SO DISCOURSES ON TILE into their faith in him as the sealed one of God, was re. I to many newworks, duties, and uses which before they solved, 2 Peter i. 17, 18. (2.) To manifest that God would take care of him, and preserve him in his work unto the end, Isa. xlii. Fifthly, Wherefore, this sealing of the Son is the communication of the Holy Spirit in all fulness unto him, authorising him unto, and actuating his divine power in all the acts and duties of his office, so as to e- vidence the presence of God with him, and approbation of him, "as the only person that was to distribute the spi- ritual food of their souls unto men. For the Holy Spirit, by his powerful operations in and by him, did evince and manifest, that he was called and appointed of God to this work, owned by him, and accepted with him, which was God's sealing of him. Hence, the sin of them who despised this seal of God, was unpardon- able. For God neither will nor can give greater testi- mony unto his approbation of any person, than by the Great Seal of his Spirit. And this was given unto Christ in all the fulness of it. He was declared to be the Son of God according to the Spirit ofholiness, Rom. i. 4. and justified in the Spirit, or by his power, evidencing that God was with him, 1 Tim. iii. 16. Thus did God seal the Head of the church with the Holy Spirit; and thence, undoubtedly, may we best learn how the mem- bers are sealed with the same Spirit, seeing we have all our measures out of his fulness and our conformity unto him is the design of all gracious communications unto us. Sixthly, Wherefore, God's sealing of believers with the Holy Spirit, is his gracious communication of the Holy Ghost unto them, so to actuate his divine power in them, as to enable them unto all the duties of their holycalling, evidencing them to he accepted with him both unta themselves and others,' and asserting their preservation unto eternal salvation. The effects of this sealing are gracious operations of the Holy Spirit inand upon believers; but the sealing itself is the communica- tion of the Spirit unto them. They are sealed with the Spirit. And, farther, to evidence the nature ofit with the truth of our declaration of this privilege, we may observe, I. That when any persons are no effectually called, as to become true believers, they are brought into many new relations, as to God himself, as his children, unto Jesus Christ, as his members, unto all saints and angels, in the families of God above and below; and are called knew nothing of. They are brought into a new world; erected by the new creation, and which way soever they look or turn themselves, they say, Old things are past away, behold all things are become new. So it is with every one that is made a new creature in Christ Jesus, 2 Cor. V. 17. In this state and condition, wherein a ntan bath new principles put within him, new relations contracted about him, new duties presented unto him, . and a new deportment in all things required of him, how shall he be able to behave himself aright, and an- swer the condition and holy station wherein he is pla- ced? This no man can do of himself: for who is suffici- ent for these things? Wherefore, 2. In this state God owns them, and communicates unto them his Holy Spirit, to fit them for their rela- tions, to enable them unto their duties, to actuate their new principles, and every way to discharge the work they are called unto, even as their Head, the Lord Christ, was unto his. God loth not now give unto them the spirit offear,' but of power, of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. i. 7. And hereby Both God seal them: For, (l.) Hereby he gives his testimony unto them, that they are his, owned by him, accepted with him, his sons, or children; which is his seal: for, if theywere not so, he would never have given Isis Holy Spirit unto them. And herein consists the greatest testimony that God doth give, and the only seal that he doth set unto any in this world. That this is God's testimony and seal, the apostle Peter proveth, Acts xv. 8, 9. For, on the debate of that question, whether God approved and accepted of the humble believers, although they observed not the rites of Moses? he conlrmeth that he did, with this argument: God, saith he, which know- eth their hearts, bare them witness. How did he do it? how did he set his seal to them as his? Saith he, By giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us, Hereby God gives testimony unto them. And lest any should suppose that it was only the giftsand miraculous operations of the Holy Ghost which he had respect unto, so as that this sealing' of God should consist therein alone, he adds, that his gracious operations also were no less an effect of this witness which God gave unto them; andput no difference between us and them, purging their hearts byfaith. This therefore is that whereby God giveth his testimony unto believers,
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