142. Ephefianr,Clrap.r. VER.13. figuratively fignifie a fingular confirmationgiven to faithful! ohes tou- ching their redemption:The feale,the holy fpirit,that is,both the perfon of the fpirit dwelling us,and thegraces ofthe fpiritinherent in ias,which is here laid afpirit ofpromife, becaufeGod had fore-promifed toputHS fpirit into our hearts; that hisword & fpirit fhould never leave the faith. full feed ; that he would poure out the fpirit on all fiefh; which fold-fine promifes make me think that this phrafe is in this fenfe rather tobe con - ftrued , as Gal.3 , 4. wee are faid by faith to receive the promife ofthe Spirit ; that is,the fpirit of promife,or that hadbeene promifed as here it isuttered. Dolf.4. Firft obferve, that thefaithful! are asit wereby Peale confirmed, cou- ching their falvation and full redemption;for this is tobe fupplied from the 4.Chap.3o.ver.Who confirme. h 1, who bath anointed ta, yea,who bath paledeu,a C07. I. As God did Peale his Chriff, as the perfon inwhom he would be glorious by working our redemption ; fo he Both leak hs who arc beleevers, for perlons who [hall have redemption byhim. E- ven as perlons contraEting doe mutually feale and deliver each ofthem their deedes in feverall : fó betweene God and the beleever;the be- leever doth by faith let to his lealeas itwere, that God is true in that which he promifeth , John 3.33. and God he dóthfeale unto thebelee- ver,that he [hall beinfallibly brought to the falvation he hath beleeved; for to feale up beleevers ro redemption, or ro Peale redemption to be- lecvers, are here equivalent. Looke what a Peale let on any thing doth, it agreeth well tobeleevers :For firft a Peale maketh fometimes things fealed fccret ; Thus the graces of the fpirit make beleevers unknowne ro the wodd,whohave not received the fame fpirit with them,yea,fuch as nonecan ordinarily know their happineffe befide themfelves : üYJ love it likeafountainspled; for this eaufe theWordknoweth you not,becauf it knoweth not theFather, r John g. z.Secondly, a leale dothdiftinguilh 5 thus the beleevers are a peculiar to God, are let apart; asthe firft fruits of the creature, aretaken out of theworld. Thirdly; APeale doth make things aurhenticall : Thus meatures, cloathes, deedes, any thing by the Peale cc mining ,is confirmed andwarranted in thekindofit : Thusbe- leevers they have that given themwhich doth fullyaffure their falva- tion alwaics,yea,which doth not onely make isfure in itfelfe, but tome- time put it out of all doubt with them, that theycan fay, they know whom they have beleeved, and that he is able to keepe their falvation they have trolled himwith to that day,: Looke as Kings when they cakeanytogreat offices,or to haveand hold lands, matter ofinheritance hereor there, they give their feale, that theymay the morefecure it un- to them ; fo doth God to us, when now he raketh us beleeving to that heavenly inheritance.But it maybe objected by many beleeving hearts, we find no afrurance,bur muchdoubting everand anon,though we hope we haveanddoe truly beleeve. It is one thing to have this orthat furely by deede and Pealeconfir- !med,another to know that we have a thing fo fealed : As men in earthly things may have lure evidence for this or thar,and yet not alwaies know the
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