E,x.i3. E,phefians,Chap.t. >t 3 the certainty of their hold, and fo doubt cauflefly, thus it is in belee- vers, they have their redemption ever furely fealed, but notknow- ing the certainty hereof in themfelves, they are yer-while fubjeEt to doubtings. The ufe is, that feeing God hath thus fealed tous our falvation, we Pre t. fhnuld,Ergo,labor tobe fully perfwaded touching thishis grace toward us.Though true beleevers arenot alwaies fure of their falvationin their f nfe and judgement, yet they fhould everfirive to this ; For as men would be Crafted confidently, in that they promife and feale ; foGod much more wouldhave us be fecure,touching that whichhe hath pro- mifed,written,fworn outwardly and inwardly fealed. Let us all ftriveto get ourfelves fealed to redemption, feeing God Y/e a. doth Peale thofe whom he will deliver inthat great day ; ifwe be not in this number, we (hall not efcape damnation. Even as in the ninthof EzechieR,andRevelation7.thofe were kept from the judgement fpirituall in the one place,corporallin another, whom God had fealed and mar- ked thereto,fo is it here, &c. The laft point followeth, viz. That the holy fpirit,and thegraces of D. S. the fpirit,arethe Peale affuring our redemption,the fealefealingus to re. demption.For affuranceofoutward things we haveonly the feale fealed on wax,or otherwife,we neednot the Signet fealing; but we are confir- med touching falvation,both by the fpirit of God, who is as it were the Peale fealing,and by the gracesof the fpirit, which is as it were thePeale fealed and printed upon us;yea,thefetwo,bothof them are together as a feale,while it ftandeth uponthe matter which it now fealeth.Lookeas the Kings ofEngland grave on their broad Seale their owne image, and fo print as it were their own piélure in this or that which they Peale : So our God byhis holy fpirit, effentially like himfelf, he doth print upon ourfoules,hisown image;upon us I fay,whomhe fealeth to redemption. Now, that both Gods fpirit and this image ofGod in us, doe asit were Peale us up to falvation,is plain.For firft ofthe perfonof the fpirit,it is fpoken;Row.8.that it beareth witneffeto our ffirits,that weare Gods chil- dren, and heire, with Chrif . The fpirit ofGod doth byhis owne tefti- mony in fpeciall manner confirme us and afireus this way. Now for theother, We know by this, faith Saint lobo, that we aretranflatedfrom death to lip, becauf we love thebrethren. Now feeing it is the holyfpirit dwelling in us, and Godsholy image in ourfoules, which feale upour falvation: How fhould we labour for the fpirit and for holineffe, with- out which none fh 11 ever fee God hadwegreat matters to be con- veyed tous, though all were concluded, and the inftruments ready drawne,yet we could not reft till we hadgot all fure fealed ; fo it is with us, we fhould not refs, but feeke this holy fpirit, that wemight feeour heavenly inheritance fafe andPure, even fealedwithinus. Secondly ; we feebythis, that thefeale is Gods holy(pirit, that God doth not intend by fealing,tomake ourfalvation certain in it felf,but to usalfo :For hewho fealethus with fucha Peale which we may know,he wouldhaveus affuredin our felves, touching that to which weare fea- led :
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