each PERSON diftinflly. [ 381 ] of this metaphor, what 1 am perfwaded of the mind of God in it, I Thall briefly impart. In a feel two things are confidered, the nature of it, and the ufe of it. (a. The nature of fealing confifis in the imparting of the image or chap rafter of the feal to the thing fealed ; this is to feal a thing, toRamp the charafter of the feal on it. in this fenfe; the effeftuat communication of the image of God unto us, fhould be our fealing. The Spirit on believers really communicating the image of God in righteoufnefs and true holinefs unto the foul, fealeth us. To have this (lamp of the Holy Ghoft, fo as to be an evidence unto the foul that it is accepted with God, is to be fealed by the Spirit ; taking the metaphor from the nature of fealing, Mir. v. 4, And in this fenfe is our Saviour Paid to be fealed ofGod, Jab. vi. 27. even from that impreffion of the power, wifdom and majefly of God, that he had upon him in the difcharge of his office. (2.) The end of fealing is twofold. [r.] To confirmor ratify any grant or conveyance made in writing; in fuch cafes men fee their feals to make good and confirm their grants, and when this is done they are irrevocable. Or to confirm the teftimony that is given by any one of the truth of any thing. Such was the manner a- mong the Jews : when any one had given true witnefs unto any thing or matter, and itwas received by the judges, they infantly fee their feats to it, to confirm it in judgment. Hence is it faid, that he wbo receives the te.limony of Chug, fers to bis feat that God it true, Joh. iii. 33. The promife is thegreat grant and conveyance of life and falvation in Chrifl to the fouls of believers. That we may have full affurance of the truth and irrevocablenefsof thepromife, Godgives us the Spirit to fatisfyour hearts of it; and thence is he faid to feat us, by alluring ourhearts of thofe pro- rnifes, and their ftability. But tho' many expofitors go this way, I do not fee how this can conflit with the very meaning of the word : it is not Paid that the the promife is fealed, but that we are fealed, and when we feat a deed or grant to any one, we do not fay the man is fealed, but the deed or grant. [a.] To appropriate, diltinguifh or keep fafe, this is the end of feal- ing ; men fee their feals on that which they appropriate, and delire to keep fafe for themfelves : fo evidently in this fenfe are the fervants of God faid to be fealed, Rev. vii. ¢. that is, marked with God's mark, as his pe- culiar ones, for this fealing anfwers to the fetting of a mark, Ezek. ix. Then are believers fealed, when they are marked for God, to be heirs of the purchafed inheritance, and to he preferved to the day of redemption. Now if this be the fealing intended, it denotes not an ad of fence in the heart, but of fecurity to the perfon: the Father gives the elect into the hands of Chrift to be redeemed, having redeemed theist in due time, they are called by the Spirit, and marked for God, and fo give up themfelves to thehands of the Father. If you ask now, which ofthefe fences is chiefly intended in this expreflion ofour being fealed by the Holy Ghoft? I anfwer the firll, not excluding the other; we are fealed to the dayof redemption, when from the damp, image, and charafter of the Spirit upon our fouls, we have a frefh fenfe of the love of God given to us with a comfortable perfwafionof our as reptation with him. But of this wholematter I have treated at large elfe- where (b). e e e e e Thus (b) Perfererance of Saints, chap. vili.
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