of the Spirit.
1 Chriſt is ſealed, page 122
2 So are Chriſtians. page 125
I What this ſealing is, and how it is wrought, page 125
II The privileges of it.
A ſeale ſerveth for
1 Confirmation, page 131
2 Diſtinction, page 132
3 Appropriation, page 139
4 Eſtimation, page 141
5 Secrecy, page 144
6 Security, page 146
III
Degrees of ſealing.
1 The worke of faith, page 149
2 Sanctification, page 150.
yet not without a new act of the Spirit, page 153.
the reaſons, page 155
3 Ioy, page 156.
which hath its degrees alſo, page 158,
being from the ſpirit, page 159
Of the three witneſſes on earth 160, their order, page 164
Of the witneſſe of the Spirit immediately from it ſelfe, which is the higheſt, and that which bringeth moſt joy, page 166
Of ſuch joyes and raptures of the Spirit, and how they are knowne from illuſions, page 169. as
1 By what goes before them: as
1 The word imbraced by faith, page 171
2 Deep humiliation, page 172
3 Selfe-denyall, page 174
4 Comfort & victory, page 175
5 Spirituall ſtrength put forth in duty, page 176
2 By what accompanieth them: as,
1 Pryzing ordinances, page 177
2 Liberty & boldneſſe with God, page 179
3 And for the moſt part Sathans malice, page 180
3 By what followeth them,
1 More humility, page 180
2 Increaſe of ſpirituall ſtrength, page 181
3 A joyfull expectation of Chriſt, page 183
4 Other degrees of ſealing from the divers degrees of revelation, page 185
VntoUnto the day of Redēption.
§ 3 Of the day of Redemption. 191
From the conſideration of what formerly hath beene ſpoken, ſome generall concluſions are collected, page 202
I Concl.
Wee may attaine to the knowledge that wee are in the ſtate of grace, page 203
All that have faith, have not aſſurance, page 209
II Concl.
VponUpon knowledge of our ſtate of grace for the preſent, we may be aſſured of our future full redemption, page 215
Why we pray for forgiveneſſe of ſinnes notwithſtanding, page 218
This aſſurance we have, page 221 that, firſt, God may be glorified, 222, ſecondly, our ſoules comforted, page 223
III Concl.
This aſſured knowledge is wrought by the Spirit, page 224
IIII Concl.
The ſealing of the Spirit unto ſalvation, ſhould bee a prevailing argument not to grieve the Spirit, page 228
1 To thoſe that are not as yet ſealed, page 230
2 To thoſe that are ſealed either in a lower,page 233.
or higher worke of ſealing, page 236,
and that from
1 Ingenuity, page 237
2 Benefit received from the Spirit, page 239
3 A kinde of neceſsity, page 240
4 The nature of love, page 241
5 And other graces, as faith and hope, that worke by aſsimilation. page 242
The doctrine of aſſurance is no doctrine of liberty, page 243
But of deepe and ſweet ingagement, page 244
Therefore we ſhould preſerve the worke. page 247
FINIS.