to theEP H E S I AN S. Ni>w, my Brethren, Inwhom, will fiill have a double reference, andadouble~ meaning,ifwe refer it to Chrifl and to feahng m ~\m,and both IS the meamng and~ fcD]Je ot the place. . . . Firfi 'E> is all one With .;,, In Chrifl you were fcaled, that IS, you. were fealed iuto Ch~ijl, 111 to lmr;: foit im]'orteth .that t:1e matter made :mown m the work of Jealilrg, is a mans limon With Chn!l. Wnen the Ho!~ Ghofi fealeth a man tip, the tiling he makes known, the thmg he fealcrh to Lun IStillS , that he .Is m Chrifl that he bath been elected in Chrilt, by God the Father, from everlafimg , that h~ is one in Chrifi; he was one with him from everla!ling, he was one with him when he hung upon the Crofs, he is one wnh him now m Heaven. l11to whom fo the words will bear as well ,:;, as ;, , you may read either, one as well as ano;her; I fpcak forthc fcope and meaning of it, . I will give you aScripture for this InterpretatiOn, 7 Cor,I. 2r. where he fpeaks of efla6lr]birrg and (ealilrg ottr hearts, he putteth m tillS phrafe, faith he, He who j/trblijheth liS with yon, .;,xfkov, itr Chrrf/, ts God ; He bath fla6lrjhed tts m Chnfl, or fealed tiS i11 Chrijl, (for that followeth, ver. 22, : .N <fP~?,"'"~"®-,) into Chrtf/.And,1oh. I 4.20. At that day) 'f }hall k11ow that I am i11 my Fathtr,rmdyo11 irt vu a11d J ill)'Otl, So that a man's Union with Chrifi, his being in Chrifi, is the m~tter fealed up to him; In whomye are fealed. My Brethren, in the work of fea!i~tg there is the love of all the Perfons manife!led; God the Father's Love, ~nd Chrifi's Love, and our Union with him, he leaveth not him out; therefore you !hall find, I .1oh. )·there are three Witneffes in Heaven that witnefs Love to us, as well as Three on Earth. I remember that I fhewed, that the work of Baptifmistheoutward Seal, to which this inward Seal mofi principallyrefer– reth; for Baptifm is not to work Regeneration, that is a mi!lake, as Circumcijion was not. Rom+ 1 '. he calleth Circumcifion the Seal of the righteouJi~efs of Faith, which Abraham had, 6ei1rg tmcirctlmcifed: fo that it is not to work, but to feal Regeneration and Salvation unto us, Now, as we are faid to be baptized i11to Chrifl, Rom. 6. that is the outward Seal: fo this is the inward work, whereby the Holy Ghofi fealeth a man into Chrift, !11 whom we arefealed; it may be as well;;, as iv, as it is in that place cf the Corinths, which inter– preteth it. Or in the Second place, This phrafe, l1t whom ) 'f m·e fealed, importeth , and the intent of it is to lhew, by virtue of whom this benefit is bellowed, that it is befiowed by virtue of Chri!l. The work of Stating is wrought in us by virtue of Chrift; it is in him virtually, though by the Holy Ghofi efficiently. The Holy Ghofi is the Author of it, but Jefus Chrift is the virtual caufe. In that 2 Cor. 1. >o. the place I quoted even now for jeali11g and fla6lrjhing us, you fhall find there, that aft the Promifes are Tta and Amm i11 him; now, as all the Pro– mifes are Yea and Ame11 virtually in C-hri!l; they had been worth nothing elfe, if he had not died to make them good, fo the Jealing of all the Promifes unto.the heart of a Believer is in him too: So the words that follow, lle that Jlabhjheth m, rmdfealeth tu i11 Chrijl, will bear both fenfes, as well as here it dotb• . Now, my Brethren, to open this a little, (for it is a point of ufeful Conlidera– twn,) Th~ wod< of Seali1rgof the Holy Ghofi is done by virtue of Jefus Chrift, He, and his VIrtue, IS left out in no work that is done for us. I remember, that I gave you this Rule in handling of the 10th verfc, (and it is a thing I have largely elfewhere handled,) That whatfoever work God cloth upon us, he cloth unto Chnft fir!l. Now then, are we {ealed virtually in Chrifi? why then we mufl: find the fame work upon Chri!l himfelf firfi. We died to fin, becaufe he d1ed; we rofe from fin, becaufe he rofe; we are fealed, becaufe he once was fealed, and by virtue of that we come to be fealed. This is necdfary to be opened, if you will underfl:and the fuiW"cope of this, !rt whomye are {ealed. Now we read that Jefus Chn!l was fealed, ]'oh.6.27. For him(faith he) bath God the Father fealtd: Mark it, Him bath he fealed. Now do but look into your Mar– gems, and fee to what the Tranilators have referred this j(a!m~ of Chrifi to to Matt.~·'7· do but read there and you !hall find, that Jefus Chrifl, when h~ was bapuzed ( wh~ch, as I told you, is the outward· Seal) he heard a Voice from Heaven , faymg, Tbi< u my BtloVtd Su11, in whom I tJffJ well plta(ed. E e My
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