124. 2'befirft Sign PART III. which is called the Motifs of the Spirit, Rom. 8. is elfewhere in the new Teftament called the Seal of the Spirit, 2 Cor. r. 22. Eph. 1.13. and 4. 13. alluding to theSeal of Princes, annexed to the Inítrument, by which they advanced any of their SubjeEts to fome high Honour and Dignity, or peculiar Privilege in the Kingdom, as a Token of their fpecial Favour. Which is an Evidence that the Influence ofthe Spirit of the Prince of Princes, in fealing his Favourites, is far from being of a common Kind ; and that there is no Effect of.Gdd's Spirit whatfoever, which is in its Nature more divine ; nothing more holy, peculiar,inimitable and diftinguifhing of Divinity : as nothing is more Royal than the royal Seal ; nothing more facred, that belongs to a Prince, and more peculiarly denoting what belongs to him it being the very End and Defign of it, to be the moft peculiar Stamp and Confirmation of the royal Authority, and great Note of Diftinaion, whereby that which proceeds from the King, or belongs to him; may be known from every Thing elfe. And therefore undoubtedly the Seal of the great King of Heaven and Earth enftamped on the Heart, is fomething high:.and holy in its own Nature, fome excellent.Com,- rnunication from the infinite Fountain of divine. Beauty and Glory and not meerly a making known a fecret Fait by Revelation or .Sug geftion ; which is a Sort of Influence of the Spirit of God, that the Children of the Devil have often been the Subje&s of. The Seal of the Spirit is a Kind of Effect of theSpirit of God on the Heart, which and had more Experience, he entirely rejeIed it ; as appears by his Treatife of the Nature of Paving Converfion, p. 84. " The " Spirit of God doth not teflify to particular Perfons, that they " are godly. Some think that the Spirit of God dòth teflify it " to fome ; and they ground it on Rom. 8. 16. T'he Spirit it i° felfbeareth Witnefs with our Spirit, that we are the Children of " God. They think the Spirit reveals it by giving an inward " Teftimony to it ; and fome godly Men think they have had " Experience of it : But they may eafily miflake when the " Spirit of God doth eminently fir up a Spirit of Faith, and " fheds abroad the Love of God in the Heart, it is eafy to mif- "- take it for a Teftimony: And that is not the Meaning of " Paul's Words. The Spirit reveals Things to us, by open- " ing our Eyes to fee what is revealed in the Word ; but the " Spirit Both not reveal newTruths, not revealed in the Word. The Spirit difcovers the Grace of God in Chrift, and thereby ' draws forth fpecial Aaings of Faith and Love, which are evi- >" dential ; but it doth not work in Way of Teftimony. If God do but help us to receive the Revelations in the Word, '" we (hall have Comfort enough without new Revelations ". natural
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