i30 Thefirfi Sign PART- III. is the fame Thing with the Earneft of the Spirit, by 2 Cor I. 22. Who bath alfo fealed Us, and given the Earn fl of the Spirit in our Hearts. And Eph. Y . 13, 14. In whom, after that ye believed, ye werefealedwith that holy Spirit of, Promife ; which is the Earned ofour Inheritance, until the Redemption of the purchafed Pofon, unto the Praife of his Glory. Now the Earneft is Part of the Money agreed for, given in Hand, as a Token of the 'Whole, to be paid in due Time a Part of the prornifed Inheritance, granted now, in Token of full Poffeffion of the Whole hereafter. But furely that Kind of Communication of the Spirit of God, which is of the Nature of eternal Glory, is the higheft and molt excellent Kind of Communi- cation, fomething that is in its own Nature fpiritual, holy and divine, and far from any Thing that is common ; and therefore high above any Thing of the Nature if Infpira.tion, or Revelation of hidden Faas by Suggeftion of the Spirit of God, which many natural Men have had. What is The Earneft and Beginning of Glory, but Grace it feif, efpecially in the more lively and clear Exercifes of it ? 'Tis not Prophecy, nor Tongues, nor Knowledge, but that more excellent divine Thing, Charity that neverfaileth, which is a Prelibation andBe- ginning of the Light, Sweetnefs, and Blefiednefs of Heaven, that World of Love or Charity. 'Tis Grace that is the Seed of Glory, and Dawning of Glory in the Heart, and therefore 'tis Grace that is the Earneft of the future Inheritance. What is it that is the Be- ginning or Earneft of eternal Life in the Soul, but fpiritual Life ? And what is that but Grace ? The Inheritance that Chrift has pur- chafed for the. Elect, is the Spirit of God ; not in any extraordinary Gifts, but in his vital Indwelling in the Heart, exerting and commu- nicating himfelf there, in his own proper, holy or divine Nature: And this is the Sum total of the Inheritance that Chrift purchafed for the Elea. For fo art Things conftituted in the Affair of our Re- Roberts, in his Treatife of the Covenants, fpeaks of another, that fo vehemently panted after the Sealings and Alfurance of the Love of God to his Soul, that for a long Time he car- nally defired fome Voice from Heaven ; and fometimes, walking in the folitary Fields, earneffly defired fome mira- culous Voice from the Trees or Stones there. This was denied him ; but in Time, abetter was afforded, in a fcrip- tural Way ". Again, Ibid. " This Method of Sealing, is beyond all other Methods in the World. For in miraculous Voices and Infpirations,'tis poffible there, may fiibe falfum, be found finite Cheat, or Impoftures of the .Devil ; but the Spirit's Witnefs in the Heart, fuitable to the Revelation in the Scriptnre,,cannot deceive us 'T. demption,
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